O'Callaghans Pub (Chicago)

O'CallaghansPub (Chicago), 26 Wes Hubbard Street, Chicago, USA.  www.ocallaghanspub.com ph 312-527-1180.  I pretty good Irish Pub and listening to the bartender talking, lots of the employees past and present are from Ireland. Beautiful sit up bar that seats 25-30 people.  The bar its self is long and narrow with pub high seats and tables along the wall parallel to the bar that you can squeeze 4 people per table.  14 different beer on tap. The area behind the bar is beautiful, all in dark wood, with lots of detail.  It has 4 semi nude statues in the pillars with mirrors behind.  There were 4 flat screen TVs in the bar.  I did not have a chance to try the food. 
There was a good atmosphere in this place, and I wish I could have spent more time there.  I would say give it a try, I am sure you will enjoy it!

Dick's Last Resort (Chicago)

Dick's Last Resort (Chicago) 315 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, USA at the base of the Marina City Towers over looking the Chicago River.  I found this place while on a river boat tour and had to go!  This is the place to go for fun, they insult you and please take it in stride!  They will make goofy hats for you.  there is the main bar area where I was.  There is also the family area to the other side of it.  One feature over the bar area is the over 70 different bras that various patrons have signed and donated to hang in the bar with pride!  When I was there there were 13 different types of beer on tap, but they are in the transition period switching from their winter beer to the spring/ summer beer and they usually have 20 different types of beer on tap.  there are 6 tv's n the bar area to watch.  The sit up bar can seat about 15 people.  this is the place to go for a good time, all set in a nautical theme.  They have live bands from 730 pm to 1000 pm.  The waitress said that the staff gets meaner and nastier as the day goes on, sounds like fun to me!!  The menu had burgers, catfish,  steak, crab cakes and a lot more.  There is an out door patio right over the river!  The staff was very friendly and looked after everyone very well. They also have a nice gift shop. I gotta say, a two thumbs up to this place for sure!!

Shamrock Club (Chicago)

Shamrock Club, 210 West Kinzie Street, Chicago, USA,  phone 312-321-9314They claim it is the River north's neighborhood bar and grill.  The bar is long and narrow and seats about 10 people.  They have 11 different types of beer on tap.  In the back there is a very small pool table, I am guessing about 3 feet by 5 feet. There are 6 tables along the wall seating 4 people and there are 6 bar height tables as well.   It has an attempt at an Irish theme through out.  The Menu consists of burgers, pizza Italian beef sandwiches and appys.  This is more just a watering hole. 4 flat screen tv's adorn the walls with sports on them.  There are many far better places in the near by area and you don't have far to go to them.  In my opinion, I would try many other places before this one.  Hey, but who am I to say!!

Gene & Georgetti (Chicago)

Gene and Georgetti, 500 North Franklin, Chicago, USA.  Known as a great steak house since 1941, this place has a beautiful sit up bar, that can seat 14 people.  Rich dark wood bar, well looked after.  The area behind the bar is also very beautiful with nice columns, great detail.  Very classic old style look! Numerous photos on the walls of celebrities that have visited this place. There are about 7 tables that each seat 4 people.  The food looked awesome, lots of locals coming in.  The bartender and waiters all word dark dress pants, white dress shirts, long white aprons and all wore ties.  As I sat up at the bar and ordered my glass of wine, they also served you a glass of ice water and kept it full.  The food that kept coming out to the tables looked very good, unfortunately I did not get to try it.  The service was impeccable, I wish I could have eaten here!  Lots of class here. I give this place two thumbs up for sure, I wish that I could have spent more time here!!

Town Hall Public House South Surrey (Surrey, British Columbia)

Town Hall Public House South Surrey located at 3140 King George Hwy, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.  Another of the Richard Joseph Group of pubs.  One of the best of their pubs that I have been to.  I really like the lay out of this place.  This used to be the Black Forest Restaurant, then it was the Black Forest Pub, but now taken over by the Richard Joesph Group.  It opened recently and are still doing some renovations, none of which disrupt your experience.  They have at least 15 different beer on tap, as well as a decent wine list!They have a beautiful sit up bar that seats 10 people.  There is a second bar but it is a stand up bar and probably only open when it gets really busy.  There are are 7 pub style tables that seat 6, 7 pub style tables that seat 2 and 2 pub style tables that seat 4 and numerous standard height tables and chairs.   They also have padded bench seats that run along two walls and look very comfortable! The one thing that impressed me, is when you enter.  You are greeted by the waitresses and offered a seat, hey nice touch!  The way it should be!  I felt comfortable from the time I entered this place.  There are 3 arcade games.  I had the brunch special which was a South West skillet, and it was very good.  It had Omega 3 eggs, hash browns, sausage, mushrooms, side of toast and very filling, all for $6.00!!  There are 11 flat screen TVs through out the place.  There were lots of waitresses and all seemed to be very happy working there which added to the great experience!!  I definitely give the Town Hall Public House South Surrey two thumbs up and would be back for sure!!!

September 2022  PERMANENTLY CLOSED FOR GOOD 

Clarks's Crossing Brew Pub (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

Clarks's Crossing Brew Pub, 3030 Diefenbaker Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.  Well it didn' start off too well.  I wanted a glass of wine and they only have one white and one red wine.  Nothing else!! For white they had a Gewurztraminer, and I just can't do that so I settled for the red, I can' remember what it was probably a Merlot.  It was just fair at best.  They had 4 of their own beer, Coyote Draft beer on tap.  Whiley Wheat, The Blend, Prairie Pilsner and Bronco Boc.  I can't tell you what they were like as I did not try them.  They have a large sit up bar that seats 13 people, take a look at the picture as I can't describe it that well.  7 flat screen tvs through out and a Video Lottery Terminal room with 12 VLTs in it.  There is also a separate games room with 2 pool tables.  This bar has direct access to the Cold Beer and Wine store with out having to go out side, which is a plus when it wis winter time here!  For seating there are 3 horse shoe shaped booths, 4 pub style high tables and chairs and numerous other tables and chairs.  For lunch we had the special which was the steak sandwich which was pretty good and cooked to order.  It came with your choice of fries, logger chips, or salad.  My brother and I could only give it a "C" and that is it.  They need to carry more than one type of white and one red wine, or maybe I am missing out on something!!  Washrooms maybe a "D+" at best. there has to be better places near by, but I didn't have time to find another place.

The Henry Public House (Cloverdale, British Columbia)

The Henry Public House 5708-176 Street, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.  This is a great addition to the town of Cloverdale which is in Surrey.  It was previously the Clover Inn's Legacy Show Room.  The Legacy Show Room was a strip bar and closed over one year ago.  The Henry is part of the Joseph Richard Group of Pubs, and isn't far from the Town Hall Public House on the Surrey/ Langely border about 10 minutes away.  The inside looks nothing like the old strip bar, gone is the stripper pole and everything that is associated to it.  They have repainted the outside to a black/ charcoal colour.  Inside, the walls are a dark wood finish with the south wall done in a red brick.  There is a nice sit up bar that seats 10 people.  One area has pub height tables and stool and there are about 8 of them.  Across from the bar there are 5 pub tables and each has 6 pub stools.  There is an area that is raised about one foot and there they have about 10 tables  that seat 4 people at each table in nice wood and leather pub chairs.  Off to the side they have the pool table area, which is nice as it does not interfere with the rest of the pub.  One wall is like a den with book shelves and books from the floor to the ceiling.  As for the beer they have 18 different types of beer on tap.  You can get a decent glass of wine for $4.50 for a 6 ounce glass.  There are 12 flat screen TVs through out the bar.  If you want arcade games they have three just by the door as you enter.  The food there is excellent.  I had the baked Mac and Cheese that has apple smoked bacon and Chirizo sausage in it, and come with garlic bread.  It was very good indeed!!  The burgers looked awesome, and I saw a lot of people ordering them!  I did here people talking about how good the food was and how fresh the bread was. It was very busy for the Friday lunch rush! In the washroom, they had this written on the mirror, "Wash your hands. Use Soap - Mom", what a great idea!! Cloverdale is the home to many movie and TV shoots, including, "Smallville" "Deck The Halls" "Postal" "Hotrod" and many scenes in TV series to boot! They say that the main street that the Henry is on looks like a small town in the USA.  Back in the 1990's, Coca Cola made a TV commercial that aired around the world for Christmas for around $500,000.00.  They turned the town in to a winter scene for the shooting of the commercial.  I have a feeling that this place is going to do really well.  Plus if your heading up to Canada from the USA, and you enter through the Pacific Crossing, is is about 7 miles north of the border just off Hwy 15 (about 2 blocks to the east)  I really like this place and will recommend it to many other people!!  Two thumbs up!!