I rarely leave reviews unless the experience is exceptional or horrendous. Unfortunately, this was the latter.
We have been regulars at Galway Bay for over a year, but last night the service was unacceptable. The bartender, I believe his name was Billy, was incredibly rude. When the music machine would not return my partner’s credit card, instead of helping resolve the issue he yelled at her across the bar. Completely unprofessional.
Even after she got her card back, the rudeness continued while we were sitting at the bar having drinks. He created a very hostile environment that made it uncomfortable to even stay. What should have been a quick fix turned into one of the worst service experiences I have had in over a decade living in Chicago.
It is disappointing because Galway Bay has been a favorite spot for us, but the service has been on a steady decline and this was the breaking point. I will not be returning for a while. I would still say try it for yourself, but be warned—the experience now depends entirely on who is working behind the bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
jack grant
Arturo my man always know how to brighten spirits, shoutout to the rest of the staff killing it every day
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Dylan Wendricks
Pretty solid, good nice dive bar
Atmosphere: 5
Brandon Lam
Always love coming here to get some pool games going!
Atmosphere: 5
Stacy A
I like this place when the crowd is chill. Feels like I’m in someone’s basement. Free popcorn is a huge plus.
Trivia on Monday nights at 8pm.
Christian Maron
Thought this would be a chill place for a date but I was incredibly wrong. The 'board games' are a measly pile of dusty, disorganized offerings no one has heard of. The N64 setup was busted and the bartender chose to be rude and confrontational by yelling at me when he saw me trying to figure out why it wasn't working. The vibe was incredibly hostile even for a dive and we hated every minute of being there. Only redeeming quality is the free popcorn but you're much better off making a bag at home.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Daniel Estevez
Great neighborhood bar with a lot of character and affordable prices
joe loiselle
Galway Bay an absolutely lovely place to enjoy a perfect pint of Guinness and perhaps split the “G” and toss back a dozen Jameson shots. The bartenders are kindred souls with hearts of gold ready to crack open the coldest of high life’s and serve it with a smile. The door staff are strong and handsome welcoming you into what feels like your own home and ready to fetch you a fresh basket of the house popcorn, a true delight. The bathrooms are spacious and pristine with a pleasant soap and soft towels to dry off with. Plenty of entertainment available including billiards, darts, Golden T, retro video gaming counsels, and the loosest video poker machines in town. Very ADA accessible. I recommend going at 2:30am Sunday morning for an authentic experience. I look forward to returning in the future with my TouchTunes app loaded with credits to really set the mood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ian Morton
This place has character and a unique vibe. I'm not in the area often, but when I am it's definitely going to be a must for me.
A fine pub. Was there towards the end of the night and we were the only ones there. Hard to get a gauge for what it’s normally like.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 3
Noah Sause
The lady running the karaoke was a jerk. I tried to walk up to maybe sing one song and she was an absolute jerk who told me to go away. I don’t know who employed her but she has some problems to work through bc I was just trying to sing a single song and she shoed me away. Stay away from this bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amy Friend
The Galway Bay is everything you want from a bar. Great service, awesome music, free popcorn and pool and darts at any time. A Chicago staple, you would be crazy not to visit. Shout out to Bill, who pours the best Guinness in the neighbourhood!
I rarely leave reviews unless the experience is exceptional or horrendous. Unfortunately, this was the latter.
We have been regulars at Galway Bay for over a year, but last night the service was unacceptable. The bartender, I believe his name was Billy, was incredibly rude. When the music machine would not return my partner’s credit card, instead of helping resolve the issue he yelled at her across the bar. Completely unprofessional.
Even after she got her card back, the rudeness continued while we were sitting at the bar having drinks. He created a very hostile environment that made it uncomfortable to even stay. What should have been a quick fix turned into one of the worst service experiences I have had in over a decade living in Chicago.
It is disappointing because Galway Bay has been a favorite spot for us, but the service has been on a steady decline and this was the breaking point. I will not be returning for a while. I would still say try it for yourself, but be warned—the experience now depends entirely on who is working behind the bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Arturo my man always know how to brighten spirits, shoutout to the rest of the staff killing it every day
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Pretty solid, good nice dive bar
Atmosphere: 5
Always love coming here to get some pool games going!
Atmosphere: 5
I like this place when the crowd is chill. Feels like I’m in someone’s basement. Free popcorn is a huge plus.
Trivia on Monday nights at 8pm.
Thought this would be a chill place for a date but I was incredibly wrong. The 'board games' are a measly pile of dusty, disorganized offerings no one has heard of. The N64 setup was busted and the bartender chose to be rude and confrontational by yelling at me when he saw me trying to figure out why it wasn't working. The vibe was incredibly hostile even for a dive and we hated every minute of being there. Only redeeming quality is the free popcorn but you're much better off making a bag at home.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Great neighborhood bar with a lot of character and affordable prices
Galway Bay an absolutely lovely place to enjoy a perfect pint of Guinness and perhaps split the “G” and toss back a dozen Jameson shots. The bartenders are kindred souls with hearts of gold ready to crack open the coldest of high life’s and serve it with a smile. The door staff are strong and handsome welcoming you into what feels like your own home and ready to fetch you a fresh basket of the house popcorn, a true delight. The bathrooms are spacious and pristine with a pleasant soap and soft towels to dry off with. Plenty of entertainment available including billiards, darts, Golden T, retro video gaming counsels, and the loosest video poker machines in town. Very ADA accessible. I recommend going at 2:30am Sunday morning for an authentic experience. I look forward to returning in the future with my TouchTunes app loaded with credits to really set the mood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place has character and a unique vibe. I'm not in the area often, but when I am it's definitely going to be a must for me.
Caught up with friends and enjoyed some karaoke!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great bar with fun darts set up
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Can't even poop without then saying you're drunk
A fine pub. Was there towards the end of the night and we were the only ones there. Hard to get a gauge for what it’s normally like.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 3
The lady running the karaoke was a jerk. I tried to walk up to maybe sing one song and she was an absolute jerk who told me to go away. I don’t know who employed her but she has some problems to work through bc I was just trying to sing a single song and she shoed me away. Stay away from this bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The Galway Bay is everything you want from a bar. Great service, awesome music, free popcorn and pool and darts at any time.
A Chicago staple, you would be crazy not to visit. Shout out to Bill, who pours the best Guinness in the neighbourhood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Popcorn
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