10 St. Patrick’s Day Restaurant and Bar Pop-Ups to Know in Chicago

St. Patrick’s Day is almost upon Chicago, and plenty of restaurants are offering specials and holiday-themed pop-ups. Follow along for a sampling of the best the city has to offer for this very special St. Patrick’s Day edition of Eater Chicago’s pop-up round up.

Have a pop-up that should be listed? Email them to chicago@eater.com.

March 10

BRIDGEPORT — Adored neighborhood restaurant the Duck Inn will offer various St. Patrick’s Day specials over five days, like draft Guinness, “Shamrock Shakes,” and house corned beef sandwiches. Saturday and Sunday will feature plus brunch, with dishes including Irish breakfasts and corned beef hash Benedicts. March 13 to 17, the Duck Inn, 2701 S. Eleanor Street.

LINCOLN PARK — Neighborhood spot Beck’s has become Beck’s Blarney: An Irish Pop-Up Bar for the month of March. An Irish-themed menu includes “Danny’s Fish & Chips” (beer-battered cod, tartar sauce, fries or tots), Irish nachos (nacho cheese, jalapeño, salsa, fries or tots), and “Annie’s Famous Beer Cheese Rueben Soup” with marble rye croutons. Top it all off with creative cocktails like the “Erin Rose” (Jameson Cold Brew whiskey, Skrewball Peanut Butter whiskey, PBR Hard Cold Coffee, whipped cream) and “Shamrock Shake Shots” (Stoli Vanilla vodka, Bailey’s Irish Cream, mint liqueur). March 1 to April 4, Beck’s, 2201 N. Clybourn Avenue.

LOGAN SQUARE — Tex-Mex sports bar the Old Plank will feature Irish-themed St. Patrick’s Day specials like fish and chips, rueben sandwiches, and corned beef, along with plenty of celebratory drinks. Those include a “Pot of Gold Fashioned” (Teeling Irish whiskey, rhubarb, bitters), “May Your Blessings Be More (Teeling, ginger beer, angostura), and the “Irish Goodbye” (beer, shot). March 13 to 17, the Old Plank, 2700 N. Milwaukee Avenue.

RIVER NORTH — Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’s wine bar Bar Ramone will open earlier than usual at 10 a.m. Saturday to get the party started. Irish-themed items include a Lapryor Farms prime beef cheeseburger (Shullsburg American cheese, pickles, griddled onions) on a bright green bun that’s topped with a fried egg and jamón serrano ($15.95). March 14, Bar Ramone, 441 N. Clark Street.

RIVER NORTH — Bustling downtown self-pour beer and sports bar Public House will bring back its annual “Tap O’ the Morn” St. Patrick’s Day party Saturday. Green thematic menu items include a “Shamrocked Cake Shake” (Rumple Minze, mint chocolate chip ice cream), green “Paddy Cakes” pancakes, and “Lucky Charm” shots (Bailey’s Irish Cream, Jameson), available all month long. March 14, Public House, 400 N. State Street.

THE LOOP — LondonHouse Chicago offers views of the Chicago River dyeing from above plus a four-hour open bar, green Miller Lite, “breakfast bites,” and St. Patrick’s Day gear for $100. The venue will also offer a chance for patrons to donate to the Koala Hospital wildlife center that’s helping animals affected by Australia’s rampant wildfires. March 14, LondonHouse Chicago, 85 E. Upper Wacker Drive, reservations are available online.

THE LOOP — Upscale bar spot the Dearborn from Ireland natives Clodagh and Amy Lawless is going all-out with a several-day St. Patrick’s Day celebration. On Thursday and Friday, the Lawless’s are bringing back a Guinness pint glass engraving station where customers can have their complimentary (while supplies last) glass engraved from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Celtic musicians Paddy Holman & Friends will perform from noon to 8 p.m. Staff will also offer a festive menu on Saturday through Tuesday that includes an all-day Irish breakfast, shepherd’s pie, and corned beef reubens. March 12 to 17, the Dearborn, 145 N. Dearborn Street.

WEST LOOP — Gaijin, Chicago’s first restaurant devoted to okonomiyaki, is offering a wild Japanese-Irish mashup in the form of a corned beef Osaka-style okonomiyaki, served with spicy mustard ($15). March 1 to 31, Gaijin, 950 W. Lake Street.

WEST LOOP — Porter Kitchen & Deck overlooks Chicago’s temporarily emerald waterway, so patrons can take in the dyeing process from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. with a brunch buffet ($40). Add a drink package with call liquor, green beer, and mimosas for an additional $20. March 14, Porter Kitchen & Deck, 150 N. Riverside Plaza, reservations available online.

WEST LOOP — Charming throwback Saint Lou’s Assembly will take on the guise of Saint Lounihan’s Irish Pub Friday and Saturday, offering drinks from flowing green beer towers and seasonal food specials like a corned beef meat n’ three. On Sunday, the restaurant will feature a St. Patrick’s Day brunch with more corned beef, in Benedict form. March 14 to 16, Saint Lou’s Assembly, 664 W. Lake Street, reservations are available online.

March 3

LOGAN SQUARE — Chingona, a dining series from chef Jeremy Leven (Steadfast, Mfk) that emphasizes “Chicago roots cooking” with a strong Latin American bent, will hold a five-course pop-up tasting menu dinner at private members-only club Saint Emeric near Logan Square. Leven’s menu will highlight early culinary influences in Chicago, particularly First Nation and French cooking traditions. Information about club membership and event details are available online. March 13, Saint Emeric, location TBD

FULTON MARKET — Influential downtown restaurant Blackbird will host four chefs from Michelin-starred Chicago restaurants at its one-day “Michelin Star Sandwich shop” pop-up in March. Chefs John Shields (Smyth, the Loyalist), Noah Sandoval (Oriole), David Posey (Elske), and Ryan Pfeiffer (Blackbird) will each feature a sandwich option such as Sandoval’s New Orleans-style muffuletta and Pfeiffer’s spin on a Taco Bell Crunchwrap. Each meal includes a sandwich, coleslaw or chips, and a beverage pairing from a selection of “the world’s finest sh*tty beer” for $28. Reservations are required. March 8, Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph Street, reservations available on Tock.

LOGAN SQAURE — Popular dog-friendly brewery Hopewell Brewing Company is planning a one-night hot pot pop-up dinner with Edward Kim of Mott St. Kim is creating the menu for the family-style meal featuring vegetables, seafood, meat, and noodles as well as a selection of dipping sauces. At the dinner, priced at $65 each, Hopewell will also release the next submission to its Neon series, “Neon: Black Raspberry Lemon Peel” that’ll be available in bottles to take home. March 9, Hopewell Brewing Company, 2760 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Tickets available on Eventbrite.

RIVER NORTH — Famed restaurateur Rick Bayless will host a “Spring Break for Grown Ups” pop-up in late March at Frontera Grill, promising “no plane tickets, no foam parties, no fake IDs, no regrets.” Staff will transform the restaurant’s La Vista party room into an adult-friendly spring break spot with tacos (carne asada, cochinita pibil, tinga poblana, and portobellos mushroom), ceviche, and a “luxury” guacamole bar. There’ll also be margaritas, Mexican beers, and wines included in the ticket price ($100), along with tequila and mezcal at a cash bar. Bayless will be on-site for the event, serving tacos and possibly taking tequila shots. March 25, Frontera Grill, 445 N. Clark Street, Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

RIVER NORTH — Rick Bayless and daughter Lanie’s subterranean mezcal spot Bar Sótano will hold a “mashup” Wednesday with the team at globally-focused neighborhood spot Proxi. The special one-night-only menu will highlight a few of the staff’s favorite dishes from each restaurant, as well as some brand new collaborative submissions from chefs Andrew Zimmerman (Proxi) and Rishi Manoj Kumar (Bar Sótano). Bartenders Jess Sandberg (Proxi) and Lanie Bayless will also offer a few drinks from their respective restaurants, as well as some new creations. March 4, Bar Sótano, 445 N. Clark Street, Reservations are available on Resy.

RIVER NORTH — The Langham hotel’s contemporary American restaurant Travelle will host a Champagne dinner this month featuring five kinds of bubbly from French Champagne house Billecart-Salmon. The event kicks off with a reception featuring Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve along with small bites from Travelle’s chef de cuisine Jeff Vucko, followed by a four-course meal with selected Champagne pairings. Courses include the French company’s Cuvée Nicolas François 2006 paired with Scottish langoustine, sweet breads, labneh, squid ink, burnt orange, and espelette. Tickets go for $345 each. March 20, Travelle at the Langham, 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

RIVER NORTH — The James Beard Foundation, as a part of its 20-stop Taste America series, will pop up at Carlos Gaytán’s Mexican-French restaurant Tzuco in April. The restaurant is a semifinalist for the foundation’s Best New Restaurant award this year. Gaytán will team up with “visiting all-star” chef Lorena Garcia (Chica) on a reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as well as a four-course dinner. Ticket prices range from $175-$350. April 1, Tzuco, 720 N. State Street, Tickets are available on the foundation’s website.

STREETERVILLE — Pop-up restaurant Dinner with a View is coming to Chicago for more than a month-long stint at Pioneer Court. Would-be patrons can reserve one of 35 terrarium-styled domes, each designed to look like landscapes from various regions (think tropical rainforests, deserts, and grasslands). They can also book a three-course dinner for 4-6 with a menu designed by James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Gale Gand and Food Network star chef Dan Smith of catering company Hearty Boys. Dome reservations start at $79.99 and dinner reservations begin at $109.99 per diner. April 1 to May 10, Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Reservations are available on company’s website.

WEST LOOP — Alinea Group alum Andrew Brochu will hold one-night pop-up “Brochu’s Good Times at the Loyalist” and hopefully build momentum for Brochu’s, his forthcoming throwback neighborhood restaurant. The pop-up takes place at Eater 38 restaurant the Loyalist, and the menu will include a “Beach Bird” sandwich (uni butter, pickles) featuring Brochu’s legendary fried chicken (which debuted at Roister), the Loyalist’s popular burger, and a surf & turf platter. March 9, the Loyalist, 177 N. Ada Street, Tickets available on Tock.

WEST LOOP — Urban garden-equipped new American restaurant Eden will host a collaboration between chef and partner Devon Quinn and Scottish chef Graham Campbell of Netflix’s competitive cooking show the Final Table in March. Campbell earned a Michelin star at the Ballachulish House in Scotland in 2009 at age 25, making him the youngest chef in the country with the accolade. The pair will offer a $150 menu featuring collaborative dishes including an “umami donut” (butternut squash, raclette, pear, quince) and sablefish (white asparagus, pea leaf, smoked yolk, mushroom dashi). March 11, Eden, 1748 W. Lake Street, Tickets available on Eventbrite.

WICKER PARK — The team at jazz club-inspired bar and restaurant Dorian’s will turn the venue into Whispers Lounge, “a lounge located in the Poconos just inside a Holiday Inn circa 1973,” in March. Each evening at the pop-up commences with a happy hour featuring martinis, old fashioneds, and daiquiris as well as cheese and charcuterie selections. Then patrons can take in rotating nightly programming like DJ sets, listening parties, and giveaways. A limited food menu includes a Malört grilled cheese (Merkt’s, Malört, heirloom tomato, Zapp’s chips, Malört sipper) and “Rafa’s Fish Fry” (shrimp, pollock, slaw, black chili vinegar). The event is a collaboration with archival record label Numero Group, which will release its Whispers record on March 27. Event details are available online. March 5-8, Dorian’s, 1939 W. North Avenue.

Whispers at Dorians Menu_single pages.pdf

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards.

February 18

FULTON MARKET — Milwaukee-based chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite (DanDan, EsterEv, Fauntleroy) will pop up at acclaimed downtown restaurant Blackbird with a one-day-only American-Chinese dim sum brunch, according to a rep. The pair plan to offer cumin lamb dumplings (black vinegar, chili oil, cilantro, scallion), “happy chicken” (crispy batter, Sichuan pepper, dried chilies, leeks), and more. Proceeds go to the Kennedy’s Disease Association. February 23, Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph Street, reservations available on Tock.

LINCOLN PARK — Cocktail lounge King of Cups will “celebrate diversity, acceptance, and love” for six weeks with Wizard of Oz-themed pop-up “Emerald City,” reps announced. It kicks off on United Nations advocacy holiday Zero Discrimination Day, March 1, and will feature a “fantastical setting” with an emerald “sky.” Ownership also promises tarot readings and drag performances. More details are listed on the bar’s website. March 1 to April 12, King of Cups, 2238 N. Lincoln Avenue, tickets available on Eventbrite.

LOGAN SQUARE — Ursula Siker, former baker at Hoosier Mama and of the upcoming Jeff & Jude’s, is throwing a “Babes’ Booze & Bake Sale” on International Women’s Day with 17 of Chicago’s women bartenders and bakers. The sale will raise funds for anti-harassment nonprofit Restaurant Culture Association at modern Indian restaurant Superkhana International. Participating chefs and bartenders include Anna Posey (Elske), Erin Koroll (Cellar Door Provisions), Emily Spurlin (Lula Cafe), and Britt Simons (Bad Hunter). A full list is available below. Tickets ($5) are available at the door — baked goods will cost one to two tickets, while cocktails will require two to three. March 8, Superkhana International, 3059 W. Diversey Avenue.

RIVER NORTH — Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises steakhouse Nacional 27 is offering a two-day Brazilian Carnival party with $10 pear caipirinhas, samba dancers, and Latin sets from DJ-X starting Friday, according to a rep. February 21 to 22, Nacional 27, 325 W. Huron Street, reservations available online.

ROGERS PARK — Neighborhood restaurant Onward will whisk diners to warmer climates with a “Florida Keys Culinary Takeover and Fundraiser” that kicks off Tuesday with pink flamingos, palm trees, and Jimmy Buffet tunes. Staff are offering a special seafood-heavy Key West menu that draws on regional influences, such as Bahamian conch chowder and a lobster lasagnette (Old Bay, Manila clam, Tabasco foam, tarragon, panko). Patrons will also be able to dig into a raw bar of oysters, stone crab claws, and more, as well as a desserts like a classic Key Lime pie (graham cracker crust, cream cheese, mango sorbet, fresh orange supremes, lime zest “confetti”). A “Booze Cruise” tiki cocktail menu includes “Captain Sloppy” (vodka, Génépy, lime, pineapple, raspberry) and the “Coastal Ghost” (rum, falernum, orgeat, lemon, passion fruit). A portion of proceeds will go to Florida’s Dolphin Research Center and Turtle Hospital. February 25 to March 8, Onward, 6580 N. Sheridan Road.

WRIGLEYVILLE — Country bar Houndstooth Saloon is running Mardi Gras pop-up “French Korner” with a variety of specials and activities, according to a news release. Upcoming festivities include a spicy “VooDoo Wing Challenge,” an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil, and a Fat Tuesday celebration with live music and Louisiana-style fare. A full list of offerings is available on the bar’s website. Now through February 25, Houndstooth Saloon, 3369 N. Clark Street, tickets for the wing challenge and crawfish boil are available online.

WRIGLEYVILLE — Hush Money, the second-floor bar above Eater Chicago 2018 bar of the year Mordecai, will become “the Apothecary” starting Thursday, aiming to “remedy the late winter blues,” according to a rep. Herbaceous and medicinal cocktail “cures” include “Never Nervous Nancy’s Nervine” and “Vip and Vigor” with burdock root. Patrons can also try Asian-influenced small plates such as shrimp toast (brioche, shrimp mousse, lemon basil sauce) and Chinese barbecue riblets (char siu glaze, scallions, daikon). February 20 to late spring (every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), Hush Money (inside Hotel Zachary), 3632 N. Clark Street.

BERWYN — Essential suburban bistro Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits will become a gourmet sandwich shop for one day with the help of Northwest Side sandwich spot Hermosa, reps wrote in a Facebook event post. Menu options should include a Cambodian fried chicken sandwich, a black truffle grilled cheese, and a “funky” Italian bahn mi, as well as boozy Jarritos floats, Amaro phosphates, and Asian craft beers. March 1, Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits, 6727 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, Reservations are available online.