Chicago Guide
Where to Watch College Football in Chicago
Saturdays in Chicago belong to whichever school you left behind. This guide covers both halves of that: the bars tied to a specific program, and the 175 sports bars across 47 neighborhoods carrying live Saturday food and drink specials while the games are on. City and suburbs, weighted the same.
Top rooms for a Saturday
Highest-rated by review volume, filtered to actual sports bars and venues with a live football deal — not just popular restaurants.
Sluggers Grill
4.2
Wrigleyville
Big Ten Football Championship Game Day Specialsaturday
Crosstown Pub & Grill Naperville
4.2
Naperville
College Gameday Saturday's: $10 signature steak burgers, $6 domestic call drafts, $5 smash burgers, $5 Setzers, $7 premium tall drafts.saturday
Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern
4.7
Wrigleyville
Illinois Football Gameday Specialssaturday · 10:00–22:00
Ja Grill Hyde Park
4.1
Hyde Park
Watch Party All Day Happy Hourfriday · 00:00–23:59
Fatpour Tap Works
4.3
South Loop
College Football Saturdays: $9 Sportz Ball Bombs, $25 Beer Buckets (5x Bud Light, Michelob Ultra), $30 Nütrl Buckets (5x Nütrl Flavors), $45 Big AF Domestic Buckets (10x Bud Light, Michelob Ultra), $5saturday
Crosstown Pub & Grill
4.1
Batavia
College Gameday Saturday's: Signature steak burgers, domestic call drafts, smash burgers, seltzers, premium tall draftssaturday
The Nest Bar & Eatery
4.6
Portage Park
College Football Game Night Specials
City Pool Hall
4.4
West Town
$3 Coors Light on college football Saturdayssaturday
Alumni bars by school
Affiliations come from alumni chapters, venue websites and reports from people who drink there. 16 programs have a Chicago home below.
Iowa Hawkeyes
8 barsFour Shadows
Lincoln Park
Daily Tully Special(Daily Special)
Easy Street Pizza
Park Ridge
Monday: 1/2 Price Pizza (base pizza price 50% off, toppings regular price - dine in only)(Daily Special)
Easy Street Pizza
Portage Park
Diner Burger Tuesday(Daily Special)
Theory Chicago
River North
$3 Off Apps(Daily Special)
Streeter's Tavern
Streeterville
$3 Old Style(Daily Special)
Hawkeye'S Bar & Grill
University Village
$3 Happy Thursdays (gin & juice, Real American Beer)(Daily Special)
Merkle's
Wrigleyville
$10 Draft Pitchers(Daily Special)
Roadhouse 66 Gas N' Grill
Wrigleyville
75¢ Wings Thursday(Daily Special)
Ohio State Buckeyes
7 barsVaughan'S Pub
Lakeview
2.5oz liquor options available(Daily Special)
Gaslight
Lincoln Park
**Friday (4pm – 6pm):** $10 Smash Burger with the purchase of any draft beer, $20 Girl Dinner (Half Salad, Side of Fries, and Glass of Wine or Spritz), $7 Glasses of Wine All Day, $7 Green Tea Shots, (Daily Special)
O'Donovan'S
North Center
$5 draft pints Mon-Fri 12-5pm(Daily Special)
Woodie'S Flat
Old Town
$2 (2) Pretzels (with honey mustard or beer queso) Mon-Fri 5-7 PM(Daily Special)
Babes On Milwaukee
Portage Park
$3.50 Old Style Bottles & Hamm's Cans(Daily Special)
City Nikki'S
River North
$10 'Beer and a Shot' (Handshake (Old Style & Malort), Boilermaker (High Life & Bourbon), Dos Amigos (Corona & Tequila))(Daily Special)
Old Crow Smokehouse
Wrigleyville
$25 Bud Light & Michelob Buckets and $30 Nurtl Buckets on Thursdays for Live Band Karaoke(Daily Special)
Michigan Wolverines
6 barsAvondale Tap
Avondale
$1 OFF Captain Morgan Cocktails(Daily Special)
Blue Bayou
Lakeview
All You Can Eat Crawfish Platter (Thursday, July 23)(Daily Special)
Duffy's Tavern and Grille
Lakeview
Bar Trivia(Daily Special)
Matilda
Lakeview
$5 Thursdays(Daily Special)
Duffy's Tavern & Grille
Lincoln Park
Friday: $8 Altos Olmeca Margaritas & Shots(Daily Special)
Sully'S House
River North
$4 Corona Extra Bottles(Daily Special)
Wisconsin Badgers
6 barsLottie'S Pub
Bucktown
$10 Milagro Draft Margarita, $10 Tito's Draft First Bloom, $12 Casamigos Draft Spring Ahead, $14 Old Fashioned(Daily Special)
The Lodge Tavern
Gold Coast
Corona & Modelo Wednesday(Daily Special)
Cheesie's Pub & Grub
Lakeview
Chalk Art Challenge: All Day, Everyday (Draw on a table, post to social, tag @cheesies_chicago & #CHEESIESART for a gift card).(Daily Special)
Will'S Northwoods Inn
Lakeview
Cribbage Mondays(Daily Special)
Cheesie’s Pub & Grub
Tinley Park
May Employee Sandwich of the Month - Mushroom Swiss Burger(Seasonal)
Rebel And Rye Tavern
West Town
Birthday package: $30 per person for a two-hour package including domestic drafts, well cocktails, and seltzers(Daily Special)
Illinois Fighting Illini
5 barsOrange & Brew® Bottle Shop and Tap Room
Downers Grove
$1 off full-sized draft beers, cans, seltzers, ciders, and glasses of wine every Friday, along with $16 for 64-oz pitchers of lager(Daily Special)
The Pony Inn
Lakeview
Daily Specials(Daily Special)
Joe's on Weed St.
Lincoln Park
$3 Busch Light(Daily Special)
Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern
Wrigleyville
Additional Daily Specials(Daily Special)
Country Club
Wrigleyville
99 Cent Wings Daily Special(Daily Special)
Purdue Boilermakers
5 barsAvenue Tap & Kitchen
Lakeview
99¢ Wing Special(Daily Special)
Cheesie's Pub & Grub
Lakeview
Chalk Art Challenge: All Day, Everyday (Draw on a table, post to social, tag @cheesies_chicago & #CHEESIESART for a gift card).(Daily Special)
Park And Field
Logan Square
Bocce League: Weekly drink specials for players in their Bocce Leagues (Wednesday and Thursday leagues mentioned).(Daily Special)
Fireplace Inn
Old Town
Daily Drink Specials: $3 Bottles of Domestic Beer, $5 Skyy Vodka Bombs(Daily Special)
Cheesie’s Pub & Grub
Tinley Park
May Employee Sandwich of the Month - Mushroom Swiss Burger(Seasonal)
Texas Longhorns
4 barsTHE FIELD HOUSE
Lincoln Park
During all College & NFL Games: $25 Beer & Seltzer Buckets, $5 Fireball Shot(Daily Special)
Brownstone Tavern & Grill
North Center
Bourbon Tuesdays(Daily Special)
Country Club
Wrigleyville
99 Cent Wings Daily Special(Daily Special)
The Cubby Bear
Wrigleyville
Daily Drink Specials: $4 Cubby Blue Bombs, $5 Bacardi Bombs(Daily Special)
Michigan State Spartans
3 barsFlorida Gators
2 barsIowa State Cyclones
2 barsTennessee Volunteers
2 barsMiami Hurricanes
1 barNebraska Cornhuskers
1 barNotre Dame Fighting Irish
1 barTexas A&M Aggies
1 barHelp us fill these in
Two of the biggest programs in this city are the thinnest in our data: Notre Dame and Northwestern. We would rather say that than pretend otherwise. If you know the bar where that alumni crowd actually watches, tell us and we will add it.
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Saturday specials by neighborhood
Sports bars with a live Saturday deal, so you can pick by where you already are.
Lakeview
20- Avenue Tap & KitchenHappy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6pm: $3 Domestics, $5 Sangria, $8 Smash Burgers
- A.J. Hudson's Public HouseHappy Hour Specials
- Finley Dunnes TavernFriday Happy Hour 4–9 PM + $6 Oh Yeah Bombs All Night
- Ten Cat TavernSunday night Trivia
- Will'S Northwoods InnSingles Mixer Drink Specials
Wrigleyville
20- Budweiser Brickhouse TavernIllinois Football Gameday Specials
- Murphy'S BleachersHappy Hour: Everyday 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM with Daily Drink Specials, $3 Powers Whiskey, and $4 Jack Daniels Cocktails
- Tavern3358$6 Burger Tuesdays
- The Graystone TavernChelsea Match Day Guinness Special
- Toons Bar & GrillHappy hour with discounted drinks from 4-6pm Mon-Sun
Lincoln Park
15- GaslightHappy Hour
- THE ARROGANT FROG BARHappy Hour Thursday-Saturday 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM: $1.50 Domestic Bottles, $3 Well & Call Drinks, $2 Tallboys, $2.50 Bottles
- ProstWing Special
- The Warehouse Bar & PizzeriaDaily Drink Specials
- Augie'S Lincoln ParkimpactCHI Intl. Women’s Month Happy Hour
River North
14- City Nikki'SHappy Hour
- Fado Irish PubHappy Hour
- Jake Melnick'S Corner TapHappy Hour
- Theory ChicagoFriday Happy Hour
- Sully'S HouseMichigan Football Season Kickoff Event
West Town
10- TumansBourbon Happy Hour: Fridays 3-6 PM & Sundays 6-10 PM with $7 Stranahan's (1oz), $6 Buffalo Trace (1oz), $9 EH Taylor Small Batch (1oz), $24 Whistlepig The Boss Hog VIII: Lapulapu's Pacific Rye Whiskey
- Clover Sports BarMonday Happy Hour
- Rebel And Rye TavernIndustry Night
- Damen Tavern$4 Happy Hour on Thursdays & Fridays from 5-8pm
- City Pool Hall$3 Coors Light on college football Saturdays
Old Town
7- The Vig ChicagoHappy Hour: Monday - Friday, 5 PM - 7 PM, featuring craft cocktails (The VIG's Old Fashioned, Tito's Moscow Mule, Espresso Martini) and deals on appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
- Benchmark Bar & GrillHappy Hour
- Corcoran's Grill & PubHappy Hour
- Declan'S Irish PubTuesday (June 30th): Taco Tuesday - $3.00 Tacos (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM), $5 Modelo Drafts (5:00 PM - 2:00 AM)
- The Scout Waterhouse + KitchenHappy Hour: 1/2 off Grilled Cheese & Specialty Cocktails
Lincoln Square
6- Gideon WellesHappy Hour
- Rockwell'S Neighborhood GrillHappy Hour Food & Drinks available 9pm to Close every night except Friday and Saturdays
- The Atlantic Bar & GrillHappy Hour at the Bar Mon-Fri 4-5pm: $5 Wagyu Burger, Fish Taco, Haddock Slider, Crispy Curry Fries; $8 Cup Chowder, Mezze, Shrimp Cocktail; $11 Mini Calamari, Mini Brussel Sprouts, Mini Tuna Nachos
- Wild Goose Bar And GrillSUNDAY: All Day Happy Hour Drink Specials
- Gio'S Sports BarHappy Hour Monday - Thursday 3:30 PM - 6 PM
Portage Park
6- The Nest Bar & EateryCollege Football Game Night Specials
- Easy Street PizzaWing Wednesday
- Babes On MilwaukeePBR Draft Special
- Brudder's Sports BarMonday: $7.00 for 8 Jumbo Wings, $4.00 Miller/Coors, $5.00 Seasonal, $8.00 Long Island (12:00 PM - 02:00 AM)
- Edison Park BowlWednesday, May 27th: Half price pizzas (Dine In Only), $7.00 Domestic Pitchers (11:00 AM - 01:00 AM)
Arlington Heights
4- Emerson's Ale HouseHappy Hour
- Union Ale HouseHappy Hour Drink Specials: Monday-Sunday 3pm-7pm, $2 Off All Beer, Wine By The Glass, Well Liquor Drinks
- Sports Page Bar & Grill Arlington HeightsHamms Beer Special
- House of Music & Entertainment (HOME Bar)Thursday Karaoke @ 8
Naperville
4- Twin PeaksHappy Hour - Food & Drink Specials
- Draft PicksVIP Club Monthly Membership
- Crosstown Pub & Grill NapervilleCollege Gameday Saturday's: $10 signature steak burgers, $6 domestic call drafts, $5 smash burgers, $5 Setzers, $7 premium tall drafts.
- The LanternSocial Hour (Happy Hour) Monday-Friday 3PM-6:30PM: Half-Priced Appetizers (excluding Lantern Littles)
North Center
4- Gannon'S PubHappy Hour
- The Globe PubHappy Hour
- Brownstone Tavern & GrillAllocated High Age Blind Tasting
- O'Donovan'SHappy Hour: $5 draft pints Mon-Fri 12-5pm
Wicker Park
4- SwigHappy hour Mon-Fri 4-7pm with half-price appetizers
- Standard Bar and GrillMonday Happy Hour
- Fatpour Tap Works - Wicker ParkHappy Hour
- Dstrkt Bar & GrillMidweek Bottomless Wings & Draft Beer Special
Bucktown
3- Floyd'S PubSteak Night - NY Strip Special
- Lottie'S Pub420 Specials
- Cortland's GarageHappy Hour
Edgewater
3- Gracie O'Malley'S EdgewaterMichelob Ultra Draft Special
- Burke'S Public HouseHappy Hour
- Fireside Tavern And GrillHappy Hour
Gold Coast
3- The Lodge TavernWeekday Happy Hour
- Hopsmith TavernMini Martini Happy Hour
- She-nanigans House of BeerHappy Hour
Orland Park
3- Miller's Ale HouseMonday Zingers Special
- The Irish PatriotFriday & Saturday Karaoke Nights at 9 PM
- Dave & Buster's Orland ParkHappy Hour
Ravenswood
3- BIEN ME SABE VENEZUELAN CAFE & RESTAURANT
- Gio's BBQ and BarKaraoke Nights
- Piccadilly PubBurger & Old Style Special
Roscoe Village
3- CommonwealthHappy Hour — Mon–Fri 4–6 PM: $6 IPAs + $6 Wines + $6 Cocktails
- The RevelerHalf Price Pizza Mondays
- Four Treys TavernHappy hour specials from 5-7 pm on weekdays
South Loop
3- Kasey's TavernHappy Hour daily from 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM with discounted drinks, including $4 Miller Lite Drafts and $6 Stella, Boddingtons, and Murphy's Irish Stout
- First Draft$5 Busch Lights Special
- Fatpour Tap WorksCollege Football Saturdays: $9 Sportz Ball Bombs, $25 Beer Buckets (5x Bud Light, Michelob Ultra), $30 Nütrl Buckets (5x Nütrl Flavors), $45 Big AF Domestic Buckets (10x Bud Light, Michelob Ultra), $5
The Loop
3- Stocks & Blondes Bar & Grille26 Year Anniversary Special
- SweetwaterHappy Hour
- O'Neil'S On WellsHappy hour offers great specials during the week
Tinley Park
3- The Whistle Sports Bar & GrillHappy Hour specials Monday through Thursday featuring Whistle Vodka
- Bailey's Restaurant & BarHappy Hour: Monday-Friday 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (50% off all appetizers, $5 well liquor, $6 draft beers)
- Cheesie’s Pub & GrubMay Sandwich of the Month - El Jefe
Uptown
3- Michael'S RestaurantPrimo Burger Deal
- O'Shaughnessy'S Public HouseLamb Lollipop Special
- ReservoirMonday Happy Hour Special: Buy one get one free on all appetizers and 4-pack beer mix and match
West Loop
3- Ranalli'S West LoopHappy Hour
- Green Street LocalFantastic Fridays
- Spectrum Sports Bar & GrillHappy Hour
Humboldt Park
2- Boulevard Sports LoungeHappy Hour (4 PM - 7 PM): $1.50 Smoked Wings, $6.00 Cheeseburger, $2.00 Tacos (Chicken, pork, veggies), Burger Sliders
- Richmond TavernWednesday is Pink for the Ladies: Ladies Night Out Special Drink Menu (6pm-2am)
Looking for a specific school or neighborhood?
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FAQ
Where can I watch college football in Chicago?
Chicago has alumni bars for most Big Ten and SEC programs, plus a large number of sports bars that put every Saturday game on. This guide lists both: bars tied to a specific school, and the sports bars across the city and suburbs carrying Saturday food and drink specials.
Which Chicago bars are alumni bars for a specific school?
Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Purdue have the most affiliated bars in our data. Affiliations come from alumni chapters, venue websites and community reports, so the list grows during the season.
Do these bars have food and drink specials during games?
Many do. Some run explicit college football specials on Saturdays; many more run a standard Saturday happy hour or daily special that applies while the games are on. Each venue below links to its full live deal list.
Is this guide only for the city, or the suburbs too?
Both. The roster spans Chicago neighborhoods and suburban Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will County towns, which is where a lot of Big Ten alumni actually live.
How this list is built
School affiliations come from alumni chapters, venue websites and community reports. Saturday specials are pulled live from our deal database and re-verified continuously, so a special that ends stops showing. Spot something wrong? Tell us — that is how most of the school list got here.
175 venues · 47 neighborhoods · 16 programs