Game Day Habits
List · 10 items

Game Day Habits

Marisol TrejoMarisol Trejo · 1 like
10 items
ListSports · People/Blogs

Game Day Habits

Marisol Trejo
@trejo_rn
10Items
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Twelve places I actually drag my exhausted ER bones to when I’m off the clock and the games are on. Some are loud, some are downright rude to your liver, but they all hit that sweet spot between clinical chaos and stadium chaos. South Sider, Bears lifer, spends her days charting and her nights yelling at TVs—this is the rotation that keeps my blood pressure in the green (ish).

The list

Rank
Game Day Habits — 10 items
NameTypeNeighborhoodBest Game Day ForVibePrice LevelScreens / SightlinesAddressCityMy take
1Fatpour Tap Works McCormickSports bar and restaurantSouth Loop / McCormickBears, Fire, DePaul at Wintrust, conventionsPolished, busy, convention-adjacent$$Wall-to-wall TVs, easy to see from most tables2206 S Indiana Ave, Chicago, IL 60616ChicagoWhen I want my beer list long and my line for the bathroom short, I plant here. Feels like half the city’s badge numbers have pre-gamed on this block.
2The Scout Waterhouse + KitchenSports bar and restaurantOld TownBears, primetime NFL, big college gamesUpscale lodge, still very fan-forward$$$Screens everywhere, good view even from the bar edges1419 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610ChicagoThis is where you go when you want nachos, not nacho cheese out of a pump. Feels like the grown-up version of my old South Loop haunt; I wear clean scrubs here.
3Output Lounge & Sports Bar (Wrigleyville)Sports barWrigleyvilleCubs, college football SaturdaysWrigley chaos with better food$$Screens up front and back, solid from most bar spots3720 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613ChicagoWhen Wrigleyville’s on ten and you still want respectable wings, this is my move. Think less frat basement, more ‘we have jobs, we just yell a lot.’
4TheorySports barRiver NorthNFL Sundays, playoff anythingPacked, polished, a little sceney$$$Ceiling-to-wall TVs, great for big groups9 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654ChicagoWhere I go when my friends want ‘a nice place’ and I just want RedZone. Dress like you might bump into someone from work; swear like you didn’t.
5Murphy’s BleachersSports pubWrigleyvilleCubs home gamesClassic, loud, shoulder-to-shoulder$$A ton of TVs inside plus views of Wrigley flow3655 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60613ChicagoThis is triage central on a sunny day game—sunburn, light dehydration, emotional Cubs damage. Perfect if you want to feel like a very happy sardine.
6The Barn Hockey BarHockey-focused sports barNear West Side / United CenterBlackhawks, NHL nights, Olympics hockeyHockey shrine with bar food and big energy$$TVs at basically every angle, plus at tables1659 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60612ChicagoIf you don’t like hockey when you walk in, you’ll at least understand the pathology by the time you leave. Great jerseys, great sightlines, dangerous shot potential.
7Soldier FieldStadiumMuseum Campus / Near South SideBears, Chicago Fire, big concertsHistoric, windy, emotional rollercoaster$$$$Good from most seats, massive boards on each end1410 Museum Campus Dr, Chicago, IL 60605ChicagoMy second home and my primary source of seasonal hypertension. Dress like it’s 20 degrees colder than the forecast and you’re still probably underdoing it.
8United CenterArenaNear West SideBulls, BlackhawksBig, loud, very Chicago$$$$Huge center-hung scoreboard, solid views even upper deck1901 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60612ChicagoI’ve done night shifts quieter than a close game here. Get there early if you hate lines; get there late if you enjoy sprinting like you’re late for rounds.
9Wrigley FieldBallparkWrigleyvilleCubs day games, summer anythingNostalgic, boozy, neighborhood party$$$$Old-school sightlines; some posts and quirks but lots of charm1060 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613ChicagoYou don’t go to Wrigley for perfect baseball; you go for perfect vibes. Sun, cheap(ish) beer, and a decent chance you’ll call off your next morning shift mentally.
10Guaranteed Rate FieldBallparkBridgeport / Armour SquareWhite Sox, fireworks nightsMore chill, South Side family energy$$$Modern stadium views, big video board, easy to follow action333 W 35th St, Chicago, IL 60616ChicagoMy South Side heart likes it here—easier parking, easier lines, and you can actually watch the game without performing elbows-out crowd control. Chart as: stable, with good prognosis.