It’s official: Mary Jo McGuire’s is finally opening its doors in Lincoln Park on Friday, October 17. A sister bar to the iconic Butch McGuire’s on Division Street in the Gold Coast, the new Irish saloon is named after the wife of Butch, the late founder of his eponymous 64-year-old pub.
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The couple met at Butch’s, which she took over after her husband’s passing in 2006. Butch McGuire’s has always been a family-owned operation, with Butch’s son Bobby now at the helm, so it’s fitting that Mary Jo, who passed away in 2021, is getting her own digs. "
“Mary Jo was the heart of our family and the soul of the saloon,” said Patrick Stewart, Mary Jo’s grandson and co-owner of the new saloon. “Opening Mary Jo’s is our way of honoring her legacy and the lasting impact she had on our family and the city of Chicago.”
Mary Jo McGuire’s is taking over the former LP’s T.A.P. House and The Loft, which both shut down earlier this summer, at 2251 N. Lincoln Ave. And, not surprisingly, the two-story saloon is finished in the same green and white hues that Butch’s is known for, and sports traditional millwork, curated antiques and a maximalist mix of color and texture.
Guests will have access to two bars on the first floor, with 20 draft lines, and the wraparound bar upstairs, where a stage will host local acts, live music events and private gatherings. Plus, Butch McGuire's St. Patrick's Day and Christmas traditions will live on at Mary Jo McGuire's, with fitting decor and the signature seasonal "Christmas in Your Mouth" shot.
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Mary Jo McGuire's will also serve as a hub for sports fans, just as LP’s T.A.P. House was, and will host football game watch events. Since LP’s T.A.P. House closed, Butch McGuire’s and its neighboring Shenanigans bar served as interim game day hubs.
Based on the immense anticipation leading up to its opening, it seems like it'll be just as popular as Butch McGuire's. Bobby says, "Our goal is to carry on the spirit that’s defined our family’s saloon for generations, while welcoming new neighbors into the tradition.”