Before Southport was known for a growing collection of national retailers, it was also known for the places where everyone seemed to know someone. The Irish pubs, neighborhood bars and casual taverns helped define what a night out in Lakeview felt like.
This installment of our 15-year Southport Corridor Chicago anniversary series remembers six much-loved establishments. Not all were technically Irish pubs, but all belonged to the same social fabric.
Mystic Celt: A familiar Irish pub
Mystic Celt opened in 2003 at 3441–43 N. Southport Avenue and became a dependable meeting place for neighbors and visitors. It closed in January 2016 amid changes to the property. The loss was part of a rapid turnover of longtime destinations on the avenue.
Justin’s Bar & Grill: Three decades of memories
Opened in 1984, Justin’s served generations of neighbors before closing in January 2016. Its outdoor beer garden and easygoing sports-bar atmosphere helped make it a social institution. People remember the friends they met there as much as the drinks and games.
Cullen’s: A touch of Ireland near the theaters
Cullen’s at 3741 N. Southport was a popular Irish-style bar near the Mercury Theater and Music Box. Its closure in early 2015 was another setback for residents who valued the corridor’s established watering holes.
Newport Bar & Grill: The regulars’ kind of place
Newport Bar & Grill at 1344 W. Newport Avenue was remembered as a neighborhood sports bar rather than a glamorous destination. When it closed in 2016, longtime patrons lost another unpretentious place to gather.
Southport Lanes: Almost a century of history
The bowling alley and tavern at 3325 N. Southport had a special place in Chicago history. With its vintage interior and human-set bowling lanes, Southport Lanes offered an experience hard to reproduce. Its permanent closure in 2020 was especially painful for longtime neighbors.
Schoolyard Tavern: The corner everybody knew
At 3258 N. Southport, Schoolyard Tavern was woven into football Sundays, Cubs games, casual weeknights and reunions between friends. Established in 1994, it closed in 2020. For many, losing Schoolyard and Southport Lanes so close together felt like the end of an era.
More than six closed doors
Neighborhoods have to evolve, and Southport has welcomed plenty of successful businesses since these bars disappeared. But physical spaces carry personal histories. A new storefront can replace a lease; it can’t automatically replace twenty years of shared memories.
If you could bring back one—Mystic Celt, Justin’s, Cullen’s, Newport, Southport Lanes or Schoolyard—which would it be? What’s your favorite memory? Share it in the comments.
15 Years of Southport Corridor Chicago — Explore the Series