Nightlife in Griffith

Like any pub found in its namesake counties, Cork & Kerry boasts an interior of dark, shiny wood paneling and exposed brick accented by stained glass windows. Unlike many of those pubs, however, the venue sprawls across 6,000 square feet, its crowning jewel a multi-level beer garden. In summer, the entire garden provides a sunny spot to enjoy one of the 20 beers on tap, a selection anchored by the constant presence of Guinness and Harp. Come winter, a portion of the patio boasts enclosed walls and climate control so that guests can still enjoy Chicago’s sunny, if snowier, vistas.

Though its name suggests an old-fashioned Irish pub, Blarney Stone cares more about having fun than adhering to tradition. Sure, there’s Guinness on draft, but it shares the beer menu with 40 creative craft brews on tap and 80 more in bottles. Though this fixation on fun leads to a fair share of daily drink specials and private parties, it is best demonstrated by the various leagues of obscure sports that the pub organizes. When they aren’t munching on pizzas or sandwiches, aspiring athletes can sign up for whimsical games of softball, kickball, and wiffleball. Though the sports can be competitive, most regulars find that they are ideal—though unconventional—ways to socialize and settle disputes over whose pot of gold will go toward settling the bar tab.

Sisters Carey Williams and Lisa Marcotte bartended their way through college at the University of Illinois, but their love of the restaurant world didn’t go away after graduation. Carey followed up with culinary school and spent a stint as a caterer before joining Lisa to open Marcotte's Bar & Grill. Now she runs the kitchen, crafting a menu of bar food that ranges from buffalo wings and chicken-salad sandwiches to certified Black Angus burgers and thin-crust pizzas. In addition to the delicious food, the two sisters also entice guests with their family-friendly pub space’s amenities, which include free WiFi, patio seating in warmer months, and weekly events such as bingo, karaoke, and trivia night.

For more than 20 years, comedians of all levels of notoriety have peddled their laugh-inducing verbal wares on Riddles Comedy Clubs’ stages. An airbrushed city skyline sits behind the corner stage at the original Alsip location, where such comedians as Jeff Dunham, Louie Anderson, and Drew Carey slung jokes to side-split audiences. A full bar with overhanging LCD TVs dispenses alcoholic and nonalcoholic whistle-wetters in between sets at both the Alsip location and the new Berwyn spot. Additionally, Riddles' lots house free parking for those driving from far-off locales or patrons who can't find a limo service that takes knock-knock jokes as payment.

Focus your bifocals, leave your lightning kite in the garage, and insist on "no libation without representation" with today's Groupon to the Franklin Tap, an upscale South Loop pub that takes its name from both its impressive collection of beer taps and the inventor of the glass armonica. For $20, you'll get $50 worth of beer and hearty pub grub.

The martini was invented during the great green olive surplus of 1863 as a way to put the excess supply to good use. It quickly became the drink of choice for sophisticated sippers across the globe and a favorite of the sexier mer-creatures. With today’s Groupon, $20 gets you $50 worth of martinis, beer, and everything else offered at The Martini Bar in the South Loop. The discreet blue sign outside is the only indication of this hidden gem’s existence. Once you find your way inside (hint: it’s across the street from the Chicago Board of Trade, where the money gets invented), you’re transported back to a time when James Bond’s middle name was Connery and mad men blew off some steam with a stiff lunch-break martini. 1.5 Martinis: Glances become 30% more suspicious.3.2 Martinis: Proficiency with exploding dart pen becomes consistently accurate, callous.4 Martinis: Wrinkles in tuxedo are smoothed out as body begins to secrete highly viscous liquid confidence.4.9 Martinis: The phrase “No man could have survived that” is bandied about so frequently it loses all impact.6 Martinis: Enemies 25% more easily seduced, 100% more easily betrayed.