Mid-Michigan Dining

• 5207 1/2 95th Street
• Oak Lawn, IL 60453
• (708 ) 422-5275
• Website

The Goal Post Pub on 95th Street in Oak Lawn, IL

OK, here’s the set up.  J and I were in Oak Lawn for one of her friend’s surprise birthday party.  Supposedly, we were in town because I was working.  Since I was working, J asked two of her friend’s (birthday girl included) if they wanted to go to dinner.  They went to their favorite restaurant in LaGrange.  Halfway through dinner, I called J telling her I got out of work early, her parents weren’t home, and I didn’t have a key to get in so I went to a bar to watch the basketball games.  As the dinner wore on, I was getting crankier and crankier because I had to sit at a bar and wait for them.  In reality, I was at the bar, but I was there with the birthday girl’s husband, parents, and fifty of her closest friends.  When the three ladies got to the bar I was at, J called me again and told me to meet her in the parking lot.  I had just ordered a beer, so she was gonna have to come in.   The other friend, said they should come in and say hi since I was in such a bad mood because I was stuck at a bar by myself.  That did it.  They got the birthday girl to come in first.  I was sitting at a bar by myself and they could see me when the walked in.  The party goers were behind a wall.  When the birthday girl got close enough, I pointed behind her.  She turned around, everyone yelled surprise and she jumped twenty feet.  Totally fooled.  Had no idea it was coming. 

The ironic thing (to me anyway) is that the party was a bar called The Goal Post in downtown Oak Lawn.  The bar expanded into the business that used to be next door.  The last business to use that space was the birthday girl’s women’s only gym.  I thought it was funny.  I don’t know if anyone else did.

The front entrance off of 95th Street for the Goal Post Pub in Oak Lawn, IL

The Goal Post is a really nice Irish pub.  They used to be located down the street before the village started eminent domaining properties to build commercial high rises.  Once they lost their old location, they moved down the street into an old bar then expanded into the old women’s gym. 

The decor is pretty typical of an Irish pub.  The bar area is a long narrow space that includes the main bar and a couple smaller bar like tables that separate the two rooms.  There are a handful of tables in the bar area, but not many.  The walls are covered with the typical photos associated with an Irish pub.  The beers on tap are both domestic and Irish.

The second room, which is the old gym, is about the same size as the bar.  It’s another long, skinny room.  The back part of the space is the party room, but there’s really no divider.  This area is where it really takes a left turn in the decor.  Instead of keeping with the theme, it’s a plain, boring white that is really bright when compared to the dark colors in the rest of the space. 

The rest of the second room is more consistent with the theme.  There are a number of TV’s including a large screen projector and a couple LCD’s.  There’s a hardwood dance floor in the middle of the space which was used for karaoke the night we were there.  The other end is filled with video games.  There’s a pinball machine, a couple dart boards, and a video game console that has classics like Frogger, Donkey Kong, Burger Time, and yes, Spaced Invaders.  I sunk a couple bucks into Frogger but never got more than one froggy across.

The alley entrance..and the one everyone uses..at the Goal Post Pub in Oak Lawn, IL

Unfortunately, there is no kitchen.  Since we were having a party, they allowed us to bring food in.  The birthday girl’s family brought in some pizza and wings from a nearby place.  It’s kind of disappointing there’s no kitchen.  During the week, The Goal Post is a gathering place for the tradesmen in the area.  It’s the kind of place you would think you could get a cold beer and a good meal after work, but no such luck. 

The Goal Post was a fun bar.  They do a lot of live music and it looks like they do karaoke pretty often.  We had an open bar for the party, so I have no idea what drink prices are like, but I’m sure they’re in line with the Chicago area bars.  We pass the place all the time and everytime, J mentions that it used to be her friend’s gym, but we never stop in.  We’re not really people that just go out for a drink, so not having food is what would prevent us from going back.  We had a blast at the Goal Post otherwise.