User's Guide

Where to Watch the World Cup

GOALLLL!!!!
GOALLLL!!!! Photo: thebusybrain/Flickr

Watching the World Cup presents some interesting dilemmas for us Americans. Should we care? Is it right to drink that much? Is it odd to enjoy it so easily? But the biggest issue is what to do about the time difference. Most games are occurring during the morning hours here in Chicago, which leaves you with a few options. You can A) get up and visit the local soccer bar by 6:30 a.m. or B) try really hard not to look at the score before you watch a re-airing later in the night. Luckily, there are plenty of options around town.

Since most of these games are happening in the morning, we think the drink specials aren’t as interesting as the food specials. Breakfast deals are the main draw here. The locations that are re-airing games may not be as hardcore about watching, but they do get to focus even more time on the food. Plus, you can enjoy that beer without having to worry about smelling like alcohol when you step into work.

Here’s a quick recap of where to eat and watch the World Cup, which starts this Friday:

• Though the inventive cooking at English comes from Radhika Desai, the River North is drumming up its basic Englishness before the games. It will open early for all 9 a.m. matches, serving up a breakfast menu featuring Belgian Waffles, English Frittata and English Breakfast Burger.

• Check out most of the Brazil games at SushiSamba rio, the Sushi/Brazilian restaurant in River North. It’ll feature “soccer-themed cocktails,” some authentic Brazilian dishes, along with the all important samba dancers.

• Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Beckett’s Public House in Lakeview will open at 8 a.m. The thing to order is a proper Irish breakfast and, why not, that first beer.

Poag Mahone’s in the Loop is dishing out French toast, frittatas, corned beef hash, and breakfast burger Monday through Friday on game days. It’ll be opening between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. depending on the time the game starts.

Zocalo Restaurant and Tequila Bar will be showing off its new lunch menu on Friday, June 11, when Mexico plays South Africa at 9 a.m.

• At 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each evening, Nacional 27 will re-air the morning’s games. Food and drink specials will be based on which teams are playing that day.

Timothy O’Toole’s will also be re-airing the games at 6 p.m., along with offering a series of special global burger specials.

Mother Hubbard’s will be opening its doors 6:30 a.m. on game days. It will serve some select breakfast items along with its regular menu of buffalo wings, ribs, and burgers.

Where to Watch the World Cup