McCarthy's Sports Bar & Grill

Wandering around McCarthy's Bar and Grill can be disorienting. The spacious bar and restaurant, located in the Smoky Hill neighborhood of eastern Aurora, has a lot going on: There's the large dance floor, the walk-up bar and restaurant section, and a front dining room that doubles as a Texas Hold 'Em poker space several times during the week. In keeping with its theme as an intimate Irish-style pub, the owners have included nods to the Emerald Isle on their menu: The Irish Nachos run less than $10. The rest of the food and drink menu comprises standard bar fare, regular happy hours and staples that include hamburgers, Mexican plates and appetizers under $15. The bar tends to attract an older, adult crowd from the nearby suburbs, but live rock shows on Fridays bring in younger patrons.