Our Story

Fáilte — that's Irish for welcome, and we mean it.

69 years in business, 18 on Gunnison Street

Gaelic Imports opened in 1957 on Irving Park and moved to Gunnison Street in Jefferson Park in 2008 — one of the longest-running Irish import shops in Chicago. It started as a few shelves of groceries for homesick Irish on the Northwest Side, packed by hand and sold by people who understood exactly what you were missing. The shelves are longer now, the fire's lit next door at Cupán Tae, and the parcels go a lot further than the parish — but the way we do things hasn't really changed.

Every order is still packed by the family, by hand — just with better tape than 1957 had. Ask three regulars for the soda bread recipe and you'll get three different answers, all correct, and by your third visit the staff will know yours before you say it.

The early days

In 1957 the shop opened on Irving Park with a simple idea: if you'd left Ireland, you shouldn't have to leave the tea behind too. A few shelves, a counter, and the sort of stock a homesick person would cross the city for.

A cuppa is not optional. It's the law, or at least the custom, and we're not in the business of arguing with either.

Moving to Gunnison Street

In 2008 the shop moved to Gunnison Street in Jefferson Park, and that's where it's been for 18 years since — 6346–6348 W Gunnison St, right off the Blue Line.

Cupán Tae, next door

In 2025 we opened Cupán Tae, the café next door — where good food meets good company. Tea, coffee, pastries and a proper Irish breakfast, a short walk from the shop shelves.

We'll have the kettle on. That's not a figure of speech, it's the opening hours.

What we stock, and why

We sell Irish goods from Ireland, because the point is that it tastes like home. The shelves, roughly:

• Teas & coffees — Barry's and Lyons, for a proper pot.
• Biscuits, sweets & chocolate — including Cadbury Ireland, for anyone who knows the difference.
• Crisps & savoury snacks — Tayto, naturally.
• Meat & butcher — sausages, rashers and puddings, including Donnelly black pudding and Winston's white pudding.
• Sauces, spreads & baking, soups, tinned & pantry — the store-cupboard bits you can't get at the local supermarket.
• Drinks and bakery — soda bread and the rest of the bakery, plus the drinks you grew up on.
• Gifts & jewelry — Claddagh, Trinity Knot and Celtic pieces, plus brass keepsakes, signs and more.

A word on tea: it should be strong enough to trot a mouse across. Weak tea is just hot water with ideas. And a gentle note to our American friends — we love you dearly, but green beer is not an Irish tradition, and nobody in Ireland has ever asked for it.

Jefferson Park, for the uninitiated

We're a few blocks from the Blue Line's last stop before the suburbs, which means half our regulars arrive straight off the train and the other half have been parking in the same spot since long before the Blue Line ran this far. Jefferson Park has been one of Chicago's Irish strongholds for generations, and you'll still hear it at the till — accents from Mayo, Donegal, the South Side, and everywhere in between, all asking for the same rashers.

What you'll hear at the counter

• "Have ye the proper rashers, not the American ones?" (We do. We know the difference and so do you.)
• "I just need the one small bag of Tayto." (Reader, it was never just the one bag.)
• "Is the fire lit next door?" (Generally, yes — ask at the counter if you're not sure.)
• "My mother used to get this one." (The highest compliment this shop receives, and we never tire of hearing it.)

We have been asked for a leprechaun ornament about as often as we've been asked for soda bread. We stock both. Make of that what you will.

Nationwide shipping launching October 16

Every rasher-craving, Barry's-drinking, Tayto-missing soul in America will soon be able to order straight from our shelves — nationwide shipping to all 48 contiguous US states goes live October 16, 2026. Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico can email us directly for custom shipping. Until then, everything's ready for local pickup right here in Jefferson Park — and if you're in the neighbourhood, Cupán Tae next door has the full Irish breakfast waiting.

Pickup-only for now: Fresh, chilled and frozen items (puddings, sausages, bacon, meat pies, soda bread, café food) are pickup-only for now. We're working on shipping frozen goods and expect to add it in a few weeks — ask us or check back.

Find us

6346–6348 W Gunnison St
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 792-1905
Right off the Blue Line — Jefferson Park stop

Shop Hours

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday – Friday: 8am – 7pm
• Saturday – Sunday: 10am – 5pm

Cupán Tae Café Hours

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday – Wednesday: 8am – 3pm
• Thursday – Friday: 8am – 7pm
• Saturday – Sunday: 8am – 5pm

Everything from home, in one shop — and soon, we'll post it to your sister in Texas too.