Bar

Fantastic vibe and the food and drinks match. Great beer list. The staff is fantastic! It's nice…read moreto have a quality neighborhood spot such as this.

Pretty good overall!…read more Considerably big space for Philly. They had an upstairs too but I am not sure why it wasn't open during majority of the night. When the big crowd from the conference left they opened the upstairs. The Mac and cheese is SO GOOD. Very creamy and rich, the bread crumbs were an amazing surprise edition. This fatty finished it before the beer came. Lots of beer choices. I took off a start be size they were under staffed. So we were just waiting around for the check and the waitress kept forgetting what we asked for. Honestly, not her fault. There were like ~100 people and only 3 employees that I saw. So no designated waiter for tables. These poor 3 employees were the bartenders and the table waiters.

3.7 mi•Kensington, Port Richmond

Mac and cheese

Chipotle lime wings

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Chandler's Beer Bar & Grill

3.0(1 review)

They do not open at 11am They open sometimes after 12pm and they serve breakfast. I like to eat…read morebreakfast in the morning not afternoon. Why serve breakfast if you not going to open at breakfast time? At least open at 10am

Bar.

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Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin Beer Festival @ the Institute Bar

5.0(1 review)

0.9 mi•Spring Garden

Wow was this a great event. With about 25 different types of pumpkin beers how could you go wrong…read more We arrived just before the first pitch of the Phillies game and the place was hopping (no pun intended). They had the side street blocked off with tables and a tv hung on the wall for all to watch. My wife and I entered and of course she had to go to the bathroom so I got in the beer line. She came immediately back and said the bathroom wait was longer than the beer line. I had never been upstairs so I suggested that she try for a bathroom there. Up she goes only to find out that the bathrooms were only downstairs but she did see that the beer line was shorter. We proceed upstairs and snag a seat at the bar. How the bartender was still cordial after what the day must have been to that point I don't know. Had a few different beers and was in heaven. Didn't try any of the pumpkin themed food but the beer was awesome. Can't wait until next year's edition!

The Beer Bar

2.9(93 reviews)

83.6 mi•Midtown East

I just stopped to grab a beer before my train. It's a nice outdoor spot. Lots of tables and a…read moresmall bar. Since I just wanted a quick drink, I grabbed a spot at the bar. They have a good selection of beers. I got a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. It was $11, for a plastic pint cup. Even in Midtown that's kinda ridiculous. The bartender was fast and courteous. I didn't have time to get food or anything. Honestly though, I should've just grabbed a beer at the myriad of bars in the area. It would've been half as much.

Came here for an early birthday lunch today. I was generally unimpressed. I had a lemonade & a…read moreturkey burger and my coworker had the Tuna burger. Lemonade was bland. Turkey burger: The patty itself was semi moist but lacking any real flavor and they added 1 piece of a portabella mushroom (what was the point) and some onions. The bun was some type of wheat and unremarkable. The sweet potato fries were kickass. I could of eaten a whole plate of those. The tuna burger was disgusting according to my coworker and she said they put so much wasabi on it that it was almost inedible. I"m really only giving it two stars for the fries and the location because its good for people watching and it's shady. Though the bar chairs are uncomfortable, especially if you have short legs like I do. Total bill came to $40 plus tip.

Bar

Drinking hard with Julie

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Incredibly light chairs

Blind Tiger Ale House

4.1(962 reviews)

81.5 mi•West Village

Super cool place. It has. The feel of a laid back neighborhood pub, but it was packed the Sunday we…read morevisited. And no surprise why. They have 28 draft beers available, and the food is amazing. I highly recommend the spicy chicken nachos. One of the best nachos plates I have ever had. If you try at least 51 different beers (the options are ever-changing, and they offer bottles/cans on top of the drafts), you can join The Connoisseur Club and get your name up on their wall of fame. Bonus points for good vibes and kind staff.

I met a friend there for drinks before dinner. It's a suitable dark, almost dive bar - just not…read moregrungy enough - with a great selection of beers on rotation. If you're not a beer drinker you may be less enthralled with the place. For me it was just right for a casual meeting and catch up. At 5 o'clock it's quiet enough to find a good seat and relatively uncrowded. Great beer selection, good service, moderate prices and an appealing vibe - don't need much more....

83.7 mi•Hell's Kitchen, Theater District, Midtown West

Inside

IPA, tomato soup

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Valhalla

3.9(552 reviews)

Cool spot in Hell's Kitchen for a craft beer. Good selection, but excellent service!read more

My experience wasn't super here but I had high expectations after having some food and drinks the…read moreprevious night at the Monkey Thief down the street. Started off with the bartender giving me the stink eye and some lip about asking to sample their many micro-brews - I asked for one sample, it wasn't very good. The bartender's negative attitude made me uncomfortable asking for a second sample. Despite my trepidation and because they had as many as 19 different beers on tap, I asked for a second sample, which caused the bartender to frown at me and 'cut me off at 2.' I responded as positively as I could, accepted the second sample which I also did not enjoy, and took a random shot at a pint of a third beer which also wasn't great. Food was meh. As I now see has been noted in another review, the fried pickles had too much dough and way, way too much grease in them, which likely was the cause of me visiting the toilet a bunch in the morning. The pretzel was a hot pretzel, I don't agree with their choice of mustard as whole grain mustard can be difficult to spread on a hot pretzel but hey that's me. I understand that on Saturday nights people like to cut loose, but no one seemed to ask the women literally screaming with laughter to keep it down at the party in the corner, so this place gets low marks for very loud customers. I mean really there has to be a line somewhere and this was over it. The other bartender was almost apologetically polite when I asked for the check, kind of a good-cop/bad-cop thing going on there. If I wanted that experience I'd get arrested not visit a local bar. You only have one chance at a first impression.

Current beer menu (it rotates)

The actual bar on July 6th 2026

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Cocktail menu

Cowan's Public

4.1(559 reviews)

79.7 mi

Any old-timers out there remember when this was The Nutley Pub? (As one Yelper wrote, "Not the…read moreclassiest bar but..." - which perfectly summed up the last place.) Now going strong for well over a decade (?!) - Cowan's is classy and cool and leans into its strengths. Easily the hippest and most-happening spot in Nutley (and the surrounding towns) for the 'mature crowd' that's probably more interested in mash and hops and wort than getting hammered and making bad decisions at last call. The (ever rotating) beers on tap are stellar. The selection of bottles (of the harder stuff) on the picturesque back bar are eye-catching (even if I never heard of half of them). (After a few visits I still haven't tried the food. One of these days I'll get around to that, I promise.) Recommended, for sure.

Came to cowans for there haunting dining experience. We got the root beer bbq wings , crispy…read morechicken shawarma egg rolls, and steak frites. The perfect lineup for a night out! Personally I enjoyed the chicken shawarma egg rolls the most ... the root beer bbq wings were decent however the steak frites was my least favorite it was bit too charred for me! Nonetheless the service provided was excellent. Kimberly was sweet and attentive . Also suggest getting the tangled web if you like a fruity drink. Def make reservations you won't regret the ambiance and vibes!

"Alcohol gives you infinite patience for stupidity." - Sammy Davis, Jr.

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Festive bar

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Tiffany B.

11 years ago

We are from the 'burbs and always make a stop at Bar when we visit the city. The bartenders are a bit quirky albeit always a pleasure to talk to. Know what you are going to Bar for: drinks. The menu is entirely a liquid diet- this is not a place for dancing with your girlfriends and fancy overpriced apps. The drink menu is extensive and the bar staff is great at giving recommendations. I would highly recommend Bar as a place to catch up with good friends and enjoy some good beer... oh, and of course, try a pickleback! read more

Craig C.

8 years ago

My wife got kicked out tonight because they don't allow dancing, yet have a TouchTunes jukebox. WTF?? This is America, we will dance wherever TF we want. If you don't like it GTFO. Maybe they have a problem with hip hop music, because it looks like others had similar experiences. Staff sounds like fascist pigs. read more

David J.

11 years ago

Divey, laid-back neighborhood bar with a ton of awesome canned beers that wont break the bank. Staff is super friendly too. Love Bar!

Tim M.

11 years ago

Awesome little hole-in-the-wall bar with a great TV situation and a really strong beer list. Pool table upstairs too!

Neha L.

11 years ago

Rude!! At the end of the night the bar tender grabbed my drink while I was still drinking. Give me a min. damn.

Jake M.

7 years ago

Still love the name, construction made it less busy, still have cheap beers and its good

Rocco B.

16 years ago

Probably the most fun I've had in decades took place last night at BAR.

Gilly K.

17 years ago

The heat is on!

Ryan O.

10 years ago

Bar - poolhalls - Updated October 2026

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Top's

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New go to spot! Bam, took me just shy under three months to find my bar and my tribe. Cheap beers,…read moreyou can smoke cigarettes in this place if that's your thing (I feel being able to smoke in a bar just brings me back in time and usually weeds out the millenial snobs). I came here just after they open around 7:30pm on a Friday night and there was a handful of people here mostly bartenders working in the city come to drink here as its just great prices and a friendly atmosphere. They also have a jukebox and a pool table. I can never fathom coming back to places like Buffalo Billard's where its an arm and a leg to play pool by the hour and you have to give them a credit card so you are charged by the minute. I will choose Top's any day of the week with my handful of quarters for the pool table and some cash as this is a cash only establishment. There is a quote written on the bathroom, "Mother... I'm crushing cherries to shake the earth again...". I tried deciphering this poet's words and then remembered a lesson I learned from a Twin Peaks meet and greet from one of the stars, Sherilyn Fenn, "Understanding is overrated" was one of her life lessons and I whole heartly agree stop overthinking it and come out to Top's if you enjoy drinking beers on the cheap and an unpretenious atmosphere.

Tops has a lot of potential, especially because it is the only divey type place that I can think of…read morein the area. A bar with a few types of beer, a few types of liquor, and some pool tables. You can smoke inside. You don't have to look at the typical center city crowd. The city is absolutely littered with this type of place, just not in that particular area. For that reason, I can't imagine traveling to go to Tops, but it is a good option if you live/work in the neighborhood and are looking for that type of atmosphere. All that said, the bartender Ruthie is just one of the worst human beings I have ever met. She is an old nasty lady, loudly complaining and eye rolling if you breathe the wrong way, let alone ask her for a drink (even though she is THE BARTENDER). Apparently some people are a fan of this attitude - don't be fooled, this is not a gimmick, she is just an asshole. Try somewhere else for a crappy atmosphere with less old lady attitude.

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Fun spot! Love the glow in the dark/blacklight vibes on the inside and the best part is all the…read morepicnic tables outside to hang out. It's a great neighborhoods spot, and was perfect for us to go grab a drink before we went and saw the Lily Allen concert at the Met nearby.

Bonnie's Capistrano Bar

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Came here a few nights ago and while i love the vibe and atmosphere of the place, I really felt…read moresorry for the staff in having to deal with a bunch of childish assholes that dont know how to behave like adults. I coukd feel the lovely red headed bartenders pain as she had to pretty much babysit a group of entitled morons who cant follow simple rules as well as a very miserable woman who admitted she was just there to "binge drink". God bless this little south philly Gem and its amazing staff. They are trying to make the world better for those of us who know how to commune, imbibe, and have a good time.

The big fella with the curly hair is absolutely astoundingly awful. We walked and were confronted…read moreby awful service. We ordered a shot of gin as soon as we walked in and as we sat down we're served with dark liquor. The bartender was extremely short with us as soon as we walked in. We asked for three waters and he seemed stressed . Afterwards we sat down and he asked what we wanted to drink after my friends had already ordered a shot of gin and a lime white claw . Does

Friendly Lounge

4.1

(32 reviews)

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Friendly's takes you back to simpler times. Its a plain, yet clean and tidy place. To be a…read moreneighborhood bar, the patrons made me feel welcome from the moment I sat down. Marco the owner / main bar tender even broke out his guitar and taught me some songs. My 2nd night in (was staying near by) and I felt like one of the regulars. If you hate smoke, or if you need to have flourecent lighting, exotic background music or fine dinning options then Friendly's isn't your spot. If however you want to experience a real South Philly landmark with perfectly priced ice cold beer, a Rock-a-Rolla juke box and genuine Philadelphia locals who welcome you in then hit Friendly's!

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(33 reviews)

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