Went for emo night ($10 cover for the DJ) and it was just a spotify playlist with crossfade on. The lights were on and bright on the dance floor, and the payed hype men were the only ones with any energy. To be honest, I've been here twice and the first time was alright, but this last time was so bad we left in 30 minutes. read more

Excellent bands, great prices on whiskey, bartenders are so polite. I love it. I don't understand how anyone could leave a bad review of a place like this read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I was in town for work and had an evening free to myself. Noticing that 2 killer metal bands (+ what turned out to be 2 other killer bands I had previously been unfamiliar with) were playing, I made my way to fishttown to check out the area and catch the show. Kung Fu Necktie is a fantastic dive bar + music club, reminds me of my favorites around the country and like some we used to have back home (Nashville) before their prices and modernization efforts sort of changed them. KFN is a small, intimate venue where you can really catch the show from up close. The sound was surprisingly good for such a space (and such loud bands). The bar tender was friendly and the drink prices were absolutely ridiculously cheap ($3, $4, and $5 "mystery" drinks and combos which often included great local beer and well shots). Really glad to have checked this place out! Love the decor and overall vibe inside as well. read more

A sweaty, crusty dance pit that I love. An icon in a fading scene of grungy places where everyone shows up on purpose, because the only reason you would be in a place like this is the character, the realness, the dancing, and the pleasant surprise that the floor is not as sticky as it looks. Drinks are cheap, they take card, and theme nights are amazing. Case in point, last night was Night Drive, a retro future, nu-disco, synthpop dance party that was way better than any of the made up words I just used could describe. Plus the DJ provided free (yay!) pretzels (woo!) from Philly Pretzel Factory (ehhh... fine.) and glowsticks and shit (woo!). On another note, even though I miss the Barbary, KFN has that same energy. read more

Literally the best, always a fun time, drinks are some of the cheapest you can get in the city, love all the themed music nights and affordable concerts. Super transit accessible by the 15. S/o to the girly who mans the downstairs bar for emo night, nicest bartender ever read more

one of my fav bars in philly!!! they have such a nice selection of drinks, and it's decently priced!! (they have vizzy's which are my FAV) they have a variety of events here every weekend, it's a very fun spot to dance. it's right off the el! def go check it out if you've never been! read more

Kung Fu Necktie - up all night (event @ bar) - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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fiancés 30th was last night and we brought about 10 people with us to kung fu neck tie. we were having a good time until the bouncer saw me trip over a bar stool left in the middle of the floor. because of this, he pushed me outside, then proceeded to rip my $300 prescription glasses from my face, snapped them in half and stomped them into the ground. I was being peaceful, but he showed a bunch of aggression and began to be violent, so we ALL left. unfortunately, we left before I could call the police and file a report. but I will be doing that today. don't come here to have fun. these bouncers and staff are high-school bully types. they think it's funny to do what they did and even though the exact same thing might not happen to someone else there; I wouldn't be surprised to find out the staff regularly gets into physical altercations, theft, etc. they're just crappy people here. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Like the name, this place should never change. THIS. IS. A. DIVE. BAR. The drinks are cheap, it's loud and the interior design is having an identity crisis. Okay? That's Punk Rock baby! If I wanted functioning AC, impeccable service, & unpronounceable cocktails -- I'd go to a steakhouse. If you're NOT privileged, NOT easily offended and HAVE visited a 3rd world country... then this place is for you. read more

Customer service not great but it's a dive bar. Interesting venue with stage almost in a different room than the bar itself. Thanks Yelp Checkin for the free beer! read more

KFN. Oh how I missed you during the lockdown. This is a weird bar. It's part nightclub in the back and just a normal bar most weeknights. Pretty reasonable drink prices and overall a pretty solid option for a Bar in Fishtown. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - A normal night at KFN. - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We had no idea what to expect. We were going to see a concert (which was amazing) but holy hell the atmosphere was amazing, bartender Erica was incredibly personable and the vibe was impeccable. It's a dive bar but a dive that makes you feel at home. When we go back we will absolutely go back to KFN. read more

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Probably one of my favorite dance clubs in the area. It's an easy walk from the septa station. Some nights there's a cover. It's two stories. I've been to the top story to listen to a live band but we mostly come here for DISNEY night On the ground floor. Once a month you can come here to headbang to Be Our Guest, belt out We're Breaking Free and Hoedown Throwdown. Literally my favorite night of the month. They even have some drink specials going on. It's the perfect GNO and you can even make some friends. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have had tickets to recent shows!Bands I couldn't wait to see! The parking situation with this place is horrible, good luck, and the other option, taking public transit, no thanks, this logistics of this place stinks! And for the promoter , Dave, fellow , the promoter, find a different venue with better parking ! This place stinks read more

Went there last night with my cousin and housemate for the first time since quarantine for Emo Night and was shocked to have bartenders putting tip on everyone's cards without warning or posted notice. I used to be a waitress, I have no problem tipping and tip generously-- I have a problem with automatic gratuity with no posted notice. I talked to multiple guests and they had the same thing happen to them. When my cousin tried asking why this happened to her on her card, because she tips cash, she was told if she didn't like it she could get the fuck out. I'm honestly appauled. I used to come here for Emo Night before the quarantine all the time (I remember the Halloween event fondly) and excitedly looked forward to it coming back but you can't be putting gratuity on people's cards without posted notice like this it's really unprofessional. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ever been so drunk that you didn't want to brush your teeth and instead gargled mouthwash since that seemed easier but swallowed it instead and felt like crap? Yeah. Uh, that's never happened to me either. The owner of Kung-fu Necktie owner is friendly, and his personality is reflected in his bar. This is a warm, casual spot to grab a beer with friends, catch a live performance, or even watch a kung-fu movie. Street parking's easy thanks to their location. Service is stellar, and they have a fully stocked bar. It's a well-maintained establishment, and nowhere close to a dive. It would be nice if the place was bigger, but then it might lose its charm. Our bartender had a mean pour which made me quite happy. To me their name's still a mystery, but what's clear is that KFN is a worthy destination for music and drinks, no matter who you are. read more

After Tom and Meredith's photo extravaganza a lot of us made our way down to Kung Fu Necktie for what was to be touted as a dancing and beer filled after gathering. Since the band Wheat were still going on when most of us made it down a number of us ended up at Johnny Brenda's for the long haul instead. But thanks to a random stroke of luck Sam, a couple of my others friends, and I walked in just in time for them to to let us in and check out the band finishing their set. And not only did it mean that I FINALLY had the chance to scope out Kung Fu Necktie, it met that I got to check it out in all of it's settings. And while I didn't find it to be without it's flaws, I was pretty impressed in the long run. first I'll get the downsides out of the way. While KFN definitely has it's fair share of good shows courtesy of R5 productions, it's also by far the R5 joint that's the smallest. So a lot of shows can get intimate in the bad way, while others end up sell outs when they otherwise wouldn't be. In a way this might of affected the dance night crew, although it's kind of hard to say since there just wasn't enough dancing! It's sort of a minor flaw considering the other option, but on the night we showed up for Robotique the website touted a different drink special than the bar did. since $2 Yards is by far better than $1 PBR's I'm not complaining too much, I just wish that I summed up that fact before grabbing a PBR. D'oh. But over all KFN definitely felt like a great place to catch a show in, which is great since they have been bringing in some killer ones. And it also felt like a chill and quiet bar to relax and take the vibe in over a beer when they weren't doing music. And the fact that they were cool with you dancing on stage, and have a chill side courtyard is simply awesome. So it's definitely worth going back and finding out the random meaning of the bars name that might just be nonsense. read more

What a fun dive bar with one of the coolest band stages I've ever seen. With their $2 hall of shame beers (the free for Yelp check in Natty Bo was actually really good), the snacks available for a buck, and the unknown reason for having a case of boxes of no frills Mac and Cheese just made this place all the better. There's lots of bands coming daily and service from the tall, skinny guy with the long hair was quite attentive and friendly. Wife and I were here for the Kawehi concert and we ended up moving from our bar seats to the stage area because it was a lot cooler there with the fans going. We both had a great time. To the drunk guy who cut the line in front of me to express his love to Kawehi and not STFU, go express yourself in the bathroom with some porn and stop hitting on the act. You're not that smooth. Kawehi was nice to let me get a picture and I bought a CD. Drunk guy didn't even do that. Kung Fu Necktie's only problem that I had was it did not smell clean...but what dive bar does? Took a bit to get used to but wife and I did. We'd come back just for the atmosphere and to people watch. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Kawehi and I after the concert! Great show! - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The one lady bartender was purposely not taking my order so I just stood at the bar for an hour and then left. Like blatantly took everyone's order around me and refused to let me order read more

I went here for the first time on a Saturday night and I would not recommend it to anyone. My friends and I were excited about going here too, but we were disappointed. My one friend asked the bartender for a green tea shot and he just gave her a straight whiskey shot. I approached him and asked if he could remake it. He was very stern and refused to make it correctly because he believed she asked for a whiskey shot. I guess the "customer is always right" philosophy doesn't apply to this place. Music was decent. If you do like being constantly flashed for photographs while on the dance floor every 3 minutes, this bar may be up your alley. If not, your safest bet is to find another bar in the Fishtown area. read more

They have two levels. On this night, the upstairs level was hosting a deep trance / techno party (no cover) while downstairs was spinning Depeche Mode/ Joy Division / Smiths / Cure ( $5 cover). The music on each level was great. Let's just say I wasn't ready to be surrounded by active smokers. If you're not bothered by that then this is a spot for you. I thought smoking was banned. Anyway they must only allow smoking upstairs seeing as no one was doing it downstairs. KFN is a unique dive bar / venue for sure. I understand they are a dive bar but their organization is terrible. They claimed the event was to begin at 10:30, yet we had to wait until 11:30 for them to clear out most of the gear from the last gig that was there. Even once they allowed people to enter for the show they were still cleaning house. I would say they weren't prepared until midnight. It just seemed like a discombobulated, untimely organization of events. read more

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My wife and I went on Punk night and had a great time. Friendly crowd.

Glad I finally made it here after years of hearing about Kung Fu being a great dancy spot. Came here on a Saturday night for the triple play of Post Malone/Drake/Britney, which wouldn't have been my first choice in music (and those 3 together? weird), but I was willing to give it a shot since Dolphin does those types of nights too and it's usually pretty fun. Cover at the door which is to be expected. The space is definitely small. The dance floor itself was way too tiny and crammed and sweaty (and, hence, smelly). The bar area is too large and well lit so it feels awkward and disproportionate. Too bad it couldn't have been reversed in size/space. Coat check is downstairs (glad there even IS a coat check), but it would have served well as another dance floor/area to hang. Seemed like a big waste of space. Bathrooms are TINY but typical Philly bar charm. Bartenders were generally on point and friendly, but definitely backed up at the end of the night when it was mobbed. Either way, they made my Tully and Ginger drink perfect: nice and strong with just the right amount of ice. Prices are exactly what you'd expect. The music is where I'm having the problem. It's one thing to play Britney and Drake and Post all night, but to literally be a "press play" DJ is infuriating. What was he doing up there besides simply hitting play on a Spotify playlist? There was zero blending or transitioning or remixing or cutting up with other songs. I get that was the theme, but at Dolphin"s Beyonce/Rihanna/Nicki nights, they make the songs interesting with reggaeton remixes, Baltimore Club shit thrown in there, etc. I felt like I was in some dude's living room honestly. Regardless, perhaps if I came back another night when it was a different DJ or music theme it would be better. Not knocking it off the list entirely. read more

$5 cover charge... For a very small, very dark, very denk, very loud, extremely divey bar with aggresively "meh" drinks. On the upside, there was "live" music on a Wednesday night. Some kind of MC playing recorded music, telling the crowd (ladies) to jump around more. And also, you get a free beer if you check in with Yelp. So yay.... Overall, did not see any sort of kung fu nor neckties. read more

All I really need to say for this place is $3 city wides (Tecate and tequila). Also, they have really fun themed music nights: Femme Fatale (music by all your fave female artists) and Emo Night! Did I mention FREE SOFT PRETZELS? The perfect thing to soak up all that cheap booze. There is usually a $5 cover in weekends, but i think it's worth it for the affordable drink specials. It's weird, it's unique, and it's a really good time. The name of this place sums up the atmosphere pretty well. read more

If you have impeccable taste in music, you were with me at Kung Fu Necktie on Friday night to see Land of Talk. I was visibly giddy. It's like, totally, oh my god, my favorite band, of like all time. And to be able to see my them in one of my favorite bars, that was all the better. My friend and I started with a big can of Old Speckled Hen. Then, we moved onto the Foster's keg-can and shimmied our way towards the front of the room, standing right below Elizabeth Powell (lead singer) and her man-mates. The thing that's so awesome about seeing your favorite band play at KFN is the intimacy of the show experience. Things got off to a good and rowdy start when two dudes (clearly not okay with intimacy) decided to brawl just as the band strung its first few chords. My friend jumped on stage to avoid getting hit and after a sock to the nose, the dudes were ejected with great fanfare. On with the show, we cheered. And so it was, best show of my life (I'm not even exaggerating) in a super awesome venue. I'd be damned lucky if I get to ever see them again in such a cozy venue. read more

Outa nowhere seemingly comes this new joint Kung-fu Necktie. Odd name, yes. But man what an amazing place! You got kung-fu on TV, dark stained wood, a long, beautiful bar and an absolutely amazing rehab of the old 'Penalty Box Bar' under the El. This is sure to be a new classic Kenso bar. Just steps from the Girard El stop, and a new addition to the Johnny Brenda's sphere of influence (their design aesthetic certainly borrows a few from JB's). One of the best features (aside from PNBLL!!!) is the long pub-style heavy wood table with candelabra. We fit easily 10 friends around the table last night and had an awesome time. Oh, and they have great drinks and a friendly bar staff. I can see this is the beginning of a long relationship. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Kung Fu What? Ummm, yeah, we're going to have to check this place out... Already somewhat intoxicated, the BF and I stumbled into KFN. I took one look at my surroundings, and another back at BF as he whispered in my ear, "I feel like we're in the movie Blade, or something." Yes, everyone but us was dressed in black. Some were wearing trench coats. I swear I saw fangs... When the hardcore punk band started, I couldn't hear myself think, and it was kind of refreshing. I was enjoying a great dark beer on top of two more complimentary ones, thanks to the sweetass bartender who clearly saw we were out of our element. The patrons among us were probably some of the most delightful, polite people I've ever come across. No one even cared a lick that Preppy Barbie and Ken were seated at the bar playing WWF on their iPhones. Honestly, I haven't felt that comfortable at a bar in a long time. The bathrooms are located in an interesting spot--next to the pit. My only advice would be to take a buddy who makes sure you can exit safely, as in not get stuck in there when the band begins and folks start getting a little passionate over the music. Even though I wouldn't classify this bar as "our normal scene," I wouldn't hesitate to revisit. I had a great time, and might even give hardcore punk a chance :) read more

Kung Fu Necktie - Not lacking in variety... or insults : - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Very good music, drinks are okay. It's a local bar but I don't get why they need $5 for the cover fee. It's not anything near fancy. read more

"Hmmm, what's this place?" Kung-Fu Necktie. Oh, KFN for short. Okay, simple enough. "Wonder what it's like?" It's amazing how simple questions like that can lead to unintentional memories. I mean that in a good way. "$5.00 cover charge? On a Tuesday night?" "Yeah, a band is playing tonight." "Really? Who?" "Uh, not sure, some hardcore punk band." "Ahhh, okay." (Hand him a five-dollar bill) "Thanks...and good luck." "Wait? What....." We enter and I quickly understand. This is not your average bar, at least not for me. First off, I'm wearing jeans, a collar shirt and flip-flops...and none of it is black. I have no tattoos, no piercings, no chains. Oops, I guess we don't fit in here. But, we really don't care and quickly find two seats at the bar. The bartender, wearing a Starbucks logo t-shirt with the phrase "F#@* Your Crew" asks us what we want to drink. Wow, they actually have really good beer selections here. What a great surprise. How about an Appalachian Susquehanna Stout. Actually, we had to yell our order over the guttural yells and screaming guitars of the "hardcore punk band" on stage (we eventually found out it was "L.U.N.A.R. Revolt" as we left). We look around and notice a couple of things. First, there is a beer "Shelf of Shame" right in front of us with cans of mediocrity sitting on it. Awesome. Second, there's some weird animation show playing on the corner TV above us. Okay, I'm really starting to like this place. About five minutes later, the bartender comes back over to us. "Hey, are you two getting drunk tonight?" "Ummm, well...we've had a couple drinks already and..." (Bartender sets down two more pints of what we're drinking and walks away). Okay cool, free beer, but I guess we're going to be here awhile. Long story short (too late), we only finish three of the pints together. Then, after she almost gets locked in the women's restroom by the bar crowd, we decide to head out. Fun. Crazy. Bar. Stop by, you'll get your $5 (and tinnitus) worth. read more

Kung Fu Necktie - 'nuff said - Dive Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Have seen a few small acts here, including a friend's band's cd release party. It's good for a small crowd, the sound is gonna impress you. Can't complain about the drink prices. Can't complain about the bar staff (are they actually decent looking, or has it just been that long since I got laid? hm..you decide.) read more

3.5 The music - like other yelpers commented, they often have GREAT live music. My good friend really likes indie music, so I know she's been here a few times. Myself, I'm an EDM-head. So i've been here for the past two weekends for some house music/dnb/dubstep as well as luxury trap this past Tuesday. The sound system is beautiful, I appreciate that very much. It's not a huge venue, don't think TLA. It's a bar, but an awesome bar. I love divey places like this. Where you can get cheap drinks and enjoy good music in the company of your friends. I enjoy that it's divey and homey, so there are few neon ravers here... Bar - service is OK. There really weren't that many people, so the service was much slower than I expected. I almost always tip, because its what they do for a living. But it was so slow that I ALMOST didn't tip. I'm a nice gal tho, still did. Tuesday's 11-1am have the best drink specials! Half off drinks. Meaning.. 16 oz yuenglings for $2, rolling rocks for $1, Magic Hat 9 for 2.50!! are u kidding? suh-weeeet. Check it out if you're into cheap drinks and live music. read more

Came here on a Friday night to see new wave/synth/post-punk act DJSC. The music was all right, though I wouldn't seek them out for a show again (they leaned on the poppy, lighter side of the spectrum, I prefer the edgier side). But Kung Fu Necktie itself is great! Diverse in terms of age group, really nice after the last time I went to a bar for music, (it was a Brooklyn bar and I was probably one of the three oldest people there). The dance floor is pretty good too, a bit on the smaller side, so it probably helped that I arrived on the earlier side of the evening, before the floor got SUPER-crowded. Which, not gonna lie, there are times when I am all about dancing in a crush of bodies and not even knowing who you're dancing with at times, but that's more of a summer thing for me. These cool April nights, I still prefer my space because I'm still bundled up, even inside. The drink prices are GREAT - they get a lot of attention for the cheap prices they have for their beer selection, but even their harder booze is really reasonably priced. The tables in the front are big, so you can always step back from the dancing if you want to take a break. The upstairs space is cool, except the smoke/fog machine seemed to be on overdrive so I didn't stay there long. Overall, very happy to have found this bar (thanks Yelp), my one regret being that their metal music night is a Monday. One week I'll just have to be ready to be a hot mess at work the next day though, because I'm determined to try it! read more

Kung-Fu Necktie is known for its persona, its ethos, its attitude. There is an outdated streak of sexism in some of the wall art, and the tiny bathrooms ("Balls" and "Boobs") are covered with band stickers and, most likely, urine. The bar is long, and the bartenders are, at least, good about serving customers. Prices aren't too bad, either. This venue is quite small. For last night's Dragged Into Sunlight show, the audience extended from the stage practically to the door. It got hot, quick. The ceiling fan was next to useless, and the fans set up around the floor were a good try, but ultimately ineffective. At one point, I noticed an employee, flashlight in mouth, attempting to coerce the thermostat unit into generating cold air. As far as I could tell, he was unsuccessful. The ticket price was nice, and it was a treat getting to see such talented acts (although Primitive Man was a bit boring, that's beside the point). Obviously Kung-Fu Necktie serves a great purpose providing a space for great bands to perform. I'm not disputing that. It deserves its spot in the Philly scene, and it holds that position down while still being a gnarly dive bar. This is not an inclusive environment, and they don't want it to be. That's just fine. read more

Part dive, part venue, rather rad. I'm a connoisseur of shitty beer. Piels, Black Label, and the like. They have a nice "shelf of shame" filled with some classic American blue collar beers of yesteryear. The shows always have fantastic sound and bring some rock for your socks. I'd love for there to be five more places like this all over the city. read more

I love the unpretentious of this bar- sure its a hipster scene on crack, but for some reason it doesn't translate to pretentious. I feel like people are just here to hang, listen to some good music and drink beer. So we came here to see Land of Talk on Friday night- super excited!!! It couldn't have been more perfect. Nice little stage, fantastic acoustics and I'm standing two feet from the band- love it!!! I'm going to ignore the fact that two douche bags in the front decided they wanted to kick each others asses right when Land of Talk came on. It was quickly broken up thanks to the speedy bouncer, but not before a pint glass came within 2 inches of knocking me out. My only thoughts on that- oh puhlease don't let me end up back at work (the ER) tonight!!! Anyways the fight quickly came to an end and we were able to enjoy a fantastic band in a great venue. I don't think brawling hipsters is the norm, so I certainly wouldn't let that deter anyone from coming here. Kung fu Necktie is a welcome addition to Philly's music scene!! read more

Went here Saturday 1/9 for an event and it was so much fun! It was a J.Biebs, Drake, Kanye West, and Jay Z Dance Party! SO MUCH FUN. $5 cover, $3 city wides (PBR and shot of whiskey) and $3 wells until midnight. It wasn't crowded at first but BOOM at 11:30... it was packed! Wish we stayed until the end. The bathrooms were clean in the beginning, smelled weird. Typical for a dive-bar in Northern Libs. Bring hand sanitizer. read more

Very disgusting inside and never renovated - it's 2022--absurdly rude !!! Actually insane !!!!!

Music was loud and the bar was packed. It was very hard to get any drinks. I got stopped by the bouncer trying to bring water to a friend outside. It was a decent prices and entertain but the bar is very dive like. read more

I think I kind of lucked out for my experience here. I was upstairs there for Stone Cold Fox, but ended up liking Swimmer a lot too. Never got a chance to see the last band. Unique decorations on upper floor. Crowd I was with was mostly older, more chill, and respectful. Were really up close and personal with the band if you wanted to be. Very small venue upstairs. $6 for a band I'd actually heard of that was not local- wow. I could see why this place gets bad reviews after reading some of the other Yelp reviews. I think this is quite hit or miss, and thankfully for me, March 7 was a hit! Oh, and opening hours aren't always 5 PM. They might casually open at 6 or 6:30 PM ish instead. . . read more

The smell of this bar might deter you but that's how all Philly dive bars are! Came here the other night and had a great time dancing to their Disney night songs. The drinks are very well priced and there's a good amount of space in here as well, whether you're sitting or dancing. read more