Solid dive. Good for watching a game and catching up with friends if you've got any…read more Best specials I've seen in a LONG time. Get drunk on the cheap. There might be non-alcoholic options, but I can't help you there. Cash only, so bring money. No time to tap MAC? There's an ATM inside, right by the bar. Getting noisy? Take a time out on their backyard patio. Find The El Bar a few blocks north of the Front/Girard SEPTA subway station[1]. [1] Right underneath the EL. Get it?? Yes, I do love me some wordplay.

It'd been a while. This is a wholesome ass place. Cash only, $6 citywides, sports on the TV, pool…read morein the front, patio out back. It's got all the Philly dive shit you need, yo. Also, great curated playlists with '90s RnB vibes, and $2 hot dogs during Phillies games (and possibly beyond that?). The $2 hot dogs taste about as good as you might think. In other words, great for $2 or less, and meh for more than that. But you didn't need haute cuisine. You needed roller-sauteed meat tube. And you had $2. When in Rome, eat the hot dogs. It's a great value, especially when you account for inflation from the ancient world.

A classic dive bar and a true fishtown local spot. Sadly, It doesn't get its due praise. The bar…read morepie is tasty and they have great ice cold beer bucket specials. The family that owns the establishment are great people as well. Pool table is also available

Good cheesesteak but when you are the Blackboard special calling yourself 'Big Daddy cheesesteak'…read moreyou set the bar high. It was good. It came on a seeded roll but it had a little chill to it. Granted it was 21 degrees the night before and maybe they got delivered early. There was a decent amount of meat and it had flavor. The cheese was a mystery we never solved. Heather the bartender was excellent and the chocolate graham cracker stars on the bar were a nice touch. Good overall experience.

Oscar's how I love you…read more Perfect little dive-ish Tavern in Center City. Classic canned and drafted bevs and your standard bar set up. Large bar and plenty of booth + table seating. On the weekend the bar definitely leans college-ish age as the bars surrounding it are that demographic, but during the week its a healthy mix of folks. Cash only!!

This was a great local dive bar I stumbled upon with a buddy of mine past midnight. This place was…read morestill packed and the local regulars I ended up having a nice conversation with were friendly. We pretty much grabbed a pint and called it a night as this was probably going to be the only bar that was still open around 1AM.

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.

I have gone through many iterations of my relationship with being a fan of sports teams…read more Younger me's whole personality was based around Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Angels Baseball, and USC football. I vividly remember after the Lakers game 7 Championship win against the Celtics in 2010, 14 year old me who had just wrapped up the 8th grade, had a major realization. After a night of pure exaltation and chirping all my friends who were Celtics fans, I woke up the next day and realized my life had not changed AT ALL. I had a metamorphosis of sorts, realizing that I should put all of this time, energy, and passion into myself rather than being fans of players and teams who didn't know I existed. While I remained a fan, it was never the same. I stopped wearing my Kobe jerseys everywhere I went. I began to look at grown men walking around wearing other grown mens jerseys like they were DORKS. Don't you want to do something impactful with your life to where people would want to wear your jersey? Or wear your own, at least in a metaphorical sense? Idk. In retrospect, I became a little asshole lmao. --I promise The Garage will tie in here in a second stay with me I love this place-- It wasn't until I went to Europe on a school trip towards the end of High School when my 2nd metamorphosis began. I was OBSESSED with everything about European culture, thinking how fascinating it was that people live so differently than myself, but it's just normal life to them. My American ignorance led me to believe that everyone lived like I did, had the same interests I did. Idk, it blew my mind and I just couldn't get enough. I thought it was SO cool how passionate the Europeans were about their soccer, not realizing how contradictory this was to my own beliefs about American sports fans. I even bought a Messi Jersey and allat! It wasn't until years and years later, when I really put it together. These European Football fans were essentially paralleled to American Football fans. Both getting SO invested in these games, SCREAMING at the screen between sips of beer at a local bar like that will have any effect on the outcome of the game lmao. The older I have gotten, the more I have begun to respect the passionate sports fan, no matter what sport it is. Even if, for me personally, this passion is better to be placed somewhere else, I respect and love to be around passionate people no matter where that passion is placed. Who am I to tell someone what to be passionate about? I have gone through this life meeting people who are passionate about literally nothing, just kind of numb to life and that makes me sad and just scares me. How could you be numb to life? It's such a beautiful gift tha---okay I'm getting way too existential, let me reign it in. All this to say, I watched game 1 of the NLDS here where the Phillies were playing the Braves the other night. I feel like the reputation of the Philly sports fan is the best we have in America, and they did NOT disappoint. They were going BRAAAZYYYYYY in here lmaaaoo. Every base hit felt like a homerun, every home run felt like they had just won the mf powerball. For every single out they were counting down for how many more they needed to win. "ONLY 18 MORE WE GOT THIS!" lmao. The passion was tangible and beautiful. There was a guy slanging $4 hotdogs that were delicious, 100% pure American beef (allegedly). The bartenders were LOCKED IN, getting people drinks quick and moving onto the next. This was one of the best, most efficient bartending performances I have ever seen. Almost as efficient as a Philadelphia Eagles QB sneak. Almost. You can also bring outside food which is IDEAL, as I saw some people walking in with a couple pizzas. That's a vet move, I'll be ready next time. Also, get the grape funbag for a drink if you're feeling adventurous. Well even if you're not feeling adventurous get the grape funbag. Have I ever lied to you, my dear reader? All in all, I can't imagine a better place to watch a game. I love The Garage and I love the city of Philadelphia. Passion oozes out of the streets and the people. I'll be back, and with pizza next time. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

Big fan of Garage but for the love of God please get more than 1-2 bartenders on a busy night…read more It was packed during the US vs Bosnia and there was only 1 bartender. The guy was hustling, moving, grooving and doing his best, but he needed someone else there. Waited 30 minutes to get a drink. Big shout out to the bartender for working hard, he deserves his roses.

Neighborhood bar. Kinda throwback/vintage. It's owned by a woman so that's pretty dope. For sure…read morea dive bar. Love the empty fish tank and the big jugs of wine.

Great service! Nice crowd…read more Hometown vibe. Bartender is hilarious and engaging. ..............

Great ambiance and friendly patrons. AND THEY HAVE COORS BANQUET!!!! Made this California Cowboy…read morefeel at home!

I've never watched It's Always Sunny, so I wasn't aware of the connection, but our dog goes to a…read morenearby daycare and we've passed this place countless times. I'd been curious to stop in for a while. If you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, though, this is not the place for you. It was honestly almost too much for me, but having the back door open made it more tolerable. The bartender on Sunday morning was great (I think his name was Sean, but don't quote me), and he made one of the best Bloody Marys I've ever had. Prices were a bit steep, as paying $19 for a mediocre beer and a cocktail felt excessive, but I digress... I'm glad we finally checked it out, but between the prices and the smoke, I'm not sure I'd return.

love it there one of the best bar i been to in philly.... $1 n $2 draft beer all nite..... thurdays…read moren fridays sunday get a beer tower n hookah for $15 all nite

My fave Kensington dive bar. Bartenders don't ever skimp and the atmosphere is chill. The have…read moredecent frozen drinks. Henny colada is my fave so bomb.