McGillin's Olde Ale House has been pouring beer in Center City Philadelphia since 1860, when Irish…read moreimmigrants William "Pa" and Catherine "Ma" McGillin opened it as the Bell in Hand Tavern. Regulars started calling it McGillin's, and the name became official in 1910 with a new brick facade for the 50th anniversary. William died in 1901, and Catherine kept the bar running through Prohibition. Her daughter Mercedes McGillin Hooper ran it for decades afterward, until it was sold in 1958 to Henry Spaniak and Joe Shepaniak. Christopher and Mary Ellen Mullins bought it in 1993, and their son Chris Mullins Jr. joined the business in 2006, so it's still family-run today. It's widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia and one of the oldest in the country. Gourmet magazine named it one of the 14 coolest bars in America, and Complex ranked it among the 50 best Irish pubs in America. Those honors are well earned for a bar that has stayed open through Prohibition, wars, and more than 160 years of changes in the city around it. The pub itself feels like it has been here that long. It's cozy and packed with character, with the kind of old-world tavern atmosphere you can't recreate in a new build. Whether you're stopping in for a pint after exploring Center City or settling in for a full night out, it's the right kind of Philadelphia institution. McGillin's is a must-visit.

My husband and I were on a quick weekend trip to Philly, and we love and Irish pub so we decided to…read morecheck this place out based on reviews. Its pretty cool on the inside, definitely passes the Irish pub vibe check. One thing that killed it for us right away: it was LOUD. Sure, we're not in our twenties anymore, but we're not super old. It was mid afternoon, before dinner time, and the music was so loud we were going to have to yell across the tiny table to hear each other. After walking around in the heat all day it was just not what we were looking for. We did stay for a drink. He had a decent old fashioned, though pretty tiny for the price. I had a beer, and it was what would be expected. The one thing that really stood out was the server. She was nice, pleasant, and very quick. I'd maybe go back if I was in the right mood, but that day was certainly not the day for me.

This is not Delmonico's in Manhattan or even a fancy steakhouse. This is a kitschy throw back to a…read moredifferent era in South Jersey that really hits the mark for what it is trying to deliver, and does so with a panache that is hard to dislike. We went not expecting to like it, and goodness me the parking lot confirmed my fears of a huge Jersey institution. But then you walk in and the spot feels like Medieval times turned into a steakhouse. There are wonderfully kitschy decorations and some amazing charcoal ovens available for all to see. The service matches South Jersey, it's a vibe for sure, and it's caring and loving while lacking grace and professionalism. The salad bar feels the same way (everyone gets to go to the salad bar if you order something I think) and the caesar salad was just maybe the most mid caesar salad ever, but that's okay...you could add anything you wanted, and I added bacon! My manhattan came with a sidecar, which is atypical these days, though the sidecar was hard to pour in to the glass because it was just in a regular glass. The cocktails were great though. The prime rib was not that great, but the 2lb Tomahawk we got was amazing. I think every bite was flavorful, juicy, and fatty. I'll be back - this place embodies the land it sits on.

It feels like a relic from an earlier era, but you know what, I dug it. The parking lot and the…read moreinterior were huge, but I came at opening on a weekday, so it looked a lot more empty inside than it was. Our waitress was very friendly and ended up leaving a pitcher of water once she saw we were parched. The salad bar wasn't huge, but there were some cold dishes along with salad fixings, which is part of the vintage charm. The bread (not complementary) was also a huge round loaf great for sharing. The decor's medieval vibe is very charming and it's nice looking around the room. The kitchen is open to the dining room with big brick ovens. I had the prime rib which was big and juicy (the baked potato was fine but the Yorkshire puff was bland and barely editable soaked in juice - may just be I don't like this food). The steak came with a giant onion ring which was delightful, and it was cooked perfectly tender. This place thrives in your meat and potato staples, so not a lot of side options except what's at the salad bar. For dessert, we had to try the peach melba delight, which was a giant goblet of vanilla ice cream, peaches in juice, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Deceptively simple but extremely tasty and great to share There's a large bar area and the bathrooms are nice. This place is great for larger groups that include older people. The food is good and the atmosphere did feel like it was from another time, but we had a good time, and it's nice to see a place like this still around.

We highly recommend this welcoming little bar serving flavorful food and a decent selection of…read morespirits at a reasonable price. The space is beautiful: polished dark wood and very clean. We sat at the window overlooking street and sidewalk traffic. Kiara H made solid recommendations for us off the menu. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot Pozole Roja soup and Heirloom Tomato Salad with mozzarella. Delicious. My companion raved about his Chicken Cheesesteak Empanadas with cherry pepper aioli. Compliments to the Chef!! Highly recommended!

The concept to Good Dog Bar is amazing. You mean to tell me you have a whole bar whose sole…read moreidentity is to promote good doggos?? That's cool and I don't even like dogs that much. Inside there are three floors for sitting and gathering. First floor primarily for drinking, second for eating, third for fun and games (pool table and darts). Service was great.

Monk's Cafe has been a favorite of mine for years - I love Belgian beers, and this is one of the…read morebest spots in the city for them. Small, rustic, a little loud, Monk's Cafe is exactly what you want from a proper Belgian beer bar. Original plan was to sneak away solo for a bit during our Labor Day weekend trip, since we had two families with young kids in tow, but in the end everyone decided to come along, and it turned out to be a great call. There are plenty of kid-friendly food options, so nobody was stuck without something to eat. The real treat this visit was a tap takeover by Cantillon, the legendary Belgian lambic brewery out of Brussels. Getting to try a couple of their beers on tap was honestly a bit of a dream - it's the kind of thing you don't expect to find outside of Belgium, so I definitely took advantage. Food-wise[1], we ordered the pork belly, the duck salad, and the squash & mushrooms - all excellent, but the duck salad was the standout of the table. The also offer 5 different kinds of mussels, each version prepared with a different kind of beer, and multiple vegetarian options. This is a step above typical pub food, more refined without losing any of the coziness. We went as a group of six on a Saturday late afternoon, no reservation, and waited about 30 minutes for a table - not bad at all for a Saturday. We grabbed a couple of beers at the bar while we waited, and ended up getting seated at one of the large round tables up front, which worked perfectly for our group. Already looking forward to going back. ------------------------------------ [1] Menu: https://www.monkscafe.com/menu

just as fantastic, if not better than last time!…read more my friend and i swung by after our original plans to go to happy hour fell through, and we were easily able to get a seat around 4 pm. we shared one serving of the duck salad, and our waitress was so so sweet to split it into two plates for us. we also share the thai curry mussels and frites which i had last time as well. their fries are so good and the sauce is amazing. the broth of mussels was also so flavorful and we loved dipping the bread in. we had a great time and were both full afterwards! the highlight was definitely the amazing service, everyone was so so sweet and checked in on us several times. by the time we left, it was definitely getting busy, so i recommend going early! it can get quite loud as well when it's busier because of the intimate seating, so be warned.

Great pub atmosphere with tasty British comfort food. The fish and chips were crispy and flavorful,…read moreand the service was friendly and attentive. Would happily come back!

We had a University of Birmingham gathering here a couple of years ago, and it felt wonderfully…read morenostalgic. The menu, the food, the service, even the décor brought back fond memories of our years in Birmingham, UK. If you're in the mood for somewhere refined, charming, and just a little old-fashioned--in the best possible way--this is a lovely place to visit. And naturally, the fish and chips are not to be missed. It's right in the heart of Rittenhouse Square, one of the loveliest parts of Center City Philadelphia.

Darling Jack's is a place that knows what it wants to be, and executes well!…read more We stopped by here for lunch, and the experience was excellent. The vibes are old-timey bar, without feeling dingy or out of date. The place had all the fixings of a neighborhood pub, with wood paneling and intimate booths, but still somehow felt modern. The menu was great, blending classic bar food with some healthy, more elevated options. There were a few different burgers available, as well as salads, bowls, and a few other apps. I had a salmon bowl and was really blown away. The salmon was prepared well, and came out with a medley of sides that made for a delicious, healthy(ish) dish! The burger was also a hit with my colleague, good temperature and tasty. Really glad we stopped by here, I'd definitely come back for another meal!

I'm giving Darling Jack's Tavern a 5 star rating, though I wish there was an option to give it a…read more4.5. First, the reason for the rating: the food is absolutely EXCEPTIONAL! Our party had the homemade mozzarella sticks as an appetizer, and we loved them so much, we put in a second order. Our mains consisted of the smash burger, steak frites, pork chop, and short rib pasta. All made our eyes roll back in our head. So the food was awesome. One of the things that surprised us the most was that everything came out very quickly. Even though they were really busy, the efficiency of that kitchen stunned us. The consensus on the cocktails was that they were good, not great, which is why the 4.5 instead of a 5. One other thing that stunned us was the prices. They were actually really reasonable, especially considering the quality of the experience and food. They're so reasonable, in fact, that I hope they don't get themselves into a bind. We're definitely going back to Darling Jack's.

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.

We had such a great time at Moriarty's! We were just looking for a spot to hang out for awhile and…read morehave a few drinks since it was crazy hot out, but was going to start raining at any time. Neither of us were hungry enough for a big dinner, and we were too tired to wander the city. Moriarty's came up in a yelp search, and we love an Irish pub, so we decided we'd give it a shot. The interior space is definitely Irish pub, but also has some pretty touches. It's not too dimly lit, and its not crazy loud, which was super nice. We sat at the bar, and it was a slow enough time that we were able to chat with the bartender a bit, as well as a regular patron seated near us. We had some really fun conversations! The drinks were good, as expected. I stuck with beers, but my husband had their black Manhattan, which he really enjoyed. The food was pretty on par for bar food. My husband had a sandwich, and I had the nachos. Both were fine. Overall we had a great time, and ended up hanging out for a few hours; definitely longer than anticipated! It was a great spot to have a drink, a quite bite to eat, and ride out a storm. I would absolutely go back if we find ourselves in the same area in Philly again.

This was our first time visiting Moriartys, and I chose it because they're open late since my guy…read moregot off work late. I wanted to give him plenty of time to chill and relax before we went out to dinner, and it worked out perfectly. I ordered the Chicken Piccata, and it was delicious! The chicken was perfectly cooked and full of lemony flavor with a creamy sauce. The asparagus was also very tender and cooked perfectly. My guy ordered the Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad, which was so good he shared some with me. He also ordered the Whiskey-Glazed Salmon, which came with rice and asparagus. The salmon was cooked perfectly--not dry at all, with a nice crispy outside and amazing flavor. Apparently, one Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad wasn't enough because he was still hungry, so he ordered another one! It was just as amazing as the first. To finish everything off, I ordered the cheesecake, and it was very, very, very good! We also enjoyed our drinks--my small glass of wine and his Yuengling beer. Moriartys definitely satisfied all of our food and drink needs last night. Great late-night option, delicious food, and definitely a restaurant we'd return to!

I've been here multiple times, and the service is always great. They also have quite a list of…read morebeers and a few seasonal cocktail specials. I've been on the main level and the 2 floors above but I think there's also a basement so if it seems crowded on one level, check out the others. I'm not a big fan of Ireland's cuisine so it's a challenge for me. Everything except the Irish stuff bangers and mash, fish and chips, is pretty average bar food wings, fries, hummus. Good neighborhood pub and not a place to have a fine meal.

An Irish pub that takes no small measure of pride in serving Philadelphians, mostly the locals and…read morethey have a number of beers on tap upstairs and downstairs including some local craft beers. It can get pretty crowded on either upstairs or downstairs space. Very noisy as you would expect for a pub. Lots of TVs and not a lot of moving room, just watch your step down the stairs. No cover, apparently there's a third floor that we didn't realize was there, would've made it easier as a bigger group to go up, I think -- our space was reserved but it was too small for the group, so we have to plan better next time. Like the signs by the stairs, though.

English bar with a big red front door and hard to miss from the street. Cool bartender with lots of…read moretattoos. The small bar top was full so we sat at a table but ordered craft beers from the bartender and she served us at the maple wood table. The carved wooden inlays on the walls accented by red brick really set the tone for a true English pub experience. There was a wooden staircase to an upper level which was not open to the public. The canned and bottle beers were written on the wall menu with chalk. Great time with friends and cold tasty canned beer.

I came here with my friends for Thursday night trivia, and I didn't realize it would fill up so…read moremuch! We arrived about 30 minutes before it started, and there were no tables available. However, they let us sit with some people who were at a partially filled table and we ended up joining their team. They let us know that typically the whole team has to be on one check, and you have to spend a minimum of $10/person to play trivia. Our server was not super friendly but things came out quickly and I enjoyed the trivia. The inside is crowded but has lots of tables both upstairs and downstairs (trivia is only upstairs). It has a pretty typical pub vibe and the menu has the same vibe. I got the grilled cheese, which has tater tots inside. It was quite tasty and the fries on the side were very good as well. It is certainly nothing special, but for pub food and trivia I had a great time!