Where everybody knows your name: Checking out top neighborhood bars in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With so many bars to choose from in Philadelphia, it's nearly impossible to make a list that everyone can agree on, but since each neighborhood has its favorites, I set out to try the spots that everyone talks about!
Monk's
Monk's is a Belgian café that has made its home in Rittenhouse for the last 25 years.
They are known for their stock of beer you can't get anywhere else, like the specialty brews from Russian River Brewery. They have 25 draughts on tap and 250 different bottles in their coolers for you to try.
Inside, it's dark and cozy, complete with gargoyles and old church pews, a perfect spot to park it for some Belgian comfort food.
My favorite bite off the menu is the five-cheese mac with peas and onion and an order of chicken fingers. (You have to ask for the bourbon mayonnaise for dipping, or you're not doing it right!)
Some may argue that Monk's is even more famous for its mussels than beer, so I had a bowl of them with bleu cheese and bacon. They go through 1,000 pounds of mussels PER WEEK, and now I can see why.
Ray's Happy Birthday Bar
If you've been to Philadelphia, chances are you've heard of Ray's Happy Birthday Bar. It's a South Philly institution, and just a stone's throw away from Pat's and Geno's.
Lou Capozzoli's father bought it back in 1938. He tells me it's called Ray's Happy Birthday Bar because his father used to say "Happy Birthday" instead of "Hello" to customers...he figured no one could have a bad time if it was their birthday!
So I had to do what Ray's Bar does best...celebrate my birthday with a cake vodka birthday shot and candle!
I wondered how a dive bar could survive for over 80 years.
Lou tries to credit his father, but if you ask me, Lou's got something special.
At 83 years old, he still performs in the famous Rage Band, his brain is a nonstop spinning Rolodex of jokes, and with his infectious personality, he still has a dedicated fan club of locals who frequent his bar and LOVE him like family.
They frequent it at all hours too.
The bar opens at 7 a.m. which perfectly fits their motto: You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning! So you might as well do it with friends, and Ray's Happy Birthday Bar is the perfect place to find them.
Cherry Street Tavern
Just south of the Art Museum off of 22nd Street is Cherry Street Tavern. An Irish pub that's been in operation since 1902. Brothers Bob and Bill Loughery have been running it since 1990.
If you come here for anything other than an overflowing pint of Guinness and conversations with people from the neighborhood, let it be the hot roast beef or pork sandwiches, made fresh and sliced right onto a Kaiser roll loaded with sharp provolone cheese and a side of long hots.
These guys are as old school as it gets, and they don't plan on changing a thing.
Dirty Frank's
Dirty Frank's has been serving up drinks at the corner of 13th and Pine since 1933, in what's now called the Gayborhood. Every inch of the bar that isn't covered in stickers, signs, Mummer's memorabilia, or holiday decorations, is a scrapbook of the bar over the years...with hundreds of photos of customers stuck everywhere.
In the late 80s, Jody Sweitzer first walked through the doors as a customer, eventually becoming a bartender and, in 1992, part owner.
In this classic dive bar, you have all the typical beer and liquor, but Jody thought I should try some of their specials.
A shot of Gritty (Stoli orange, pumpkin liquor, and espresso) and the Poinsettia (Prosecco, triple sec, cranberry, and lime) is just what I would have ordered. You normally wouldn't find food in a dive bar either, but Dirty Frank's does what Dirty Frank's wants.
All it takes is a microwave and a reliable toaster oven and you've got a late-night meal of Pop-Tarts or Chef Boyardee that you will be happy you ate in the morning.
Good Dog Bar
For 19 years, Good Dog Bar has been a Center City hangout for K9 lovers from all over the city. They will give your pup treats if you're dining al fresco, while inside you can stare at three floors of puppy-covered walls...and if you're feeling frisky, play some darts or pool!
It's a scratch kitchen, so everything is made right here in-house, and the menu changes seasonally.
The Safrito Mussels come with a "dog bowl" for the shells and the Bang Bang Shrimp were crispy with the perfect amount of Thai chili sauce.
There is one constant on the menu though, and it's the Good Dog Burger. A 1/2 pound ground sirloin cheese-stuffed patty, topped with caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato on a challah roll.
I had a Love City Lager and a Mezcal hibiscus syrup cocktail called the Smoky Batman to wash it all down.
The Pub on Passyunk East
The Pub on Passyunk East is next on the list but heads up, NO ONE calls it that! The locals call it "The Pope," and it's been a Passyunk staple for 16 years.
Come here for a beer, (they have 12 on tap and 70 other brews to choose from), or some goodies off their menu prepared by Chef Pete Miller.
You can have classic tomato soup with grilled cheese, or a fall special soup - pumpkin coconut curry with a touch of apple. I had the famous Angus beef Pope Burger topped with aged cheddar, grilled red onion, a fried green tomato and roasted garlic aioli with hand-cut fries.
They go through 100 pounds of beef a week to keep up with the demand!
They have perfected serval flavors of wings like buffalo and Thai chili, but the Pete's Sauce wings were something extra special - a blend of Frank's hot sauce, coffee, and sugar.
