50 Best Dive Bars in Philadelphia

“My wife and I accidentally found this gem on the way back to our Airbnb, and honestly, it felt like the universe gave us a high-five. The crowd? Chef’s kiss—young, old, and every flavor of humanity in between. The live three-piece jazz band was absolutely melting faces (in the classy jazz way, not the metal way). Drinks were so cheap I had to double-check we weren’t on a happy hour hallucination. The vibes? Immaculate. We might just move in—or at least go back tonight.“

“While in the city to grab a cheesesteak from Pat's I Google mapped the are to see what we were close to. Ray Happy Birthday Bar is just a block away. What a great little local spot. Our bartender (I believe was Chrissy) was on point with our drinks and just had that special personality that brings the whole bar together. Plenty of TVs around for your Philly sports“

“Als Touristen sind wir ohne große Erwartungen ins Dirty Frank's. Wir wurden im Prinzip am ersten Tag schon als Stammgäste angesehen. Ab dem zweiten Tag, fühlten wir uns auch so. Absolut super Service, sehr nette Menschen im der Bar. Coole Jukebox, günstige Getränke. Sollte es uns jemals wieder nach Philly verschlagen, wird Dirty Frank's Bar das Erste sein, was wir besuchen werden.“

“stop by curious of good burgers !! found GREAT burgers and FANTASTIC people! now Wolf Burger is my reg. Friday stop @ 👍🏻😋❤️“

“Bartender Bobby is great!!“

“Probably the best and only $4 sandwich I’ve ever had. The menu feels like you’re taking a step back in time with the prices. It’s a dive, don’t expect gourmet. Service is great, food is great, and we will be coming back for a drink next time we are in the area.“

“Nice atmosphere, good bartender.“

“Nice little place to have a few beers with friends. 😁👍“

“Not a Chiefs fan but stopped into this corner bar and had such a great experience! The owner, bartender and the locals were so nice! Was given a free burger because I was hungry and was backed up with a free beer from a local. I am so thankful for stopping in! ❤️“

“Excellent local spot. Dennis is a great host and I've had a great time every time I've been.“

“It’s amazing when you get waited on by Doug/Ryan“

“Good people and fun place to enjoy a couple beers, bartenders treat everyone like family.“

“I am gonna give Krupas tavern 100 starts if possible! I found this hidden gem while staying in airbnb in art museum area! I told the bartenders(owners) that I am soon to move to Philly for work and they took it upon them to ensure I would have a safe neighborhood to live in! She literally took hours out of her day to make sure I find a good neighborhood and gave me all the tips I need to live in this city. This bar is the epitome of small establishment/center of community! The sisters helped me out a lot I am in debt to them and I will be coming back here a lot more to talk to them even tho I will be living outside philly! Their personality is reminds me of a warm cup of soup my grandma made. Krupa's tavern will make you feel like you are home away from home. Thank you for the hospitality! Don't feel intimidated to talk to the sisters they are the sweetest and place is a little slow on the weekends but that's the only time I went in.“

“This place is so cool, it was a unique experience. Kelly was our bartender, she was so friendly and cool. If you are in town, definitely swing by this place, drinks are cheap, and conversation is priceless. I would give it more stars if possible.“

“Best gay bar in south philly.“

“Stopped in randomly. Cash only bar, they do have ATM for 2 dollar fee but don't fret the drinks were cheap.. i did stop in on a bappy hour on a Wednesday though .. anyway bartender was nice and attentive.. relaxed atmosphere. Yes i would go back. My experience ill give a 4 out of 5.“

“Great place Thanks for having us“

“Love this bar! Good food and drinks“

“I'd say I've been coming here for just over 20 years now. I enjoy the people and the atmosphere here. It is a beer and shot bar, the bartenders are friendly and attentive, the food especially the homemade soups are great. You can always meet up with friends or make new ones and have a good time, nice shuffle board, shuffle bowl, and slot chance games here great selection of music on the jukebox. Drinks are affordable and the place has been here over 50 years.“

“Family own business with a deep and loving history of the name!!!! She will be home soon!!!!“

“A neighbourhood go-to. Great food and drink in a comfortable setting.“

“Best Bloody Mary in the area- hands down. Fun Man's bloody takes it to a whole other level. I literally drag myself out of bed every other Sunday for the purpose of indulging in his artwork of a bloody. You can taste the care, creation and passion for this drink with every sip. Have yet to have one better than his and as an added bonus, there is usually bacon AND shrimp for garnish.“

“Best roast beef sandwich 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙“

“always a great time, and it's nice to walk in and everybody knows your name, and those who don't are your friends by the end of the night“

“Danny makes the best drinks. She's super cute, very interesting and full of surprises. I recommend everyone go see her WEDNESDAY NIGHTS. THAT IS THE ONLY DAY THEY DO GIVEAWAYS AND PRIZES. 8PM TO 1AM. SEE DANNY AND YOU'LL BE HAPPY YOU DID“

“clean and good atmosphere“

“Great little dive bar ..great open mic on Wednesday and three live acts on Thursday with a happy hour on Friday which also has live music .. I am a musician and played there Thursday and had the pleasure of meeting the owner ..What a great dude!! Music is such a huge part of the Philly dive bar scene and it seems to be dying but thank god for places like JRs that car about tradition and costumer service ..I mean this guy really loves his patrons he knew them all by name the bartender is the sweetest girl you’d ever want to meet so nice and a great bartender ..this place is the epitome of a great dive bar with great music and atmosphere..I guess ya gotta be doin something right to be in buisness for over 40 years … thoroughly enjoy myself every time I’m in there weather I’m playing or just there supporting another musician.Gary runs the music a great musician in his own right and is always looking to give a fellow musician a shot at JRs if your a musician and looking for a gig or a good open mic that is a great place to start or if you just wanna get a drink and feel like you are where you belong then this is your stop for sure“

“I want to apologize to the owner & staff of Whispers Inn. A scorned sister got to my phone & put derogatory comments regarding this establishment that were far from the truth! Whispers is a spot where one can enjoy themselves & have great conversation or just get a nice drink. No uppity folks! Just plan everyday good people......Come through“

“I've been coming here since 2005. It changed hands recently (the last few years 2020's).
The gentleman who serves most days is professional and kind. Today there was a young white kid, who was on his phone, cocky, and uninterested in serving the customers. Really? I'll keep coming as long as the older guy is there. But the kid has got to b go. Sorry.“

“Wife and I Need to get out the house for an hour so we looked up a few bars and decided Atlantis it is ( she loves aquaman ) We Had A Long Island And A Old Fashioned. Great Place to Be When Along Frankford Ave. Bartender One Reminds Me Of A Slim Rob Zombie and Great Convo From Here. Bartender Two Was Great With Kinder Minis and Lay's Chips For A Snack from His Personal Stash lol. Phillies Gane Was On Vs Brewers and Got To Educate WIFE On Baseball Along With A Long Time Fan Amy Expalining To Her Also. Oh Yea It's A Big Fluffy Dog That Loved To Be Petted While We Were There. I Highly Suggest Atlantis! Get Up And Get Out The House Come Here“

“Fun vibe… Good place to hear live music“

“I visited El Patio Cafe Restaurant for the first time. I ordered the chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream and cherries for me and my daughter. It was so light and airy, affordably priced for the container size. The environment is warm and inviting with a small seating area to accommodate ten people, in case you are waiting on your order to be completed. Speaking of orders, the menu displays a variety of multicultural foods and they are affordable for the budget-conscious eater. Overall, I highly recommend El Patio Cafe Restaurant as my go-to neighborhood eatery for good eats and sweet treats. If you are reading this review and you are not local to the South Philadelphia area, I suggest you check them out with a friend.“

“Dee's is a family owned and run bar, they are very friendly and its a great place to kick back and have a few cold ones wit ya buddies, they have live music from time to time, a dart league which is about to start up, they just got a shuffleboard and getting ready to start a league with that as well.“

“Depending on how packed and who's tending bar, the wait time for a drink varies- gotta be patient. The frozen "Henny" (lmmfao) colda--.. that's not Henny.. that's whiskey, trust me, I have my certification. Long story. But TuuuuMmmmm... Other than that- it's definitely a great place to go and have a blast. The Brazilian fiery haired bartender is a must see. She's cool ? Great place to chill out and play pool, if it's not crowded. Highly recommend“

“This hotel is located in the middle of the city, perfect location! What I enjoyed the most about this hotel was the staff. I work in hospitality, so my expectations are high. This hotel exceeded my expectations. It's an older building, but it has character. I loved the boutique style theme of this hotel. The rooms are cozy, and I loved the art in the hallway. This hotel will be my hotel whenever I return to Philadelphia!“

“Castle Roxx is my go to stop. Every time I come I have a great experience. All of the bar tenders always are amazing and work so hard to make my experience the best in Manayunk. Eric and Vinny are two of my favorite bar tenders. They make even the slowest nights the most fun. I normally come during the week, as opposed to the weekends, and I never regret it.“

“You must come and check it out yourself 😺“

“My wife and I came here to experience the famous bar mentioned in a Zach Bryan song. We drove all the way from south Georgia. When we first walked in we were immediately greeted by the bar tender Jay. Jay was very professional and did a great job showing two southerners some at home hospitality. He was very attentive and held great conversation. I personally loved the bar and the atmosphere, but smokey dive bars are my thing. Drinks were super cheap as well. Once our time here came to a close I gave Jay two patches from the Fire Department and Station I am assigned too. I explained that some bars and brewery's take them and hang them up to show support from around the world, and that I felt McGlinchey's was certainly worthy of displaying the patches. Jay explained that he is retired military and loved this idea and he accepted the patches with pride. I hope to come back to McGlinchey's one day. They certainly know how to make you feel at home.“

“First time here earlier today. The bar was good, but I did not get a chance to try the food. Hope to do that eventually.“

“Great old school dive with cheap drinks (compared to the rest of the hood) Good vibes.“

“I met my sweetheart here for a first date. He was recently moved to the Philadelphia area and mentioned in his profile that he hoped to try an Ethiopian restaurant. I suggested Dahlak, which I had been going to for about 40 years, although not recently. The food was still decent, the service and atmosphere mediocre. But I'm giving it five stars because the date was great. He brought me some of his homemade red lentil stew, frozen and carefully wrapped in an Amazon padded envelope that included a bottle of frozen water. We both wanted to see each other again.“

“grumpy's is a great fun filled place to go for a good time . this place has been around forever and they welcome everyone and anyone !!!“

“It is a nice bar where the staff and the customers are very friendly.The drinks are good as well.“

“I’d like to thank The Fire for a great show last night (2/15/25). The staff were super friendly, and Bob the sound guy did an amazing job! All the bands sounded fantastic!“

“Nice friendly place great atmosphere“