Loading ...The Foobooz Top 50 Bars
Posted by Foobooz on September 16th, 2009
Philadelphia is a city of bars, dive bars, neighborhood bars, gastropubs, wine bars, beer bars, hotel bars and a host of others that defy categorization. The Foobooz Top 50 Bars touches on all of them. See if your favorites made our list.
Top 50 Bars [f8b8z]
Top 50 Bars Mapped [f8b8z]
Related Tags: Beer, gastropub, Top 50 Bars, Wine
September 16th, 2009 at 9:24 am
No Eulogy? Good. Then they’ll always have a barstool free for ME while y’all go to these places.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Looks like a good list but surprised new spots like varga make it, and so high. I havnt even tried it yet though.
I thought the Abbaye in N.Libs is better than N.3rd but I suppose Im not hipster enough.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Doobies over Locust Rendezvous? And no O’Neals? Pshaw.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:43 am
POPE is not in Bella Vista–that ends at Washington Ave. The neighborhood is called Passyunk Square, let’ s get some love!
September 16th, 2009 at 10:21 am
McGlinchey’s over Jose Pistolas? Makes no sense.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Of course we’ll have issue with some of these. I’m curious how Varga made this list at all. Not that it was bad, just sort of, ordinary.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:33 am
POPE is a good pick. I like Eulogy over Monks (for the comparison). Good Dog’s good, but #5 seems a bit high. Sidecar is just a good neighborhood bar, not something worth a trip from the burbs, though. Same with Pub and Kitchen. I’m glad to see Varga so high, great rotation and a nice spot. True story about XIX: bought a bottle of wine on some “select” special for $54 at XIX, $9 at the State store. I’m on board with Locust ‘Vous too.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Good job! But is it my imagination or are there PR folks in that Contributors list?
September 16th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I love the list. think it’s pretty spot on. Varga gets love because of the beer list and solid eats. 20 taps of craft beer with lots of rare stuff.
Missed the Abbaye and Local 44 is a bit low. Other than that, woohoo.
September 16th, 2009 at 11:32 am
My list goes like this:
Standard Tap
Monks
SPTR
Johnny B’s
Grace
Grey Lodge
September 16th, 2009 at 11:32 am
The lack of Eulogy in the list immediately jumped out to me as well. It’s my favorite bar in the city.
September 16th, 2009 at 11:36 am
i don’t like varga much. service is awful, food is inconsistent. lacking atmosphere, crowd is pretty lame as well. good beer list though.
September 16th, 2009 at 11:53 am
On another note I hear POD might close soon
Never thought the food matched Booty-kahn
Curious to see if/when it will happen
September 16th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Tinto is awesome, and I go there often, even if just for a drink, but I don’t know that it can properly be labeled a “bar”. I’ll echo those who champion the ‘Vous, but also note the absence of Fergie’s
September 16th, 2009 at 11:57 am
No National Mechanics, Devil’s Den, or Dark Horse? McGlinchey’s is there but no McGillin’s? This just seems random.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Mc Glinchey’s and Monk’s hands down the two dirtiest bars in Philly
One is a dive bar and thats expected
Not a surprise at Monk’s, when you see how messy the office is
They also have some staff that act like they are doing you a favor just to wait on you
Last five times i went i got great service once
Despite this I have been going to Monk’s for years
Some on the judging panel are pals with the monks gang maybe that explains the omission of eulogy. Just a thought, because the beer selection, service, and food are all great
Eulogy and Benneluxx both have incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff. They will talk to you at length about beer and have zero attitude and get this, they actually smile
September 16th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Wow, no Devil’s Den, Jose Pistolas, or Eulogy? Seriously?
September 16th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Oops Pistolas is on the list, totally missed it. But no Eulogy or Devils Den is still very weird.
No brewpub representation? Not even the General Lafayette?
September 16th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Fergies is expensive, tap list just ok, and food is mediocre to poor.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Kevin, Nodding Head made the list, though I much prefer Triumph.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I think the omission of Devil’s Den is a huge mistake. Monk’s is a no brainer, no matter what everyone says – it’s a pinnacle in beer bars. I do agree that Standard Tap should be #1 though. All in all, a great list – one of which has opened my eyes to a few places that I now want to visit. Johnny Brendas and Good Dog to name two.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Devil’s den is definitely a huge gap in the list. I think National Mechanics is a glaring omission as well. Its one of the most truly unique bars in the city.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Devil’s Den’s list is deep and quality.
Eulogy and Beneluxx both are more worthy than say, Locust Bar.
Time has an impressive selection of brown liquors and absinthe, live music and the food is way better than it used to be.
I guess Village Whisky and Franklin Mint are too new.
If all those other dive bars are on here it’s weak sauce that The Dive and Dirty Frank’s aren’t represented.
Ideally I’d take a few of the dives off and replace them with the high-quality jawns. This list has no qualifications, remember, it’s just “best,” and that means favorites of the people polled.
A followup Foobooz poll of readers may be in order…
September 16th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I was a contributor: I submitted my top 10. I was surprised by some of the missing too…but then I looked at my top 10 and realized that they weren’t there, either. If I’d been asked for top 20, things might have been different. Top 10 is tough.
I go back and forth on “too new.” A place should show it can hold up, but if it’s smoking hot right out of the box (like Memphis was), that’s pretty great too.
The real purpose of lists is to get people talking about who should have been or not been on them, though…isn’t it?
September 16th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I think its a shame that niether Protap nor my place made the list. Its typical though. If either of our spots were in center city or any other more popular area I’d like to think we’d be on there somewhere. Location location location. Then again when your number one place first opened up everyone said “are they crazy?! thats the hood!” Short term memories I guess.
Overall its a decent list. Though I’m not sure if its fair to include places only open for a few months along with places open for 10 plus years. Any place can open strong and be great and then fizz out quickly.
I’m extremely suprised the devil’s den isn’t on this list.
It is what it is.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Devil’s Den? No thanks. Good beer selection with a well below average menu; no balance. And the beer is only good if you can actually get one from the usually overcrowded bar. Varga on the other hand has a subtle atmosphere with an expert level of beer knowledge. Food is savory and doesn’t rape ones purse/wallet. Who could deny Eulogys beer selection? That’s tough, it’s incredible, but who would go there specifically for a meal? Again, no balance.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
No clue how the Druid’s Keep got on here. That place is a non-starter. I definitely think the Abbaye is a better stand in. Sad that Fergie’s isn’t on here.
I also sort of agree that it’s surprising to see Varga get on so quickly, but whatevs.
I’ve been to 28 of these. Is that good, bad or about right?
September 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
overall a pretty good list. surprised to see POPE at number 2, but it’s a great place, and great to see Doobie’s get some love!
Although I don’t really consider Parc, Tria, Pub & Kitchen, Tinto, Continental, or Nineteen to be “Bars”. Restaurants with bars, yes but not Bars. Why not save them for “50 best Restaurants” and give some love to places that need it?
September 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Holy crap, no Capone’s either? Absurdity. Can’t be a suburb thing because TJs and TND are on the list.
I’d gladly brave 76 to drive to Capone’s rather than go to half the places on this list.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Great list. I posted about it earlier, and one of my complaints was on these comments as well: Locust Rendezvous is a better “dive” bar than McGlinchey’s hands down. Yes, I work there once a week, so you could say I’m biased. But I’d argue the opposite: several places I’ve worked over the years I would never stick up for because I know them all too well. As for the two bars: the prices are the same, the staff is much friendlier at the Vous, the Phils game is always on, and the food is better. Not hating on McGlinchey’s, but let’s call it like it is: Locust ‘Vous is the better bar. And while we’re talking dive bars, no Oscar’s? Another great dive bar, but I’m guessing the fact that it still lets people smoke really hurts it.
September 16th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
as lew said, as a contributor, my list of 10 left off some of my favorites (like the institute! i don’t know what i was thinking…damn. and i know exactly who would have been dropped and would drop if i hadn’t made my list on a hot summer day after having a drink there). Protap didn’t impress me on my first visit (the acoustics + they were out of the first two beers i ordered) but has improved since i made the list. not sure they would have made my top 10 yet, but they definitely would have made my best friend’s top ten. it’s subjective. disagreement is inherent in these things.
as per the “but it just opened!”, yes, consistency is important, but the list was “10 best bars” not “10 you bet will last” or “10 than have lasted”. I took it as “if i were concocting my list, which 10 would i take my friends for drinks?” And that included Tria, because their wine list and their beer list are great.
I had a word document with at least 20 bars on it. cutting it in half wasn’t fun. I mean, I’ve got some bars on the list (doobie’s, for one) that I wouldn’t put anywhere near my top 20, but that’s kinda the cool thing about the list. thanks, foobooz, for giving me a vote!
i’ve not been to devil’s den (I know…i know), from the comments, sounds like i should make a trip.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:53 am
A few others not ranked or commented about as missing:
-Society Hill Hotel
-Murphy’s Tavern
-Race Street Cafe
September 17th, 2009 at 9:36 am
The only reason Varga BAR would make this is it has the word bar in its name.
September 17th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Sure, Varga has a nice beer list and some quality food, but it’s wayyyyyyy overpriced. The food at Devils Den has come a long way – and I’ve always had wonderful service there. Prices on beer are very reasonable and there’s always a huge bottle list to boot – and a killer happy hour – so I too don’t get why they didn’t make the list.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I second the anti-Druid’s Keep sentiment. What a blah bar.
But no Oscar’s? I’m pretty sure they were on my list.
September 17th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
alright- lets see some top tens list…enough picking over the foobooz list- I want some commenters top 10’s…
September 17th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
i contributed a top ten too (thanks foobooz) and am OK with the resultant tallied list. it does seem like a nice melding of dives, neighborhood taverns, destination food pubs and the like. it’s a good top 50.
i’m a little surprised neither moms made the list, they’re kinda legendary.
like the weekly’s list last year, i don’t understand the fascination with grace. i lived one block from there for over two years, gave it at least half a dozen chances and never liked it once. (this doesn’t even speak to how sick my wife and i both got from the same sausage meal.) i always liked the “right on, right on” guy though. for that neighborhood, give me doobies, sidecar and ten stone any day, they’re all winners. to each his own, though. go ‘head, grace.
standard tap is a deserving victor. they were my #4 … rest of my list went something like:
1 Doobies
2 Johnny Brenda’s
3 Sidecar
4 Standard Tap
5 Memphis Taproom
6 Devil’s Alley (Center City sleeper pick!)
7 Sugar Mom’s
8 Good Dog
9 Locust Rendezvous
10 Fergie’s
honorable mentions: Grey Lodge, Ten Stone, Southwark, Prohibition, Tattooed Mom’s, Bob & Barbara’s, Tritone, National Mechanics, POPE
September 17th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I’m surprised that Devil’s Den and Eulogy didn’t make the cut. Two of my favorite beer bars in the city. Glad to see St. Stephen’s was on here, though! I lived across the street from there for 2 years and they have a great beer list, and they’re constantly changing it, too. I’m always worried people haven’t heard about it, but apparently the word is out.
I also contributed a top 10. Here they are:
St Stephen’s Green
Royal Tavern
P.O.P.E.
Monks
Eulogy
Devils Den
Varga
The Bishops Collar
Khyber
Nodding Head
September 18th, 2009 at 11:07 am
wow, didnt know there were so many fans of devil’s pottery barn – i mean den.
grace is number one on a lot of lists b/c they have a good beer selection, operate as a true neigborhood bar and have a solid menu. never got sick there once.
also, reese is the best barkeep in the city. right on, right on.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:12 am
C’mon, no Earth Bread + Brewery? It far surpasses Nodding Head as a city brewpub for me now (and while I like Nodding Head’s beer, the food is aggressively average) – outstanding house and guest beers, great service, amazing food and friendly, involved owners. It’s the complete package.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
No National Mechanics or Triumph?
September 18th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Since many of the places mentioned seem to be some of the best beer bars around with good food. I can’t believe nobody mentions Craft Ale House. It has biggest and best craft beer selection that I know of (16 taps & 350+ bottles), as well as incredible food.
1. Craft Ale House in Limerick PA
2. Standard Tap
3. Monks
4. TND in Wayne
5. SPTR
6. POPE
7. Devils Den
8. Grey Lodge
9. Eulogy
10. Memphis
11. All the other great bars out there that serve good beer and good food. Keep up the good work.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Standard crack (tap)? Does that chubby hipster still work there whose ass crack was perpetually exposed due to excessively tight pants? definitely a nice spot, fairly deserving of the top spot. Haven’t been there in years.
Grace Tavern? the beans are awesome – thats about all they got. I actually think the tap selection is perpetually mediocre. While “right on, right on” is, well, right on – the knucle-tatted girl is perpetually kunty and the bald-headed new yorker is about as friendly as an ingrown hair.
I’ll take sidecar over any bar in the city. Consistently great food and always something new and awesome on tap. The customer base is a great mix and the staff rock.
September 18th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I have to agree with Devil’s Den being left off the list. I think it was forgotten for a very good reason – it’s forgettable. Sure, the beer selection is good, but you can get a selection like that in many other places in the city and in South Philly specifically, just a few blocks away at POPE or SPTR. The biggest problem with Devil’s Den is their kitchen. The food is mediocre at its best. For a place who obviously aims at being a destination for good beer and equally good food (as obvious with their sometimes ambitious menu offerings), they fail. When you fail at half of what you offer, you don’t deserve to be on a Top 50 list.