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Five bars where you'll save big bucks
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The economy may very well be in the tank, but that shouldn’t stop you from lifting a few. Sure, you may worry about what’s left of your retirement plan and that ballooning credit card debt, but will that stop you from enjoying adult beverages at one of Philly’s finest gin joints? Absolutely not. Even if you’re tightening your money belt, rest assured you’ll find plenty of drinking deals at one of these five colorful dive bars.
Krupa's (photo by Natalie Hope McDonald)
McGlinchey's Bar & Grill (259 S. 15th St., 215-735-1259) is more bar than grill, unless you count the dollar hot dogs. But it’s also one of the best smoker’s bars in the city to get your drink on for a couple of Jeffersons. Three-buck drafts range from Rolling Rock to microbrews (look for local labels from Philadelphia Brewing Company). Bottled beers also run the gamut for as little as $1.50 each. If you’re more of a fine liquor picker, you won’t find any fancy flavored vodka, just the usual old-man hooch enjoyed alongside the dark din of a ball game, jukebox or wonderfully deranged conversation.
From the outside looking in, it may not look like a proper drinking establishment (there’s no sign after all), but Dirty Frank’s (347 S. 13th St., 215-732-5010) lives up to its name and then some. Cluttered with storied artifacts (think Mummer’s Day Parade meets Day of the Dead) the destination is purely Philly. It's where loyal regulars crowd the bar stools and booths day and night to dissect the current events and get more than dirty rotten drunk. Old folks, locals and hipsters all seem to agree on one thing: The booze runs cheap at Frank’s, whether you want a six-dollar pitcher of beer all to yourself or a more exotic brew. Just watch out for the rickety bar stools—they’ve seen much better days (and so have most of the patrons).
Krupa’s Tavern (2701 Brown St., 215-765-7769) may only be a short walk from the Philadelphia Art Museum and busy Ben Franklin Parkway, but the drinking life doesn’t get any more authentic as this place. It may at first seem like a neighborhood pow-wow (a regular routinely opens his mail at the bar and it takes awhile for folks to warm up to newcomers) but boozers rejoice: For less than $10 you can get as many as three beers and a shot alongside sometimes maniacal sports fans, old-timers and a predominately Polish-American clientele who have been lifting many an ale for decades. If you’re lucky, you may stumble into Krupa’s when the owner decides to cook a meal for the bar. Otherwise, take your pick of crackers, nuts and other sobering snacks.
Deep in the heart of South Philly, just footsteps from Pat and Geno’s cheesesteak empire, is Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar (1200 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-365-1169), a down-to-earth neighborhood bar that got it’s name from when owner Ray Capozzoli would welcome each customer with “happy birthday.” These days, birthday boys and girls get free drinks on their special day (just have proof of age), while an eclectic crowd of locals, hipsters and tourists enjoy cheap suds at the Depression-era tavern. In recent years, Ray’s has become a go-to nightspot for karaoke, D.J. nights and live entertainment. But it’s not unusual to see seniors and third-shifters guzzling at seven a.m. Make sure you're good to Tony. He's a much-loved bartender at Ray's who loves when you play The Who on the jukebox.
Also in South Philly, the Friendly Lounge (1039 S. 8th St., 215-627-9798) is a favorite watering hole in a neighborhood that’s always been welcoming to a rich assortment of culture. Pulling up to the bar is like stepping back in time (especially when it comes to the ridiculously low prices). Regulars (a mostly male clientele) rule the roost while new faces are usually treated to a slew of kindly questioning. It’s not the sort of place you’ll want to order a cosmopolitan without being laughed at, so stick with the traditional drinks like scotch on the rocks and the barkeep will know your name in no time.
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