Which Philly sports bar fits your personality? We rounded them up for Eagles season.
Do you want to hear E-A-G-L-E-S chants? Do you want cheesesteak eggrolls? Or would you rather be drinking an Aperol spritz?
Philly’s favorite time of the year is upon us, in all its beer-drenched, noisy glory.
Though we wish could watch the Birds play at the Linc, tickets cost a pretty penny and, for the casual fan, the earsplitting roars that erupt whenever Carson Wentz makes a pass can be overwhelming.
Luckily, there’s a bar on almost every corner where you can watch the game alongside fellow fans, cheering every touchdown over cold beers and saucy wings.
We’ve organized these sports bars by personality, so you can find the one that’s right for you. Whether you’re looking for a high-energy spot for a watch party or a low-key watering hole with creative bar bites, Philly has it. Happy drinking. Go, Eagles!
THE BRO BAR: Xfinity Live!
1100 Pattison Ave., 267-534-4264, xfinitylive.com
What you’ll get: Hangs with the rowdiest Eagles fans in town. A good beer soaking. A lifetime’s worth of E-A-G-L-E-S chants.
We would be remiss to omit Xfinity Live! from our roundup: It’s the loudest, craziest place to watch an Eagles game (besides perhaps inside the Linc). Once kickoff happens, it fills with ticketless tailgaters. They post up at the bars (there’s one in every corner) and glue their eyes to the innumerable TVs.
“We usually have 8,000 to 10,000 people come through the building on a typical Eagles game day,” says Anthony Dagrosa, the vice president of marketing for Xfinity Live!
Keep in mind: There’s a $10 cover charge and the drinks are closer to New York prices than Philly ones. There are also go-go dancers and a mechanical bull.
“If you want to come and be quiet and sit on your own, this is not the place," Dagrosa says. “I used to work for the Eagles, and this is the only place outside of the stadium where you actually get chills when something happens and everyone screams and cheers.”
THE CHILL BAR: Taproom on 19th
2400 S. 19th St., 267-687-7817, taproomon19th.com
What you’ll get: Relaxed neighborhood-bar vibes, along with a few solid draft specials.
Co-owner Pete Fry describes Tap Room on 19th, with its string lights and worn-in bar stools, as a “typical neighborhood bar but in an atypical neighborhood.”
“On game days, you’ll see people from old South Philly crews drinking Miller Lites to young professionals drinking craft cocktails,” Fry says. “While you’ll hear some of that South Philly attitude, it’s a pretty easygoing crowd.”
On Sundays they show Eagles games with the sound on and offer drink specials, like $4 Neshaminy Creek drafts and $2.50 Miller bottles. And the food — which includes a lobster rolls, patty melts, Impossible burgers, and tempura cauliflower — has a loyal following of its own; look for more specials as the season goes on.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD BAR: Billy Murphy’s Irish Saloon
3335 Conrad St., 215-884-9683
What you’ll get: A relaxed spot with neighborhood folks and newcomers. Also, they’re famous for their “pig wings” — flash-fried pork shank doused in sauce.
Billy Murphy’s flies under the radar with its corner bar vibe, but it’s been around.
“Everyone knows each others’ names,” says manager Mike Murphy, whose parents opened the East Falls bar in 1977. “It’s a mix of blue- and white-collar folks.”
On Sundays, folks come in for the diner-style brunch — with pork roll and scrapple — and hang around till the game starts. Mimosas and Bloody Marys run $5 each. Pig wings go for $2.50 apiece. The crowd soaks it up.
“Every time the Eagles score a touchdown, we play the ‘Fly Eagles Fly’ song,” Murphy says.
THE COCKTAIL BAR: P.J. Clarke’s
601 Walnut St., 215-999-2000, pjclarkes.com
What you’ll get: A posh setting that has TVs and libations for those who refuse to drink Miller Lite.
P.J. Clarke’s looks nothing like a traditional sports bar with its swanky dark wood paneling and red leather barstools, but it quickly won Birds fans over by putting up a sign displaying the final score of Super Bowl LII.
“We get a pretty eclectic group,” says assistant general manager Mike Gillespie. “People travel from other parts of the city, and we attribute that to our bar program."
The bar offers its happy hour specials during games. There’s beer (for $5), of course, but sports fans can also try wines by the glass ($6) and classic cocktails like Palomas and Aperol spritzes for $7. There’s an impressive selection of whiskey and gin, too.
THE DIVE BAR: Locust Rendezvous
1415 Locust St., 215-985-1163, locustrendezvous.com
What you’ll get: A classic Philly dive, where out-of-towners can rub elbows with longtime superstitious Birds fans. Plus: Serious bang for your buck during weekend brunch.
Complete with string lights and a jukebox, this Center City dive is approaching its 30-year anniversary this September. It serves Miller Lite specials on game days, and it’s adding a list of Citywides.
One thing that keeps Eagles fans coming back to Locust Rendezvous is the bar’s dedication to fair prices, according to manager Michele Recupido. “Any deal we get, we pass it on to our customers,” she says.
The Vous boasts one of the most loyal crowds around. “A lot of people come in with their dads, or as a whole family. It’s pretty amazing,” Recupido says. When the Eagles made their Super Bowl run, a group of fans reserved the same table every week to watch the game; it was the only reservation the bar took for Super Bowl LII.
THE CASUAL FOOTBALL BAR: Garage
100 E. Girard Ave. and 1231 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-515-3167 and 215-278-2429, garagephilly.com
What you’ll get: A neighborhood bar where you bring your own food — hello, hoagie trays — and play pool, Skee-Ball, and pinball.
Garage claims the largest selection of canned beers in town. They air Eagles games on 9-feet-wide projection screens. Given the South Philly location’s proximity to Pat’s and Geno’s, it can attract prodigious amounts of Eagles fans.
“Obviously the Super Bowl run was incredible,” says Garage director Justin Coen. “Everyone was going bananas. We were playing the Eagles fight song during commercials and ringing a cowbell every time they scored.”
But even if you don’t care about the game, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
“Say you have a bunch of friends who want to come watch the game, but you don’t care because you’re a Bears fan,” Coen says. “You can still play pool or Skee-Ball and entertain yourself in those ways.”
On Sundays, both locations serve slushie-style drinks like frosé for $8 all day; a food truck comes in during the evening.
THE SERIOUS FOOTBALL BAR: Tavern on Broad
200 S. Broad St., 215-546-2290, tavernonbroad.com
What you’ll get: All the games on all the screens.
If you like to keep an eye on other NFL games while the Eagles play, then Tavern on Broad may be your bar.
“We’re unique because we can play up to five games with sound,” says Neina Langford, director of marketing and special events. “The overall experience of the 2018 playoffs was like having four Mummers Parades back to back to back. But we bleed green, that’s what we are, and nothing takes priority over that.” Every Eagles touchdown gets a chant.
This year, you can score $5 wings, $3 Miller Lites, and bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys for $16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And though the crowd isn’t “as young as some of the other sports bars,” people still have a good time buying shots for each other.
THE FAMILY BAR: Philadium
1631 Packer Ave., 215-271-2337, philadium.com
What you’ll get: A kid-friendly bar full of regulars. (Philadium does not allow customers under 21 inside for Eagles games unless they are with family.)
Philadium opened its doors in 1971, just a few years after the city built Veterans Stadium. Even though the Vet is gone, this institution, its logo sporting Philly’s team colors, is still alive and kicking.
“We’re honestly more of a family establishment than a bar," bartender Steve Masturzo says. “I’ve watched kids who came in here with their dads to eat hoagies and drink Cokes move to the bar as they got older.”
Philadium offers free valet parking on Sunday nights, and when temperatures dip, bartenders light the fire pits outside for maximum coziness.
THE GETAWAY BAR: The Crossbar
2225 Darby Rd., Havertown, 610-449-4200, thecrossbarhavertown.com
What you’ll get: A lively neighborhood bar atmosphere in the heart of Delco.
Though this Delco bar has a straight-ahead pub menu and a solid craft beer list, it’s not exactly the kind of place you’d bring the little ones. And sometimes, a kid-free zone is what you need.
According to co-owner Brendan Cox, this soccer bar fills to capacity for most Eagles home games. There’s not a ton of seats between the bar and the high-top tables, but there’s plenty of standing room. You can expect to see a handful of regulars cheering the Birds on and taking breaks to play a round of darts (if there’s space).
THE CLASSY BAR: Founding Fathers Sports Bar and Grill
1612 South St., 267-519-0253, foundingfathersbar.com
What you’ll get: A more elegant sports-bar — perfect for when date night overlaps with a game.
With dark wood paneling, exposed brick, and marble-topped tables, the feel inside this Graduate Hospital watering hole is a far cry from sticky floors and warm beer.
“We wanted to upgrade the sports bar experience,” says general manager Greg Rotzal. “We get an older, more mature crowd. It’s usually a pretty relaxed environment.”
The bar’s kitchen, helmed by Sam Noh formerly of Rouge, skews more upscale, too, with lamb meatballs in piquillo pepper sauce and roasted shishito peppers with chorizo and lime crema. But there are still game-day staples, such as the nachos, Korean fried wings, and cheesesteak egg rolls.
THE NO-FRILLS BAR: Nick’s Bar and Grille
16 S. 2nd St., 215-928-9411, nicksroastbeefbarandgrille.com
What you’ll get: Conversations with people who have been coming here for years and one of the best roast beef sandwiches in the city — don’t skip the provolone.
A huge fish tank glows from behind the bar at Nick’s Bar and Grille, an Old City bar with a steady stream of regulars amid tourist-friendly spots. They watch on the four screens at the bar and two others in the back with surround sound.
“We get professionals, people from police and fire, neighborhood people and government workers,” owner Joseph Schultice said. “If you come in on a Sunday, mostly everyone knows everybody in here.”
This year, the bar has beer, taco, and sandwich specials. Just don’t use the jukebox during the game.
THE DINER’S BAR: Devil’s Den
1148 S. 11th St., 215-339-0855, devilsdenphilly.com
What you’ll get: A friendly atmosphere with slightly upscale takes on bar food, plus options for vegans and vegetarians. (Don’t miss the duck fries doused in a beer cheese sauce and topped with duck gravy and duck confit.)
This craft beer bar has a fireplace for chilly October evening games, but it also boasts an impressive menu of revisionist bar food, including short rib empanadas with spicy ketchup, confit-style wings, and mussels cooked in beer, shallots, leeks, bacon, and cream.
Many regulars come for brunch and linger until the afternoon game, according to owner Erin Wallace. And if you pop in late, the kitchen is open until 1 a.m.
THE CREW BAR: Splitz Bar and Grill
2825 Route 73 South, Maple Shade, 856-231-8498, laurellanesnj.com
What you’ll get: Plenty of room for your friends, discount beers ($3 Bud bottles, $2.50 Bud Light drafts, and $3 Landshark drafts), and a free buffet of appetizers during halftime.
With room for 125, this Laurel Lanes-adjacent bar has seating and screens everywhere — even over the bowling lanes — so you won’t miss a second of the game. Groups can circle around TVs indoors and out, and nosh on the free wings and fries served at halftime.
“Generally, it’s a pretty relaxed and chill atmosphere, but it depends on how the Eagles are doing,” marketing manager Brandi Cuffari says.