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Categories: American (New), Pubs [Edit]
Neighborhood: Germantown
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No doubt my experience here was colored by the fact that my favorite football team (Denver Broncos) bested the Dallas Cowboys in a nail biter on a recent Sunday afternoon. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, I am giving this place a solid 4 stars.
The burger was hand formed, the beers (something like 15 on tap) were all crafty and delicious, and the regulars were all friendly despite the obnoxious banter spewed back and forth between me and my friend, a Dallas fan. The experience was made all the better when my friend's photo was taken by the bartender for the "wall of shame."
As I staggered out grinning ear to ear, I was reminded to return with this little nugget from the bartender: "Come back anytime except this December 27th when Denver plays the Eagles."
Good times!
Once in a very bad snow storm, we decided to walk to McMenamin's for dinner. Roads were closed, cars were snowed into their parking spots and the city was silent. We pulled on our snow boots and hiked a couple of blocks to our favorite spot. As we walked we laughed about how smart we thought we were and how we'd be the only ones in the pub. As soon as we entered the front door we realized that we were wrong. The tavern was warm and full of happy locals that had the same idea. What a great winter night!
I moved to the Northwest last year and every time I plan a trip back east McMenamin's is included! I LOVE McMENAMINS!!!!! The food is reliably good and the staff are always friendly!
There is certainly a lack of places in Mt Airy to get your drink on and then you come across McMenamins and you realize its just another disappointment.
They have decent beer on tap and a good amount of bottles to choose from. The menu is ok for bar food, but I suggest you don't stray too far from the norm...I tried something once from the specials menu and it was gross.....it was labeled as spiced apples over a pork loin....it was apples spiced with chili powder over a fatty piece of pork....so gross....
What I hate most about this place is the staff....everyone is always so rude....and it wasn't just once....its everytime.....there are tables in the back, but you can't sit there unless you get food....even if you do get food, they still rush your meal because this place is so small....
Forget finding a seat on a friday or saturday night.....
I tried so many times when I first moved to Mt Airy to like this place, but I don't think its in the cards for me.....
This is not a typical local watering hole, and without McMenimin's up the street from us, my husband and I would probably be able to go a day without beer. But it has truly brought out the beer snob in the both of us. Their beer selection is not huge, but it's always creative and changing. Waiters are always genuinely knowledgeable about the beer selection and are happy to make a recommendation based on what you are craving that particular day, or give you a small sample if you are still up in the air. Just don't go in here and order a Miller light-it's a waste of good resources and it truly doesn't matter if you have no knowledge of beer. Just order something you haven't heard off of the chalkboard, and you're sure to be happy. And if not, oh well-it's only $5, right? Not exactly breaking the bank for trying something new.
The standard bar fare is great-burgers are enormous, flavorful, and cooked to order. The wings are some of the best in the city, and the fish and chips are awesome. Their dinner specials are usually pretty good, too, which is surprising at a bar.
Wait staff is great, and they know the regulars. This isn't the type of place that the staff turnover is high, thus, service is consistent and dependable.
This place is a local staple, and it's truly worth the 15 minute trip from center city to check it out.
This is one of my favorite places to go in Philly! The staff make it a pleasurable experience every time. Outstanding food- and a bigger than usual menu for a bar! For beer lovers, this is the place to go. I can't think of another bar that rivals McMenamin's in quanity, quality and variety. They even keep Miller Lite bottles In stock for the rookies.
I used to work in Chestnut Hill and this was our go-to spot after work. Even though I'm no longer in the area, I will still go when I can. A great place for friends, family, or even a casual fun date.
This part of Germantown Ave. looks amazing and I strongly recommend you check it out! I guarentee you will fall in love with McMenamin's like I have.
I really need to go back here and try something else on the menu. I heard the fish and chips are good. I had the hummus platter cause I already ate. I wasn't a big fan of the platter. I think I was expecting a platter similar to what I had at this other place (darn, can't recall the name).
It came with veggies and a plate of pita (which I thought would be warm but twasn't).
The meal we ordered came out pretty quick so that's not bad. They also had my lambic beer which is always a plus.
I def think it's a cool place considering where it's located. At least now I know I don't have to trek to the city to get a beer. Not sure what will prompt me to go back tho but I'm sure something will come up.
It's hard for me to know how to review this restaurant/tavern, which is a neighborhood gathering place. The bar is lively, and the restaurant is almost almost always full. There's no decor--formica tables, servicable chairs. The menu has traditional pub favorites (try the hot wings!), but it also has more creative additions. It's the service I struggle with. The servers act like they're doing you a huge favor to even seat you, and their attitude is really off-putting.
The definitive neighborhood melting pot bar - the bartenders know their beer, and they always have great stuff on tap. I hear the food is ok, but I've never eaten a thing there - it does leave a vague scent of old ketchup in the air for us latenighters, unfortunately. For drinks, though, it's a good place - it's always crowded, but I still have always found a table, and usually leave quite drunk and about $30 lighter - I just wish there was a night or two that they didn't have mediocre 90s FM Rock blaring overtop of whatever sporting event is going on, as I'm not remotely interested in either. How about some Hank Williams or some Tom Waits?
I came here on my first night in the neighborhood, and was given a free "welcome to the neighborhood" beer. Who can argue with that?
The preceding reviews are correct: what you'll notice first about this place is the diversity of the patrons. In age, gender, race, class, sexual orientation, all in all It's a place where I imagine most anyone would feel welcome.
The beer selection is quite large, and they'll give you samples of the beers until you find one that you like. The food does go above and beyond the traditional bar menu. Yes, there are burgers, fries, and delicious wings. But there are also large, fresh salads, soups, and entrees that are quite sophisticated for such a non-pretentious laid back little place such as McMenamin's.
It's a great place to go for a beer and some conversation, to watch a game, or to have dinner. So glad it's in my neighborhood.
Minus one star because one waiter in particular can be extremely unpleasant. But I can't let one dude ruin the place for me.
The beer selection is really good, and I like the diversity of the crowd. (Old / Young, Black / White, Male / Female, Hipster / Normal). But the food is definitely NOT worth raving about. We've been there probably 5 or 6 times and each time leave wondering why we ate there. It's not terrible, just not great either.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!
The food is always great, with quick and friendly service. My personal favorites are the buffalo wings, and their burgers. They have a great bar and beer selection as well. There is always a chalkboard list of new stuff that is on tap as well as old favorites. There is also carry out service (food & beer). I have never been dissappointed by this bar. Great place to watch sports...particularly the Eagles. There are plenty of flat screen tvs so you never miss a play!
I also have to remark on the amazing diversity of the patrons of this local mt. airy pub. There are always plenty of people there, and the variety of people is enough to make anyone feel comfortable!!
Love it....Love it....Love it!
I come to this local bar at least once a week, usually two or three times.
They have great beers, consistently good food...(salads are great and fresh, their nightly entrees are always good too., they go above the traditional bar menu. They have veggie burgers and great clams.)
I have searched and searched and have never found a better gin & tonic.... by far none have compared to McMenamin's. Cheap and amazing.
The crowd here is very diverse... everybody is welcome and everybody knows it!!! Young, old, black, white, hipster, frat boy, businessman... you will find it all. When I bring people here who don't live in the neighborhood, the diversity is the first thing that they notice.
Service can be a little slow.... but this is a place that you'll want to stay a while.
I didn't think I was cool enough to go into this bar. You know, the local watering hole but being located in the heart of Mt. Airy, that takes on a different meaning. The crowd is such a mix of people- locals, hippies, yuppies, black, white, asian, poor, wealthy, young 20's, college kids, families, gray hair, pink hair. It's a bit intimitating in a way. It's just so "cool".
The beer choices along with the tv's are plenty. The food is strong
and surprisingly good. There are several vegetarian choices, including portobello burgers and veggie burgers. Soups, entrees. salad are huge, french fries are really cripsy ( my favorite). We met friends there once for lunch and watched while one of our friends had a pulled pork sandwich. I know very little about pork except that it's from a pig but it was a huge sandwich and he ate every little bit. Then he licked his fingers. i guess that means it was good.
Some of the best bbq and hot wings I've ever had. It's a neat little place with a warm friendly atmosphere good to watch a game and drink a good beer with some friends or even good to go with the family. Highly recommend for anyone new to the area.
This place is AMAZING! Great food, great atmosphere, great beer, great staff... it's just an awesome place to be. And you can always find a diverse, chill, interesting, cool group of people hanging out in there as well, which I love. I go here often, can't get enough!
The last time that we went there was the LAST time that we will go there!
It was our first night out after the baby was born, and all I wanted a burger and a beer. We had been there before with another couple and had a great time hangin outside on the patio shooting the shit last summer. But this time we walked up to the bar on a Saturday night and tried to sit down. The young "cool" bartender was quick to tell us that we couldn't sit there because that seat was saved. So, the gentleman next to us said "oh, sit here- I am leaving"... so we did. So we waited. And we waited. About 10 minutes later this girl walks in from outside and sits in the"saved" seat. The bartender who wouldn't even make eye contact with us- rushed over immediately to his gal pal to take her order.
We were so disgusted that we got up and left. I don't know if it was post partum hormones, but I was in tears. Screw you cool guy- I hope you get crabs!
I know 5 stars are a tall order for a local pub, but as local pubs go, this is the spot. I don't know why other reviewers viewed a diverse and varied pool of patrons as intimidating; I felt exactly the opposite, I felt at ease. I'd feel way more uncomfortable in a pub full of rowdy, yelling, red-faced college frat dudes than in a place where old, young, gay, straight, blue collar, rich, families, singles, black, white, and many more come together to eat, socialize, watch a ball game, or just chew the fat at the bar.
Every time I visit, I see regulars who all seem to enjoy each other's company. I also see people who are new to the place. On a busy night, there can be a wait for a table, and you have to get there a little early for a seat if the Eagles are playing, but the service is generally speedy and friendly. Yes, there are times when you may have to wait several minutes, or wave your hand to get service from the bar, but that's because the place is PACKED very often with only one or two people filling orders for the bar area, the diners at tables, and those sitting on the patio. Have patience and be friendly...you might just meet your new favorite bartender.
By the way, I can't ignore the food. Sure, there's the standard bar food (burgers, amazing fries, chicken fingers, fish and chips), but they also have really good salads, soups, appetizers, and entrees that can keep up with any other restaurant on Germantown Avenue. The beer selection is great, and they make good cocktails. You can even buy six packs of every-day beer and fancy imports to go. It's definitely worth a try. If you're looking for a quiet corner for a date or for reading there, come in the afternoons...or on a day/evening when the Phillies or the Eagles aren't playing.
For the most part the service is great, however there is one bartender (I believe his name is Joel) who should be avoided at all costs. He is condescending to customers, and will completely ignore some while paying attention to others. He ruins an otherwise great experience. I have heard many other customers complain about him as well, some of whom have not returned because of the experience of being waited on by him.
The other bartenders and staff are wonderful, and the food and beer selection is exquisite. Just get rid of Joel and I would give it 5 stars!
A Mt. Airy institution to be sure, but the place is crowded every night of the week and every time I walk in there is another TV. The mixed-race, mixed-age clientele is a plus, and a relic of the days when only place to eat or drink on this stretch of the avenue. McMenamins will always have a place in my heart, but not if I can't get a table on a Tuesday. Stick with the burgers, fish and chips, and wings (all among the best around), but generally, skip the specials unless somebody at the next table has one and you can ask how they like it. Which is how it is in Mt. Airy.
This place is generally pretty awesome. It has really excellent pub food, made by a friendly chef named Larry. The chicken tenders are actually chicken breasts beer battered and fried to order, not your frozen run of the mill tenders. And they have won lots of awards for their chicken wings. This is one of those scenes where at dinner time, sometimes there are kids in there, and then it can get crazy later at night, fully functioning as both as restaurant and a bar for the neighborhood. It is a true Mt. Airy style bar in that the crowd is always diverse and people are pretty friendly.
Mixed drinks are always strong, fantastic beer selection, including I think around 13 beers on tap at all times. And they don't carry any Anheiser Busch products.
For Eagles games, it gets totally packed and totally nuts and they play the good commentators on the radio instead of having to listen to the TV commentators. Oh, and they cue the fully orchestrated version of the Eagles fight song after a touchdown and the whole bar sings along.
I got tired of this place because there used to be almost nowhere else to go for good reasonably priced food, so we were almost forced to go there all the time. But now, lots of new stuff has sprung up on this strip of the ave. The only real negative was that once you were a regular, sometimes you got ignored waiting for a drink when it was busy in favor of the less frequently attending 'adults.' I think I went there too much when I lived in Philly for me to want to go back now, but for others, it should be a place definitely worth going to .
Yes big fan of this place, live in the neighborhood can walk there but use the car. I agree with most of what everyone else has to say. You are welcome, big beer selection, great to watch local sport. It is a big NUTHOUSE when eagle games are on, so be aware of that. It is alot of fun to watch the nuts when eagles are playing making it overall fun. The food is good too. It's even better now that people can not smoke, use to be too smokie for me!
I actually went to this place based on the other review, and I agree with almost everything Lizzy A. wrote. I totally tried the chicken tenders platter and WOW! Seriously the best you'll ever have in your life. Fish and chips were also similarly yum and included their crazy beer-battered fries.
Most importantly for many of us, our waiter was really knowledgeable about the beers they had on tap. I told him I was hoping for some sort of mild-ish IPA and brought me a beer I thoroughly enjoyed.
Also important, this place hasn't been completely gentrified like NXNW across the street. It still has a cool everybody who comes here lives in this neighborhood vibe and the faces of people in there reflect that.
One guy even called out my boyfriend for "trying to steal" my bike lamp one night, which makes me like the place even more.
one of the best bars in Northwest Philadelphia--always great service even when they are crowded, as they invariably are on weekends. It is worth the wait; I have never had a bad time here. Food is great; the selection of beers diverse, the drinks first-rate. I can't get here often, but every time I go I always have a great time. Highly recommended.
i always feel welcome here and am able to find a table, even on a saturday night. the beer selection has something for everyone, the food is consistently good, as is service. i found the burgers to be overcooked, but i am terribly picky in that department - most people will find them delicious. single ladies, from what i've noticed the ratio here is in your favor!
Great, fresh food, wonderful neighborhood vibe, and now that PHL is non smoking it's a delightful, casual place to go for dinner.
I love this bar. No, seriously, this is one of my favorite bars in Philly. The only downside: it's freakin' far away! I only get to come here in the spring and fall, when I'm playing ultimate frisbee in a pada league and happen to play on a field that's nearby. If we haven't managed to be raped and pillaged by the end of our game, there is no better place to retreat to than McMenamin's. It's one of the few places around where you can really walk in wearing anything (including league t-shrits) and not stand out. There is almost always a table waiting for you (granted, I've only been on weeknights), and the food and beer is amazing. They have, by far, one of the best on tap lists in the city, and they rotate their brews pretty frequently. I'm a big fan of Beamish, and I'm never disappointed! The food is also great, in a really chill way, just don't ask for a salad instead of chips with your sandwich, because you'll pay for it.... Yeah, the service may be a little lax, but it's not their fault that there is only one bartender/waiter/cook at a time (well, I guess it could be, but I just assume someone is out sick)... All in all, if you want to be ignored while you eat good food and drink good beer, this is totally the place.
Lafayette Hill, PA
Category: American (Traditional)
Lafayette Hill, PA
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Chestnut Hill
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Germantown
Category: Southern
Neighborhood: Germantown
Category: Restaurants
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