McGillin's Olde Ale House

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Gourmet Magazine

McGillin's Named one of 14 Coolest Bars in the U.S.

October 2008

Gourmet magazine named McGillin's one of the 14 Coolest Bars in the U.S. The editors note that McGillin's "has plenty of old-time character" and describes McGillin's as "lively, sometimes raucous."

McGillin’s is one of the oldest bars mentioned in the article “On the Rocks of Ages,” which appears in the October 2008 issue of Gourmet. In the article, the Gourmet editors wrote, “It’s all about how the place makes you feel. Tastes change. Trends pop and then fizzle. But only a bar with real soul can flourish for more than 6 decades.”

(NOTE: McGillin’s has flourished for more than twice that long. McGillin’s opened its doors in 1860, the year Abe Lincoln was elected president of the United States. McGillin’s has outlasted the Civil War, Strawbridge’s and even Prohibition. How cool is that!?!)

McGillin's Named one of Top 100 Nightclubs & Bars

in U.S. for 2nd Year!

by Editors of Nightclub & Bar Magazine

McGillin's was named one of the top 100 Nightclubs and Bars in the U.S. in 2008 - for the second consecutive year!

"Nightclubs and bars from all over the U.S. were chosen based on a number of criteria, including annual revenues, marketing and advertising effectiveness, promotional expertise, uniqueness to market, food and beverage programs and much more. This list...is a dynamic mixture of clubs, neighborhood bars, sports bars, family-oriented venues, and more, that for one reason or another deserve notice."

McGillin's was one of only two Philadelphia bars chosen by Oxford Publishing Inc., publisher of national trade magazine Nightclub & Bar. Click here for the complete list.

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McGillin's 150th Anniversary Party on 6/6/10

Blog postings & photos from McGillin's 150th Anniversary party on Facebook! More at: thepubscount.com, phillychitchat, Phillymag.com & aroundphilly.com!

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Home-made Comfort Food

NBC TV-10

Watch Chris Mullins, owner, McGillin's, prepare Lamb Sausage simmered in Irish beer and drizzled with Fresh Mint sauce with Colcannon & Caramelized Onions on the 10! show on NBC-TV.

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Restaurant Recession

CBS TV-3

KYW-TV reports that some restaurants are lowering prices during the recession. Not McGillin’s. Our prices have ALWAYS been low -- 6 oz. sirloin steak for $5. Two tacos for $1. Jumbo wings for 25¢ each. We’ve been serving good food at reasonable prices for almost 150 years.

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America's Most Authentic Irish Pubs

McGillin's named one of "America's Most Authentic Irish Pubs"

by MSN City Guides.

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Best Irish Bar in Philadelphia

McGillin’s voted “Best Irish Bar in Philadelphia” on AOL CityGuide.

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Best Hookup Spots in Philadelphia

McGillin's voted one of the Best Hookup Spots in Philadelphia by CityGuide.

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McGillin's named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in Philadelphia

by www.WheretheLocalsEat.com.

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Best Karaoke

For the second year in a row, Philadelphia Style magazine has named McGillin’s karaoke the best in the city. Thanks for your voting us your favorite place to be a star! Our new sound system will make you sound better than ever!

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Philadelphia Daily News

Video of Neon Artist Len Davidson talking about vintage neon signs - including the cool neon sign at McGillin's Olde Ale House.

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"With the homemade food, the plentiful drink and the warm, friendly atmosphere, it's difficult to pinpoint a singular feature that has drawn customers to this Philadelphia institution for almost 150 years. Surely, the luck of the Irish hasn't hurt!" -- Solutions at Home magazine

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McGillin’s Olde Ale House, Philadelphia’s oldest continuously operating tavern, has been covered by newspapers from the Los Angeles Times to the Washington Post, and from the Boston Globe to the Shang Hai Daily in China.

A recent Associated Press story about the tavern's 150th anniversary ran in the New York Times, USA Today, Huffington Post, Forbes.com and more than 50 local newspapers and TV station websites.

Nightclub and Bar Magazine, Ale Street News and TV Food Network’s Rachael Ray have all covered the historic tavern. Here’s what they’re saying:

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Where Traditional Meets Modern

Oldest tavern in town whips up camaraderie with suds, food & sports

"In with the old, in with the new: McGillin's honors tradition while catering to modern tastes...(Owner Chris) Mullins will continue doing what he does best: Everything!" -- Philadelphia Business Journal

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Philly's Top 50 Bars

"No list of Philly bars would be complete without showing some love for McGillin's...We'd say this ain't your grandma's bar, but it actually could've been." -- Philadelphia Weekly

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"Everyone feels right at home over beers, wings and other

standard but good pub grub in the friendliest joint this side of

the Atlantic - no wonder it's the favorite bar in all of Philly for

so many." - Zagat

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"There are certain pubs that are "must visits" for anyone

who fancies himself a beer nut. The Brick in DC and McSorley's

in NYC are two of them. Not ever having visited McGillin's

Olde Ale House, therefore left a rather gaping hole in my

beer resume. That hole is now filled and satisfyingly so...

Established in 1860 and tucked away in a back alley called

Drury St., McGillin's has all the qualities of a pub that I

find alluring: character, history, a friendly staff, out-

standing and reasonably priced pub-grub, and, of course,

great beer." -- Kurt Epps, the PubScout

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“No matter how many times you’ve been (to McGillin’s), there is still an off-the-beaten-path sense of discovery about McGillin’s, especially now, when the façade of the pub is outfitted for the season, looking like a big shiny gift just waiting to be opened.” – City Paper

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“It’s an impressive sight, to say the least. Chris and Mary Ellen Mullins take great care in restoring much of the historical character. After 145 years the barroom with the high ceilings, exposed beams, columns and a beautiful bar, the place always has a crowd and a welcoming staff... I would be remiss if I did not make note of the friendly feeling this place exudes. They have the big screens all around, families are welcomed and there’s history everywhere you look.” – Bristol Pilot

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“Like any good oasis, you won’t find it by accident. You have to know it’s there. But those who’ve discovered this charming watering hole sitting proudly in the midst of a bustling patch of Center City return again and again and claim it as their own.” – Montgomery Newspapers

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"New York has McSorely’s with its old chicken bones, Boston goes to Jake Wirth’s to gnaw on pig’s knuckles, but lucky Philadelphia has the spacious, gracious, and beerily welcoming McGillin’s Old Ale House. McGillin's sits at 1310 Drury Lane, where it has been since 1860. Old Mr. McGillin started with a small place back in 1860, which eventually grew to encompass the oyster house next door, the back alley/washroom, and the house where he and Mrs. McGillin had raised their 13 children.

Busy guy, busy tavern. McGillin’s is an imposing edifice, with a classical brick and pillar front. McGillin brought his cousin over from England to design the bar, and it has the feel of a classic pub. There are tall windows, a high ceiling over a large square barroom dominated by four big columns, and an interesting red tile floor.

Present owner Chris Mullins says the floor dates from the turn of the century. "McGillin’s was tired of replacing wooden floors from all the traffic, particularly the wear from laborer’s boots. He saw these tile floors in the butcher shops, and he got one put in the bar. Never had to replace it since.

Mullins has been busily restoring the Ale House’s historical character. Once hung with disco balls and covered with paneling, the bar now shows an honest, clean face of wood, plaster, and tile. The walls are decorated with period brewerania, old musical instruments, and, over the bar, a display of the unbroken string of Pennsylvania tavern licenses. It’s an impressive sight, even in this conservative city which dotes on tradition.

You’ll also find the bar’s original sign over the bar: a beautiful, old, carved wooden arm holding a bell. McGillin named the bar Bell in Hand, but everyone always said, "I’m going to see Pa McGillin," so he finally gave in and renamed the place as the public willed.

The public gets what they want today as well: reasonably priced pub-grub food and a good selection of reasonably priced beer.

"We are very popular with the Irish. On St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s day(McGillin’s is near the route of Philly’s famed Mummer’s Parade) we’ll serve over 3,000 people. They line up for over a block," said Mullins.

McGillin’s is a busy place and the bustle never stops. The customer is never rushed, and the service is always friendly. This is a relaxed oasis tucked away in a quiet alley in the middle of one of the busiest parts of Philadelphia.

Just a block and a half from the Samuel Adams Brewhouse over on Samson Street, McGillin’s Old Ale House is another excellent reason to visit downtown Philly." – By Lew Bryson, Ale Street News.