McGillin’s Olde Ale House – Philadelphia, PA
We decided to stop into McGillin’s on our way to the Jersey Shore based on seeing the Place on Drinking Made Easy. Their 1860 IPA is produced by Stoudt’s so…of course it was on our must-do list. Jason was a bit concerned about going into center city Philly since parking can be rough – but right next to the door of the bar was an elevator parking garage. We had never seen one before, but it was awesome! No one touching the car, no one parking aside of you…a great start to the day!
The bar is old. One of the original spots in Philly, so there is quite a bit of history. Since we were stopping by just after 11am on a Friday morning, we opened the door and got a huge surprise. The place was packed! Barely a seat at the table yet alone the bar. We sat at a small ledge along the back of the bar and were worried about getting a beer and food. The bartender came out, got us drinks and menus and within 10 minutes or so found and held spots at the bar for us. Perfect! Not a huge beer selection, but that’s not what this place is about. The history and uniqueness of the place gives you plenty to do. Slow down and take it in; the hanging signs, pennants, bell ringing arm and the crowd. We thought it might just be a lunch crowd, but we were there for about 90 minutes and it was still packed.
The atmosphere is awesome, the service was great, and we even spoke with (We think) the owners son. He (Chris jr.?) was the guy you saw on Drinking Made Easy with Zane – and a really nice guy. Was very friendly, stopping to talk with us when the place was really busy – and asked us to say hi to Stoudt’s for him. Oh, the food was really good and very reasonably priced!
This is one you need to stop and see – not even for the beer alone, but everything about it!
GizMog Rating:
