Finn McCool’s Ale House

Horrible. Entrees did not match the menu. Everything was greasy and cold. Except the beer. That was warm. Please don’t support this s#*thole. Service equaled the food.

On vacation from Ky and popped in to try their Philly cheesesteak. It was exquisite, they best we had on our entire trip!

Horrible establishment. The bartender yelled at my friend to «stand up» while checking his id. He said he didn’t look 5’7 then proceeded to ask for a credit card to verify his identity. I saw him kick out a black woman for no reason. The bartender Steve seemed to be racist and homophobic. The owner (older guy, grey hair) then tried to choke my friend. I have this all on video as well. This place sucks. You can get cheaper drinks, better service and more space at so many other bars– this one isn’t worth it. I will never return and I will tell all of my friends not to either. I don’t like to make accusations but something isn’t right with the bartender Shawn.

Me and a buddy were just looking for a place to drink and chill. This place provided great service and a relaxed atmosphere. It was so laid back we went again the next day. Needless to say I would highly recommend going to this place.

Ok place in the «Gayborhood» of downtown, with an ok beer selection, and ok to good food selection. I tried their wings, which were pretty good, average to slightly above average wings. They do have most of the other standard bar fare. Prices are downtown prices. By the name you’d think this was an «Irish bar», but there isn’t really much if anything, stereotypically Irish about it. Maybe I’ll try the fish and chips next time. Maybe I won’t.

Fun great bar! Bartenders are great and the music is good! Also Check in gives you a free shot.

Best bartender I’ve had in many years. Came here just walking past. Kyle was amazing! Check this place out and ask for Kyle.

My fiancé and I had just gotten engaged on Saturday night, and he had our family and friends waiting for us upstairs at Finn McCool’s to celebrate afterwards. It all started out great! The bartender and the service was awesome, and there was plenty of room for our party of 40 or so.
Throughout the night, a few of us had asked the DJ to play some Irish music. It was the day before the St. Patrick’s Day parade and Finn McCool’s is an Irish bar so we didn’t think it would be a problem. It was. The DJ said he had played a few Irish songs and no one was dancing. After a little bit of back and forth about it, my fiancé and I chose to walk away from the situation. The DJ then followed him and continued to get in his face. At that point, we decided it would be best for us all to leave.
I feel bad for the servers and the bartender who were great, but this guy was completely unprofessional. I will never go here again.

Stopped in for a drink after dinner and bar hopping — checked in and got our free Washington Apple shots — delicious and ice cold– well done! Had a beer and a gimlet up. Only complaint was my gimlet wasn’t even shaken and I like mine cold. Otherwise a pretty cool spot

Altogether, my whole family enjoyed it very much. The fries were great, and the service was excellent. Both floors are well maintained, and the music was interesting.

Great cocktails, great bartenders!

We stumbled across this place after our original plans fell through. For a bar, the food was way better than expected. The fact that they have a kale salad– made my night. Paired with a glass of cab (which wasn’t bad for a sports bar either) it was perfect. Came here on a Friday night after work so we were pretty tired. The atmosphere would have been just my style had I not had to get up at 3am the next morning. We also got a hamburger (I think it we the basic one?) added avocado– it was delish. Exactly what I wanted after a long work day.

Not a good day for Finn McCool’s. I placed an order two dinners to go. The first one up too bat was the fish and chips we had to reheat it in the oven when we arrived home since it was all soggy.(Hard to believe when you only live three blocks away.) Hence using Styrofoam to go containers for items like this isn’t the best choice.
The second item was a grilled steak salad. Now I know what you’re thinking this actually sounds pretty good, but beware! When you open the container you are immediately presented with something that Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue would have a field day with. (Pictures will be included at the end of this review so you can develop your own opinion.) The steak was supposed to be medium rare but instead it was something you would expect back in grade school when classmates would tell you ”don’t eat the schools meat on Wednesdays” It was literally all shaved fat trimmings from a Ribeye steak. I’m not sure my dog would even take a gander at it. Moving on…
I Immediately called Finn McCool’s back to say help! My salad is really messed up I believe I spoke with the Manager and he was very friendly and asked if I would like a new one or a different item. After that horror show, I opted for a different item. The second choice was a Grilled Chicken Sandwich, I was thinking well, let’s stick to something safe. When I arrived home with the second replacement meal I was anxious to open this meal up and eat it. The end result is the only thing salvageable was the French fries, there was so much aioli on this chicken sandwich they must of overstocked with Ken’s dressing.
I do not think I will be returning. future patrons, returning customers… stick with a cocktail and hope the bartenders do a better job than the kitchen does.
–Respectfully Submitted,
–Scott,
Philadelphia Resident.

So, there’s not a whole lot to say about Finn McCool’s other than it’s «ok» in most aspects. It’s a great location, doesn’t get overly crowded, has a lot of tvs for sports watching, and the draft list is decent. My biggest complaint is the draft pours. They were consistently 2oz short on every beer, which drives me crazy at $ 6 – 7 a draft.

Ok, we are from out of town and just happy to find something open after 10 on a Sunday night, but I do not consider this a dive bar. It was very clean, nicely furnished and the bar is granite. Though we arrived after the kitchen closed, the menu looked better than average for a bar. The waiter was friendly and the patrons were happy.

Finn McCool’s is a dive but the servers and bartenders were very friendly when I was there last Friday night for Philly Beer Week. They had a great selection of California beers on tap for Beer Week, in addition to approximately 10 beers that they had on tap normally.
My friend’s shared a small deviled egg appetizer, that they were both surprisingly pleased with. We honestly weren’t expecting much from the food at Finn McCool’s. I did not partake in any food while we were there, so I can’t comment any further on that.
If you are just looking for a chill place, that isn’t very crowded, Finn McCool’s might be your new spot. Otherwise, keep walking, there are plenty of other bars around of an equal or superior level.

I don’t understand the low rating. I’m my experience, this place was great! I stopped in alone on a Monday night for a beer and a French Dip. The bearded, adorable bartender was super attentive and sweet. He told me all the specials and offered to let me sample the draft before I committed. He made nice conversation and made me feel welcome. Generally, going somewhere alone is awkward… It was not here. The place isn’t very big but the service will keep me coming back.

Went here on an early Saturday afternoon as a part of a bar crawl.
Not crowded– upstairs bar was really cool. We did not order food– they had $ 6 bar snacks though so that seemed like a decent price.
Their specials was kind of basic– light beer, regular beer. No well drinks or anything on special. Atmosphere was nice– music was at a nice level. It was a nice day– the upstairs had a big window that was open to view the street below.

Located in the corner of 12^th and Sansom, it was convenient for an evening stop near our hotel.
This place was quite busy with happy customers all around. Luckily we were able to find a table. Even with a crowd, our waitress gave us great service with a smile. She frequently checked on us!
I decided to try their Cheesesteak of course. I was in Philly after all. The meat was chopped and packed into the hoagie roll. It was filled with flavor and delicious. We also spilt the nachos for an appetizer. Huge! They were good. It was not to long after receiving the nachos that our sandwiches came out. There was no way to finish everything. But I did enjoy my meal.
With great service and good food, I was happy about our choice to stop in this pub.

I have a memory of being in this place about twenty years ago, and it looking very different back then. I don’t remember if it was McCool’s or another name, but for sure it was a much darker and dingier dive in those days. Today, there are large windows along the back wall letting in some light, and the bar has been moved to the inner wall to permit that to happen. The place still has that old pub feel, all dark woods and lots of draft beer handles and liquor bottles on the back bar shelves.
Yes. Plenty of choices, and a decent menu, too. When I stopped in around 1 for lunch before a meeting a few blocks away, there was only one other guy at the bar, and one table occupied. Those people were gone before I finished, leaving me to have a good conversation with Heather, the bartender. This is one of the benefits of late lunches. Miss the happy hour, but befriend the bartenders, and ask lots of questions.
Very cool that she has been there 13 years, joining the crew shortly after the old place was purchased by the current owners who made all the structure changes seen today. Turns out the hosts are Greek and do a very good take on the tavern comfort foods coming out of the basement kitchen. I’m told the new dumbwaiter was installed fairly recently, saving a load of stair climbing to serve customers.
I had a Summer Love draft and the house Macaroni and Cheese for a light meal. The former was cool, mildly complex and easy going down, and the later, hot, cheesy and served in the same crockery as the French Onion Soup. Although an app, it filled me amply, and left room for a coffee stop on my way to the meeting on Market St.
I was very happy with my short sojourn at McCool’s. In its quiet unassuming way, it is a nice haven from the street hustle, and in a similar vein, a pleasant alternative to the louder vanity stops that abound in Center City.
The reincarnation has gone very well.