Front Street Dive

This place is definitely a diamond in the rough. Coming into Philly for Made in America, we had no idea what to expect in terms of nightlife. So we took to our trusty Unilocal apps to figure out where the place to be was and came across this general area. After about an hour of wandering around and seeing only a) high covers, b) expensive drinks, and c) bad music being blasted from overcrowded semi-​clubs, we were just about to call it a night when I realized we were near this gem.
We ended up walking right past it with our noses in our phones, but the owner (who strategically was hanging out on the sidewalk out front) asked us where we were looking for and sent us up the steep flight of stairs with a smile and promise that her bartender would hook us up. After the stairs — which, granted, may be slightly tricky if you’re a tad intoxicated — we were greeted warmly by a cozy bar/​club with amazing music playing and very few people.
We headed up to the bar and befriended the bartender (I want to say her name was Ciara… she was great, give her a raise!) who hooked us up with awesome drinks. We ended up staying here awhile, if only because it wasn’t too crowded and the staff was so friendly! No cover, reasonably priced drinks, and awesome service?! It’s everything you could want in a bar.
After we headed downstairs, we ran into the owner again who we spent a good half hour with ranting and raving about the music selection and the quality of her bar. She was by far one of the most down to earth and nicest business owners I’ve encountered and I hope only good things come this place — I know I’ll be back the next time I’m in Philly!

We love this place. Kitchy in all the right ways. They only do cans of beer but they do good beer — none of this «we only have Stella» crap. They rotate the beer options seasonally too so there’s always something new. And then there’s the coffee and chocolate infused tequila. WHaaaatt? Yes, I know. And I don’t even LIKE tequila. The bartenders are hilarious and if I want to get a little messy on the dance floor, they fully support me. Also some strangely great artwork all of the place. A tiger in a James Bond outfit carrying the champagne of beers. Awesome music and nerd culture references on the bathroom mural. It’s the perfect place to let my hair down and dance my butt off. Thank you guys for always taking good care of me and my crew. xoxo

Had a fantastic night here! Music is amazing, drinks are cheap but absolutely delicious and I’ve never danced so hard in my life.

If you don’t do karaōke on Saturdays, you should clearly answer potential patrons before enticing them to purchase drinks before informing them karaōke only occurs Thursdays.

This jawn was so cool! It’s a cozy little joint situated above a larger bar, so I feel bad like people may not know it’s there, and they should! I came out for karaōke and met the owner/​bartender, who basically was the best from the start. The drinks have great prices, and the tacos are bangin’; like, they’re just what you need for a night out, and dirt cheap at $ 2! The crowd was hip, and like packed but not so tight you couldn’t breathe.
I’ma be coming back to this place on a weekly basis!

Best karaōke in Philly! Sick crowd, seriously! Bartender with the knuckle tattoos is the best!

I almost don’t want to write a review of this place because I don’t want it to lose the awesomeness it currently has. Great prices, super fun karaōke, and awesome staff/​ownership. It’s a randomly chill ass spot in the shitshow that is Old City on the weekends.

This is by far the best new spot in town, and THE place to be on a Thursday night! Right above Victoria Freehouse, this dive has a completely different (but still cozy and fun) feel. You’ll love the lights, the music, and the happy hour for sure. Karaōke on Thursday starts between 9:30 and 10pm. For now — perhaps because it’s summer, perhaps because it’s a new venue — it draws a really fantastic hostel crowd. You know who I’m talking about: young, fun, upbeat kids on vacation who don’t take themselves seriously and just want to have a good time with you. You don’t have to wait for years for your turn to sing, and no one is judging your voice because they’re too busy dancing.
Although it’s hard to beat $ 2 tacos and $ 3 Jameson, something I love even more is the hallway with the selfie wall on the left and the chalkboard on the right. Tag yourself in photos taken in funky mirrors (hello, new profile pic!) and then draw a silly picture on the chalkboard. The chalkboard is such a fun way to interact with your fellow patrons! What a stroke of brilliance on the owner’s part.
Speaking of the owner, she is sweet, funny, and warm. The place gets busy on Thursdays with all the karaōke stars, but I still didn’t have to wait for a drink all night, and she even got engaged in peoples’ performances. She cares about her patrons and clearly wants them to have a good time because she takes pride in her work and her business, not just because she wants their money. There really is that Cheers vibe going on. I felt like I could dance and let loose and be silly, like I was among friends.

Best Hidden Gem in the City. You want to dance .go here or foe the amazing karaōke. Insane late night happy hour. It reminds you of Cheers everyone wants to know your name from the doorman tp the bartenders to the other customers.

Cheapest Drinks around in Center City. Good for Pre-​Gaming or Spend the entire night there and party Hard!