The El Bar

This place is great, I’ve met some great people here and always had fun.

Diviest of any dive bar I’ve ever been to. The outdoor cats were cute n cuddly. The patio was covered in thousands of berries and pretty muggy, lots of mosquitos. My friend got 15 hot dogs (plain) and they tasted great.

I was semi-​surprised to see Justin Bieber stop by at Johnny Brenda’s. But I wasn’t impressed.
I would’ve been impressed if he walked a bit further to El Bar.

Cheap beer and outside seating. Essentials to a decent dive. Hipster central but I don’t see that as a negative thing. Nothing too mind blowing about this place but sometimes that’s not necessary.

First, this is a basic dive bar and is CASH ONLY.
Love the El, especially in the spring, summer, and fall when the weather is nice and you can enjoy a nice Kenzinger Special out back while the train rumbles by. There are few places you can enjoy a beer and relax like you were in your own backyard on a summer day like you can at the El.
Always a good time, it is nice a quiet during the day and has a way of attracting a diverse crowd from the old Kenzos to the new Yupsters (that is, Yuppies who like to pretent they are poor Hipsters) with plenty of authentico Hipsters in between. It has that an intimate and homey feel that lots of dive bars do, only in my opinion more so, I think because the center bar and portion wall dividing the space in two rooms, the small recessed «stage» nook to the side, and the backyard subconsciously cause you to recall a house.
The backyard is great but the caveat is that they shut it all down at 11pm on and encourage you to keep it down in general as it gets late on weeknight out of consideration for the neighbors, which I am fine with because I am not an inconsiderate brat. On weekends it is a different story and is open almost to close. Also, sometimes Racoons come out of the tree, and that’s cool.
For deals on drinking the El is hard to beat. $ 2 for a PBR pounder. $ 2.50 Kenzinger during happy hour. They actually do the City Wide (shot and a beer) unlike most of the downright un-​Philadelphian bars in the city, and for only $ 3.50. Maybe you are hungry? Grab a Kenzington Happy Meal; a PBR pounger, two hot dogs, a bag of chips, and a toy for $ 5. Or maybe some vegan tacos or a cup of Ramen that they offer. You may also be lucky enough to show up when they are doing free pasta, which I stumbled upon before, and even as a Italian-​American pasta snob I have no problem with mediocre pasta for free dollars.
Some people might find the place a bit dark and dirty for their tastes. They may not like the very limited beer selection, or the cheap liquor. That is fine, just set a heading South and go back to Center City and South Street and be pretentious there instead, more room in the El for me, and it gets crowded fast when they shut the yard down.

The El is a place that pushes to and sometimes beyond the limits of dive bar. The décor is eclectic and made of what are definitely found pieces of furniture. That in itself is kind of charming, but it does seem like the pieces were found in the dirtiest dumpster in philly, wiped with a square of toilet paper, and thrown into the bar.
In fact, the entire place does have a very dirty feel– and smell. The yard out back is dirt and dirty furniture. I don’t mind a dirt yard, but it’s dark, uneven, and smells off. We sat at a table and it was so uneven that a light poke knocked over the drinks on the table.
Also a negative is that the staff does indeed let you know that you’re talking too loudly. It feels like you’re secretly drinking underage, and is a big buzzkill. We came on a Saturday night so the yard and bar were packed– there was no hope for quiet.
I will say, though, that the staff can a be a bit standoffish initially, but I can’t blame them based on the very hipster clientele. In reality, all you have to do is talk to the staff like actual people and you’ll recognize that they are amazing and probably get a few good stories out of them. Really, the staff is a bright, bright spot of this place, and they serve ridiculously cheap drinks if that’s a selling point for you.
Overall, coming here will leave you smelling and wondering if you caught anything from sitting in the bar. You can get cheap, poor to average quality liquor/​beer made as well as possible by great people, but it’s only worth it if you don’t mind hanging out in what amounts to a dumpster that gets a spray of fabreeze every few years.

This place is fun to go to with friends since its surrounded/​near other bars for a night of bar hopping. Been here twice now the times I’ve been to Philly. Its a dive bar with cheap beer and they have the citywide special which is the thing to get when in Philly. The decorations are cool and fun tacky. The backyard is cool at night. Just be sure not to talk loud because the neighbors will turn on a light letting you know you’re loud or someone that works there will yell at you… There’s not much seating inside unless you go out to the backyard. With has a cat that roams around, if you’re allergic to cats just be careful. There’s some good and bad bartenders but most of the time you will be ignored for awhile or get a bit of an attitude from them. Their beer selection is great though!

I’m most shocked by the fact that 110 of El Bar’s guests were main stream enough to post on Unilocal,or even use a computer. But I guess they stand by their quirky, divey establishment since the positive reviews perfectly reflect the authentic hipster vibe this place provides.

Best dive bar I have visited since the Lord Cheltenham closed it’s doors up in Melrose Park. Almost as cheap as drinking at home… this old guy felt comfortable there. Bit of a funky smell (just like The Lord), but after a few minutes you don’t even notice.

An update is in order.
I haven’t been here in a while. Memories of my final few visits include:
— Being «shushed» out in the yard.
Apparently there was some discord with the neighboring resident about noise. So you have to use your inside voice when you’re outside… drinking…with friends… at a bar. This is not to say I condone being inconsiderate and obnoxious. I don’t and we weren’t. This effort to quiet us was oddly misdirected and overblown.
— Almost falling into anaphylactic shock.
I get it, it’s cute having feline friends take up residence and roam about but some basic housekeeping is mandatory.
Peace out El Bar, smell ya later…

This isn’t a restaurant, it’s a bar Unilocal.And they have indoor and outdoor cats. Generally pretty gross but if you’re in to that sort of thing… The back yard in summer is bug infested including the trash picked furniture. Ok for a house party but not something I look for in a bar.

We like coming here because it’s close to our house and we have met new friends here.
Even the chunky bartender with black lipstick who was really mean to us on NYE rendered a perfect dive bar experience. B* just gimmie my pbr! And like it!
I really like the outside area. It’s heated, too! It’s a good place to start your night. It’s great for what it is, a dive bar.

For a lazy night out, if you’re feeling like going to a dive bar– this place is great. I think they have a sweet back yard area… I’ll have to go back when it isn’t crowded and hot.
Not much else to say. The interior is pretty typical. Nothing to speak of.

One of my favorite bars in Fishtown. I love the backyard area and the pool table. Drinks are cheap, large, and strong. There’s never any cover.
Cash only– I ALWAYS forget.

4 dollar city wides, pool table, live music occasionally, young crowd and outside area. Pretty much all I need for a good friday night. Always bump into some nice new people or old friends pretty solid environment for me. Always have a pretty good night hittin up El Bar.

Great dive bar if you want a cheap drink, have city-​wide specials, awesome, gritty atmosphere. Only downside is that it gets PACKED in the winter when the patios closed.
Been going to this place for years. Love it.

You have your favorite bars then you have a place that really feels like home. I love dive bars and have been to them all over the country. This one passes with flying colors. The juke box is pretty awesome the bartenders kick butt and the staff and patrons are often very interesting. Not every one is going to like you there but it’s not a popularity contest just drink… I’ve gotten sloshed quite a few times here and had some interesting conversations and it’s a great place to unwind and dissappear from the world for a few hours.
Definitely a place for lost souls and creatures of the night.
I’ve met the owner since and know quite a few of the bar tenders.
There have been some awkward moments where stupid friends nearly got me kicked out. But I myself still love this bar and have a lot of fond memories from times there.

This is probably my favorite dive in the entire city of Philadelphia. I have never had a bad time here.
Cheap drinks, interesting patrons. You’ll meet an array of strange characters here, and they’re always friendly.
The backyard kind of looks like a junkyard, but it’s a great place to plop down with friends on a beautiful day (and tie on a day load).
El Bar, if I could pack you up and take you back to the suburbs with me, I would.

Super easy. Quick ‘n dirty personified, but oh so right.

We wandered in here after a long day of drinking with the intent of drinking some more. To be honest, I have no idea how we got here or what streets we walked down. All I remember is that I thought it had a fantastic name.
The bartender was super nice and promptly served M and me our Kensington specials (two hot dogs, bag of chips and a PBR pounder). It was awesome. I am not hard to please. I also want to go back.