The Trestle Inn

Fun atmosphere, energetic dancers, fairly knowledgeable bartenders. Eclectic but fun and friendly crowd. For those of you complaining about the bartenders not making fancy drinks or basic people shots (a swedish fish shot– what are we, 21?!, I mean we’ve all been there but come on), that is NOT what this bar is for. That’s the equivalent of going to a German biergarten and whining they only have beer. Get a grip. For the rest of you non-​basics who like whiskey, bourbon, beer, a weird crowd (in the best possible way) and some pretty good music/​dancing, definitely try it out!

The Trestle Inn was great if you want a chill bar with good disco music all night. Loved the vibe, and the fact that everyone (almost) was dancing and having fun. Of course there’s always those young’ns having a little too much sloppy fun, but that’s not the Inn’s fault for making it their last stop of the night. Drinks were decently priced. I’m from NY, so my friend and I used Unilocal to find this place. Again, it plays disco all night long, so if you’re looking for hip hop or Miley Cyrus, do not come here, this place is not for you. Liked the place overall, and liked that bathrooms are co-​ed, with one of the managers making sure people are actually waiting in an orderly fashion, since drunk adults are surprisingly not capable of doing that themselves (this is not a sarcastic statement lol), as well as another female manager coming around constantly cleaning up the empty glasses off tables (thank you!). Go for a good vibe, and chill music with go-​go dancers!

What?
What does one do if one finds him/​herself in the city of brotherly love, smacked in the middle of the Fairmount, Reading Railroad tracks?
Where?
Head to the down-​and-​dirty, the rusty J&J Trestle Inn. Believe me it’s not exactly your quintessential entertainment venue.
— Upscale retro & energetic atmosphere.
— Classic cocktails.
— French pop, soul, funk and disco music.
Who?
Go-​go dancers, not only they can hold a beat, but they’ll impress you with some perfect choreography. They’ll dance for hours and hours straight, non-​stop (Seriously!)
When?
Back to ‘60s & ‘70s vibes.
Hours: Wed-​Sat: 5PM-​2AM, HH: 5PM-​7PM, Late Night HH:10PM-12AM (Wed-​Thur)
Moonlight HH: 10PM-​11PM (Fri-​Sat)
*** Trestle Specials Mod Go-​go dancers: Wed-​Sat.***
Why?
Because one of two things is true if you’re still reading this review:
1) You’re really curious about what Trestle Inn have to offer.
2) You just need something to take the edge off and have fun.
P.S: Don’t forget to wear your dancing shoes.
Four Unilocal

Went to this place excited to have a tasty cocktail, but was sadly very disappointed with my Old Fashioned– my go-​to drink. The bartender seemed annoyingly satisfied to tell me they don’t have Maker’s when I told him my go-​to was a Maker’s Old Fashioned. The other drink I tried was a Moscow Mule, which was more bitter and acidic than imaginable, let alone enjoyable. The main redeeming factors for this place: eclectic environment, live dancers, and strange old-​time film projecting on the wall. My recommendation: check out this place for the environment, but avoid cocktails and stick to something safe like a draft beer.

Very cool go-​go bar… not something you see everyday. They have delicious cocktails and a good selection of craft beer.
The film playing on the wall throughout the night is pretty neat and great music!!!
If you are in the mood for a snack, try their popcorn. it’s pretty awesome!

I love The Trestle Inn. Full disclosure, it definitely has its issues; the bathroom being in the main hall between the bar and the dance floor/​back room quickly devolves into a hassle of a situation, the close quarters can tend to make people get a little grumpy, and once crowded it can be difficult to get a drink. Ideally, you have a large enough group that you can sort of make your own little space or a small enough group that it isn’t necessary because the place fills up pretty quickly.
But despite all of this, I love it. I love their classic whiskey sours as well as some of their other cocktails (Black Power). I love the music and the Go-​Go club vibe and I wish their bathrooms would go back to their days of being plastered with pulp fiction covers. I love to dance and a lot of places that have «dancing» are more about looking cool. Here the grab bag of people dance and look like they’re having fun doing it.
So go looking to dance and drink whiskey and know that it’ll get crowded, and hot, and you’ll probably get at least a little bit of something spilled on you at some point; and enjoy the heck out of it anyway!

I’ve driven by 11^th and Callowhill so many times and did not know this placed existed. We stopped here late Saturday night with some friends. It sucked that I wasn’t feeling well because this place is known for their Whiskey Sours and everyone raved about it. The place is small but there’s tables to sit/​stand and mingle. They also have 2 G-​Go Dancers dancing all night. It was a fun and unique place, not your typical bar in Philly. We’d definitely come back. The bathrooms were super clean as well. Very impressed.

This was my first time heading to the Trestle Inn and I’ll admit I was pretty drunk by the time I got there. But I had a fun time. I like the set up and the overall ambiance of the place. They were doing a motown night which was fun. I didn’t order any drinks so I’m not sure what prices were like but overall I enjoyed myself there.

If you like mixed shots like me, don’t bother ordering them here cause the bartenders will give you a judgy look and say «we don’t do that here». It’s definitely a catchy atmosphere with the go go dancers and the interior decorations. I dig the flicks being played on the walls; definitely sets up the vibes. I tried the groovy drink, it was okay but could be stronger based on the price. The dance floor was fun but quite small. I would maybe come back here on a less crowded night

Great atmosphere and some of the most fun, uninhibited dancing in the city. The bar gets crowded, sure, and the delicious whiskey sours they specialize in (get the one with the egg white!) are not cheap, but there are certainly cheaper options to supplement them with. This place is a funky throwback to some imagined version of the ‘70s that absolutely bumps, with encouraging go-​go dancers always ready to help step up the party vibe, a perpetual loop of blackspolitation film footage projecting on the bar-​room wall, and sweaty, goofy dancing fun in through the doorway. Weather permitting, there’s also a nice row of outdoor tables for those trying to relax or catch some air between ass-​shakings.

5 stars because the whiskey sours are AMAZING. It’s a seriously good drink made by hand. I don’t know how everything else is — but this gets 5 stars based on the quality of the whiskey sour.

I’ve now come here twice. Both times on Thanksgiving Eve (2014 and 2015). $ 5 for cover and includes a complementary sweet whiskey punch. Go Go Dancers everywhere and great music to dance to without being pushed into like that night at Rumor you want to forget. The bartenders are decent, but can take awhile to get to you. There should probably be more than 2 bartenders on a packed night like Thanksgiving Eve, but I didn’t have to wait too too long. My only other complaint: I wish they had a coat room. Putting my jacket down while dancing just makes me a little uncomfortable that it might disappear.
Overall: the two times I’ve been here, I’ve had a great time and look forward to the next adventure.

So groovy!
From the moment you walk in, this place has a totally hip vibe: go-​go dancers, pop art, warm light – all to keep the mood just right.
If you stop in on a Friday or Saturday, don’t be surprised to find the dance floor totally packed! Although the music is a little unconventional, it’s always a blast to get down and boogie. Also, don’t try to steal the limelight from the lovely ladies that work here. You’ll be kicked off the cubes in a heartbeat (shoutout to the friends who tried and allowed me to capture some hilarious video footage).
But the real reason to come here, of course, is for the drinks, and the Trestle Inn does not disappoint. My favorites are the Mary Ann & Ginger Sour and the Old Fashioned. Seriously, these are some of the best cocktails in the city!
Overall, this is an awesome joint. I am more than happy to make the long trip here when the suggestion arises!

(To the tune of King Harvest’s «Dancing in the Moonlight»)
I could probably go here every night
And don’t mind it’s dimly lit, not bright
They keep it cool, it’s outta sight
And the whiskey glows in amber light
Nobody here is that uptight
(except the den mom and, hey man, that’s all right)
Keeps folks from getting into fights
And the whiskey glows in amber light.
Glowing in amber light
Go-​go dancers got us feeling right
It’s a supernatural delight
And the whiskey glows in amber light.
Deviled eggs make a delicious bite
But it’s not about the food I write
This place is where you end your night
And you can also dance in amber light.
Glowing in amber light
Go-​go dancers got us feeling right
It’s a supernatural delight
And the whiskey glows in amber light…
I love Trestle Inn. I don’t even mind going when it’s totally dead to the world because, hey, at the end of the day, you’re getting one of the tastiest Old Fashioneds in town. Their beer list is super respectable, they don’t scoff when you ask them to prepare 20 picklebacks for a slew of buddies dressed in Christmas gear (ok, maybe they scoff, but they do it behind the bar and let us have our fun.) The DJ keeps the jams going, the go-​go dancers mostly bring a lot of enthusiasm, and they almost always immediately kick off the random drunk girls who try to climb the lit cubes and become go-​go dancers for a few minutes.
It’s hilarious.
Trestle Inn, a bit out of the way for a mostly-​CenterCityCentric gal, is my #1 Über destination. And one of my favorite bars. Friday and Saturday are go-​to, but Wednesday they often do whiskey tastings, and that’s cool as hell.

A fun party and a chill vibe in the same bar. This place has a really interesting mingling of themes. There’s disco, happy go go dancers, projections of 60’s era performers, and restored ruin peeling paint & Edison bulb styling. For those that love to request their favorite pop songs, sorry not sorry. It’s only disco and it’s only records. I enjoyed a $ 3 Summer Love in a can on a Saturday night. It was full, but not overcrowded. There’s two different sections. The bar area, and the dance area. So bring your dance loving, and dance hating friends. The go go dancers wore gold sequined bras, and long high waisted blue satin skirts. They were healthy and looked like they were having a good time. No over-​gyrating or looking strung out.

The Trestle is what you get when a hipster bar is trying to be a dive bar! It features go-​go dancers and historic décor reminiscent of the 1960s, but for me, it’s charm ended there.
My whiskey sour was both strong and fair priced, but I couldn’t really enjoy it in that «Trying way to hard» environment. They have maybe 50 different whiskeys (Scotch, Bourbon, and blended) so if you’re of the British Isles, or at least claiming to be, this wouldn’t be a bad place to try. Food was mostly vegetarian/​vegan from what I could tell, but I wasn’t interested in eating anyway. Strange to have a bar that specializes in a drink with raw egg white, but only offering veggie bites, no? Overall, my experience wasn’t bad — I’d try it again, but wouldn’t go out of my way!

A solid place to go. Most people have said their $ 5 happy hour whiskey sour is amazing and after reading so many good things about it, I thought I would give it a try. Terrible. It was poured out of the soda gun, had no whiskey in it, and just tasted like lemon water. I ended up just sticking with Jack on the rocks for $ 5, which is a great deal. Also beer there during happy hour is $ 2 off. Many people will argue that they have one of the best happy hours in Philly which I completely disagree with. But all in all, pretty laid back and nice place to go

A lot of people were shocked to hear I have lived in Philadelphia for close to 10 years and had never been to the Trestle Inn. So when I was invited to Happy Hour with a group of impressive/​successful/​professional Philadelphia ladies I jumped at the chance!
Although form the outside I would have likely never considered going inside, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door. I particularly liked the setup of ample table seating in the bar area with a good number of chairs available. So many bars in the area are «standing room only» unless you’re facing the bartender and I have a bad ankle that flares up when standing for too long so I’m always eager to have a seat to perch on.
We went straight for the cocktail menu. These days I usually party hard with a glass of pinot grigio so when I asked about their wine selection I was bummed at first to hear it was rather non-​existent. The bartender was super polite about it though and did offer me what she had (barefoot Sauvignon Blanc) until I was persuaded to go the cocktail route (can you say, peer pressure? haha!) I went with a Cosmopolitan which was the only vodka based drink I could think of off the top of my head. It was as delicious as I had remembered them tasting and I thought «maybe I should order these more often».
Some of the girls indulged in the discounted appetizers (grilled cheese sticks and nachos) but I had eaten before leaving the house so I stuck to a liquid dessert. For my second drink I learned that the bartender had prosecco behind the bar (my go-​to!) so I went for the «St. Germain and Champagne” – one of my all time favorite drinks. As she was pouring it she told me how bartenders refer to St. Germain as the «barkeeps MSG» because it makes everything taste delicious. I really got a kick out of this – and couldn’t have agreed more!!! Mmm.
Towards the end of our visit I did notice a go-​go dancer appear in the corner. She was adorable so I felt bad that no one was paying her any mind. I immediately regretted any judgements I had made about the «whiskey go-​go bar» I had heard about but never gone to before.
Overall I had an awesome time at the Trestle and look forward to going back there again soon!

Short and simply stated: decent dive bar with gogo dancers and a 70’s styled music atmosphere in Chinatown. After awhile the music gets really screechy and the music stopped a few times (a glitch?).
The drinks were okay but they didn’t know how to make a swedish fish shot. No big deal, I just found that kind of funny. Surprisingly we had someone serve us even when the bar was packed with the Saturday 10 pm rush. That’s a plus for a dive bar.

Whiskey sour, happy hour? Sure, why not? Forget the fact that I was running a race the next day.
I was already nearby at the PA Convention Center for the RnR Philly half marathon expo, so I walked over to the cool, 60s nostalgia bar soon after they opened for the evening. I had the bar to myself, so I ordered a traditional whiskey sour and an order of their Mini Mac N Cheese from their short list of bar menu food items. (See, I was carbo loading!)
The original and pesto mac and cheese bowls were both excellent and actually more filling than I thought they’d be. The drink was also very good. However, I had to order another one, just to make sure.
Would love to visit again when it’s busy to get the full Trestle Inn experience. 3.5 Stars