Millcreek Tavern Where: 4200 Chester Ave. (a block past Baltimore) Contact: (215) 222-1255 Reason to go: Mondays. Unlimited buffalo wings and beer for ten bucks. For your health, you probably shouldn’t go every week. Great for first timers. Insider Tip: Happy hour daily from 4-6 p.m. Get there early (around 9 p.m., especially on Mondays), before the crowds appear and the specials expire. Live music offered weekly.
Dock Street Brewery Where: 701 S. 50th St. (at Baltimore) Contact: (215) 726-2337 Reason to go: True, their house-brewed beer selection is hard to beat, but they also happen to have some of the best, most creative pizzas Philadelphia offers (the four-cheese alone is to die for). Insider Tip: It’s expensive (ranging from $16-$18 a pitcher and $14-$17 for a large pizza), but so worth the extra cash. Also, Dock Street offers take-home “growlers” for $15 that you can re-fill for $13-$20, depending on the gravity of the beer you choose.
Gojjo Tavern Where: 4540 Baltimore Ave. Contact: (215) 386-1444 Reason to go: Ethiopian specialties plus your favorite bar foods crowd the menu. Resident DJ Dred spins Fridays and Saturdays after 10 p.m., and they offer jazz on Sundays. Insider Tip: “Gojjo” is the Ethiopian word for cottage, which complements its homey feel.
Fumé (bar above Abyssinia) Where: 229 S. 45th St. (at Locust) Contact: (215) 387-2424 Reason to go: This eclectic bar has a great beer selection, live music weekly and a fun cross-section of West Philly hipsters and adventuresome Penn students. Insider Tip: Although there is a full bar in Abyssinia downstairs, the real party happens above.
Dahlak Restaurant and Bar Where: 4708 Baltimore Ave. Contact: (215) 726-6464 Reason to go: Great for large groups, and you can soak up your booze with injera (a traditional sourdough-like pancake native to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia). Insider tip: Be sure to travel to the back of the restaurant — that’s where the bar is and that’s where you’ll find the ever-eclectic group of regulars. Although the cuisine may resemble Ethiopian food, Dahlak in fact serves Eritrean culinary delights.
