Cavanaugh’s Headhouse Square

On way back to from AC stopped in Philly for a bite to eat. Stumbled upon this local spot, cool set up, great food, regulars were very welcoming, and the service from our bartender Jenn, was way above par! Will definitely stop back in, on the next road trip.

The service, wonderful!
The staff, wonderful!
The food, LOVE!
The atmosphere is my absolute favorite inside and outside the view is relaxing…
Cheers!

we had a super weird experience here
due to our bartender. we sat outside and there was one other table and maybe 3 people at the downstairs bar. our server was the bartender and she seemed to have had a few drinks prior to us getting there. she couldn’t remember our orders to save her life yet wouldn’t write it down. we wait 15 minutes for our drinks and after a while just started going inside to get them because she kept forgetting about us. our food orders were wrong but we were starving. bartender ended up comping a bunch of stuff though because she knew we were pissed

Place was a lot of fun! Rachel was one of the best bartenders I’ve ever met! Would definitely go back!

This place is small and kinda dingy. It seems to be a bar for locals mainly. It felt like we were in a movie. We came in and the music stopped… The usual suspects looked over at us… and «You ain’t from around here» mutters the surly bartender… It wasn’t quite that bad but it was close… The service was slow and bartender had a «little» bit of an attitude. I was surprised cause the place was kind dead and she wasn’t serving anyone else… we ordered a beer, vodka red bull, and three tequila shots. We were doing a bar crawl and were looking for a round and keep on moving… Took forever… Not impressed.

Gotta say, one of my all-​time favorite pubs! You got plenty of bars to saddle up to once inside. But the big one upstairs is usually where you can find the locals, play darts and relax. Food is always solid and with plenty of TVs and easy conversations, one might never leave.

Go for the Cav’s chicken cheese steak sandwich and you will leave with a smile. The baked french onion soup could use a overhaul with the flavoring. The soup is the only reason I have them four out of five.

Great spot to eat and drink in Headhouse. There’s a big mix of people that come to Cav’s. Everybody from locals, regulars, and tourists are made to feel welcome. Lucas is a terrific Manager that has a unique way of making everyone feel at home. The bartenders Kelly and Kelly are awesome! Try their Martinis. My favorite dish is the baked mac and cheese. Yummy! And of course the wings are excellent. This is also a great spot to watch football and basketball games on TV.

One of the best sports bars in Center City. If you need to watch a game and you’re having trouble finding it on TV, try Cavanaugh’s Headhouse.
First, televisions abound here. Plenty of real estate to get your game on one of them.
Next, they have great service, especially on Sundays. Lots of staff to take and fill orders.
Always a nice beer selection. Great sandwiches and bar foods.
And during Eagles games, don’t forget about half-​time hoagies — on the house.

My new favorite sports bar in philly. Kelly took outstanding care of us, going out of her way to determine what god forsaken channel on Comcast is home to the pac 12 network for the Stanford-​Colorado game. It doesn’t hurt that cavs has very solid food, and kelly makes some really tasty shots and drinks. You’ll also enjoy some really good deals. This should be a go-​to for college football.

Food was good and service is excellent. Taylor, was very good, anticipated our needs and took great care of our table. The nachos are huge with lots of chicken and chili, will definitely will stop back next time I’m in Philly.

They have great wings and friendly bartenders. I will go back.

This is a bar– not a sports bar. We went with best intentions — enjoy good wings & burgers. No dining area — only bar. Other reviews made it seem like a sports bar — it is NOT! Also Not the best atmosphere with an 8 & 12 year old. (drunk guy spouting profanity @ bar)
My 12 year old enjoyed the wings. (Learned some new words) my chicken cheeses steak was super spicy– did not expect that ! And not in a good way guess I should have stuck with a burger. All in all — not great but not terrible

Formerly «Dark Horse» this is a great spot in headhouse square to play some darts and chill out. It has 3 bar rooms across two floors, so definitely could be a cool place to reserve for office parties/​meet a larger group.

So what makes this bar is the space.
Think British pub with several small rooms, a bit like a maze.
Very cool.
Everything else is average.

I’ve been back to Cavanaugh’s Headhouse a handful of times since the November 2013 YEE. It’s become a reliable, comfortable sports bar to me. I even once stopped here because I knew they had nice, clean bathrooms — and, obviously, also stuck around for a beer.
Speaking of beer, there are many choices and they are affordable. Nothing extensive, but you’re likely to find something up your alley.
The fun and most noticeable thing about Cavs that most everyone else has said is the space itself. It’s huge — with a bunch of little bar rooms with different themes. It’s nice to have options!

5 stars for Lucas, our bartender! I attended a private party at Cavanaugh’s Headhouse Square last Saturday, and everyone at the party noted how great he was. Super friendly & attentive! By the time the party «ended» at 11pm, everyone was having so much fun, we stayed at the bar with Lucas until the bar closed around 2am. I could not say enough nice things about him. Not only was the space we had reserved perfect for our party size, and the beers & drinks offered were varied/​plentiful, but Lucas really made the experience at Cavanaugh’s exceptional.

After some a holiday outing with my kiddo and my folks my dad asked to have lunch at «the old dickens inn». He wanted to see what had replaced it. I did an inward groan when I saw it was now a Cavanaughs.
While they retained the décor of the «inn» the rest was pretty bad. Our server was mediocre at best. The food was terrible. For example: We ordered the chip and dip, one of the dips was supposed to be queso. It was really just cheese wiz. It was awful. I got the shrimp tacos which were equally terrible. They were boring and the tortillas had the texture of having been microwaved. My mom’s fish (fish and chips) looked terribly greasy the chips were cold.
I guess this is a good place for a few beers and watch a game. To actually go for a meal, not so much.

Cav’s Headhouse is your run-​of-​the-​mill sports bar. It’s a good place to catch a game; plenty of TVs and never an overwhelmingly large crowd. The proximity to South Street helps keep the touristy crowd away, and you’re more than likely to be surrounded by people that are there for the same reason. The dimly lit bar upstairs creates a fitting atmosphere to relax with friends while enjoying a few drinks.
I haven’t gotten the chance to try any of the food there, but Cav’s does have a pretty decent drink selection, all for a reasonable price. The establishment has a few different bars, or rooms, throughout the building with a different theme. It’s not a place I make a habit of going to often, but I’ve always liked the laid back nature of Society Hill.
For the proverbial weekend warrior, I would aim somewhere closer to South St for bigger crowds and a more active nightlife. Otherwise, I think Cav’s Headhouse is great for someone looking for a bit of midweek relaxation.

I rolled into Cavanaugh’s late on a Tuesday because my friend and I were dying for a bathroom. We grabbed drinks and took care of business, lingering for about 45 minutes. Even though it was Tuesday and the place was pretty dead, there was a lively crowd of fantasy drafters crowded around the TV in the front room.
Probably the biggest thing that this Cavanaugh’s has going for it is the size. The many different bars and rooms on multiple levels means that you can find a room that works for you and your friends, but still feel like you’re in a tiny neighborhood hole in the wall.
Drinks specials and food ostensibly don’t seem much different than when this bar was Dark Horse, but there were a surprising amount of craft brews on the list, so that was pleasant to see! (I expected it to have a much more limited selection.)
I miss Dark Horse (token whine here), but the bones and general décor are still there, so Cavanaugh’s is definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a fun place to watch a game, especially if you like when the crowd is involved and enthusiastic.