Grumpy’s Tavern

This place was okay. I just can’t justify giving a dive bar 4 or 5 stars. There was a baby in the bar. A patron said it was the owner’s kid. I don’t care if it’s your kid… the last thing I want to do is go to a bar and look at a child. (I’m going to Hell. I know.) It’s cash only so that kind of sucked. They have summer shandy on draft so I’ll be back all summer.

This is my Silhouette (in Allston) of South Philly. Cheap beer, a couple townies that make me uncomfortable, and usually at least a friend or two I know.
Rad bartenders and a solid comfy dive bar vibe.

It’s a dive bar. About what you’d expect.

This place is the local dive bar. It’s actually a pretty good place to watch sports, it might be the best sports bar in the area. They have a pool table and a good city wide special.

Took my couchsurfing guest from Australia here karaoking on a Tuesday night. I didn’t even know there was karaōke close by. They don’t have a late kitchen so you will have to order from J & J pizza, who will deliver. And the grumpy tavern folks are kind enough to let you eat there and karaōke as long as you buy drinks (for me that would be soda or non alky). :-)

Going to have to jump in and review another treasure of a South Philly dive bar destination that is in fact NOT closed.
From cheap booze and smoking inside, to cheap mind erasing drink specials and a solid pool table; Grumpys has all the essentials of a perfect neighborhood dive in tact. And it even adds in a colorful karaōke session every Tuesday, and a decent take out beer selection even if it is a touched over priced.
So the next time you’re looking for a spot to grab a shot and a PBR pounder at a cheap price, grab some cheap cans during a Phillies or Eagles game, or grab some decent pub food of the fried bar variety off the beaten path of East Passyunk Ave; you might want to stop by a location that is in fact NOT closed.

The bartender was nice, but this place is the most diviest of dive bars I’ve ever experienced. I can handle a rough crowd, but this was too much.

Remember that scene in Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure when he knocks down all of the bikers’ motorcycles in the bar and then it goes silent? Well this is how I felt when walking into this bar for a birthday party. This is a small local smoking bar that has some really interesting people here. Beer was pretty cheap, they have a pool table, and some questionable people.
I would go back just to see if the Lochness Monster shows up next time in this zoo…

This is South Philly at it’s finest. I am sure the locals love this joint. It speaks to the non-​pretentious types. And, who doesn’t like the name Grumpy’s? But for me there was one major hang-​up, smokers galore smoking in the bar. I am not a smoker, and it’s not like I try to push the no smoking agenda on others. But I don’t want to be in a smoke infused location where I have to breathe and smell it. It’s just not for me. If you are a smoker, and don’t want some upscale snooty type of joint, then this down home lay back spot might be right up your alley.

Great place to unwind or get hammered. Real South Philly bar with general lack of hipsters.

Staff is friendly and very accommodating. Plenty of seats around the bar and the wall. Was just walking by and stopped in for a bite and catch the phillies game, the game wasn’t on the TVs but I asked the bartender and he put the game on. Beers are always cold so your drinks will always be enjoyable.

I’m starting a mission to visit all of the businesses that use LevelUp, a pay-​by-​cell-​phone app. This is stop #1 Grumpy’s Tavern @ 9^th & Tasker
At midnight-​o-​clock on the eve of Labor Day, I polished off some work and wanted to go out for some libations. I looked through my LevelUp cheat sheet for something close by and found Grumpy’s, a boot-​stompin, smokin dive bar near my house offering a 3 dollar discount to LevelUp patrons– SCORE!
Upon arriving at the bar, I ordered an old standby, Jim Beam & Coke. The bartender, Tina, was super-​awesome friendly. She said it was cash only, so I asked her about using LevelUp. She said they had it, but she had never used it. She called over the owner, Joe, who confirmed, they had the service, but nobody had asked to use it so far. No worries, they’ll run a tab and he’ll figure it out.
So I sipped for a while finding that the crowd was very friendly and open. Miraculously, the jukebox stayed fresh, a rare balance of a good selection and wise DJs. I met great people hanging out from musicians to professional drinkers and even a 67-​year-​old cross dresser.
My carriage was starting to look eerily like a pumpkin, so I figured it was time to go. I grabbed a sixer for the road and gave Joe my phone. He scanned it with his phone and not a minute later, the app recognized me and my tab was paid ($ 26.50 — $ 3 discount = $ 23.50). Affordable and an impressively simple transaction.
Rating:
Grumpy’s Tavern: 4 Gi-​Dee-​Ups
LevelUp Experience: 5 Gi-​Dee-​Ups

Classic, cheap, South Philly dive bar. Basic selection of drafts (Pabst, Lager), $ 5 citywides. One time I play Rob Base «It Takes Two» on the Internet juke and the bartender gets into it. Another time I walk into a Mastodon «Crack The Skye» session with some local metalheads.
The metalheads are talking about Chris Pennie (former Dillinger Escape Plan drummer) and a hippie approaches them saying Mickey Hart from the Dead is a better drummer. Metalheads disagree, but there is mirth and merriment for everyone in the half-​light.
I won’t lie and say I witnessed old man cigar smoking multiple times at Grumpy’s. Like, serious Action News with Jim Gardner cigar-​smoking action (my kinda happy hour). Now they have a food menu, so it’s a bit cleaned up. Nothing really vegan, so I haven’t eaten here.
There is also a nice selection of take-​out booze, with plenty of less-​than $ 10 options. All-​around charming South Philly watering hole, nice bartenders and cheeeeeaaap!

Go here Sunday’s and Thursdays! The bartender Tina rocks… Smoking is allowed and there’s a pool table!
$ 2 pints of PBR all day everyday :) and $ 6 pitchers…

For reasons i won’t go into here, my friends and i decided to abandon our usual Sunday night spot (12 steps down) mid-​evening and try something new. We’d heard that Grumpy’s has cheap beer, a pool table, and allows smoking. The holy trinity of requirements as far as we’re concerned.
We walked in feeling something like first-​date jitters, but got comfortable right away. Its sort of an old man bar. When we came in there were just south philly guys sitting around watching the game. They were all friendly enough. They watched our pool games when there were lulls in the eagles game and cheered or jeered appropriately. The table itself is nice, clean, and level. However, the area it’s in is pretty tight, if people are sitting on the stools they can end up in the way of shots. Also, there are stairs sloping over one end of the table that you have to crouch under and can also block your shot. However, the little short cues are provided. My main issue with the space is that you can’t see any of the TVs from the area where the pool table is. Bummer.
I was sticking to my usual PBR (dont judge me, i actually like it) which was only $ 2 for a pint. I thought it was a game day special, but PBR drafts are $ 2 all day every day. SCORE! But then i realized that they had Yards Philly Pale Ale on tap. My absolute FAVORITE beer. Pints of that were only $ 3. I went from first date to desperately in love at that moment.
I have to mention one more thing. It was late in the evening (i.e. i already had a bunch of beers in me) so i need to go back and confirm, but i had a few bites of my boyfriend’s burger and it may be one of the tastiest burgers in the city. Seriously. I promise to follow up on that.

I’ve only been to this place twice, so I’m far from an expert, but I’m not a very big fan. The last time I was there, it was to watch a Phillies game with my sister. There were a few orange-​tan girls there in Phillies jerseys that they had altered to look «sexy» — ripped the neck so it was around their shoulders. There was also bedazzling. We kept glancing over at them, because they were so train wrecky, they noticed and asked started glaring back, elbowing each other and gesturing toward us.
We finished our (delightfully cheap) beers and decided we’d rather leave than get into some confrontation with a bunch of bedazzled oompa loompas. We went to 1601, where we fit in a little better.
I don’t think Grumpy’s is a bad place, but some of the people who go there are a little rough around the edges. It’s South Philly, so no big surprise. Still, if I were in a dive bar type of mood, I’d rather walk the extra blocks and go to Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar.

Grumpy’s and I go way back. Well, back a year at least. I used to live right on the corner in a sweet place on 9^th and Tasker. When I first moved in to the place, I stopped by Grumpy’s with my roommate. As we began to befriend the locals, older guys that always sit at the end of the bar told us, «Girls, listen. If you ever have any trouble, we mean ANYTHING you come to the Twin Smoke Shoppe on 8^th and Tasker. We’ll take care of it.» I understood immediately and knew that living in the Italian Market of South Philly was going to be just fine. Everybody knows everybody and everybody protects everybody.
As the year went on I always said to my roommate and friends, «Guys, lets go somewhere else OTHER than Grumpy’s tonight.» But sure enough, we’d always end up there. Why? It’s easy to gravitate towards a place with great locals and cheap beer. How could you resist? Living on the block, the locals and owner of the bar, Joey, made me feel real safe and welcome at any time. I got kind of tired of Grumpy’s by the end of my stay in South Philly, but I actually miss going to this great dive.

Alright kids, it’s story time. Way back when I lived with my parents in Delaware during a transitional period in my life, I was a member of a private members-​only Italian club in a church. Now, being that I am not only of German/​Austrian descent and the complete opposite of a Christian (I’m a Jew who lost her faith), it was pretty odd for me to be a member of the Italian club. But, seeing as I was under-​age at the time and I knew most of the drunken board members from them patronizing my dad’s restaurant, I was able to secure a membership and was thus able to drink underage for the better part of the year.
ANYWAY the whole point of that story is that Grumpy’s reminds me of the Italian club (except they card, so don’t even try to go there you silly under-​age kids). The clientele is very much the epitome of South Philadelphia Italian culture, which I love because it brings me back to my Italian club days. The bar staff comes off as surly and kind of ambivalent, but once they know you then you’re basically in. Also the one guy says hi to me in the street and it makes me feel oh-​so happy s: D It’s also ridiculously cheap (you can get a High Life and a shot of Jameson for something in the $ 4 vicinity).
It may or may not have a catered lunch by Pizza Hut. I remember seeing a sign out front for that, which I found hysterical. I can’t comment on the food, though. I feel like this is a place where you probably shouldn’t eat.
Regardless, I really really love Grumpys. If my ex-​boyfriend didn’t frequent it a lot, I would go more but unfortunately I have no urge to see him at this point in time so alas, I’m stuck to the 2-​street bars near my new apartment. They would totally get 5 stars if their beer selection wasn’t god-​awful, but then again, it’s not a place you go to drink craft beer.
EDIT FROM 6÷20÷2010: I’ve decided to make it public [via the internet] that this place is my favorite bar in Philadelphia, especially now that my good good friend bought a house 500 feet from here. Love you lots, Grumpy’s! See you all basically 6 days a week: D

If you want cheap beer, a neighborhood bar with lots of local color, and a great place to watch a Phils’ game, go to Grumpy’s.
If you want good beer, go somewhere else (1601 is right around the corner).

I’ve only been to Grumpy’s once, and it was around 7 p.m. on a Tuesday in the summer, after my friends and I had gotten ridiculously wasted at a Phillies game, and decided to cut our losses and hop off the Broad Street line at Tasker-​Morris (near my friend Joel’s house) and set up camp at the first bar we came to.
Grumpy’s probably wasn’t the first (we were having a hard time noticing what was around, never mind walking straight) but it was certainly a good choice — small and cozy, with dim lighting and a pool table in the back — we spent all evening shooting pool, and downing cheap Yuenglings — with no one to bother us or act GRUMPY towards our shenanigans.
Did I mention there’s cheap beer? That’s nothing to be grumpy about either.