McCrossen’s Tavern

If an establishment is packed on a cold winter night, that’s definitely saying something positive.
My husband and I were in dire need of a beer and dinner cooked by someone that wasn’t us so we ended up at McCrossens.
I’ve had a love/​hate with the burger over the past few years. Even though my last few were a little disappointing, I knew I’d get burger envy when seeing the hubby’s so went with it anyways. And it was really good! Not hidden gem type of burger like it had been years back, but a really solid option. It was a little more medium rare than medium (which I like) and quality meat with good seasoning. The bun had a nice toasty-​ness to it and of the provolone was melted nicely.
I think there was a period where the food was lacking, however based on this visit and a few other recent experiences, I think lacking period is over. It’s upscale bar food, but I feel comfortable knowing I’ll go there now and get something that’s both quality and enjoyable.
I opted to drink super locally with the Yards Golden Hop. I had a few questions about the beer (confusing it with the Hopportunity). Although the server didn’t know the answers, he looked into it for me. I appreciated that effort and thought he was generally a nice guy. Same with the hostess. She was friendly and really added to the local pub vibe.
And that’s the main point of my update. McCrossens is a great neighborhood bar that’s welcoming, has great beers and good bar food. You earned that star back.

limited but good happy hour. cozy during the winter, but can get busy and loud. service is good.

An underrated place to get brunch, McCrossen’s Tavern impresses with its great food, beer selection, and neighborhood bar feel.
I love places like McCrossen’s Tavern. Tucked on N 20^th just off Spring Garden Street, you get the sense it’s the type of place the locals in Fairmount eat/​drink at. It’s simply decorated with a long inviting bar on one side and some seating. It’s a step above your casual bar, resembling more of an upscale yet relaxed restaurant.
McCrossen’s brunch menu is straightforward, offering eight brunch classics, several omelette options, and of course Mimosa’s and Bloody Mary’s for $ 5. My girlfriend and I ordered the Chorizo Benedict (toasted english muffin, homemade chorizo, hollandaise, side of home fries) and the Huervos Rancheros (rice and beans, fresh salsa, cheddar, sunny side eggs, guacamole). The eggs in the Chorizo were cooked perfectly, with a smooth exterior that tasted as good as it looked. And the lovely hollandaise sauce — creamy and rich. The best part of the second dish, the Huervos Rancheros, were the fresh ingredients. The salsa and guacamole in particular tastes like they were made that morning. Both dishes are large but not overwhelming, so expect to leave satisfied but not stuffed.
Overall, whether you’re a local or just visiting the area, it’s worth the trip to try McCrossen’s Tavern. It’s nice-​yet-​casual enough to take anybody to and have a pleasant experience.

Great spot however the location is a bit random. The chicken and waffle sliders are the best item on the menu!

Great vibe, great bartender, and fantastic food. We stopped by due to an urban daddy recommendation. Not disappointed. We ordered three rounds of beers, all suggestions from our bartender who was friendly, informative and professional. Ordered Brussels sprouts and calamari from small plates during happy hour and could not have been more impressed. Food came out fast, crispy, hot and honestly some of the best gastropub food I’ve had. If we lived in Philly I’d probably be there every night.

Friday night place, bar none. Wife had the onion soup, me the falafel. Could not be better. The bar and food and company is timeless and perfect. Just does not get better. After a bad week we are just glad they are there. Thanks McCrossen’s for everything!

Awesome food at a great price, nice staff, and very generous portions. What more could I ask for? I recommend the ribs as an entrée and the flat breads for apps.

Some friends and I chanced on this place during a walk up Fairmount to Eastern State Penitentiary. We were hungry, and saw this rather welcoming place with doors flung wide at 11:30 on a Tuesday morning.
After looking at the menu, the fare and the prices seemed reasonable. We didn’t have very high expectations, since none of us live in Fairmount (much less have reason to visit) and we had never heard of it.
By the time we left, we were so happy we had found this place. We opted to sit outside, which afforded some great people watching while we enjoyed our drinks (great beer/​wine/​whiskey menu!) and waited for our food.
The food was absolutely fantastic — we were all blown away by how good it was. By reading the menu, it seems like standard pub fare — by the ingredients and execution elevated the food to a whole new level. I had the meatloaf sandwich and my friend had the BBQ sandwich. My meatloaf sandwich was the real deal with a bacon rind baked with the loaf. Even the fries it came with were crispy and delicious.
I have to give a special shoutout to Joann, who was extremely pleasant and accommodating. She made our experience that much better.

McCrossen’s often gets overlooked because of its obscure location — but for those thousands of people who live in Fairmount, boy are we lucky. It’s gotta be my favorite bar in the neighborhood.
First and foremost, for the staff (Jess is lovely and Kevin has one of the greatest beards of all time). And I’ve had some very delicious meals here. I had an outrageous tuna tartare and mushroom flatbread last time I was in, and they also make a very solid hummus, and a rockin’ falafel sandwich to go with it. Great beer list, too, which is significantly discounted during the delightful 5 – 7 weekday happy hour (food and other drink specials too). These guys make this SEPTA vagabond actually want to nail his fins to the Fairmount floor for a change.

A very cool spot. Came here with my wife for lunch and later a late night snack. We had the roast pork, the burger and the wings. All were very good.

McCrossen’s epitomizes the «neighborhood restaurant.» Located in the Fairmount area, it’s got a homey, yet sleek pub feel. Chefs such as Four Season & Lacroix alum, Townsend Wentz, have been at the helm over the years, elevating the dishes beyond just standard pub fare.
So for brunch, the GF’s family and I stopped by for some grub. There’s plenty of seating, whether it’s at the bar or at a table.
Mimosa [$ 5]
I believe bottomless brunch used to be offered, but it’s $ 5 brunch cocktails now. We enjoyed some mimosas on this particular morning.
Whipped Ricotta [$ 8]
Thyme, olive oil, pigment d’espelette, grilled rustic bread
The healthy portion of whipped ricotta was topped with espelette chili pepper and seasoned well, along with a splash of EVOO to add some richness. The ricotta was slightly more grainier than I would have liked, but the rustic crostini was excellent — freshly grilled with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Brandied Mushroom and Brie Omelettes [$ 10]
Red bliss potatoes, fresh fruit

The GF opted for a lighter brunch, with a well-​cooked omelette encasing a good mix of creamy brie and earthy, yet sweet brandied mushrooms. A pattering of crisp red bliss potatoes and diced fruit rounded out the plate.
Creekstone Farms Burger [$ 12]
8 oz burger, fries
I went with the house burger, which featured a great meat blend and was cooked to a perfect medium-​rare. Still, it could have been seasoned a bit more. The brioche bun was the perfect bun-​to-​meat ratio though and the accompanying fries were well-​seasoned, crisp, and creamy within.
Overall, McCrossen’s hit the spot for brunch and though the burger could have been seasoned better, McCrossen’s delivers in terms of pub fare. Definitely a place I could see myself stopping by for a drink as well.

Although I grew up in Philly, I now live in California. However, I get back regularly to see family and friends. McCrossen’s is in my old neighborhood. I stop in there often for a late dinner. The food is good, with different specials every day. The service is friendly and good. They also have a bar that is jumping and fun.
As an aside, decades ago, McCrossen’s was known as «The Dustbowl.» It was a bar for old drunks. Several years ago, on a visit to Philly, my cousin suggested we go to McCrossen’s for lunch. I thought she was out of her mind but agreed. I was amazed at the cool, fun place they had turned McCrossen’s into.

Solid little bar in Fairmount neighborhood. Great for brunch on the weekends. What I appreciate the most is their brunch menu includes breakfast and lunch items and is not just an excuse to serve breakfast two hours later as I’ve found in many other Philadelphian establishments. Drinks are reasonably price and food was good. Solid place.

This is a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ review. We stopped in her the other day as we were strolling by because it was a cute little place in the middle of a residential street. We had just had some food truck food a couple hours earlier so we kept the food here to a minimum. I ordered a crock of French Onion Soup and my lady love ordered the hummus plate. The hummus was a bit thicker/​chunkier than most hummus (not necessarily a bad thing) and served with olives with pits, greens, pita chips, carrots, cucumbers, roasted red peppers and onions. The pita chips were cold, hard and crunchy. We were surprised because they’re almost always served warm and soft. The remaining ingredients were ok, but we thought it was odd that the greens were dry and unseasoned. No spices or dressing at all. The olives, carrots and cucumbers were the same way, dry and boring. The plate was just eating different textured food without any real flavor so it was disappointing. If that’s all we got, the rating would have been 2 stars at the most. But, we got the French Onion Soup also and that was delicious! It was 4 stars for sure. There are a few things that separate good FOS from average FOS. One big difference is the addition of Sherry. Not everyone puts sherry in their Onion Soup. Why people? You have to! This place had the sherry and it was awesome. Another big difference is the cheese. You have to use a good quality melting cheese like Gruyère or a higher end mozzarella. Don’t come at me with Swiss. Does anyone even like Swiss cheese anyway? LOL I don’t. Swiss cheese has no business being in FOS. This place used a good quality cheese. I’m almost positive it was Gruyère, which is my personal favorite. The broth was a good mixture of beef flavor along with the sherry peeking through and was rich and flavorful. The onions were cooked down and tender as all get out :) Y-​U-​M. If I’m a fan of a particular food, I will travel miles to get good stuff. I will travel back from NJ to Philly to get that soul again when I get a hankering :)

We had such a great time here. Such a good time that we end up staying for several hours. We started with the Whipped Ricotta App, which was amazing. Wonderful beer & Whiskey selection along with a really caring and friendly staff. Would absolutely go back!

Yep. McCrossen’s has become one of my favorite bars in Fairmount. More specifically, I love to sit at the bar and day-​drink here. That’s been the trend so far, at least. They usually have some pretty good draft beers and their bottle list is okay.
As for food, my stand-​out favorite is the whipped ricotta app with grilled rustic bread. I could eat that stuff weekly. The burger is also good, but it can get pricey depending on how many toppings you’d like. Cheddar and bacon cost $ 1.75 extra.
I’m sure I’ll be back soon. Glad this place is nearby!

Can only give 4 stars to McCrossen’s Tavern. We tried the fried brussel sprouts and we thought they were a little strong on the vinegar taste. Atmosphere was really nice — candle lit wood and brick. Happy hour is $ 2 off drafts. Will try again for dinner sometime. Eat it.

Loved the atmosphere. Hot Jerry was not too exciting: more like traditional caugh syrups. Too spicy for my taste.
NOTE: I EDITED MY REVIEW AFTER checking in more times. The service is poor. And, food is just ok. I’m going to give this place a last try. Hope that they don’t disappoint me.

Wow! Totally impressed by this hidden gem in Fairmount. I came here last week with my girlfriends, and we only wanted drinks and one appetizer to split. We saw the amazing food menu, and delicous craft beer menu, and decided to stay for a full-​out entrée dinner!
The whipped ricotta appetizer is to die for. We were licking the bowl it was so good. The portion size is huge however, and it could be a meal in itself! I really wanted to try the watermelon soup, but the cheese was so filling and I still had dinner coming. For dinner, I had the gnocchi with goat cheese, asparagus, mushrooms, and sun dried tomato. WOW, fabulous. You can tell the gnocchi was homemade becuase it would fall apart when you picked it up with a fork! So tender and delicious. Some of the best gnocchi I’ve ever had. My girlfriend ordered the pork belly, which was also amazing, I really liked the polenta it was served on top of. My other girlfriend ordered the chicken sandwhich, which I didn’t try but it was huge and the thick cut french fries were delicous. So, totally 5 stars for the food, horray chef!
Our waiter was super fast, and on top of his game like crazy. We’d order a drink and it would arrive so quick I think he was powered by DD batteries in his pants! However, he was so fast, that he cleared our plates before we were done eating, whomp whomp. But, he did help us with beer reccommendations too. The drafts weren’t as crafty as I’d like to see, a few ales and IPAs, would have liked a stout, a tripel, or a sour. But, there are a few other nice bottle selections that we liked too.
Overall, great place! I will be back!

I’ve walked by this place a few times, and it always seems to have a crowd so I wanted to try it! We came here for brunch. The place was cozy with beautiful exposed brick.
We ordered:
Whipped ricotta: the ricotta was great. The bread was okay because it was flavored but parts of it were a little tough to bite through and chew.
Omelet: it was super plain. Needed some flavor, or some salt and pepper atleast. The potatoes and fresh fruit were good. I wouldn’t recommend the dish
Huevos: pretty good. Fresh. Never had a huevos with rice. The guacamole on top was fantastic.
The service was good. The place overall was okay. I don’t think I would come here again for brunch. Maybe it’s a better place for lunch or dinner?