McCusker’s Tavern

I was here a long time ago and forgot to review. I’m going to be up there this weekend so I hope I can stop in again!

Good food, great staff and definitely the reason they were ranked top 10 «Dive Bars» in Philadelphia by PlayBoy! Slight reminder… cash only and on street parking.

I been here 3 times. The atmosphere here is pretty laid back & fun. My boyfriend & I are not from this neighborhood but everyone in here treats you as if you were. The bartenders are great. The drinks are great! parking isn’t the best but it’s well the trip to South Philly.

Came here during an Argentina game in June… The bartenders there were cool as hell. When we asked for them to turn up the volume for the World Cup, they did that for us.
I remember getting the sriracha burger there. I liked it a lot. Very chill spot in a good neighborhood. Cheap drinks and they have a lot of different kinds. I got myself some Brooklyn Ale and loved it. Great spot to chill.

Blue cheese burger is the best!!! Nice and juicy too

First time there tonight with my wife, now our new favorite place. Ambiance, food, beer, prices all just right. Doug the bartender makes you feel at home. Don’t miss out on this place for the next Phillies game.

So many good times here so many good friends here. This place is not a bar this place is more of a friends hang out. Inexpensive shots so you can’t go wrong. So stop by and support your local businesses.

A friend and I decided to head to our favorite corner bar in lieu of suffering through anymore of a terrible Phillies game. I’m giving McCusker’s four stars this time for two reasons: awesome food AND gluten-​free beer.
I ordered potato skins, which were just incredibly satisfying. Not frozen little tater disks pulled out of a box — actual potato that was cut into quarters and filled with cheese and real bacon (not bacon bits). A hearty scoop of sour cream came with this awesome tater as well. The gluten free beer option was Woodchuck’s Cider — pretty decent and I didn’t feel left out surrounded by other beer drinkers.
My friend opted for a burger — looked delish. Substantial piece of beef with a beautiful bun (I really miss you, gluten!), lettuce and tomato (as he requested) PLUS a heaping portion of fries that were quite yummy.

It’s been our trusty neighborhood bar since we moved to S. Phila. seven years ago. Always enjoyed it, welcoming from the very first time my wife and I went in there. Whenever we have visitors, we try to take them in for a drink. And now with the expanded menu, even better.
Good service, and the food is well above what you’d expect for a corner tavern. It’s clear they put a lot of thought into it and definitely are going for better ingredients. Reasonably priced, good stuff and you can tell the McCuskers care about what they’re doing.
The menu’s in the photos for the place on here– check it out and stop by. I’m sure there’s something on there for you. So far, I’ve tried the tuna melt, chicken wrap, turkey club and tuna wrap. All have tasted great, the stuff’s homemade and I have a feeling I’m going to end up trying just about all of it.

I went to Philly with my brother on Thursday, August 9^th, 2012 to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Philadelphia Eagles in a preseason football game. At the recommendation of a friend I was told this is a great local neighborhood bar to check out. Well we ended up here before the game and after the game. The place was great, drinks were cheap, and everybody there was so cool from the 2 brothers that own/​run the place to the local patrons who kept us laughing the whole time we were there. We even had the wonderful opportunity to meet the brothers father while we were there before the game. If you want to experience a great local south Philly corner bar this is the place to go, you won’t be disappointed.

This place is great. Easy going crowd, awesome memorabilia on the wall, pacman, American dart board, and cheap drinks, and most of all, shots that are served in regular 1oz shot glasses. Just check it out doofus.

Comfy, superbly-​Phillies/​baseball oriented neighborhood bar. $ 2.75 for Yuengling draft, $ 4 for jalapeño poppers. As mentioned in other reviews, a number of regulars here, everyone seems to know each other. Some folks pop in to get a 6-​pack. Bartender Ryan and owner John set the tone, both good-​natured and engaging. Conversation mainly around the Phillies game. Ryan aired some Primus and Led Zep after the game. I’ll be back.

No hipsters here, which can be a plus or minus depending on your point of view. Cheap prices, and you can smoke, eat and drink all at the same time! For some unknown reason, my neighborhood (girard estate) seems to live in a nether world where no one pays attention to the rules (on parking, smoking, etc.) and no one cares.
Unlike the 2 «taprooms» or e passyunk bars, you will not find a wide selection of microbrews or gastropub fare here. But that’s not why you come here. Come here to have a cheap beer and food and smoke and watch the game in lo-​key local environment.

I have never met the brothers that run the bar, but if you go in on a Sunday afternoon — you may just meet the original bar own Mr. McCusker himself. The couple of times that I have been in there it has been the Mr. that has been behind the bar. What a nice man! full of stories of his 40 years in the business and a lifetime in South Philly. Does not matter if it is your first time in the the bar or to 40^th you are treated as a long lost friend.
The beer is cold, the conversation is friendly — I would highly recommend this establishment if you are looking for a good corner bar.

PROS: Awesome South Philly corner bar. Cheap drinks, good food, good times. MUCH cheaper than Chickie’s a just as good, if not better time. A hidden gem that can stand up quite nicely to the commercialized digs near the Sports Complex.
CONS: No ATM, doesn’t accept credit cards. Better come with cash. Still only a very minor inconvenience.

Not your typical South Philly bar, run by 2 brothers that took it over from their father, but in true S. Philly style the bartender is also the cook, so food is what you would think, but it is not a restaurant, it is a bar. As a corner bar it is one of the best.

I went here the night the Phillies won their second straight National League title. Great people. Great times. I’d give the food a c but the drinks were definitely an A.
Chrissy put it spot on with the whole preconceived notion that your 5^th generation South Philly Grandpa Louie might be chillin’ on the corner of the bar waitin’ for little miss 22 year old but that’s definitely not this place at all.
I should probably try and return on a night when the Phillies are not about to clinch to get a more on point perspective of what this establishment is really about.

On a dark and not at all stormy night in the depths of South Philadelphia I found a bar that changed the way I saw corner bars in the depths of South Philly.
My whole life I thought McCusker’s was some old folks cracked out place to be. Where old men made young girls sit on their lap and the whole deal. 15 years ago – I dunno. 2009 it’s totally not that.
McCusker’s is run by two twins in their 30s. The crowd on the night I went were all neighborhood people in their 20s and 30s. Not a would be rapist in the bunch. It was so chilled and the drinks were cheap. I had a fabulous time!