The Handle Bar

I just waited for 5 minutes for a beer. The bartender touched my butt to make up for it, 5 stars.

Dive bar to the max, but it was «clean» — can clean even be used for «dive bar?» I say this because the ladies room was actually very clean, I was scared at first, but after maneuvering in it’s awkward long room, I found the facilities to be acceptable.
Anyway — wound up here as Barcade was packed, like packed to the hilt with the most annoying of people so we promptly left when the rest of our group got there and found refuge at the handle bar! Walking in, the vibe was so much more relaxed. Yeah I got some side eye from probably the regulars, but the bartenders were cool, they had the football game on the TV and there was a group that kept playing 90’s nu-​metal and emo on the jukebox, LOL — so that coupled with the cheap ice cold champagne of beers on tap, good convo with friends, it turned out to be a very entertaining night. I would return if in the area!
Note: They allow smoking in the bar, it was kinda comical seeing people smoking under the «no smoking» sign.

No thrills Dive Bar.
Pros: Inexpensive and the bartender was friendly. Not crowded.
Cons: Bartender didn’t know how to make a simple mixed drink. It’s mainly a beer only place.Smoking. No food.

The Handle Bar is a dive bar by all standards, but its a dive bar with standards! The Fishtown area is so hip, so crafty, and so damn expensive. Luckily, there’s no bullshit and frills over here — you’ve got a bar (cash only), some tables, two bathrooms, and the classic beers. There’s no craft beer, no video games, and no ironic hipster agenda. You can even smoke indoors if that’s your thing.
The Handle Bar is the only bar that my friends and I have always visited during our countless Saturday night Fishtown barhops over the last few years. It’s that spot to visit before going to Barcade and Johnny Brenda’s with their $ 5.00 and higher beers. It’s that spot to grab a last beer and unwind at 1:30am after a night at the Barbary. It’s even a spot to have a birthday party, as we were once lucky enough to be invited to partake in eating a party host’s pulled pork sandwiches! There’s even been a DJ a few times to turn the place into a mini dance floor.
The Philly Special is $ 5.00 here, which is a bit higher than the unbeatable $ 3.75 at the El Bar, but you’ll be much less cramped and find a more welcoming group of people to talk with here.

Um. The bartender there said, ¨I’d rather have AIDS then talk to you.¨
As a teacher, we are taught to be reflective and take the blame for most things. As a woman, a patron and a former Philly Bartender of 10 yrs, no one should be spoken to like this entirely unprovoked.
Walk down the street to spend your money somewhere with with people who play well with others.

I have frequented the handle bar for years (since a temple U student) Dee was rude and racially judgmental to my group of friends and made us feel more than unwelcomed to spend our money at the handle bar. I told my friends that it was a great bar but Dee banged on the bathroom door when the two of us were in the restroom and told us that we were not welcome to use the facilities. She then told me that I would not be able to speak to manager to complain about her customer service until Monday and they had no other ways of communication. She was more than aggressive and made me feel less than human. I was left embarrassed and less than human in front of a group a Caucasian men.

Coldest miller drafts, best bar tender in philly «Chalk» & lots of really great regulars to friend. Best nights… Wednesday friday & Sunday night

This place is a great laid back bar if you want to get away from the usual spots in Northern Liberties. You can tell this is a neighborhood type of bar with the usual regulars, but that makes this place feel authentic. They have a decent draft list and the beers are cheap. This is a cool place if you want to break away from the crowded popular bars.

Great bar!!! There isn’t much I can say about this place. I always have a great time whether with locals or a friend.

if i could live here, i would. i love chalk &john. the end

I can’t put into words how much fun I had here on Saturday night. The dj was playing every bad song we requested, the bartenders were attentive, and the atmosphere was great. Everyone was drinking citywides and singing along to Salt’n’Pepa (but mostly me). One of my favorite dive bars in the city, by far.

If there were such a thing as The Hall of Extraordinary Dive Bars, The Handle Bar would most definitely belong in it. Whatever hipsterity exists here is but a thin veneer, easily wiped away to reveal its true non-​hipster, working class origins.
It’s in a great spot too. Within the context of the rise of NoLibs and Fishtown, it’s near the «center of things» yet simultaneously off the beaten path. I dig that.
I’ve done my time on the dive bar circuit and this place quickly became a favorite of mine. If you like dive bars, you should check it out.
Get fu-​shnickened and be sure to take care of your bartenders.

In Northern Liberties/​Fishtown? Line at Frankford Hall too long? Barcade so packed that you physically can’t fit in to play as the lizard guy in Rampage? Barbary… no, just no. Well, my friends, if you find yourself in this situation, you’re in luck: the Handle Bar sits quietly at a small crossroads between Barcade and the Barbary, and a dim light in the window beckons you come hither.
Upon entering you will feel yourself overdressed and somewhat out of place. Just go with it. Belly up to the bar and order the least terrible beer you see (actually, while the selection generally showcases the broad range of Bud through Miller High Life, they do have a couple of decent beers, usually).
Some of the regulars may give you quizzical glances, wondering why someone with pristine, multicolor Puma sneakers and a shirt that bears an expressionistic take on Donkey Kong would be there. Luckily for you, there is an instantaneous way to endear yourself. Shuffle over to the jukebox and put on some Guns n Roses. Done: you’re in. Before you know it, everyone will be rocking out to Night Train together.
You also have the opportunity to have riveting conversations with its denizens. A very nice lady informed, with a piercing (though I think friendly), scowl that this is a biker bar and it used to be only for REAL bikers before these kids showed up. I responded that I understand and empathize. Luckily, I was a connoisseur of Excitebike on the NES, so I wish these non-​bikers would hit the road (in whatever non-​bike their vehicle might be) too.
If all of this sounds like it might be awesome, 1) we should hang out, and 2) definitely check the Handle Bar out!

Cheap drinks, good beers on tap, karaōke, and they let you smoke inside. Word up. This is the kinda place I can get used to at 1ish in the morning coming back from wherever.
The place isn’t huge, but it doesn’t need to be. Diverse crowd inside, but if I had to nail down the type of crowd, I’d say… well, I dunno. You just have to go there. They’re really friendly. Especially on karaōke night.
I’m a huge sucker for singing songs to strangers, aren’t I?
Oh, and clean bathrooms! You can’t underrate that!
Again, this place was a pleasant find amongst many overhyped and overcrowded bars in the area. Will be back.

I’m a sucker for a good dive bar. I mean, I like gastropubs as much as the next chick, but there is something so nice about being able to go somewhere and spend like 2 bucks for a beer. It’s a comfortable place and our bartenders were pretty awesome. I got there at around 7 and I guess that during happy hour the bartender chicks are all in lingerie. To be honest, I didn’t really notice, but that could just be a sign that I’ve been spending too much time at Trestle Inn. Anyway. Drinks are cheap, bartenders are friendly, and the drinks are cheap and the bartenders are friendly.
They don’t accept credit cards, which is probably a good thing since it’s the sort of place where you might feel an overwhelming urge to start buying rounds of shots.
Also, I know all the non-​smokers are getting their panties in a twist about it being smoky in here. Get over it. They allow smoking. It’s going to be smoky and you probably won’t like it for that reason. However, you do have the option of going to any of the 4 zillion other bars in Philly that don’t allow smoking. So there’s that.

I tried to go to The Handle Bar on a Saturday night. While most bars in Philadelphia have banned smoking, The Handle Bar still allows it. The bar was so full of smoke that I could hardly see or breathe. I had to leave immediately.
So, if you are a non-​smoker, this is not the bar for you.

Pretty much my favorite dive bar right now. The bar tenders are awesome, and while youd think the crowd would be a bunch of uptight blue collar dudes, they are actually awesome. Every time I go here the few regulars cool as hell and will buy you drinks if you arent a total asshole. Ive gotten more drunk here than almost every other place in the city because the atmosphere just lends itself to drinking.
Jukebox is awesome too, it only accepts old 5 $ bills which is hilarious and its fun to put on 13 minute metalcore songs and not have anyone complain.
Buy union

Some dives are fun dives, and some dives are just dives. This is just a dive, complete with rude bartenders who try to start fights with your friends and waaaay too much smoke (I am not at all sensitive to a smoky bar, but this was too much for me).
Two stars goes for VERY cheap drinks and a space that can 14 boisterous friends no problem.
Les and Doreen’s is about 127 832 470 times more fun, and less than a mile away.

I only go out there on Sunday evenings but:
The Handle Bar is what a bar is suppose to be… You walk in, people are talking, good music (Sunday is bring in your own ipod mix night), you get a beer that doesn’t cost your an arm and a leg and you chill.
The bartender on Sunday nights is Chalk, he will leave you alone unless you need a drink or your actually want to talk. He is a young guy but an old school bartender, keeps the bar clean, your drink full and will have a conversation about anything. The game is always on, but doesn’t drown out everything else. And the atmosphere is the perfect mix of dive bar, local, and under the train track bar that you will ever see in Philly.
All in all a must stop on Sunday nights to come and meet people from the neighborhood and talk about anything and everything.
Drop in have a beer and say hi to Chalk, you won’t regret it.

Yo.
First off I appreciate this place for being a laid back, Philly flavor bar close to the Barbary, where you can kick some drinks between bands when the Barb is doing their all ages thing.
Second off… friend face and I dropped in here (night before Memorial Day weekend) and got… about eight thousand free shots, a history lesson on the gentrification of the neighborhood from a lifer (it was actually really interesting), tons of attention for dancing like scandalous whores, an invitation to a block party tonight, a story about how there were a bunch of drunk cops a block away shooting off their guns for no good reason… and a «just for fun» fist fight in an alley at 2 AM. My knuckles look so hot right now.
If my description hasn’t sold you on this place… you should probably not hang out in Fishtown by yourself after dark… or ever.