Local 44
Local 44 describes themselves as a neighborhood beer joint, and that is exactly what I found upon entering the giant double doors on 44th and Spruce in West Philly on Sunday night. Every weeknight Local 44 has a good old fashioned happy hour where you can drink off the work day with $3 local beers. They also recently implemented a brunch from 11am-3pm on Weekends with entrees ranging from $8-$15.
The dimly lit bar features Quizzo every Sunday night at 9pm. Get there early, as I arrived ten minutes beforehand and all the wooden booths we’re occupied with a combination of regular Quizzo players and locals grabbing a late dinner. This isn’t a sports bar. There is one flat screen above the bar that was showing the Yankees/Red Sox game on mute. You definitely won’t find Miller Lite here, but you will find a carefully cultivated selection of both local and international beers.
The handwritten blackboard beer menu boasts a tremendous selection of on tap beers ranging from a Philadelphia Brewing Co. Walt Wit for $4.40 to a Cuvée Des Trolls for $7.70. Don’t like either of those? You have 16 other options to choose from.
Two beers are available on cask (hand pumped for the beer-illiterate like myself), which included a Yards IPA and ESA for $5.50. They also served Orval Trappist Ale, a bottled Belgian pale ale. The website also advertises a gluten free beer selection for the wheat-intolerant.
The clientele at Local 44 is a mature one, with people enjoying their drinks rather than chugging them. Sunday night welcomed a variety of age ranges, including a couple in their mid-40s who killed us in Quizzo. My only gripe was the temperature. It was a muggy 84 degrees outside and the bar did not offer much relief.
The menu boasts some normal bar fare—beer fries and delicious smelling hot wings - but also has a great roster of vegetarian and vegan options. Try the pastrami spiced seitan reuben. You’ll thank me.
If you love beer and want to sit among other enthusiasts then I recommend you walk, run, bike (there is a huge bike rack filled with vintage bikes right outside the bar), or take a cab to Local 44. It’s definitely worth trek over the Schuylkill.
Laura recently moved back to Philly after spending four years in the Penn State bubble known as Happy Valley. She is currently working as the night editor for Xfinity.com. Follow her on Twitter @HibbsDontLie.
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