This is a little hole in the wall that we found when wandering out of the Christmas Village, bellys full of Brats and in need of a beer. Everyone was super friendly, the bartender especially, and eclectic gal with tons of charm! We had a ton of fun. Prices were cheap, and we weren't shunned for not being local regulars.
Review Source:Oscar's...
I love you!!!
This bar is truly Philadelphia.
dirty, cheap, and fun. 3 dollar draft beers at 22 ounces each. five dollar whisky sours. Â and for five bucks, a decent sandwich, the best mozzarella sticks in the city, or mini pierogies with a portion cup of fried onion on the side?!?! count me in!!
Oscar's is a real dive bar. Â We went here on a thursday afternoon around 5. Â It was packed. Â There wasn't a seat at the bar, and I didn't see more then one open table. Â The bartender was really nice and promptly served us. Â
I ordered a kenzinger (large) which was only 5 bucks. Â Can't beat a big cheap bear. Â The patrons range from corporate suits, to college kids in t shirts, 30 somethings, and a group of 50ish men. Â I noticed that by the bar is where they make food. Â I didn't ask to look at a menu but from the amount of cheese steaks and fries I saw coming out, I'm guessing that the menu is limited. Â Or it could be that that's the "must have" when you eat here. Â
Some dive bars have the gross vibe, this just has a dive cool vibe. Â It reminds me a lot of Tony's Baltimore Grill in Atlantic City, a bar I grew up going to. Â They don't have many of these spots around anymore.
I must have walked by this place a dozen or so times when I used to work in center city. Â Didn't think much of it. Â Was just introduced to it this past weekend and loved it. Â Cheap beer and cheap food. Â They had $3.75 for 23oz domestic drafts all night, I think. Â I got the Oscar burger which was a standard hockey puck with cheese, lettuce and tomato for five bucks and change. Â They got some tvs, a little bit of space and a touch tunes. What more do you want.
If you're looking for an awesome dive bar in Philly, this is it.
Definition of a great dive bar. It smells weird, is a little outdated, and has the strangest mix of people. The bartenders are nice enough. The drinks are mad cheap (3.25 for 22oz) and the food specials are great. Cash only. I hear on Wednesdays they have Swag Night and that its pretty cool, but I've yet to go. Definitely on the to-do list.
Review Source:I came here specifically for the cheesesteaks. For around $6-$7 they were a good price. It was also more than I expected because they give you an extra half after 5pm. The steak itself was tasty and I liked how thinly cut it was. However I found the bread to be a bit too doughy and dry. It also needed more cheese. They have cheap beers and a good variety on the menu though so I wouldn't mind going back.
Review Source:I've only been to Oscar's twice. The first time around, it was super crowded, and had a terrible stench.I was not impressed. I generally frequent gastropubs since I'm a foodie, but I'm a down girl from the hood. I can branch out and enjoy a dive here and there.
My second time was on a weeknight so my date and I were able to sit and hear each other. The beer list has more than the simple Millers, Buds, and PBRs, which is a plus. I haven't had anything to eat here and I almost never see any of the other patrons munching away. However, the star of the place seems to be the jukebox.
Good, reasonably priced beers, laid-back atmosphere, and an interactive attraction; I'm a fan!
My host and I happen to stumble upon this place looking for a decent cheesesteak (as I am from out of town). Upon inquiring about said foodstuff, the smoking guy outside of the door merely stated, 'Here you get steak and a half!'. Considering that both of us were pretty hungry, that sealed our fate to entering what looked like a shady establishment (at least from my west coast eyes).
Upon entering, it was dark, crowded, loud, and had a pretty positive vibe in the air. Couldn't see many faces, but it sounded like they were all pretty happy. We managed to snag down a server to request a booth, and good thing we did, as the server made it happen (to the chagrin of the group behind us. I know, we're only two, but we both had heavy bags).
As I am not a beer drinker, I was unsure as to what to order for a beverage. Luckily, my host had an idea, and I merely ordered what she did (we had two of whatever she ordered, which I should have remembered). That, along with the 'steak and a half' really hit the spot and allowed some bonding to happen.
I think the whole thing came out to like $30, so I was rather surprised of the cost-effectiveness for something in downtown Philly. If I'm ever back again, I may take a detour for a 'steak and a half'.
Oscars is the best dive bar in the city. Â There are a few things you need to know before going into Oscars's Tavern:
1. Â They don't take cards. Â This usually would annoy me, but trust me... you won't be spending too much money here. Â Which brings me to my next point...
2. Â $3 GIANT beers all day every day. Â I think they're 22oz. Â All I know is that one of these and I'm good to go for a while... from $3. Â Don't come expecting fancy cocktails or craft beer. Â Get a Yuengling or Miller Light and be happy with that.
3. Â The service here is friendly, they will leave you alone to hang out so don't be shy about asking for more beer when you need it.
4. Â While the service is good, the atmosphere is exactly that of a dive bar. Â It's a little gross. Â Small. Â Dark. Â It smells like old beer and fried food (which they DO have cooking up right in the front... YUM!). Â
If you take Oscars for what it is, it's a freakin' awesome place to be. Â Enjoy the cheap beer in a casual bar and go somewhere else to impress your friends.
Although it's been some time since I was last there, I have many fond memories of Oscar's. The aroma of grease and fried food hits you immediately as you enter by the cooking station located by the front door. Narrow and long, the setup is a little difficult to navigate when the crowds fill the place. The prices on tall beers can't be beat, and this place has two things going for it that any good tavern should: the lighting is dim and the jukebox offers an excellent selection of music to match your drinking mood. A very worthwhile stop for beer and bar fare.
Review Source:Yup, it's a dive. Â But that's usually what I'm looking for. Â Cheap beer, no pretentiousness , and lots of fried things. Â What more do I have to say, did you want the downside of this place? It's cash only and in a part of Philly that I don't normally hang. Â Aside from that it's a great place to lay low and drink or pregame. Â Resolution for 2013? Â More fried stuff.
Review Source:I love Oscar's Tavern. As a patron who usually doesn't frequent dives, I have to admit upon first entering I was mortified. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous.
When I went for the first time last year it was dark, looked dirty, smelled like old beer and there was a drunk guy stumbling around and in the back that my friend and I were guessing if he was a regular or an employee. The glasses didn't look too clean and the grill was exposed and part of the bar.
Once you get past all that, you have ridiculously cheap beer in large quantities. They used to have Lionshead on tap. My love for shitty beer appreciated this. They now have PBR on tap. This warmed my heart.
I still haven't ordered any food here and don't think that I ever will because the guy cooking it skeeves me out, but my friends have drunkenly munched on fries and chicken tenders and they didn't seem too lethal.
Beware, this place is cash only and the closest ATM is in Bar 1518 a few doors only. Also, if you want the most bang for your buck, get the tall boys and Lager is always on special.
A very good beer and shot bar. Beware it is a cash only location without an ATM. It doesn't completely take away from it, but it can be inconvenient if you aren't aware or it. Typically multiple beers on tap with a low key crowd. Just typically full of locals in the area.
Great bar if you are looking for a dive bar but still want to be in a good part of the city.
Solid Dive Bar.
Great backup when your friends realize how much Ladder 15 sucks.
Their fries are really good, super crispy. Their cheese fries are that delicious kind of cheese wiz that you know just comes out of a giant repulsive can, but it's just so bad it's good.
Very cheap drinks.
Wow, this place is a VERY locals-only kind of place. You walk in and are greeted with a the smell of fried foods and the sight of a thousand Phillies shirts. None of this is a bad thing, but a bit jarring when your previous stop that night was Franklin.
I had the massive long island (obviously) which was drinkable and --did I mention?-- massive. No regrets there. I could see myself coming back here when I'm in the mood for a no-frills night of cheap booze and sports on the TVs.
The bathrooms did, however, make me want to vomit.
So this is how the conversation went with the guys I was with when they suggested this place.
Them: Do you like dive bars?
Me: Sure
Them: How about going to the shittiest bar in Philly
Me: Seriously, the shittiest bar in Philly?
Them: Well the shittiest that serves food
Me: What are we waiting for?
So what is there to not love about this place. The surly/inappropriate bartenders, the fact the bouncer/ID checker was actually a regular who was getting paid with beer, the homeless guy out front who was asking for money eventually got enough to come inside to buy beer, I mean do I need I continue? You should totally be sold at this point.
The atmosphere is what makes this place. There are regulars who are interesting to say the least. Then there are college kids. Then there are homeless people. Then there are business people in suits. Its one hell of a weird mix, but it totally feels right.
The beer is crazy cheap and they actually have some half decent selections. The draft beers are very large yet are priced the same as bottles so unless your really picky just get the draft. Its a way better deal. Then there is the food. I was a bit hesitant to order food here at first, but the guys assured me it was safe enough and actually pretty good. The sandwiches are surprisingly good and are as cheap as the beer.
So head on in, enjoy some cheap ass beer and take in the weirdness.
$6.50 For a lager and a cheese steak and a 1/2?!?!?
I'm sold.
I love this place. Â A nice cozy spot during happy hour that fills up quickly. Â Go here and you'll see why. Â The tall lager glasses for the price are a steal, and it's just a great place to chill with a small to relatively large group of your friends (provided that you do get a spot to sit at).
If you don't get a spot to sit down at, fear not, stand around the bar (narrow spot, I know) but something usually opens up. Â If you're lucky, you might see Ernest Hemingway sitting in his usual spot by the bar (that's what my friends call him anyway).
It is cash only. Â I still shake my head whenever I see someone try to pay with card... haha.
I love cheap dirty bars. I used to live and work at one, but I guess I shouldn't have come here starving and after having fancy glasses of wine at a nice fundraiser at a hoity-toity steakhouse. I got a sausage sandwich and promptly puked it up, it was so nasty. It made my stomach recoil on contact. I think it may have actually been a turd in a bun. Cheese fries were OK, made with actual Cheez Whiz, yay. You can tell by that plasticky aftertaste that only brand name Cheez Whiz has! My giant beer was nice to look at but warm and took about 10 tries at the waitress and bartenders to actually get. OK, it's really cheap, but it doesn't matter if it's so piss warm that I can't drink it. I'd rather spend $4 on something I can actually consume than $2.50 on nothing. Also I'm pretty sure the cook relieved himself in it. And Jesus Christ Mr. White, are all of the staff members on crystal meth?!
Like I said, I like gross nasty cheap bars best, but at least pour me a beer the first or second time I ask for it, and stop trying to tell me to ask a different server. I asked YOU! You're at the damn bar!
Oh, Oscar's. Where do I begin? The 23oz draft beers? The drug-dealing kitchen staff? The cheesesteaks? Â If you stick around long enough, you will probably see 1.) a fight 2.) someone fall off their stool 3.) a pregnant woman smoking 4.) all of the above.
Enjoy!
EDIT 12 Jan 2012: to be clear, Oscar's does NOT allow smoking, whether one is pregnant or not.
"Cafuné" is a Brazilian Portuguese word meaning "The act of tenderly running one's fingers through someone's hair."
The first time I was at Oscar's, there was a man sitting at the bar with what can only be described as televangelist hair (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indypendent.org%2Fwp-content%2Fphotos%2Fpage3_Rev_Billy.jpg&s=fb41e59da68675855cb17c0c52ec7405a4e44b0f872f9a2be976222ce16f0823" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.indypendent.o…</a>). My friend dared herself to pull a cafuné, because that's how she rolls. So she sidled up to the bar, introduced herself, confessed a desire to stroke that silky mane, and was given the go-ahead. Hilarity ensued.
Oscar's is a glorious dive where you can drink cheaply and get your cafuné on. Enjoy.
Dive-tastic.
Upon walking in, you will smell the odor that is Oscar's. Â It's probably left over from years of smoke. Â It's a little dim, there are a couple of TVs, booths and tables in the back.
Beer is on the menu here. Â I've never ordered anything else. Â You come here to have a decent draft for a really good price. Â If you're short on change, Lager bottles will do just fine for ya.
I'd bring a group of friends and get a little rowdy. Â That's basically the accepted code of conduct. Â The waitresses might have a little bit of an attitude, but it's understandable. Â Kudos to them for putting up with all the drunks that make there way in here.
Don't forget to wash your clothes after coming here. Â The stench on your soul however is not coming off and you'll be back.
I get the appeal of a dive bar. I just don't think Oscars does. Drinking at Oscars is the equivalent of stuffing your coat with slightly skunked beers and riding the Patco train from NJ.
Apparently, spilling your beer is a group activity.
For the same reason I don't want to buy my steak from a slaughter house, I don't want to eat fried food prepared in the front of the bar.
The booths are too small for more than two, and you must order from the bar. The upside is you can have a front row seat when its time for the ceremonial spilling of the tall beer.
Like a mangy stray, I'm sure somebody loves Oscar. In my minds eye though, i picture Dirty frank and Mr. McGlinchey walking by quickly with noses upturned.
An ugly stew of derelicts, hipsters, and classless underagers. The red vinyl swells and moans under you as each new degenerate enters to the sound of hot grease licking water in the make-due kitchen next to the doorway. Â The smell is smoke and sweat, and for some reason the 23oz beers just seem wetter coming out of these draughts.
No matter what the weather is outside, once you sit down in here, it always feels like its raining.
This place is good.
I spent my last night in Philadelphia at Oscar's and I had the time of my life. Â It was a friend's birthday, so we had a large group. Â We all drank a fair bit, and had a round of shots, and the total bill was some ridiculously low number like $150. Â Oscar's, I love you.
And one last thing: Â The German Burger - BELIEVE THE HYPE. Â That was, hands down, the best burger I've eaten in my life. Â I'm not even a burger person, really, but I made it my mission to try it based solely on the glowing reviews of my fellow yelpers, and I was not disappointed! Â My tastebuds experienced the sublime last night, and to be honest, I'm not surprised it was at Oscar's - that place really is a hidden gem, and will be dearly missed upon my immediate departure from Philadelphia.
There is no real reason to serve 23 ounce Long Island Iced Teas. Â A L.I.T. in a pint glass is certainly adequate for all stripes of boozehounds, but Oscar's takes it right past the line of logic.
I saw our young, bruised waitress sweep up broken glass three times in our visit there. Â Also sweeping up spilt pierogies (at least paper plates can't shatter), and policing the many underagers who attempted to get served.
Oscar's is such a dive: a smoke-filled room, sticky vinyl booths, cash only. But surely the cheapest hangover you will every purchase.
Gotta love a dive bar with a friendly waitress. She didn't even give me attitude when I knocked over and broke one of their very tall beer glasses of which I had a few rounds of the $5 flying fish.
I wish I had known their kitchen closed around 10, cause I was hungry and really could have used a nice plate of fries.
It feels like my great uncles basement, only dingier and I don't have to sneak sips when the grown ups aren't looking. Also they have 1960 era place mats with old school cocktails on them. Very stylish - I just wish you could order off of it.
Oscar's is a bit hard to find, overshadowed by the Nodding Head sign and the stream of fit bodies flowing into the hot yoga studio next door, but it's worth finding. Why? Because its dark in there, and cool, and none of the people inside look like the belong together. That's the secret - there is no scene. The beer is cheap, the music is good, and it's a great place to hide out for awhile when stuck in Center City.
Yes, it smells. Like grease. Because everything you can order is deep fat fried. But hey, if you don't like it, don't eat there. Just grab yourself a booth, order up a "tall" beer (24 oz. Lager) and put your feet up. Do it again next week while playing hooky from work. You won't regret it.
This place fit me like Cinderella's slipper fit that damn Disney princess. Between the cheap beer that just kept coming, the jukebox that played songs I haven't heard in years and the heart-attack inducing french fries, I was in love from the moment I walked through the door. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that iI was with a group of about 10 of my awesome Yelp friends, but hot damn, it was a glorious party. The waitress called us "honey" (I'm a sucker for that) and it got louder and louder the later it got. Oh, and it was only Tuesday. Now if that isn't a ringing endorsement for a dive bar, then I don't know what is. Just remember that when you wake up the next morning with your new gang name written on your inner thigh in sharpie.
Oscar's is totally my new crush.
When I think of the name Oscar the first few things that come to mind are a well versed classic poet, a statue that awards excellence in cinema, and a slovenly green puppet that lives in a trash can. And when it comes down to it Oscar's would probably be a welcome spot for all of them.
Stopped at Oscar's for the first time to catch up with even more Yelpers after enjoying some sushi at Moshi Moshi and it was definitely my kind of dive. I thought that I've seen big glasses of beer and huge Long Island Iced Teas before. But Oscar's took both to whole new levels. The crowd was a good mix of old and grubby to young and hip. But I guess that just shows that cheap booze is something that everyone can agree on. The jukebox was kind of sparse, but I was able to get my Weezer and Prince on.
Beer as tall as ey can see,
Towering high, way above me,
Pour a glass and toast the air,
Wave and wink, to the maiden fair.
This is Oscar's, Tavern Inn,
Comfort for the wretched sin,
Take a seat and drink your fit,
Once you start, ye never quit.
Oscar's, Oscar's, bar and all,
Serving lager proportions tall,
Where else can you get R&R?
Sansom isn't very far...
This is my favorite bar in Philadelphia.
It's dark. Â It's not too crowded (except for Friday night after work...stay away). Â And the drinks are giant and cheap for the most part. Â Just watch out for getting Oscar'd, since the beers and shots are twice as big as usual. Â You may leave wondering what's going on if you only had 4 beers and 2 shots. Â It's a lot easier to do the math the next morning.
I'm not so sure why most people on here seem kind of scared of the food. Â Stopping at Oscar's after work for a beer and a burger is one of my guilty pleasures. Â Anyone I've ever convinced to get a German Burger (provolone, sweet peppers and egg) has been hooked right away. Â And if that's not your thing, they give you a steak and a half on any steak they have after 5 PM. Â A side of fries is, like $1.75. Â Which is my kind of price.
Someone recently told me that Bill the bartender used to work over at Davio's and makes the best Manhattan in the city. Â I've also seen him telling people that his wife told him not to buy anything else from crackheads. Â He then promptly bought some stuff off a gentleman who fit this description.
They are closed on Sundays, so don't try it. Â Also, it's cash only and there's no ATM. Â But there are plenty close by if you need to run out to get money / more money. Â There's also a cigarette machine out of view in the back past the bathrooms if you need it. Â It took me about a year and a half to realize it was there.
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