Shortly after the Liberty Bell cracked, and long before ground was broken for City Hall, McGillin’s Olde Ale House threw open its doors. Its beer taps have been flowing since 1860 -- making it the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia. McGillin’s has outlasted Strawbridge’s, the Civil War and even Prohibition. McGillin's is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
Originally called The Bell in Hand, the tavern opened 149 years ago inside a small row house. The laborers who frequented the place just called it "McGillin’s," after William McGillin, the Irish immigrant who owned the bar and raised his 13 children upstairs. The nickname stuck, and the tavern grew to encompass the oyster house next door, the back alley/washroom and the McGillin’s house.
On Aug. 31, 1901, Pa McGillin died, and Ma McGillin took over running the restaurant. No pushover, Ma had a list of troublemakers who weren’t allowed into McGillin’s. This list read like the Philadelphia society pages at the time; it was quite an honor to be listed!
McGillin’s survived prohibition, and Ma ran it until her death in 1937, at the age of 90. The McGillins’ daughter, Mercedes McGillin Hooper, who grew up above the tavern, sold it to brothers and experienced barkeeps, Henry Spaniak and Joe Shepaniak in 1958. (That’s not a mistake, the brothers actually spelled their names differently.)
Keeping it in the family, Henry’s daughter, Mary Ellen Spaniak Mullins and her husband, Chris Mullins have run the restaurant since 1993. Mary Ellen and Chris’ son, Christopher Jr. (Henry’s grandson), recently joined the business, and Mary Ellen’s sister, Kate Newcomer, (another of Henry’s daughters) is the general manager.
Over the years, McGillin's has become a great place for celebrity-spotting. Many celebrities have frequented the friendly tavern, tucked into one of Philadelphia’s littlest streets. This includes Will Rogers, Tennessee Williams, Thomas Eakins, Ethel Merman, Vincent Price, the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Alice Faye, Francis Strawbridge, John Wanamaker, John and Ethel Barrymore, Steve Carlton, David Merrick and Frank Rizzo. That tradition has continued in recent years, with visits from Robin Williams, Ed Bradley, Will Ferrell, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Philadelphia Flyers Scottie Upshall, Joffrey Lupul and Scott Hartnell.
In October 2008, Gourmet magazine named McGillin's to its list of the 14 coolest bars in the U.S. McGillin's was named one of the top 100 nightclubs and bars in the U.S. by editors of Nightclub & Bar magazine in 2007 and 2008. McGillin's is routinely named Philadelphia's best Irish pub.
McGillin's is now part of Midtown Village. That's the new name for the 13th and Sansom Street neighborhood. It's full of galleries, restaurants, boutiques, lofts and more. McGillin’s is centrally located in the heart of Center City, just a block from city hall, and three blocks from the convention center.
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Shortly after the Liberty Bell cracked, and long before ground was broken for City Hall, McGillin’s Olde Ale House threw open its doors. Its beer taps have been flowing since 1860 -- making it the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia. McGillin’s has outlasted Strawbridge’s, the Civil War and even Prohibition. McGillin's is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
Originally called The Bell in Hand, the tavern opened 149 years ago inside a small row house. The laborers who frequented the place just called it "McGillin’s," after William McGillin, the Irish immigrant who owned the bar and raised his 13 children upstairs. The nickname stuck, and the tavern grew to encompass the oyster house next door, the back alley/washroom and the McGillin’s house.
On Aug. 31, 1901, Pa McGillin died, and Ma McGillin…
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