McGillin's Olde Ale House

Drury Street in Philadelphia is but a block long, but McGillin's Olde Ale House is a fine reason to wander down what first looks like an alley. McGillin's is the city's oldest tavern, and the wall behind the bar is decorated with licenses dating to 1860, which somehow survived a devastating fire in 1971.

In the midst of them is a carved sign of a hand holding a bell, for which the pub was originally named. William McGillin converted a small "trinity" rowhouse into the "Bell in Hand" in 1860. He and his wife, Catherine, raised 12 children in rooms above the taproom, which eventually expanded into two adjoining homes. The McGillins offered free potatoes with butter, and when a patron ordered beer, William McGillin climbed into the cellar to get a foaming mug straight from the keg.

William McGillin died in 1901, but his wife, known as "Ma," lived until 1937, operating the tavern as a popular lunch spot through Prohibition and reopening it as a bar before she died. Two brothers ran McGillin's for 35 years, and in 1993 Chris and Mary Ellen Mullins (she is one of the brother's daughters) took over the place.

You wouldn't know today that disco balls once hung from the ceiling, and the walls were covered with paneling. A red tile floor dates to the turn of the century, thick pillars support the beamed ceiling, and historic pictures and signs cover the walls. Long wooden tables fill the tavern, and a large stone fireplace dominates the back wall.

There's little seating at the bar itself, because much of the space is given up to the area where food is handed out at lunch. McGillin's does a brisk lunch business using the ticket system. You pick out what you want, including beer, and a server marks your ticket. When you're done, you stop by the door and pay. Full service is available upstairs, where there is a second bar.

When Philadelphia's theater district was larger, this was a popular gathering spot for actors, who could slip in through the back door. Will Rogers, John Barrymore, Tennessee Williams, Ethel Merman and scores of others drank here. Billy Daniels even sang "That Old Black Magic" for customers one night.

McGillin's offers 22 on tap, including a fine selection of regional craft beers.

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October 1996