Local 44

Local 44Local 44
Local 44Local 44
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

4333 Spruce St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-4707
United States

(215) 222-2337 | map
local44beerbar.com

Every day: 11:30am-2:00am
Kitchen open until midnight.
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.33
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
66
pDev:
8.55%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.3 by CanConPhilly from Pennsylvania

Jan 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.56 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Jul 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Aug 28, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by Craft_Imperial from Pennsylvania

Dec 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by stevehagy from New York

Dec 02, 2015
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Rated by Sparger from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Great Place, great atmosphere, really cool staff
Jun 20, 2015
Photo of jophish17
Reviewed by jophish17 from Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -9.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Spent a few hours here late one Sunday evening. Trivia was being played, and the bar was packed with college-aged kids and young professionals. Cool bar, not too big or loud, it suited my preferred beer bar needs. Great tap list with about 20 beers on offer, with a variety of stouts, IPAs and German styles. Cocktail list was intriguing, too. Everything was fresh, I enjoyed some local specials. Food was pretty good as well, mostly “upscale” bar food like sandwiches and fish and chips. If I went to school in Philly, I too would have frequented Local 44.
Jun 13, 2015
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Rated by Reds76 from Maine

4.59/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Had my first Pliny the Elder here. Their beer selection is excellent!
May 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.38 by WS_Transplant from North Carolina

Feb 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.93 by Child_Pugh from Rhode Island

Feb 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by Seer_One from New Jersey

Jan 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.39 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Jan 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Dec 23, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Phillyz from Pennsylvania

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by newbeeraday from Pennsylvania

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.35 by FightinIrish88 from New Jersey

Nov 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by kwa357 from Pennsylvania

Sep 06, 2014
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.56/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.5
*** A little re-reviewing ***

I went back to Local 44 after my first visit more than three years ago. Service is still great, beer selection is damn fine and the ambience is as cozy as ever. But I found the food (at least the sandwich I ordered) to be super delicious. The pastrami seitan sandwich with perfectly melt-y Swiss cheese is to die for. Must be one of the best vegan concoctions EVAH!

---
My fifth and final stop of my Philly beer tour (after Monk's, Foodery, Yards and Kraftwork).

The wife and I were lucky enough to find parking near and a table at Local 44 on a Friday night. The place was packed (all tables taken, two-people deep at the bar), but still manageable. This is not one of those bars that, when crowded, makes you want to chop somebody in half with your pocket chainsaw before leaving.

Ambience is cozy and warm, like a mountain lodge full of inoffensive, friendly Philly hipsters, complete with beards, stevedore's caps and the whole uniform.

They offer 18 taps and 2 casks (Yards plus Fuller's London Porter when I visited). A good mix of American crafts and quality Belgian and German imports: Ommegang, Oskar Blues, Green Flash, Great Divide (Espresso Yeti), Southern Tier, Corsendonk, Schneider Weisse...

Food is very basic, menu limited. Edible and fairly priced, but that's about it. I got a spicy pastrami sandwich that tasted like some nondescript cardboard-y deli meat, while the wife's spicy mac was more like a forgettable Mexican pasta salad, utterly devoid of excitement. Fries were truly delicious and salty, though.

Prices are good, $9 for a big sandwich with fries and $5 for small snifters of Southern Tier 2XIPA and Great Divide Espresso Yeti. Wow!

But the best thing about Local 44 is not the beer, not the ambiance but the service. Truly top-notch. Every server complements and helps each other and they all help you, the guest, instead of fencing off questions with the classic "I'll call your server" or "order from the bar". I was stunned. Despite being packed, every server that walked by our table stopped to check on us. AND the bartender himself took the time to step outside the bar and come to our table to take our order. Amazing or what!

Next time I'm in Philly, I'll be coming to Local 44. You bet I will!
Aug 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by macesq from California

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by stakem from Pennsylvania

Jun 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by soulcougher from Pennsylvania

Jun 04, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by GrantBrennan from Pennsylvania

Mar 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Feb 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by hoppymcgee from Maine

Feb 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by razorsdescent from Pennsylvania

Feb 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by JMFP from Delaware

Jan 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by sebrennan from Vermont

Dec 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Dec 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gatordaddy from Maryland

Dec 05, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by CuriousMonk from District of Columbia

Nov 19, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by patm185 from Pennsylvania

Nov 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by Necropsy from Maryland

Nov 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Thirsty2383 from Pennsylvania

Nov 17, 2013
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Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.21/5  rDev -25.9%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25 | food: 2.5
Kind of a pretentious divey place. It's got the smell of a wino bar but with zinc bar counters. Scrawled and uninformative beer list. The beers are not particularly worth a detour in this beer-rich town. Even as a tourist I found I had drunk most of them.

A vaguely interested bar maid did not add to the welcome. The clientele made me think of Bilbo Baggins in Alexandria on Ladies Night, but with the frat houses within crawling distance it must be a different crowd in the later evening. Food is greasy and also pretentious. Ridiculously hotly spice polenta (and so little of it!). On the plus side, you can take the interesting northside trolley lines and if you walk or ride further out you'll come to the actually worth the trip Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant. [transcribed from notes on May 30, 2012 visit]
Oct 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by Dawkins from Pennsylvania

Oct 10, 2013
Photo of legend8706
Reviewed by legend8706 from Virginia

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This place was on my list of bottle shops to check out while in Philly and I must say it was well worth it! However the prices may be a little steep, drinking a beer on tap while shopping for beer made it worth it! Great customer service, great selection, decent prices make this an ultimate place to check out while in Philly! The one thing that is crazy about this place is that its in West Philly (which isn't the nicest of areas IMHO), but it somehow works for them! The bottle shop is separate from the restaurant, but if you have time do stop by the restaurant and grab a brew and some grub!
Jan 02, 2013
Photo of amphion1065
Reviewed by amphion1065 from Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Boston and Chicago are often described as cities "of neighborhoods." Philadelphia? Not so much, but Local 44 would make me consider it.

Tucked away on a quiet corner in West Philly, Local 44 offers just about everything you'd want in a local bar. The vibe manages to be both hip and inviting, homey and exciting. I've eaten and drank here twice now, and loved each visit. The draft list does a fine job balancing local breweries and beer geek favorites. Sly Fox, Yards and PBC are in good company alongside Great Divide, Lost Abbey, and Franziskaner. There are always one or two offerings on cask, and charmingly only Orval and a gluten-free option in bottles.

Go here with an appetite, though you won't need too much money - there are many options in the sub-$10 range here. On my last visit, I instantly regretted ordering my olive-oil poached, banana pepper-laden tuna melt as soon as I saw my friend's perfectly medium rare burger with a runny fried egg on top. I tend to avoid brunch like the plague, but the sweet potato latkes and maple-glazed hush puppies looked damn fine.

Every staff member is almost definitely cooler than I am. The bartenders and servers wouldn't look out of place in any number of bars in Cambridge or Fort Greene, and they're some of the friendliest beer bar employees I've ever come across. I've drank at the bar and eaten at tables, and the service has been helpful, courteous and incredibly efficient each time.

I'll be back to Local 44 for a PtY tapping or, more likely Sunday night Quizzo. A wonderful spot, one any neighborhood would be proud to call its own.
Oct 14, 2011
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Reviewed by ColForbinBC from New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Started a mini beer excursion here at Local 44. This place isn't that far from my work and has been on my list to check out for quite some time.

A small, clean, bar area and an area with tables separated by a half wall. Mostly wood interior, a very calm, inviting environment.

Their tap list was excellent, anchored by Russian River Damnation and Port Mongo. They also had a couple Allagash's, Ommegang's, a couple locals (Victory, Sly Fox) and some German beers (Ayinger and Franziskaner, I believe.) We were here for the Port Mongo. I had only had it once before and my friend had never had it.

This is a place I have to keep on my radar. They always have some great beers in the rotation and is definitely worth returning on a regular basis.
Sep 19, 2011
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Reviewed by VegasBill from Nevada

4.16/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
Normally I would not travel this far from downtown,but with the promise from fellow BA'ers of so many of my beloved Russian River beers and with the great Philly bus system I went. This is a very small pub but I liked the atmosphere right away.As far as Russian River, one yes my friends one, Damnaton, which is one of the few I dont care for!!
But the bartender was very friendly and helpful and turned me on to the Williams Brothers 7 Giraffes, he explained everything about it and I like it so much and it is a complex beer, for me at least, I had two.
The bartender also said the most of the time they have two or three Russian River selections.
Jul 04, 2011
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Reviewed by pdeepak from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Another place near University City that I make it a point to go to every 2 weeks or so.

The first time I went, I was amazed to find a HEAVY Russian River selection on the chalkboard: Consecration, Damnation, Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder. Needless to say, me and my friends quaffed them all and the guy behind the bar was extremely helpful. They have a nice rotating selection and vibe of the place is cool and very neighborhoody. Was also there for the FIFA world cup and had a blast.

The food is good: stick with standard bar fare as the wings are amazing and the burger and fries was out of this world.
Jan 08, 2011
Local 44 in Philadelphia, PA
Place rating: 4.33 out of 5 with 66 ratings