Dirty Frank's

 

 

Dirty Franks is a cool little dive bar in the rich section of Philly, it sticks out like a sore thumb but the new mural's they put up make it seem more quaint, but Frank is not fooling me. If you like dirty dive bars, Frank's is your spot, if you like cheap drinks, Frank's gotz you, if you are down on your luck, Yep, Frank's. If you hate life, FRANK'S! The atmosphere is that of a dingy dive bar, possibly the dingiest in the whole city. It smells funny in here. I opted for some Yuengling bottles because well, I just don't want to put my mouth on anything that has been here for a while, alot of shame has been building up on those pint glasses for decades and I don't want to catch any cold's. If you know what your ordering drink wise the bartenders will take care of you, if your like "what do you have in terms of", the bartender will walk away quick and I don't blame him, it's a dive bar people, act accordingly. I did notice alot of dumbasses in here during my stay and it's because the surrounding neighborhood is full of them. The selection consists of regular dive bar beer and a few local micro's if that's your thing. I did not try the food and I did not hit up the bathrooms, I was trying to get in and out as clean as possible. Frank's is a great dive.

Wow. This is a Philly institution. A true dive, not in the faux Coyote Ugly BS way, but in its true essense.

Some memories from two Saturday night trips:
- huge bar, with lots of seats.
- very old with a wonderful sense of everyday history there.
- only one bartender working plus a doorman - low payroll,
- two dartboards where we beat a cocky Pheobe from Friends and Gregory Hines - kicked her cocky ass! She wouldn't play us when we saw her a 2nd time.
- truly horrific bathrooms with no soap and a huge puddle of something on the floor,
- Yards and Victory on tap,
- a good sized, very diverse, friendly crowd.

If you are in the neighborhood, it is a great place to hang out.

This place is indeed a riot. Always a mixed crowd of rowdy South Philly boys, homeless men, old salty regulars spending their pension, and an array of young Univ. of the Arts hipsters trying to feel cool because they're slummin' it in a dive, and not their parents Main Line mansion. Besides these last jerks, the bar is a laid back place for a shot of whiskey and a pint of whatever tastes good. Truly eclectic and rundown interior, but with snappy bartenders. I guess it would be my "local bar" since I live three blocks away, but I prefer others for their selection, though this place wins it for interesting atmosphere and dirt cheap prices. Impressive choice given so few taps, and the bottles include local micros like Flying Fish as well as classics like Anchor. The more I go the more I fall in love with this place. Possibly one of the most charming bars in all of Philadelphia, definitely colored with loads of local and varied flavor. A true landmark in the booze history of this city.

Tap-list as of 1/22/04:
Yards Pynk
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Yuengling Black & Tan
Yuengling Lager
Victory Prima Pils
Guinness
Miller (? - something macro I couldn't remember)

Dirty Frank's is an artist's bar at 13th and Pine. The outside is painted with a mural that shows famous Franks (Zappa, FDR, Aretha FRANKlin, etc.) but that was only put up a few years ago to help appease the neighbors with a cleaner look. Inside it's still gritty! The crowd is truly Bohemian and includes an unusual combination of students (mostly U. of the Arts), the Pine Street "rainbow", and older people ...meaning the elderly (maybe they've been regulars here for decades). The bar is grungy and hip - possibly the most interesting bar to look at in the city with its wide array of oddities and bric-abrac... or should I say flotsam and jetsam as the collection of vagrant wheel covers calls for such a term! But there's also some Mexican decorations (hats, day of the dead masks, pinatas, steer horns) that were obviously put up at one point, a sculling oar and seat, and a "modern" mobile a la Calder along with the odd bits like a rubber chicken and the Christmas decorations that are still up from what seems like a decade ago. And then there's the "Off The Wall Gallery" that features the work of many local artists above the booths on the far side of the bar. The draft selection is limited but cheap ($2 Yuengling pints). Other highlights include Victory, Sierra Nevada, and a possible rotation but there are only 6 taps and one is always Guinness. The bottled selection is a bit better, and you can find Beck's Dark, Newcastle Brown, Anchor Steam, Harp, Dundee's Honey Brown, Foster's, Paulaner Hefe, Chimay Premiere and Yuengling's Lord Chesterfield as well as the new-retro-hip cans of Old Milwaukee and PBR. The food is limited as well, although the pizza isn't bad for $3.50 and you can get a quick dog or sausage for $1/$1.50. Occassionally they'll fire up the crock and serve some chili! There's usually great conversation to be had (although there is a TV), and there's pinball, video poker, Quizzo on Wednesday nights, American darts played on an English board (?), a bookshelf loaded with well-worn treasures and a very ecclectic jukebox that features Marilyn Monroe (...not Manson), Bob Marley, Commander Cody, Stan Getz, Cream, and Depeche Mode to name a few. The bathrooms are a wreck and it's very smokey even when only half-full. 'Nuff said?