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. McGillin's recently expanded its draft selection from 10 beers to 22 and offers a fine selection of regional craft beers. This column originally appeared in All About Beer magazine in September 1996. 1996 Chautauqua Inc.