Like Erin G., I had been awaiting the opening of this place for some time, walking past on my way home from work to check out the progress toward the end of december, hoping that one day I would be able to walk 10 minutes and saddle up to a heavenly beer bar. My friend Pearce and I went in on Jan. 1st to taste the beer and sample some food and we were not disappointed. Russian River Blind Pig, my favorite IPA at the moment was on tap as well as 19 other intriguing brews. We tried samples of the veggie burger, outfitted with two patties in a very smart move, the corn dog bites which were yummy and some tasty fries. Yesterday I stopped in for an after work drink with my friends Duwayne and Julia and we had Hop Wallop on cask (yeehoo!) and I had an Elysian IPA that was so-so. We tried the tofu tacos which were good except the tofu was a little plain. I told Brendan when he asked me if there was anything I would change about them that I would marinate them (Duwayne had actually suggested it) and Brendan thanked me and said I was the second person who told him that. All signs point to success, I would say. One thing I would like to see is some sort of happy hour, $1 off or maybe a redhead happy hour like they have at Memphis. Go readheads! I will certainly be back in to sample more of the menu and help empty more kegs. Hooray! read more

Local 44 might be closer to a 3 star, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to knock it down to 2 just to even out the insanely high ratings everyone else is yelping for this place. Yes, Local 44 is the best such bar of its type in West Philly-- but the best at what? Emulating a Northern Liberties bar? The service is fine, pretty neutral, and the beer selection is certainly there, but I find it to be a little pretentious and there's definitely some overpriced beers on tap. Overall, I'd say if you're a beer fan then it'd be great to have Local 44, well, local to you, but it's not worth a special trip. I think my biggest disappointment is with the food. They seem to be trying to do something a little fancier than bar food but everything I've had has been generally overcooked and nothing special. Also, there aren't any happy hour specials on food. I think an important aspect of a "neighborhood bar" is a fair price on some halfway decent bar food and in that respect, Local 44 comes up short for me. read more

It's tough to put down a place that fills you up with good food, great beer, and homey ambiance. Local 44 will be West Philadelphia's new watering hole. And I say this in all respect to a place like Fiume, but imagine their beer selection, only on tap. Finally, a good burger has been found out west. And of course, the juke box has and excellent selection. If you want to beat the crowd, hit it up for lunch, you get one on one attention from the bartender and a thorough explanations of the menu. read more

This bar is managed by the same people who run the Memphis Taproom, one of my favorite bars in the city. Despite this fact, and that L44 is 2 blocks away from my place, and that I love beer and pub food, I've only been here 4 times. The reason why? Compared to Memphis, the menu offers pretty slim pickings. I'm vegetarian and I've gotten the mushroom po'boy and the veggie burger. Both were ok, but nothing special. The real kicker about this place is their seating policy. On two different occassions, I've shown up there with 4-8 people who wanted to get drinks. Even at 11pm, they didn't want to seat us, claiming that they have to keep these (empty) tables for dining parties only. We practically had to beg them to seat us, and promise to order fries if they did. I can't think of another bar that would turn away a large, thirsty party because they're not eating, especially at that hour of night. The beers are good, and pretty affordable. I really want to like this place, and to treat it like the local watering hole its supposed to be. It should be like shooting fish in a barrel, since there are not alot of pubs like Local 44 in the area. read more

This review is for HAPPY HOUR, which has glorious $3 local beers and $3 or $4 select apps. It gets a bit crowded during happy hour, but I've luckily gotten a bar stool each time I've come. Recommendations: FOOD - maple dijon wings (pass on the nuggets), HUSHPUPPIES (I've had one kind with the mustard sauce and another with a maple butter sauce, the ones with the butter were a lot better); BEER - minor brett, funny farmhouse, and whatever light local cider they have on tap. Will update review when I go for brunch. read more

Local 44 gets a quick two thumbs up from me! The food: Chicken Wings with a not very spicy but interestingly sweet glaze. A delicious burger with cheddar, bacon and a fried egg(!). The drinks: Bear Republic XP Pale Ale Ommegang Hennepin Victory Hop Wallop (cask) Yards Brawler (cask) Victory Prima Pils (a solid finishing beer) The place is definitely going to be a road block for a while, what with there not being many other options in West Philly, but if you can come a little off-hours, it is definitely worth a trip! I can't wait to see how the menu and beer list develop over time. read more

I'll only give a one star review if something has gone wrong and nothing is done to fix it. Decided to visit here as I'm an avid craft beer person. Most of the list was comprised of IPA's...which is fine...but just something I'm trying to steer clear of. So first I asked for a Belgium style beer...can't at all remember the name of it. Thought it was OK...nothing too great. So once I finished that one...decided to try something more local...I went with the Tired Hands Shambolic Saisson. I've had my fair share of Saisson's...and I know they're usually fruitier. This one was limy...in other words SOUR. I didn't love my first beer...and I didn't at all care for my second one. Just not my taste. I almost thought I was drinking a cider ale. Bleh. I asked the bartender to try something else.. He said ok...and I tried something else...which I loved. So i ordered that...and drank it. Finally I asked for the check...and to my surprise the beer I returned is still on there. I asked what the deal with and the bartender says. "Sorry I already poured it..it's our policy." I've worked at many a restaurants and I have never in my life told a guest who didn't like something that they had to pay for it. ESPECIALLY for BEER ON TAP. That's the easiest solution ever. The actual cost of the beer poured is maybe $2 if that. I'll be honest...I write this to hopefully get managements attention...because I feel this isn't their policy. And if it is their policy not to refund things people don't like...then I'll gladly leave it. read more

I think this place is great for the neighborhood, but in the overall scope of gastro-pubs in Philly, there's something about this place that just doesn't quite grab me. I admit, the beer selection is pretty good. Plus, they are always having some kind of happy hour or special going on - you'll learn all about them if you sign up for their regularly updated email list. The food is good... greasy, but good. The Breakfast BLT is reaaaally tasty... seriously some of the best bacon I have ever had, the Reuben fritters are delectable, and the wings are pretty good. They seem to have a number of vegetarian items available. The negatives are that it gets pretty noisy, the space is pretty limited, and on busy weekend nights the clientele and the service gets pretty obnoxious. Not a bad place to visit for a weekend afternoon. Worth checking out. Also of note, they have a decent jukebox. read more

How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways... Actually it's a waste of my time to be creative in trashing this place, so enough of the faux poetics. I really wanted this place to be awesome, but for me it just isn't. If you like to be treated poorly with your good food and great beer then this is the place. I've been four times, just to give it a fair shot and because I wanted to be wrong, but nope, it sucks. I just don't enjoy being scolded or yelled at for ordering a burger at the wrong time or having an incorrect number of people at a table to maximize the profits of the business. Maybe you're cool with that, perhaps things have changed, or most likely I'm a kook. Try it out if you like, but the most positive thing I've ever heard is that it's the best available option in the neighborhood, or that you just put up with the attitude to get the food and beer, a soupnazi kinda thing. I've decided on a self-imposed lifetime 86 from this place and I've extended that to the Memphis Taproom and Resurrection Ale House too, same owners, even though I have heard good things about them. There are other places to spend my money. I go to Fiume, just around the corner, or get food at the various restaurants within a block of this place. All in all I'd rather it go back to Kelliann's, the rather lowbrow former occupant of this corner. read more

Hm, Local 44... I live approximately 45 seconds from the front door of Local 44, so I go semi-frequently. My feelings on the establishment are pretty complicated, though. They have the drinking side of the business down. The beer list is ever-changing and broad, the drinks are reasonably priced for what they are, Quizzo is fun, and so on. The food, however, is the definition of hit-or-miss. I've had some really tasty burgers and sandwiches here. They've also served me some of the worst and weirdest items I've ever encountered at a restaurant, though. A chickpea salad aggressively spiced with raw, dusty curry powder and sopping with mayonnaise. Boiled peanuts that tasted like muddy water. A very strange and unfortunate bowl of gnocchi. And more. I've learned things tend to go wrong at Local 44 when they get adventurous with the seasoning or depart from traditional bar fare. So, I don't know. This and City Tap House and Dock Street are pretty much the choices in this neck of the woods when it comes to craft beer bars with mid-scale food. Out of the three, I'd toss out City Tap because it's expensive, and I would choose Local 44 to drink and Dock Street to eat. This review is a little pointless, because if you're the target demographic for Local 44 and you live in the neighborhood, you'll find yourself going there anyway from time-to-time. And everyone else in the city seems to think that 44th and Spruce is the boonies, so they wouldn't come out here anyway. Hmph. In sum, I can't really recommend it, but I know you'll end up here regardless. How's that for bleak? read more

Some pals of mine who live in the neighborhood are addicted to Local 44's spicy seitan nuggets. I roll wit cause I'm addicted to $3.30 local drafts during happy hour (5-7 PM). Lovely local beer array- Local 44 has a good beer list. Happy hour- that's the time to go, I say. This dimly lit little joint has those beer specials I mentioned and half price off select appetizers. Good service and good deallys there. Yes, that's the ticket. Otherwise, the drafts listed up on the chalkboard aren't accompanied by prices and now I scream, "Damn you tulip glasses filled with $7 beers! Daaamn yoooouuu...." Yeah, I shoulda asked about the prices before gettin all glug glug. *Shakes fist* Lotsa vegetarian and vegan vittles here. Good to know. Nice jukebox happenin too. I'll be back between 5-7. read more

Less than a year ago, the Memphis Taproom opened up a few blocks from my house. Between then and now, it's become quite popular and one of the best bars this side of the city. So the owners decided to spread the wealth and go to the other side. The result: Local 44. Local 44 is a pretty standard bar that focuses of serving up good beer and food. It's clearly run by the folks from Memphis, as evident by the similar menu and beer selection. There are about eighteen beers on tap, including the beer engine, which gives beer drinkers of any persuasion a good choice. Beer selection aside, the rest of the experience is average. The service was acceptable; not great. The prices are average. The atmosphere is nice, but forgettable. The only real reason to go to Local 44 is just that, if it's your local spot. You won't be seeing me make the trip from Fishtown again. Downsides: The bar charges tax on beer, which is lame, but not unheard of. Beers that would be $4-$7 are suddenly $4.40 to $7.70. Even with the tax, the prices are still acceptable. I was having trouble deciding the beer I wanted, so I asked for a sample. The barkeep shot back that they "don't do samples, because that's how [they] keep the prices so low." I didn't think that was true, or a good reason for denying me an ounce of beer. It's not breaking your bank. Bottom Line: This place is fine. If you happen to be around, check it out. It's not going to crack the top ten or even top twenty list of Philadelphia bars, but it will do just fine and continue to serve up good food and beers. read more

Everytime i walk in this building i rub the palms of my hands on my jeans and link my teeth together... The faces on the people frequenting here are mostly recognizable from the neighborhood... unfortunately though i'd rather them be strangers. Strangers only last as long as you want them to last, neighborhood people...fuck, they last forever. The beer menu here is suppose to be the beef ' in the stew, but.... its eh'.... it always seems to be eh'. Most of the weekends here touch on intolerable. Most of the food here touches hot oil... The ceiling though is beautiful... under the paint, it is my envy . read more

The Good: A wide selection of beers. High quality pub food. Fun atmosphere when it's relatively empty. The Bad: None of the beers are beers you've ever heard of before, and they don't have a sampler, plus the descriptions are extremely minimal, so you buy about four or five beers before you actually find one you like. When it's crowded, this place is awful. Like imagine dying and going to a hell manned by hipster demons. Something about the way the space is used makes it hot, sweaty, and unmanageable if crowded. Also, if anyone working at Local 44 reads these, please please please put better descriptions of your beer on your menus. If you're going to have random ass beers only, at least give me a good idea of what I'm getting into. Four words is not enough. Either that, or offer a standard choice or two. read more

Local 44 was the perfect spot to drop in for a quick beer on a Friday night, post happy hour. It was loud and crowded, as other reviewers said, but the beer list has something for everyone, and the menu is appealing whether you're just there for snacks or want to eat a full dinner. We grabbed a spot at the bar and were greeted immediately by the bartender. He was knowledgeable about the different beers on tap and happily let us sample a couple brews before we ordered. I settled on the St. Feuillien Saison while my friend went with the Lost Abbey 10 Commandments. There was plenty on the menu that sounded good, but I got the veggie burger, as suggested by my friend. It came out with two patties, lettuce and tomato on a big, yeasty roll. For a dollar each I added avocado and feta. The burger was very good, but I thought the real star on the plate were the fries. Pure crispy, golden bliss, especially dipped in a combination of the vegan white sauce and ketchup. As someone who is just starting to test her beer legs, I think Local 44 would be a great place to hit up again. read more

This has been my neighborhood go-to bar for the past 4-5 years, so I have a very fond place in my heart for Local 44, although to be honest the food and service can be a hit or a miss. They always have a good selection of local beer on tap for very reasonable prices, though, so this is an excellent bar for both happy hour ($3 drafts, $4 snacks from 5-7pm) and non-happy hour occasions! Tip: come here for happy hour on Monday and then head over to their bottle shop next door for a FREE beer tasting every Monday from 6pm-8pm. It's a win win. I've had the chance to try many of their food and beer selections, whether that'd be during brunch, happy hour, dinner, or late night munchies. I would recommend the following: - Scallion Hushpuppies - deliciously fried and surprisingly good balance of sweet and salty - FRIES!!! - I love their fries, and many of the dishes come with a side of fries. Yum. - Cubano (comes with fries) - very good, but the jalapenos are pretty spicy so take them out if the spice is too much - The 44 Cheeseburger (comes with fries) - solid burger, nothing too amazing but is very nice with a good beer - Tofu BBQ Vietnamese Hoagie (comes with fries) - a spin-off of a banh mi. It is different than what you'd get at a traditional Vietnamese restaurant, but the hoagie is pretty yummy. I am not a fan of tofu in general, but the tofu in this sandwich was perfectly cooked and delicious with the BBQ taste I've also had their black bean burger which honestly was way too mushy and grainy that I would not recommend it if you're not into that kind of texture. I've recently had their Omelet du Jour, which was an omelet with oyster mushrooms, that was pretty good but nothing out of this world. I was a big fan of the home fries that came on the side though. The home fries came perfectly seasoned with some peppers and onions and were perfect when dipped in a mixture of ketchup and siracha. Come hang out in West Philly and enjoy Local 44! read more

I went here, had a nice time, but I don't feel like giving a detailed review. I think it's because Local 44 s replaced another establishment I frequented as a West Philly resident - Murphy's. One day, young people will trod upon the earth where my ashes have been scattered and not give a crap. Because they have no idea I ever existed. And while I ate and drank at Local 44, that is all I could think about. That I'm old and irrelevant. Ah, the circle of life. So fukcing beautiful. read more

Where can you go on a glorious Sunday morning and get ambushed, upon entry by two different staff people, talking to you at the same exact time, saying completely different things? Why, Hop on over to Local 44. I was immediately transported to my trip here 6 months ago, where I ordered the wings which were cold and raw inside. Still, I stupidly let my husband convince me that this was worth another shot. 11:35, my husband and I enter and the aforementioned incident happened. We request a table and 15 minutes later, a server asks us if we want a table. Hmm, interesting, the same person we requested from. 11:50 we sit a a high top table that has a bunch of miscellaneous crap on it (a tower of plastic cups, a few dirty glasses, and crumpled napkins. 11:55 the owner I believe asks me if we want him to clear the table. He goes back to drinking with a few of other friends, and then comes and clear the table. 12:05 We get menus and then the server aforementioned informs us that another table is available and we should move. 12:10 We sit at new table and are greeted by two different waitresses (fine, no biggie) 12:15 we get water, and another waitress comes over 12:30 we order french toast and a sandwich--waitress takes order and then smartly the waitress asks my husband and I for Id's. I laugh it off, the irony is that my 28th birthday is tomorrow and I had a major hangover from the night before, and I haven't been carded in a while, and i left my passport home. I say sorry, don't have my ID we're not ordering alcohol and after almost an hour in this place she says "Just run home, if you don't live far--sorry, it's our policy. I think to myself, that's interesting, at any point in this 50 minute ordeal we could have run back to the car to get an id, especially when we were offered seats at the bar, and inherited a table with half full beer glasses, etc. But no, not at local 44. read more

Parking is a little tight because of the surrounding neighborhood, so plan ahead. Nice and quiet place with some good quality vegan/vegetarian options. We didn't drink but awesome beer choices (coming back to try that Peach Ale!) Servers aren't the most talkative (which is okay with me) but the food was amazing. Hush puppies were so crispy on the outside, and like clouds on the inside. Beat burger was amazing! Ramen was mediocre. Definitely coming back. read more

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Another happy customer here... I also showed up for the grand opening, but didn't want to write a review until I had had a chance to get a feel for things when it's not a special event. Both times I was tickled pink to be there! The decor is amazing. Having stepped inside Kelli Ann's a handful of times, I was shocked at the impressive change. What used to be a dingy beer joint is now clean, attractive, and cozy. Somehow, it looks so much bigger and brighter, even during opening night when the place was PACKED. The beer list is fantastic. Seriously at least 15 beers on tap; if you like beer, you will be happy, especially since the beers range in price from only $3 to $6. The food is also yummy. On the opening night, I got to try the oyster po boy, and it was a hit. Today I tried the breakfast BLT, which also kept me smiling. The wings looked amazing, so I'm trying those next time... But above and beyond all that, the staff- servers and bartenders alike- are some of the most smiley, cheery people I've ever met. It's definitely a place where you can feel like a regular, even if it's your first visit! All in all, a success! read more

3.5 stars.. Obviously, this place is mainly for the UPenn crowd, but you'll find graduate students and other older people here too.. so it's still within reach of my age demography and I don't feel TOO old coming here. Anyway, this isn't the bar where things are happening, but I actually really like this place because they do have a large beer list and it's constantly changing. To me the beer prices are also reasonable and I've been able to find a lot of beers I haven't been able to find elsewhere here, like Kwak, Raison d'être, etc. The food is pretty good for a small bar too, and that menu changes periodically too. It's no culinary masterpiece, but a large enough selection with almost half the menu being vegetarian-friendly. That makes this place a constant on the local bars we go to. Plus, the waiters and waitresses are usually pretty caught up on what beers on the large list they have, and can usually make good recommendations if you're not sure what you want. read more

I was once served a raw hamburger at the Local 44. Really raw. Raw as in cold ground meat mush. It couldn't have been grilled for more than 30 seconds on each side! They were very gracious and apologetic about it, and this isn't totally unforgivable in my book and it didn't keep me from coming back, but it does taint my view of the place. The other food I've had here has failed to really blow me away. The corndog bites (I think they should be re-named hushpuppydogs... like hush puppies and hot dogs! get it?!) are ok and the hamburger, once properly cooked, was pretty good. The Breakfast Bomb, a brunch option that involves scrapple and eggs and cheese and stuff in a gutted bagel, is the only entree that I'd really rave about. The beer list is great. To me this place is the opposite of the Memphis Taproom, which serves amazing food but rarely offers a beer I like. I'll grab a drink at the Local 44 if I'm in the area, I just wish I could stop thinking of it as the place where I ate raw ground meat. read more

Went back yet again -- this time with my kids because a friend wanted to meet there for dinner. This time I ate, which was A HORRIBLE MISTAKE. I had the General Tso's Tofu, which consisted of 90% rice, 8% breaded and fried tofu, and 2% greens, covered in a sauce that tasted like salty corn syrup. Also weird that in this neighborhood, where you can't step outside without tripping over a wee one, there's no kids' menu. Grrrrrr. Also, since my last update, covering just the beer and complaining that the bartenders never serve a full pint, one of the owners sent a message saying: ***"We do serve our beers with an inch of head for the sake of presentation and aromatics."*** Problem is: THAT ISN'T A PINT. That's 12 oz (http://www.thebeergauge.com/). If "an inch of head" is important to you (and, frankly, it should only be if you're drinking a stout), then the owner should purchase larger glasses -- glasses that allow a full pint of beer with some room at the top. It all comes down to this: the General Tso's Tofu aka Bowl of Rice, the middling beer pours --- this place is cutting every possible corner it can. Anything to get folks to pay for something they're not getting. How is that not insulting? (Let's not even talk about how their bottle shop is the only beer take-out shop in the neighborhood not to include tax in the sticker price.) But, really, I'm the butt of this joke. I love beer, Local 44 usually has at least one good IPA on tap, & it's around the corner -- so I hate it but I keep coming back. read more

Boy is this place happening! I don't live in West Philly anymore, but I stopped by here last night (a Thursday) around 9, and found it packed to the gills -- which makes me think they've got something good going on. I'm not sure exactly what it is...but I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess it's the AMAZING BEER SELECTION! Seriously -- like 15 beers on tap, including some rarities like Ommegang (Hennepin, Abbey Ale), Six Points Sweet Action, Smoked Stone Porter and more. The prices are kinda strange -- $4.40, $5.50, $6.60 etc -- but not out of line with what I've found elsewhere. We didn't order food, but my pals in the neighborhood tell me the fries are excellent -- I'll try 'em next time, fo' sho. Local 44 isn't my local spot, but I'll definitely stop by again -- seems like a warm addition to the neighborhood. read more

This spot has a couple of things going for it: it's conveniently close to me and has a nice selection of craft beer. Aside from that, though, there isn't too much else to rave about. The food is decent, but not above average, and the staff are unfriendly. They seem constantly annoyed that we were blocking their path. We were just standing at the bar because there's hardly anywhere to sit. I'm also confused why their layout involves them walking through the entire path of the bar. This is a decent bar, but it certainly isn't enjoyable when it gets crowded...which seems to be nearly anytime I'm there. read more

Not sure how my review of Local 44 got deleted, but here's another one! I'm moving to South Philly, but I'll definitely be back for this place. They've definitely picked up the pace and quality in their first few months. For example, the events are getting awesome. They just had a really neat Locals Only Beer Weekend, a homage to all the great local craft brews. Sunday nights are reserved for quizzo - which is infinitely awesome, but I warn you - the quizzo host pounds you with crazy difficult questions that will drive you crazy. The wings here are to die for. Seriously. They're not your usual crappy takeout wings - these babies are fried and covered in delicious sauce - buffalo or an Asian sauce, which I will be sure to try next time. As I noted in another review, the veggie burger and fries are tasty. Good times all around. read more

Consistently get good quality burgers from here. Be sure to specify the way you want them cooked they tend to be undercooked.

Great beers on tap. Great good. Great cozy neighborhood bar vibe. Recommend for Sunday funday

What a nice bar without having to go into center city... The beer selection was great. The crowd was not too hipster or too college just laid back. There were over 10 beers on tap. Also, maybe it's just me, but I thought their prices were really cheap. I had a franziskaner dunkel from the tap, delicious, for only 5 bucks or so...I feel like i've paid a lot more elsewhere for a bottle of this great stuff. Another wonderful thing is that for about half the price of a full pint you can order a mini half pint...I love it! We watched the Phillies game in a corner booth and ordered dinner. I ordered the veggie burger. My friend order the Cuban pork sandwich. The veggie burgers were not homemade and did not, at all, resemble vegetables, but were still good in that I want to eat beef but not beef way. The Cuban sandwich also looked really good. But the FRIES were amazing. Better than monks. Just the right amount of salt and seasoning and fried without being soggy. I tried the plantain chips, not so good. Our waitress was busy but efficient with our orders and knew the beers pretty well...overall I'm pleased to have a nice place to pop into after school without going all the way over the bridge first. read more

I live in West Philadelphia and absolutely love this bar. I go there when I'm up, when I'm down, heck- whenever I feel like it! I think the happy hour from 5-7pm on weekdays is great, with $3.00 local beers. Every once in a while we get a beer on the house, which keeps me coming back for more! The ever-changing beer selection is both expansive and easily accessible. Let's say you want to bring your father who just wants something cold, GREAT! But then you got your brother, the beer snob, you know what? GREAT! Your mom? LOVES THAT PILSNER. GREAT! Then you have a date, and its perfect for hanging out. And drinking some BEER. I will say it can get crowded around happy hour on nice days, especially since it's close to Penn, which can lead to copious amounts of grad students, but heck, there is room to stand and they never stay too long. As for the food, I love it! My husband and I used to have a burger every week, and I can say the veggie is not as good as the meatie. But the veg options are still good. The fries are great, especially with a little of the malt vinegar! C'mon then you get an ICE COLD BEER to wash it down? GREAT. read more

I am new to the area, so last Monday I decided to stroll over to Local 44 after being tipped off that it was a great bar for beer snobs. Immediately I was impressed with the beer list, which was reasonably priced considering some of the beers. I ordered an Allagash Tripel and was in heaven, being the lover of Belgian-style tripels that I am. Then came the true gem of the evening: the vegan seitan rueben. This sandwich absolutely blew me away. Biting into it created a perfect explosion of flavors and textures in my mouth. It was simply delicious, although I cannot compare it to a regular rueben since I have never had one (I'm vegetarian). The service was good, the patrons were charming, the food blew my mind, and the beer satisfied my thirst for a high quality brew. Local 44 has officially become by go-to neighborhood bar. read more

When is Local not a good idea? 1. Their beer selection is fantastic. Last night I had the Green Flash Grand Cru and the 90 minute. They were all bangin, MmMMMmMM. 2. The service is fabulous. Everyone is super friendly and always up for a chat. Even when I first started going there, everyone was very friendly and I didn't need to become a regular to get the same level of service. Everyone knows their beers and recommendations are right on point. 3. Snow storms are a great time to go and people watch. read more

This place definitely hit the spot for me one evening. I'm weighing in here at 3.5 stars. I stopped in here just before seeing Much Ado About Nothing in Clark Park. I had about 90 minute to kill and well, a couple beers and a bite with a buddy was the way I spent it. Happy hour was in effect for "local" beers. I drank an O'Reilly Stout and got a small order of wings. I went with hot and I have to say that they were quite delicious. I definitely picked up a black pepper taste as well as the normal wing sauce which I appreciated. The hot spice level was not very hot but did have lots of flavor. The wings themselves were cooked perfectly. We also split an order of their beer fries and the cheese sauce over the fries was very tasty albeit a little heavy for me. I washed it down with a Yards IPA on cask. Overall this is a pretty nice place on a good street in West Philly. Our bartender was quite pleasant and accommodating. I can see myself coming back here and sampling more of their beers / food offerings. read more

The first time I've been here, I got an empanada and fries. The filling of the empanada was bland and mushy. The fries were tasteless and limp. It's hard to mess up fries in my opinion. The food have always been subpar for me. One of the good things about this place is that their menu always updates. And their beer option is pretty decent. read more

Yesterday was Local 44's sixth anniversary. That gave me a reason to think about how it's changed since it opened. I lived around the corner then. I was delighted, the food was great, service was personal, and the atmosphere convivial--I gave them five stars then. It continues to be the only gastropub in the neighborhood. Perhaps some competition would have helped them maintain that quality. Six years have taken their toll. The food seems an afterthought now. Over the last year, I've had one too many meals where the food has been undercooked. Nevermind that the kitchen seems incapable of cooking a burger to temperature. It doesn't matter what you ask for, it's always rare. The bigger problem is chicken. Twice I ordered fried chicken, and thrice it was visibly undercooked (I sent it back the first time and the replacement was also undercooked--I settled for a salad). Its slow descent south of mediocrity has cost the neighborhood one of its treasures. Alas. read more

Came in with 6 adults and 4 children to have some drinks. We were seated and ordered drinks. When we said we weren't eating, we were told we would have to leave if someone came in and wanted to eat because we were taking up 4 two tops. The waitress then hastily took the menus, silverware, and condiments. 0/10 would recommend. read more

I've loved this bar since it opened, we live a block away and it's always been nice to have a great late night stop nearby. Last night we stopped by at 11:30pm to grab a quick bite. I ordered their pumpkin mac & cheese, which I've had before and loved. When it came, though, it was dry... not more than noodles with chunks of pumpkin.. no cheese in the mac & cheese. When I pointed that out to our waitress, she first lectured me for using the word "cheese" since the meal was vegan and the "cheese" is really a non-dairy sauce. Then she offered to take it back and have the chef "pour some more stuff on it?" We had ordered other food, so I said no and we ate our other dishes. When she came back to our table, she asked if she could wrap up the pumpkin mac & cheese. I said, no, I just wanted it taken off the bill since I didn't eat it. She dropped the plate back on the table and told me nothing was wrong with the food so there was no way she could take it off the bill & she could either go get sauce or I could take it home. I was really shocked. We come to this bar all the time & I've never been treated with such contempt. The situation escalated, I paid for the whole meal, including the infamous mac & cheese, tipped her well and we left. But I will never go back. As much as I like the food, I just don't need to pay to be treated like that. It's too bad that Local just lost a local. read more

I used to frequent Local 44 often but a few instances of subpar food has left me wary. I still go occasionally and have recently been satisfied with the food although not overly impressed. The beer selection is good and I always enjoy a good cask ale. One gripe I have with many pubs is that when I ask for a pint they don't serve me 16oz's, I never bother asking if they serve an imperial pint... I am nit-picky about ales and measures and Local 44 pricing would be fine if they actually served 16oz pints or stated their measures. Local 44 is a decent spot ambiance-wise yet I tend to prefer Dockstreet at 50th and Baltimore consider it a better value. The pricing and average quality dissuades me from going more than once every few months but I don't mind going with friends as it's decent enough for a run of the mill craft beer pub. read more

The beer is still great! The food, on the other hand, is now mediocre. I shared the Cubano and the fried chicken with my dad. They were both bland and had weird textures. It seems like they are scaling down their food options and I'd say that the food value is now a big step below the other gastropubs in the city (ie Good Dog, Abbaye, Royal Tavern, Grace Tavern). I'll probably never eat here again. :( read more

I stopped into Local 44 with my wife on a cold Saturday afternoon recently and thoroughly enjoyed my visit. We found street parking right near the front door and ran to the entrance to seek refuge from the cold. There were a few groups of people hanging out inside, but it was not crowded by any means (I hear that it gets crowded as the evening wears on). We got seats at the end of the bar and the first thing that caught my attention was the fantastic draft beer selection. I got something from the Philadelphia Brewing Company (Row House Red, maybe?) and my wife got a Hop Devil. I could have stayed and tried all of the beers on tap, but we had to drive back to Lafayette Hill. We split a plate of good, hand-cut fries. It really reminded me of hanging out at Flat Rock (my favorite bar). The beer and food were very good and inexpensive. If I lived in U City, I would visit this place all the time. I highly recommend stopping by and checking it out. read more