Had lunch here while in town on a Friday for a game. The cheesesteak and the fresh cut fries were absolutely delicious!!!!! My husband enjoyed the pork tacos. We sat at the bar and had fast, friendly service. read more

We came here to share a few drinks before dinner next door! Nice environment and lots of seating. We visited during off season which in my opinion is always better to enjoy the area. Only giving a 4 stars being picky on the seating-- yes lots of it but don't recommend the booths. Very uncomfortable and swallow you whole. Maybe that's to make us eat more in the end to fit? No idea but only thing making it a 4. read more

My bf and I love this place. Food and drinks are a good price for the quality. Even when they ran out of one thing I wanted to try, I tried something else and it was delicious. We have had all of the burgers and they are all major hits. Our last visit was today and our server Lawrence was very polite and accommodating. We will continue to come here! read more

My husband and I were in the area antiquing and we stopped in here. While other restaurants on the strip were completely packed, we were the only people dining at Local Whiskey. We liked that. Nice and quiet. The server greeted us at the door. She was very sweet. The bartender was super nice too. I ordered the philly. I asked for buffalo sauce which they don't carry but the server brought me some sort of sauce that was absolutely amazing. I think it was home made and it tasted like it had whisky in it. It was delicious. The French fries were pretty great too but this was hands down the Best philly I've ever had in my life. It was cheesy and loaded with grilled onions. It was pretty amazing. My husband got the fish and chips. They were crispy and bubbly golden to perfection. He really enjoyed it and I was like my enough to get a bite. The decor in this place is cool too and the bathroom is really pretty. I'd say this is a gem and I wish I lived closer so I could visit again! Thanks for being open during Covid and I hope business is well! read more

My Girlfriend and I were in State College visiting our friends, who were in town from Ohio. Think Philadelphia but on a much smaller scale. This was the first bar we ventured too while in town. We stayed at the Hyatt downtown, so it was a short walk. The kitchen here stays open until 2am, which was great because we checked into the hotel slightly after midnight. There are booths along the outer walls, with bar seating and a few tables in the interior. The drinks are around $6-$12 depending on what you order. Beers are slightly less. The food was outstanding and well priced. The kitchen did take a bit of time, however, the bar was packed at the time so I will not hold it against them. Our group spent a few hours here and had an outstanding time. I would certainly return. read more

It's a mixed review. Went there with the family. The vibe in the place was great. We sat in a booth that needed a lot of TLC. It was all worn out. We started with the wings. They were spectacular!! Great flavor, got the medium and not too hot at all. I got the small cheesesteak. There was nothing small about it. I could not imagine what the large is. Wife got the shrimp tacos, kids got burger and fried chicken sandwich. All good. Here's why I rated it 3 and not 4. My daughter got the burger special. When she asked for it without the aioli (fancy for Mayo) they told us because we didn't order the burger as written, we were charged full price. Other reason is I got the $5 side Caesar salad. It was like the version you great Aunt makes who's trying to be elegant but really doesn't know how. It had hard boiled eggs and tomatoes which for me was not a bonus. Waitress was super friendly. I'll go back! read more

While in State College on business frequently, this is one of the places we go to consistently. Food is decent, beer is cold and we can usually get our seating for 8 at the large table even though they are usually pretty crowded when we get here. Wait staff is temperamental...we've seen the good, the bad (and the ugly). I wasn't very impressed with their cheesesteaks, but the 8 of us can never seem to finish that slab o'fries that they deliver on a giant cookie sheet. We try every time, but can never do it....I had a menu item called Wong's Balls A Go Go (Asian meatballs, sesame jalepeno slaw with sriacha aioli on a baguette) that I really wish they'd bring back. Now THAT was good.... read more

Local Whiskey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

See all

Pseudo-Irish. I'm sure it's lovely, but just a heads up the only thing Irish here is poor anglicized stereotypes. Popped din for a quick cheeky pint at lunch. So, no Guinness, none. It's never on draft. They have cans, but we're out. No Smithwicks, never heard of it. Not a single Irish menu item. Nothing wrong with the place, but labeled as an Irish pub is a misrepresentation. Although I'm sure they sell plenty of green beer. Just to save you the stop if your after a proper pint or fry up. I wright this with the pandemic curve. read more

Great place for a good whiskey based drink. They also have the best fresh cut fries in State College.

Service was subpar. We waited over 15 minutes for one drink and had to go to bartender to finally get it made. We ordered the pork egg rolls and there was like no pork in it. It is definitely lacking. They used to be really good, but things have gone down hill. read more

Great salad, burgers, and fries. Slightly weak toki highballs. Great service. Very affordable ($5 toki highballs, $8 burger, $9.50 caesar salad) read more

Great service from the staff since there were only a couple of them handling the orders and drink. The food was great, my beaver burger hit the spot with great flavor, my wife's taco's were very good. Worth stopping by while visiting the area. Highly recommend. read more

Great place to get amazing drinks. They also make drinks with egg whites (huge plus for me!). If you are looking for cocktails, this is the place to come! read more

Local Whiskey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

I enjoyed a delicious lunch in this neat restaurant nestled in downtown State College. The staff is exceptionally friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. I highly recommend trying out this great spot. read more

Bad experience. The waiter switched the orders within our tables and they didn't take responsibility.

One of my favorite downtown gems. Great if you are looking for a more adult bar downtown that isn't as flooded with the college students. They also have a great food menu - I love the sandwiches and cocktails read more

Came here for good drinks and food. The drinks were great as per usual. We order fish & chips just like we had a few weeks ago. We were served a plate of French fries and a despicable piece of fish. Small, embarrassing and insulting. When we ordered this previously it came with over twice as much. The plate cost $16 which is ridiculous when you realize it was less then $5 for the fries. We asked to make sure it wasn't a mistake and we're told it's done by weight. We've eaten here and drank Many times but I will not bring my business back again. The manager came to talk to us to let me know the fish cost more and there's nothing he can do. What an insulting solution. Be aware coming here that they care more about margins then maintaining happy returning customers. I will not be back read more

Local Whiskey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

HIgher End Drinking Estabishment in Downtown State College with massive food. We showed up for dinner on "first night" and were surprised to see this place. They had a good line up of liquors as their name would hope. However that would have to wait, our main goal was food. Portions are massive here! A small fry plate, is a gigantic dinner plate filled with fries. I got the "Fully LOADED" and it was. It was a massive amount of corned beef on rye and fancy mustard, and it was AWESOME. It was packed with so much meat, almost unfathomable amounts. Give this place shot and eat here, although your heart may hate you for it. read more

Local Whiskey - Fully loaded - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

We were in town for a Bruce Springsteen concert, so if you know his fan base we're pretty old - haha. We stopped in to have some dinner on St Patrick's evening (Friday) and the place was packed. We were lucky enough to snag barstools which was great. Our food was just OK and the place was so busy it was hard to get good service but we understood that and were OK. However, one person in our party smokes and he went outside to have a cigarette, came immediately back in and told us we had to leave because the bouncer told him he looked intoxicated and they don't tolerate that. We were NOT intoxicated. I'm not saying we weren't drinking but we definitely were not intoxicated. Mind you if we were ... then we got intoxicated there at the hands of their staff and then they kick you out. I would not patronize this place or any other place owned by these same people, which I've heard is a lot. Do a better job Local Whiskey, read more

This place seems like a sports bar trying with a pub like ambiance. They have some nice booths but we were told that they were only for parties of four or larger. The food menu wasn't very large but it works for what this place is. They had a good selection of beer and of course a fantastic selection of whiskey. I ordered the cheesesteak and got it South Street style with onions and peppers, I also got it with fries. The cheesesteak was much larger than I expected. It was also way better than I expected it to be which surprised me. This seems like a cool place to have a drink and grab a bite to eat I definitely think I will check it out again in the future. read more

Local Whiskey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

What would be the equivalent of a bucket list for a bar... a shot list? If you've got one, you could spend a lot of time working on that list here. They have at least 3 pages - legal sized sheets with very small print!! - of whiskeys, ryes, bourbons, and scotches for you to try. I, unfortunately, did not even get to start working on that list because of the happy hour deals they offered - deals which run until 9pm. For me, that was their Knob Creek Bourbon Manhattan, at half price for $6 each. We wanted to order some desserts as well (we had dinner elsewhere previously), but they were sold out of some of them already, which I believe would be a testament to how good and popular they are. Service was occasionally a little hit-or-miss, but I also believe they had only 2 waitresses serving everyone at tables and bistro seating around the bar. So exercise a bit of patience - it's worth it... or maybe have another drink! read more

Local Whiskey - Knob Creek Bourbon Manhattan for $6, a happy hour special. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Went last night with a few friends for dinner and drinks. Our waitress was very nice, attentive, and knowledgeable. The food was delicious! I have food allergies and they made my grilled cheese in a separate pan due to cross-contamination concerns. I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup. The grilled cheese was called perfectly. Crunchy buttery bread with Wisconsin American and cheddar cheese. Yum. The soup had a lil bit of a kick and was creamy. Friends had sandwiches and soup, a salad, and a hanger steak special. Great assortment of whiskeys, wine list, beer list, cocktails. Great ambiance. They played good music. They even had some card games (Never Have I Ever, Trivial Pursuit, and Family Feud) at the table. Everyone in our party loved the food and drinks! read more

See all

Boyfriend and I are here almost every weekend. We enjoy the whiskey selection, and the knowledge of the bartenders. If we aren't sure what we want to try, they've been really helpful with suggestions. We've been through the whole cocktail list, and there's not a bad drink on there. The food is good; However, as a vegetarian, I wish the selection was a little bit more varied, though I make do. When the weather is nice, they open the front, and you are able to sit out at the sidewalk as well. It can get crowded on certain nights, but not outrageous that I've seen; it's not really an undergrad type of hangout, so it doesn't get wild, which is nice. Daytime is pretty quiet, and easy to simply walk right in and take any seat. We've never had an issue with service. read more

Back in town for NYE, I was looking for a place to eat and get in out of the cold. Getting off the bus at the library, I look across the street and what do I see? A new restaurant! Local Whiskey. We took a quick look at the menu posted on the wall outside and decided it would do. They were preparing for a masked ball thing for NYE so inside was all decked out with gold decorations, masks, etc. The decor of Local Whiskey is pretty fancy for a college bar/restaurant. I was impressed with the bar and all of the tvs. I ordered a cheesesteak because they share a kitchen with Ernies (and they are also shared with the Phyrst downstairs) and also got a small order of fries. When the food came out - I had to double check that our order of fries was the small one. It was a ridiculous amount of fries. I'd go back, maybe catch a game and actually try some of their fancy drinks. read more

Local Whiskey - Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

I want to keep this one short and definitely to the point. Local Whiskey has hands down the BEST burger in State College; The Beaver Burger. On paper, probably looks doesn't look any different than what you'd see anywhere else, but the taste cannot be compared. I'm not sure what it is, but it is absolutely awesome! I will add the atmosphere at Local Whiskey is a great vibe and one of a few places in State College that is comfortable to hang out in and also have a great dining experience. To put it simply, it's just a cool spot. A place for any occasion; great for sunny brunch days, watching any sporting event in the evenings, or for hanging late night (especially stopping in after the Phyrst). Stop in here if you get the chance, but definitely try the Beaver Burger! read more

Local Whiskey - PC Beaver Burger. Best Burger in State College! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

See all

I like that there's bars like this in State College. It's nice to have options that are not filled with frat stars, bar tours or trashed 21 year olds. However, there are some things that annoy me about Local. The cocktails are always good and I can usually find a beer I like on draft. The food is usually fine. Some of their items like a salmon ceasar salad are really exceptional. Got the burger for the first time recently and it was awesome. I also love the fries, but wish they had more non-fried menu items. I know it's bar food though, so this is small beans. However, the service is inconsistent and the seating is often uncomfortable. Sometimes the service is really friendly and on top of things. Other times they're just plain annoyed that you're there or so awkward I wonder why they're waiting tables. As for the seating, they need to add foot rests or something to the booths by the bar. Your feet just kind of hang off the seat, but the cushions are so soft and non supportive that it can be uncomfortable to sit there for longer than say an hour. The bathrooms are pretty nice. Always look clean which is a plus. But it would be nice if they had more than 1. When it gets busy there's always a line for the ladies room. read more

I like the idea of this place more than the experience. The decor was great and the menu looked delicious (although we didn't order anything), but the service was lacking. The waitress greeted my girlfriend, who arrived later than the rest of our party, with a rude, "What do you want?" She was very short with her interactions with everyone, didn't smile once, and failed to give us any feedback when asking for cocktail recommendations. As a result, we only had a drink and left to go dine somewhere where we didn't feel like a burden to the wait staff. Having a higher class of bar for adults and returning alumni that isn't a dank, dark, and smelly dungeon (like a few other State College bars I could name) is a great idea in practice; however, if you're going to treat customers like you don't want their business, I'll take mine elsewhere. read more

Great burger, great Chicago dog, and good beer prices. We made two separate visits here in one day and had a good experience on both occasions. Wish we would've tried the tray of fries, which for $6 seemed like a steal. Friendly staff and bartenders who managed some of the big crowds with ease. Would definitely come back next time we're in town. read more

This place seemed really cool. The whisky drinkers in our group were happy with prices and selection. The service was good. We didn't eat. Would definitely go back. read more

Local Whiskey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

The food was really good, I got a fried chicken sandwich that the front door man offered but they lost my card and made my friend pay for my meal. read more

Ok first I will say that this place is very nice. Great atmosphere, great whiskey selection, good beer selection, good food. Nice people... ICE????IN MY 20 YEAR PAPPY VAN WINKLE AT 55 DOLLARS AN OUNCE! WHISKEY BAR???? Even if he didn't hear me say neat.. Totally destroyed splurge that was way over priced to begin with. Update...things have improved here. I went back tonight, had a good time. The bar tender was very good this time. It's amazing the difference a good bar tender makes from a bad one. Try the fries, you can literally order a tray of them, fresh cut. I updated my rating to 3 stars from 2. I will revisit and possibly update again. read more

Local Whiskey - Whistle pig and kbs......cool - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Perfect place for good bar food apps and cheap drinks! We ordered a "tray" of fresh cut french fries and Philly cheesesteak egg rolls and they were super tasty! I didn't have a drink by my co-workers did and they were very satisfied by their drinks...one of my co-workers thought her drink was a bit too strong without enough chaser that could be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. I ordered the BLT minus the egg for my entree and it was the perfect size, with the perfect balance of bacon. They use a special house mayo that is super tasty and adds just the right flavor. We'd definitely check it out if in the area again. read more

Local Whiskey - Fried Philly cheesesteak eggrolls super duper tasty! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

See all

I loved this place!! We started with the cauliflower app...it was like a deconstructed pickled bruschetta. We got the Fog Cutter for drinks. It's like an Irish Long Island (see pic). Yum!! We shared fish and chips and it came with a trough of fries. We loved everything. Anyone that complained about the booths, get over it. It's a great atmosphere and my legs dangling made it even more awesome. Lol! I'd definitely come back here. read more

Local Whiskey - Yum. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

I'm 31 n had some great bar tenders but mike my man at the local whisky bar is the best.!!!! great service n bomb drink maker read more

Have always had a great experience at Local Whiskey. Met a friend for lunch on a football weekend Friday and sat at the bar. The place was very busy, but the service was friendly and efficient, and the food was excellent. Very good option, especially considering most downtown bars are not open during the lunch hour. read more

This place is off the charts food wise. Caesar salad is one of the best we have had anywhere. Smoked trout sandwich was perhaps the only non meat entree ( suggestion: get some vegan and vegetarian options!) but was beyond delicious. Service was sweet but not quick. Wine was good but not inexpensive. All round- I would drive out of my way for the food! read more

I've been to Local Whiskey several times. Food is always good. I really enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich, so was really disappointed on my most recent visit that they removed it from the menu (well it's still on the menu, but you can no longer order it). Drinks are a little pricey, but you definitely can't argue with the selection, especially the whiskey list! Service is like most places in a college town- very hit or miss. Most of the time it's below average: expect a long wait for your food, expect a long wait for your drink or refill. Even if you're at a table, if you want a drink, depending on how busy it is, it's better to just walk up to the bar. Don't expect a 5-star experience, but you can certainly do worse, especially when taking the quality of the food into consideration. read more

Didn't let us eat there cause they are soft. Verbatim "you guys are not allowed to eat here". Noted we weren't drunk or anything

Lunch special is bomb ($5 burger and fries). Service is always great and the place is always packed!!

Great place. Decent selection of whiskeys and great servers/bartenders. Bar seating preferable to booths. Tip these folks well.