Finn McCool's Ale House Reviews

Service and atmosphere where awesome to a few straggling Canadians that where wandering around the city. Landed up there every night of our trip and loved every moment!! The yards brawler in the boots the best!!

Stopped there at happy hour after a trade show at the convention center. Great service, fair prices, typical small irish pub.

Hopping with people on a Friday night! Great service at the bar for food and drink. Friendly folks who aim to please and keep a constant check on you without being intrusive. No better place than this Irish pub to knock down a couple of pints of Guinness stout with a famous Philly cheese steak! Great end to a long convention day! When in the convention area, you’ve got to check out this great little corner pub!

we ate here on our first night in philly we were looking for some place that was qutie and did nice pub food and was near our hotel. When we came in and sat down the waitdress came down to us eventualy after been at the bar talking to the bar man and fixing her hair.There was olny about 6 other in the bar maybe that is where the alarm bells should have started rining. we order wings for starter and then sheperds pie and pork chops for main i asked what came with the pork chops the answer "nothing"so I asked for chips to be served with it now who servers pork chops with nothing i know here at home it is notaml with mash or you can order a side.She then asked did we wnat all the food to gethere whcih we replied no. So wings came and she passed the table and more or eles just flung them on the table the minute we were finihsed she took the plates nevr once aksed were we ok did ew wnat a drink or anything and tlook our main course out of the lift so that ment that it had been standing there while we were eating the wings and of course no chips we then again asked for chips and we got did ye ask for chips i acan't remember they evenutally came with we had the food finished sme thing she was at the bar fixing her hair and talking to the bar man. We then had to go to the bar to aks for the bill the bar man taold us sit down and our witdress would bring the bill . never gain would i go back or recommened this place ot anyone

A great little pub w/ decent food. Sometimes a bit loud and crowded, but part of the atmosphere. Service is also generally very good.

We went here following a conference in downtown that we were attending. There was a group of us - food came promptly. AWESOME pumpkin beer! The French Onion soup was very good. Also, the burger was good. Others had the Shepherd pie and finished it all without complaints. Good location. Not packed, but busy. Friendly wait staff. No wait for a table for dinner on a Monday night.

We stumbled on this place. The staff is great. The philly cheesestake sing rolls were fantastic. We enjoyed the Shepard ' pie, ruben, french dip and fish and chips too

Was looking for a place to have a late lunch/early dinner. I literally wandered in off the street. The menu was quite interesting with more options that the average pub-fare. Quite a nice variety of beers. There seemed to be lots of regulars greeting and chatting with each others. While that contributed to a friendly atmosphere, it made it really difficult to get the attention of the waitstaff.

I was in Philly with my family for the Marathon. After checking in for the race at the Convention center we were looking for something to eat a pint of locla craft beer. Finn McCool's fit teh bill perfectly. We sat quickly and were very happy with the food and the beer. The interior design is very nice and the service was excellent!

It was the last night of a conference and I was looking for a place for 10 people that included typical American food, vegetarian, dairy free/gluten free, and foodie food. Not an easy order to fulfill, but Finn McCool's was pretty close. The staff was very accommodating for my needs, and wait staff was attentive. The beer selection impressed my group. The food, over all was good, but they did struggle with the dairy/gluten free order, having to re-make it twice. But, the location and value for the money was well worth it.

we spent almost a full night in this irish bar (6pm-11pm) trying the beers. happy hour was $4.00 a beer. we had the nanchos and platter which was cheap. good atmosphere, friendly staff. seemed to have some locals in. karaoki later on.

Dropped in on a Sunday night. Bartender was great and beer selection was decent. Prices could have been better but for a Sunday night in Philly you can't complain. Good atmosphere! Would return.

We had gone to the 6 o'clock fireworks at Franklin Square. We had checked out a few restaurants for dinner but we were way too late for booking. We then decided to walk up Chestnut St. to see what we could find. It wasn't looking too good until we noticed lights on 12th St. We walked south and on our second stop we found Finn McCool's. They were having a big party at 9:30, but we were there about 6:30. Brianna greeted us and took care of us for the next 90 minutes. We actually tapped into Happy Hour for our first drink and the next one wasn't that much more. Two of us had mussels,which were delicious. They were well seasoned and they had corn, we loved them. My husband had Guinness stew which felt apart on his fork. Great flavor, but he wished it came with a piece of bread. Our other friend had Shepherd's Pie which came with a salad, with many extras, and two pieces of bread. There were many beer choices and the house cab was smooth. Fun place and fun location.

This is a very pleasant pub. We had lunch there. The hamburgers were DELICIOUS, as were the fries! Our waitress was very pleasant, and even though she was very busy, she never seemed "rushed" nor did she make us feel that way. We would definitely return on our next visit to Philly.

This restaurant has nice staff, takes simple food and makes it good and has a nice conversation space. The bar is nicely situated so anyone can interact. The bartenders are super flexible with the drinks and do a good job with pretty much anything. The food is simple but they do a good job with the bar staples. The service was excellent

I stopped here after holiday shopping with the family. We had 8 people and even though it isn't a huge place they still were very accommodating to our group. The food and drinks were also very good and affordable!

Had appetizers and drinks. Not crowded or loud but a nice clean place to eat. Definitely recommend. Staff was very friendly and great selection of beers and alcohol

My wife and i loved this establishment the staff were fantastic and very friendly especially a young Irish man who was particularly helpful and professional we cannot wait to return thankyou

Hung out at Finn McCool's Ale House in Philly. Enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, music and ease of conversation. Thanks, to the two female bartenders and GM Kostautin. Note: Internet jukebox on site.

Arrived in Philadelphia by train & was too early to check into our hotel so we went for a walk and came across this pub. Pub was very busy and only a female bartender on duty but she was very good. Usual pleasantries about where we were from, where to visit whilst in town etc. Promised our daughter we’d try a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, so we ordered these for lunch. OMG they are huge, so tasty and freshly made but I struggled to eat half of mine. Great bar showing sport on the TVs, but no sound fro the TVs , great music playing in the background. Great staff, great draft beers and great food

Finn's was full of young folks really enjoying themselves. The bartender was super friendly. She recommended their Philly spring rolls and they were fantastic. Finn's is kind of small but a really nice place.

We went for drinks and appetizers. Drafts of cider and beer were good. We also had burger sliders which were tasty. Most importantly, the service was great! Our waitress always had a smile and it looked like they were short handed but she just did her job and was very pleasant. Will definitely go back again!

Nice bar in a nice location.plenty of drink choices including magners.staff were friendly.i would recomemd a stop here.

When you walk in you see tv with the sports channels on for me that's perfect. Bartender Heather is a fun out going server she really made our day after a long day in meetings and recommend to very good places to eat stop by tell Heather the jersey letter carrier said hello

Felt welcome the minute we walked through the door, lovely staff and great food, I will even go as far to say that their Phillie Steak was better than Geno's, great atmosphere and nice people.

After watching a play in the city Friday night we headed to Finn McCool's. My husband wanted to watch March Madness. It was a great crowd. The servers are excellent. The bartender was GREAT!

Friendly service, really good reubens and burgers and I think the only Pub that makes ice cream from stout beer....absolutely delicious!

Decent place. Small yet nice. Quick service and decent prices! Was clean and comfortable! Bartender was friendly

Excellent pub my wife and I really enjoyed our time in this pub the staff were fantastic and paul from Dublin was very friendly and welcoming when we arrived in the Philadelphia and he was very attentive to our needs thankyou for everything and we cannot wait to return

I get the Irish ale house thing but jeez, can you clean the place up a bit. Drinks were good and beer list above average. Then made the mistake of having dinner. I had a burger that had no taste and non-crisp fries, My friend had a salad that neither looked good or tasted good. Would not go back other than to watch a ball game and have some beers.

Finn McCool's Ale House was recommended by a hostess at a sports bar that was loud and over crowded. It was a little off the beaten path but it was well worth it! The environment was exactly what I've come to expect with a good pub - a couple TVs to watch the games, lower lighting, a good beer selection and solid food. Everyone in our party of four ordered a cheesesteak and we were all very pleased. It was my first trip to Philly and a cheesesteak was a must. I'm sure there are more popular/famous places to go but I think if you are looking for a good cheesesteak this is a great place to start. On a side note, the fries that were served with it were also tasty! Give this place a try - I don't think you'll regret it!

We got our first taste of a true cheesesteak in Philly at this place and were extremely impressed! Not only was the food delicious, but the drink choices were great too. Highly recommended the alcoholic Arnold Palmer! The service was fast and friendly, and the location was extremely convenient to our hotel. On Saturday nights the upstairs hosts a DJ and dance floor so we even came back for more drinks and dancing, which was just as fun as the first time!

Stopped in for a few cold ones while the family shopped around the corner. Nice selection of beer on tap, didn't eat but the food looked and smelled good, bartender could have been a little more friendly seeing I was the only one in the bar for over a half hour, but at least the beer was cold.

While in Philly for a conference, 11 of us stopped here to eat dinner and have some drinks. We did not call ahead and considering the size of our group they quickly put together enough tables for us to be seated. The service was courteous. The waitress was even willing to accommodate separate checks. Food was very good. One of the best crocks of French Onion Soup I've ever had. Only down item was that we waited a long time after dinner to have our checks taken care of. I would certainly recommend this place for dinner.

My niece and I had a pleasant dinner at McCool's. Any place with Dechutes beer on tap knows their craft beer. The place has only three tables but a large bar and four or five high tops. The service was friendly and efficient. We enjoyed the Philly steak spring rolls with Sriracha sauce. The menu includes Irish pub fare like bangers and mash and shepherd's pie. I had the mussels which were fresh but fairly bland.

A smallish tavern with great décor that looks the part of an old neighborhood tavern in downtown Philly. The food choices are somewhat limited, but very good. They have a great beer and ale selection and a friendly wait staff. Give this a try.

Had the stew and Bangers and Mash. Food was rich and flavorable, a surprise as I thought Irish cooking was supposed to be bland. Super friendly wait staff, cozy atmosphere and very affordable. Will definately come here again.

I had dinner with a few coworkers and we all enjoyed our meals. I had a cheeseburger that was spot on for what I wanted. The bar and waitstaff are all very friendly. I wish the beer selection had a bit more. That's it.

Three of us ate here for dinner. Two of us had the bangers and mash which was described in the menu as having peas and carrots. There were peas in there but the most we could find were a couple of micro cubes of carrot. The sausage was tasty. We also had a steak and fries. The steak was way over cooked (asked for rare and it was closer to well done) and the fries were limp. We had a mediteranean salad which was supposed to have a red wine vinaigrette but came smothered in something like a ranch dressing instead. I would also suggest not eating or drinking here if you have issues with very load music as we could barely hear ourselves think.

We ducked in for a pint and found the selections good and service prompt. Unfortunately, we decided to add some pub food to our outing. The wings were about average for a pub, but the nachos were the worst any of us had ever been served. The toppings were sparse, but that didn't really matter as the chips were delivered in a watered-down cheese-colored substance that turned this offering into a runny mess.

The best place to go in Philly. Great banter with the staff (spotted my QPR shirt) and was great to us the whole week. Good prices drinks and relaxed friendly vibe!

Went there for a couple beers and a quick bite while in Philadelphia for business. Very comfortable atmosphere, we sat at the bar very friendly staff. They offer a good variety of tap beers at a reasonable price. While in philly you have to order a cheesesteak, which we did. It was very good on a nice tender toasted roll. It also comes with a good portion of what appeared to be home made French fries. I would definitely recommend this place.

Might seem like your average bar, but we frequented this place while in town for 3 days. Happy hour Apps were solid. $4 drafts during Happy Hour as well. Went back late nite and it was very chill. I'll hunt this place out when in town again!

Went for happy hour with colleagues. The wine was 3 a glass, good price for the city. Not pyre Irish selection. A mix of Irish and Mediterranean. The food is very good just different.

nice pub just a block down from our hotel. Great service from the waitresses even as the place filled up we still had outstanding service from our server Stacey. The bartender Heather also went out of her way to look after us. The food we had was great having the baked onion soup and a steak, we did have the nachos one night and was disappointed that they used wiz instead of real cheese. Good fun times with sports on the TVs and a wide variety of music played

If you are Philly go to Finn McCools. A wonderful Irish Pub. Heather the bartender is the champion pourer of Guinness. The food is excellent. Great atmosphere.

We had a wonderful impromptu meal here after we found our reserved restaurant was closed for the day. Danielle, our server, was very kind and helpful. The mussels in white sauce were excellent, as were the Guinness stew and the New York strip steak. Happy Hour specials are nice, and the prices seem fair for the quality and portions, especially for Center City. They obviously have regular patrons, but we felt very welcome.

Finn McCool's Ale House is located two short blocks south of Market St. on 12th. Would have came here sooner had I known. Safe environment and friendly staff. Reasonably priced drinks.The Bonus is, this is the only bar I found with an internet jukebox. Thanks 8/31 night bartenders, forgot your names but I promised to mention McCool's on Trip Advisor. I recommend this Ale house.

Went here after seeing The Jersey Boys. Staff was friendly, food was delicious, and the Guinness was perfectly poured.

Great downtown location with excellent service. Plenty of screens to watch the game while eating very good food. I had a cheesesteak of course. Good selection of brews.

Very characteristic pub of Phila that gives a great atmosphere with a place really inspired by British experiences. Good selection of beers, I found better around but it's not bad and, above all, the guys at the bar management were amazing. Nice, friendly, they put everything into it. Good Philly Cheesesteaks with crispy sweet potato chips. A nice place to shop or hang out while watching a game on TV, chatting and sipping beer. Perhaps adding some even more sensational beer would take the place to the top level of pubs in the city of brotherly love.

Had plans to go to dinner with family in from Seattle. Dog sitter recommended by hotel never showed so we went here to dine al fresco with dog. Waitress very pleasant and attentive. She brought the dog a bowl of water with our drinks. We told the dog it was Guinness. Food was very good. We all got something different and then tried each others. Everything was very good. Will definitely go back again!

Visited on a 3 day stop over. Good list of cask ales that they let you taste beforehand, friendly bar staff. Nice atmosphere with all US based sports on the screen behind the bar. Seemed a locals bar which probably added to familiarity.

I’ve haven’t been to Finn’s in quite some time, and my girl wanted good old fashioned bar food. So we jumped in a cab and went to Finn’s. It was about 7:00 and and the car show is in town, but they weren’t swamped just yet. We got seats at the bar and were greeted within seconds. There were to bartenders on and they handled the volume great. We interacted with both throughout the meal which is nice because sometimes when a bar is a little slow, the bartenders get bored and talk to each other and forget about guests. Not the case here! These 2 were on point. We each got a beer, my girl ordered a Stella draft, which was in the correct glassware and poured perfectly. That always makes me happy for some reason!! We ordered like 3 appetizers and soup, all of which came out at the same time as we requested. All the food was hot and fresh with plenty of dipping sauces. The bartenders checked on us regularly for beers and clearing plates. Everything was excellent. When we finished and all the plates were cleared we asked for the check, and promptly were handed the receipt and our credit card slip because we had started a tab and wanted it put on that card. Here’s the thing. When your in center city you have dozens of options to choose from no matter what your in the mood for. Finn’s is an Irish Pub and they don’t try to be anything but that. It’s refreshing. It’s a great place for light fair and drinks of any kind. They. always have helpful and happy staff working and it’s the type of place you’ll want to be a regular at. Great job all around for this spot, we will definitely be back.

We arrived after a long drive from Toronto to Philly for a concert. We were looking for a snack and some drinks to start off our weekend away when we saw Finn McCool's. It was just approaching 5pm so we were part of their Happy Hour (a concept that is not allowed in Ontario anymore). They had a great selection of apps as well as Microbrews and wines/drinks that were at discounted prices until 7:00pm. We ordered two rounds of drinks, the crudités and the Cheesesteak spring rolls. The charred crudités had tomatoes, fresh mozz and a pesto drizzle...amazing, so fresh! The spring rolls were really tasty too. The service was great and it didn't waiver as it got busier with business clientele. It was a nice start to our weekend. The highlight honestly was that we couldn't believe how cheap our bill was! At home it would only cover my two glasses of wine lol. We would definitely recommend this bar!

In town for business and I wanted a spot close to the hotel to just relax and not feel like a tourist. This spot was perfect. Nice selection of beer and a full bar. The place is smaller and you really get the “local” feel and not the “big bar” atmosphere. The staff is really great and fun!

My wife and I took this place in on a Saturday afternoon recently. Very cool atmosphere and our waitress, Stacy was very cool and friendly. Definatley try the Philly Cheesesteak rolls ! The Bomb. We will definately go back.

My parents and I came here, being one of the few Irish establishments in the area. I ordered a cider, my mother got a Guinness, and my father got a diet coke. My father's diet coke had some issue and thus was rejected. For some reason there was an issue with the diet coke that evening and the waitress agreed. Thus, we did not get charged for it. The Guinness, I guess was fine, but really, it would be pretty difficult to mess it up. I got a cider, which was great. It was Jack's cider on draft and it was excellent, and a reasonable price. For dinner, my father order the French dip, my mother got a reuben, and I got a bacon burger without the cheese and bun. The reuben my other said was good. My dad got the french dip, which looked okay but got a very small amount of sauce. My dad get this dish often and usually gets a bowl of the sauce to dip in, not a tiny plastic one, which is used to put ketchup in. My burger was okay, but it could have been so much better. First off, the fries were extremely greasy, every time I ate one, I had to wipe my hands. The bacon was okay, but the burger was mediocre, to say the most. Many times I go to an Irish establishment, I get a bacon burger without the cheese and bun and it has been a whole lot better than this one. Honestly, a good Irish dish is hard to come by in Philadelphia, a city with a strong Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern community. In New York, there is a far larger Irish community. Not that you need to be Irish to make a proper Irish stew, but I feel that restaurants in New York are more vigilant about the quality of Irish dishes because customers can easily find someplace else in New York.

Passed it by many times over the weekend and decided to give a try. Always busy and great eye candy. Grabbed a couple of beers and enjoyed the Football games. Had already eaten so did not order any food. Hopping place and lots of energy. friendly staff and felt very safe. The beers were cold and so pleasing. Great beer specials.

Finn McCool's was very good! It was definitely a happening place, with a pretty upscale crowd. They have a good food and drink selection, and should give everyone enough choices to select from. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was very good! The portions were moderately sized, but they were plenty. I'd recommend it!!

We stopped here several times during our Philly trip. Bartenders always friendly and helpful. The food was above average, great beer list.

Great location with a most friendly staff. Afternoon stop while in town. Bartender was so friendly and recommended some great food. A must visit on your trip to Philly.

They have a nice selection of beers on tap. The bartender was very attentive. Great service. Very reasonable prices. They have appetizers as well. They have tv's to watch the game. Nice little place in walking distance to the hotels on market st. Definitely a try.

We stopped here when we could not get into another restaurant. It is a nice bar atmosphere--was pretty loud when we arrived but after one large party left it was better. They have a good selection of beers and were showing football on several monitors. I am always attracted to Irish dishes and ordered the Shepherd's Pie. It arrived in a boat looking very greasy, coverreed in some kind of crispy topping. When I dived into it, I found about a quarter inch of grease on the bottom, in which the ground meat was swimming. It was listed as beef and lamb with vegetables, but I could not discern the lamb, and I saw only about 3 peas and tiny flecks of carrot. The mashed potatoes were listed as garlic, but couldn't taste the garlic either. My partner liked the taste but I couldn't get past the grease. It came with a bit of salad which was a nice accompaniement. He liked his fish and chips just fine.