Bar Ideas for the Broke College Kid

While Philadelphia is known more for over-charging people for drinks, it doesn’t mean good deals don’t exist in the city.  I know when I was a college student at Drexel I knew what specials were held on what days.  Happy hours, daily drink specials, and specialty drinks are hard to find since there are so many different bars in the city.  So here are several places throughout the week that can save money!

Drinker’s (Olde City, Rittenhouse, and West Philly)

Drinker’s has to be one of the most popular bars in the city.  They know how to operate by offering everyday specials along with a great atmosphere. Each of these bars are different but I wanted to touch up on them a little bit.  The olde city bar gets packed on weekends, offers $1.25 ponies of Rolling Rock, and other specials that can be seen here.  The downstairs opens up into a club and makes it a great party for college students. Rittenhouse is somewhat similar however it can draw more of a crowd of mid 20’s singles since it is located in an expensive living area away from nearby colleges. West Philly draws a huge crowd from Drexel and UPenn students. Everyday can be a cheap one if you come here as it was basically made for the crowd it attracts.  Thursday is the big day here (College Night) with $0.75 Miller High Life beers and $7 mixed drink pitcher.  Yeah, that would make for an interesting night.

Roosevelt’s Pub (22^nd and Walnut Street)

There is one day and time you want to stop at Roosevelt’s.  Friday from 5-7 for penny pitchers.  A $10 cover basically gets you unlimited drinks for two hours.  At that time it attracts some young professionals in the city, however, if you are trying to spend less than $20 for an early night pre-game this is your spot.   Been here a couple times and always had fun.

Mad Mex (34^th and Walnut)

If you are looking for the best ‘bang for your buck’ margarita in Philadelphia, look no more.  Mad mex offers half off margaritas on weekdays from 4:30pm-6:30pm and again from 10pm-midnight.  For $7 you get the biggest margarita you can ever imagine.  However you should be aware that there is probably approximately 4 shots in each one of these!  Half off food is also offered every night from 11pm-1am for students who come with a valid ID. 

McGillin’s Olde Ale House (13^th and Drurry Street)

Looking to head somewhere around Center City Philadelphia?  McGillin’s is your best bet in my mind.  With $6.50 pitchers all day everyday it doesn’t matter when you stop in.  The only downfall about this bar is that the mixed drinks are usually pricy.  My favorite nights here are Monday’s and Wednesday’s when they run karaoke.  The crowd is super friendly and the place gets packed for these events!