Sometimes going to a Rangers game in Manhattan is just too much – too much of a travel hassle, too much money, too many crowds. So why not consider a road trip or train trip to Philadelphia? It’s a one-hour trip to the City of Brotherly Love and you’ll be in the heartland of hockey fandom.
Hockey season means lots of cheering, camaraderie and group gatherings. Here’s where to get your hockey fix when you can’t make it to the arena.
You can be as loud as you want at these Philadelphia sports bars.
Courtesy Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse
Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse has been a staple among Philadelphia Flyer fans for the past 15 years. Now in a new Rittenhouse location on 1921 Sansom Street, the popular pub serves up a broad food menu along with nearly 50 brews on draft and in bottles and cans including IPAs, sour beers and international favorites. Ciders and the ever-popular “mystery beer” — you pay an extra-low price for whatever strikes the brewmaster’s fancy — keep the place hopping. Cav’s, as the bar and restaurant is known to locals, has 22 HD TVs to keep your attention on the ice.
Courtesy Cavanaugh's Rittenhouse
A wide-ranging food menu is available, but the Cav’s specials are the best bets. Try Cav’s acclaimed Philly cheesesteak, award-winning wings, nuggets and burgers. A pizza oven adds more choices. If you can’t decide, bring a group of friends and order the faves put together on Cav’s platter and topped with pierogis and sinfully tasty tater tots. For adults, Cav’s is open until 2am. If you bring the kids, they have their own special menu with a soft drink so they can toast and cheer as well.
Courtesy P.J. Clarke’s
Building on the popularity of its locations in New York City and Washington, DC, P.J. Clarke’s is centrally located near Independence Hall. More of a sports bar than its siblings, the Philadelphia outpost is a go-to for watching the Flyers while enjoying P.J. Clarke’s signature burgers, cottage fries and raw bar.
PJ Clarke's - Photo by Ashley Sears
In addition, they recently updated their Philly menu to include new items you can only find at this location including the Jumbo Philly Soft Pretzel with Yards Philly Pale Ale Beer Cheese and the Salmon 6th & Walnut Chopped Salad. For another Philly-only fave, try the popular Curtis Burger with Horseradish Cheddar Cheese, Griddled Tomato and Chipotle Mayo – you won’t find that in NYC or DC.
Courtesy P.J. Clarke’s
Do take note: having a burger here is a much as a Philadelphia rite of passage as showing your FlyGuy fanaticism. Park yourself in front of the TV screens adorning all walls, and cheer for that extra hat trick.
Courtesy Xfifnity Live - Broad Street Bullies Pub & PBR Philly
You might have missed out getting tickets to the Flyers, but you still want to be as close to the action as possible. Flyers fans unite! Xfinity Live! makes that possible with their entertainment center set smack in the middle of the Philadelphia Sports Complex. With a mix of restaurants, all with TVs, and an outdoor space featuring a 24-foot-wide HD screen, you can scream along with your fan friends whether they are at the actual game at the Wells Fargo Center or sitting with you just feet away from the bar. Choose from the outdoor space, weather-dependent, or indoor restaurants including 1100 Social, PBR Philly Victory Beer Hall, Chickies and Pete’s for unmatched crabfries and cutlets, Lorenzo and Sons’ pizza, a cheesesteak at Philly’s own Geno’s, or the Broad Street Bullies Pub, a pub with an added attraction of hockey memorabilia from the legendary Broad Street Bullies team of the 70s.
Courtesy Garage Passyunk
Philadelphia’s Garages give you two colorful neighborhood choices to watch the Flyers skate to victory. Garage Passyunk in the Italian market area in South Philly has five large flat screen TVs to keep you glued to the action at the arena as you toast with any of 150 cans of beers. Between periods, you can play pool, skeeball or check out some of Garage’s pinball machines.
Courtesy Garage Fishtown
Just four miles away, Garage Fishtown, in Philly’s artsy nabe, has 400 beers, whiskey and pickle backs, plus a similar array of pool tables, skeeball and nine large flat screen TVs to keep you entertained. Try Garage’s handmade pierogis, smash burgers and Polish nachos for some unusual finger food munchies– they pair perfectly with Garage’s varied brews.
Courtesy Loews Hotel Philadelphia - Luxury Double Room
You don’t want to travel late night back to NYC. Make it an overnight or even a weekend by booking a room at the centrally located Loews Hotel Philadelphia in Center City.
Courtesy Loews Hotel Philadelphia - Turkish Bath
The historic hotel has everything you could think of to make this a special getaway from an outstanding spa with its own hammam for a Turkish bath experience and a full menu of treatments for men and women alike – try the unusual Soft Pack Float;
Courtesy Loews Hotel Philadelphia - Bank and Bourbon Restaurant
The Bank and Bourbon whiskey bar/sports bar that stays open late and features 92 varieties of the amber brew plus an extensive menu of whiskeys; and an all-day restaurant with hearty dishes for cold-weather travel.
Courtesy Reading Terminal Market
Additionally, the hotel is a few minutes’ walk from Reading Terminal Market where you can drink and dine in a fun, lively food hall setting that’s as historic (it dates from 1893) as it is varied. If you book a stay by January 24, Loews has a special Tailgate Rate that includes a complimentary room upgrade and a daily food and beverage credit.
