In West Philadelphia born and raised [in the brewery] is where I spend most of my days!

Philly Tips:

Philly is a really cool city with lots of distinct neighborhoods to explore. It exudes gritty vibes.
Driving here is not enjoyable, avoid it if you can.
On a Pennsylvania trip? Check out my Pittsburgh recommendations here.

Adventures & Ales Top Philly Recommendations:

Human Robot: A stellar spot for Lagers in particular, but they of course make other styles too. They have a few locations across the city—the OG has Poe’s Sandwich Joint inside with tasty, massive sandwiches.
Other Half Brewing: Other Half is one of the top breweries in the country, and their Philly taproom is cranking out some delicious beers. They have a nice patio space and inside they are set up for bar seating and watching sports. They also have a small food menu and cocktails. Parking in this area can be very annoying.
Bart’s Bagels: Superb bagel sandwich spot in West Philly. Their menu has a ton of options. Highly recommend.
Venture an hour north of the city to Brick Farm Tavern: This lovely restaurant and farm has fresh Troon on draft and tasty eats. Worth the drive x 100.
Fermentery Form: Brave the creepy alley you have to walk down to get here for the delicious beers! I am forewarning you that it is literally an alley with no sign for the brewery, just go with it!
Crime and Punishment Brewing: Located in the Brewerytown neighborhood (perfect fit, I know), this brewery is legit. Their beers are fantastic. They’ve got a small food menu with some amazing perogies if you’re hungry as well!
Evil Genius Brewing: Hilarious beer names, a cute outdoor space, and fun vibes. They’ve got a small food menu to keep you satisfied. Located in the Fishtown neighborhood.
Monks Cafe: A Belgian beer bar with some amazing beers on tap. Dirty glassware, pretentious staff.
St. Oner’s: The downtown taproom for Tired Hands located in Fishtown. They have a good, IPA-heavy tap list and a small food menu. Their taproom is small but beers are tasty.
Carbon Copy: A solid brewery in West Philly with a pizza-focused food menu. They are housed in a cute building.

Philly tourist spots actually worth visiting:

The Rocky Steps: You gotta run up ‘em!
Philly Magic Gardens: Artsy space, $10 entrance fee
Love Sign: Duh, it’s a must! There are actually a few scattered throughout the city, the main one is in JFK Plaza near City Hall
Rittenhouse Square: A lovely park

Other Philly things to do:

Love City Brewing: Cute brewery with industrial vibes and rotating food trucks that pull inside through the back door.
Kismet Bagels: Solid bagels downtown.
Humble Parlour Brewing: This brewery has great reviews but unfortunately they ran out of beer when I was in town.
Passero’s Coffee: Great coffee shop in downtown Philly. The staff is super friendly and I am still dreaming of the lavender honey latte I had.
Urban Village Brewing: I expected to not be very impressed with Urban Village’s beer because of the brewpub vibes, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, a trendy area worth wandering around, and they were cranking out some delicious stuff. They’ve got cool flight boards made from used barrel that let you sample every beer on the menu, a cute outdoor space, a solid food menu, and great happy hour pricing!
Second District Brewing: A little bit of a pretentious vibe, but worth it. They’ve got a small food menu (again with amazing pierogies—who knew Philly was the pierogi hot spot?!)
Ground Rittenhouse: A cute plant shop and café that is dog-friendly downtown.
Yards Brewing Co.: A huge space for this commercialized brewery. Average beers, full food menu
Philadelphia Brewing Company: Basic beers that weren’t too impressive, but their Peacock Room is a cozy little spot to play games next to the fire
Bluestone Lane Coffee: A cute coffee shop in the city center
Saint Benjamin’s Brewery: Very brewpub vibes but also grungy at the same time. They’ve got a full food menu with some delicious options like mac and cheese egg rolls
Mainstay Brewing: Solid beer spot.
Federal Donuts: Hot, fresh, and delicious donuts!
Brewery ARS: This brewery has a couple of locations in South Philly and Fishtown. They have solid beers.
Bar Hygge/Brewery Techne: This spot is definitely more of a restaurant, but they do make their own beer. It’s a cute, cozy spot with 7 of their own beers on draft. They’ve also got cocktails and wine, and a full food menu. I’d recommend getting a board to kick things off!
Avoid at all costs: The Maj Hotel. I cannot begin to explain how horrendous my stay here ended up being. 0/10, run by scam artists.