Manayunk Brewing Company

4120 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127

Location: Manayunk, Phila., PA

Phone: (215) 482-8220

The Manayunk Brewing Company is located at the east end of Main Street, next to The Edge nightclub. Enter through the gates above and head down the driveway to the entrance of the MBC. On nights when there are live acts performing, expect to pay $7 to gain entrance.

Right inside the entrance is the hostess booth and a small kiosk where you can buy all sorts of MBC souvenirs (glasses, t-shirts, etc). This room contains a group of about 10 upright tables on the right, for the pub crowd to congregate around and observe the talent coming through the front door. The wooden bar with brass rails runs the length of the left wall. Behind a pane of glass, overlooking the bar, are the beer vats and casks used to make all of the on-site beer. The MBC carries about 8 different home brews on the tap. Some of the memorable brews include Groundskeeper Willie Scotch Ale,  Raspberry Wheat Ale, Admiral Penn, Black & Tan and Bohemian Blonde.   

Next to the bar is an entrance that leads out onto the "deck area" of the MBC. The home brews aren't available out here at this bar, but there are plenty of bottled and mixed selections to choose from. In the winter months the deck area is heated and enclosed in plastic. It helps to have this space, but there isn't much in the way of entertainment out here. Unless you're looking for a rest from the action, or you're trying to loose that guy who keeps stalking you, you're likely to head back inside.

The MBC's dining room is opposite the deck area. Here the monotony of the brick walls is broken up by watercolor murals of Jazz musicians.  The live acts perform in a small corner of the room on a small riser.

On a few of our visits to the Manayunk Brewing Company, we were lucky enough to catch a local live act called "K-Floor."  These guys are "hands-down" the best blues act in the Philadelphia area. On other visits to the Manayunk Brewing company, the musical acts have been live Jazz. Regardless of the genre of the music, the artists pour their hearts out and there's always a good view of the band. On Sundays, the MBC features a Live Jazz Brunch Buffet.

Above the Manayunk Brewing Company, is another bar area called Harry's Pub. You can enter Harry's Pub from the Manayunk Brewing Company or from the outside - up a flight of stairs right off the Main Street sidewalk. Harry's is a Sports Bar. There are pool tables, video games, pinball machines, a domed-hockey table, a free-throw basketball game and a shuffle board table. If you get hungry, Harry's has a mini-pizzeria cranking out the pies. 

If you're a fan of brewed-on-site beers or live blues/jazz, put the Manayunk Brewing Company on the short list of bars/pubs that you visit in the near future.