Oscar's Tavern

Love!Great bar. A legit bar. I needed beer, they had beer on tap! $5 a draught. Good selection. Bar staff included women and I felt totally safe drinking there by myself. Came back several times on my trip.

The bartender should have told us when we sat at the bar "THIS IS AN CASH ONLY BAR"! The bartender told me there is a sign on the window but there IS NOT! And they do not even have a ATM! She gave us wrong directions to the closest ATM. I do NOT recommend this place! Check out 1518 instead.

NEED TO KNOW B4 YOU WALK IN:No card usage allowed! ONLY CASH!Pros:*Small, nonchain hole-in-the-wall with very reasonably-priced, adult bevs! *Limited menu chock full of staples (hamburgers, salads, sausages, cheesesteaks, wings, onion rings, etc)!*friendly faces (locals & employees)*Philly Eagles decor galore*great music

I've heard of this center city legend for years. Last night was my first time ending up there. Everything else in center city was jam packed. This place had maybe 30 people. It was nice to get some space to sit and wait for our table at a place across the street. Honestly I would've preferred to stay there but I was out voted. Back in the day it was where a bunch of temple students would go after classes. It seems like it has held that appeal. We left with an $18 bill with 4 people in our party and one person in the group got an $11 whiskey drink. I think she said manhattan but she said it was 90% whiskey. So I guess they want to give you your moneys worth here. The fact that a place like this still exists in center city is a testament to its legendary status. Playlist on was pretty good too. Very diverse. Is that a testament to the crowd that goes in there?I suggest you go here pre or post game. You won't find another place so cheap in this area.

We stopped in for a drink and ended staying for a bit. It's cash only and they were very accommodating changing the channel to the soccer game for us. The drinks were strong and it felt very Philly just what we were looking for!

Great "dive" bar in Center City, with good pours at good prices. Had lots of fun chatting with other patrons about sports and life in Philly in general.

Stopped in at Oscars to catch the United States soccer game and they allowed us to change the channel on one of their TVs. I really loved the vibe of this place just your old fashioned neighborhood Irish pub. It is cash only but the drinks were great and strong! Service was good and we were greeted right away and our drinks came out fast. If you are looking for a great Philly spot to watch sports I can't recommend this place enough!

First of all, a lot of the reviews for Oscar's are hilarious. Yelpers of Philly pondering big questions like: "what even IS a dive bar anymore?" and "why is there a rusty spring in this booth and why am I so happy about it?" and "do you also think it smells like Bubbalicious gum in the bathroom?" I think that about sums it up! Oscar's is amazing. It seems like a big cross section of Philadelphia comes out to play, the hallmark of a perfect dive. Present ownership, cash only, inexpensive drinks, and the kind of atmosphere that only comes from 50 years of consistency. Still being fairly new to our great city, the experience I had on a Monday night date at Oscar's made me feel a little sentimental. How many drunken conversations or fights or one-and-a-half cheesesteaks have been had at that exact same barstool since 1972? The answer is SO many. Made me think about the passing of time and change and what makes Philly Philly and uhm ...humanity in general?Besties, maybe it's not that deep. If you love beer and drinking it, this tavern on Sansom is ready for you. I didn't go in the bathroom and I do not know if it does indeed smell like Bubbalicious gum, but something tells me future tipsy evenings at Oscar's will help me answer that question someday very soon. Cheers!

Great local tavern! Cozy, friendly bar staff, and generous pours! Great way to start out the evening.

So many watering holes in this area. Oscar's feels like the only campfire. I spent 2 days in Center City and came here both days. D was my bartender and welcomed me, remembered my name and my drink. Locals were beyond friendly. On a solo work trip when I felt alone without my family, I truly felt at home at Oscar's. Can't recommend bellying up and shooting the sh*t more. Love Oscar's.