Local Whiskey

As someone who was a weekly patron of the Phyrst back in the day, I always make Local Whiskey (or the Second IYKYK) visit when I'm back in town for games. If you're looking to get a table on a game weekend Friday, you've gotta be there by like 3pm, and even at that, it's a gamble. Not much standing room, but the booths can fit about 5 people if you squeeze in. Fries are a must, the chicken sandwich slaps, and the cheesesteak is pretty good (and that's coming from a Philly girl who knows what she's taking about). Love the green ambiance which gives it the "more mature, cool, stylish, older sister vibes" in contrast to the debauchery that happens in the basement at the Phyrst.

Come here to drink, but my advice is do not eat here. The kitchen has a level of ineptitude I have not seen elsewhere. Even the French fries are terrible -- how do you screw up French fries?I found the food to be inedible.Drinks are fine though.

Local whiskey boasts that they offer over 200 varieties of whiskey in downtown State College. They are related to the Phyrst, Champs and American Ale House restaurants (same Owner). For State College I'd say it caters to the adult crowd but you'll find plenty of students here as well. The interior is really nice and it has the irish pub/sports bar vibe. On nice days the large windows open up to the street with access along Beaver Avenue and near Allen Street. Parking would be on an adjacent street or garage.We enjoy their wings, fresh cut fries, suzie wong egg rolls and their cheesesteaks. I'd consider this slightly elevated bar food that is really tasty. Service can fluctuate based upon when you visit and it can sometimes be backed up. The star of this review is the weekly lunch burger special. For less than $8 you get a fountain drink, fresh cut fries, pickle and a beaver burger (bacon, LTO, etc.). It's the best deal in town and the burger is amazing. Beware - you can't substitute or alter the burger it comes as is during the special. Overall, it's a great stop for a casual lunch, dinner or drinks.

Great place for lunch or dinner! Drinks are amazing, they have several great Whiskey's and Bourbon to try. I ordered an Old Fashioned with Sazerac Rye, very good. They could improve it by using One big cube instead of regular ice. For dinner I always get the Cheese Steak, warning they are Huge, yes, I said THEY. One order you get 2! That fine with me. Look at the pictures. They are sooooo good!

Had a great time at this place, hope to go back. I only got the chance to come for lunch, and overheard the waiter recommend the grilled cheese and tomato soup (my all time favorite) to the folks down the bar from me. It was incredible, homemade, so flavorful, and a don't miss. I grabbed a highball too ($5 all day, can't pass that up) and while I found it a bit light on whiskey, it wasn't bad especially at that price. I loved the food and the atmosphere, again lunch but a pleasant noise and not obstructive level of sound. My server was phenomenal but it was a bit slow, I actually moved seats a few times (at bar) to try and grab their attention, it wasn't a busy day. Hope to come back and try more of the menu, though I'd be hard-pressed to order anything else!

The food is great pub food can't beat it anyplace in State College. Service is excellent plenty of staff and you don't have to throw a fork at the wait staff to get their attention . Energetic bar scene great semi circular bar with a good variety of beers on tap but more pertinent is the choice of great American Whiskey! the Buffalo Trace Bourbon is hard to come by and they have plenty! There are TV's everywhere you turn with the sports of the day and of course Penn State Hockey. Our son is a sophomore and we have been to this place every time we visit. Great for pub dinner or drinks and appetizers or just a drink and catch a game.

The service here is non existent. It's a shame because the food is really good. Susie wong egg rolls are so delicious - you really don't even need sauce for them because they are that good. I really enjoyed my tomato soups and grilled cheese. My husband liked his cheesesteak but said it needed more flavor and the roll was huge compared to the amount of steak. They have a nice beer selection but again the service was so slow that our beer sat and it wasn't that cold when it was finally served to us. The vibe of the bar is really lively and it's a cool place to hang out to watch the games!

I recently visited here for a casual dinner with colleagues. The ambiance is cozy and the whiskey selection is impressive. I had the fish and chips which was decent but the fish was a tad overfried. The highlight though was the $5 Toki highball drink special, what a steal! Service was attentive and I would come back to try other menu items.

We have been here numerous times due to my liking of the smoked trout sandwich. It is quite good and I always order it when dining here. My husband had "big eyes" and ordered the large Philly cheesesteak. It was so big and rich for him and he regretted that he hadn't ordered the smaller portion. Also the fries were over salted which contributed to his feeling so full and bloated. Next time we will just share a sandwich.

Ok. The chicken sandwich was legit delicious. One of the best chicken sandwich ever had. Friend got the cheesesteak. Good flavor but the bread was dry. Service was so so. Waiter forgot to our the order in and then when it came in got most wrong and forgot to actually place an order. Honestly wonder why I tipped the 20 percent at this point. Especially when everyone was eating but one. I would come back but hopefully a new waiter.