Doobie's

Doobie’s is a crowded smoky cheap bar that is very neighborhood oriented, but draws a larger crowd of people looking for crowded smoky dive bars. Their recent façade improvement has taken away a bit of the external dinginess (I deeply miss the mossy rotten wood outside), but you’ll be happy to know the interior is the same as ever. I also am always amazed that the plants in the window boxes survive with so much smoke. more

There are lots of things you could criticize about Doobie's: it's always smoky, the bartenders don't hold your hand, the menu is very limited, your clothes have a strong odor when you leave, the bathrooms are teeny tiny... But it's a dive bar and a great one in West Center City. It's locally known for its jukebox with a wide selection of Bowie and the like, certainly no Backstreeet Boys. And it has reasonably priced pitchers and very tasty hamburgers. It also has tables made out of old bowling lanes. And the people who hang out at Doobie's which range from students to misfits, return again and again. It can be hard to explain what is so great about the place except that, especially considering its unassuming outside, you feel like an insider making a discovery every time you go. more