Watkins Drinkery, South Philly
11 people recommend, 5 warn against itvia r/philadelphia, r/philly17 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Most commenters recommend Watkins Drinkery. A few praise the food, one singles out the grilled cheese and one the negroni, and several praise its easygoing neighborhood vibe. One has heard good things about the upstairs pool table. Several say it has declined or changed, one saying the food declined and another that it focuses on local sports now.
Address
Watkins Drinkery, 1712 S 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
At a glance
- Best for
- Food
- Opinions divided
- Yes
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Watkins Drinkery, South Philly, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/moldygrape in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024taste
Says the grilled cheese there ranks among the best they've had.
- Recommendsu/AgentDaxis in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024
Calls both long-standing South Philly institutions and hopes the new owners leave them intact.
- Recommendsu/beansjawns in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024
Says they'd miss these two dives and wants more approachable, affordable local spots.
- Recommendsu/d-scan in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024ambience
Calls Watkins a model neighborhood bar and says its food is excellent.
- Caveatu/Meeze in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024consistency
Says Watkins was good with solid food and service, but that was a decade ago.
- Caveatu/Neghtasro in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024consistency
Says Watkins has declined since the pandemic and now mostly serves as a spot for drinks.
- Recommendsu/gertigigglesOSS in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024taste
Praises Watkins' negroni as excellent.
- Recommendsu/baldude69 in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024
Calls both staples and among the most approachable spots around.
Show all 17 cited comments
- Mixedu/courageous_liquid in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024taste
Says staff and crowd are still easygoing, but food has badly declined since COVID.
- Recommendsu/Maximum_Ad_4650 in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024
Calls the vibe great and says the food was a pleasant surprise.
- Recommendsu/brunchfruit in r/philly · Apr 2026
Calls it a solid pick too.
- Caveatu/Firm_Airport2816 in r/philly · Apr 2026ambience
Disputes that it counts as a dive bar.
- Recommendsu/fairak17 in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024
Says they love Watkins and will miss it as it changes hands.
- Caveatu/copinglemon in r/philly · Nov 2025ambience
Says Watkins sold out and now focuses on local sports, losing its original character.
- Recommendsu/FriendofMaudie in r/philly · Dec 2024
Has heard positive reports about the upstairs pool table at Watkins.
- Recommendsu/AmandasFakeID in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024
Has fond memories of visiting while living in South Philly.
- Caveatu/McCoy625 in r/philadelphia · Feb 2024service
Calls Watkins among the worst bars they've visited; service stalled their order and they walked out, won't return.
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Freshness
Details last checked 13 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.