misconduct

Drink like a sailor, eat like a king.

In the land of Monk’s, Jose Pistola’s and Good Dog, there is another bar that deserves a little attention. The nautically themed Misconduct Tavern is anchored within a couple blocks of each of these renowned beer bars. They might not have the extensive Belgian list of Monk’s, the flowing firkins of Jose’s, or the trendy image of Good Dog, but Misconduct is a bar that deserves recognition and is a great alternative to the local legends.

Located on Locust St. between 15th and 16th St., Misconduct Tavern has just celebrated their 3rd anniversary under the ownership of Chris Markham. The original owner Paul Harron, now deceased, was a huge sailing enthusiast and designed the bar to resemble a ship. During the days of the former owner, Chris and his good friend, Rick Burns, were bartending at the Misconduct. After the untimely passing, Chris decided to purchase and reopen the bar. Chris, being a sailing enthusiast himself, decided to keep the bar exactly how it was as far as appearance goes, but along with the help of Rick and another good friend turned manager, Tom Flannery, he took Misconduct to a new level. Today, Misconduct Tavern is a great place to try craft beers and have a great meal. The beer selection grew tremendously, and the food went from traditional cheap pub food, to traditional cheap pub food with class. Misconduct has also turned into the perfect bar for craft beer lovers to watch a game, as they feature the sports packages for the College Basketball, NFL, and MLB, but they also show games from every other sport and usually even end up picking up the NHL package for the second half of the season when it actually matters. All these games are featured on 10 flat screen TVs, and during the summer you can even watch the games from limited outdoor seating.

As far as the beer goes, this isn’t a pretentious, snobby beer bar, but they have great beer. There are 9 draft lines, about to jump up to 12, that feature 5 rotating craft beers and 4 steady handles, which include Lancaster Milk Stout (on low-gas) and Philadelphia Brewing Co. Kenzinger. They also feature about 60 bottles, which include such great brews as the Brew Dog/Stone collaboration: Bashah, Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager, and an array of great Dogfish Head brews. Chris and the gang also want to make it easy for people to try as many craft beers as possible. That is why they have “Flight Night” every Tuesday and “Beer Geek Thursday.” “Flight Night” is an event that features a different brewery every week. Each brewery gets 4 beers on tap or in bottles and flights of those beers are sold on discounted prices, as are full pints. For “Beer Geek Thursday,” they pick one of their more obscure, lesser-known beers on tap and feature it for only $3. Both events are great ways to break people into the awesome beers of the craft world.

Chef Nick Mezzina is the executive chef at Misconduct Tavern, and has done great things with the menu. The burger (1/2 price on Tuesdays) is one of the most underrated burgers in the city. Topped with Fourme d’ Ambert Bleu Cheese, you absolutely can’t go wrong with this burger. The mac & cheese, which comes with 14 optional ingredients, crab and artichoke brushetta and French dip are great options as well. Also, with most of the menu under $10, you don’t have to spend a fortune to eat good food in a nicer part of the city. Everything is made in house and even the meat is ground on premise.

With good food, good beer, good prices, and outdoor seating, there is really no reason not to check this place out. By the time you read this, the Olympics will be over and you unfortunately won’t get to experience curling on the high def TVs but there is still plenty of time to catch baseball season. Forget the hotdog, if you can’t make it to the stadium, a bleu cheese burger and a pint of good beer is definitely the perfect pairing for a Phillies game in the city! Misconduct Tavern is located at 1511 Locust Street in Philadelphia, PA. Call 215-732-5797 or visit www.misconduct-tavern.com.