Locust Rendezvous

Locust Rendezvous walks a very valuable line between Philadelphia dive bar and downtown sports bar with above-average food. Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood is of course flush with great food and drink options, but for those occasions when wings sound good but an inexpensive domestic beer feels equally alluring, Locust Rendezvous has those bases very much covered in a way that some slightly more expensive (and more prevalent) options do not.

Husband & wife founders Nate & Marcie Stone opened Locust Rendezvous (known locally as ‘The Vous’) on September 13, 1989 after long careers opening and owning a number of Philadelphia food & drink concepts. After hearing from their attorney that the space would soon be coming on the market, the Stones quickly swooped in to purchase what was at that point a bar named Bananas. The building that today houses Locust Rendezvous was built in 1858 and has since been nominated for the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

According to the Stones in a number of past interviews, the area around Locust Rendezvous was much quieter and slightly rougher when the bar opened in 1989. Today, the area feels very connected to what is largely an active and energetic downtown district. Locust Rendezvous of course benefits from that foot traffic, routinely drawing strong crowds drawn not only by the food but also the kitchen’s late operating hours that stretch to 1 AM every night of the week.

When Locust Rendezvous opened in 1989, the menu was limited by current standards, including only a handful of items including a few hamburger varieties, cheese fries and, of course, a cheesesteak. Over time, the menu has evolved, taking notable leaps at junctures in the bar’s history that seem to coincide with a similar expansion in available alcohol. What was once a very beer-focused establishment has broadened out to include not only a deep set of draft & bottle beer options but also solid coverage across quality liquor brands as well.

Today, the food menu is extensive and includes the notable quirk of breakfast availability until the very generous hour of 6 PM. Locust Rendezvous is cited frequently for high quality chicken wings in particular, though options as varied as chicken parmigiana and fried potato & cheese pierogies are available. Some of the deep cuts frequently mentioned by regulars include a well-loved French onion soup and underrated Old Bay-seasoned french fries.

The Stones have since sold the bar to Michele Recupido, long-time manager of Locust Rendezvous who had been on staff since the day it opened. Little seems to have changed since the transition as rotating weekly food specials and affordable drink pricing remain a calling card of the bar. In a city where something as simple as a Mule might run $15 and higher, similar drinks cap out around $9 at Locust Rendezvous.

Of course, this is Philadelphia, so the Citywide Special is always available, in this case a PBR and Ten High shot for $8. Happy hour runs for a couple of hours each weekday and the sports bar aspect of Locust Rendezvous is not to be undersold with over a dozen televisions well distributed throughout the space to ensure total viewing coverage.