Bars With Activities Are All the Rage in Philly

Bars that combine activities with food and drink are hot right now in Philly, and the city is about to get two more when Clubhouse and Concourse open in the coming weeks.

Philadelphians can already hit the lanes while they nosh on loaded tater tots at places like North Bowl, put down a burger to pick up a paddle at ping pong bar Spin, or putt with a side of mozzarella sticks at Golf & Social. Thirsty Dice, a cafe stocked with board games, is planned for Fairmount. Barcade is arcade central and Keen, a new restaurant at 17th and Lombard, has a Pac-Man machine in the upstairs lounge. In Kensington, the quickly expanding Urban Axes invites ax-throwers to BYOB. Virtual reality games are on the menu at Mad Rex, the post-apocalypse-themed bar/restaurant in Fishtown.

Joining the mix on January 26* is Clubhouse Sports Lounge, a 10,000-square-foot venue with two bars, an ice lounge, and two escape rooms with casino and Titanic themes. It’s going into 111 S. 17th Street, so the Rittenhouse neighborhood will be Philly’s new destination for being really cold while drinking from an ice luge and eating caviar. No need to bundle up beforehand: Customers are given gloves and fake-fur coats before venturing into the ice room, where the walls, ceiling, and chairs are made of ice.

Rounding out the things to do while drinking at Clubhouse are video games, pool tables, and lots of TVs. To eat, there’s a menu of beer-friendly food, like tacos and wings, along with steaks and a raw bar. Look for it to be open 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

Don’t get trapped in Clubhouse’s escape room because starting February 2 there’s another new bar-plus venue to check out. Concourse Dance Bar, located at 1635 Market Street, is from Avram Hornik’s FCM Hospitality, the group behind Morgan’s Pier, Dolphin Tavern, the roving beer garden Parks on Tap, and the upcoming Craft Hall.

Concourse calls itself a dance bar, not a nightclub — a “place to let loose and have a good time without taking yourself too seriously.” Encouraging the loose vibe is a ball pit big enough for 20 people at once.

For now, hours at Concourse will be Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It’s a little hard to spot: the entrance is around the back of the building.

*Update: Clubhouse pushed back its opening date. Both Clubhouse and Concourse are now scheduled to open February 2.