Whether you are looking for a fantastic sandwich, a unique beer and a ball game to watch, or just a friendly face… Mac’s is where you want to be.
Located in historic Old City, Philadelphia, Mac’s offers a welcoming tavern aesthetic and experience… with a little something extra.
Mac’s Tavern was formed by a small to semi-medium group of partners, comprised mainly of old friends. Mixed with a few national, local and (perhaps) cult celebrities – most notably, Rob and Kaitlin McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame – the dynamic is as unique as it gets.
A huge selection of eclectic draught and bottled beer, coupled with a chef staff that is second-to-none, means that Mac’s Tavern customers are receiving the best options and the highest-quality tavern fare that can be offered. Throw in a jukebox and 4 plasma TV’s in a famous (at times infamous) sports town, and the recipe for satisfaction is complete.
So… come by, relax and make yourself at home. What more can someone really ask for?
…holds that the Skinner family has occupied the building currently residing at 226 Market Street since 1693. The store and home would have been on the edge of farm land since the city of Philadelphia began around what is now known as Queen Village and the early port, near Gloria Dei Church. Christ Church, across High Street (now, lovingly known as Market Street) would have been located in the fields at the time it was built.
In 1735, Smith Skinner’s address – 226 High Street – was reflected in The Philadelphia Business Journal of that year. The Dry Goods Store was on the first floor (Mac’s Tavern’s new home) with the family residing on the second and third floors in a Father, Son & Holy Ghost house design.
The middle of High Street was where the farmers brought their produce and set up stands to sell their wares, hence, later, the street name changed from High Street to Market Street.
In 1776, Skinner’s Dry Goods Store would have been THE dry goods store for Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Franklin, who resided right up the block… as well as Betsy Ross, 1 block away (Skinner’s sold lots of cloth).
In the late 1700s, the Skinner family sold the property and took back a mortgage, but the purchaser defaulted on the agreement and the building reverted back to the family.
Later, in the 1800s, the Skinner family sold the property and took back a mortgage, but that purchaser defaulted, resulting in the building reverting back to the family yet again.
In the mid-1900s Ralph Pasquale rented the building and created a bar that attracted the stevedores, who worked loading and unloading the ships just two blocks away on Front Street.
In the 1960s, the owner removed the top two stories of the building. The walls were made of interior brick and, after hundreds of years of erosion and other buildings making changes to their exteriors, the upper walls became unsafe.
Formerly known as Anthony’s… and most recently Skinner’s Tavern, 226 Market Street is now home to Mac’s Tavern. In a building steeped in American and family history, Mac’s is excited and proud to continue in a long line of Philadelphia – and Skinner family – tradition.
Mac’s Tavern is dedicating itself to maintaining the highest level of service to the community. One of our goals is to lend ongoing support to those in need in the form of charitable contributions and events, and this ideal will serve to consistently influence our decision-making and business practices.