Nightlife in Gloucester City

Beef, jumbo wings, chicken fingers, jalapeño poppers, french fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, marinara sauce, honey mustard, and melted cheese. Those are some of the items available on The Whiskey Barrel's menu, and somehow, they all fit on the Mother of All Barrels sandwich. The 12-inch behemoth anchors a menu full of similarly hearty, borderline ridiculous sandwiches, burgers, entrees, and jumbo-sized wings that come in a variety of sauces, from whiskey BBQ to garlic-teriyaki and hot & honey.

The food provides fuel for late nights at the pub, which, like the drive-thru window outside every grandma's kitchen, stays open until 2 a.m. six times a week—including for live music performances every Saturday. Beer specials accompany all Flyers hockey games, and happy-hour deals Monday–Friday help nerves unwind after another long, hard day of resisting the urge to burn the dictionary.

Philadium Tavern has been quelling ravenous appetites with home-style pub fare served in a low-key community-oriented atmosphere for 35 years. Gather a gaggle of compatriots for convivial conversation over a snack of shrimp poppers ($7.25) and a cold draft beer, or swing in for a post-work 8 oz. bacon cheeseburger ($8.25) while catching the hard-hitting highlights of the weekend's game. Patrons who spend the whole afternoon watching the big match can reward themselves with an order of savory lump crab cakes ($9.50) after challenging the televised referee to a duel

The chefs at Catahoula sizzle, stir, and fry classic creole dishes to comfort bellies and tantalize taste buds. At dinner, the restaurant transforms its menu into a mélange of hearty eats from land, sea, and air. Crawfish bisque ($8/bowl) introduces palates to the classic flavors of the South before tongues take on delicate cuts of steak béarnaise with bacon-fried cabbage ($18). Adding depth to tradition, duck jambalaya ($18) adds its signature gamey flavor to a dish ripe with andouille sausage and tasso ham, a Cajun specialty. Brunch offerings such as brioche french toast ($9), shrimp-n-grits ($14), and po boy sandwiches ($10–$12) mix American breakfast staples with Cajun and creole flavors for dishes that arrive wearing their own shiny bead necklaces. As guests dine, three flat-screen TVs cast a warm glow and an endless stream of sports on tables, chairs, and diners who’ve decided to settle in for the evening.

The Adobe Cafe's chefs find a way to accommodate nearly every diner without sacrificing the piquant flavors and aromas attributed to southwestern cuisine. They skillet-sear filet mignon and marinate chicken breasts and duck before tossing the seasoned meat with black beans, sautéed green peppers, and white onions for fajitas. But they also alter their traditional Mexican-inspired fare by substituting ground beef, chorizo, flank steak, and carnitas with seitan and tofu for vegetarians or meat eaters' pet goats. The chefs' use of ranchero sauce, roasted peppers, jerk seasoning, and even barbecue has earned the eatery a number of awards; The Adobe Cafe was recently named Best Southwestern Restaurant in Philadelphia by LocalEats.