Cavanaugh’s Headhouse

One of the few late night places to find something to eat in the neighborhood. Drinks are significantly less expensive than most of the other bars in the area. Ex. $6.25 for the same mixed drink that cost $8.80 down the block. The fish and chips were really good. The fish had a nice light and very crispy batter. The fries were also crispy and tasty. It's cool that they have a number of small rooms with different bars - basically an old house converted into a dining and drinking establishment. Seems like a good place to watch sports as well. Would recommend.

The atmosphere is always great. Good spot with many bars of different tastes and types within the venue. Some bars did not have enough servers, bartenders leading to long queues for drinks.

Our Dickens Fellowship enjoys this quaint Venue every Month & it has something on the Menu for everyone!... even my Vegetarian Wife! They ha r several different Bars spread out on the Upper Floor that are ideal for small-medium. Meetings or Parties.

We had a group dinner here for nearly 40 people and they knocked it out of the park. The food was served hot and quickly, was very flavorful, and really impressed our group of professional travel planners. Kudos to the team for doing a superb job with our large group dinner!

“Baked” Mac and cheese looks nothing like the photo on Doordash. And it’s a small container for $11. We are very disappointed.

I ordered on DoorDash m, two drivers went to get my order. It wasn’t ready on a Sunday. Received wings that were hard and refried to literally a dust. Call and politely spoke with a “supervisor” who claimed there is nothing she can or will do and I should deal with DoorDash. I used to love their food. This place is a dump that went down hill. I requested the order be remade and she acted is if a DoorDash customer is not her customer. Clueless. I told her she’s lost a customer and she could care less. The wings are not fresh anymore despite what they tell you. Read the google reviews! And the DoorDash reviews! The wings were hard and calcified inside. No moisture. Don’t cater to business’s that take your money and then give you their as too kiss. A 3 floor establishment has no comp book or way to rectify have to remake orders. This is sad. I’ll never order from this dump again.

Great bar for sports and small group hangouts. Food is delicious, they have vegetarian options, and the drinks are good.

The bouncer decided to deny a whole group of customers because due to racial bias. We used to love this place but since the didn’t let legal patrons in to enjoy the atmosphere, I do NOT recommend going here.

Finally experienced a murder mystery dinner at Cavanaugh's Headhouse, and it was such a fun and entertaining time! If you've ever wanted to experience one, definitely check out The Murder Mystery Co. We attended their theme "A Dance with Death." We dressed the part in 1950s costumes, as did many of the other attendees. They seat you at a table with other participants, and everyone at our table was super cool. After you're seated, the staff comes around to ask if you would like a drink, and then the actors from The Murder Mystery Co. start passing out readings and even costume materials for the evening. At the table, some of the guests are part of the storyline, which was interesting. Of course, the goal is to come together to figure out who did it! The Murder Mystery Co. actors do an amazing job staying in character and making the evening full of excitement! For dinner, I had the salmon--it was okay. We must have been great detectives because our table, the "gangsters," figured out who the killer was! It was an awesome time!

This was a hidden gem of a find! We ended up here because we needed food (and drinks lol) that was nearby and had a cheesesteak: this location checked off all of our boxes. This building is old and historic. When we walked in signs directed us to go upstairs. As we walked up 2 (maybe 3) flights of stairs, we passed 4 different drinking rooms that were all decorated slightly differently. When we made it to the top, the room opened to a bar with seats all the way around it. This room made 5 drinking rooms in total and had a dart board and TVs for entertainment. There was bar and low tables for seating. The bartenders were welcoming and friendly. Both of them treated us like we were locals that were usuals at the bar/pub. This is an old school bar/pub so don't expect a cocktail list and plan to order a basic drink or a beer. My husband did a draft beer and I did a double Captain and Cranberry. Both drinks hit the spot and were refreshing. To eat, my husband had the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich and I had the Shepherd's Pie. The Cheesesteak was extremely large with well seasoned meat that was very flavorful. The Shepherd's Pie was OFF THE CHARTS DELICIOUS!!! The aroma of the pie made your mouth water before it even made it to your seat. Each bite was full of flavor, peas, carrots, mash, and meat. It had just the right amount of moisture and was the perfect consistency. The mashed potatoes on top were seasoned beautifully, light and fluffy but with a crispy exterior. I am a HUGE fan of Shepherd's Pies and this is by far the best one I have ever eaten. This is definitely a place to check out! I cannot wait for my next visit and my next Shepherd's Pie.

Great wings, great beer selection, and an awesome spot to hang. They have a few different areas to choose from, including an outdoor patio. In my few visits to this spot I have always had excellent service, even on game days. Speaking of which, this is my absolute favorite spot to watch an Eagles game. The crowd is great, plenty of TVs for viewing the game, and plenty of seating/standing options. Go birds!

Listen this is for a delivery review so keep that in mind! I never ever leave a bad review but in the service industry customer service is really make or break for me. I have ordered Cav's for delivery a few times with good results - great for "higher-end takeout" in my opinion, but the interaction I just had with customer service leaves something to be desired. I had ordered a mushroom risotto with short rib and a salad - delivery was great and easy, but my order was wrong - they gave me a seafood risotto instead. I called to try to explain and get a refund and was hung up on. Mistakes happen, but just say sorry and send a refund lol. Food was fine otherwise, I'm sure the seafood risotto was good but the customer service needs work. Not great.

Don't forget to check in on Yelp to get 10 percent discount. My husband and I came here to watch Liverpool game. There are many TVs so everyone can enjoy watching the game. Paul the bartender is very good and attentive. Drinks came out right away. My husband had Bloody Mary but it was not good because it was a bit frozen. Fried pickles: good portion size, enough for sharing with 3-4 people. The batter was light and crunchy, similar to funnel cake. The pickle itself was paper-thin and small, probably almost the same size as a quarter. The batter stayed in tact, perfect for dipping. Highly recommend. Buffalo chicken salad: a lot of strips of breaded chicken breast. The breading didn't fall apart and soaked the flavor of the buffalo sauce. The buffalo sauce had perfect balance of acidity and heat. I really enjoyed it. Sliders: cute presentation with a slice of pickle And tomato on top. The meat wasn't dry. It comes with fries.

Really great bartenders. Really great cheesesteak. Mozzarella sticks looked homemade. Great beer choices.

GO ELSEWHERE FOR WINGS! Awful, cold, soggy, and you'll be lucky if you even get half what you order. Careless kitchen, awful food, and once they screw up your order they can showcase their abysmal customer service. Go get good wings anywhere but here and save yourself a few hours of fighting for a refund.

A very cool old time bar. Went to watch the Packer game and get some food. Service was ok. Wings and soft pretzel were good! Bathrooms were weird lol.

Has a beautiful outdoor patio section you can enjoy with some of their tasty veg options. All prices reasonable and the staff are nice hardworking people. One of many good spots in the little loop here.

Spacious spot to grab pub food, very similar to the other Cavanaughs. Signature wings were dry and loaded tots got pretty soggy from how many toppings there were. Very different from the Cavs wings I remember from UCity. Overall, good spot to grab drinks and hang out but wouldn't come out of my way.

Cavs is awesome! Great for food, drinks, sports, radio. Every server we've had has been great.

Have been a big fan of Cavs food for a long time. Ordered pick up multiple times during this crisis and the food was great. HOWEVER, I just ordered and my order included Mac' n cheese. It looks NOTHING like I've had in the past and is not what is advertised. It is 100% stouffers. It is fake microwaved pasta delivered to my door for 15 bucks. I'm still going to eat it but complete disrespect. Won't ever be back. Good luck.

Extremely quick delivery order, and everything came hot! Really tasty fish and chips, with the fries being the perfect texture. Wings were huge and super flavorful. The burger was stacked with a huge tomato and tons of cheese. Fresh and tasty on a Friday night!

Literally a cool hang out spot! Where you would go to unwine after work or talk ishhh with your bestie! you see some interesting things happen lol Drinks were surprisingly delicious Food was very tasty for what it was & the customer service was great! If your looking for just a chill vibe with good drinks and good ppl , I do suggest to stop by here!

Walked in at noon on a Sunday when the Eagles were playing. This is a place with multiple rooms and many tv's. Asked if there was a place to watch the English Premier League game. This is an EPL bar, listed on the EPL website. The bartender looked at us and said "you're going to get overrun", turned his back and ignored us. We left. We'll never go back. We ended up at another bar listed on the EPL website and happily watched the Eagles game. Cavanaugh's is one of the rudest bars I've been to.

Wings and veggies extremely high quality!! Can't top the freshness!!11 trying to think of a pun for the green/brown carrot, but I cant. Enjoy1

There really isn't a lot to say except that I've had some of the best FISH TACOS of my life here. Order them and devour them, they're incredible. Be warned though, they are spicy with that pickles onion and Habanero sauce kick but wow, I was definitely not expecting those. Don't order the chicken sandwich with fries, it's a little bland. It can get packed on a Saturday night so there isn't a lot of sitting room. If you see a table, grab it.

Neighboring Paddy Whacks is fun for when you want to get rowdy, but most of the time, I'd rather head to Cavanaugh's for darts, beers, wings and pierogies, and fantastic, laid back servers and bartenders. Come watch a game outside or at the upstairs inside bar.

Just ate a few wings and saw this hair baked inside. Now I am afraid that I am going to get food poisoning or even worse, covid-19. The few wings I had were delicious but come on how does this happen? The hair is baked in!

Best wings I've ever had - hands down! Came here one night fairly late and wasn't expecting much as far as the food menu goes ... but I was pleasantly surprised at the selection as well as the quality and flavor of the wings.

Yuck is the first word that comes to mind. What happened??? Cavanaugh's is known for some of the best wings in Philly. Not sure what happened. We ordered two large orders of the wings with mild sauce. The chicken was hard and stale tasting. I should mention that we ordered to go and it was at 12:30pm on Saturday. It seemed as though we received something from the night before that was re-cooked and tossed in sauce. So disappointed.

Visited Cav's to watch an eagles game. I believe there was an issue with the pipes nearby because they were not offering any draft beers, the toilets would not flush, and the sink water was off. While I understand this could very well be out of Cavanaughs' hands I believe they should have had some signage at the front door. To not have running water in a food establishment is gross and unsanitary. I ordered food and I regret my decision, now knowing the employees preparing my food were unable to properly sanitize their hands. Pretty upset I wasted my money here, will only return when the water is back on.

Ordered from grubhub. Food was overall fair. Found a hair in the sour cream that came with my stale nachos. Update: both my boyfriend and I got food poisoning.

I have ordered wings from this place twice now, both times sent us a terrible sweet tasting sauce when I requested hot. Realllly disappointed in their wings

Went here to grab dinner with some friends. Immediately was greeted by a bouncer who was incredibly rude to myself and the rest of my party. Once seated, the food was very slow to come out (took about 45 mins from ordering for the food to arrive at the table). Overall, this was average at best.

I have been sleeping on this place! We came here for beers after eating at Twisted Tail because we'd never been to this location before and wanted to observe the wedding reception happening in that middle area. This bar has a ridiculous amount of bars/rooms in it! We decided to go upstairs where there were 3 bars (one reserved for the wedding party) and we ordered beers. I ordered a Stella, which actually came in a Stella glass, and my boyfriend was jealous so the bartender put his High Life in a snifter glass, haha. We stood over by the darts area in front to creep on the wedding and also watch people play darts and try to figure out how darts are scored without looking it up on the internet. I'm still not sure I get it. The bathrooms could use a little help. One of the women's stalls had the lights out so nobody would use it. I think eventually one of the stalls had a literal squatter in it and became unusable as well so there were only two usable stalls and you know how girls go to the bathroom with their entire crew for some reason. Luckily the bar wasn't too packed, but when the wedding reception moved indoors, a line started to form in the bathroom. I think the bar catered the wedding maybe (or at least the drinks and some desserts looked like they were coming from the bar), so that was cool. Nice to know if you want to have your reception out there. Overall, a solid bar experience for a Saturday night in a different area of the city than we normally hang out in, but we didn't eat and it's still just a bar. I would come back if I was in the area again.

Had a hard time finding a place for a drink without a reservation since bars are closed due to covid. We were visiting from NYC and a restaurant we had tried to get into recommended this place since they were fully booked for the night. With COVID we weren't sure what the policies were for restaurants in Philly since we just wanted a drink, but Cavanaughs Headhouse were able to seat us quickly for drinks we just had to order an entree at least to follow the state rules. Which NYC does anyways so nothing new. We got the loaded tater tater tots with sour cream, cheese, and bacon standard bar food. The waiters were really nice and friendly which I appreciated.

They're open late, outdoor smoking, someone carries a giant flatscreen in & out everyday so that we can all watch the sports outside too. The Cav sauce is bangin! Great customer service. I have nothing bad to say

Drove down here looking for a place to watch the game and get some food. Very odd place. Not one person greeted us. The bar down stairs had about 8 people in it. Seems like all locals. Two young folks were arguing and fighting the entire time. The guy then came over and sat at the chair my dad was sitting at at my table when my dad was in the bathroom then did not want to move when my dad came back until I told him too. The bartender was basically just talking to a few friends. Very limited selection in beer. Not one person offered food. The multiple bars upstairs were pretty much empty except one which had about 5 patrons and they were just in a corner chatting. Maybe the deadest bar I have ever been in. There was also a smell about it. What gets me is not one employee said a word to us other than the bartender who took our beer order then went back to leaning against the wall and taking to his buds. Sad depressing place when we were there.

Appetizers and drinks are good. I felt bad because there was one bartender taking care of the entire upstairs bar plus the surrounding tables and it was CROWDED. So taking our orders, getting our food, and giving us our checks took hours. I would come back because the food was delicious and the atmosphere was great, but they were severely understaffed (or maybe that day a server/bartender failed to show up), either way one person is not enough to manage the upstairs area

They have a table outside the business and so my friends and I sat down planning to buy drinks. The man instead of expressing that he needs to ID us. Instead he asks why we think we could just sit at a table. Making us feel beyond un welcomed. I explained they had a sign on the table stating they always have a table available. After that we provide our id instead of asking to see my face he just continues to stare at me with a cold dead look, waiting for me to remove my mask. I asked oh, did you need me to remove my mask? That is when he responded yes in the rudest way as if it was common sense. I just don't understand what made him in such a bad mood and to express it the way he did. But I wouldn't suggest going if your trying to smile and have a good time! Guy is a bummer and beyond rude!!!!! I wish I could give a zero stars!!! Worst place I have ever experience!

First time ordering take out from Cavs Headhouse. It was a pretty big order and they prepared it fast, efficiently and with all our special requests. While I would of liked the food a bit hotter with some bigger portions of fries, the actual food was very good. I recommend this place for the casual night in!

I liked this spot. Several bars in here on a day several teams were playing. I didn't try the food yet. I try not to eat in Bars. Too many other places that specialize in food in Center city to waste money on Bar food. Deep fried junk.

My boyfriend and I were wandering the city for food, and we came across Cavanaughs and were pleasantly happy with the service. The Cav sauce was AMAZING.

Food: 1 Location: 5 Service: 0 Drinks: 3 Price for event/space: 5 I am writing this review as someone who booked an event with Cavanaugh's headhouse. We hosted a bridal shower at Cavanaugh's Headhouse Square location The private venue and price to secure the location were great. We paid less than $200 for three hours. It was great they allowed our guests to order from the menu and didn't pigeonhole us into catering. However, the food and the service the day of were less than satisfactory and disappointing. The event coordinator that helped us book the location over the phone/email, Jenna, was also our server and bartender on the day of the event. When we were setting up, she was distant. I couldn't figure out if she was uncomfortable or annoyed or both. She was so far from warm or welcoming she didn't smile the whole time. We had a very small group but 5 out of 12 guests shared this disposition about her during or after the event. One example I witnessed--a guest asked for waters for the table at the end...I watched her pour a few glasses of water... then leave them on the bar without saying a word. When a guest asked her if the waters on the bar were for everyone (or only for certain people) her response was so ambiguous and unclear we just ended up asking each other if we wanted a water. It was awkward. The food was horrible. One girl sent her chicken salad back twice...yes a salad. The bride ordered steak and eggs and she ended up filling up on drinks because she couldn't finish her meal. As a vegetarian I had to order al la carte--I had eggs, hash, and French toast. I would not recommend this location for an event or food. From other reviews and our experience, I think this would be a fine location strictly for drinks, but there are so many other places on South Street that have drinks and better food and quality customer service.

A good place to come into and grab a few pints in a historic area. Everyone was very friendly at this old bar.

The layout here is a bit awkward - lots of stairs - but pick a room and settle in. The service is solid. My boyfriend loves the wings. I did a breakfast hash with poached eggs but the poach left a lot to be desired. The yolk was, sadly, solid. Still worth another trip. Beer and liquor selection is extensive. You can't go wrong. A solid a-ok. Could have been 4stars but the poached eggs impacted my score. I'll be back to offer an opportunity for redemption.

I've been back to Cavanaugh's Headhouse a handful of times since the November 2013 YEE. It's become a reliable, comfortable sports bar to me. I even once stopped here because I knew they had nice, clean bathrooms -- and, obviously, also stuck around for a beer. Speaking of beer, there are many choices and they are affordable. Nothing extensive, but you're likely to find something up your alley. The fun and most noticeable thing about Cavs that most everyone else has said is the space itself. It's huge -- with a bunch of little bar rooms with different themes. It's nice to have options!

I just visited this Cavanaugh's, and was really happily surprised by what they did with the recent renovations from the old Dark Horse into the 4th Cav's in the city. This location meets their need to spread out one more time too - from University City to Rittenhouse to Penn's Landing and now to Headhouse. They've managed to preserve the old, dark, wooden, cozy feel of the historic pub(s) prior and update it with some modern touches. On the night I visited, there was even a bonfire out front on the side walk - welcoming guests into the watering hole. The upstairs area seems like a maze - you can hop from bar to bar and experience a different feel in each spot. In usual Cav's style - there are plenty of TV's all over so you can still catch any of your favorite sporting events. I think they have good drink specials on most days - so it's not too pricy to eat/drink here. Finally, the servers and management were all really friendly and accomodating and made you feel like a respected guest in their establishment.

Came here with my two daughters and grandson last Saturday to kill some time while waiting for an appointment we had nearby in 50 minutes. One of my daughters and myself ordered the steak wedge while the other two with us ordered chicken tenders and fries. It took them so long to bring our food out that we had to pack it up and leave for our appointment. We were home in less than an hour and neither my daughter or me could eat the steak wedge because it smelled sour and the lettuce was clearly getting old. Also, I ordered my steak medium rare and was completely surprised at how tough the one piece I tried was. They clearly cut it wrong. I called the restaurant and whomever answered the phone offered to redo it if we'd come back. Why would we do that? My first and last time there.

Came to this bar to watch the Army Navy game. From the moment I walked in the place was playing absolute bangers on the radio and the drinks were cold! Great atmosphere and great place! 10/10 will be coming back!!

The food is excellent every time. Only order takeout but I imagine the food is just as good dining in.

Stopped in one afternoon for a drink. Sat downstairs. Look closely. The area behind that bar is dirty. I was grossed out. I wouldn't order a drink from a glass there because they are sitting on a dirty shelf. I've never ordered food. I wasn't offered a menu. Place isn't clean enough to eat in.

We came to cavanaugh's on a Friday around 8pm. We decided to sit upstairs to eat. We sat in the back room and it was really dark. It was actually too dark in my opinion, I had to use my flash to read the menu. We had a very nice waitress though! I ordered the $2 mystery beer, and my husband got a bud light. The mystery beer was fun! It came in a brown paper bag. We both ordered wings and shred fries. Our food came out quickly. The wing sauce is really good! However, the wings themselves were not. We both ordered the large size of wings, and out of 12, I only had 2 drumsticks. The rest were flappers, which is really disappointing. I would expect a 60/40 ratio of flapper to drumsticks. The wings also tasted a tad bit old. I got the impression this place is generally really good, but I'm thinking maybe we just went and they were having a bad or off night. While I was disappointed with the food, I would still go back and give them another try. The fries were good and our waitress was very attentive.

The Headhouse is really as good as it gets when it comes to this kind of stuff. Where else would you really want to go around here other than Cavs? This place features great sports bar seating with nice staffing. They have the serene view from a dock. There's drinking games and cornhole to play. Not to mention mentioning the outstanding Cavs wings and sauce combo. C'mon, you're really not going to find another spot better than here.

Cavanaughs is my go to spot when my Steelers aren't on TV. The food is good and the staff is friendly. Unlike the other "sports bar" in the area, they actually have all the games on not just the Eagles games. Drink specials are also decent.

Been coming to this location since it was Dicken's Inn and the Dark Horse. I don't eat here, but it's a great place to shoot darts and watch a game. Bartenders are good people who play the appropriate music for the crowd. Excellent Guinness, but on the pricey side. Awesome, cozy setup for a crisp fall day or cold winter day. I'm glad the place has kept it's integrity since Cavanaugh's took over. I will continue to come here a few times a year.

I'm a chicken tenders snob so that's why I'm writing this review. I frequently stop by Cavanaughs for cocktails but never order from their menu. I was starved on this particular stop and decided to sample the chicken tenders after looking at the bar menu. It's was awesome!!!! Why did I wait so long to discover this chicken tender nirvana. They give you 3 extra large chicken breasts which are breaded. It came out hot, crispy and the chicken was moist. This is what you look for in my opinion in a chicken tender appetizer. They also provided me with a choice of several different dipping sauces which was a nice plus. Normally most places only offer one sauce unless you request more then one. I will definitely be ordering those again along with my usual cocktail.

Came here for the first time to watch the champions league match. Got there after kickoff so was tough to find seats and I wound up at the side bar and got a seat later. Good setup to watch soccer and while 2nd time it was dead for the Norway Australia match the specials sounded decent. I got the fish and chips which were okay. Initially wanted the Shepard's pie or chicken pot pie but was told they don't have it at all since it's mainly a winter time type dish which is understandable. This may be a go to spot for soccer matches.