Local Whiskey

One of my go-to stops during my annual trip back to my hometown in State College. As a whiskey lover, I was impressed by their extensive selection with over 200 whiskeys from around the world. Most of the prices felt fair, though a few pours I had my eye on were a bit overpriced in my opinion. That said, there were still plenty of great options at a solid value. For a bar in a college town, it definitely leans more upscale. It seems to attract more of the alumni crowd than current students, which gives it a more relaxed, grown-up vibe. Our server was friendly, attentive, and checked in on us regularly. We only stopped in for drinks, so I can't speak to the food, but based on the service and whiskey list alone, I'll definitely be back.

Come here to drink, but my advice is do not eat here. The kitchen has a level of ineptitude I have not seen elsewhere. Even the French fries are terrible -- how do you screw up French fries? I found the food to be inedible. Drinks are fine though.

As someone who was a weekly patron of the Phyrst back in the day, I always make Local Whiskey (or the Second IYKYK) visit when I'm back in town for games. If you're looking to get a table on a game weekend Friday, you've gotta be there by like 3pm, and even at that, it's a gamble. Not much standing room, but the booths can fit about 5 people if you squeeze in. Fries are a must, the chicken sandwich slaps, and the cheesesteak is pretty good (and that's coming from a Philly girl who knows what she's taking about). Love the green ambiance which gives it the "more mature, cool, stylish, older sister vibes" in contrast to the debauchery that happens in the basement at the Phyrst.

Local whiskey boasts that they offer over 200 varieties of whiskey in downtown State College. They are related to the Phyrst, Champs and American Ale House restaurants (same Owner). For State College I'd say it caters to the adult crowd but you'll find plenty of students here as well. The interior is really nice and it has the irish pub/sports bar vibe. On nice days the large windows open up to the street with access along Beaver Avenue and near Allen Street. Parking would be on an adjacent street or garage. We enjoy their wings, fresh cut fries, suzie wong egg rolls and their cheesesteaks. I'd consider this slightly elevated bar food that is really tasty. Service can fluctuate based upon when you visit and it can sometimes be backed up. The star of this review is the weekly lunch burger special. For less than $8 you get a fountain drink, fresh cut fries, pickle and a beaver burger (bacon, LTO, etc.). It's the best deal in town and the burger is amazing. Beware - you can't substitute or alter the burger it comes as is during the special. Overall, it's a great stop for a casual lunch, dinner or drinks.

"Try the chicken sammich, best in the city." Some of you may get this movie reference. Tasty drinks at the bar as usual, lively crowd during Blue White game this year. Bartender was fairly attentive, but didn't have that usual Hawkeye to spot my empty drink. Will return.

Great place for lunch or dinner! Drinks are amazing, they have several great Whiskey's and Bourbon to try. I ordered an Old Fashioned with Sazerac Rye, very good. They could improve it by using One big cube instead of regular ice. For dinner I always get the Cheese Steak, warning they are Huge, yes, I said THEY. One order you get 2! That fine with me. Look at the pictures. They are sooooo good!

Had a great time at this place, hope to go back. I only got the chance to come for lunch, and overheard the waiter recommend the grilled cheese and tomato soup (my all time favorite) to the folks down the bar from me. It was incredible, homemade, so flavorful, and a don't miss. I grabbed a highball too ($5 all day, can't pass that up) and while I found it a bit light on whiskey, it wasn't bad especially at that price. I loved the food and the atmosphere, again lunch but a pleasant noise and not obstructive level of sound. My server was phenomenal but it was a bit slow, I actually moved seats a few times (at bar) to try and grab their attention, it wasn't a busy day. Hope to come back and try more of the menu, though I'd be hard-pressed to order anything else!

We don't go often, but each and every time it's great experience. The food, burger for me tenders for my wife were excellent. Tim the bartender was exceptional. My wife had carrot cake for dessert and said that it was the best she's ever had. Great job!

The food is great pub food can't beat it anyplace in State College. Service is excellent plenty of staff and you don't have to throw a fork at the wait staff to get their attention . Energetic bar scene great semi circular bar with a good variety of beers on tap but more pertinent is the choice of great American Whiskey! the Buffalo Trace Bourbon is hard to come by and they have plenty! There are TV's everywhere you turn with the sports of the day and of course Penn State Hockey. Our son is a sophomore and we have been to this place every time we visit. Great for pub dinner or drinks and appetizers or just a drink and catch a game.

The service here is non existent. It's a shame because the food is really good. Susie wong egg rolls are so delicious - you really don't even need sauce for them because they are that good. I really enjoyed my tomato soups and grilled cheese. My husband liked his cheesesteak but said it needed more flavor and the roll was huge compared to the amount of steak. They have a nice beer selection but again the service was so slow that our beer sat and it wasn't that cold when it was finally served to us. The vibe of the bar is really lively and it's a cool place to hang out to watch the games!

I recently visited here for a casual dinner with colleagues. The ambiance is cozy and the whiskey selection is impressive. I had the fish and chips which was decent but the fish was a tad overfried. The highlight though was the $5 Toki highball drink special, what a steal! Service was attentive and I would come back to try other menu items.

We have been here numerous times due to my liking of the smoked trout sandwich. It is quite good and I always order it when dining here. My husband had "big eyes" and ordered the large Philly cheesesteak. It was so big and rich for him and he regretted that he hadn't ordered the smaller portion. Also the fries were over salted which contributed to his feeling so full and bloated. Next time we will just share a sandwich.

Ok. The chicken sandwich was legit delicious. One of the best chicken sandwich ever had. Friend got the cheesesteak. Good flavor but the bread was dry. Service was so so. Waiter forgot to our the order in and then when it came in got most wrong and forgot to actually place an order. Honestly wonder why I tipped the 20 percent at this point. Especially when everyone was eating but one. I would come back but hopefully a new waiter.

Super cool spot in state college. Extensive whiskey list and diverse specialty drink menu for any palette. Fries are famous. Not crispy but just the little right amount of grease. Similar to 5 guys fries. Get the garlic aioli dipping sauce for an added kick. Generous portion size. Corn salad had ALOT of corn, not a typical salad if you still want something healthy. Steak cheese didn't look 5 stars but had 5 star taste. Bursting with great flavors and the right amount of cheese. Deff check out this spot if your in state college.

Good drinks. Nice atmosphere. Decent food, Staff very nice, slightly overwhealmed when I was there. If you go with a group, there really isn't a good place to stand and chat, you really need to be sitting. You could twist my arm for another star, and I would indeed go back, but the delay in getting drinks just seemed a bit much. To be fair, it WAS busy, and I felt like I was in the way of the staff. State College does have down times, and although this wasn't one of them, I'll try back then to get a better feel for the place.

Good beer variety, nice large booths. Food is standard bar type food. Nice sports atmosphere and friendly service

Local whiskey is a great place for happy hour drinks and late night snacks! They make a great whiskey sour, complete with a shaken egg white, orange garnish and black cherry. The beer list is extensive and the bar tenders are always nice. As for the food, the wings are delicious, but the chicken sandwich really takes the cake. It's crunchy and flavorful and always hits the spot. The fry platter is also a great thing to order when you go with some friends, and they let you pick from their yummy sauce list. Definitely a go to for consistently good drinks, food, and vibes in SC

We were in town for a concert and stopped here for a lunch and a few beers. The chicken sandwich was tasty and crispy. Really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service was good. A nice spot to stop at if you are near campus.

This is a wonderful find. Our service was a little slow, but we weren't in too much of a hurry. I had a perfectly prepared Manhattan & a Kobe burger & fries. I thoroughly enjoyed the evil eyes & Greek key throughout the the restaurant, while not a Greek restaurant currently, I love that they respect how amazing these tiles are & chosen not to replace them!

The Mo-Thur bacon-cheeseburger special for $7.50 (fries & drink included) is a steal. Fries can be a bit floppy at times, but the burger is one of the best in town.

The waitress was nice, I came in for corned beef & cabbage meal for St. Patty's day, was served a plate with a quarter sized piece of meat on it, I asked for more meat and was told that I'd have to order another plate if I wanted more meat. I was very disappointed and about to write a bad review then a chef or manager came out of the back and asked me if there was a problem with my order, I showed him the tiny piece of meat and he agreed with me about the meat and went back and got brought me a plate that was much better than I expected portionwise, a total save! The the gravy was too salty but everything else on the plate was fantastic, the corned beef was tender and moist, not dried out like everywhere else. The potatoes, carrots, and cabbage were cooked perfectly. I'll Definitely be back next St. Patrick's day.

Post-COVID update on Local Whiskey, which is warranted since I go here once a week. Despite their burger deal going up to $6.50 (which is still crazy cheap), Local Whiskey weathered COVID better than most places in State College. Their food is as delicious as ever, and even if their drinks are a little pricey and their beer selection pretty small, it is a great place to get lunch or late night fries!

A friend of mine is 40 years old and tried to come here with their 70 year old parents - and got TURNED AWAY because they have IDs from a different country. WHAT?! Does this place not serve any of the international community in State College? Truly bizarre.

This place on a Friday afternoon is an absolute SHIT SHOW. We waited 15 minutes for water and 45 minutes for 2 beers. Had to get Miller lite, because they seemed to be out of everything else. Currently waiting 45 for food. It'll get messed up, our server forgot to put in the order. It's busy, but not super busy. Advice, if you need a drink, go to the bar.

I love this place. I'm not from Philly, but I love their cheesesteak sandwiches. Big, good meat. Great taste. Very generous with the fries also. Nice selection of beers, with many local options. I go here most every time I visit my kid.

Good bun, not enough meat, cheese, and onion! Don't be shy with the goods! Fries and ranch were great! Bartender made a great old-fashioned. Service was good I don't know Susie Wong, but her egg roll was bomb!

V good burger and great drink deals. Love that they open up the doors in front to give it a patio vibe.

I stopped in for a beverage. they have a huge selection of whiskey's, although I would not say they are reasonably priced per pour. Some of the low shelf stuff is overpriced. They had a nice selection on tap of beer. I cannot say anything for their food as i didn't eat. They guy next to me got a cheese steak and it looked awesome.

Updated review: the awful service here just really ruins everything. The bouncers are unpleasant, and the servers all act like everything is an inconvenience and they hate being there. Having worked in restaurants myself, I don't really want to support poor management if that's what's making everyone so unhappy... the drinks and food are absolutely not good enough to justify the terrible service. I don't plan on returning.

Had lunch here while in town on a Friday for a game. The cheesesteak and the fresh cut fries were absolutely delicious!!!!! My husband enjoyed the pork tacos. We sat at the bar and had fast, friendly service.

3.5 stars, we were passing through the area and from the yelp reviews expected a total student dive, it actually had an upscale feel. Maybe it was serene and mellow because it was dinner time and too early for the student drinking crowds but it was pleasant for us non-young-ins. Anyway, we sat at the bar and perused the menus, lots of food choices from farm to table to straight up bar food. The list of whiskys and beers was also pretty solid. We opted for the old fashioned and a whisky sour both were EXCELLENT versions of these classic cocktails. Hand shaken whiskey sour with egg white topped with an amaro cherry - superb. Food wise we split a tasty caesar salad ( with tomato and egg - add ins were strange to me but it was good). I ordered the local lamb ragu pasta (way spendy at $21)with herbed ricotta toast. It was just ok, tasty but watery sauce, sadly not much lamb. My hubs had the South Street Cheesesteak wit wiz. Great bread a little skimpy on the meat but for $8 no complaints. The small is def large enough for one person. If I had to do it again I would have had 2 of their awesome whisky sours( at $8 ea a steal)and an app & salad /sandwich instead. Note: bouncers at the door checking IDs (not ours ha ha) so even though it presented as a restaurant they were treating access to it like a bar at 6pm on a Saturday.

We came here to share a few drinks before dinner next door! Nice environment and lots of seating. We visited during off season which in my opinion is always better to enjoy the area. Only giving a 4 stars being picky on the seating-- yes lots of it but don't recommend the booths. Very uncomfortable and swallow you whole. Maybe that's to make us eat more in the end to fit? No idea but only thing making it a 4.

My bf and I love this place. Food and drinks are a good price for the quality. Even when they ran out of one thing I wanted to try, I tried something else and it was delicious. We have had all of the burgers and they are all major hits. Our last visit was today and our server Lawrence was very polite and accommodating. We will continue to come here!

It's a mixed review. Went there with the family. The vibe in the place was great. We sat in a booth that needed a lot of TLC. It was all worn out. We started with the wings. They were spectacular!! Great flavor, got the medium and not too hot at all. I got the small cheesesteak. There was nothing small about it. I could not imagine what the large is. Wife got the shrimp tacos, kids got burger and fried chicken sandwich. All good. Here's why I rated it 3 and not 4. My daughter got the burger special. When she asked for it without the aioli (fancy for Mayo) they told us because we didn't order the burger as written, we were charged full price. Other reason is I got the $5 side Caesar salad. It was like the version you great Aunt makes who's trying to be elegant but really doesn't know how. It had hard boiled eggs and tomatoes which for me was not a bonus. Waitress was super friendly. I'll go back!

Service was subpar. We waited over 15 minutes for one drink and had to go to bartender to finally get it made. We ordered the pork egg rolls and there was like no pork in it. It is definitely lacking. They used to be really good, but things have gone down hill.

Great place for a good whiskey based drink. They also have the best fresh cut fries in State College.

Great service from the staff since there were only a couple of them handling the orders and drink. The food was great, my beaver burger hit the spot with great flavor, my wife's taco's were very good. Worth stopping by while visiting the area. Highly recommend.

My husband and I were in the area antiquing and we stopped in here. While other restaurants on the strip were completely packed, we were the only people dining at Local Whiskey. We liked that. Nice and quiet. The server greeted us at the door. She was very sweet. The bartender was super nice too. I ordered the philly. I asked for buffalo sauce which they don't carry but the server brought me some sort of sauce that was absolutely amazing. I think it was home made and it tasted like it had whisky in it. It was delicious. The French fries were pretty great too but this was hands down the Best philly I've ever had in my life. It was cheesy and loaded with grilled onions. It was pretty amazing. My husband got the fish and chips. They were crispy and bubbly golden to perfection. He really enjoyed it and I was like my enough to get a bite. The decor in this place is cool too and the bathroom is really pretty. I'd say this is a gem and I wish I lived closer so I could visit again! Thanks for being open during Covid and I hope business is well!

Pseudo-Irish. I'm sure it's lovely, but just a heads up the only thing Irish here is poor anglicized stereotypes. Popped din for a quick cheeky pint at lunch. So, no Guinness, none. It's never on draft. They have cans, but we're out. No Smithwicks, never heard of it. Not a single Irish menu item. Nothing wrong with the place, but labeled as an Irish pub is a misrepresentation. Although I'm sure they sell plenty of green beer. Just to save you the stop if your after a proper pint or fry up. I wright this with the pandemic curve.

While in State College on business frequently, this is one of the places we go to consistently. Food is decent, beer is cold and we can usually get our seating for 8 at the large table even though they are usually pretty crowded when we get here. Wait staff is temperamental...we've seen the good, the bad (and the ugly). I wasn't very impressed with their cheesesteaks, but the 8 of us can never seem to finish that slab o'fries that they deliver on a giant cookie sheet. We try every time, but can never do it....I had a menu item called Wong's Balls A Go Go (Asian meatballs, sesame jalepeno slaw with sriacha aioli on a baguette) that I really wish they'd bring back. Now THAT was good....

Great salad, burgers, and fries. Slightly weak toki highballs. Great service. Very affordable ($5 toki highballs, $8 burger, $9.50 caesar salad)

One of my favorite downtown gems. Great if you are looking for a more adult bar downtown that isn't as flooded with the college students. They also have a great food menu - I love the sandwiches and cocktails

Came here for good drinks and food. The drinks were great as per usual. We order fish & chips just like we had a few weeks ago. We were served a plate of French fries and a despicable piece of fish. Small, embarrassing and insulting. When we ordered this previously it came with over twice as much. The plate cost $16 which is ridiculous when you realize it was less then $5 for the fries. We asked to make sure it wasn't a mistake and we're told it's done by weight. We've eaten here and drank Many times but I will not bring my business back again. The manager came to talk to us to let me know the fish cost more and there's nothing he can do. What an insulting solution. Be aware coming here that they care more about margins then maintaining happy returning customers. I will not be back

I enjoyed a delicious lunch in this neat restaurant nestled in downtown State College. The staff is exceptionally friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. I highly recommend trying out this great spot.

Bad experience. The waiter switched the orders within our tables and they didn't take responsibility.

Great place to get amazing drinks. They also make drinks with egg whites (huge plus for me!). If you are looking for cocktails, this is the place to come!

The food was really good, I got a fried chicken sandwich that the front door man offered but they lost my card and made my friend pay for my meal.

Have always had a great experience at Local Whiskey. Met a friend for lunch on a football weekend Friday and sat at the bar. The place was very busy, but the service was friendly and efficient, and the food was excellent. Very good option, especially considering most downtown bars are not open during the lunch hour.

This place seems like a sports bar trying with a pub like ambiance. They have some nice booths but we were told that they were only for parties of four or larger. The food menu wasn't very large but it works for what this place is. They had a good selection of beer and of course a fantastic selection of whiskey. I ordered the cheesesteak and got it South Street style with onions and peppers, I also got it with fries. The cheesesteak was much larger than I expected. It was also way better than I expected it to be which surprised me. This seems like a cool place to have a drink and grab a bite to eat I definitely think I will check it out again in the future.