Jun 4, 2025

Hop Sing Laundromat Philadelphia

Prohibition is back

""Hop Sing Laundromat" in Philadelphia is a proper prohibition-era bar. Sign on door, dressing up, having to be polite to the door man... everything's here."

For those of you who don't know about prohibition, allow me to introduce you to an interesting era in America. Prohibition came about because of the amount of alcohol that men were drinking: it was nearly pure in certain parts of the country from morning till night, and the lack of productivity that this caused took a huge toll. The US and Canada banned alcohol for a time during the '20s and '30s. We can thank prohibition for 2 things, cutting alcohol consumption in half for a period of time and the house party. I digress though.

Hop Sing Laundromat. The way it used to be, sort of. Sign on the door? Think again. Punch? Oh we got that. Mixologists? Check! Hop Sing Laundromat honors the concept of Prohibtion. You have to dress up - nice shoes are key. You have to be polite to the door man or know him. You have to know which is the correct door because there is no sign. You have to want to spend a bit of cash on some of these more pricey drinks because they put more work into them. 

Go on a weekday if you don't want a long wait to get in. Once you are approved, wait patiently in the "library". Then pony up to the bar and tell the bartender what kind of drink you like. Leave it to him/her to do the rest! Then sit in the dimly lit, mysterious, sexy living room-like bar and enjoy the conversation.

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About this spot

1029 Race St

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8

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