This little North Philly spot is one of Philadelphia's best-kept secrets (so don't let the cat out!). It's interior is dingy, dark, and a little cramped, and is the closest thing to an Amsterdam-style brown-bar I've seen Stateside. The wall are plastered with old posters, bills, album covers and photos. The drinks are cheap, the service is generally serviceable. But most importantly the music, man, the music hops. Especially cool is amateur night, every Tuesday, where anyone can bring in their instrument and get up on stage. The atmosphere is always chill -- the dress code is very come as you are, though you might draw some stares if you're dressed too well. Ortlieb's doesn't draw the headline-grabbers like the tonier Zanzibar Blue, on Broad St. in Center City. But the upside is that at Ortlieb's you won't find the pretentious attitude (or the pretentious prices) of its Center City counterpart.