Johnny Brenda's

The corner of Frankford and Girard has looked pretty much the same for years, and that's exactly the point. Johnny Brenda's is a Fishtown institution in the truest sense: a bi-level bar and live music venue with worn brick, 12 draft taps plus cask-conditioned pours, and a kitchen turning out food that goes well beyond nachos and wings. Upstairs, local and touring acts play nightly. Downstairs, the bar draws everyone from families grabbing Sunday brunch on the patio to regulars who've been coming since the neighborhood looked very different.