It was in February of 2004 when Stephen P. Carlino purchased arguably the oldest continuously operating gay establishment in the United States, Tavern on Camac. Twenty years later, and Carlino has decided to bring back popular menu items from when he first bought the property, on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18.

The Tavern Restaurant menu items from 2004 include Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms for $8; Housemade Duck Liver Patรฉ for $9; Mussels in Garlic and White Wine Butter for $11; Shrimp Louie with Avocado, Capers and Hardboiled Egg for $14; Glazed Pork Chop with Pomegranate, Potatoes and Asparagus for $18; and a 14-ounce New York Strip with Roquefort, Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts for $23.
Select drinks will also feature throwback pricing. Cosmopolitans will be $6 and bottles of Stella Artois will be $3 apiece.
Throughout the buildingโs rich history, which includes being a vital stop on the Underground Railroad and serving as a speakeasy for the โartisticโ crowd during Prohibition, the primary focus has been hospitality. According to Carlino, the bar was named Maxineโs between the 1920s and 1979, and was then rebranded in 1981 as Raffles. It was renamed Tavern on Camac in 1998, which Carlino chose to keep when he purchased the property in 2004. Twenty years and several renovations later, The Tavern Restaurant is a cozy, subterranean, modern destination thatโs still a mainstay in Philadelphiaโs gay community.
โI am so honored to have owned this historic property for two decades,โ said Carlino. โIt is my pleasure to bring back these throwback menu items at their original prices to transport our guests back to the โgood old days.โ Itโs going to be a really fun weekend!โ
Tavern on Camac is located at 243 South Camac Street and open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. everyday. Tavern on Camac is part of The Tavern Group, which includes UBar, and Ottoโs Taproom & Grille.
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