McNally’s Tavern is one of Chestnut Hill’s most beloved institutions, a century-old, family-run pub on Germantown Avenue that has been operating since 1921, writes Julia Binswanger for Billy Penn at WHYY.
Sisters Anne and Meg are the fourth McNally generation to run the place, and its dark wood bar and old-school atmosphere have made it feel like a living landmark rather than just a bar.
“It’s like a home away from home for some people,” said Anne McNally. “There’s nothing like Chestnut Hill and the community here.”
The tavern is most famous for the Schmitter sandwich — a cheesesteak variation topped with cheese, salami, onions, and tomatoes on a Kaiser roll. The sandwich was created by accident in the mid-1960s by Anne’s father, Hugh McNally, when a hospital worker asked for pizza sauce on his cheesesteak. With no marinara on hand, Hugh improvised a sauce from mayo, relish, and ketchup.
From there, the Schmitter sandwich was born, to where Anne said, it “has a life of its own.”
The name came from the customer’s favorite beer, Schmidt’s — not from Phillies legend Mike Schmidt, as many assume.
Beyond the Schmitter, the menu includes chicken cheesesteaks, a year-round turkey gobbler called The Dickens, and a coconut cake worth saving room for.
For more about why McNally’s Tavern is special for so many, visit Billy Penn at WHYY.
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