Unlike other New York institutions shambling on as tourist destinations, McSorley’s retains undeniable integrity. It’s a great room, a portal through time. Much has been written about the saloon but Joseph Mitchell’s wonderful old 1940 New Yorker essay, “The Old House at Home” remains the definitive profile, excerpted below.
“[McSorley’s was opened in 1854 by John McSorley who] patterned his saloon after a public house he had known in his hometown in Ireland–Omagh in county Tyrone–and originally called it the Old House at Home; around 1908 the signboard blew down, and when he ordered a new one he changed the name to McSorley’s Old Ale House. That is still the official name; customers have never called it anything but McSorley’s… When prohibition came, [John’s son, Bill who had inherited the bar circa 1890] simply disregarded it. He ran wide open. He did not have a peephole door, nor did he pay protection, but McSorley’s was never raided; the fact that it was patronized by a number of Tammany politicians and minor police officials probably gave it immunity."
The only alcohol that’s ever been on offer is McSorley’s Ale–light or dark. The brew comes in small “pints,” two at a time. If you’re hungry, there’s burgers, sandwiches, and a plate of cheddar cheese–the latter of which I recommend as it pairs hand in glove with a mug of the light.