There’s rather a lot that’s inviting about Port Richmond’s Lunar Inn, most explicitly the signal etched on the door announcing “All are welcome.” But it surely’s most likely the chatty cocktail menu on the letter board above the bar that’ll make you need to settle in for just a few rounds at the very least: spritz pop, pickle martini, rosé negroni, hibiscus marg, espresso membership, the listing goes on.
The meals and the temper kick in subsequent. Look down the mahogany bar and also you’ll see fellow patrons — lots of them flying solo — tucking into burgers and fries but additionally vegan cheesesteaks and kale caesars. Have a drink, order some snacks, and shortly you’ll be proper at residence, bopping alongside to regardless of the bartender has obtained spinning on the turntable.
This is able to be a very good bar anyplace. It’d even get taken as a right in a extra hipster-heavy neighborhood: There’s greater than a bit South Philly Faucet Room vibe right here.
However Lunar is considerably towards the grain in comparison with Port Richmond mainstays like Julie’s Nook Bar and Byrne’s Tavern. That’s signaled as a lot by its pure wine choice as its inclusivity. (”Trans folks belong right here!” reads one signal by the bar.)
“Some folks will discuss with us as ‘that woke bar,’” says Emily Kovach, a author and editor who co-owns Lunar and the adjoining Tiny’s Bottle Store along with her companion and Philly service-industry vet, Ryan Ellis. The bar’s pleasure flag and Black Lives Matter signal have drawn feedback. It’s a part of why they hesitate to name Lunar a neighborhood bar.
“I believe that was the purpose,” Kovach says. “The pandemic and the cultural shifts of 2020 possibly drove a bit bit extra of a wedge in that.”