Sammy’s Place

Sammy’s Place is a longtime corner bar at 5th and Jefferson streets in North Philadelphia, opened by Iris Melendez in 1993 as a classic Latino neighborhood spot. In 2008 Melendez opened an upstairs gay bar called Rainbow Eye, which hosted the city’s first Latino Pride Festival before closing in 2012. Sammy’s Place carried that inclusive spirit forward and remains one of the few places in the city where Latino and LGBTQ+ regulars mix comfortably, known for cheap drinks, a Sunday night lesbian DJ, and a laid-back neighborhood vibe.