PHILADELPHIA - Fear has arrived in Philly! Halloween season officially starts today with the grand opening of Craftsman Row Saloon's Nightmare Before Christmas: The Enchanted Nightmare. Philadelphia's most over-the-top holiday pop-up bar and restaurant has been transformed with more decor, more fights, more fun, and more themed food/drink than ever before. For 2026, guests are invited to wander through a haunted forest, have their fortune told by candlelight, and step into a world where their favorite scary movies - and the spooky whimsy of The Nightmare Before Christmas - come to life.
Craftsman Row Saloon's usual blooming garden interior was transformed into a spooky Nightmare Before Christmas Pop-Up Experience on Wednesday, September 9. Jeweler's Row would have been a ghost town that evening if not for the eerie Halloween music buzzing from inside the saloon. Not a single corner was left undecorated, with orange and purple lights giving the walls a spooky yet lively glow, and Halloween-themed artifacts hanging from the ceiling. These artifacts referenced different Halloween movies, including several Adam's family hands, the yellow jacket from IT, and stuffed representations of characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Among them dangled gravestones, witch hats, skeletons, and ghosts, creating the illusion of an upside-down graveyard spawning from the greenery on the ceiling.
The menu was meticulously crafted to include the most over-the-top cocktails and food choices. On the Halloween menu of food additions, look for Frankenberger, Vampire Burger, Oktoberfest Burger, Spookghetti and Meatballs, Candy Apple Turkey BLT, Ms. Argentina (Dorito-crusted chicken sandwich), and more. From the bar, look for a special menu of potions and cocktails including Candytini, Web of Nightmares, Toxic Treat, Bloody Nightcap, Pumpkin Marg, Midnight Mezcal, Vampire Bite, Witches Goblet, Forbidden Apple, Bloodbag, and much more.
The Blood Bag cocktail, a mixture of rum, pineapple juice, and orange juice, came in an all-too-realistic blood bag, with even a blood type checked off on each one. Appetizers such as flavorful queso and guacamole came in cauldron-like skillets, accompanied by bat-wing-shaped tortilla chips. The Vampire Burger, with cheese-fangs and glowing olive-eyes, brought a burst of pumpkin aioli amid the sugary bacon and savory patties, truly capturing the spirit of Halloween in a deliciously innovative flavor combination.
For over-the-top milkshakes for Halloween season:
- Scary Movie Night (cookie dough ice cream, popcorn, Halloween candy, body part candy, keepsake popcorn bucket)
- Pumpkin To Talk About (local vanilla ice cream, pumpkin puree, festive pretzel rod, edible fall leaves and whipped cream)
- Mad Scientist (mint chocolate chip ice cream, lab coat cookie, rock candy, Nerds, and body parts candy, festive sprinkles)
- Caramel Apple Crypt (vanilla ice cream, apple liquor, sugared apple, graham cracker crumble, caramel)
A certain eerie enchantment befell the saloon that night, with guests remarking, "This burger's so cute!" and nearly every table happily sipping on Blood Bag cocktail. This immersive, movie-themed Halloween destination is open now through October 31st, with full details and photos below. New videos and photos of the frights and fun are below! Thank you for reading and considering.
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