[1][2] Initially called The Bell in Hand, the famous pub opened its doors in 1860 in the home of Irish immigrant William "Pa" McGillin, the owner and operator of the establishment.

It was nicknamed McGillin's by those who frequented the establishment, and the bar took on the title as its official name.

[2][3] After Ma's death, the tavern was run by her daughter, Mercedes McGillin Hooper, until 1958, when she sold it to Henry Spaniak and Joe Shepaniak, brothers and experienced bartenders, who used different spellings of their last names.

In 2002, the political website PoliticsPA named it to their list of restaurants frequented by politicians.

[5] Many media outlets have called McGillin's one of America's most authentic Irish pubs in the nation, including USA Today, HuffPost, Fodor's, The Daily Meal, MSN, and Orbitz.