Bob and Barbara's

Foobooz recently did there own rendition of the top 50 bars in the city. While these list are incredibly arbitrary, seemingly random, and incite rage and debate between myself and friends, I think it's a fun idea nonetheless. This little spot made a solid appearance at #15.

I had never been to Bob and Barbara's before last week, but I had heard that it's the epitome of cheap, cool bar. I walked in on a Friday evening around 10pm. The bar was full and there was a decent crowd standing around as well. The atmoshpere here is crazy. Neighborhood locals pull up seats right next to trendy hipsters, and everybody seems to get along. I mean, it's pretty easy to make friends when you're sucking down a $3 City wide special: a can of PBR and a small shot of Jim Beam.

This bar loves PBR. The previous statement should show that nor Bob or Barbara are serious about beer. I don't even think they have any draft beers. But expect to find bottles of Yuengling, Miller, Bud, ect right next to the PBR cans, which are always $2.

The bar itself is covered wall to wall, floor to ceiling with PBR memorabilia. Some of the stuff is pretty cool: posters and advertisements that date back decades upon decades. Maybe you'll like the historical display. Maybe you just love PBR as much as Bob and Barbara's.

There was also free live music, which is featured every Friday and Saturday. Three old dudes jame out with a mix of blues and jazz, and it definitely makes the spot that much more enjoyable.

Bottom Line:

Bob and Barbara's is cheap and fun. That's it. Period. There's nothing else. If you hate fun, PBR, or spending small amounts of money, go somewhere else. Don't forget to tip your bartenders.

Essentials:

1509 South St (15th and South)

(215) 545-4511

Beer: 2-4

Cash only: Yes

Repost: 15 reasons you should be cheering for the Phillies

This is great article, and it's from ESPN. Seriously, it's like Yankees fans vs the rest of the country. Go Phils.

Prohibition Taproom revisited

Yesterday I took a late lunch with Dan as we headed over to Prohibition Taproom. We work in an void in the city; it's nearly impossible to find a place with good beer and food that is A)Close and B)Open before 4pm. Fortunately, this spot started serving lunch in the recent months. Check out my last visit here.

The lunch menu is tiny, but sufficient. It includes a soup, grilled cheese and quiche of the day; two salads, burgers, and pulled pork. It also offers a few appetizers, including their famous and delicious deep fried green beans. I almost forgot how good they are, and they're honestly almost reason enough to visit.

I didn't love the burger my first time around, but I had a more pleasant experience this time. The special was still on the board from last night, and I asked them if they would make it, even though it wasn't on the lunch menu. They gladly did, and it arrived after a short wait. It was a well prepared medium rare burger topped with jack cheese, bacon, and jalapenos. There was a lot of heat to this burger. It was meaty and juicy, but not overdone on either account, and served on a nice focaccia role. It came with a pickle and a side of fries, definitely enough food to fill me up and only $10.

I still like the atmosphere here a lot, especially when it's not overcrowded. They have two HD TVs, and could be a nice place to watch some sports. The service is good, and it was nearly empty while we ate lunch, which is why you should check it out. (In addition to the reasons above).

For beer, this bar keeps a good list rotating somewhat regularly. They offer pints and half pints (nice if you want to try a few different things) and will soon fill growlers. I had the Corinado Hoppy Daze, which was the brewery's excellent take on a Belgian IPA. Dead Reckoning, Arcadia Jaw-Jacker, Sierra Nevada Belgian Trippel, Cask Conditioned Hop Devil, Steamworks Colorado Kolsch, Dock Street Hop Garden and two more rounded out the list. Prohibition also has an impressive bottle list.

Bottom Line: This place is good. It won't blwo your socks off, but it's an espeically good option for weekday lunches for me. Check the beer list before you go and find a time when they have a few interesting brews on. And don't forget, Green Beans!

Essentials:

501 N 13th St (13th and Spring Garden)

(215) 238-1818

Avg Lunch Ent: 8-10

Cash only: No

Reservations: No

Noddinghead

It's been a long time! I've not been going out to eat too often, and I've also been revisiting some of my fevortie places lately. Because I really only focus on writing about my new experiences, this doesn't leave much room for new posts.

Although I've been to Noddinghead quite a few times, I don't often eat here. Recently, my coworker and friend Dan had a chance to take a lunch break here. Noddinghead positions itself first as a microbrewery, as it should. They make excellent beers, and although they might not all be to my taste, I respect what they're doing. For example, they recently made the Wet Chinook Double IPA. It uses fresh hops; they were cut and shipped overnight from California, and promptly used for their brew. They did a great job with this beer, not over-hopped or too citrus-y. We mostly drank the Lead Piper Lager, a dark bock beer, strong at 7%. This was a well crafted, dark lager, that had a lot of good flavor. One of my favorite things is that Nodding head will sell half pints, full pints, or pitchers, all at reasonable prices.

I like this spot a lot, they have a small bar and a lot of tables in the big open room. It feels cozy in this place. Following their moniker, this place has hundreds of bobble-heads around the bar. I love looking at the different ones, you can spot some real treasures if you try. The service, well, it exists. There is someone to provide beer and menus, nothing special.

While I was looking over the menu, I noticed that is was generic pub fare; Noddinghead does not exercise the same creativity with food as they do with their beer. This is probably the reason I only drink when I visit. Under the barkeep's recommendation, I went with the pulled pork. It was a huge, messy sandwich with coleslaw and cheddar on top, and a side of fries. The meat was tender, but not too flavorful. Overall, the meal was good, but nothing spectacular.

Bottom Line:

There are better places to eat within walking distance, but not many better to drink. Noddinghead is making some of the finest beers in town, and this is the only spot to get them. I've heard they have a decent brunch, but I advise this to be a watering hole only.

Essentials:

1516 Sansom St

(215) 569-9525

Avg Ent: 8-15

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No