Ressurection Ale House

A limited food menu and a good beer selection are the main points of Resurrection Ale House.  There are better spots for food and beer, especially considering the price.

Twice fried chicken is a dark, crunchy and small meal.

If I was a rich yuppie trying to convince myself I was "down with the people" and that I "love craft beer" I probably be a regular.  IF.

Lamb burger's flavor leaves something to be desired.

Molly Malloy's

Already one of my favorite spots in the city, Reading Terminal got an upgrade with the opening of Molly Malloy's.  It's a great use of space, with a huge, long U-shaped bar.

The food menu is extensive, and the prices are pretty good too.  I stopped in here with my buddy Dan. His go to order, fish and chips, was pretty good, but a smallish portion.  I felt the same way about my order, the Irish stew.  We saw a good number of sandwiches come out of the kitchen, and they were pretty big.

The beer list here includes 24 or so taps, and while they didn't present me with anything new, the selection is still good.  The pricing is wonky, with some beers normal prices (Bud $3, blithering idiot $5 wine glass) and some outragous (Rouge Dead Guy $9).  Still, the point is there good beers are available.

Happy hour is from 4 to 6, when the bar closes.  It's a bit odd that the bar closes the same time as the market.

Bottom Line: This spot is a pretty and tasty welcomed addition to reading terminal market.  While its promises to be overcrowded with those on break from jury duty and conventions, it'd still worth a stop for your lunch break.

Interstate Draft House

A bright Interstate sign illuminates this great little new spot from an otherwise unremarkable block.  I stopped in the other night to check out what it's all about.

The Interstate Draft House is a beer bar/gastropub rendition by the owner of the late Azure in Northern Liberties.  Great craft beer selection is combined with pub and Mexican food.  The atmosphere here is great; it's really cozy, dim with candles along the bar.  A medium sized wooden bar runs half the length of the building and gives way to a dining room in the back.  Good music plays in the background until the Phillies come on.  And I love when bars play the sound for local sports casts.

There's on HD TV over the bar, and a chalkboard will the current beer selections.  With the exception of the prices noted on the beer list (and this is a welcomed inclusion), many details are reminiscent of Memphis Taproom.  I say this with a note of admiration.  I was hoping this new spot would have a lower price point, but let's face it: Fishtown is expensive now.  This place, in price and a lot of other ways, it right up there with Memphis and Kraftwork.

The staff here is attentive and friendly; more so than I expect.  I did visit while the business was quite new, but these guys still seemed genuine.  For the menu, there are a few options that sound great.  The one downside is that the mains and all sides are separate.  First, ordering a burger and getting just that on a plate is disappointing; somehow just wrong (fries are a right, not a privilege).  Second, a simple meal can inflate to almost $20 with a main and a side.

I ordered the Cubano, and this was a traditional representation of the delicious pressed sandwich.  No complaints here; good ingredients, with special props to the spicy mustard.  Rachel ordered the quesadilla and was happy with her order.  The real treat was our order of fried plantains; sticky-sweet, perfectly cooked, and overall delicious.  The might not be the best food to go with beer, but I'm happy to order them anytime nonetheless.

I like to write a lot when I visit spots and I doubt most anyone reads the whole thing.

The Bottom Line: I like this spot, it will thrive. I hope that it can keep the neighborhood feel and not get overrun.  Interesting beer lists and a tasty, albeit a bit overpriced food menu will keep the folks coming again and again.

Cash only at the moment.  On Palmer, just north of Girard.

Blind Pig

I love trying out new spots. I've been here twice, once for drinks, once for dinner. There's a lot of good beer here, some with prices from reasonable to outrageous. Still, the selection gives you options no matter what your goal is, from sipping at heavy stout to drinking cheap pounders. I really liked that they give you a pint glass even when you order can beer.

There is a nice, long wooden bar which is the best spot at The Blind Pig. They have a few TVs, and this is a good place to catch the Phillies. There's also outdoor seating, which is fantastic if the weather cooperates.

The food menu is standard; average. There is nothing that jumps out, although lots of people rave about the Thanksgiving balls: deep fried turkey and mash potatoes served with gravy.

There was one special that I was intrigued by: Alligator sausage. It was a 70-30 blend made with pork, and the meat was delicious and flavorful, like a more gamey chorizo. It was served on a small white roll with a salad on the side. The bread was terrible. Is it too much to ask for Amaroso or Sarcone in Philadelphia? The salad was okay; forgettable.

Emily ordered a beat salad and wasn't thrilled either. The menu, overall, just seems to have little or no effort. The service was ok, but not on par with other spots I usually visit.

Bottom Line: I like the can beer selection, even if some are overpriced. The draft list offers good options, but the food is nothing special. The Blind Pig needs to find it's niche to survive, because right now, there is not much going on. Nothing bad either, but that's usually not enough.

Corner of 2nd and Fairmount.

Liberties

I'm afraid that the secret will get out about this place. Because on Mondays, they have an order of wings and a pitcher of (admittedly cheap) beer for $10. Liberties isn't great, but that's paradoxically what makes it good, especially for Northern Liberties. This is a low key spot, and the beer is always cheap, Rolling Rock pounders go for $2 and Kenzinger pints are only .50 more. I ate here with a bunch of friends, and its a good place for a group. It's not overrun and there's a bunch of space. Several flat screen TVs pump out sports in HD.

The food here is just okay. My friend Chris ordered a Bacon cheeseburger, which came out piled high and looked awesome, but ended up tasting average. The wings were okay, but great for the price. I ordered hot but was disappointed by the lack of heat. There isn't much atmosphere here, but its a small time joint seemingly filled with locals and served only by one bartender, who is chill and accommodating.

Bottom Line: Liberties is a breath of fresh air from the normal No Libs joints. That doesn't make it great, but I reward points for challenging the status quo.

It's at 2nd and Fairmount.

Fork and Barrel

There are two reasons to go to Fork and Barrel: beer and atmosphere. With how well they present these two things, it's no surprise that Fork and Barrel are opening a location in Center City. It will thrive.

I must talk about beer first. The selection here in amazing. They have stuff that is just so rare, unique, and unavailable. Flights are $16 and come with five 5.5 oz pours, which for the quality of beer is an excellent deal.

I'm going to talk about all the beers I drank, and I expect most people to completely skip this paragraph. I'm not going to go into much detail, because we tried a lot of different beers. Gaspar Ale Picobrouwerij Alvinne was a Belgian IPA, finished too dry and sour. Didn't enjoy this one. Porterhouse Oyster Stout was on Nitro and was great. It was thick and incredibly flavorful, almost a dessert beer. Oyster flavor wasn't strong however. Wintercoat Cockney Imperial Stout was probably my favorite of the night, this Danish stout was strong and was so flavorful and smooth. 't browkot Netebuk was a smooth Belgian ale, we ordered this one twice. It's what Six Point Sweet Action wants to be. Schlenkerla Helles was a standard but delicious Helles lager. Gasser Huppendorfer Vollbier was on gravity tap and had a great thick, smokey flavor.

I was out with Rachel. For dinner, she had the lamb burger, and I had the duck confit. All of the entrees here are pretty small, but flavorful. The sandwiches were served on rectangular pieces of slate with small sides of coleslaw. We also ordered salt potatoes, which were small red potatoes covered with kosher salt. They were okay, I'm sure another side would have been more satisfying. The dishes here are small, but not too small. To finish the meal, we had the cranberry crisp for dessert. This was incredibly tart, and didn't taste much like a dessert at all. We both concluded that it needed more sugar and didn't finish it.

The service here wasn't great the night when we dined. Empty plates and dishes stayed on our table for a while. Our server seemed to have too many tables for her to handle. The decor is the downstairs is beautiful, it's entirely lit by candlelight, and they have a whole wall of beer bottles boasting some of the best and most rare beers in the world. There's hundreds. It's almost like eating in the most beautiful museum on beer you're likely to ever see. I didn't go upstairs, but they focus on American craft beer there, while downstairs is focused on the imports.
Bottom Line: Despite everything, we had a great night. Fork and Barrel has incredible beer selection, and the prices are pretty good too. Food is missable, but it's got to be one of the best spots in East Falls.

Bridgid's

Almost 3 years had lapsed between meals at Bridgid's. I remember really liking this spot, but honestly, my standards have gone up since my last visit here. I was under the impression that it was a Belgain joint, but they only had one Belgain on tap. The beer list here is solid, but not stellar. They're all $5 or $6.

As far as a bar goes, they do offer two unique things. First, although small, the U shaped bar is great. Many bars could take cues on how to effectively use a small space. Secondly, the gravity tap is great. When I visited with Dan they had Yard's ESA on. The gravity tap comes from the uninsulated attic. The winter air chills the beer and the gravity forces out through the tap. The result is a beer that has the mouth feel of a beer engine and the temperature of a keg. It made the ESA even better.

I ordered the burger, and this came stuffed with bacon, bleu cheese and onions. It sounded good, but in reality, its a disaster. The burger came out pretty well done, which it needed to be to hold all of the ingredients together. The flavors tripping over each other, and the distribution of the filling was all wrong; they all were concentrated at the center and the edges of the burger were woefully plain. That being said, they do serve the most perfectly crispy fries. They're truly excellent.

Bottom Line: This spot didn't live up to my memory. That said, I still think it's one of, if not the, best in Fairmount. I like the gravity tap, but if you're going to dine here I recommend it for dinner rather than lunch. I still am planning on going back in the near future.

Catahoula

I visited last night with my good friend Lauren. I heard about the "My burger" and wanted to check it out. Catahoula is a small, welcoming bar tucked away on south front street. The beer list has some good craft beers on tap; its nothing you won't around the city but even with six taps we were both able to find something to enjoy. Straub, Six Point, Dark Horse and Abita were all represented.

The atmosphere here is great. Its not a big place, but there a nice long bar with about six tall four top tables around the rest of the room. There are several large flat screens, and all were playing sports while we were eating. This would be a great place to causally catch a game if you want to escape the normal monotony of a sports bar. The service was good, and the bar tender was helpful and welcoming. I can't completely put my finger on it, but something about Catahoula is welcoming and inviting.

The menu here is great and I'd like to visit again to try some of the Cajun offerings. But the purpose of this visit was to try the "My burger." Its a massive 9 oz patty cooked to order topped with goat cheese, bacon a fried green tomato and some kind of aioli. I generally don't go for goat cheese on a burger, or in general, but I was really surprised by it. I highly recommend trying it when you visit.

Honestly, this burger has too much going on. I recommend getting something more simple. One of the reasons is because the meat is delicious. It's excellently prepared ground beef, and my medium-rare was as truly cooked as medium-rare can be. The bun was a large, squishy buttery role that was the prefect delivery method for the patty. The bacon and fried tomato were a little bit of flavor overkill. THe cajun fries served with the burger are strong and flavorful. My only other complaint is that at 9 oz, even I had trouble polishing it off.

Bottom Line: Catahoula servers a great burger, and I like this spot. It's a little more pricey than I would like, but I'm still going to make this a to go spot.

Kelliann's Bar & Grill

I've ridden my bike past Kelliann's at least a hundred times. And while that's no exaggeration, I didn't know the name of this place until I visited last week. If you're unclear of the spot I'm referring to, you may know it as I did: "Crappy Irish place on the corner of 16th and Spring Garden." But my previous title and judgement were way off the mark.

This place is pretty small; a long bar greats you at the door and runs almost the entire length of the skinny space. Some outdoor seating surely helps this place from seeming too crowded. Upon entering, I looked towards the taps to judge the place. Some regular locals, plus Sam Adams, a few Irish brews, and the real star of the day, Spaten Octoberfest. This is a tasty beer, and at $5 for a 20 oz mug (in proper glassware, if that's your thing) it was a great deal. Overall, the beer list is nothing special, but you should be able to find something that will pacify if not satisfy.

The place doesn't have much atmosphere for itself, but it surely has an interesting collection of patrons. Off duty nurses, construction workers, staff and students from nearby CCP, and folks like myself are elbow to elbow at the bar. To help me feel more at home, our bartender was friendly welcoming, and attentive.

Looking at the menu, I received the biggest shock. Almost everything on the menu was between 5 and 7 dollars, and included items such as a cheeseburger, turkey club, 10 piece chicken wings, steak sandwich, and the likes. Not incredible food, but decent food at a good price. I had a few wings, which were solidly average, but enjoyable. The turkey club was also good, and included a ridiculous amount of sliced turkey, and was topped with cheese. I'd eat here again.

Bottom Line: Kelliann's isn't amazing. But the good deals on food and beer, coupled with good service and real people make this an enjoyable joint. Everyone should at least give it a chance.

Essentials:

1549 Spring Garden (Spring Garden and 16th)

215-563-6990

Avg Ent: 5-7

Cash Only: No

Reservation: No

Royal Tavern

The "Royal Burger" is a hot item. If you don't believe me, steer over to the write up about it on Food Network, which calls it the best burger in the state. A more credible write up can be seen at A Hamburger Today. And if you still need more reading material, check Unbreaded. I needed to add myself to this laundry list of bloggers who have written about this famed burger.

I've been to the Royal a few times, and it's never struck me as a great place. The tap list is small, the prices aren't great ($9 for the burger is decent however), and the bar doesn't have much character. I went hoping the burger would be a reason to bring me in.

Before I finished my visit, I had another reason to avoid the Royal. I had the worst service I've experienced in Philadelphia in quite some time. Our drinks took far too long, as did the check. Empty glasses were left on our table, and I was brought the wrong beer. One or two of these may have been understandable, but the overall result was pretty poor.

I was dining with my friend Danny, and he ordered the chicken sandwich. He enjoyed it, but didn't really have too much to say, either. Nothing special. I was hoping that my burger would be something to rave about. On paper, it sounded fantastic: bacon, caramelized onions, smoked Gouda, pickled long hot peppers, and chili mayo.

The pickled long hot peppers had great taste, but they weren't strong enough to stand out with the rest of the flavors. That may be the problem with the burger; too many good flavors mixed together in a way that they just cover up each other.

The bun was thick and dense, and left a lot to be desired. I ordered medium rare, and it came out medium. The result was a dry burger, which wasn't even remedied by the chili mayo. I was underwhelmed by the burger.

Bottom Line: Not the best burger in Philadelphia, or even South Philly. Poor service and a limited beer selection leave a lot to be desired. I haven't been for brunch in years, but I remember liking this spot. They have a lot of veggie options. $17 for fish and chips is a complete joke.

Essentials:

937 E Passyunk (Passyunk between Carpenter and Montrose)

215-389-6694

Hours: 11:30-2am, opens at 10 on weekends

Avg Ent: 9-17

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No

Photo from: A Hamburger Today

McMenimins

I've been meaning to go to McMenimins for months now. It's supposed to be the best bar in Germantown, and I needed to investigate this rumor.

I went out to dinner with John, Allie, and Rachel. The atmosphere here is pretty standard, a long dark bar greets you as from the front door. There is a back dinning room with a handful of tables, and a small outdoor seating area. The quality of seating varies in the outdoor area; one end is quite nice while the other is cramped, separated from the sidewalk only by a chain link fence. Choose your seat wisely.

The prices here are great for the food, and reasonable for the beer. As far as the beer list goes, it is good, even by Philadelphia standards. There have several American craft beers and a few Belgians. I started with the Kwak and then tried an IPA, but the names escapes me now.

Everyone else went with the fish and chips, while I opted for the burger. The rest of the group really enjoy the fish, and liked the fries even more. The first are the twice cooked fries that deliver crispy, perfect consistency inside and out; many spots could take lessons on these great fries.

For my burger, it only came with potato chips, which aren't the ideal side. Other than that, I was very happy with the burger, and would put it in the upper echelon of burgers in the city. The size and proportion of everything was great. I ordered medium rare and it came cooked to specification. It was large and messy, dripping with juices, and if I wasn't in such good company I may have been embarrassed by the process of eating this great burger.

Bottom Line: This is one of the best spots in Germantown. It doesn't have what it takes to bring me from my part of the city, but it's certainly worth visiting if you're in the neighborhood.

Essentials:

7071 Germantown Ave

215-247-9920

Hours: M-S: 11:30-2am; S 4pm-1am; Sunday during NFL 12:30-1am

Avg Ent: 7-15

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No

Pope: Pub on Passyunk East

I recently revisited this spot. Because it's so far from where I normally hang out, I rarely make it here. The Pope is an all around solid spot, and I'm sure I would visit a lot more if it was closer to me. Everything that they do is well done, but nothing stands out as excellent.

For atmosphere, this place is dark and cozy. If you're visiting during the day, expect to be blinded as soon as you walk out the door. The bartenders are friendly and attentive. The beer selection is very good, even by Philadelphia standards. They had a few beers that I hadn't seen on tap in the city or had not seen in a good while. It's nice to find a bar that can craft a good beer list in a city where standards are so high. They have one flat screen TV in the corner if you're trying to catch some sports.

For food, I had the Pope Burger. I'm drawing a blank on the toppings, I think I had a red onion, lettuce, tomato, and American cheese. I ordered medium rare and it came out cooked perfectly. While not the best burger in the city, it will certainly satisfy you. Dan ordered fish and chips, which he deemed best fish can chips value (at $8) that he has found in the city.

Bottom Line: Pope isn't doing anything amazing, but they're doing everything very well. You won't be disappointed when you visit.

City Tap House

Not wanting to squander a rare lunch break in West Philly, Dan and I ventured in search of the best bar in the area. We ended up at City Tap House. This huge new space is beautiful, if weird. Located in the heart of University City, it has the potential to attract an annoying crowd. But we didn’t deal with any of that on our visit. The staff here is great, and our bartender was knowledgeable about his beer. He was willing to pour samples and offered carefully thought suggestions.

The space is beautiful. The bar is probably the largest in the city, and City Tap house also boasts a sizable dining room with an open kitchen. To top it off, there’s an great outdoor area complete with faux fire pits. Overall, the space is impressive and well used. even the bathrooms leave a good impression.

Let’s move on to the important part: Beer. The first time I visited City Tap House I was part of a record setting night: Most taps by a brewery in a single place at once. Ever. The brewery was Bell’s and there were some great beers available. Still, on a normal day, the Tap House boast a quite respectable list. With the sixty taps available, they offer something for everyone and are simultaneously able to have more than a few rare and impressive drinks on tap. I had a black IPA, Hop in the Dark, from Deschutes Brewery, and, at the moment, City Tap House is the only place in the state that has beer from Deschutes. I cannot imagine the person (other than those who do not like beer at all) that is unable to find something enjoyable.

The menu here is impressive. While ordering, I was wrestling between several different choices, and there is a dinner menu available that I didn’t even see. Because I believe the cheeseburger is the standard to which all other food at an establishment can be benchmarked, I ordered one medium rare with mushrooms and bleu. It came out quickly and well cooked. It was a huge burger, and in reality, I should have only ate half of it. Everything on the burger was high quality, with the bleu cheese as an incredible standout. While not my favorite burger I’ve ever had, I have no hesitation putting this on the highest echelon of burgers in the city. The thin, crispy fries perfectly round out the dish.

Dan ordered a pizza, and it came out perfectly cooked. The pizza is cooked in a brick oven, and the result is a crispy, thin pizza that, like the burger, is excellently crafted. Also like the burger, one pizza is more than enough food for one person. City Tap House offers several mouth watering combinations of toppings for the pies.

Bottom Line: Prices are on par with everything else in this area. The space is beautiful and huge, just like the tap list. The food rounds out this contender for the best bar in West Philadelphia.

The Grey Lodge Pub

I'm rarely in the Northeast. But when I needed to take my car to Nick Schummer's shop, I used the trip to stop by the Grey Lodge. Many have said that this is one of the best bars in the city, and I hadn't given it more than a passing drink until this weekend.

It's hard to determine what is most notable about this bar. As many have remarked, the beer list is excellent. Eleven taps pour a good variety of styles and breweries. I started with a rare beer from Sierra Nevada: Charlie, Fred and Ken's Lager. It was an excellent beer. Grey Lodge also boasts one of the most impressive whiskey lists I've seen in Philadelphia.

I also love the atmosphere at this place. The bar is a large J shape that utilizes the space well. It's also generally busy with a motley mix of people. Whether its Northeasters drinking Bud, Mainliners, or snobby beer geeks, there's no judgement and everyone seems to be having a good time. I also remember remarking that the music here was awesome. Someone made some wise choices when stocking the jukebox. There are also several TVs on the first floor, and it's a good place to catch a Phillies game. To top it off, the mosaic of famous beer quotes in the bathroom is one of my favorite parts of the Grey Lodge.

The prices for everything are excellent. Even a few miles outside of center city Philadelphia the prices are lower than what I usually expect. I ordered a "surf and turf cheesesteak" a Philly cheese steak topped with shrimp, which was $9. It was standard, traditionally made cheesesteak, with the shrimp topping it off as a nice addition. I ordered a side of fries, a mix of potato and sweet potato, and these were good as well. Dan ordered and enjoyed the fish and chips. But both of us agreed that the food was good but nothing special. It's clear that the Grey Lodge does not approach their food menu with the same seriousness or care that do with their drink menu.

Bottom Line: For me, it's not worth making the trip to go to the Grey Lodge alone. The food is so-so, but the drinks, atmosphere and affordable prices more than make up the difference. Although I have no other bars to compare to, I'm sure this is one of the best in the northeast.

Essentials:

6235 Frankford (Frankford and Robbins)

(215) 825-5357

Hours: 10am-2am, sun 11am-2am

Avg Ent: 6-12

Cash only: No

Triumph Brewing Company

If you're in the know, you can order a very special cheeseburger at Triumph. It's not on the menu. They also have beers that are not on the taplist. These cool secrets raise this spot a bit in my book.

Jonny and I split this burger, and I'm glad we did. Because I would have felt horrible (mentally and possibly physically) if I ate it all alone. It starts with pork belly fried in duck fat. This delicious patty is then sandwiched by two grass-fed beef patties. This is all topped with bacon, gruyere, truffle oil, duck fat onion confit, a fried egg, and lettuce and tomato and onion. All served on a buttery brioche roll, this burger is a feat to be tasted.

Triumph has a beautiful, open space on Chestnut in Olde City. They have two bars pouring a good selection of there beer, all of which is made on location. The menu isn't amazing, it's standard American gastropub fare with regular prices. Avoid the mediocre calamari.

Bottom Line: I don't like to visit Olde City bars often, but the special burger tempted me. I really enjoyed it. I'm not running back to Triumph anytime soon, but I'll consider it if I'm in the neighborhood. (And then probably walk across the street to Eulogy)

Essentials:

117 Chestnut St (Chestnut & Front)

215-625-0855

Hours: 11:30-2am daily

Avg En: 8-16

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Taken, needed on busy nights

Photo from: burgerdelphia.com

Pub and Kitchen

Pub and Kitchen, I can finally cross you off my list of new places to eat at. I can now add you to the list of disappointing spots that I'm unlikely to ever visit again.

My sister, Laura, was visiting this weekend and we went out for dinner. I gave her a few places to pick from, and I was happy when she chose Pub and Kitchen. It's a swanky little spot at 20th and Lombard. They don't take reservations, so we had to wait around at the bar until a seat opened outside and we could enjoy the beautiful weather. The tap list here isn't great; they have English beers on to go with the pub feeling, but I'd rather just have some stuff that is better and reasonably priced. I drank Thomas Hooker IPA, which was good and is actually pretty rare to see on tap.

The service here was poor. We waited too long at the bar for drinks and our table service was slow as well. The worst part is that all of the servers are dressed like the clients, making it difficult to flag down anyone to help you.

The atmosphere here is kind of annoying. It's darker, more crowded, and louder than it should be. If I wanted that, I go to any number of bars that I like better. The one good thing is the outdoor seating, because there isn't much car traffic passing by to annoy you as you eat. The bar has a few TVs, but they're all on the same spot. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're actually trying to watch anything, but if you want a baseball game on in the background, you'll probably be in luck.

The one saving grace here could be the food. I had read great things about the Windsor burger before coming, and was excited to eat it. My medium rare burger was properly cooked, and came out with cheddar and bacon. Nothing I ate seemed flavorful enough; everything was lacking. The entire meal was forgettable. Pub and Kitchen also overlooked the importance of good bread on a burger.

The portions here are pretty good, and the table next to us had the cheese platter and oysters which looked like decent appetizers. They also looked like you could get better elsewhere.

Bottom Line: Meh.

Essentials:

1946 Lombard St.

215-545-0350

Hours: M-F 4-2; S&S 11-2

Avg Ent: 12-20

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No taken

General Lafayette Brew Pub revisited

Last Friday I made the drive out to General Lafayette to have dinner with my good friends John and Melissa.

Not too much has changed since my last visit. The brewery is still churning out some of the best small batch beer in the area. The atmosphere and service leave a lot to be desired.

I am writing with a new tip. Call ahead. We were hoping to take advantage of the beautiful weather and sit out on the patio. The whole first floor was closed for a rehearsal dinner. To add to our disappointment, John favorite beer, the mead, was out. We were shuffled a stuffy, loud room upstairs.

To start out, we had the homemade "pretzels" and mustard. The sauces were good, but these were little more than glorified breadsticks, and not very good ones at that. Despite my previous experience, I went ahead and ordered the burger. It was much better this time, but not incredible. It was well cooked, and made with good ingredients. The seasoning was questionable, but overall I had a decent dinner.

Bottom Line: Call ahead to make sure to check the available beers. Sitting outside is really nice in good weather. Eat before you visit, and expect shoddy service. The beer is still awesome, and I still recommend this spot.

Essentials:

646 E Germantown PikeLafayette Hill, PA 19444

(610) 941-0600

Avg Ent: 9-17

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes, but not needed

Varga Bar

Dan and I stopped by Varga for a nice weekday lunch. I knew they started a new "speed lunch" menu. Also, I hadn't been here since summer. During lunch, this spot is pretty slow. Still, the city is in sore need of good bars that serve weekday lunch, so I'm really happy this is open.

The beer list, as always, in incredible. They also standardized the beer list: 3.5 for half pints, 6 for goblets or pints, and $25 growler fill. Between us we tried Bell's Hopslam, Great Divide St. Brigid's Porter, Slyfox Odyssey, Great Divide Old Ruffian barleywine, and St. Victorious Doppelbock. They have so many choices that I really love the new offering of half pints. Varga also keeps their beermenus page and twitter meticulously up to date.

Dan and I were both craving burger, so we skipped the lunch menu. The burger was good; well topped with bacon, aged cheddar, lettuce and tomato. The burger was also served with fries and house made ketchup and mustard. I enjoyed my meal, but it's not my favorite burger in the city, and the $14 price tag is steep despite the Kobe label.

We also split a bowl of spicy gumbo with chirzo and shrimp. This was a good idea because neither of us ate all of our food, and the bowl of soup was $8. Considering the speed lunch includes a bowl of soup and half a sandwich for $9, you almost can't pass up this deal.

Bottom Line: I still like Varga a lot. It's a great choice for good lunch and beer in the neighborhood. When the weather gets nice and you can sit outside, that just another reason to love this place.

Essentials:

10th and Spruce

(215) 627-5200

Reservations: No

Cash Only: No

Avg Ent: 10-16

The Kite and Key

I have not heard much about this spot. That, and the fact combined with it's an inconvenient (for me) location are the two main factors I've never made the trip. But I'm here to try and convince you not to make the same mistake.

It's always nice to see a good beer bar, and especially one that is close to me and open for lunch. The Kite and Key impresses on two beer fronts: reasonable prices and excellent selection. Dan stayed with the $5 16oz Hennepin pours, while I had my first Nugget Nectar of the season (on cask) and Bell's Double Cream Stoudt ($6 apiece, I believe). Their website isn't updated as often as the taps, but it gives a good idea of the type of variety offered. It's almost exclusively American craft beer, which is right up my alley.

The food menu offers standard dishes. The menu opens up during dinner, with the menu almost doubling in size. We split an order of wings to start. We were served large, breaded hot wings. I wasn't impressed with the wing, sauce, or price ($8.5 for seven wings). Must miss.

My entree was an order of three fish tacos. The presentation and portions were good, but the flavors were lacking. It was good, nothing else. I understand that this dish is something that should only be ordered within walking distance of the beach, but it could have still been better. Dan ordered one of his favorite entrees: fish and chips. A plate full of shoestring fries was topped with several large pieces of breaded grouper. I like the choice to use grouper because it's a more flavorful fish than cod or haddock, which are commonly used by other restaurants.

The atmosphere here is great. There are several TVs with different sports on, including hockey and club soccer. The bartender provided great service. Granted, we were two of five in the whole place. I'm sure the environment changes quite a bit on a weekend night.

Bottom Line: I was impressed with my first stop at the Kite and Key. They might not have the food to make me keep coming back, but they certainly have the beers. I'm glad to have discovered another respectable stop in the seemingly barren Logan Square/Fairmount area (but there are a few great ones, to be sure).

Essentials:

1836 Callowhill St

215-568-1818

Hours: 11am-2am daily, happy hour 5-7 M-F

Avg Ent: 10-18

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No

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