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Categories: American (New), Pubs [Edit]
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square"We had the pleasure of FADO for brunch a couple of Sundays ago. I at first thought the menu was limiting, but how many ways can you make…" read more »
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Who has happy hour on a Friday afternoon that starts at 4pm? Black Sheep Pub! All drinks were $1 off.
While there was plenty of seating available from 4-5, by 6pm the upstairs was packed and the basement was full with a private event. Our service wasn't anything spectacular. I found it odd that mid-drink our waitress brought us the bill because she was leaving and wanted her tip.
The highlight of the evening was the basket of fries we ordered. Served piping hot and perfectly seasoned they came with what looked like a red pepper aioli.
Cheese-steak empandas. Yes, they serve cheese-steak empanadas. WITH smoked Gouda cheese in it. You're looking at me like you don't understand how frickin' amazing this is. Maybe you're a vegetarian or rather eat a Care Bear instead. I don't know what you're thing is. But the menu selection is awesome. And you wouldn't expect it from this "Irish" pub (hmm, maybe THAT'S why it's called Black Sheep, clever). I guess the most Irish thing about it is that it has an Yacht-load of different beers.
This place is like one of those super-flyweight boxers that shop from Baby Gap that you drunkenly watch on TV and then meet in person, talk trash to and they do demolition work on your face. It's unassumingly better and chiller than you expect. So go get one of their, hold on... drum roll please..., FILLET MIGNON SLIDERS!!! (I'm dabbing the drool with my shirt) What else do I have to do to agree this place rocks? Give you a handshake through your zipper?
I love ducking into the Black Sheep on my break from work. The bartenders are always super sweet, making sure my glass is never empty. Afterall, I usually have to drink and run right back to work. They even change the channel to tennis if I ask them. This is very important to me! And the Nicoise salad I ate last week was delicious, loaded with fresh seared rare tuna, and a bargain at 12 bucks.
This place feels classic and comfortable. I can't wait to hide from work all winter here.
When the weather's bad, this is the perfect place to hide out with a pint of something dark and the best mac n cheese in the city.
This is a bar's bar - dark wood, booths, darts. I like it in there. Service is dicey and New Jersey takes over on the weekends, but on a cold winter afternoon, it's perfect.
I came here after tabling at Pride with a few people. It was alright and a pretty generic beer bar, but loses a point for the second time I had to pee. As I flushed the toilet, I felt a sprinkle on my ankle and realized I was being misted by something. I looked up and noticed that my apparently mighty bladder managed to break the pipes and ceiling, flooding the bathroom in several inches of water.
At first, I thought it was a freak accident, but I am (admittedly) a little relieved now that I've learned it is a common problem there. Unfortunately for Black Sheep, if I still thought it was a freak accident, I'd be way more inclined to go back. I can't see myself ever making a special trip out there unless one of my friends really wanted to head out that way, but I guess I'd consider it if one of them were really bugging to go and we happened to be around Rittenhouse.
I've been here many a time for happy hour with work people, and I went for the first time for dinner the other night. Like other posters said the downstairs is a bit dark, but I like it as it reminds me of an authentic Irish or Scottish bar - heavy wooden tables, dim lighting, hard benches and stools, etc.
What I like about this bar is that it's a good middle ground. Not as divey as the Raven Lounge, but not as pretentious as XIX. I also really liked the food. We went on a Friday night around 6 and were the only people there for about 15 minutes. I had a pulled pork sandwich and it had the sweetest, most delectable barbecue sauce I've ever had. Plus it was only $10.
All in all, if you're looking to do a happy hour with coworkers or have a few drinks with friends, I think this is a solid bet.
This place gets 5 stars for the macaroni and cheese, 1 star for the fact that our bartender kept leaving the bar for extended periods of time so we couldn't order anything. Someone actually had to go find an employee to have them send her back up. This may be the best mac and cheese I've ever had at a restaurant. And don't be fooled by it being listed as an appetizer, it's big enough for a meal. Go eat it! Now!
Within the last year, Black Sheep changed their menu. They don't have anything that I want to order, anymore. It's really sad, actually. Black Sheep used to be one of my favorite restaurants, one of the places I had to limit my visits to.
Even though I don't want to eat here, anymore, it's still a fun place to frequent. They have decent beers on tap at all times. The beer alone makes it worth it. The nice Irish pub atmosphere adds to the appeal, too.
Here's a warning: The sambal wings are so ridiculously hot! I mean, it was painful. They were so spicy it hurt my fingers to hold them! At first I thought I was just being a spicy wimp, but I wasn't the only person that couldn't eat them.
Beware the sambal wings!
So I'm sitting on Yelp reading reviews by neighborhood looking for a place to go to dinner, and I… Read more »
This is your classic pub with all of the normal pub "stuff." There is a downstairs area with darts and other games. It can get crowded and smelly down there. The upstairs has a bunch of tables with flat screens with sports on.
I've been here many times and on the latest occasion was there during the day for an actual meal. The food was not very good at all. The French Toast was burnt and it did not come with the sides it said it did on the menu. By the time we got it, we had finished our French Toast. Would come here for the drinking, but not for the eating!
If you're jones'n for some mac and cheese, Black Sheep is a great place to go... sometimes nothing beats a crock of creamy, baked, cheesy awesomeness. Besides that, this is probably some of the best food i've had in an irish pub in Philly... everything i've had there has been really good. The shephards pie is great. Next time they have ribs on the menu, definitely give them a try - they are melting off the bone, and delicious. The atmosphere in the bar is a pretty authentic divey irish pub, and the upstairs dining area gives a little more upscale experience. The beer selection is nothing amazing, but i'm sure you'll find something you'll like... you could always go for the old standby - a pint of Guiness!
This place is hit or miss with me. Usually it's too loud and full of annoying La Viola d-bags. But I like their bangers and mash. The beer selection isn't bad. The bartenders are cool.
So, if you want to brave the annoying crowds, try it out. But it's not a relaxed place for a beer. It's more of a be-seen type place.
3 bars on 3 different levels means there's always place to spread out. Different bars on tap and usually friendly waitstaff. The perfect neighborhood bar.
Grab a beer here while you wait for your table at Monk's!
Black Sheep seems to attract a mixed crowd, though I think it leans toward the old frat boy set. I've been here a couple times for private work happy hours and the service was fine then. However, as just a normal person walking in, service tends to be terrible, particularly on the weekends. They have three floors with three bars but it still doesn't seem to be enough - either that or the bartender I always seem to get is especially myopic.
I know I've had food here before, but I don't remember it. I guess that speaks for itself; it must not be too bad and it can't be too great either.
Although not my favorite spot, I have experienced some good afternoons here. I have only come when it hasn't been very crowded and the bartenders have always been friendly. It was very relaxing, quiet and a nice breeze was flowing through the open window. All in all, just ok though! I've had some food and most was pretty standard pub stuff needed to soak up some alcohol. The beer selection is ok, but just a bit boring.
Decent, clean, but it didn't wow me. That's okay though. I went in because I've heard others talk about it and I've never been. So me and my lady wanted to try a new pub for drinks and a pubfood and this is where we ended up. I had the Reuben and she had the burger and we shared some of the curry fries. Both the sandwiches were too large to finish in one sitting, but that's okay by me. I love leftovers for lunch. The fries were "interesting". I lived in England for a little while so when I saw curry fries on the menu I immediately was brought back. The fries I remember were nothing like the fries I got, but that doesn't mean they were bad. The Reuben was a Reuben. Nothing crazy... The burger though... That was a mean burger. It was enormous, and they had great toppings choices. She went with the goat cheese and caramelized onions. They went a little overboard with the goat cheese but otherwise it was a good burger.
It was a little better than meh, but it wasn't enough to lure me from my other favorite pubs. I'd go back though.
Oh, one more thing. We ate upstairs and the bartender who waited on us was a sweetheart.
Decent selection of bottled beers and stuff on tap. The bartenders I've encountered here are always friendly and very helpful in running down what new beer I should choose. If I had to describe this place in one sentence, it would be this: Black Sheep is my permanent back-up for the invariably overcrowded Monk's.
Oh, and I usually don't have any problem finding a spot to hang my coat. The hooks are on the first floor to the left of the bar. For whatever that's worth to you.
Went here last night for the first time. Service was crazy slow, and to quote-up Zanna "it took a year and a day to get" our food. I guess we were supposed to "understand" that our server was also the bartender and we were suppose to "know" that because of this service was going to be devastating slow. But seriously, are you serious?
Anyways, the server finally came over and she was like, frazzled and all and asked for us to give our order. We said 'em, she didn't write 'em down, 20 (!!!) minutes later another server came to ask what we had ordered just to "go over our order again." Is my review just like Zanna's? Sorry.
Anyways, food FINALLY CAME OUT. I was famished. I was stoked to see that Fish and Chips was a very nice plate of fish and chips. The fish was a massive fillet that was nice and crisp but not too flavorful (yay for malt vinegar) and the chips were very well seasoned. Great for $11. The BF got gazpacho and it was nice and flavorful as well. I don't like gazpach that much, but his was yummy. I don't like cold soups. Ew.
Anyways, I might be back to explore the other floors. SERVICE was horrible. We left her a "You've Been Yelped" card.
Small multilevel bar. Fun place to stop in for some drinks and converse. Decor has the relaxed Irish pub feel.
Didn't have any food so I can't comment on it, but I probably would not have any elbow room to eat there. There were a few younger rowdy folks one night, which was the waitress' reason for forgetting a drink for our table. No harm, but service in general did not seem adequate.
You don't have to go out of your way to get to Black Sheep, so stop in, try some brews and if it's not up to par, check out some other spots in the area.
I really liked the layout of this place. It was kind of like a maze of floors, which was rather neat.
My experience here was not the best - my main complaint was with the service which was exceedingly slow. The food was just average & kinda bland, although I have to say the portions were pretty generous. The price was nothing to complain about at all, but all the same I have little interest in making a repeat visit.
This was a fine place for some pints of Guinness and some fish and chips.
We found a table in the back on the ground floor back by the fireplace. The waitress was very attentive, checking back multiple times for drink orders, not just waiting for the whole table to finish their beers.
I ordered the fish and chips. The fish was one over sized piece that was perfectly prepared. The fries were just crispy enough, not greasy, and generally a great pairing for the fish.
There was a loud table near ours, so its not the place for a quiet drink if that's what you want.
Four stars, I'll be back.
Well the food was average bar food, only problem was it took a year & a day to get it. The bartender was also the waitress and she was just too overwhelmed for a full house and a large group. Not a good sign when someone is sent over 20 minutes after the order was initially taken to re-ask what was ordered.
The upstairs decor was cozy & well lit.
All in all I was not impressed and will probably not wander back.
The Irish equivalent of Monk's just across the pond. I have to admit that I have only had lunch here and an after work snack with my favorite female companion. They have a friendly selection of beers that pair very nicely with their "Irish" food selections. However, I am starting to get the feeling of "cop-out" with the center city European influenced pub/restaurants (aside from Monks), because their menus lack a vibrant and taste-bud catching theme that screams "MUST GO".
After going to a few (Noddingheads, Fado, and some of the ones in Society Hill) of the other places I get a little tired of the "whole beef patty" treatment when I can get the same thing at the local grocery "bag em and tag em" store.
All things considered, I am in love with the three-story colonial townhouse that they are so fortunate to be located in. Great spot to hang out on a warm afternoon with some friends and catch a game of soccer on the tel-ey, or play a little game of darts. If I spend more time at Black Sheep I will come back and give a much fairer assessment.
It gets (3) stars just because of it's location.
A group of Yelpers and I were all appalled at the level of service we received at this establishment. From the start this hovel of mediocrity fell on its face by not seating us at all; the hostess was not even at the door. We seated ourselves. Once we were in, the bar-tending waitress, who seemed to be running the show upstairs, took our drink orders, all the while giving off the aura of disdain and employment-regret that could sear hair off.
We had to wait around for over 30 min for someone to take our actual orders and after I took it upon myself to express to the waitress that were getting antsy. The forceful OK and stare I got back did tick me off but I decided I wouldn't make a huge deal of it. I gave her a well-timed "Alright, [pause] Thank You" until she broke eye contact and went back to our table. Not a pleasant experience. Even after all of this, someone was sent to "confirm" our orders 10 min later.
When we finally received the food it didn't impress me terribly. The Fish and Chips plate was plentiful but the fish itself was somewhat greasy and bland. However, the Humus platter was huge and pretty darn tasty (but nothing that can't be found elsewhere). Decent prices though.
The dcor of this place was as mediocre as was everything else about it. Wooden booths and low lighting define this place, as well as ever other pub everywhere else; the only distinction being the occasional framed picture of a sheep.
(I must admit I did not get to see much of the lower floor and dined upstairs)
The upstairs had large windows that may open to take in some night air - but they were closed when we were there.
My advice, if you're in the neighborhood go to Monk's just around the corner. Price point may differ but hell, so does quality!
I was continuing the theme of having dinner at animal-named pubs in the Rittenhouse square area... and this night, I went to Black Sheep Pub, which is an irish pub (sorta). I was excited that it was only a block from my hotel, but unfortunately it wasn't that great.
First off, Philly is hot and humid in the summer. And the humidity doesn't really roll away till much later in the evening. So hoping to get a break from the weather, I walk into Black Sheep Pub, only to feel exactly the same. No A/C! Windows were opened in the front of the bar and once again, it was very dark for even a bar. I grabbed the table in the back room (1st floor) by the window to savor what light was available.
I tried the Sly Fox Pilsner (I think it was called the Pikeland Pilsner), which ended up being on special for $3.50 a pint. Not too shabby :)
I ordered the fish and chips for dinner. Figured it was appropriate bar food for an Irish pub. The fries were pretty good with malt vinegar, but didn't compare to the fries at Good Dog (from the night before). The cod was decent... moist, flakey, but the breading didn't hold well and it kept falling apart.
Service was a little on the neglectful side, but I wasn't in a huge hurry, so that didn't bother me too much. Overall, the place was ok, but not great. I feel like there are better places to go in the area, especially when it's hot outside and you want some light and some A/C!
Black Sheep is a cool place if you like dark bars. (Which you know I do!) I have had dinner here and it's good for basics (burgers/chicken fingers.) It can get pretty crowded since it's not huge, but try the downstairs bar if the main room is packed.
Nice place to enjoy a relaxing pint with friends. Particularly on a warm day, when the windows are open. Decent selection of draft beers and Irish Whiskey.
Upstairs for dining, and the lower level has darts and golden tee. Decent juke box too.
The Black Sheep never disappoints me. When I first moved to Philadelphia, I tried to eat here and sat at a table forever trying to get service. I eventually left. Little did I know that if you sit down stairs, that is not the real restaurant, simply the bar. Yes, you can get food, but on a busy night you'd be better off going upstairs to the dining room (where there is also another bar and TVs to watch the game).
Upstairs the restaurant area fits in well with one's idea of what an Irish Pub/Inn would feel like. Wood floors, soft lighting, wooden booths and tables, and small pained glass windows. There are several large tables upstairs for groups up to (I would guess) 8 people. There are pictures of sheep, everywhere. Go figure.
On the subject of food, I'm always satisfied with what I order. Every day they have a special menu of "additional" entree options. They are always something interesting dishes (henceforth, not always Irish) for reasonable prices. Entrees rarely break the $20 mark. The main menu is also very good. If I were to go just to get some dinner without wanting anything special, I would get the "Bangers and Mash" or "Guinness Beef Stew" or "Sheppard's Pie" for $10.
The desserts are fine, but nothing spectacular. They make their own apple crisp, but have the other desserts brought in from a local bakery unlike some other local restaurants. (See my review of "Royal Tavern".)
I will make and additional comment about their food pricing. It appears as though the more "fancy" menu items are priced more in line with their inherent value and the more "common" items are more expensive. Here's what I mean. The other night there were braised pork medallions with two sides and a lemon grass salad for $14. A burger costs $10. It just doesn't make sense. The burgers are great and come with cheese, caramelized onions, and fries, but the most any restaurant (outside of Barclay Prime) can charge for a burger is $8.75 in my opinion. (To me, a burger is only worth $6.75 and that should include lettuce, tomato and fries.)
My other issue is that the upstairs dining room has THREE TVs. It is a small space and the glowing images get distracting and tiresome. The only reason people go upstairs to watch the game is because the downstairs is too crowded. Typically, there are about four people actually watching and everyone else is trying to look the members of their table in the eye without looking over to watch a Sierra Mist commercial.
Other than that issue, I love going to this place and will return again and again.
Just stopped in for a drink, as this place was across the street from the hotel we were staying in. I thought it was pleasant enough and would probably stop in again if I were in the area, but I don't think I would go out of my way to come back (even though all the sheep decor was very endearing and it has a certain originality for an Irish bar that you don't see often....at least not often in Chicago)
I'm definitely going to have to try the food the next time I come here because it definitely sounds right up my alley. Overall this is the perfect middle ground pub in Philadelphia. it definitely isn't a dive but it's far from upper class. It doesn't have a crap beer selection but it doesn't have the best. The last time I was here I was able to get the Monty Python ale on tap which can be a pretty rare occasion. since it has the middle crowd appeal it brings in a good mix of people.
I also love the dimly lit, wooden decor. It's the way a pub should be by my book.
food is meh. beer selection is average. like everyone says have a beer while you wait at monks
ps the bathroom has weird mc escher steps to nowhere
Great pub! Good selection of beers. Nice staff. The food is always fresh and delicious. The burgers are wonderful and HUGE. The garlic fries are giant wedges of potato fried and smothered in chopped garlic and herbs. So much garlic that they are not for the faint of heart! They smell so good that others in the bar came by to ask what we had.
Skip the hummus. It's not bad, but you can get better elsewhere and they do other things better. Same for the sambal chicken wings.
But do remember the garlic fries.
I took a bunch of yelp people here after an Elite Happy hour because I kind of like this place. We had horrible service, from the hostess not being at the door so we had to fend for ourselves, to having horrible slow service upstairs, to the fucking disgustingly weak mixed drinks. It's a shame because my previous experiences with this place have been ok and I like the food. I will probably not go back unless desperate with Fado being only a couple of blocks away.
As Martha Stewart might say, the Black Sheep is a good thing. With a monumental beer destination bar right around the corner (Monk's), the Black Sheep is a quiet little get away.
In a galaxy far, far away the place used to be an infamous 3-story gay night club and bar called 247. A friend of mine was a male stripper there... that's how I know. ;0)
The pints of Guinness are copious and delicious. The food is 'spot on'. Worth a trip.
my website... http://www.Gigfy.com
my blog... http://lovelyday4aguin.../
Gastropubs abound in Philly and Black Sheep, like its sister pub Dark Horse (notice a theme?) has an eclectic menu of food from imperialized nations. They go for a British style pub feel, but it really isn't a whole lot like pubs in Britain (which often have sub-par food and are comfortably shoddy). It gets pretty damn busy in this place of a weekend night, but for the area, it isn't too bad.
I wouldn't call it 'upscale' but it ain't a dive either. I wouldn't want to be here on St. Patrick's Day, but I have a feeling I will be boarded up inside my apartment that day.
so i have friends who love this place. seriously love it. and it was...ok. pluses for me: hoegaarden on tap. decent crowd.
the minus: i got the fish and chips. i figured that's what one gets at an pub. it wasn't very tasty. someone forgot the salt or something, i guess. plus, we got stuck by someone's ugly christmas party. ew.
edited: ok, so my friends and i went back again this weekend. three cheers for the garlic fries. and friendly bartenders who are perfectly snarky.
good for drinks late at night and that's about it. wait service is fucking terrible. i didn't know that it took some one 30 minute to bring water over. also i didn't know why the appetizer came 15 minutes after our meals. the waitress, was awful. she knew surprisingly nothing about the drink menu, and even surprisingly less about the food menu. when we asked how many pieces of chicken came with the chicken tender basket she said...
"it comes with chicken"
i said " yes but how many pieces"
she said "a lot"
"so that means about 4 or 5"
"maybe"
ummm what? i wonder if she even worked there sometimes. the food was sub par... they use cheese wiz on their nachos, and too much cheese wiz as that. i had to get up and find my own bottle of ketchup for my friends soggy fries. and i was surprised that after asking what the house dressing was that would come on my side salad and being told that it was a vinaigrette... when in all actuality it was Caesar.
paying the bill was interesting because we gave her a credit card and she asked if we needed change... and the credit card wasn't in a check book so that probably lets you know how smart she really is. and it took her about 20 minutes to bring the bard back to us and she waited over our shoulders to see how much tip we were leaving. now that's classy.
the only upside is the massive amounts of bathrooms. and the calamari is pretty good. that's about it. maybe they should take their wait staff to burger king and show them what mediocre service is like because that would be a step up for them
This is the first pub I've been at that serves "lightly fried calamari", humus, chicken wings, braised lamb and shepherd's pie. It looks like a regular pub, but only half the items on the menu are pub fare, the other half are upscale restaurant items. Their beer selection is not small at all, but totally uninteresting. Too many generic stuff. But the food was fabulous.
They have Boddington's on tap! Though in my mind I could totally end the review here, I should talk about their food.
Other than the hummus (way too much cumin in my book), everything they have is honestly amazing. The calamari has never been over done, their fish and chips is SO good, wings, shepards' pie...YUM!
Also, if you need a break from the office, this is a great place to have a drinking lunch. Quiet, not too many suits, and they have a TV so you watch the Phils or the World Cup while you drink away your stress.
I have never eaten here, but as far as a pub goes it is pretty decent. However, I would not go as far to say that it is as unique as a "black sheep" in the pub world. It is your typical pub...dimly lit, dark wood, beer, but the crowd is nice and so are the bartenders. Black Sheep is a good place to hang out in a casual setting, where you can hear yourself and others talk.
My favorite pub in center city. They play awesome music here and the table service is good. The pub food tends to be a little more upscale that most of the others around Philly, but it's pretty damn good food so its worth it. The fries are amazing and are the perfect accompaniment to late night drinking.
Half Price Bottled Wine!
Neighborhood: Queen Village
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Neighborhood: Northern Liberties
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Pubs
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