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Categories: American (New), Pubs [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn CenterLast stop on the Philly UYE and all we had was a beer.
I've been to the Rooster for dinner before, though; it was good. I don't remember what I had, but I know that its atmosphere is distinctly different from that of every other establishment I've been to in the city. Perhaps it's just an older crowd. I like it, though; it's very pleasant.
The service could have been better.
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I was sitting at Marathon Grill today with my boyfriend, and reminiscing about the strange experience we had eating across the street at Happy Rooster about 6 months ago. I don't know if it has changed since then, but this is what happened:
We were in Center City looking for a couch on a Saturday evening. Said couch store was close. Of course, my thoughts then progressed to wanting a beer. A nice cold one. Now. So we walked into the Happy Rooster thinking cool looking old school dive-y bar. Probably a solid place to order a beer and a burger. Sat down, asked what they have on draught. NOTHING?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Not acceptable. But, because I have a soft heart and refused to just get up and leave, I ordered a beer in a bottle. Then came the menus. This dive bar in the middle of Center City didn't have anything under 15 bucks on the menu. And no burgers, no sandwiches, just fancy entrees. Not acceptable. So bf and I ordered off the menu because we felt bad, he had some weird egg and caviar dish and I had mussels. Our total bill was like 60 bucks. Not acceptable.
This place oozes contradiction so be forewarned, DO NOT GO HERE EXPECTING BAR FOOD OR DRAUGHT BEER. Unless it has changed over the past 6 months.
I give it two stars because the service was friendly and the mussels were OK.
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Identity crisis. Are you posh with your fine food? Or are you trying to justify your overpriced beer? I can't tell.
I sort of like the atmosphere but something is a bit off. This is the type of place that really depends on the crowd for what kind of night you'll have here. I guess I've never been impressed.
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There's a lot of cocks in this place, but not a whole lot of beer choices.
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this place can get pretty cramped, not only because it's smaller but because it's good place to get a drink. beer menu is meh. more of an ambiance type of place. haven't had their food (of what i can remember).
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Having a meal with a chef is a totally different experience than dining with a regular person who just likes to eat (I fall into the latter category. I like to eat. A lot.). The menu looked great, and I instantly liked the cozy, dark atmosphere. We decided to share a bunch of things, and started out with the Chowder (needed butter and more seasoning) and Calamari (DELISH!). Everything was going just fine. My friend was enjoying the food and a few Anchor Steams, and I was hoping he was distracted and not paying attention while I scarfed down the squid. And then our entrees came out.
We ordered the crabcake and a Caesar Salad to share, but when the salad appeared, my friend was not pleased. In his exact words (which he said to the super patient and friendly waitress): "The lettuce looked like it just walked here from China." He was not exaggerating. The salad was quickly returned to the kitchen - the service here was awesome. I'd come back just for that alone!
The Happy Rooster is a nice place for a long lunch with a pal, especially on a rainy, chilly day. I'll be back (and I'll be trying out the sardines).
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This is a great bar. My girl & I walked in randomly one night and it just felt like home; the place was full of regulars and they were all really friendly towards us newbies. The calamari tempura was a little heavier than I would have liked but the girl enjoyed her frittata. Service was attentive (and friendly, supra) and the prices weren't bad.
Definitely worth going to grab something to eat but if you're a beer-obsessive I would head elsewhere in the area.
I've fallen down the stairs to use the bathroom in this place more times that I care to admit. Including last night. It's also super expensive for a shitty little hole in the wall place. Which I guess is why there's an older crowd there.
That said the people make it cool. Staff is awesome and friendly. It's become my regular karaoke haunt.
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Stopped in to grab a drink after a show...saw some stuff on Yelp and figured I'd check it out. A little creepy at first, as we were the only customers in the place, but service was warm; beer selection was a little thin...Bass was the best on the menu.
About 10 minutes later, a bunch of regulars dropped in and the charm of the place came to light; people plopped down to watch TV together and chat...I couldn't tell who was an employee and who was a customer, as they swapped places behind the bar a few times.
Seems like a place that could easily be a 'local'...not my cup of tea though.
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i've heard about thursday karaoke here for years and finally experienced it myself!
the setup here is a bit odd. the main bar is long, dark and cozy with lots of dark wood and comfy booths. the back bar is stark white and looks somewhat unfinished. to get from one to the other you have to walk down or hop over a little step at the top of a stairwell.
why not just stay in the front bar? because karaoke is in the back! they have an excellent catalog, and a friendly bartender. your performance is broadcast to the front bar via a big screen, so if your group gets separated no one will miss it.
we didn't eat, so i can't say anything about the food. drinks were well-made and average in price.
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Until today, I'd only had drinks at the Rooster. Now I know why: the standard pub-type fare they serve is sort of overpriced. While I love the cozy, eclectic vibe, it seems sort of absurd to spend $20+ for lunch at a bar, and that's per person with no alcohol. The service is friendly if slightly inattentive (I had to wave the waitress over for a refill even though she was sitting five feet away facing my obviously empty glass, and we were the only patrons in the place). I have to give them props for actually delivering a medium rare burger to my table, since most places seem to think that when you say medium rare you really mean medium well. This is one of those places I'd come back to if someone I was with wanted to go, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat there otherwise.
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it's dark, small and cosy. what more could i want?
the menu looks tiny, but they have a whole board of specials (and lots of it looked quite tasty)...and i settled for the chicken pot pie. fresh, warm, and quite the nice buttery and flaky crust. could have used a bit more veggies in there though!
the bartender was super friendly and a total straight shooter, who gave excellent advice on what to order.
if it were closer to my house, i'd be back again...but there are a few things that i would have liked (but perhaps others would not agree):
1. beer on tap, please. somehow, i don't feel like i'm at a legitimate place unless if beer comes out of some sort of spigot.
2. less people in ties, please. although i showed up in scrubby sweatpants and a hoodie and felt completely comfortable, it would have been nice to see some more neighborhood-y looking folks!
3. music?
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My GF and I walked into the Happy Rooster completely on a whim for Sunday Brunch. what a surprising spot! First, it wasn't crowded, which was delightful to a seasoned Sunday Bruncher. The bar area is covered in ecletic knick-knacks and stained glass. Their menu, at first, also seemed eclectic, but on perusing further it made a lot of sense. I had the chorizo hash with 2 eggs sunny side up--good, but a little greasy. It would make EXCELLENT hangover food. My GF had the marinated skirt steak with potatoes and eggs and it was SO GOOD. I also had a Bloody Mary, which was pretty good--on the strong side and with a lot of horseradish.
The bathrooms are pretty nifty too. GO! to the Happy Rooster.
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Stumbled into this tiny, perfectly dark and cozy bar on my first visit to Philly. My boyfriend and I had just tried to get into Monk's, settled for Warsaw, and needed a friendly drink (or seven) before facing the hotel bar. The Happy Rooster hit the spot. We quickly found ourselves chatting with a local fella who good-naturedly told us that our town (Boston) sucks, and that Matt Damon ruined us. "How do you like 'dem apples?"
Also, I would like to personally thank AND admonish the wisecracking bartender for keeping a fresh beer in front of each of us at all times. Hungover Rooster, perhaps?
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Thursday night Karaoke is the best!! My friend and I went a while back and sang our hearts out! My friend, an Israeli American with a thick accent, sang "Pass The Dutch" and knew all of the words. It was hilarious. I sang "The Great Beyond" and made everyone sad. Then some up paced songs were next. All and all, it was a great night! Of course we staggered home after the many drinks we had consumed! He thinks they should change the name to "The Gay Cock". What do you think?
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I love Happy Rooster! I love it because they have randomly incredible food. I love it because they have excellent Bloody Mary's. I love it because of its atmosphere. But mostly I love it because of its food. What can I say. I like food. Shocking I know.
But really, their food is excellent. I've had a large variety of choices off of the menu, and they've all been fantastic. And I was talking to my dad about this place the other day, and he says that even back in the 1780's when he was working in downtown Philadelphia (haha jussssst kidding...more like the 1910's. Don't tell him I said that.) they had great food for extremely reasonable prices.
So if you ever find yourself at the corner of 16th and Sansom and are about to walk into the gaudily present Marathon Grill across the street, and you by happen-chance look over and see this cute little sign that looks kind of old and kind of random, and you think, "hey! I read that weird girl Liz's review of this place on that website" you should try it out. Do it. I dare you. I double dog dare you.
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it's small and dark and the chairs are thick leather so you'll feel important.
my dad always told me that it's the kind of place that a man would take his mistress, and as i'm typing this, i'm wondering why he thought that.
shit.
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I wandered into this place one night just after I moved back to Philadelphia. I hadn't lived here since I was 18, so I didn't know many good bars in Center City yet, and I couldn't find the one bar where I wanted to go, since I was taking my former M.A. adviser, who was in town for a conference, out for a beer. He's not picky about bars, so I saw the Happy Rooster and ducked inside, pretending that it was where I intended to take him all along.
I was pleasantly surprised when we got inside. Although it was a crowded weekend night, we managed to get a small table. The leather, brass, and dark wood decor is very appropriate for a little pub, and the beer was good. The table was in a corner, so it shielded us from some of the din so we could actually hear one another talk. We also got our drinks quickly, which was surprising because the place was so packed with patrons.
I haven't eaten here, but I intend to at some point. I hear it's got a great chef.
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I'm shocked at myself for not having reviewed this before!
This...is...my...favorite....restaurant...in....Ph iladelphia!
I love it. I know it's pricey but it's SO worth it. I had duck confit salad....that was just fantastic. The vinaigrette was perfect the duck was perfect.
Not to mention...you're getting great food in a small intimate space. The outside is deceiving.
The first venture I made in was just after going to the body worlds Exhibit at Franklin Institute. We figured why not...and so it began...my love affair with this fantastic restaurant.
Even things as simple as seafood chowder were fantastic. Really you must try this place out!
The inside of the Happy Rooster bore no resemblance to what I have imagined all these years it would be from its outside. The exterior is dark and divey, the image of the decorative rooster has faded with time and pollution. The interior is borderline swanky. The bar is old, wooden and very shiny with a serious selection of single malt scotch and other upmarket liquors. The booths are also old, wooden things that appear substantial and comfy.
Our bartender was really good--very comfortable behind the bar and with the customers. The informed us that she was responsible for the decorations on the inside (my favorite of which were these blue, slowly pulsing star-shaped lights that made the place look like a winter wonderland). The odd thing was that none of the beers or wines were written down and she had to list them from memory, which sucked because if you missed something, she had to go through the whole thing again. There is no draught system but they have some decent bottles at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to order from the food menu but it looked really interesting. I will definitely be going back.
I've sampled their food but not had a full meal. But I look forward to doing so. The ingredients were fresh and tasty.
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this is one of my favorite places to eat and/or have a drink in center city. i'm a big steak-eater so I always order the steak frites or the filet, both of which are DELICIOUS. the food wait staff can be a little aloof, however the bartender is always nice and knowledgeable.
Half Price Bottled Wine!
Neighborhood: Queen Village
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Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
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