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Categories: Pubs, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: University CityMon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"Bridgewater's is a great little bar. It is certainly the first time in my life I've felt compelled to go drinking somewhere in a travel hub…" read more »
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I've been here twice. The first time was during the Chargers-Eagles game. The bartender took my drink and food order quickly and I was quaffing a fine brew and listening to the alky with "State Property" stamped on his jacket drunkenly complain about the Eagles. The bacon and bleu burger was damn tasty, the fries were decent and the side salad was nice. The bartenders were really good about asking how things were and getting me drinks.
The second time I came, it was close to midnight during a weekday and I had just put in an extremely long day. All I wanted was a burger and a beer or two before going home. I got seated across from the speakers and some very talkative people. The music was godawful and loud. I got my first drink and managed to down it before I was 1/2 way through my burger. Unfortunately my server was nowhere to be seen. I was craning my next and swiveling trying to find her. I finished my whole burger and was in need of water and/or a beer to wash out my dry mouth and throat at this point. Finally she came and got me another beer(She managed to have an extended monologue with one of the hot female bartenders while placing my drink order). By this time I just wanted to finish it and pay up. So I got 3/4 of the way through and took out my credit card while I tried to find the waitress. Again, she was no where to be seen. Then she came over and bussed the table next to me and zipped off while I was left fuming with credit card in hand. Finally she came back and mouthed something that looked like "You want your check", since I couldn't hear jackshit near the speaker. As it turned out she asked me if I wanted another beer. So I had to say no I wanted the check, which again took long to arrive. By this time I was feeling surly.
Good food, good bar service, bad table service.. I"ll be back ONLY to sit at the bar.
This place is not bad for a casual day/night of drinking.
New Deck was the first place I went after I turned 21 (so many years ago), and their deals were pretty good - $2 pints and half-price apps, I think it was. The deals have since switched up a bit but I still like coming here.
I was here yesterday for the game (go Eagles!) and I had a pretty good experience. Our server made sure to seat us where we could get a good view of the screen. The gameday specials are really good - $2 Miller Lite during Sunday NFL games, $2 Bud/Bud Light and wings specials during Eagles games. They also have Phillies specials.
The food we ordered was just alright - curry fries (good flavor, not so good texture), wings (eh), and my friend had the baked potato soup which I've always been a fan of. In the past, I've ordered the chicken parm and it wasn't that great; marinara sauce was pretty watery.
I'm still a fan of this place even if the food isn't outstanding. The drink specials are usually really good and it's a great place to just hang out with your buddies.
Nice atmosphere. Good crowd I guess. We had a group of 7 and tried almost everything on the appetizer menu, thanks to the half-off prices during happy hour. Large portions were perfect for the group but the appetizers were pretty standard, if not forgettable.
Castlerea Crab Dip - Don't bother getting it. Bread was a bit old and the crab dip was tasteless.
Nachos Supreme - Standard fare nachos.
Limerick Loaded Skins - Someone told me these were supposed to be good but they were pretty bland.
Tall Tenders/Tenders - Best appetizers out of the whole bunch. Can't go wrong with chicken tenders.
Awesome Cheese Fries - Bland.
Big minus of the night though was my watered-down Guinness. If you're going to call yourself a tavern, please serve the beer right. All in all, this place seems like a good stop for folks who just want to see a game or aren't too picky with their food and like their standard beers. For the slightly pickier, you might want to try another place.
When we got to the New Deck, it was a Saturday night. The place was jammed packed and the bar looked very crowded as people were watching a sporting event on TV in the bar area. The host did not greet us, and stood there staring at us until we said we'd like a table for a party of two. He took us to our seat and slammed some menus down on the table. (I thought to myself, Mmmm, this isn't hte most polite person, eh?)
Our waiter came over a few minutes later to take our drink order. We also ordered a hot crab dip as an appetizer as we were still deciding what to order for our dinner entrees. He brought us back our drinks a few minutes later and we ordered our dinner.
The crab dip was served to us in a timely manner, though it looked like the crab dip had been heated in the microwave as there was a hard crust around the top of the dip. It was served with pieces of bread, not the freshest, as some of the pieces were very hard.
My friend ordered the potato soup and vegetable spring rolls for dinner. She said the soup was "good" but nothing to rave about, It did look creamy, and there were a lot of pieces of chives thrown into the soup, so many that she picked a bunch out as there were too many for her taste. Her spring rolls looked decent, and I had a bite of one. They tasted like your typical deep fried spring roll. It did come with a sweet and sour dipping sauce of some sort which was tasty.
I ordered a cheesesteak with whiz and fried onions. It was served on a long, soft roll. There was not a lot of meat in the sandwich, so I wound up picking off a lot of bread off just so I could actually eat some meat. The sandwich was nothing to rave about, just a simple cheesesteak of average taste. It would have been nice if there had been more meat served with this sandwich. I also ordered a small side caesar salad. I would give this a below average rating as many of the pieces of lettuce were limp and wilted. The caesar salad dressing was clear, not creamy, and did not provide enough taste for a flavorful salad.
The waiter was inattentive. He never once came over to us to ask how our dinner was after he served it. We had to flag him down at one point to order more drinks. He did come over to fill our water glasses, but when he did so, he wound up spilling a lot of water on my sweater. He never once apologized for this (no big deal, it's only water, but as a patron in a restaurant, the appropriate thing to do would have been to have said "I'm sorry" after spilling something on someone whose table you are waiting on.) and said someone hit his elbow while he was pouring my water. Again, a simple apology would have sufficed at this point.
Also, while eating, another waitress decided to lean on the back of my chair and tap her hand on it for a few minutes. I didn't really care for this action as I was trying to eat and didn't think it was appropriate for a worker to be leaning on a patron's chair while I was trying to eat; not to mention it became annoying.
If you're looking for a good bar atmosphere, this place looked like it was popping at the seams on a Saturday night. If you are looking for okay food, this is your place. If you are looking for polite staff, this is not your place. I was being generous when I gave this restaurant a three star rating. If I were taking the service and employee attentiveness/polite factor into more consideration, I would have given this a two star rating as I was greatly disappointed with the service and way we were treated.
This place was terrrible. Granted the boyf and I went here because we were extremely bored and wanted to play quizzo.
It was packed full of the likes of people who looked like they probably are entitled to a legacy at a frat / sorority house-- not particularly my scene at all.
The food was terrible, soggiest fries I've had in Philadelphia yet.
I'm just going to end the review here because the only nice thing I can say about this place is that their bathroom was very clean.
only thing i really love about this place is the karaoke and the Awesome Fries. the Awesome Fries are a.w.e.s.o.m.eeeeeeeeeeee. otherwise, its just a typical bar to hang out at that's also a good time.
For some strange reason, when most people see a skinny white guy with a flannel shirt they don't think, "Now there is a guy that can rip it up on the baseball field/basketball court." Well, folks, I'm here to tell you that when those people encounter me, they are completely wrong.
I felt like channeling my inner bro and spending a night having a few beers and watching a game, so I decided to give the New Deck Tavern a try. I really enjoyed the feel of this place. The space is laid out nicely and there are numerous televisions for your viewing pleasure. The beer list was alright and my veggie fajitas were very good. Not a lot of options for vegetarians, but I don't expect much from an Irish Pub. My friend says the fries are pretty great, but I can't confirm that statement.
While the layout and televisions were great for my desire to watch the game, I couldn't help but think how this bar would be rather annoying if you were hoping to have a few drinks and a conversation. All of the televisions could easily become distracting and keep you from being able to have a real discussion. Also, the TVs and close proximity to Penn probably makes for some rowdy nights.
All in all, New Deck Tavern is a pretty good choice if you're looking to meet up and watch the night's game.
I don't know what everyone else liked about this place. Even though the restaurant was packed, I can't understand why people would want to come here. The waitresses were very rude and the food was just bland. For $10 I'd expect a decent hamburger, but I think McDonald's could have served something better. And the Irish "specialties" are pretty much nonexistent here. 5 items does not constitute an Irish "restaurant."
My advice: avoid this place and head to White Dog, Slainte, anywhere else. You'll get much better service and food.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?
I've been there for lunch, happy hour, dinner, and Quizzo -- but not in the same day. The service is so-so, but the food -- namely the burgers and fries -- is pretty solid (fish and chips is kinda mehhhhh). I swear getting my meat cooked medium-rare is like pulling teeth sometimes; I finally got it done the right away during my most recent New Deck lunch! I think the trick is to go when it's really really busy, which will usually be lunch time in the summer (from what I've seen).
I love the place, I do. Quizzo was always fun as well!
Not bad...met up with some friends for a bday on a Monday. When I got there, they handed me what I think they said was fried eel with a sweet sauce drizzled on it and told me to eat it. It was pretty good! Unfortunately, my friend said they waited almost an hour for their food, which was just so-so. I also felt bad because it was her 21st yet the bar exiled her to the "basement" dining room, which was only big enough to fit 3 tables. I joked with her that they were probably scared that we would cause too much of a ruckus.
I ordered this blue drink called Ultimate Blue...something (it was 3 words, I cannot remember the last word) which I really liked. But a Monday night is a bad night for a bday party, and it was pretty dead in there, so we left early. All in all, food and drinks were really good, service bad.
Its a recycled story...
Your friend comes over unannounced and tells you she's had an abortion. You tell her your "Sorry". She says "What for?".
Irish bars are what they are.
Walking in and out of this place made me so fucking tired.
A great place to run into flight attendants and pilots during happy hour. This place is awesome and it's becoming a regular hang out of flight crews when they have a philly layover. They have cheap drinks and cheap food! If you order your food after 11pm, everything in the menu is half off !
very disappointed in this U of Penn institution. we went for lunch when we were in Philly for a friend's wedding and came here for lunch and a beer (in my case hard cider).
the meal started off well enough with what i would call a much better than average onion soup, but it went down hill from there (way down hill). my fish and chips... well, in retrospect, i really should have sent them back. i literally got about 4 silver dollar-sized breaded filets. shocking portions. and not that tasty to boot.
someone in or group got the cheesesteak and i had a bite and the quality and flavor of the meat really was on the level of the frozen steak-ums you can buy in the supermaket. really bad. another friend had the chicken cheesesteak and that was a little better, but by then this place had lost me...
i'm being kind, really, to give 2 stars rather than one, but i have to give them credit for the good cider on tap and the onion soup. and i blame myself a little for not just sending back my order when i was unhappy with the portion size.
enter with caution.
Came here after a last-minute trip to the hospital for Steve's dad. His brother-in-law was already there with a bunch of 8-year-olds, holding a table for us. We had rushed out the door so I didn't have my ID.
Bouncer won't let me in. Why not? It's 8:01 p.m., and after 8:00 they don't let anyone under 21 in without a parent.
NOTE: I don't look like I'm under 21. I'm NOT under 21. I'm not trying to sneak into the stupid bar, I just don't have my ID.
We explain to the bouncer that we are joining, literally, a group of 8-year-olds at a table in the back and that I won't be drinking. He still won't let me in.
He actually says to Steve, "Unless you're her PARENT, she can't come in." Which, again, would be relevant if I were actually under 21, or if we weren't about to sit down for FOOD (not drinks) with a bunch of CHILDREN who arrived at 7:59 p.m. and thus were allowed in.
We finally managed to slip in when he took a break and another bouncer seemed to understand that the situation was absolutely RIDICULOUS, although he still made me promise I wouldn't try to order a drink. OMG! I wasn't trying to scam them into serving alcohol to a minor... since I'm not a minor. I just wanted to eat.
The whole thing was just irritating, and the food did nothing for me. Maybe if I were still in college I would enjoy drinking at a place like this, which is why I gave them the extra star.
New Deck Tavern is a charming Irish Pub tucked away on Sansom Street. The atmosphere both inside and out really succeeds in creating a warm intimate atmosphere, with a bit of an old world charm. It's actually a big bar, and can draw a big crowd, but it is partitioned such that it seems cozy and inviting somehow. Additionally, there is outdoor dining as there is all along Sansom on the 3400 block, and it's quite nice as well when the weather is decent.
The food is decent, but not particularly memorable. I usually have a sandwich or a burger. The highlight is probably the fries, as they are actually quite good. The hamburgers leave a bit to be desired though. Anytime I order a burger and the waiter doesn't follow up with "how would you like that cooked?", it sets off red flags in my head. You're pretty much stuck with medium-well. That said, the prices are very reasonable. Expect to pay about eight to ten dollars for an overall very satisfying meal.
The drink menu is basically the same as the food. There are a decent number of taps, but if you're a beer lover like me you may get bored quickly. They had Yards and Dogfish head on tap, but beyond that you're stuck with the big name mass-distributed kind(Guinness on down to the Budweisers of the world). They certainly have a nicely stocked bar, and I have no right to complain, but I just feel they could have aimed a little higher.
Perhaps New Deck is a victim of its own success. The food doesn't need to be any better than it is because the place gets totally packed on the weekends. If you want a table on a Friday night, you're going to have to wait. The staff is attentive though, and once seated you shouldn't have to wait long for your food.
So overall, the New Deck Tavern has some minor faults, perhaps mere quirks if you will, but it has a charming atmosphere and is a nice place to grab a bite or just hang out with friends.
I enjoy New Deck because:
- It is close to where I live
- There's specials nightly, including $2 Lagers some nights
- The food is half price after 11pm and quite tasty.
I dislike New Deck because:
- You have to pay to play Quizzo there
- Quizzo brings in a large crowd: Good luck finding a seat.
- There is a lot of cheating going on because ppl sit downstairs too.
I am a Quizzo-phile so I have a hard time not coming to New Deck on Mondays and Wednesdays. I really do prefer going elsewhere.
I used to be really fond of this place but honestly every time I've gone this year, I've had bad food, bad service, so on and so forth.
Don't get me wrong, it's convenient but sometimes the place is a zoo.
Man, I hate to update my first ROTD, but after going back to New Deck for some post exam burgers and beers, it must be done.
I realize my first mistake was not beginning the food portion of the program on a heavily intoxicated stomach, but still... my burger the last time I went. So bad. So so bad. So so very bad. Patty like a hockey puck. Bun like a cardboard pouf. One of my dining companions commented that her burger may have been the worst burger she'd ever gotten. Not good, New Deck, not good. I know the food is sort of just a tool to sop up the booze, but still. I need to want to eat the food at least a little if it's going to do its job. Note to the kitchen: time for a new beef supplier and/or a new grill person.
Ok.. I know.. Five stars. What?
What is New Deck. It's a faux Irish pub/college tavern. Is it…
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Nice atmosphere, nice mixed crowd (students and professionals, varying ages). Standard stuff on tap plus a few craft beers. Always thought the food was excellent for pub fare. Huge menu! The Shepherd's Pie remains one of my favorite meals in the city. I don't even know how they make it so good. The chips (fries) with curry sauce (formerly "Tinker Chips") are a great appetizer.
Only came for Quizzo once or twice. It was very challenging, but yes, packed, and yes, you have to pay for it...
used to be one of my favorite bars in the city but I feel they took away a few good specials. Regardless, they still have some nice late time special which are great.
I'm not impressed. Although New Deck oozes pub warmth on a cold winter day, I'd pop in for a drink, not lunch.
While my food was OK - I had the french onion soup and split the portabello sandwich - I've had the same dishes much tastier in other locations. Including my own kitchen. The soup was warm but underwhelming, the portabello seemed to have been left out of the marinating process and only dresses with a dash of balsamic, the fries had been obviously friend in old oil.
Add to the blah food the fact that my dining companion and I both found hairs in our food (to be fair, I have a lot of hair, and the particularly long one could have been mine) and there were little unappetizing gnats buzzing around the table.
Our waitress also rushed the crap out of us. She tried to take our drink order before we even had our jackets off, and tried to make me order while my partner was still in the restroom blowing his wind-battered nose. Bad waitress! She did, however, bring two dill pickles, as requested.
The only thing saving the New Deck from a one-star review is beer, and the fact that I know they have a pretty rowdly, rambunctious, and often grad-school-difficult quizzo night, which is pretty fun if you get there early enough to grab an upstairs table.
In summary, just because you're a college bar doesn't been you can coast by with insulting service and ho-hum food. Step it up!
3.5 stars for their awesome fries and onion rings! Minus a star and a half for the dry "paddy" melt. Booo.
I'd come back again and again for their fries. The crispy outside and soft inside makes me swoon. I absolutely LOVE fries like that!
A couple months back I went to New Deck for lunch with friends, meal was typical fried stuff and burgers, all in all the food was okay... but when the waiter came to pick up the dishes and things from the table, he spilled tabasco sauce all over my shirt and pants! He then hurried away and didn't say anything. I'm surprised that he didn't even say sorry or try to do anything to help me, so after a minute or two I left to get my clothes in the washer, and my friends sat waiting for the bill. At least he had the afterthought to comp my portion of the meal. I'm sure he was glad I didn't talk to his manager, if I wasn't drenched in sauce and rushing to get home, I would have.
Today, my friends suggesting going here for lunch, and I figure it wouldn't be an issue. Again, the meal was alright, food was average, but then when the waitress came to clear the table, she spilled sauce onto my bookbag and coat. My friends sitting next to me noticed her mistake, and they also noticed her looking down at my belongings and then walking away and told me what happened. When she got back to the table, I asked her for seltzer water and informed her that she had spilled sauce on my stuff, she just looked at me and said, oh, ok. Absolutely no apologies. Absolutely unacceptable for waitstaff.
This is a good middle-of-the-road place that nobody will say they hate going to when you have to bring a bunch of people out. The food is adequate but nothing to write home about...unless you suck at writing home-
"Dear Mom,
I had an unexceptional sandwich at New Deck.
Love,
Your Son."
Toot, Chap and I were going to see a show at the World Cafe Live Sunday night so we walked a few blocks over to the New Deck for a change of pace. It was around 5:30 pm and the place was far from crowded. We sat at the bar and drank a few Dog Fishers or Fisher Dogs, I can't remember, but they were tasty! Toot and I got some Fish and Chips and we both agreed=delicious! The fish had a nice crisp coating and was real moist without being greasy. The Chips were really just Steak Fries but were perfect! Chap grabbed a burger and said it was OK but he got regular fries and was jealous of our "Chips". The bartkeeps were attentive as well they should be with only 4 other people sitting at the bar. We watched the Giants-Washington (I refuse to call them by their name as it's totally offensive ) game and it was a little weird because Chap is a huge Giants fan and when they made a big play he'd be shouting and clapping but the rest of the bar was silent. We drew some looks but f' em if they can't take a joke. All in all we liked the place and will probably return before the next show. Two beers and a Bacardi & diet for around $11, great "pub ambiance", football, great chow, what's not to like?
New Deck remained a UCity staple for me until my final Philly days. The place is always dependable for a good burger, fries and draft beer. Plus those peanuts you get while waiting for a table--delicious, although it does turn New Deck into a peanut allergy sufferer's nightmare come to life. Decor is a tavern, and ambiance is fitting. Noisy, busy, dim and almost intimate.
Claims to be the home of Quizzo (here, every Monday and Wednesday night at 10pm), but I'm sure there's controversy about this. It's always fun, but don't expect to ever win. Not only are there those high school quiz bowl nerds that come here to relive their "glory" days, but with iPhones sprouting like alfalfa sprouts, cheaters abound. Come to New Deck to spend happy hour and eat good burgers with friends, especially if you're in the University City area.
Nice bar feel to the place. Intimate space, good food. Their hamburgers are delicious, and the fries… Read more »
Decent food, decent service, decent prices. Can get a little loud, but never overbearing.
Ehhh. But let's do the math together.
My two lovely daughters and I had lunch here and sat outside at a table in the shade. One star!
We ordered chicken fingers and a club sandwich, both of which included honey mustard (a family favorite, plus I'm Southern, so the stuff runs through my veins). And the fries were crunchy and tasty. One more star!
The food was pretty good, and they had the new Flying Fish Summer Brew. What comes next, boys and girls? That's right: one additional star.
But the service...as I said earlier...ehhh. Dude was nice enough but he kept disappearing for extended stretches of time, drinks weren't refilled and he took a long time to bring the check. So long that I thought summer vacation might be over already.
So it's one, two, three stars for New Deck Tavern! Isn't math fun?
Quizzo is popular here at nights... I tend to avoid those days unless friends drag me out to be a part of the team, and getting part of your bar tab covered is always nice if you win.
Peanuts near the North Door, and seating that can be a bit crowded, but the food rarely served to disappoint. Burgers, shepherd's pie, fries, and fish sandwiches are all good, but the pastas tend to disappoint, and the Caesar salad with dry chicken was unappetizing. The French onion soup was done quite well here, though.
Downstairs, a bit quieter, but certainly the same crowded seating. If you're larger than normal, you will be pressed against someone else.
Decent selection of draft beers and usually helpful staff make this a pleasant place to drop in and relax after work.
Stairs on either side for entry, though. Not very helpful for the handicapped or very tired.
I've been here for lunch, dinner, and drinking, and all three are great.
New Deck can get very busy during the school year, but when Penn is out it's nice and cozy, and easy to find a table for dinner or a seat at the bar. Certain nights are better than others, especially if you don't like loud music or Karaoke.
The food is a little more than some other restaurants in the area but that's ok because it's good and the place is nice. If you order your food after 11PM when it is all half-off you will save lots.
They have a good complete bar, with friendly and well-informed bartenders. The waitresses (It's probably not an accident that the wait staff is composed almost entirely of attractive females) aren't always quite as knowledgeable, one of them took a while to realize the "Chocolate martini" was in fact right on the menu, and another one didn't know that a "Slow, comfortable screw" was a drink, leading to much awkwardness when my friend requested one. But other than that they're pretty fast, and friendly.
There are several bars in the area but New Deck is definitely the best one.
The negative reviews shock me a bit. This is a Penn and Drexel staple and it's where I'd recommend bringing out-of-towners who are on a smaller budget.
The burgers are delicious, fries are good, decent wings, great beer selection, good service, and a great pub feel. I've been here a ton of times and, even though I live in Old City, I would still go back for Happy Hour and burgers when I'm on campus.
I never, ever felt the place was "hipster" as one of the other posters stated...it's full of college kids! If you associate college kids with being hipster then I'd avoid it. You're going to a pub in a college area of the city, you should know what you're getting into!
Recommended.
What to say about New Deck? I may have been here more than anywhere else in Philly, but I don't have that much to say recently.
It's one of those ubiquitous Philly Irish pubs. It's right in University City. It does Quizzo twice a week.
I don't drink beer, but people seem to appreciate what they have on tap, and they make a decent frozen mudslide (I've had my share of sips from other people's drinks... tend to be the D.D.)
One useful thing for me is that New Deck can go on my chicken quesadilla ranking list. It ranks... decent. Seriously. It comes with the sour cream, which makes me happy. It also comes with a sliced pepper (though I thought it was an olive), with each slice individually hand-placed on each triangular quesadilla segment. This gives me the opportunity to individually hand remove each slice and reconstruct the pepper. The dish is totally acceptable.
I also sometimes get the rather adequate burger.
This place can get crowded on weekends, and is often filled with undergrads, which... well, I'll let you who you are decide the appeal of that.
Service is mixed. Sometimes, fine, but recently... ok, shaved-head guy from Penn State... I understand you were into the Flyer's game. But forgetting our appetizer, never checking on our meals, and seeming baffled by our request for silverware... this is not the way to earn a good tip. Also, I'm confused about your practice of clearing the table by removing one plate, disappearing for 10 minutes at a time, coming back to pick up and then put down plates, finally removing another one, and repeat... we really would have just liked the check.
Another quirk... Baileys was on the menu. I often enjoy a little Bailey's or Bailey's & milk on ice at home, so I figured I'd order it. I was brought a shot glass of Bailey's with an ice cube in it. Um... shots are nice and all that, but usually when something is placed on the drink menu, it is assumed it is an actual, you know, drink.
Enough random kvetching I suppose. Probably just because I've been here a lot. It's laid back, serves food late, and I love having an activity at a bar. You want a place to meet friends and grab a bite and a drink at night in University City, this is on the top of my list of places to go.
Here is everything you need to know about the people who run New Deck: On St. Patrick's Day, they had NO drink specials and charged $5 for a pint of Guinness. Another time, they tried to charge us a $2 cover to eat dinner. We ate somewhere else that night, obviously.
Also, their "bouncer" is completely psycho. Note to bouncer: This is a college bar. Penn is not a state school. You know what that means? People come here from out of state! Stop acting like "California" and "Ohio" are fake states that don't grant driver's licenses and let me have a damn drink already.
I'd probably give it 3.5 stars actually, but we'll just round up. I liked the ambiance here, and though it's pretty close to Drexel and UPenn, it's not filled with rowdy undergrad types (well it's just summer so I'm not ruling that out). The little street/alley that it's on reminds me of Europe. The beer was actually affordable, which is new to me, and the food, what little I had, was not on par with gastropubs or anything, but I enjoyed it. I had the awesome fries which were loaded with Jack and Colby cheese, bacon bits, and green onions (you know, to balance the unhealthy) and the buffalo wings. I know. Nutritious dinner, but hey, I just lugged 100 pounds of crap 2700 miles today. Much needed comfort. I look forward to trying one of the burgers. Our waitress did forget one of the party's order, but I won't dock off a star because I know that happens sometimes. We'll see if it happens again next time, and then we'll talk.
After long shifts at the Bubble House, nothing seemed better than coming next door to New Deck to have an ice cold pint of Yeungling. New Deck had some awesome nights and happy hour specials. 50cent pint Yeungling and 1/2 off all appetizers. Their Awesome Cheese Fries were fuckin' awesome! Karaoke night was sure to be a blast.
Overall, the food was pretty damn good and the service was too. Great neighborhood college bar.
The New Deck is exactly what you think it is. Bar food and a fair amount of beers. It's not very pricey, but there's no glam to it. It's a big place, but it fills up quickly. I know they host a large Quizo crowd, though I've never participated here. It's a reliably consistent place, but no different from any other place that claims to be an Irish pub.
I'm giving this place four stars because it's a block away from my apartment and serves cheap beer. (Would I travel more than two blocks to eat here? Probably not.)
No, it's not clean; no, I don't ever want to see the inside of the kitchen; and yes, the short guy with the Napoleon complex will hunt down and ID your 58 year-old mom before she can order a glass of red wine. (Note to mom: don't order red wine at an Irish bar. What were you thinking?)
But, like I said, the beer is cheap, and once you've had a couple, you're not going to question the cleanliness of your bacon cheese fries. Go for the booze, stay because you're too drunk to go home right away.
Best Quizzo bar ever, even though the food sucks.
I've eaten here so many times, and I've never enjoyed it. The nachos, the hot wings (I think they also have sweet and sour wings, but why?!), the salads, the shepherd's pie, ...... and it's always been rather meh. Edible, but not ravable.
But I love myself some Quizzo, so I always ended up here often.
I go to New Deck Tavern to drink and play Quizzo *.
Not sure I believe that New Deck provides "a little bit of Ireland in University City" (is that quote from their menu?) but this relaxing spot DOES offer decent tavern grub, good drink specials, and Quizzo* Wednesday nights.
Their menu is moderately priced. Whatever you do, DON'T get their boneless buffalo wings - they're as gross as they are unnatural. Their (pretty big) tavern burger isn't a bad meal. I usually just go for drinks, and so do others - this place gets crowded. In recent memory, our bartender (Patrick) was awesome, making both Irish car bombs and Jagerbombs for us on a Wednesday night. Our waitress (Jackie) was friendly too.
* Quizzo is a participatory quiz game where an MC asks teams questions. The team who can find the answers quickest using their cell phones wins! (Actually no, but that happens a lot.)
Most people go to New Deck to drink; I go to New Deck to eat. They have some of the best burgers I have tasted in my life, and I don't even like hamburgers that much. The bacon cheeseburger is a favorite. Another plus, their fries are perfect. I hate when fries are either not crispy at all or are crispy but meaty on the inside. New Deck has perfected the art of fry making.
When school is in session, New Deck is always crowded with University of Pennsylvania students, so if you don't like the preppy atmosphere, you might not want to go during the busy times. But I have no complaints so far!
Great local college bar to have a burger and excellent fries. I think the food is pretty darn good!
The place is HUGE and there are a lot of tables. Great place to go drink and eat bar food with a bunch of your friends. I would definitely bring friends here. Not a date though.
New Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Point Breeze
Chili's Gift Cards
Neighborhood: Market East
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: University City
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Pubs
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