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Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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amazing burger & great service.
maybe things got off to a slow start or things fall to pieces when its a busy weekend, but from my random weekday night dinner experience this place is amazing and doesnt live up to any of the negative hype.
This place is nestled in a condo community and open courtyard that is bustling with activity. A good place to go on a warm day and hang out and people watch. we sat outdoors at a table with an umbrella.
This review is only for drinks and service, as we did not eat here. The menu was reasonable and they had a wide selection of beers. We got pitchers of hefeweizena nd they were $12 each. Not bad...the service was average and crowd very hipster and trendy.
All in all, a great place to check out in Northern Liberties if you're tired of the usuals.
I went with four of my friends. We arrived at 4:00pm and were seated by a cheerful hostess. That's where the fun pretty much ends. After being seated, it was at least 8 minutes until we were even ASKED if we would like beverages. Water should always be brought to the table immediately. Nobody should have to sit around and wait for a drink order to be taken to get water, especially when everyone gets it by default. I don't care how busy a restaurant is.
Three in our party ordered Strongbow cans and got them almost immediately. However, the other two members of the party ordered milkshakes. I have gone to plenty of diners and burger joints and never in my life have I had to wait so long for so little. Not only was the whipped cream on the top warm and starting to sag by the time we got our shakes, the bottom of the shake was completely liquid. That is simply unacceptable. The shake was $5, which doesn't seem unfair at all until you realize that unlike every other place that has ever served milkshakes since the dawn of time at a cheaper price, PYT doesn't give you the mixer in which the shake was created with bonus milkshake happiness. I understand that ice cream is expensive and all, but when one of your major selling points is milkshakes, you should live up to at least what your local corner diner can supply.
The burgers were very delicious, albeit smaller than you'd expect or even make for yourself at home, and cooked to the proper temperature and with enough VERY fresh toppings to partially satisfy my hunger. However, I felt as though charging $1 for adding a tablespoon of hot peppers to the burger was a bit excessive and i almost missed seeing the two meager pieces of bacon on my burger.
Then came the side item: kettle cooked chips. Like a pair of seasoned burger vets, two members of the party expected kettle cooked style hot potatoes or, at least, homemade kettle-cooked chips. What we got was prepackaged potato chips. I can see getting potato chips with a cold deli sandwich, but a burger NEEDS fries included on the side. It's not like it's more expensive to get potatoes in bulk than it is to get potato chips in bulk.
The onion rings were advertised as some of the best, but they were pretty mediocre. The batter was delicious, but was often barely sticking to or properly coating the onions, so there were bits of burnt onion tainting the experience. They were also WAY too salty.
After being spoiled rotten by Butcher & Singer's $5.95 lunch special and rapid fire service all summer and having made countless 'gourmet' burgers of my own in my life, I have to say that PYT doesn't really live up to all the hype going around about it. The service, while friendly, was too slow and the food, while tasty, wasn't really as filling. I am used to hyperbole and clever marketing when it comes to dance parties and club events, but that's the last thing I want when I am trying to get something good to eat.
Now that I'm done reviewing, here are some suggestions.
- Get a stand for the hostess. I know that sounds like a petty gripe, but it's pretty much standard fare for a restuarant so that people aren't wandering around trying to find someone to seat them.
- Put all matching furniture outside. It's tacky when furniture is mismatched, especially when there are 3 different kinds of chairs at a table and only 2 of those chairs actually match the table.
- Change your server assignment chart. Servers shouldn't have to run between the outdoor and indoor areas. Keep them to a section of the restaurant so that they can keep an eye on all of their tables at one time
- Get your food and drinks out faster. It takes about 10 minutes to make a burger. 20 minutes is entirely too long for a burger of that size with no french fries. Add another bartender to the staff so that milkshakes don't come out with warm whipped cream and liquid at the bottom.
Went to PYT with friends recently, heard that once you sit you wait for a while. That did come true. Got a round of waters. Waited. Got a round of beers. Waited. Ordered food. Waited. Finished beers. Waited.
Pretty much the slowest service. Employees were busy chatting with friends at other tables. The highlight of the night was watching this guy sitting there with his short sleeve button up shirt completely open and his leg up on his chair. Had to see it. Doucher, big time.
The food was amazing though, best grilled cheese i've had in a while...
My husband and I were on a NoLibs burger kick a couple months ago and hit up PYT and Sketch back to back. We had been impressed by Sketch's massive burger and "Diner, Drive-In & Dive" feel- but PYTs feel was definitely the antithesis.
Coming into PYT was a little awkward. You really couldn't tell who was working and who was dining. After a bit of confusion we found a hostess who then asked us where we wanted to sit. I generally hate when hostesses do that because 1) I worry about servers not getting tables, and 2) it puts me in a decision I have no interest in making. The menu seemed limited and we ended up going with a turkey and bean burger. They came out quickly enough, but they were small, tasty, but small.
Overall, just a little to hipster-ish for us.
"SIGH", it always bothers me when I'm about to write a review, where the food was really good, but the service so so brutal, it literally changes how you view the overall experience.
This is exactly what happened at PYT, not once, but twice!
So, the good stuff: The food is yummy (good burger and yes, great onion rings), the restaurant concept is also fun, wacky and easy going too. PYT really does "fit" the Piazza/NoLibs area and the crowd is well balanced... My only doubt here is the idea of their adult (alcoholic) milkshakes, which read and sound fun on the menu, but are a turn-off when you're about to order a huge burger as a main meal. Perhaps, switch the milkshakes to smaller, dessert-shooter shakes? Size it down, keep it fun and everyone at the table gets a yummy, booze-filled, mini-desert?
Now for the bad: the service is worse than slow, the kitchen is even slower and no one ever seems like they are actually "in-charge" at PYT. Our meal-time wait was 40 minutes on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. It was 60 minutes on a Friday night at 9 p.m. and they managed to get it wrong. True, new places are normally "green" when it comes to a kitchen/service balance and most people give them room to improve, but we're talking burgers and fries here - so something is wrong at PYT. Wait times like these, leave a very bad after taste.
I give it 3.5 for food and fun, but pull one off and make it 2.5, for the cluster-"eff" of an experience when it comes to dining there.
We'll try again in the winter and see if things have changed.
It's great on a sunny day. The atmosphere and beer are great. The burgers and fries are just above average. There are definitely better places to get burgers in the city- but the Piazza is a fun place to hang out.
I've read a lot about PYT, and it's been all over the place. A few things keep coming up: the location brings out the bros, and the onion rings are fantastic. I went with my friend Quinn and we worked through the full treatment of the menu: burger, rings and shakes.
The alcoholic shakes are a gimmick. That being said, I'm sure a lot of people love these. These shakes are $10 a pop and come mixed with different ice creams and liquors; there are quite a few different ones for different tastes. Mine was a simple mix of vanilla and Maker's Mark, while Quinn ordered one with vodka and kalua. She seemed to like her's more than I enjoyed mine. We both came to the same conclusion: these are made with a heavy hand and aren't really akin milkshakes at all. They're more like mixed drinks that happen to use ice cream as an ingredient. I'm sure that was the goal for PYT, but next time, I'll just go with the regular shake.
The onion rings are different than any you've ever had. The breading is lighter and sweeter than anything else I've ever had. It evokes memories of funnel cake batter. These were good, but I am in the same boat as the shake; I'd rather have a good version of what I'm expecting.
Finally, the burger. It was cooked to order and overall, well made. It wasn't the "fist of meat" that far too many pubs serve up. Still, Sketch burger has become the gold standard to which I compare all other burgers. PYT just doesn't hold up. I ate my burger quickly, and enjoyed it, but there wasn't anything memorable about it. There were a few vegetarian options that looked appetizing; I'd go for one of these if I found myself here again.
Bottom Line: PYT will thrive on location alone. It has a few cool tricks up its sleeve, but in the end, none of them "wow" me. There are people who will hate this place, other who will rave over it. I fall squarely in the middle. It's definitely worth checking out to find out which person you are. Of if you absolutely need a good burger, head a few blocks over to Sketch. PYT also has a full bar if you're trying to avoid Swift Half.
As soon as I bit into the PYT burger there was white sauce dripping out the side of my mouth and all over my cleavage and I didn't even care to wipe it away cause the meat was so damn good. I just ate and ate until I had an orgasm!
Sike. The burger didn't jiz on me. It was actually pretty small and hardly juicy at all. I just really hate the ads for this place.
So yeah, in real life, the burger was fine but unremarkable. I liked that it was on a potato roll and the bacon was thick and super crisp. I couldn't taste the cheese. The patty was supposedly rare, but it was really well done and salty and dry.
But the rest of my experience at PYT was pretty nice. We did shots of whiskey with pickle juice chasers which I loved. I had a fantastic spiked shake and basically my dream onion rings, thick cut and heavily battered. The service was good and the atmosphere wasn't as douchey as I'd feared.
The bottom line:
Definitely not a burger destination, but a pretty fun time.
My excitement upon entering at the fact that they were playing "Watching the Detectives" was deflated as soon as I walked into the back room. We wanted to dance but the place was completely dead, playing awful music...and filled with skanks. I felt as if I had walked into a B&T filled bar in Manhattan.
NEIN!!
For me, PYT isn't about the burger, it's about the scene. Quite honestly, I thought it was a rather forgettable burger. A slim patty on potato roll from the grocery store. I like my burgers big, juicy, charred , on a crusty bakery roll and filled with cow-flavor. Call me old fashioned.
PYT is almost always packed with scenesters and a dj is usually on site spinning pretty good tunes to dance to - not that I'm looking to dance before, after or during my gluttonous burger feast.
Service was really good and the waitress was very friendly. They had a surprisingly good beer selection on tap. It really is a fun place to eat as long as you're prepared for it. I don't think I'll be back often seeing as I'm usually not prepared for a party at my dinner table.
I wish I could love you PYT, but you're just not my burger outing scene. Now, if you were an all you can eat crab shack, then you might be on to something.
O-VER-RATED *clap clap clapclapclap*
O-VER-RATED *clap clap clapclapclap*
Another place for No-Libs douchebags to see and be seen.
Have eaten/drank here thrice now and enjoyed it each time.
Burgers, fries and shakes are not my typical favorites but I can't really resist at this place.
I took some friends there last Sunday and everyone was like "Bobby, why do you keep mentioning the burgers? Get over it!" but when they actually bit into their burgers I swear they all said it was the best they ever had. I'm not exaggerating at all.
I was in a fat-girl kinda mood so I had a milkshake with Patron in it (SOOOO good) and the Grilled Cheese which was simply amazing. In short, everyone loved it, and I was so glad to find another place to go for Sunday eatin'.
Plus its at the piazza which is so cute I can't stand it.
Here's the thing with PYT: in internet talk one would say they are just n00bs. We came there, and sat down right away outside in the lovely Piazza, or pizza as I like to call it, and were served nice and fast, but I think the kitchen messed up almost everything in our burger order. Like I said, they are new so I'll cut them some slack, I did have probably the most amazing onion rings I've ever had.
What makes me NOT want to come back is not the kitchen messing up our order (and the food is GREAT, so it's definitely not that). It's the obnoxious crowd that surrounds this place. Never have I been so annoyed with the people around me (and you are talking to Queen Barbary).
PYT has me perplexed. It's either a bar that happens to have food (and that food happens to be burgers), or a restaurant that decided to dedicate itself to doing a few things really well. The fact that 1/3 of it's menu is dedicated to alcoholic milkshakes leads me to believe Option A. However, the burger is pretty great. Is it the best burger I've ever had? No, but it IS the best burger I've ever had for under $10. Cooked exactly as I asked, not too small and not too huge, on a soft potato roll. Yum. The onion rings, on the other hand, are NOT the best I've ever had (as the menu claims) but they're good enough.
I guess I should mention the atmosphere and the service, too?
Obviously it's heavy on the hipster crowd, but I don't think that's a bad thing, and please don't let it stop you if you're the "I hate hipster bars" type.
Our waitress was great, but I can't say the same for the rest of the staff. The hostess did that confused thing when we approached the door. You know what I'm talking about--that deer in headlights look they get even though greeting you is their job. But hostesses in NoLibs are usually like that so I'll let it slide. What really bugged me was when the creepy and awkward food runner/busser came to take our plates and we asked him if he could let our waitress know we needed our check. He looked confused and asked the passing hostess who our waitress was. Her response? A flippant "I don't know, I just got here." PYT lost a ton of points for professionalism right there.
I'm going to close this out before I start ranting about the bizarre attitudes of servers, etc in Northern Liberties and say this: Tasty burger, good prices, kind of okay service, maybe not worth a 45 minute wait. But it's your 45 minutes, you can do whatever you want with this.
Well.. I got to return to PYT while they were open last night. Let's just say I don't even feel like reviewing it. There were a number of ridiculous events that i don't even want to talk about...
but i will say.. BARTENDER IN A BIKINI? A bit much.
Also.. it was too busy and confusing to even ATTEMPT to get food. I will try one more time next week when my friend's DJ there. Maybe.
My advice:
* Hire some adults... preferably with a LITTLE bit of experience.
* Decide what kind of place you really want.. a bar? a dance club? a restaurant?
* Ask your bartender to put a whole shirt on
Well.. Since this place hasn't OFFICIALLY opened yet, I have to give them a five star rating. I will… Read more »
This place is a beautiful mess. Burgers, onion rings, deejays, drunk belligerents, cokeheads, thugs, old friends I run into on the patio, secret dance club through the bathrooms, bourbon milkshakes! What more do you want Philadelphia?
I give it six months.
Went to PYT last night with some friends, and was really disappointed... I wanted to love you, I really did.
The service is pretty bad at this joint, and that's why it only gets a 2 in my book.
First off, it's really hard to figure out who is staff and who's a patron. I'm not saying to stick everyone that works there in a uniform, but maybe a cool name tag or something... It would really help.
The hostess is super-clueless and looks dazed. Quite frankly, I don't think she's ever been a hostess before. My friends and I weren't greeted at the door and just stood there for a while. Eventually, I figured out that the person standing in front us was the hostess. There seemed to be a small line to sit and eat, so I asked her if there was a list that I could put my name on. She told me no, but if I wanted to sit at the bar or walk around the Piazza there should be something opening up soon.
Every time a waiter or waitress walked by, she would ask them if there was a table open... Um, isn't it the hostess job to know that?
We didn't go anywhere, because we were afraid she would forget us... Seriously, She looks like she's high.
So, after a few minutes we get to sit down. The place is super cute, but the table we got was really rickety. Okay, fine... These things happen.
Our waiter comes over and takes our orders, and we have to repeat it to him a few times. It doesn't impress me that you are trying to memorize my order if you need me to tell it to you a few times over. Please just write it down, I'm okay with that.
We wait for quite a while to get Diet Cokes and water, we wait even longer for the food.
Hey, is that my waiter sitting at a table outside chatting with friends? Oh yeah, it is... maybe that's what's taking so long.
I actually saw this done by a few members of the staff, and while I'm all about saying hello to people you know, you shouldn't be hanging out while on the job when it's packed. You wanna turn those tables around, get that line up front moving, and get more tips... don't ya?
The food was quite good, and this is the saving grace of PYT. I had the grilled cheese with bacon and boursin. It's downright amazing. The bread was crusty and buttery, the fillings were ample, it was really nice.
The downside to this is that it came to me kinda cold, and my onion rings didn't come at all. I had to ask for those from the totally different server that brought our food out.
I really hate to see the work of a good cook ruined by a bad waitstaff.
So please Tommy Up, if you read this... Send your staff to waiter bootcamp or something, they need all the help they can get.
An incredibly solid four for now, but I can see them very quickly getting that extra star once they get the credit card system up and running (tomorrow!) and the staff overcomes the first weekend hype and starts to find their footing a little better. But holy hell is P.Y.T. quite the happening burger joint to go to!
If your on the Mojito, Paperstreet, or any other mailer that Tommy Up sends out; or your an avid reader of Philebrity, then just like me you have been dying to sink your teeth into a P.Y.T. Burger for a good 2 months now. So when I finally got the word I've been waiting for that it was opening this weekend I was ready to go with anticipation, but decided to wait a bit and check out the Sundae party that the Piazza hooks up (not enough dancing!). It was still so packed that it took a few attempts to score an outdoor table. But the fifth time was the charm and we had the chance to enjoy a double dose of DJs, order up a round of burgers, and some ALCOHOLIC MILKSHAKES!
Too quote Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction "Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger.". And the P.Y.T. Burger was very worthy of that moniker. It was a good sized patty that was fully loaded with bacon, lettuce tomato, American cheese, and special sauce on Potato bread. It came with a side of chips and a pickle spear, and I'm very happy to report that it was only $8. BUT you can double up to the Royale and have it with 2 patties for $10, or TRIPLE up to the the Big Mic and have 3 patties for $12. you can also do a side of fries for as little as $2, and a side of onion rings for as little as $3. so P.Y.T. hardly breaks the bank, and since it stands for Pick Your Toppings they give you PLENTY to choose from. of course you can also go veggie with 2 different veggie burger options, switch it up to their grilled cheese, or do some lobster fish sticks!
Their Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and that's right McThrill actually went there for a review! But they were so damn good that they were worth reliving a horrible song over. my friend ordered a milkshake that blended chocolate ice cream with Patron! and I ordered up the Double Espresso Milkshake which blended espresso ice cream, with fresh espresso beans, and espresso vodka! It's such a simple and incredible idea, that I'm seriously surprised that no other spot in Philly (or anywhere else?) does it, and it was well worth the $10. you can also get all your standard milkshake favorites for $5.
Congratulations Tommy Up because you definitely have a place that lived up to the hype considerably, and was well worth the wait. And it definitely goes without saying that P.Y.T. is a place that I plan to hit up on a regular basis. Nicely done indeed!
As MJ (RIP) once said, "I want to love you, PYT..."
And you make it so easy. Any place that serves great food, lives up to its much-hyped buzz, and makes its patrons feel as comfy and welcome as they would in their own home (but with more fun) earns a spot in my heart.
To start, PYT has PBC Walt Wit on tap. I'm already in love. And while you wait for your outdoor table on the gorgeous Piazza, you can take your drinks out into the courtyard (as long as security doesn't spy you).
Our wait was quoted at an hour, and we sat down in under 45 minutes. I had the chicken burger with avocado - so good! And of course, a side of fries, which sadly, were super disappointing. They were slightly burnt and overcrisped. I could've done without them, which, if you know me, is a crazy statement (I can't live without fries!). My boy had the PYT burger and onion rings, which were great. He said the burger was also really tasty. And it was all brought to the table by our adorable hipster waiter.
They're pretty new, but I saw little evidence of any kinks, aside from a beer that took awhile to make it to the table, and didn't arrive until after the food. They're well on their way to greatness.
Despite the recent Yelp dissatisfaction with this place, I had a better than average, dare I say exceptional, experience last night. My friend and I sat at a table outside, the place was busy, but entirely manageable (it was a Tuesday night). Our hostess/server greeted us the moment we walked in and brought out our drinks promptly. She was attentive, but not overly/annoyingly-so and engaged in friendly banter when it was called for. Turns out she's from the Bellevue restaurant XIX: Nineteen (read: she has experience).
I'm thinking the overwhelming complaints about service might have moved these guys into action and they're starting to tighten up their business.
The one thing I will say is their burgers and onion rings are FANTASTIC. The rings are soaked in Kenzinger!
If you're interested in going there to take care of burger business, check it out on an off night, you'll probably be treated with excellent service and awesome food.
You'd be surprised, but It takes a lot of me to get really excited about new restaurants. I love the… Read more »
Overall, this is a cool place. But there are a few problems and I find them to be BIG problems.
1. Service: I understand that this is a new establishment and it's going to take some time to work out the kinds. But please don't hire pretty, skinny little girls that can't handle the work load of a real waitress. Only if I go on a late weekday, when it's not very crowded, is the service good. If PYT is even moderately full, that's a guarantee for slow, crappy service. You'll sit for ten minutes at your table before a waitress even comes, it's pretty terrible.
2. MENU CHANGES: Yes, it is true. Every solitary time I've gone to PYT the menu has changed, not in a Johnny Brenda's, Modo Mio type of way where every day they serve different items. But in a price tweaking, topping adding, topping taketh away, now you see it now you don't, we used to use whole milk and now we're using skim milk kind of way. It's really annoying!
3. Bun size: Martin's potato rolls are too small for the Calibunga (bean burger) the chicken burger or the shroom burger. Half of the burger WILL fall out before you finish it.
Since we're in Philly, Tommy Up should take advantage of the some 400 odd Italian bread bakeries that supply real, hard kaiser rolls and long hoagie rolls. The kind of rolls you can ONLY BUY IN PHILLY. Amazing bread that they don't use. What's the point of the Martin's bread Tommy? It sucks!!
4. Music: Never should one have to listen to Pearl Jam or Dave Matthews Band. Who is responsible for the juke selections?
I think PYT has the potential to be an amazing place, but the crappy service and changing menu annoy me most. Another REALLY SHITTY move on PYT's part. They used to serve two different grilled cheese sandwiches. One of them had bacon on them the other was mushrooms and tomoato. The menu no longer has the less expensive grilled cheese with tomatoes and mushrooms, it has the bacon grilled cheese w/ mushrooms or tomatoes only. You can order the sandwich without bacon, but you will still pay the full price for the sandwich. A vegetarian that has to pay for meat she's not eating? Pretty lame Tommy!
I really do not get all of the hate towards this place, because I went last night and had a great time. Unlike everyone else, I really don't give a crap who is dining beside me - I review based on service, food, and good times, not hipster hate. :)
The crowd was a little thin for a Friday when we arrived probably due to the stormy weather earlier - and we went for a booth inside. I ordered up a Walt Wit draft - which was amazing! I don't think I've ever had a Walt Wit on draft, and with the $4 price tag, I was happy.
Oddly enough, I wasn't in a beef burger mood, so I went with the white bean Calibunga burger, and shared an order of the onion rings. This burger was seriously delicious - garlicky, breadcrumby, basily goodness. The mayo on top was awesome, too. Oh, and the famed onion rings? Slammin'.
Service was fine and friendly for us! I think we will definitely be regulars at PYT for sure - and I need to try a milkshake next time.
I stopped in on a Sunday evening around 5 to try the burger with a friend of mine. There was a DJ playing music pretty loudly in a room off the main dining room/bar, nobody really dancing. People were ordering shots and beers, I had Cokes.
We both ordered PYT burgers. For $8 I think the burger is a little small. It's a good sized patty, but should cost 5 or 6. Beef was tasty, cooked to the rarer side of medium rare.
If PYT is challenging the Butcher and Singer burger, then I have to say that B&S wins hands down.
This is going to be a short, but to the point review.
I had the privilege of going to PYT on a beautiful day, so me and some friends were able to get a seat outside in the Piazza. It was also during the week Tommy Up, owner, was giving out free PYT burgers! In addition, I got a milkshake and their onion rings. All in all, the burger was pretty good (a little dry though), but the shake and onion rings were BOSS. Best I've ever had.
The place itself is pretty nice. There's a back room with a DJ. They host events there some nights, but I have yet to attend one. If you've ever been to the Piazza, you know the type of crowd there. Fashionable, fixie riders, skaters. I'm down with that. And the waitresses are pretty cute.
So if you are the trendy person looking for something, let's say different, try out PYT.
A few nights ago, a group of us went to PYT to satisfy cravings for adultshakes and grilled PB&J.
Without rolling out the whole play by play, I'll cut to the chase and just say the service was spectacular from start to finish. The hostess was the same girl who didn't impress me before, so it was especially nice when she was very direct and bright in greeting and sitting us. I didn't catch the name of our waitress, but awesome nonetheless. She checked in regularly and was obviously having fun with her job.
The PB&J (with bananas) was delicious. Kind of funny that I laughed when I originally saw it on the menu and I ended up loving it. The peanutbuttersomethingoranother shake was amazing, though my friend questioned how much booze was actually included. Good times.
In 3 prior visits, I struggled to enjoy a meal comfortably amidst the hype and hooha surrounding… Read more »
I'm not a big burger or red meat fan but I do like an adult beverage then and again so I'll review only based on what I've experienced. The vegetarian / turkey burger options are OK, but I couldn't fairly review the regular burger options. The milkshakes are very good and this is worth a stop for a little dessert (or spice one up with a little liquor) if your in the neighborhood.
There's nothing overtly original or unusual about the place. It's also smack dab in the middle of the piazza which is great to catch a Phillies game on the big screen but can be somewhat pretentious with all the 29 year old ex frat boys running around.
Last night I returned to PYT on a decidely less busy evening than when I was there on Sunday. You know what? I like PYT. It's a nice summer spot, if you get a table outside.
My friends ordered adultshakes, which they offered me sips of and yes, they were delicious. And they come with sprinkles on top! We ordered baby burgers, which were three little bites of heaven. Nothing special about them, they're just burgers, but they did hit the spot. Because I was sharing, there was some dispute over the pickle, but our server happily brought us a plate with more pickles. Pickles are the way to my heart! We also learned that the pickles are provided by one of the Jerky Boys, of prank call fame. Pretty funny! They're a little spicy.
Summer is ending quickly kids, so get to PYT while you can enjoy the patio and Piazza. I think it's a perfect spot to drink the night away.
A friend and I headed over to PYT early on Friday night. No crazy crowd. We sat at the bar and grabbed an alcoholic milkshake (which also fulfilled a dessert craving).
Although not very strong, the milkshakes were great, but the two female bartenders were not. The were not friendly or engaging with any of the patrons sitting at the bar. When they weren't standing with folded arms, they struggled with foamy beer. A bar can't survive without charismatic bartenders - no reason to go back.
This place is the alcoholic love child of The Max from Saved by the Bell and the milkshake place from Pulp Fiction.
Our server was engaging and funny, the burger hit the spot, and the piazza is a great spot for om nom nom noming & people watching.
The potato buns are fine, but since there are a few local bakeries in the area, it'd be nice to eventually have another option in the bread department.
Definitely going to come back to try an adultshake.
VERY good shakes, decent food, nice location but... awful, awful service. I'll have to reevaluate this place at a later date to see if this is just a new restaurant's growing pains. I also agree with a previous review stating it's very difficult to pick out who's an employee and who's just hanging around the place. During our last visit, we had to wait a very long time for anyone to acknowledge our presence after we were seated, our (quite simple) orders then came out after a wait that was entirely too long (a drink taking nearly 30 minutes to make... REALLY?), and we had to go seek out an employee to ask for our check at the because our waiter never came back to check on us after that. Just please train the staff here some more. The menu and location give this place huge potential.
As an additional side-note: This isn't a club. It's a restaurant. When the music being played is nearly at a club volume, it makes discussions with friends you're eating with impossible. It was something that everyone at my table was complaining about the entire time we were there.
What does PYT stand for? Pay Your Tab! $6 for a Stone IPA in a loud cramped bar, you've got to be kidding me.
I don't eat hamburgers and rarely drink milkshakes so PYT! will have a hard time getting me back on one of their bar stools. !
It is a better space than that other place across the piazza, which is to say it sucks just slightly less than SH. I think this place will be more fun when the weather turns cold and the booths fill up and the glass windows fog over (I'm serious about that). Once the party is over this place might turn around and be cool.
: Couldn't send a msg to the owner (my next review might need to be of Firefox 3.0.11) ... so here it is as an edit:
I'm looking forward to trying the chicken burger but I'm not comfortable in crowded bars. I'd go back when the scene at the piazza cools down. The bartender absolutely said $6 for the pint. I'm sure it was an honest mistake but f'real! $14 pitcher of it sounds awesome though!
I finally gave in.
I was resisting PYT a little because any place that uses lingerie clad women covered in mayo in a poster puts me off a little, as does any place in Northern Liberties. I can't resist the promise of a good burger though and the Piazza has proved its worth to me before so I went.
It seemed a little unorganized when we first walked in. We were surrounded by tipsy NoLibs 20 or 30 somethings so I couldn't really tell who was a server and who wasn't. I occupied myself by putting some CCR on the jukebox. Thumbs up for free jukebox with some good tunes! (Well, mostly good tunes. Cher? Really?) We got seated pretty quickly though and our server was friendly. I tried to order avocados on my burger but was told they weren't ripe. I didn't know whether to be annoyed they didn't have them or happy they didn't serve me unripe avocado. Either way, I got a PYT burger and chocolate shake plus some fries to split.
The burger was very tasty! I especially love the bacon. I mean, it's hard to find bacon I won't love but this stuff was exceptional. The shake was also really good. The fries had good flavor but weren't nearly crisp enough. I don't like my fries to be limp like these were. Though I feel like if I asked for my fries extra crispy they'd be happy to accommodate.
After eating my friend and I decided to play a small prank on the now very drunk and loud people at the bar. We put Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" on the jukebox. It was promptly turned off before getting to the chorus. :(
I also have to mention the bathrooms. There's one unisex bathroom which put me off a little when I first went it. But the stalls are like those in fancy hotels, each is its own little room with just a toilet. Mine was really gross, but I guess that's what happens when I'm using the same bathroom as guys who've had too many drinks.
Overall: great food, kinda high prices, annoying crowds, good service.
Went there with my friend and we had no clue what to expect other than her roommate is the manger there. We grab a table outside and there was a good crowd of people already drinking and eating outside. I ordered the the boursin grilled cheese with bacon mushrooms and tomatoe. It was da bomb!! My friend ordered the hot dogs which looked pretty good too. Oh yeah we ordered some fries that were tasty. Our server was quick and attentive but I saw her waiting on other tables so the fact that we were friends with the boss had nothing to do with her superb service.
After we finished our meals we were told that from 10 to 11 there would be an open bar in the back. Unlike the food, we were extremely disappointed with it. The room was very small and extremely dark, cold and crowded. I feel that the back bar with its DJ and all would have bee better suited for a Saturday night a 1am not Thursday at 10pm. Or maybe I'm just getting too old for that type of thing during the week, but my friend and I felt very uncomfortable and left pretty soon after we got there.
The food is great, but the night life not so much.
The Phillies just clinched a 6-5 victory over Florida in the 12th, and if there's one thing this town loves it's a good rally.
PYT's a brand new burger joint/bar open in Northern Liberties today. After hearing the buzz, decided to check it out with a couple of friends. I just so happened to secure a seat with direct line of sight of the beautiful mega-television showing the game in the Piazza. Things started off well--a decent crowd without being mobbed, a nice looking bar, and a warm, inviting decor. We were greeted with a friendly smile and invited to hang out by the bar till a table was made available for us.
The Phils secure an early 4-1 lead on the Marlins.
Once we were seated, however, it became evident that the bar atmosphere that was a non-issue a few feet away was suddenly a bit too loud to enjoy conversation with dinner. The music was decent but a few levels too much for a sitting environment. Service was a little slow to get us menus & drinks. My second beer was fumbled at our table, nearly making a mess of a friend's lovely new dress.
The sky grew dark in rapid order and the rain arrived. Both outside and shortly thereafter, in Miami. By the bottom of the 8th the Marlins had managed to chip away at the Phils' lead and tie it up at 4.
Service was still a little slow but once we got our food, conversation took a secondary position to enjoying the absolutely delicious burgers in front of us. Two companions mentioned their food was slightly undercooked but I can say that mine was just right. There's always a touch of fortuitousness in food preparation and baseball.
A couple rounds of drinks and french fries later, it was time to settle up. Our waitress returned with our check and a handful of heartfelt apologies. My one-quarter spilled beer was comped & it was explained that the computerized ordering system was not yet in place.
After the rain delay, the Phillies manage to fight off the Marlins' advance and take the game into extra innings.
Though I can't say my first visit to PYT was flawless, the food was excellent and waitstaff was friendly. I'm willing to attribute our sluggish service to opening day craziness. Overall, once everyone there finds their groove and they turn down the music, I think we'll find PYT just the latest of great spots popping up in NoLibs lately.
At the top of the 12th inning, Utley and Rollins score a run each and Lidge is able to close out the game with a win.
PYT's filed as a win as far as I'm concerned.
I want to love you...
and, so far, I think I just might...in time. Definitely still has some kinks, but I think people are missing the point on this. It's a burger joint, not a five star restaurant, remove the sticks from your collective behinds and enjoy the vibe of this pleasant spot on the Piazza.
THAT being said, the burgers are solid and fast-food'ish without making you feel like you want to kill yourself for having eaten one. The onion rings are also delightful. They seem to be made from a batter similar to that of a zeppole for those of you familiar with those little tastes of heaven indigenous to the Jersey boardwalk. They're more doughy and soft than the usual crunchy fried rings you would get elsewhere. Less greasy, too.
AND, the highlight...the milkshake! I shared a Caucasian (with chocolate ice cream) with a friend and it was pretty awesome. Not too heavy, but a good mix of alcohol coupled with a classic milkshake taste.
All in all, it was the perfect amount of food and we got to enjoy it all while watching the Phillies game on the crazy huge Piazza screen.
I'm a fan.
Sometimes I think it's crazy to write a review of a place based on one visit or one meal... I've decided to go a step more absurd and review PYT based on one drink. I will point out that the drink in question is an Adult Milkshake, a set of drinks that it seems PYT would like to be known for. After a night out in Nolibs, we decided to make these drinks our nightcaps and headed for PYT. To say this place was hipster central would probably be an understatement, but I prefer the hipster crowd to the dbag set any night of the week. There were a lot of people there for midnight, but the spillover into the outdoors area spread everybody out. Service at the bar was quick. I remember hearing two different Pearl Jam songs while I was there, which I found to be quite odd. Also odd was that the bathroom had different music playing-- all dance and hip hop it seemed.
Anyway, the milkshake: there were a few varieties, all $10. I got the Caucasian, a vanilla concoction. I was a little disappointed. It basically just tasted like melted ice cream with booze mixed in. Now, I know what you're thinking... that's what I wanted, right? Even so, I think this drink could have been mixed or planned better (I'm not sure if it was the concept or the execution that went wrong here). I mean, I could sit at home and make a boozy tasting milkshake but I was hoping the marquee drink of a bar would really impress me with a clever combination of alcohol and dairy product. I didn't really think the flavor was very unified. One of the other people I was with reported the peanut butter flavored shake was better. Well, at least it had a good amount of booze for the high price.
PYT by Tommy Up is an awesome establishment. The "calibunga" burger is choice(esp* if you like garlic), right down to the spicy pickle on the side... not to mention the home-like sidde of potatochips. Great grilled-cheese, just like moms. This is a great neighborhood dive, but I must say, the college students make the place unbearable. Rowdy and inconsiderate is unlike the the regulars who frequent. Suntan, Stephanie, and Davis are the best at what they do. PYT has a place in my heart.
after hearing a lot of hype on this place, i decided to check it out for an eagles game (bc according to all the email and fb messages, the piazza is THE PLACE TO BE for sunday funday) fine. i went.
when we walked in we were told to sit wherever but since there was only one table left, our selection was easy. we sat down and waited. and waited. aaand waited s'more. finally we flagged someone down. i was reallly craving a bloody mary to get me started before i inevitably spent the day drinking beer cheering on the birds! after ordering our drinks we waited at least 10 mins before our server came back only to inform us that they didn't have any bloody marys. ok. i was about to tell her that i'd just take a beer instead when she ran away. so we were left waiting, again. as we waited, i looked around. the game was well into the second quarter and yet the volume on the tv was at a whisper and only two people in the whole place even seemed to be paying attention to it. our table was at an odd angle to see the game anyway, and my limited vision was blocked every time a server/patron walked by. after asessing the situation and because we had been there for at least 15 minutes with no drink we decided to bounce.
shame too bc i was really looking forward to trying some fancy style junk food and possibly an adult shake for dessert. also, i just wanted to ask. why does the world effing champion burger use venison from texas with foie gras and truffles, etc etc. i dont know, that just seems sooo not what philly is about. shrug.
They have A LOT of work to do. I can understand there will be hiccups on opening night...but this many after they had been open for a few weeks??? Come on now! Is that what soft openings are for - to work out kinks?
First off I walk in and it was crowded, but not ridiculously crowded (like I had expected). I asked a couple waiting by the door if they were waiting for a table...they were. I didn't see any sign of a hostess stand or anyone who looked like they were trying to keep a list of those waiting. Next thing I know there is a girl standing in front of me just staring at me. No hi/hello, how are you?, may I help you? I asked do you work here...can I put my name in for a table? She then replied all the tables are full (really? I hadn't noticed). I then say, are you taking names? To which she says no, I don't think so (cut to confused look on her face like I was asking her a really difficult question). She then turns to another girl and asks if they are taking names. They aren't, so I then say well I will be sitting at the bar will you come get me when a table is free? Finally! I got some sort of assurance that I would actually be able to eat that night. For real? There was no organization whatsoever. It was like these people were specifically hired b/c they had absolutely no experience at all in the restaurant business.
My second gripe comes with the table service. This I guess goes hand in hand with the reception I received. There was no organization. Two servers asked to take our order. Both were very nice but I haven't had that happen in a long time. The service was very slow. Now I am not sure how many servers they had on, but it really wasn't as crowded as it could have been. Along with the delay in receiving our drinks, one of my friend's ordered a beer which never came. We had at least 5 attempts at them serving us food that wasn't ours. We even had someone try to serve us food while there already were plates in front of us. Really? Number your tables dammit. Or have the waiters/waitress server the food they took the order for. WOW.
My last gripe is the restrooms. Co-Ed restrooms are not my favorite....especially when it's not just the sinks that are co-ed. I mean I really don't like walking into a bathroom in which all the seats were up. Seemed to me like a cheap cop-out rather then a "hip" solution to a small space.
I do have to say the bartenders were very on point! They immediately noticed when someone new arrived to the group and when our drinks were running low. Very attentive.
The food: good, not great. It definitely has potential in that area. I would hate to see a decent chef's hard work be spoiled by poor service and a poorly run business, but wouldn't be the first time I have experienced that. I had the Good 'Ol burger (I think that's what it was called). Tasty and perfect size for me. Fries were awesome! We even ordered a second round, even though we knew it would take forever.
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