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Serrano
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Olde City20 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 928-0770
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
7 reviews for Serrano
I enjoyed both of my visits to Serrano. The establishment was cozy and the decor funky. The staff were very knowledgeable about the menu and extremely friendly (rare find in Philly).
The dishes were imaginative. I thought the flavors were subtle, but yes also mild. They do have a good variety of dishes including vegetarian.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
TERRIBLE!!!
This place is horrible. Not only is the food gross and almost as pretentious as the clientele and waitstaff, but the owner is one dull, boring perosn.......GO TO SASSAFRASS!!!! Its right down the street and the owner/slash waitstaff is engaging and hilarious. They treat you with respect and dignity. Serrano is a gross sleazy place that makes want to shower when you leave.
Serrano is about 20 years old, and has a lot of character. Chandeliers hang, laden with Christmas decorations and plates adorn their brick walls. By their bar, there's a homey, working fireplace. A friend and I had dinner by their entrance (slightly drafty) and could hear live music from the nearby Tin Angel. Eventually, it died down, to be replaced by their stereo system and the murmur of fellow diners. While we were waiting, we doodled on the table with the crayons left for us.
Their international menu is accommodating to vegetarians, with items like paprikash and phad thai. I had the Malaysian pork chop with udon noodles, mushrooms, and asparagus (~$17). We shared a baba ganouj ($9). Sadly, our dishes were sorely lacking in flavor.
One highlight that Serrano provides is their hand-painted hot sauce caddy. It holds a random selection of spicy sauces, including a viciously hot sauce that has to be dispensed from a eyedropper - now THAT was a winner. Personable, on-the-mark service (Jill, Jamie, and Ross) kept our water glasses full, thank goodness!
I'll return to sample their caddy again, and to try a burger or their Chinese dumplings. Hopefully plain food isn't a part of Serrano's repertoire!
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Cool (2)
The restaurant, the food, the staff were fabulous!! I told them I was vegan and they happily made me some grilled tofu with veggies and rice. I am a huge fan and would rec to anyone. Everyone else in my party loved their food as well.
We came here before we went upstairs to the Tin Angel. The staff was a little TOO casual if you know what I mean. Well, I mean that they were a bit slow and the 'manager?' was very vocal about how a few of our choices were not THAT good. Really? I didn't ask....I didn't care. Besides that, I agree with the blandness critique, but everything we had was pretty good... Definitely go here if you're going to the Tin Angel though.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
We came here on a Sunday night around 8:30 & the place was empty altho it's open to 9:30... there were a few people at the bar & a show going on upstairs at Tin Angel. Our waiter was aloof & the bartender kept answering the extremely loud ringing phone behind the bar, and talking just as loud as the ring. The walls are a dark paint & wood but the lights are really bright in there giving a weird vibe. This diminished the romantic dinner ambiance but we ordered our food & glasses of wine off their wine list which was bland. The food: I had a goat cheese & bread app which was good and my husband had a seafood bisque. There wasnt any bread for the table or for the soup, so he asked for some & they brought out some grilled pita (which they charged for, but whatever. need bread with soup!) They have one "vegetarian" dish, but at least 3 others can be made vegetarian and it says so on the menu, so this is always a good thing. I ordered Jersey Pumpkin Gnocchi which was delish & very sweet. It was a HUGE bowl, so big I took half home for dinner the next day. My husband had Bacon wrapped Meatloaf which was also huge & he ended up taking some home too. The show ended around 9 & some... loud... bar patrons came down to the bar & were super distracting- we could not hold a conversation! The bathroom for upstairs must be in the back downstairs so a dozen or so people started walking by the table. The food's good so if you're not going for a show, I'd recommend trying to go at a busier dinner hour, in order to absorb some of the bar like feel & which probably makes the bar patrons quieter. I was there for drinks before & I recalled it being a quiet bar, since it isnt that big.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
service was terrible, food was bland. enough said.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
