South Philadelphia Tap Room
1509 Mifflin St
Philadelphia, PA 19145 (215) 271-7787
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Best Nights: Wed, Thu, Sun
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
22 Reviews for South Philadelphia Tap Room
My husband and I stopped by this quaint little bar tonight (Friday) and we loved it. The walls were exposed brick and the wait staff was great.
The menu is limited, but the food we had was excellent. My husband had a 'white fish' which he said was wonderful. I had the Bourbon BBQ salmon sandwhich - it was great!
We had a couple of drinks and found out way home ! We'll definitely be going back to this neighborhood tap room!
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Boar burger with blue cheese
Wheat beer with apricot
Gimme another please
Throw in a Tully shot
This is a real bar
Mifflin isn't so far
I'd love a refill
but service is not ill
Please get a clue staff
you're kicking your own ass.
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My roommate introduced me to the tap room which is her fave hangout. I've been here twice, once for dinner and once for drinks, and had great experiences at both times. The menu is not what you'd expect for a bar - ie wild boar sandwich, moroccan chicken wrap (AMAZING), and even lion meat (I kid you not), and their selections on tap are quite impressive. I like the atmosphere of the place, and I look forward to coming back.
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Many great beers on tap, some good food, some good service for south philly. That being said it is a tad spendy for its location. Its real hard for me to want to venture down into the concrete jungle. The prices here surely aren't making me go out of my way to get here either. But if I end up here I am not going to complain. I am going to have them pour me a brew and I'm going to sit back and enjoy the people watching session.
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I gotta tell you...at first I was a tad overwhelmed by the crowd. After coming off a rather traumatic shift at my job I was less than amped to be sharing the air with so many people. Within minutes I was calmed and had a grand ole time, so much so, that I left my bag behind. The opening barmaid found it the next day and to her I tip my hat...and glass.
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I've been here once and they have expanded the place. I was surprised to see the back area upgraded. You can peek into the kitchen!
I went here last night (Monday night) with my boyfriend around 7-8ish. It wasn't busy. The servers were around us constantly which is good but also made me feel like we were in their way (despite telling us to "take our time", just made me feel uncomfortable). Or that they needed stuff to do. They were friendly and attentive. They immediately cleaned up when my boyfriend knocked over his beer reaching for it.
The menu is small and a lot more fancier than I would expect of a bar. I ordered the pirate roll (shrimp, lobster, avocado) which was an amazing $12 and came with chips. The roll was pretty small, like coaster size, while the filling went about 2 inches over the bread. It wasn't messy, though, I managed. I normally just order fries or chicken fingers, you know? But whatever, it was tasty. My boyfriend ordered the duck wrap which was also pretty good. I had water and a long island iced tea to drink. The alcohol was nice and strong.
The seating is outdoor (with an umbrella), at the bar, a bench with tables opposite the bar, high tables, shorter tables, and a little raised area with more tables near the kitchen and to the right of the bar. We were seated on the high tables, which I'm not a fan of but is no big deal.
The ladies room is very small. I'm a small skinny girl so this was no problem, but I was really surprised at how tight it seemed.
This wouldn't be my first choice if I had to pick a bar because of the pricey menu, but it does have a nice atmosphere and the staff is great.
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Let me make this absolutely clear, as to protect the innocent:
Mom, I love you. And I L-O-V-E your homemade macaroni 'n cheese.
And to the SPTR chef who makes his/her own version of the splendorous dish, I simultaneously love and hate you for it. It's way too delicious for its own good, and you've forced me to question my beloved mother's number 1 status for mac 'n cheese. You really should be ashamed of yourself. I'll be back for more.
SPTR has an admirable array of draught beers, not all to my particular liking, but definitely hitting all the marks for variety of pales, lagers, barley wines and stouts. There's something for everyone. Unless you're a person who doesn't like beer. Or decent mac 'n cheese. Or good hearty food of any kind. Then you wouldn't be coming to a place called a Tap Room to begin with, would you?
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I live one and a half blocks from this joint, and when i first started going, i was in heaven. great beer selection, jukebox, local flavor, and menu that featured a nice mix of the comfort and the exotic. now that they've "upgraded" the space and chef, i'd say SPTR as a whole is a big DOWNGRADE. the 'no substitutions' is like a comedy bit straight from Seinfeld...and not being able to order fries (minus the cheese curds and gravy) makes about as much sense as having no substitutions at a south philly gastropub in Newbold. i'm not saying we newbolders don't deserve the best, but i DO deserve decent service and whatever the hell i want that's included on the menu. about the service - it's gotten steadily worse over the past couple of years. the waiters can be friendly, but SPTR has never been able to handle crowds, so be prepared for the snarly on a Friday or Saturday night. honestly, i'd rather go to Devil's Den or the Royal Tavern.
i heard recently from a friend that you can now pay $3 extra for fries, however that seems a little pricey. at the Royal, that's unheard of. at Devil's Den it's $1.
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Good beer. Eclectic but bordering on "too eclectic" menu. I mean, is there really that high of a demand for wild boar burgers with wild boar bacon in South Philly?
Slightly too pricey for the neighborhood. Kind of put off by the service.
When I asked if I could order fries, the waitress said "No, we only have poutine." That confused me, since fries are a prerequisite for poutine. Then, ten minutes later, the very same waitress took out the largest plate of fries I've ever seen to another customer at the bar.
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I used to love the SPTR. It's 2 blocks from my house, they have a great selection of beer, they've got outdoor seating and a great jukebox. Unfortunately the new chef doesn't seem to realize that it's a bar. Of course this does not mean that the food can't be great and even a bit quirky. I have no problem with wild boar burgers or even bear bacon (in fact, I consider myself somewhat of a foodie) but when people go to a bar, they want certain things, like FRIES. With their sandwich, maybe? I was totally surprised and put off when my friend ordered a veggie burger and was told (with major attitude from a snotty waiter- again- this is a BAR- not Le Bec Fucking Fin) that no, she couldn't have fries with it. Not "sure, but it'll be $3 extra..." but just "NO, it comes with chips." Excuse me? Like the previous reviewer, I saw that they have poutine, which is great, but guess what? The main ingredient of poutine is FRENCH FRIES. They can't charge a few extra bucks for a side of fries? I just don't get it. I liked the old menu. There were the standards plus a few interesting things on the regular menu, plus specials that were hit or miss but at least not pretentious. Grilled cheese? Escargots? Pate plate? Yes! "No substitutions?" GIve me a break. I'll be going to the POPE from now on for drinking and anywhere else for dinner. Royal Tavern? Now that's what I call a gastropub. That place never let me down.
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This place has probably some of the best bar food you'll ever sink your teeth into. The Monster grilled cheese sandwich is killer! Not to mention they have a fine selection of beers bottled and tapped. Even some seasonal stuff you'd be surprised. The service is very friendly and it caters to a fun crowd of all ages. I was even impressed with the selections available on their jukebox. Now they extended their place to a seating area for real dining, also upping their menu for more delites. So if you're new to the South Philly area and want to find a comfortable and affordable bar, this is it!
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I don't get to the SPTR enough, but I'm always pleased when I go. The beer list is great, the taps are usually great, the food is innovative and delicious and the servers/bartenders are usually fantastic. The neighborhood is slightly out of the way for a lot of people--the SPTR is definitely the destination there, but the outdoor seating is great in the summer and warm spring.
I like:
Salmon Sandwich
Grilled Cheese
Huevos Rancheros (brunch)
Plaintain Nachos (FAVE!)
Mussels
I've heard that the pulled pork sandwich is good too.
Ask for the Wittekerke Witbier--it's cheap and delicious.
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... and now, you say to yourself: "Wow... This chickadee actually went back to what was originally a five-star review of the Tap Room and updated it to only ONE STAR?! What did they ever do to her? What gives?"
I'll tell you what gives.
The SPTR *USED TO* be my favorite place hands down to hang, drink, and eat at in South Philly. But mysteriously, it has reached a level of suckitude that I didn't know could actually be achieved.
Before the brand-spankin' new half of the SPTR was opened, I was honestly psyched about it. The SPTR used to be on the smallish side, and I was excited that it was preparing to grow.
But when that new side opened up, it also opened a black hole of shitty customer service, a crappy new menu, and an ill-revised beer selection that totally hops (no pun intended), skips, and jumps over those of us who don't want to spend an hour's worth of wages on a beer and just want the refreshing taste of a cheap-o Pabst Blue Ribbon.
I gave the new menu a chance and was quite pleased... until they recently chaged it AGAIN and tossed crap on it that doesn't sound the least bit appetizing. The new chef's delusions of grandeur have possessed him to put "exotic" meats and parts of animals that I wouldn't feed to a dog on the new menu. Dude... YOU WORK IN A *BAR* IN *SOUTH PHILLY*; not at a 5-star Center City eatery. Start cooking like it. You did away with FRENCH FRIES. What bar doesn't serve friggin' french fries?! French fries are a bar menu staple. I call bullshit.
Secondly, bring back the domestic bottles and cans, for the love of all that is decent! Sure, I love my fancy-pants beer just as much as the next beer snob, but sometimes I am POOR and simply want a PBR or the Champagne of Beers to take off the edge.
Lastly, what ever happened to that "small community watering hole" feel that the SPTR used to have pre-new-space? The new wait staff is as slow as molasses (molasses may be quicker). During a recent visit, it took at least 20 minutes to a half hour for the waitress to bring me a new beer. It got so ridiculous that once she brought me a new beer, I would immediately order another one BECAUSE BY THE TIME SHE'D GET BACK TO ME WITH THE 2ND BEER, I'D BE FINISHED WITH THE 1ST BEER. My elderly, Himalayan cat that sleeps and eats and sleeps and sleeps all day could bring me a pint faster than some of the new wait staff. Also, the original, smaller staff knew the regulars and appreciated their business.
Because of the level of wackness that the SPTR has achieved, I have decided to take a sabbatical from it. This, coming from a woman who used to frequent the place at least once a week.
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having only been here three times, i may not be the best of judges, but i do try. i ate here once and the food was very good, i dont think the food is the main draw here though. the beer list is great, there are usually a bunch of the greats on draft and the bottle list is notable, they had three of the big bottles from lost abbey available. this place is definately a spot to hit if you are, in fact a beer fan. my only complaint, and it is a very small one, i suffered through this nice guy getting gouged all night for $4.00 yuengling lagers, though alot of the other beers were reasonably priced. i guess thats where they make the margin or maybe that guy shoulda been drinkin somethin else.
i'm comin back for brunch!
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Seems as if it just expanded, well at least to my eyes, the bar is a tight spot but the beers are worth the squueze. Need Room - go to the back for a table, there are a few booths too. Oh, want to eat Al Fresco - when warm - you may. And you're hungry...no disappointment here. Beer Geek kind or aspiring to be - come thirsty. Great all around.
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I don't drink and I think the Tap Room is great. The food is awesome, the jukebox is sweet, the staff is nice and the atmosphere is friendly. I live within walking distance of SPTR and whenever friends come to visit we take them there and they love it.
ps
The Monster Grilled Cheese Sandwich is of my favorite items on the menu.
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good food, good atmosphere, good service.
nice homey inviting decor with dark wood everything and plush chairs around a table at the front (a nice touch i think).
its been more crowded there lately, so its harder to talk over people.
but thats no different from any other good bar i guess.
i have friends who go there once a week and they rave about the drinks and staff and burgers. ive gotten the salads and hummus, both were great. as for drinks, i got a diet coke... perfect.
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The South Philadelphia Tap Room, west of Broad Street, just south of Center City, is one of the best bar/restaurants I've been to in a while. The beer selection is fantastic (and they are licensed to sell for carryout) and the food is really well done. My favorite thing on their menu so far is the Wild Boar Burrito. The meat is cooked to a satisfying shred, is well seasoned and the burrito is served with a side of salad. The plantain nachos are a clever spin on that traditional dish and the standard burger is piled-high winner.
They are currently in the process of expanding the bar to include a dining room next door which will be a nice addition, as it can get very crowded in their at peak times.
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The Tap Room has homemade food with several hard to find beers on draught. Where else would you be able to get Maredsous 8 in Philadelphia? (This is a beer you can get at the Maredsous abbey in Belgium.)
I had the Wild Man Clam chowder which was a Manhattan style soup with a bang. Nice and spicey. To finish that off, I had the Monster BLT. Very nice. My friend had the steak with beans and plantains. He enjoyed it. The service was good and fast.
This was a nice break from the typical bar food that has all the character of dried out shoe leather. Would definitely recommend eating there and will return in the future.
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Rolling into the South Philly Tap Room out of the frigid January weather was pretty nice. It was very warm. The Tap Room claims to be a neighborhood bar with a great selection of beer. This is mostly true. The space is kind of small and cozy (although I was told by the bartender that there's an expansion in the works). And for a place called a 'tap room' I expected more draught beers. What they had was excellent. A great selection of local microbrews including Stoudts, Yards, Sly Fox, Victory and more. They had many Belgians by the bottle but they were a little pricey by what I consider to be South Philly standards. The microbrews both by the bottle and on draught were priced well, though, so there's definitely plenty to drink.
The food was decent pub food. I had a duck and andouille sausage gumbo which was pretty good. TK argued that duck shouldn't be spicy because it destroys the subtle flavor of the meat, but I liked it. They had a fairly varied menu. And wi-fi. I might be back for lunch!
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an absolutely fantastic bar, the tap room has yet to let me down in any way. good food, good company, well-priced all the way 'round.
plus, i can walk home from here, lickety split! there's another star right there.
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Love this place-from beers to food it gets it just right!
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