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The Drafting Room Tap Room & Grill
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
635 N Pottstown PikeExton, PA 19341
(610) 363-8086
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for The Drafting Room Tap Room & Grill
Review Highlights
"The beer selection keeps you coming back."
(in 5 reviews)
"Lots of scotch too, though I'm not a scotch drinker myself."
(in 3 reviews)
"The only thing holding me back from the 5 stars is that I..."
(in 3 reviews)
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Rich G.
Montgomery, PA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great beer list (imagine that!) and great scotch list as well. Food has slipped slightly over the years, but the PB Pie is still the sh!t!!
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Review from Nicole L.
8/4/2011
The Drafting Room is a decent place if you're looking for table service, Belgian beers and dinner -- but it misses the mark much too often for it to become a regular hangout. Though they have a huge selection of beers and the cheapest Lindeman's fruit lambic in the area, the service is erratic and the food has plummeted in quality since our first visit.
My biggest gripes are the sticky tables and menus, crumb-strewn chairs, and flies buzzing at the window. Honestly, a huge turn-off considering they're trying to push themselves as a decent restaurant. -
Review from Daphne R.
Derby, CT
6/23/2011
I visted The Drafting Room tonight for the first time. It's hidden in a little plaza, and I almost drove by it. It's a romantic, rustic spot with a sports bar on one side and a welcoming dining room on the other. The waiter, although not so friendly, placed me at a comfy 4 person table near the back. I get tired of going out alone so this spot worked well for me since I was not front and center in the dining room. They also have seating outdoors although it's not much to look at. I don't recall seeing any flowers or decorations to m ake it attractive.
Anyway, I ordered the crab & corn chowder as an appetizer. I ordered the bowl because it sounded so good. It's even topped with jalapeno spiced bacon...although it was almost TOO much of a kick for me. The chowder was pretty good...salty, creamy & full of carbs. It's tough to go wrong there. I didn't notice much crab, just a few strands here and there so that pissed me off. Don't advertise lump crab if it's not lumps of crab in the dish! I wouldn't get it again, but it was OK. Then I order the $25 ribeye steak, mashed potatoes and onion rings...yum. Anyway, it was annoying because the menu does not mention a side of steamed veggies so I was a bit suprised...in a good way...but it's still annoying when they don't fully disclose.
The steak was humungo...layed over a bed of mashed potatoes with TWO...I repeat TWO onion rings. Really? Bummer, but I'm sure my hips will thank me for it. The steak was full of marbling so you only get about a 70/30 meat-to-fat ratio. The potatoes tasted almost instant...that stiff airy texture was noticeable. They may mix instant with real potatoes. Even that would have been OK if they were buttery or creamy, but that was not the case.
I was definitely not impressed with this meal. The thing that I noticed most of all was that it took about 30 minutes to get all of that food out to me. They've got loads of prepared food back there, and that's why there wasn't that nice, fresh taste to the dishes.
I may visit again at some time in the future but not anytime soon. Next! -
Review from Kara T.
Warrington, PA
9/30/2011
We've been going to The Drafting Room for years (in multiple locations) and always had a really good meal, good service, and good drinks. We brought our parents there tonight, and while the service was a little spotty and the waitress perhaps a little TOO over apologetic for the kitchens missteps with our food (salad drenched in dressing, even though we ordered it on the side... Steak too rubbery to chew) it's not a typical problem here and the manager was very sweet and accommodating in taking the questionable item off our bill without us expressly asking for it. So all in all, we wouldn't hesitate in coming back. And the vindaloo mussels were AAAAMAZING.
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Review from Steve S.
Norwalk, CA
3/21/2011
I give it 3 stars primarily because they introduced me to Troeg's Trogenator and Hacker Pschorr hefeweizen. The bartender seemed almost annoyed to be there, but he was reasonably friendly when you got him to talk. Just not engaging like most bartenders, however his beer knowledge made up for that.
The place does lose some stars for the rather bland food. It was probably the most boring ribeye that I've ever had. Was it bad? No, but it was just boring and totally unexceptional. -
Review from Jenna L.
8/2/2011
Ambiance is a little old school. Food was decent. I had the turkey burger which was was really thick and topped with feta cheese and red peppers. My coworker ordered the turkey sandwich which looked better than mine. Another coworker got the Buffalo Chicken wrap which was HUGE and it looked delish. Our waitress was pretty rude - did not say one word to us the entire time and didn't acknowledge our order. Definitely would not go back.
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Review from Marc R.
West Chester, PA
8/18/2010
I have been here a couple of times. The beer list is very very good and reasonably priced. The burgers and steaks are good, haven't had anything else there (sorry). But for the love of God, would it kill you to smile Mr. Bartender? Seriously I get that you may be having a bad day-but don't bring me down.
Summary-good beer, good food, bad attitude. -
Review from Party G.
Downingtown, PA
8/6/2011
Paulaner Salvator - that starts you off with 6 stars. In fact, they had a whopping JERABOAM of it for sale. Yes, it was indeed purchased on the spot.
However, the dining room experience did not match. Food was ok, but nothing to make us want to return and I can get Salvator at Exton Beverage. -
Review from Sara B.
El Paso, TX
4/8/2008
I'm not a huge beer fan (sorry), but with the impressively large selection available to me at the Drafting Room, I'm always able to find something I like. And, thankfully, they offer a good menu, too. The only thing I've ordered that I didn't like was the French onion soup. I normally love French onion soup, but The Drafting Room's take on it left me a little queasy. But hey, to each his own.
Service is always friendly and efficient, and it's not too hard to get a table in the dining room, even on a busy weekend night. -
Review from Erin K.
West Chester, PA
5/28/2007
The simple fact that The Drafting Room always has Lindeman's Framboise (and very often has it on tap) should be enough. But it's not. The Drafting Room, besides having an incredibly impressive beer selection, has an incredibly impressive menu.
The restaurant has a very non-tap room menu; though there are nachos as an appetizer (HUGE, almost embarrassingly so - but remember, this is a Tap Room too), you'll find everything from fondue to duck. And it's good! -
Review from Aaliyah P.
Wilmington, DE
Came here for the brunch buffet and the great beer options for the boy. Buffet has a great balance . Salads , bagels with lox, omelet station and so much more. They feature a lot more local options for beers which is great for your wallet but some Belgian goodies make their list as well. Chris had the hop wallop and i did as i always do a mimosa. As part of the buffet you get these amazing sticky buns. Though not a traditional bun it's just as gooey. It's a cross between baklava and a bun. It's made with puff pastry and is probably so bad for you. They only bring out enough buns for the table so one person . They also feature a Benedict while were there it was spinach and crab along with a ham one. I wasn't really a fan the hollandaise sauce was bland and the English muffin was super soggy. Chris ate the rest ( of course). I tried it and and won't make the mistake if ordering in when we come back. Another downside was the coffee tasted slightly old and bitter. For these two flops I deducted a star. The guy working the omelet station was super friendly. Our server was ok , very friendly though. Everyone who comes here on sundays does the buffet and at 17 pp it's a deal and then some .
It's about 35-40 min from the de stateline and was pretty easy to find . -
Review from Ben P.
Park Ridge, IL
2/11/2009
While visiting from Chicago I was taken to the Drafting Room for lunch by my coworker who lives in the area. We did not visit to drink - just to eat. So my review is based on the restaurant portion and not the bar.
The following things about my experience were outstanding:
- Service
- Cheddar cheeseburger w/ mushrooms
- Fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Raspberry iced tea
- Prices
The burger was just fantastic. Angus, cooked perfectly, great bun, cheddar and mushrooms were delicious.
They were also very accommodating when I asked for yellow mustard instead of dijon, and my dining buddy asked for honey for his sweet potato fries.
The rest of the menu looked fabulous including salads and entrees, but unfortunately I was only hungry enough for one meal.
There's not a single negative thing I can say about my experience. I will definitely be making a return trip the next time I'm passing through Exton. -
Review from Matt N.
York, PA
10/25/2009
I went to the drating room for the 4th time last night. I am a beer geek, so this place is pretty high on my list. Not only do they have beer dinners to pair the rare beers with menu items, but the taps rotate frequently and include many west coast beers that are to find in my neck of the woods like Pliny the Elder and Angel's Share. I once bought a growler filled with Ommegang Rouge and another w/ Founders Double Trouble. I was given a deal on them since the keg of Ommegang kicked three quarters into the growler.
The food is good as far as pub grub goes, but I don't consider this the main reason to come here. I had fried calamari with aioli
and my brother also split an order of potato skins topped with cheese and sliced bangers. The flavor was tasty but the batter was slightly greasy. I had a cheesesteak that was slightly dry before. I will definitely return and some of the specials like stout spiked filet sound interesting too. They have a cooler which is visible with a wide variety of bottles including some rare stuff like Weyerbacher Riserva and Old Rasputin XII. They will be having a Sierra Nevada dinner coming up with Edge of Darkness, Brown Saison and Triple which are draft only selections that is reasonably priced. I find the service to be great with one exception and the bartenders know the beers they serve which is a plus. I recommend the Drafting room for anyone who cares about beer. -
Review from Jen H.
Exton, PA
2/19/2008
I have been going to the DR for ages - their beer selection is seriously extensive. My husband is a hard-core beer guy and he loves it. I enjoy a good Belgium ale on occasion myself. Their food is consistently delish - you have to try the mushroom soup, and the peanut butter pie, not necessarily in that order. :)
Another reviewer said the decor is lacking - I was just talking about that the last time I was there. I'd like to offer to redo their decor - I'm not a designer but I'm design savvy - I wonder if Andrew(the owner) would accept? I bet I could give them a great makeover for way less than a trained designer - what do you think?Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from s m.
Downingtown, PA
3/4/2008
I've been here several times over the years. The beer selection keeps you coming back. The food has been inconsistent. They offer a nice variety on the menu there's just something lacking that's hard to put your finger on. I enjoyed the French Onion soup on my most recent visit.
Service was good on the recent visit. The hostess was very accommodating when we dropped in with a party of 6 on a Saturday evening at 6.
They do a good job of keeping the smoking to the bar area which is well away from the non-smoking dining area. I would definitely go there more often if they joined the ranks of Iron Hill, Victory and others by dropping smoking altogether. -
Review from Ryne D.
2/25/2009
Experimental dining combined with a large beer list = a fun time, but with a large bill.
Let's start with the food...it ranged from average to excellent. I really liked my gumbo, which was served with sriracha of all things. It brought a nice spiciness and sweetness to the gumbo, which came in a pretty big but delicious serving. Tried the salmon which also had a surprising flavor, as did the potatoes that came with it. Sampled one of the specials which was a crusted chicken with sweet potatoes and cranberries. The chicken was a bit too dry here, making the bits of fruit it came with a necessity. The cheese fries were more like sectioned potato parts, barely fried but covered with a cheese unlike that which you'd find on loaded fries. They were pretty good with a flavor that none of us saw coming.
See? Experimental.
They had an extensive beer list, and when we found out that they served flights that were about the size of a shot glass, the four of us each got a flight of four of their beers: Dogfish Head Aprihop, Manayunk Festivus, 2006 Stone Double Bastard, and something else.
I can't remember the fourth beer mainly because our waitress lied. They weren't shot glass sized...they were at least 5 ounces by our measurement. They all had interesting flavors, especially the Festivus, which I was convinced was part maple syrup.
Overall, the food and beer were terrific. The only thing holding me back from the 5 stars is that I dropped near $40 for my food, a beer, and the flight. I'd still return...especially with Philly Beer Week coming! -
Review from Peter A.
12/26/2009
Went here on the advice of all the reviews. The beer selection is really something - some 50-70 choices of bottled beer, and a choice of 10-15 unique draft beers (only three of their draft choices are beers you would normally find in a store such as Sierra Nevada). Everything we bought was quite good - as I expected it would be.
As far as food goes, it was pretty good, but we only had sandwiches and soups, so can't speak for the entrees. The burger for me was pretty average - I've had better at restaurants/ tap rooms much like this one. The cheese was very thin, and the burger looked like it very well may have been frozen. Bread was good though.
So in terms of beer, it blows anything within a 250 mile radius out of the water. In terms of food, nothing too special, but still beats anything you're going to find in the Exxton area (at least in American food) -
Review from Curt Q.
Downingtown, PA
11/21/2010
If you go to the Drafting Room just to try a new, interesting beer, you will never be disapppointed, even if you aren't impressed with the food. But the food is interesting and good enough to stand on it's own.
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Review from Dick D.
Downingtown, PA
1/14/2011
Good beer selection. Good service. Good onion soup. Order the Big Fish sandwich; you won't be sorry.
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Review from James W.
Muscogee, GA
1/28/2008
The Drafting Room is a staple for beer lovers in the Chester County area. Voted one of the "Top 50 Places to Have a Beer in America" (based on BeerFly Reviews - link at bottom of this review), the Drafting Room goes well above and beyond to ensure its draughts are different, desirable, and delicious. In 2007 alone, they tapped 313 different beers, most from well-regarded US microbreweries, with a focus on Mid-Atlantic brews from Sly Fox, Victory, Brooklyn, Weyerbacher, Oomegang, and others (see their site for the full 2007 list). As Erin mentioned in her review they always have Lindemans' Lambics on draught (though not always framboise), and their bottle selection is similarly exceptional. In short, The Drafting Room is probably the best taproom in the area for anyone wanting to surprise themselves with some excellent beer choices from the finest crafters in the US and beyond (although TJ's Everyday is making a run for it).
The DR also occasionally hosts beer events there on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, such as "Heavyweight Down for the Count" to say goodbye to the beloved NJ brewery and other tastings. These can get crowded but are a lot of fun and the people that are attracted are lively area beer aficionados.
The icing on the cake is that the DR's food is great too. The nachos aren't the hugest I've seen but are perhaps the best in the area (they use the tri-color chips and put a layer of refried beans on the plate for dipping). They have an excellent weekend brunch buffet with many delicious choices such as made-to-order omlettes, roast beef, waffles, bread pudding, salmon, maki roll, bagels, home fries, mac & cheese, pastries, salads, etc. Seating can be scarce so be sure to make a reservation. They know how to make a good Bloody Mary so if you go for the brunch, give one a try.
The waitstaff is universally cheerful and pleasant. Unlike most places, we tend to get in jokey conversations with our waitstaffers whenever we visit, because they seem so open, laid back, and approachable.
They have a few outdoor tables in front of the bar area that I highly recommend if the weather permits. I've had a few wonderful evenings out there sipping great beers and munching on tasty appetizers.
The only thing that is lacking, in my opinion (and those that I know that frequent the DR), is the decor. The DR has been very successful but they haven't updated their decor in a long time and I've heard their bar area described as "airport bar chic" (sarcastically). I share the opinion that it's time for them to roll some money into renovating and updating the worn & dated interior to enrich the overall experience, but this is a small gripe among so many positives.
If you love beer and are in the area, you should also hit Victory Brewing Company, about 15minutes drive from the Drafting Room.
Links:
Top 50 Places to Have a Beer in America: http://beeradvocate.co...
Victory Brewing Company: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Heavyweight Down for the Count: http://www.brewlounge....
TJ's Everyday (about 15 Minutes from the DR): http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from lee c.
Malvern, PA
1/9/2006
I've been to the taproom once or twice. I always love their eccentric selection of beers. The last time i was there i got a troeg's oatmeal stout mmmmm. The atmospere is simple and suburban-ish, but fortunately, doesn't feel like you're at the Applebee's bar or something like that. There is a restaurant attached and i've heard good things about it, but i've yet to eat there.
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Review from Jim J.
Pottstown, PA
2/19/2009
This place is great! A friend recommended it to me for the creative menu. She was right. Excellent food, creatively done with generous portions. Now let's talk beer, better yet, let's drink some. At the Drafting Room you will never, and I mean NEVER be at a loss for a beer to try. They have (almost) everything. They even have Spaten Celebrator Dopplebock, which is hard to find. Plus they have a host of different seasonal beers on tap, and the selection constantly changes. Lots of scotch too, though I'm not a scotch drinker myself. Highly recommended.
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Review from Lisa K.
Bryn Mawr, PA
8/10/2010
Great atmosphere, great beers and a menu that fills you with anticipation. Then the food comes and its just kinda bland. Sorry but I find this place a real dissappointment.
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Review from Damien H.
Denver, CO
8/12/2009
Good Arnold Palmer, Excellent lunch menu, great service!
