On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Sports Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Market East
Loading...
I've only been once but I really didn't see any of these bad things people are talking about. Miiiight just be me focused on my huge burger.
I got the fieldhouse burger (12$), amazing, and my mom the cheesesteak (10?$). The french fries were REALLY tasty. Like whaaaat nomnomnom. And the burger came with griled onions! I love my some onions! It was huge, tasty, what more could I ask for?
Well, a better waitress but oh well. Ours got lost in a daze of ... rolling napkins apparently. She came back like, "I totally forgot about you guys I was rolling napkins and silverware HEHEHEHEHE" that was weird. But other than that, looked like a good place to catch a game. The tvs were everywhere including the booths. :) Sound too so that was a plus, I hate subtitles on my football games.
I have another coupon so I'll probably come back but not in a rush.
People thought this was:
I went to the University of Florida when I was an undergraduate. I am, therefore, a huge Gator football fan. My alumni club meets for viewing parties at this place every Saturday in the fall to watch the boys of old Florida work'em silly.
If it wasn't for this fact, I would avoid this place. The food is terrible. The beer selection is terrible. The set-up is awkward. Unless you are stuck in that part of Center City, and are trying to catch a sporting event, don't bother with this place.
People thought this was:
This place is absolutely huge, and has so much promise, yet fell completely flat!
Things I liked about this place:
*Individual TVs at each of the booths, so you can watch the game without straining
*The size--this place is huge!
Things that were meh about this place:
*The servers were at our table asking us every 4 minutes if we were done. With an empty place, why do you care?
*it was empty! With a plce that size you NEED people in it to make it feel less empty
*location: I'm not a fan of walking around there at night, let alone after having boozed
*Price-Kind of expensive for what you get!
*Bathrooms were GROSS
So yea, there are better places to watch a game in Philly than this place! I'll go back again to give it another shot, but for now, its just a 2star from me!
People thought this was:
UGH! I nearly forgot to write my review of this place. All computer systems mishaps aside ( it happens, and it happened the night we were here... can i close my tab PLEASE???) This place just kinda sucked. We came to see the boxing match/ UFC fight. Cover charges sort of piss me off, and this one was ten bucks! I would rather spend the money on beer. I was really peeved by The Field House because of the fact that the layout and the staff made for a really clunky, awkward, not that fun experince. Why not serve food upstairs? It got WAY packed downstairs.. and I could not believe how loud... yikes- my ears actually hurt the next morning. I guess it's sorta hard to pinpoint what went wrong here, but it just seemed like the place was poorly run. I guess I'll chalk my one star up to "bad vibes".
People thought this was:
I've been to Field House a few times - for a few events, just to grab a beer with a friend before a show at The Troc, and most recently for a free happy hour that a friend won. On a few occasions, I've sampled the food, which is pretty decent bar food, but wouldn't be my first dining choice. They have a generic beer selection, which is pretty standard for sports bars. The space is absolutely huge and good for groups to gather to watch their games. Field House also offers group deals, so it could be a good regular gathering place for a group of fans.
People thought this was:
Crowded douchey sports bar reminiscent of Tiki Bob's without so many underagers. There is always a cover charge- even sometimes for no apparent reason. Only go if you enjoy drinking over-priced miller lites with a crowd of New Jersey's finest.
People thought this was:
This used to be the Independance Brew Pub and a frequent hang out. Since the location is not realy conducive to any other bars, it has to be worthwhile to go there.
The Field House has made this place less of a place to hang and spend the entire night, and more into a stop to catch the game and eat and go. To their benefit, they have drastically improved the TV setup. There are flat screens everywhere and on a recent visit, they were doing a "drinking Olympics," which looked like a lot of fun.
All in all, the place has a different vibe, there is no more of the fratty, DB tyoe, and less of the hipster, pool shark type. Check and out and judge for yourself!
People thought this was:
Blarg! This place is the reason I hate d-bags and idiot girls. Am I an idiot? Sure I am, anyone would agree. But the lack of originality with anything in this place including the people makes it one of the worst in Philly. Shame on you because this place used to be cool when it was the Independence Brew Pub. And shame on guys for thinking that overly gelled hair with button down shirts is an acceptable way to live your life! And ladies, stop all wearing the same things as each other and drinking Miller Lite! There are better things out there, I swear!
People thought this was:
Yup, still not a fan. I'm leaving two stars only because our server was very friendly and didn't question our requests to send back multiple items, including "soft" pretzels that looked about two days old and nuked in a microwave.
For some ungodly reason, people at my table ordered calamari-- which came with an olive salad that was piled on top, along with what appeared to be several spoonfuls of olive juice. One friend remarked that the dish looked like something from Fear Factor, and no one disagreed.
I suspect the cooks at The Field House must be getting paid in alcohol, because only a bunch of drunks could try to pass this garbage off for money.
People thought this was:
Field House is good for two things: watching sports and catching your favorite cover band. However,… Read more »
worst bar in the city. service sucks. food sucks. atmosphere sucks. enough said
People thought this was:
I'm not a sports bar kind of girl, but I've definitely had some great times in them. But even if I was a sports bar kind of girl, I think I'd give The Field House 2 stars anyway.
I was there the other night to catch my boyfriend's band do some live karaoke for the establishment's 1st Birthday party. The good things about the place:
1. The layout- it really is well done, from the bar in a central location to having low partitions between the bar area and the dining area.
2. The ladies' bathroom- so many stalls, and a nice lady that gives you your towels!
3. The entertainment- obviously.
4. The wings. Delicious.
And if I were a sports bar kind of girl...
5. The TVs in the booths- which is actually one of the little unexpected extras. Most bars should have the first four things anyway (barring the towel lady), which doesn't really help them earn stars.
Now, the bad:
1. When I have to stand at the bar flailing at my arms in the direction of two bartenders standing around talking, I'm not a happy patron.
2. When I'm wearing a wristband that gets me free drinks and you tell me that the one I ordered "doesn't count" and charge me for it AFTER pouring it for me, I'm an even more unhappy patron.
3. When you tell my friend that all domestic beer is included in the VIP open bar and then say a Miller costs extra, I question your ability to read maps.
4. When I resort to eating the little bit of leftover sandwich I had in my bag because the service is soooo sloooow and you make me throw it away, I am an extremely unhappy-- and worse: hungry-- patron.
Needless to say, I don't plan on returning to The Field House. Unless I somehow become a sports bar kind of girl and want a private TV in my booth to watch the game. Maybe.
People thought this was:
3 stars may be generous for the 30 mins my friend & I were here. (Maybe it's a 2.5) After all, we were waiting for my train to depart from Market East Station, which is down the street.
YES, I am a sports bar kind of girl. The Field House is cavernous and dark on Friday night. Total sensory overload with March Madness on nearly every monitor in the place... the bar is easy to find; think center court. We navigated through the sea of so young & so fresh-looking guys surrounding the bar to get to the hostess stand at the complete opposite end of the entrance, in order to ask for a booth.
I do appreciate the wood partitions that somewhat separate the bar from the dining section, but it won't drown out the loud noise (minus 1 star). BTW each booth has its on TV. Ironically this impressed me b/c I don't keep a TV in my apt. Too bad the sound broadcasted above didn't sync with the pics so well.
Our server managed okay, given the crowds in house... and what looked like a birthday / private party a few feet away from us. I was sorry we had to leave as the DJs (designated to a make-shift stage area) were spinning a Bob Marley song. Sorta strange for a sports bar, but +0.5 star.
Once upon a time, Sacramento had a huge sports bar in America Live -- I wonder if it would have been like this joint.
People thought this was:
the field house is a sports bar located just outside reading terminal market. by sports bar, think mcfadden's, chickie & petes or fox & hound. it's the same thing: huge space, lots of nice tvs, no good beer on tap, a good place to watch the game, i guess, but no more so than the other big 3 mentioned above.
i hate sports bars and avoid them in general, but when i think of all my most miserable experiences getting suckered into going to sports bars, field house was not the worst. i wanted to give them 2 stars by default, but honestly i haven't experienced better sports bars. so, i guess that means if you like sports bars you might like field house. for the record, there's nothing wrong with sports - just sports bars. and here's an extra sentence just so i can type the words sports bars again.
a couple cool things:
- apparently it's pretty easy to win a free happy hour here. the last two times i went was because someone told me it was 100% free from 8-9. and it was. you just have to mention the person's name who won the happy hour. coors light and dudes in sandals for an hour is suddenly tolerable when free. (always tip your bartender though.)
- if you miss your train at market east, you have someplace nearby to kill the next 45 minutes.
a not cool thing (in addition to all the generally not cool things about sports bars)
- the dude in the men's room offering towels. wtf? am i at club egypt? i hear the women's room is spared a towel girl...
People thought this was:
Went here for a late lunch yesterday (a recession Monday) and the place (huge dining area) was nearly empty. My friend insisted on coming here as I likely never would have (Can't deal with Public House aka "the Pube" and knew I would likely not like it here anyhow).
Well, It's a sports bar (big f-in' surprise) - and they brew LOUSY iced tea.
Service was fine (there were 3 waitresses just standing around so the one assigned to us jumped at the chance to do something).
My friend had the Fieldhouse Burger - which he enjoyed, although I snagged one of his good lookin' french fries and OOK - a mouthful of salt.
My fieldhouse salad (dressing on the side, no bacon) was surprisingly 3 star. If I am ever forced back here I will order it again.
So 2-3 stars it is. Blasting loud '80's music (Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams - Get Into My Car" was blaring) and ESPN and ESPN2 on every other flat screen.
It's so not my thang, but OK for what it is. A MEH sports bar.
OK, so with a name like the field house, you are probably expecting a rowdy, smelly, sausage-fest of dudes screaming about some game while other morons dance around aimlessly to 90's rock. Well, to be completely honest, you guessed right. The name should be changed to 'meat heads.'
Aside from the fact that someone wanted to fight me as i was stepping in the doors, and aside from the fact that a drunk whore puked on my jeans, I had an awful time at the field house. Save yourself the time by not going to this bar. It's rookie central for people who act like they've never been out before.
People thought this was:
Came here for a post-exam party. I really enjoy places with plenty of space, so I can't complain on that front. This is a really great place to catch your favorite game because every booth has a little screen TV and there are many big screen TVs.
We had drink specials and of course they were watered down. Oh well. They play some pretty good music. I basically felt like it was a frat with a lot of space (outside the bar area), which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes, the floor and carpet are sticky. It's right by Reading Terminal Market, so if you need a midday drink or something, you can stop by.
People thought this was:
More like 2.5 stars, but I'm being kind. I didn't realize Field House was an updated version of Independence Brew Pub until I arrived. I couldn't really point out anything wrong with it, other than it has about zero atmosphere, charm or scene.
The mini HD TVs at individual boothes were nice, and the noise level was low enough that friends could have normal conversations. Beyond that however, there wasn't any real reason you'd want to go there, other than yeah they do serve cold beer.
The crowd seemed older and boring frankly... "Out of town business people having a drink before turning in" could be their motto. The place practically emptied by 10pm thurs night. And it's so huge that there's really no opportunity for mingling.
So it's a fine sports bar, but might as well have my friends over to my living room where the beer is cheaper and tv is bigger.
People thought this was:
I ordered a margarita and got something that resembled a margarita only because it contained alcohol. The two bartenders for the entire (long) (very long) bar couldn't keep up with the crowd, and you would think that female bartenders without skills might at least do like they do in Coyote Ugly, but nooooo. On the plus side, they forgot to take payment for drinks at least once so, uh, thanks for the round ladies.
Their food is pretty good though.
People thought this was:
I used to be a regular here when it was Independence- In fact, I met my hubby there! Unfortunately it's not so hot anymore. They didn't keep any of the staff (and Walt was one of the best bartenders in town), rarely have the upstairs bar open, and the food is now way overpriced. They even got rid of the barstools with backs- WHY? The service is meh; food is meh and overpriced- and Philly has a lot more bars with a lot more personality than this place. Even though I live only two blocks away, I never go anymore. Chinatown bars (like Ly Michaels) are better.
I was very upset that Independence Brew Pub was turned into a sports bar. Especially since they used to have amazing beer.
Field House has a limited beer selection and has the atmosphere of the Average Sports Bar. Nothing special, the beer selection was disappointing.
The only saving graces are the location and the DELICIOUS seasoned fries.
People thought this was:
Best place if you want to WATCH sports. They have small TV's in every booth and they have big screen TV strategically placed and you can actually see them as compared to the Fox and Hound.
Food is OK. Service is OK. They may want to consider more staff for bigger sport events.
People thought this was:
My friends and I needed to eat some dinner before a concert at The Trocadero. I think we will try a different place next time. This place is right across the street from the Reading Terminal Market. The inside is really nice. This is a big sports bar. The bar area is huge and there are TVs galore playing sports. I was disappointed that SPEED channel wasn't on a few of their TVs. The menu here seemed kind of fancy and overpriced. I know you're in the city, but I still felt this place was trying to be too fancy and overpriced for a sports bar. I ordered the calamari for the table's appetizer. It was interesting. Two types of olives, red onions, and red peppers covered our fried squid. There was also a weird dipping sauce that covered half the plate. There were more salad and sauce on this plate then there was calamari. The calamari was terrible. I would not order it again. My shrimp pesto pizza wasn't that bad. I tired some fries that came with my friend's turkey burger and I didn't like them. The fries were weird. The presentation of my friend's calzone would have failed on Iron Chef. The presentation did not look appetizing and my friend said the dipping sauce tasted weird.
I was pleasantly surprised with the service. Out waitress was very good and very cute. I was also happy they have Spring Ale on tap. I haven't had it in over a year. I would not recommend eating here. This is a good place to come and socialize with friends and have a few good beers. This is also a good place to watch a game. I was here on a weeknight and most of the crowd was young business professionals hanging out after a long day at the office.
People thought this was:
I was expecting more, a lot more, from the Field House. I went the first weekend it was open and it was a very odd experience. Agree with much of what Bill M said:
(+) lot of TVs, all tuned to the same channel (-) and the management refuses to switch a TV once the game has started
(-) uninspired selection of beer
(-) no pitchers
(-) food is mediocre. The menu was printed on a couple sheets of computer paper, printed together, which I assume will change, but was a weird move for a new restaurant trying to make a good impression
(-) space was really empty, was freezing and felt cavernous
(-) no music, TVs were on low ... careful if you talk too loudly for fear of disturbing other patrons!
(+) waitstaff was friendly
All in all, Field House is good if you're in a pinch to watch a game and can't make it to another sports bar. Hopefully they'll figure out some of their early kinks.
People thought this was:
eh? i dont like sports. so a sports bar is not a place i would go. but had an event here. the bartender was good. but the place was dark in an unsexy, creepy way. it feels like your in a basement or something. they play corny music. its very "white boy". no flavor. the 3 stars were for the bartender. i didnt try or see any food for that matter. it just was nothing special.
People thought this was:
I went to Field House Saturday night for the first time. I had a great time with my friends. They were playing the UFC fight on the big screen and the bar was big enough to have a nice crowd, but not feel overly crowded. Field House had a good beer selection and tons of tvs to watch any game I wanted to, as well as a great band schedule. I will definitely go back.
Met up with some friends for the Phills game. Field House was suggested. Had to ask where. Ok fine 6:30 then. Huge place. Great bar. Flat screens everywhere. Hit tailend of happy hour 4-7 everyday! Had $4Guiness, Sierra, Sam and $3Miller, Coors, Bud and more. Then $3 Bud/Bud lt pints during Phills comeback win. I freakin love the way Howards drops the bat when he knows its gone. Then a band and UFC fight. Place holds lots of people. Had turkey burger and wings. Great bar food. This place i recommend. Also don't fight Brock Lesner.
When walking in, the bar seemed more like a hall than a bar. The place was large, with high ceilings, and lots of empty space. The only thing I noticed were the large amount of LCD televisions they had around the bar, half the TV's playing the Phillies baseball game and the other half playing the Flyers vs Penguins Stanley Cup eastern conference finals. The crowd was mostly middle-to older aged people. Definitely not a bar where you could imagine many good nights. Expect to walk in and find a couple seats available by the bar on a Thursday night.
The manager who was dressed in khaki's and a blue polo shirt was a bit rude and did not even care to come over to ask us for drinks. It took a while for him to eventually come over and serve the three of us. Despite all that, we made the best of it and had some dinner and drinks. The beer menu was not extensive, having only the most typical beers on tap (Coors Light, Bud Light, Miller Light, Yeungling, Brooklyn Lager, Blue Moon, Guiness, Sierra Nevada and a few others) which were all priced around $4-5/pint. I also ordered the Italian Chicken Sandwich (Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Peppers, Broccoli Rabe, Basil Mayo, Aged Provolone) and Fries which was surprisingly good. The chicken was slightly dry, but the sandwich was very delish. I'd definitely go back there to try it again, in hopes that they cook the chicken just a little less. Another bartender (I believe her name was Stephanie) from Pittsburgh took over and that is when things got a lot better. Every time the Penguins got a goal in, she would gives us a shot of Crown Royal or Jaagermeister on the house. She was definitely a lot more attentive and caring to the customers than the manager. In all, the night got a lot better and this bar was decent but did not have a great crowd at all. The place was getting pretty quiet at around 11pm, so we decided to duck out and check out the Public House bar.
People thought this was:
The spot that used to house the Independence Brew Pub finally houses a new bar restaurant, so I decided to give it a try when I had an hour to kill. Unfortunately its pretty much your average run of the mill sports bar, only 3 times the size.
On the plus side it did have A LOT of televisions, so it's a good spot for anyone who actually has a vested interest in watching a certain game to go. There were about 5 big screen TVs hooked up to the main bar, a huge screen projector showing the game from a stage, and they had about 10+ booths that had mini televisions built in. The only flaw to this set up was that they were all tuned into the same exact channel. so you might not get the variety of things to watch that you get at places like Fox and Hound.
The alcohol selection didn't offer anything special. Blue Moon and Guinness were the most exotic beers on tap, and the hard alcohol choices were pretty typical for a standard bar. You could still visibly see the Casks that Independence Brew Pub used to make their beer and it was a pretty disappointing sight to see.
I didn't get the chance to try anything on the food menu, but it's probably what you would expect from a no frills sports bar. They did have a pretty good sized stage set up. So maybe they do have some occasional entertainment that isn't a television. But I predict it to be a cover band at the very best if they do. I'd be happy if they prove me wrong on both accounts.
People thought this was:
cheesesteak fries! you must try them! they are delish!!
People thought this was:
I used to go here fairly often when it was IBP. They redid the place, fratted it up, and jacked the… Read more »
food is average although their cheddar ale sauce must be made by angels b/c it was simply one of the most divine thing my wee little taste buds have tasted. trying to watch a big game here is pretty rough, by the size of the line outside the place u would think it was free lap dance night at delilah's..if u get a table get one with a tv screen in the booth- why b/c boothes are cooler with tv screens.
People thought this was:
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Pubs
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Category: Mexican
