Thanks go to our fellow Philadelphia Bloggers for introducing us to the South Philadelphia Tap Room. During a recent afternoon, Patti and I burrowed into South Philly to attend the Philadelphia Webloggers Meetup at this laid back neighborhood local. Although this was just our first visit, we found food, atmosphere and beer all delicious.
Tucked among the narrow urban streets of South Philly, the Tap Room is an inviting oasis in a sometimes trying urban landscape. Situated on a corner, large windows provide plenty of natural light without being overly bright; perfect for drinking or eating. Obligatory neon signs hang in the window, but thankfully touting the likes of Yard’s. Inside the Tap Room, we found a really nice wooden bar and bar back with plenty of exposed brick and a sweet vibe. The beer selection seemed impressive, with about a dozen taps and a cooler full of oddly shaped bottles crying out to be tasted. In fact, the Beer Advocate rates the South Philadelphia Taproom as “Outstanding.” You can get the details here.
Finding the Philly Webloggers in the rear of the room, we sat down to catch up with some old friends and meet a few new ones. Quite a few in the group were South Philadelphia Tap Room veterans: Scott & Marisa, Bart and Roz. I believe the rest of our group were Tap Room virgins: Alex, Tony, Mike, Albert Patti and me. I know that I’m forgetting a few others, sorry.
Tragically, as we considered our food and beverage options, I had to depend on the palates of others; I’m on a diet. “How the Hell are you going to give an opinion without trying any of their food!” you might ask Good question. But, knowing that many of the Webloggers write about food, I figured that my bases were covered. Also, Patti is a PhillyFoodGuy, so if we can’t offer an opinion based on all that culinary horsepower, then we might as well hang it up right now.
Armed with beverages, it wasn’t long before our waitress returned with our food. Among the items sample were:
- Pulled Pork Sandwich
- Black Forest Stew
- Asparagus Salad with Feta Cheese and Kalamata dressing
- Wild Boar Burrito
- Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
- Swinging Beef Sandwich
Universally, everyone enjoyed their meal. While the Swinging Beef Sandwich didn’t meet expectations, our waitress immediately replaced it with another item of our choosing. One of everyone’s favorites proved to be the Wild Boar Burrito. Unique and flavorful, the burrito was grilled and served with a fresh garden salad with homemade Ranch dressing. The Pulled Pork Sandwich also proved to be very popular. Of the items that weren’t tried by our group, Roz strongly suggested the Plantain Nachos, a unique twist on an old favorite. Also, I’m told that they have a strong Sunday Brunch.
I can’t wait to go back to the South Philadelphia Tap Room. I love beer. I love food. (uh, hence the diet!) And this is a fun local spot that comes highly recommended by a group of people I trust. You should too.
The South Philadelphia Tap Room is at 1506 Mifflin St. Philadelphia, PA
(215) 271-7787 www.southphiladelphiataproom.com
Tags: American, Philadelphia, Podcast, Pub, South Philadelphia Tap Room, South Philly
I agree 100%. The Taproom is the best bar in South Philly and the best Beer bar in the city.
Food is mediocre and ordinary, nothing special, wouldn’t go back.