PhillyFoodGuys: Hittin’ the Streets for Underground Eats

 

 Dock Street Brewery [9:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After months of pre-opening updates and post opening assessments, we finally got the opportunity to visit West Philly’s Dock Street Brewery. And we weren’t disappointed.

Our first of two visits occurred on a recent Saturday night, when Dock Street was packed. Mob scene not withstanding, the hostess greeted us promptly and put us in the queue for the estimated 1 hour wait. Afterward, we stalked the bar and attacked two freshly vacated barstools. Luckily enough, they were in a prime location: next to the taps and within view of the food staged for delivery to the dining area. We found a home for the evening.

Armed with beers, Patti, Sue and I had the opportunity to get a feel for the atmosphere. Although the exterior presented a finished, “gastropub” look, the inside is definitely raw. At first glance, the stainless steel bar surface reminds me more of an auto parts store than a bar, while the open dining area, complete with concrete floor and lawn furniture, contributed to an industrial feel. Dock Street does not offer a traditional restaurant vibe; in fact I wouldn’t classify it as a “restaurant” at all. “Beer Hall” is a much better description.

Sipping our brews, our attention turned to the menu, which offers something for everyone. While covering the basics, Dock Street specializes in pizza, panini and calzones; the obligatory salads and sandwiches round out the limited menu. Surprisingly, Dock Street also offers quite a few vegetarian and Vegan options, a definite nod to the local veggies. Sue had been to Dock Street before and directed us toward the pizza. We chose the Flammenkuche (Gorgonzola, apple-smoked bacon & rosemary) and the Portobello (Portobello mushrooms, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola) since we love fungi. Anxiously awaiting our dinner, we watched a constant stream of items leaving the open kitchen to waiting tables; all the items looked good, but I think the pizzas are definitely the stars here.

Beer-wise, I’m going to spare you the gorey details and summarize our experience by saying that Dock Street has a half dozen craft beers that we  enjoyed (and will enjoy again, and again…).  Users of the Beer Advocate give it a B+. If you need a dose of beer geekery, check out the Beer Advocate’s User Reviews.

When our pizzas arrived, they were definitely worth the wait. The Flammenkuche was substantial and delicious: the gorgonzola was remarkably mild and mixed well with the bacon. Though lighter, the Portobello pizza was also a winner with plenty of mushies and a good gorgonzola “twang” not to metion a thin, crunchy crust. It’s tough to beat good pizza and tasty craft beer! Our first experience at Dock Street Brewery was a winner.

Our second experience mirrored our first visit.. A group of us stopped in a week later for a casual meal and were equally impressed. While seated in the dining area, the service was good and the Pizza was still strong. We chose the Brie (sliced pears, toasted walnuts, Brie and rosemary),BBQ Chicken and Greek (mozzarella & feta cheeses, sun dried tomoatoes topped with mixed greens) pizzas with a Mixed Greens Salad. Our foodserver was timely and attentive too. We really enjoyed the meal.

We like Dock Street Brewery and definitely think it’s worth a visit. There have been quite a few reviews, many of which have been tepid at best. Philadelphia Weekly’s Adam Erace titled his review “Dock Tease”  while PhilaFoodie compares Dock Street to a creature of the Galapagos bucking Darwin’s theory. The Inquirer’s Rick Nichols was equally nonplussed, but focused on what Dock Street means to the neighborhood. Others that might interest you include: Living on the Veg goes into depth on the vegetarian choices at Dock Street, while The City Paper covers “hits and misses” at Dock Street. Gee, I guess we’re a little late to the party… Oh well.

Regardless, we found the pizza to be great, the service attentive and the beers good (& getting better). It’s a fun neighborhood vibe with plenty of energy that everyone will enjoy.

Dock Street Brewery is located at 701 S. 50th Street Philadelphia (215) 726-2337
www.dockstreetbeer.com

TAGS: Philadelphia, West Philly, American Food, Dock Street Brewery, Podcast, Craft beer, Pizza