Every single thing we ordered was amazing... and our server Jess only elevated the experience more. She gave great recommendations and was so attentive throughout our time. I got the Moroccan shrimp which was AMAZING, but everyone at my table was happy with their food. Will 100% be coming back... and can't wait until I do. read more

The entire experience led by my Bartender Jesse was exceptional. 10/10 service!! Came for happy hour but ended up staying for a full meal and was pleasantly surprised by everything that I was recommended to me by Jesse via the catch of the day deal. $40 for an app, entree and dessert was an amazing deal. Everything was fresh and filling, I left happy as a clam! read more

Wow wow wow. This place was SO good. We actually only came because we saw it on TikTok and wanted to give it a try, and it completely lived up to the hype. Jaffa Bar is a two-story oyster bar located inside a restored 19th century firehouse in Olde Kensington. The restaurant takes inspiration from the coastal Israeli city of Jaffa, and you can definitely feel that influence throughout both the menu and the space itself. The menu mixes oyster bar classics with Israeli-inspired seafood dishes and elevated comfort food, which made the whole experience feel really unique compared to a typical seafood spot. It's a little farther than the usual Center City restaurants we go to, but the area has so many great spots around it (shoutout to The International, which we went to afterwards). Appetizers -- We started with the shrimp cocktail and it was delicious. A regular order comes with 6 shrimp and their Jaffa cocktail sauce, but we somehow lucked out and got 7. Not a single one was left behind. The shrimp were huge, fresh, and perfectly chilled, and the sauce paired so well with them. Food -- The steak frites were BOMB. They didn't ask for a steak temperature, but it came out around medium and was cooked perfectly for us. It comes with fries that are seasoned to absolute perfection and some kind of chimichurri/pastrami steak sauce situation that was insanely good. I also had to get the Jaffa Burger since that's what originally brought me here from TikTok -- and honestly? I think it was even better than the steak frites. It's a smash burger served on a big sesame martini roll with green chiles and American cheese. The burger had that perfect crispy smash on the outside while still being super juicy and flavorful. The green chiles weren't spicy at all, but added a really nice depth to the burger overall. And the fries deserve another mention because they were fried PERFECTLY -- crispy outside, soft inside, and seasoned so well. Drinks -- Trust me and just order "Today's the Night." I originally got it because I love a good Shirley Temple and saw grenadine listed in it, but it ended up being such a good drink. Kind of like a sweet lemonade and definitely perfect if you like sweeter cocktails. Ambiance -- I'd highly recommend making a reservation online before coming. We went on a Wednesday evening and the place was packed, so we ended up sitting at the bar. Still had a great experience, but I would've loved to see more of the restaurant itself because the space looked really nice. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Drinks were good, we were able to grab a few of the drinks at happy hour prices...which made it even better. Oysters and cocktail shrimp was good. Good deal at happy Hour price. Jaffa burger is a smashed burger and it came out well flavored. We also got the Moroccan shrimp, the sauce was delicious. Best two entree items we got. Now some of the other items were a tad bit too salty for me (I'm on a low sodium diet) so depends on the person...in my case it was too much...but to others it might just be perfect. So I can't accurately rate those. (Boiled clams, salad that came with the crab cakes - crab cakes were okay). So will say that those two dishes were just okay. Golden beets and the yellow tail pastrami were good, nicely flavored and small plates. The spicy chicken wings were ehh to me...I didn't feel the spice at all. Service was good and attentive. They charge a standard 20% service charge so tip was included in the bill...but did note that by doing so they pay their staff a good hourly wage. I'm going to say this was a 3.75 out of 5 stars for me. Only due to my own flavor palette preferences. Clean and looked well kept place in a nice area where parking wasn't too difficult. read more

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With all the choices in Fishtown, the Jaffa Bar is a diamond in the rough. We came in from out of town and stopped in on a Saturday night. We had the wings which were excellent with pickled celery. Delicious. While the food was excellent, the staff was the best I have seen in years. The chef, Andrew, came by our table and was nice enough to comp us an app. He had heard that our daughter was new to the area. Our server Kate was great. She was professional and was very helpful when deciding on cocktails. I wish more servers would follow her example. The overall experience is one that I would highly recommend to anyone in the Fishtown area. read more

More deserving of 2.5 stars, but rounded up. Went at 5pm on a Monday night a few weeks ago. It might've been the servers first day, he didn't seem confident about anything he told us. We ordered a dozen oysters to start, only 10 came out for some reason. The waiter said he thought 2 might have been out, which is fine, but it should have been something that was noted ahead of time. I went with 3 friends. We all got main dishes, which came out at all different times. If it was busy, I'd understand that, but just a few other people were there. My dish, the crusted tuna, was lukewarm at best, and fell flat of expectations. It was neither interesting, nor filling. My partner got the crab cakes, which she gives the same critique to. We ordered ribs for the table, which were fine, but nothing of note. Plenty of great restaurants all around Philly, I would not add this one is into the top 100 on my list. read more

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I've been told to try Jaffa for a while and am glad I finally did! The service was friendly from the front to the server. Offerings matched what we wanted for meal options including a $40 "catch of the day" where each person gets an appetizer and entree and there's a shared dessert. The avocado salad was amazing, the trout was crispy and flavored just right, and the passion fruit bar for dessert was the icing on the cake. The restaurant is cute and open with plenty of room for different parties. Mocktails were available to boot! I'll be back. read more

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We were expecting a wonderful brunch here. Unfortunately, they don't serve breakfast anymore. Crab cake sandwich: not your typical crab cake with bay seasoning. It has a lot of fresh herbs. Interesting twist. No filler, fresh crab meat. Ceviche is highly recommended. Super fine and fresh fish with ginger and chili. A good way to awaken your appetite. Turkish coffee pudding is amazing. A must for coffee lovers. Strong coffee flavor, topped with hard-shell chocolate. Garnished with a heaping whipped cream. Josh, our waiter, is very knowledgeable of the menu and the oysters on the menu. He helped us selecting the oysters. When the check came, the manager apologized about the oyster unavailability of the brunch. Very nice gesture. read more

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Great vibes. Really good drinks. Staff was friendly. Came here for galentines with some gf's and enjoyed the place and ambiance very well. Would definitely come back here! read more

Jaffa Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Located in Fishtown, this gem is awesome. It's two floors with great vibes. The first floor bar has tvs for watching games, while upstairs is more of just dining. The food is awesome. The wings are in an awesome sauce that is unique and full if flavor. Great steak, cooked perfectly, good crab cakes, big meaty ribs, the trout was delicious. Save room for the desserts...and don't forget the delicious cocktails. Service was superb. read more

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Wow they really knocked it out of the park tonight!! Jaffa is a reno'd fire station and has such a cool vibe. The service from start to finish was friendly and attentive without overdoing it. Felt very welcoming and genuine. Had dinner with a friend tonight (wednesday) after work and it happened to be happy hour. 2 of each oyster/clam/shrimp with all 3 "sauces" and it was all amazing. All raw bar was fresh and tasty and the cocktail sauce is so unique - prob the best Ive ever had. The passion fruit mignonette was equally yummy and really made the flavor variety of oyster origin shine through. We also had the shrimp cigars and black lime pepper wings. I could eat the shrimp all day for the rest of my life. Bring me just a plate of that and I will be happy. The wings were crispy & tasty. I had the tuna steak and my friend had the burger. Both fantastic entree options the fish is rly unique and tasty and the burger was cooked perfectly. For dessert we shared the turkish coffee pudding and each had a cup of turkish coffee...you need this experience I promise. We both had 2 rum/egg white cocktails which surprisingly went well with everything. Overall a great place and I will definitely be back here with other people. Good spot for a date or keeping it casual with a full bar. Parking was super easy and we walked right in no reservation. I would've taken more photos but I ate everything so quickly it just wasn't possible. Go see for yourself how good Jaffa is!!! read more

Jaffa Bar - Tuna steak - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place was great! The dishes we ordered ranked in order of our favorites: 1) tuna - this has a crispyness to it from the way they sear it. It is served with avocado, pomegranate seeds and a chili oil. It is a wonderful combination of flavors. 2) roasted carrots - so good and tender 3) tuna tartare - served over a little tarter tot thing. Very fun flavor and texture combo 4) the bread with dipping sauce - unique bread but very good 5)scallops - not bad but just not as good as everything else Overall really like this place and would recommend for a date night or GNO read more

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stopped in to drop off beer and had a cocktail. i asked if they could make a singapore sling & evan delivered a 10/10 sling. thank you once again for going off menu. beautiful space. very nice staff. had some snacks i can't remember the names of but they were delicious ! can't wait to come back for a full meal. read more

Jaffa Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This is the best burger in Philly. The service is amazing and the food is even better. I don't know how they make the fries taste so good, it's a crispy cloud potato. Blessed be the food I had there. Thank you for existing! The cause is made in house, even the hot sauce. read more

Jaffa Bar - Burger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Nice addition to the area. Cool vibe though out. Parking is very challenging nearby. I recommend using a ride share or walking. Very friendly staff, and nice comfortable decor. Jaffa has a very decent oyster menu. I recommend staying downstairs by the bar to enjoy this experience. The mixology here is also top notch. Very knowledgeable and experienced bartenders. The food menu is well balanced. Small enough not to confuse you, but varied enough for you to explore your palate. I really enjoyed my time here and would recommend you add Jaffa to your Fishtown rotation. read more

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Absolutely wonderful on all counts! Food was incredible and fresh - didn't get pics of everything, but stand outs were the raw bar selections and the crab cake sandwich / fries (though I was too full from starters to finish it all.) Also a shoutout to the Green-Eyed Lady cocktail made with aguachille - so unique and refreshing (though very small)! Service was great as well though one of our apps came out after our meals. Loved the decor and two floor setup, we sat by the open doors on a gorgeous day. Only negative was it was surprisingly pricey, but totally worth the price. read more

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This is literally my favorite spot for so many reasons. The service, the food, the flavors, the atmosphere it's just amazing! I'm here at least twice a week! read more

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We generally enjoyed our meal at Jaffa Bar. The space was, well, spacious, spanning two floors, and our server was terrific--friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. We were seated on the second floor (quite a few stairs, which they note when you make a reservation) and were glad to be there, as it seemed slightly quieter (it's a pretty large space with hard surfaces, so noise travels well) and warmer (even with the curtains hung inside the front doors, wintry drafts traveled up the stairs whenever they opened/closed). If you're a fan of oysters, we enjoyed ours from the Raw Bar. My favorite of the three types we ordered was the Jaffa Gem (we also tried the Psychedelicate and the Moondancer). The Shrimp Cocktail from the Raw Bar is $3.00 per shrimp and they were rather shrimpy--unfortunately we recently had some amazing shrimp at another establishment, so these paled in comparison. After the Raw Bar, we tried the Yellowtail Pastrami (grilled cucumber), where the pastrami seasoning overpowered the yellowtail (could have been almost any protein); the Salt-Roasted Beets (fennel, baby gem, tarragon vinaigrette), which was more salad than beets, but quite tasty; and the Fried Calamari (shipka peppers, boom boom sauce)--sauce was great. For our mains, we tried the Fried Chicken Thighs (matzo meal crust, amba honey), which were nicely cooked and crispy, but needed a bit more seasoning, and the Jaffa Burger (green chiles, grilled onions, american cheese, shabuzi mayo), which was a bit more rare than I would have preferred, and French Fries (tehina ketchup), which were nicely crisp and a bit salty. Drinks were good and vibe was right, but will wait to return until the food is more consistent. read more

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This place is amazing!! The bartenders, cocktails, apps, etc. everything was on point! Great ambiance for a large place too! read more

Jaffa Bar - Oysters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jaffa Bar is a combination of an oyster-bar and a burger joint and in here for it! Can you tell what my favorites items on the menu were? :) Even with a reservation, this place is bustling so be prepared to stand around a bit. Luckily after a short wait we were moved from our pseudo seat at the bar to a table on the second floor and I preferred the vibe better than the main floor. Drink and food favorites: Clover Club; Gin, Raspberry, Egg White Jaffa Burger (Mayo on the side) Key Lime Bar - the meringue is divine I look forward to visiting in the warmer months, and enjoying more of the seafood preparations read more

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We only spotted here for a drink. The staff was great and I got the orange crush- it was amazing! I wish we were hungry the shrimp cocktail looked sooo good! I want to go back! This building is really cool and it is cool inside. I would definitely try this place again! read more

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Lovely place with brick and metal details and warm lighting. Staff was friendly and attentive I made a dinner reservation and we were seated at the bar. I didn't love that but thought we'd give it a try. Still didn't love it. Our server was cool but like we had to turn around every time she came- I was surprised we weren't served from the bar since we were sitting there. We got the raw bar tower that came w dozen oysters, clams and shrimp cocktail. The sauces were great. We also ordered the fries. The tahini ketchup was great. The fries were fine. I mean you can't argue with them being crisp- they definitely were. But other than that- meh tbh. They had a nice alcohol menu. I had the gin fizz. Well made and strong. Overall everything was good. Nothing hit me over the head. I would t say no to going back. read more

Jaffa bar is a unique place in fishtown it used to be an old fire department. So the aesthetics and the large ceilings come from that. They have their own oyster bar and have a wide selection of oysters to choose from. The menu has a nice variety and middle eastern inspired. The spaghetti and clams were delicious. We sat at the bar but got great service. Definitely a place I recommend going to fishtown for dinner. read more

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My friends and I got to try out the newest Michael Solomonov restaurant in Philly on opening night! The place was great but had hiccups when we visited (it was opening night so hopefully they will have their issues fixed next time I visit). When walking to the restaurant we were greeted by this big towerous chimney that said Jaffa on it. When we walked in, we first noticed how wide the bar is. The whole bar seating expanded the whole front. There were a couple seats away from the bar as well. There is even an upstairs that has bar and a ton of space as well. The menu has a ton of cocktail/nonalcoholic/liquor options. The place even has a raw bar option menu where you can use a pencil to choose the amount of oysters, shrimp, or mussels from a menu. To be quite honest, the menu was difficult to understand (see image for attached menu). It had an option for sauces which I am not even sure I got the one I chose. Also, the 3 piece minimum didn't make sense to me when I was ordering. Our waiter was nice but had no awareness. He took forever to pick up our orders and check on us. Anytime we needed him, we tried to get his attention and he was unable to see us (very on track mind). After a long while, he finally came to get our dinner orders. The menu isn't very user friendly. It is broken into a hot/cold section but it was hard to gather if an item is a small plate or entree. I really hope they update the menu better in the future. We shared all the food so I tried a bit of everything. Their salt water taffy oyster was amazing! Highly recommend. The fried calamari was average but I did like the boom boom sauce in it. The salt-roasted beet salad wasn't good,in my opinion. I felt like there was too much dressing on it. There were a large amount of beets (I did like how the beets didn't overwhelm the dish). A must try is the charred sweet peppers, whole sea bream, and the French fries. The charred sweet peppers had a spicy flavor to the labneh. The sea bream was in this amazing fish stew (chraime). I usually hate French fries but the crunch of these were amazing (the dipping sauce for it tasted like ketchup mixed with curry powder). The funnel cake is a must get dessert. The funnel cake had a passionfruit sauce that came with it that was so delicious. Apart from opening night hiccups (I.e. the waiter basically ignoring us, the extremely dim lighting halfway through our meal, them taking forever to run my credit card, and not getting the broccoli salad we ordered), the food here is incredible and worth the try. read more

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great raw bar happy hour spot! hip spot in fishtown with plenty of seating, there is an oyster bar in addition to a regular bar. during happy hour, all of the oysters are $2. my friend and i both ordered one of each order, and had seconds & thirds of our favorites. i really liked that there were multiple oyster options for happy hour, previous happy hours i've been at other oyster bars have only had one choice on their happy hour menu. my friend and i also enjoyed the jaffa orange. it was unique and perfect for a warm sunny day! my friend liked it so much that she was going to try to make it at home. overall, i really enjoyed this spot and wish that it was closer to my apartment. staff were all super friendly and attentive, no complaints! read more

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As soon as you walk through the door, you will be drawn to the cozy bar with comfortable seating that begs for you to sit and enjoy a few handcrafted cocktails from the amazing staff. I started with their Gibson made with house brined onions. This is unlike any Gibson I've ever had as the brine gave the cocktail an almost umami quality. It was so good that this was my choice for my second cocktail as well. For starters I had the Tunisian Tuna tartare. A delicious take on the classic served on top of a falafel like hash brown. For the main I had the BBQ Chicken. Imagine an American classic with a healthy Mediterranean influence. The chicken was perfectly prepared and was moist and juicy. I look forward to my next visit when I will sample their perfect martini. read more

I knew I needed to visit Jaffa Bar as the latest tasty spot from the chef that gave us Laser Wolf and Zahav. What I didn't know would be that it would become my favorite! We came to Jaffa Bar for a late Valentine's dinner and it hit the spot. Located conveniently in Fishtown it is tucked off the main drag but accessible, and takes up two stories in a cool, thin, flatiron style building. The vibe is upscale retro and is sociable but not too loud. We were seated upstairs where more tables vs bar space is located. (I swear this review isn't about their interior design but it was gorgeous- loved the citrus wallpaper in the restroom.) The cocktail list is long and worth every minute to puruse. Lots of creative new options and twists on the classics to compliment whatever flavors you order. Also some cool Middle Eastern wines! We started with oysters from the raw bar. All were excellent- fresh, sweet, briny. Oysters come with a choice of three on the side bright sauces. The server ran us through the characteristics of both the oysters and sauces efficiently but with great detail. We then moved into spicy steamed scallops (swimming in a delicious just-spicy sauce with chickpeas), and a delectable tuna tartare. Next we had a grilled tuna, but the real star of the show was the scallops and merguez. Appearing very modest, this one swept us off our feet with richness balanced with spice. Lots of umami, bright flavors, just perfection. While dinner was filling, we wanted more for how delicious everything was! We couldn't resist and had another couple oysters for dessert with a cocktail. Delicious, beautiful, worth every penny. My new favorite date spot and oyster option in Philly. I would happily just sit at this bar for a couple iconic cocktails and the people watching. Love it. read more

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We hardly ever make it to this neck of the woods- but were checking out a comedy show nearby and the menu sounded amazing. The teal decor is cozy and inviting and there was a relaxed vibe as patrons sprinkled throughout the diningroom were finishing up their meals. We snagged a few seats at the bar, and started with an oyster shooter and wine. We wanted to try everything, thankfully our knowledgeable bartender helped us confirm our choices and we were not disappointed. We sampled a few super fresh Sand Dune oysters, the yellowtail pastrami, madai tartare. avocado salad, tuna on brik, Turkish coffee pudding and champagne. Hard to decide on a favorite. Everything was phenomenal. The beautiful plating, attention to detail, the combination of flavors, it was a stellar meal. We were celebrating our anniversary and were given rock star treatment. Highly recommend this restaurant. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes. read more

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I had a really delicious meal at Jaffa bar tonight. My favorite dishes were the squash and the burger. I thought everything was seasoned really well. The service was also excellent. Our water cups were never empty, and our waitress constantly checked on us which I appreciated. It was a cool experience to go to a cookNsolo restaurant and be able to order à la carte since I am so used to getting the tasting menu. read more

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No idea what people are talking about in some reviews - this was one of the best meals we've had in recent memory! Started at the downstairs bar - beautiful drinks and delicious oysters. Dinner itself featured creative takes on familiar items. This is a brilliant concept: traditional mid-eastern spices and techniques applied to non traditional items such as calamari, crudos, burgers and fries. Service is as it always is at Cook n Solo - friendly and knowledgeable without being overly intrusive. The focus is on hospitality. Highly recommended especially considering the fair pricing and cool vibes of the building. Do yourself a a favor and go! read more

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Recently dined at Jaffa and had amazing experience from beginning to end. They were very accommodating! Our server Katie or Kate (black sleeve tattoo) super knowledgeable and super helpful with navigating the menu. We weren't sure what to get but her recommendations were spot on. Our first time there but not are last! read more

Celebrated my aunt & I birthdays at Jaffa last night. First time trying raw oysters, don't recall the specific oysters that I tried but had one with lemon and their cocktail sauce. Pretty good. Actually the highlight of my night. The burger, mussels, and calamari was all great also, just was pretty full by the end of the night. Definitely making a trip back. read more

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I was so looking forward to this opening since I love the cooknsolo group. Our server Sam was wonderful. He was friendly, personable and knowledgeable- made great suggestions. He made my husband's big bday extra special with bubblies (thanks again!). I loved the frozen Jaffa orange (this is a must while it's still warm!). The mall grab cocktail was also excellent. The burger was delicious as well as the scallops. Out of all the oysters we loved the salt water taffy the best. Upstairs seating was extra nice as the sun was setting. I'm so happy we were able to eat here for a celebratory meal. Thanks and I'll def be back. ;) read more

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Stopped in while we were in Philly recently. First off the vibe definitely cool. The building itself is amazing- it's like a triangle- like in the middle of the street. The aesthetic amazing. We had a little bit of everything. And that's sort of the problem. I couldn't really get into the menu. As others have noted it's fairly short menu but we actually had a difficult time choosing our meal. We ordered the hot tuna (good) but also fried chicken thighs (eh - esp with the coleslaw. Some of the chicken pieces were a bit undercooked. Very crunchy but not much flavor. Tried the burger & fries (eh). We tried the fish bone-in dish and it was way too fishy (for me). The sauce thickly layered on the delicate fish made it impossible to eat without chewing on the fish bone. We tried the bread - tasty but a little tough to eat. Our server was pleasant enough but really didn't add to the experience. What DID add to the experience in a negative way is the fact that there are not enough toilets. One toilet (one stall each) on the first floor and one on the second floor. The space is pretty large and it's shocking that you wouldn't need more facilities! I had to wait on the 1st floor bc it was in use and after a long while had to go to the 2nd floor and that one was also in use?!?! Like waiting in line to use the restroom in this fancy bar a does not any sense. Please go by, make reservations. I'll check it out again at some point. Let me know what you think. read more

Jaffa Bar - Upstairs bar/ restaurant. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I had a 16.00 Burger and a 8.00 beer they added 20% at 4.80 on to the bill service charge then noted that tips were appreciated. the food was good but what I'm complaining about is they charged 8%tax on the 20% service charge. (I hope they report that) so it brought my bill to 31.26 the girl saw me looking at the bill with my calculator but didn't say anything. I gave her a 100.00 bill and she gave me back 70.00. Does she not know how to make change or are they hiding something. I feel I was taken advantage of. That's a lot of extra money they are stealing from their customers. read more

Food was amazing, service was great, and the drinks were tasty! Overall, I have no complaints. We sat at the bar for happy hour but also ordered a good deal of food. Our bartender was knowledgeable and friendly and made sure we got in our last happy hour cocktail right at 6pm! Some favorites were the carrots and tuna tartare. The drinks were also all wonderful and i'm so happy I got to try a variety. The oysters were also very fresh - I can't wait to be back! read more

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A beautiful space And pretty decent food* so Overall a win *had lots of food. Oysters were great, shrimp cocktail was great, yellowtail pastrami was great, tartare was weird due to Bulgar, the sandwiches were good (crab cake and double smash burger) but had sesame seed buns. Desert was like a chocolate mousse layered cake and I ate every bite. Cool place with good vibes but our waitress did not want to be there haha read more

What went well? Everything went well. The atmosphere, the building itself (old firehouse) the vibe, the staff and THE FOOD! Jasper, Grant, Alisa and Allan. Thank you for an amazing experience. It's not always about the food, but this place checked all my boxes! Bravo Birthday Key lime bar for my girl topped it all off read more

The food was delicious and the staff was great. The drinks were good too. Would i go again?? Maybe just for the mussels escabeche.. it was the best thing we ate. read more

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Tried this place based on a recommendation. Hostess was a real pro with a friendly smile & a professional attitude. Sat then ordered drinks from a, not all that friendly server. Not sure what happened, but the drinks took quite a long time. The same happened with our raw bar items. We sat and looked at them within feet at the bar. No one working there noticed them. The food ... a HUGE A + . Everything was delicious, which saved the day. Manager was very nice. Service staff just seems super distracted, which surprised me. read more