Cancel

Open app

Search

Johnny Brenda's

3.9 (638 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
Updated over 3 months ago

Johnny Brenda's Reservations

Johnny Brenda's Photos

Business Info

JOHNNY BRENDA'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Hipster
Casual
Live music

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Johnny Brenda's

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

David M.

Johnny Brenda's is a great staple in fishtown. Offering delicious bar food and burgers this is a great spot to grab dinner. We sat outside with our pup and got great service. Our burger was delicious and they also offer great local events with live bands. This is the place to be if you are music lover. I will be going back again to get their burgers.

Marinated beets
Bailey K.

We sat outside on a gorgeous day. The inside was dark, had a pool table when you walk in too. The menu was short for dinner, not a ton of options for a quick meal. The waitress seemed impatient and came back with a 2nd beer and put it down hard on the table as she walked away, it spilled on the table. The beets were good, but would have benefitted from a cracker maybe for as much goat cheese as there was on the plate. The Korean wings were sauced well, but were not crispy enough for me. The fries were very good (crispy and seasoned) with some kind of vinegar-flavored ranch that was so so good.

Richard B.

Literally this place charged me some sort of $50 fee to sit at their bar. Then they charged me for the food as well. I called and they said the charge is just temporary and it should be resolved. But 100% they have as of right now charged me $81 on a $31 bill because of some mysterious bar fee. The guy who served me was a complete asshole as well and forced me to open a tab which resulted in this charge. -EDIT- The bartender literally added himself a tip on my card after i didnt tip him because he had an attitude. I have the proof. The original charge was 31$ (plus that ridiculous $50) and when i just checked my account today, the $50 charge was gone but i had been charged $6 more on my bill, which means this SHADY establishment is up to no good with your card.

Dinner Menu
Bella G.

Friends and I stopped in for a quick dinner. Sat at the bar - all got the JB burger medium. Burger was great - a little messy. Fries were so delicious - shoestring style, salt and cracked pepper. Wanted to try the malt aioli but our server was a bit busy. Tried the Not so Mojito NA mojito - was really tasty. I loved the fresh garnishes and bar set up. Will definitely be back. Slightly elevated from casual dive bar dining, food was made with love for sure!

Patrice M.

This place had a great vibe and atmosphere. When we first walked in, the music was really loud, but I guess that's expected in a bar. People were playing pool in the middle of the room, and plenty of people were talking and enjoying themselves all around. The drinks were reasonably priced, and the bartenders were friendly and quick. I ordered a small plate, which was decent, and they have good prices on food as well. Overall, I have no complaints except that it was very hot towards the back, and only one big fan gave us a little breeze once every so often. Other than that, it was a fun and lively place to spend a Saturday night. The variety of music played throughout the night kept the energy up, and everyone was having a good time.

Ginger rush
Sandahl T.

Love the low key hipster old school Fishtown vibe. This place hasn't changed in 15 years or more which is much appreciated. I got the short rib which had mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts. The half chicken was excellent with great flavors. The blackened octopus salad was probably the best octopus dish I've ever had. The salad was refreshing and the octopus had so much flavor and large portions. The ginger rush drink was kinda sweet and had rosemary and a blood orange. It was very good! We had a great time and will be back again when visiting the old stomping grounds.

Veggie burger
Carolina J.

When I heard JB brought back their veggie burger I knew I had to go back. Glad that they listened to their customers and made changes. The burger was delicious and I plan to continue supporting this business.

New wave dance night
Anjoli F.

Attended a new wave, Depeche Mode themed dance night and had a blast! A total blast! The music was slamming all night long and had to force myself off the dance floor to rest and hydrate. This event was on the 2nd floor so didn't explore too much on 1st level. It got super packed and was lovely and kicking all night long. Friendly staff, great ambience. Well most certainly go again!

JB mule
Claire M.

The BURGER!!! It was so good and juicy, I wasn't super hungry but devoured it. Nice and greasy, good quality meat. The shoestring fries kind of tasted like McDonald's, which is a compliment in my book. My friend enjoyed her tuna tartar and found it light and refreshing. Neither of us liked our Moscow mules, which were way too sweet. Atmosphere is cool, kinda dim and has a New Orleans candlelit vibe.

Kale Cesar Salad, Roasted Garlic Hummus, Roasted Root Vegetable Salad. Drinks (forgot names): left is a spritz and right is a tequila drink
Julie K.

We wanted to sit outdoors and the host was kind and friendly to keep us informed on the wait time. Our waitress was unfortunately pressuring us to finish eating and leave with comments like "still chewing?". There were a few empty tables around us and it was in the early afternoon, so the restaurant wasn't closing soon and I was confused. The salads were both delicious and the drinks were tasty.

French Fries

See all

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

This is a lovely, intimate music venue with friendly staff and great ambiance. We had a wonderful time here and hope to return!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Faer A.
26
111
11

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 2

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Three R.
192
151
39

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 2

3 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of John M.
664
8766
29892

5 years ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 0
Love this 7
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Chris A.
179
1498
1178

2 years ago

this was a great bar, more of my style. Dj playing vinyl, beers were tasty, great bartenders and the vibe was awesome. Old school place

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jamie H.
702
37
27

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Mina J.
0
29
45

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Galen H.
489
103
3

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 16

Ask the Community - Johnny Brenda's

How's the parking situation at about 8pm on a Saturday night?

It's super close to the MFL Girard stop. Parking is tough and most streets are permit parking only. The PPL is out in full force on Saturday nights. Pay attention to street signs to avoid a ticket!

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Johnny Brenda's

It's intimate, the drinks are relatively inexpensive, and the crowd is always great.

Mentioned in 11 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Bars 15,193 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

Verify this business

The Fillmore Philadelphia - Upstairs lounge

The Fillmore Philadelphia

3.8(328 reviews)
0.2 miNorthern Liberties, Fishtown
$$

This was a GA (General Admission) concert that I attended. I always give it up to people who can…read morestand for an entire show and because I really wanted to see Bob Moses and Cannons, I decided to give this type of experience a try for the first time. GA shows are not easy to attend because chances are, you will run into a more rowdier crowd. Here is how I prepared myself the day of to ease some of my anxiety: - Go early to secure a good spot to stand at. - Drink lots of water before going. You don't want to lose your space by going to the restroom. Expect to stand for 4+ hours. - Eat a good meal, you don't want to faint. - Wear comfortable shoes. We left on a Friday night from New Jersey to Philly during rush hour in mad traffic. Got to the venue 20 minutes before the show started and I was so surprised to get a spot in the first row in front of the stage. I was like...no wayyyy!!! Acoustic here transmitted pitch perfectly. My videos do not do it justice. The sound was incredible. I think I danced every second of every moment. We really lucked out with some of the nicest people around us. While dancing at one point, a girl tapped me on the shoulder and said..."you're like the only one dancing and I think that's awesome that you're not afraid to do so". I replied, it's frickin Bob Moses, how can you not dance? Loved that I got to dance with a couple of the wild girls standing near me. Lol. Staff here are extremely friendly. One of the security guards below the stage was nice enough to ask if I wanted any water. There are a few bar areas for alcoholic drinks and small bites. Highly recommend this cool a$$ venue. It was standing room only for this show but seats were available for an extra $200 in the upper mezzanine, first come first serve. Restrooms: clean and plenty of stalls. Note: River Casino across the street offers free parking. We got to grab a bite to eat there afterwards.

Parking crazy!…read more Setup: ok Good place to attend with good friends. Security call be extra some times

Photos
The Fillmore Philadelphia - 2nd bar area

2nd bar area

The Fillmore Philadelphia - The Fillmore in Fishtown, Philly

The Fillmore in Fishtown, Philly

The Fillmore Philadelphia - Kany García Concert 10-30-24

See all

Kany García Concert 10-30-24

The Barbary - Felony and Part owner Sonja Century

The Barbary

3.9(206 reviews)
0.2 miFishtown
$

Okay. This place was the place to be BEFORE the renovation and now....its a total vibe! I didn't…read morethink it could get any better. I am by no means an edm/house music kind of person and that's what they played on every floor but I found myself jamming and feeling free. The amount of space there now is, is awesome as you don't feel overstimulated by the crowd. The fact that there's an outdoor area for people to smoke/just get some fresh air without having to leave the venue was something I didn't think I'd love so much. Absolutely would recommend this for everyone to take their friends out for a night out One thing to note - it was ticketed to get in and was $17 but I'm not sure if this is a thing that happens often

The Barbary reopened!…read more It's aight. I feel like I might be having my "old man shakes fist at cloud" moment: the place is clean. The numerous toilets and sinks all work. There's not a single bumper sticker or graffito to be seen. And drinks are still 2025 cheap... I think. But the inside is just kinda all black and neon... like "hey, we're cyberpunk now." Barbary, you were already cyberpunk when you were just regular punk existing at the edge of technological apocalypse, bro. Cyberpunk is crusty and biohacky, but I don't even know if that's what you're going for. Anyway, the place is nice. It even has what looks like a little bottle service area. I think back in the 2010s Barbary, the closest thing to bottle service would have been the dancing proletariat seizing the means of drunkenness from the owners and sharing cheap tequila amongst the people. And that's what I miss the most. Did the Barbary lose the jank and lack of maintenance money that made it an institution, or am I just old? The answer is yes.

Photos
The Barbary - Frodus at the barbary

Frodus at the barbary

The Barbary
The Barbary

See all

The Fire

The Fire

3.5(73 reviews)
0.5 miOlde Kensington
$

It's a dive bar, and yet you still don't get what you pay for. People are highly inclined to play…read moreunfair for what they think might earn them tips. Think twice before coming with a significant other, because the bartender will not respect that at all, very rude, attempting to attract my significant other thinking it'll get them tips when I'm the one paying. As I'm a classy person I still left a good tip but that was my final straw there. I had to leave a message. In addition as someone who was a regular and never saw a black bartender, only mixed. They will hire friends, call me there friend, but they'd never hire me as a bartender because they want to make unambiguous black women feel less than. the managers are LGBTQ and they are full in competition with women and especially women of color who have something going for them. Horrible experience. Save your money and hit up wine and spirits.

The venue is really nice. I had heard of it for years but hadn't been there until recently. A good…read morefriend of mine was having a show there, and I wanted to support him and his crew who were performing. The space is unique, that the actual "space", is through a door at the end of the bar. The bouncer and whomever is taking money for cover or scanning tickets is usually right there as well. The space has a small stage, and there is a bathroom on one side, and the soundboard for anyone performing is at the very back. There's enough room to throw small to medium sized event there. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised as to how smoothly the venue operated, the staff was nice as well. I don't drink, so I don't know if the prices for alcohol are good or bad, or if the drinks are watered down. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Photos
The Fire - "When I drink, I drink at The Fire"

"When I drink, I drink at The Fire"

The Fire - The End AD CD Release

The End AD CD Release

The Fire - Kaonashi at The Fire. Dom Stone. Photo: EasterDaily

See all

Kaonashi at The Fire. Dom Stone. Photo: EasterDaily

Sera Phi - Upstairs immersive music hall with vibrating floors.

Sera Phi

4.0(1 review)
0.4 miNorthern Liberties

Saw my first band here tonight, Shine On, a Floyd tribute band. It's a smaller venue, intimate,…read morewith room for maybe 100 if they packed it in. It wasn't that crowded tonight so there was plenty of space to dance. They have multiple projectors filling the walls with light and video accompanying the music, as well as some floor system that really picks up the bass and vibrates. This is to give you an immersive experience. Ironically, whatever allows the floor to vibrate also allows the floor to bow/buckle when someone walks on it which distracted me a bit until I got used to it. The sound is really amazing, and they pump it out! I'd recommend earplugs if you are sensitive. Downstairs is a very chill black light lounge area with a bar. I assumed they piped the music from the band down here, and I'm sure that is an option, but they had some very chill trance/hypno playing and you could barely hear the band upstairs, which surprised me. Completely different vibe from the upstairs. The food options are limited, and not always available which is a bummer, they advertise a fully equipped superfoods smoothie bar, which intrigued me. They advertise themselves as "the most unique music recording studio, video and event design production house." We got a parking spot by Delilah's, it was a quick walk down Front St. You can find one of you just drive in circles but we were happy parking here. Staff was super friendly, including the bartender downstairs. Bathrooms on both floors. Coat check and merch in the vestibule. Check it out, a unique and cool venue right near the Fillmore and Brooklyn Bowl.

From the owner: Sera Phi is a Philadelphia recording studio that breaks the mold. It provides not only high-quality…read moreaudio recording but also a dedicated movement studio for artistic expression through physicality. This unique combination caters to musicians and artists seeking to capture the synergy between sound and movement

Photos
Sera Phi - Black light Lounge

Black light Lounge

Sera Phi - Bar in the black light lounge

Bar in the black light lounge

Sera Phi - Front door

See all

Front door

Johnny Brenda's - bars - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...