Popular south Philly dive bar and hangout spot. There is a decent sized bar room that's usually crowded, and then two back dining areas with tables. The one room with the windows is a great spot to hangout with friends and a brew while watching out on passyunk. The food here I am mixed about as there's been issues in recent years with management and health inspections. I've had food here in the past and it's standard pub fare. Drink prices are pretty fair too and the selection is okay. It's a long standing bar in a great spot, so you would be likely to stop here eventually if you go out and about in Philly a lot. Good for solo or group hangouts. read more

I've been coming to this place for years and everytime i come to this place I would always order their Chesapeake Crab Fries and wings. Good selection of beers and liquors. read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Bar is strictly for drinks. Don't make the same mistake as me and order food. The pope burger specifically. Large hunk of ground beef, possible zero seasoning and well undercooked. Also the big 3/4" slice of steamed onion with every layer was not good. Wouldn't normally leave a review but if I can save a few people from a night of their stomach feeling like a bag of rocks. read more

Had the garbanzo beans and Pete's wings (server let me know the Thai chili was authentically spicy) they were delicious! Wings are crunchy but saucy and the fried garbanzos (or ci-ci's) were perfect. The setting was extremely dark, which I am not usually into, but it's a pub so they get a pass right? All in all I am gonna give them five stars, because the food and drink (bees knees) were spectacular! Thanks POPE for a great meal! read more

I spend a lovely evening here when I was in town, the atmosphere was good, the staff very welcoming and friendly. We enjoyed a meal and the food was delicious. I hope to return when I am back in Philly. read more

Been a regular for 15 years. Excellent beer selection. Amazing staff. Great food. Best south Philly bar hands down.

I'll be honest. It was pretty terrible here. This has nothing to do with them being short staffed; that was ok. But everything else was pretty awful. There were literally NO lights on, so the sun went down and then the bar got legitimately dark. It was just kind of like WTF? Then they opened the windows when it was in the low 50s, so the restaurant got VERY cold. Another wtf moment. Since they were short staffed we needed to order at the bar (ok), but when we did for an order of buffalo wings, onion rings, and a small plate of nachos, it took 35+ minutes (the bar was more than half empty). So it was a series of not great moments. On the food front, the wings were decent but too many drumsticks, to many of the onion rings burnt, and for the nachos being $15 they were a VERY small portion. read more

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This is a nice dive bar in the area that knows how to do good bar food. The chicken fingers and fries and an IPA on tap was exactly what I needed on a Friday night, and they delivered. The bartender was very friendly and helpful as well. read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Chicken Fingers - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Ya'll if I could give them a higher rating I would. First, the bartender was great he knew the food so well and explained what was the best. My partner and I are vegetarian and vegan and he was patient and very knowledgeable about how the food was cooked and tasted. We have tried a lot of veg food in Philly and typically it's pretty good . But, this one was by far the best bar food. Their Reuben was fucking phenomenal. I grew up eating meat and seriously this tasted liked home . They marinate it and smoke it like they would pastrami. The combination of all the ingredients were delicious. We also ordered the veggie burger and it we good and hardy. It was made with kasha root. The outer crisp added a great texture to it. read more

Not bad!! Service was very friendly and reasonable wrt speed. Really enjoyed the brussels sprouts salad, which was almost like a slaw. The Thai chili wings were super salty and limey, but the buffalo wings were solid. Prices are pretty average. If you need a pub with decent beer and food, this place has got you. They also have vegan options, but I thought their vegan cheezesteak was just okay, it was kinda dry and bland. The fries that came with it were good, though! I want to try their vegan reuben next time! read more

Staff (except food servers) behaves badly, I'm talking psychotic, for no reason and from my very first visit! Who needs the hassle? I could give 1/2 dozen examples. I stopped going. read more

Love the POPE! Best wings and nachos. Cool dark dive bar vibe. Affordable drinks. Big open windows with a tv in the back. Highly recommend! read more

They treat their customers terribly. This particularly applies to the bartender Kevin. Seriously man, if you're reading this, consider treating people better, especially if they are regulars at your establishment. As someone who has spent plenty of money here and recommended it to peers, it's just not worth returning for the service and I'd recommend any of the other places on the avenue instead. read more

Service not just terrible, but pathological. Bouncer yelling at people who did nothing, serving some patrons promptly while keeping others waiting. My friends ordered drinks near closing time & bartender forgot one, then said sorry bar is closed! And no one in the group was drunk. I don't know what's going on at this dysfunctional bar, but I know the cops are there often, which is unsurprising. Avoid. read more

Came for an outing with coworkers. Dive bar vibes with a little more space. The nachos were delicious and our server was super friendly and engaging. read more

So last week I was hanging out with a friend who's in training to be a priest, and when I heard about this place called "POPE" that reportedly had a great beer list and excellent vegan cheesesteaks, the set-up just seemed too good to be true! (Spoiler alert: it was.) While the name/set-up situation WAS perfect, the experience, while good, wasn't quite that. Most of the other reviews here seem to rave about the beer selection/prices, the deliciousness of the food (including the aforementioned vegan cheesesteaks), and how just darn FUN it is here. From me, you're going to hear the real deal, so if you can't handle that, stop reading now. First, beverages: the beer selection IS pretty impressive, and the prices even more so. I made my usual mistake of being adventurous and ordered a beer that was just a little more sour than I'd prefer, but the bigger problem was really that it wasn't all that cold. And on a hot night like that one, even I was craving an icy drink. But those little quibbles aside, I would definitely come back here solely on the merits of the draft list. For those more Godly among us, like my friend, they have some decent wines as well. The vegan cheesesteak, on the other hand, was a travesty. I'm going to assume that most of the people who really love the vegan cheesesteak here (a group which now includes my husband) never REALLY experienced or loved the otherworldly deliciousness of a real cheesesteak. I mean, like hot off the grill from Pat's or Geno's, dripping grease, with so much chopped steak, onions, mushrooms and melted cheese embraced within a perfect hoagie roll that it's spilling out the sides. For those of us who did experience and love that paragon of meat sandwiches, but who later became vegetarian, we understand that NO vegan cheesesteak can replicate that experience, but we still live in hope. And POPE's vegan cheesesteak, with it's cubes of seitan, it's caramelized onions, and a relatively meager smattering of melted cheese, is where this hope goes to die. So consider yourself warned. As for fun...I don't know what to tell you, POPE didn't really strike me as that remarkable compared to other pubs. Apparently there's a jukebox somewhere but I didn't bother to look for it, and maybe it's because it was relatively early for the night, but I wasn't struck by any particular liveliness or exuberance of the space. Maybe because it was the week before a 3-day weekend? It actually worked out fine because the quieter-than-expected setting better for conversation. I just wonder if I have a different definition of "fun" than everyone else here. One last thing about that sandwich - it wasn't actually that bad, it was decent-tasting enough overall. But don't kid yourself and call a sandwich like that a vegan CHEESESTEAK in the very birthplace of the phenomenon, because I've definitely had better vegan cheesesteaks in other cities. read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Vegan cheesesteak with provolone cheese - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

such great food and beer wIth a staff that really doesn't meet thee criteria to keep up with a place of this caliber. The bar tenders where very simple minded when it came to hospitality and etiquette. I would go back solely for food and a pint. Other than that this two star review is only Supplementing as an outside Employee review. Bar tenders should bring out a touch more character while working for tips rather than being depressed and In a bad mood when having to run back and forth for a water that you asked them 3 times for... -_- shameful... read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Chesapeake Fries , Pope Burger - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cool looking bar with plenty of seating. Service is not good. I sat at the near empty bar on a Tuesday night. I waited for 10 minutes, as the bartender kept walking past me and avoiding eye contact. read more

The P.O.P.E. Burger - that's all I have to say. Splendiferous, juicy, sizzling with flavor, cooked perfectly (medium-well for me) with a friendly side of fries. This burger isn't just good for a bar- it's good for an upscale restaurant where you'd pay $30 for a meal. Additionally, the bartender who got my order was so friendly (even though I was a bit indecisive on options), and the atmosphere was semi-dimly lit, great for either a relaxing day or night for grub and conversation, or for a large group of people all bouncing around from one another in conversation (cough... I may have been on a bar crawl that passed through here) My only regret is I gobbled down my burger and Two Robber's seltzer before I could get a pic. Definitely going to return! read more

The burger is what got this place the high star rating (good wings plus attentive and quick service didn't hurt either). My only qualm was their moscow mule-type drink didn't come in a copper mug (always a bit jarring when it comes in a beer pint glass). But about that burger (the POPE burger) - the soft, plump bun had some flavor of its own (see pic), the patty was top-notch, and the toppings were fresh. Fries and pickle were solid as well. Would certainly go back on my next visit to Philly. read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Been there a few times, always burnt food, always bad service. Didn't even want alcohol this time, but he refused to give us water because he "didn't wanna risk" scanning my ID. Refused to serve us WATER. Girlfriend is currently On crutches and still refused to serve her water after our 20 minute walk even when I explained this. Go to literally any other bar at passyunk, the food, the drinks, the service will ALL be better. The fact that I only made this account to give them 1 stars should speak about their HORRIBLE bartender currently on staff. read more

Since I've lived in the city I've been going to this place. I'm going to do 3 stars because I guess I'm just never going to stop. Food isn't that great but it's not expensive. When I first moved here I lived at 8th and Reed. This spot was a stones throw away. So believe me it's had ample opportunities to change my mind. So if you live down this way and just need a place to hang out it's cool for that. Don't make a special trip. read more

Solid bar. Solid food. Solid drinks. Long wait times at brunch. The kind of place you wanna bring all your friends. But probably best to just bring 3. Get a grilled Caesar, some wings, and call it healthy. read more

Such a cool little big bar! I am definitely glad that Marissa suggested it as the spot for the next Happy Hour Gathering. otherwise I probably would have continued to walk by it on my way to The Alley, Singing Fountain, Black N' Brew, and well you get the idea. I loved the chill room that was able to encompass are entire crew, and not just because I got to relax in a sweet rocking chair. and this bar is definitely the real deal if you're a beer aficionado.Since I was on a budget this time around I wanted to keep my drink tab pretty reasonable. but that meant I was still able to enjoy Strawberry Wheats, #9's, and my newest discovery the Vanilla Java Porter! It beat out Race Street Cafe for my pick for third best beer variety in Philly, and it doesn't involve the wait that the other spots had. Score! I have to say that people had me scared over the food that this place offered. but I tried it anyway and definitely enjoyed it. One of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I ever had. and the fries were pure addiction! Spot on service too. I don't know how many tabs are server had to keep. But she definitely kept them all in order. I'll be back! read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The POPE burger is always perfect, and the service is great!

I've been here a couple times recently, and I have to say, I'm constantly impressed. I believe this place has a solid reputation for a good reason. My first visit here was with a group - we had beers (of course) and a couple appetizers. I really enjoyed the crab fries which had real, fresh, chunks of crabmeat on top of the cheesy spicy potatoey goodness. I think the nachos hit the spot, too. My second visit was with my mom and sister, both of whom are vegetarians. After roaming down Passyunk East, we finally came to POPE and checked out the menu. Voila! There were more delicious vegetarian options on this menu than the past few menus we checked, combined! We ended up with quite a scrumptious meal. I really think POPE is one of the few places in town that genuinely makes masterpieces out of vegan-friendly items and doesn't have to outcast them to the "vegetarian" menu! The ambiance here is pretty funky; there are always plenty of hipsters at the bar, and the restroom is coated in pictures of 80's heartthrobs! read more

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I moved away from Philadelphia about 10 years ago and this is one place I sorely miss! Good vibe. Good food. And of course great beer! It's in Philadelphia for god sake! read more

P.O.P.E. is DOPE seewhatididthere dirty AF bathrooms Illadelphia hipsters everywhere great beer selection on tap cheap vodka sodas good place to start and end a bar crawl nuff sed read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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People around the area seem to really love this place. I'm new to South Philly, and I've heard about POPE (as it's referred to) from a few different people. I've been here twice and it's honestly nothing remarkable. During my most recent trip, I ordered the zucchini fritters with feta that were so unbelievably flavorless and, quite frankly, a bit disgusting, that if I weren't on a first date I totally would have sent them back. The other time I went, I had the beet salad that was okay, but the dressing and ingredients did nothing for me. One thing I must say is that this place is extremely dark. The first time I went was in the spring on a nice day and the second was on a rainy day in the summer, and every time I walked in, my eyes had to take a few minutes to adjust. This is a great place if you're looking to get away and seclude yourself from all outside light or the awareness of an outside world...which some may appreciate. I like places with natural light that are open and don't have dark shady corners where you could get lost, but maybe that's just me. I don't think I'll be back, to be honest. It's just not for me. If I'm going to spend money somewhere, it's going to be a place that I know has good food that challenges my palate and has a nice atmosphere. read more

Had this on my list of south Philly corner bars to check out a Sixers game at. I had the Chance to check it out prior to actually going to attend a game and was slightly disappointed by a minimal menu and not very clean eating area. I had the signature wings tho and they were the best part of the experience. The bar wasn't fully stocked or extensive but the food was good and so was the service. read more

Went in to try the pope the first time one night. Went with two other girls and sat down. I knew what I wanted, so I ordered one beer and my one friend wasn't drinking the other one was still looking at the menu. The bar was not even busy. 5 minutes later without even asking what my friend wanted the bartender requested that we leave for someone who is going to order food and drinks. Really rude. read more

I love the POPE! I've been here a few times and here's why I love it. It's a combo of gastropub slash dive bar, with amazing craft beer selections. They always have some rare drafts pouring, from strong Belgians, to stouts, to sours. The beer is the best. They even have great Philly beer week events. The food is also great here. I'm addicted to the Chesapeake fries, which is a massive portion of cheese fries with old bay and jumbo lump crab meat on top. Being from Maryland, I'm never satisfied with Philly's attempts to use crab meat in dishes, but POPE does a great job with this! I've had some other apps too that we're all really good, Perogies, nachos, hummus platter. Everything was great. This review is for sitting at the bar only. I have no clue how the waitress service is, because I only sit at the bar here. Every time lol. The clientele is an odd mix of locals and hipsters, but it's a totally chill and comfortable pub to have a great meal and amazing beers. Cheers! read more

"Hey can we meet at P.O.P.E.?" "Wait, there's a place called P.O.P.E.?" Last minute plans led me to this place. You won't find a religious figure here but you'll easily indulge yourself in a killer selection of beers. Even the "Happy Hour" beers list will strike your indecisiveness. I will say the bathrooms aren't in the greatest of states. read more

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This place is becoming a sort of hipster, divey Dirty Frank's but with a great lineup of draft beers. On my last visit, I got acquainted with a long-term So. Philly guy who was on his third or fourth stout (which he recommended highly, almost to the post of insisting that I drink his half-finished pint). I got his life story, with editorial emendations from the girlfriend. It's that kind of place, although generally the hipsters (you know who you are) stick to themselves. The kitchen puts out some very honest pub fare. I highly recommend the seitan cheesesteak, witih or without the soy cheese, that's your call. read more

On April Fools' Day, the Pub on Passayunk East announced that they would be getting four Russian River beers including the Pliny the Younger and Pliny the Elder. I was ready to love this bar for the rare surprise or hate this bar for a horribly mean joke. Luckily it was the first of the options. Not only was I able to enjoy these fabulously rare beers, I also discovered a new cool spot. Okay, so I didn't discover it since over 300 Yelpers have already reviewed the place, but I was able to add a new bar to my own list of cool places to visit. The décor was cool. The stained glass made me feel like I was in some sort of old religious establishment. The place had an overall gothic, historical feel. Aside from the four Russian River beers on tap, their beer list was superb. I'm sure the selection changes frequently, but based on what was available yesterday, I think I can safely say they have a superior selection of craft beers. The bar area got a little crowded so my husband and I sat down at a table in a back room. Soon the room began to fill with other patrons and a staff member came by to see if we wanted a menu. At that point our dinner plans were still TBD, but it only took a few seconds after seeing the description of the chicken sandwich to decide to stay. I typically don't order chicken sandwiches out, but the sundried tomato pesto, bacon, arugula and herbed goat cheese had me doing otherwise. It was like a chicken sandwich on steroids. The roll was a large butter roll with seeds. The goat cheese was so creamy and perfect. The bacon wasn't crispy but added an amazing flavor to the overall sandwich. The chicken itself was seasoned and tender. The sundried tomato pesto didn't stand out as much I hoped but the preparation of the sandwich worked as a whole. The goat cheese and bacon could have been a little more evenly distributed but at this point I think I'm just being over critical. The sandwich was great. The service was great too, especially considering how busy the place was. We originally opened a tab at the bar which they were easily able to transfer over to our table. We had everything we possibly needed in a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes it take a push to get to a different part of town. Thank you to the Plinys for taking me to POPE. It's a cool place and I would be excited to go back. read more

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I promised my friend that I was not going to write a review about this place. He is afraid that I am going to attract all the Jersey folks over and ruin what we like about this place. I like drinking in all type of environments. It all depends on the mood. This place satisfy my dive bar fix. Booze, and burgers is all that I need to say. I have been to the POPE on two occasions now. The beer is good and the burgers...well the burgers are some of the best I have had in the city of Philadelphia. Some of the bars in the city serve their burgers with so many items you can't even taste the meat, or the ingredients don't complement each other. That is not the case at POPE. Fried green tomato, herb mayo, grilled onions is a good combination without masking the flavor of the meat. This place screams afternoon drinking spot. The kind of place where you start at 4 and leave at 10:00. read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Caesar salad is so unique, they grill the chicken!! actually grill it!!! and the dressing is homemade. It's so good I have to make this my new lunch spot and a beer. I was a little confused by the crowd, at this time of day, it was around 2 and most customers were old. But, like I said the food is great. read more

Pub On Passyunk East - Grilled lettuce hearts and grilled chicken with asiago cheese smothered in homemade dressing. - Pubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here on a Saturday evening with some friends for some drinks and some snacks. They have a nice beer selection on tap and in bottles/cans. We ordered the Pope burger, chicken nachos, an order of buffalo wings, and some drinks. The burger was cooked medium rare and was delicious. It came with their delicious special sauce and fries. Their chicken nachos are definitely one of the best nachos in south Philly and very loaded! Their wagons were on point as well! In my opinion, I would definitely order all three dishes again !! read more

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Welp, I'm seriously impressed. This place has a beer selection to die for, lots of rare stuff, and a huge list of sour beers which I can't get enough of. The food here is delicious as well! A person in my group got a seitan cheesesteak and I'll be damned if it didn't look better than one that had meat in it. Service was really good as well, our waiter was very helpful and patient as we scanned the beer menu and made some good suggestions. Thought last night was my first time I'm definitely going back as soon as I can. Honestly, I'd love to become a regular at this place. read more

Great Bloody Marys and good beer selection. Total Hipster joint. Bathrooms are much cleaner than they used to be. Service and food is hit or miss. My most recent visit was the day of the Broad Street run and they were busy but they could have handled it if staffed appropriately. No one acknowledged us when we walked in and it was like a free for all to get a table. We just waited until people got up and took their table as that is what everyone waiting seemed to be doing. It took a while to get a server to come over and clean the table and get us drinks and utensils. It ended up being about a 2 hour lunch when we would have preferred to just get in and out. On this last visit, I ordered the salmon which was a special; it was good but it wasn't very filling. My boyfriend's chicken was just ok. I remembered the food being better on other visits we had or maybe I just had more Bloody Marys the other times. I would have had more this last time but we sat with empty drinks trying to find our server for most of the experience. read more