Queen Doreen reigns supreme once again! Doreen Demarco was listed as BillyPenn.com's 15 Young Who's Next Chefs. Demarco is the executive chef at Sardine Bar and here, at 2D, and her food never disappoints. Her ability to put a funky spin on childhood favorites and the class American comfort foods keeps me coming back to both of her restaurants! I can say that as an avid meat-lover, the vegan and vegetarian options available on 2D's menu will crush your misconceptions about plant based diets. Three standout munchies worth mentioning on the current menu are the vegan beer cheese, buffalo cauliflower bites (also, vegan), and YEP - VEGAN PORK RINDS (made with fried wonton wrappers, seasoned with fresh lime and Tajin). I was so satiated with those bar bites, that I was unable to order any of the other delicious menu items. Guess I'll have to make my visits to 2D more frequent. The vegan pork rinds were light, crunchy, and packed with flavor. The vegan beer cheese, made for 2D by Miss Rachel's Pantry, was unreal. Just as good as similar cheeses I've had from the Italian market. My absolute favorite was the buffalo cauliflower bites; the coating was perfectly crunchy and the cauliflower was tender. I literally forgot I was eating a vegetable. Everything was outstanding! The fun doesn't stop there. 2D has crazy good house made beers rotating their taps. Most of their brews are on the hoppier side, but all very tasty and worth checking out. When 2D first opened, they didn't offer a happy hour, but they heard the pleas of Philly, and now they do, though I'm not sure the deets. The vibe is trendy-casual, good mix of old and young, hipsters and beer bros. The street parking is not super fantastic; it can take a few laps around the blocks for to find a spot. You're not terrible far from the BSL if you want to opt for public transport. That might be your best option if you're planning on enjoying some beers. I'm hesitant to share how much I love this place, but I definitely cannot keep quiet about how delicious the eats and beers are here at 2D. They're putting South Philly on the map. read more

Second District Brewing - One year anniversary party!! - Breweries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When I first heard the my beloved bobble head filled brewpub of yesteryear, Nodding Head, was closing up shop for good it was bittersweet since I savored many a Monkey Knife Fight within its 2nd floor bar when I first moved to the city way back when. But that sadness eventually lead to awe and curiosity when I heard that owner Curt Decker was teaming up with John Longacre, the man behind some of my favorite South Philly watering holes in South Philly Taproom and American Sardine Bar, for his next project that would also be giving the west side of Passyunk a little love (http://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2017/02/16/second-district-brewing-point-breeze-south-philly-brewpub/). Add in Dock Street and Tired Hands expat Ben Potts as head brewer, and you have something that was shaping up to be huge for the Philly brewery scene! And after a few visits I can emphatically confirm that this is one of those places that have more than lived up to the hype. From the incredibly large bar space that I haven't even begun to explore, to the rotating menu that's big on sandwiches and veggie items, to the 8 fresh brewed beers on tap that change semi-regularly, there really isn't a single bad thing to say about one of the best neighborhood brewpubs out there (Other than the fact that I wish I lived closer!). For beers I've enjoyed everything from Vienna lagers and double IPAs, to Vietnamese coffee stouts and biere du gardes . For foods I've indulged upon everything from some incredible cheese curds to a Korean fried chicken sandwich that would have been better if it wasn't in sandwich form (the bread and sandwich fixings just bordered on the unnecessary.). But with veggie/vegan items on the menu like IPA popcorn and a vegan sausage parm sandwich, rotating pickles and crudite, and all of those damn good beers from legit brewing masters, you'll always find a reason to stop in! read more

Second District has all the trappings of a place that should be wayyyyy too hip (custom neon, reclaimed wood, garage door walls, and plenty of thick glasses and sculpted mustaches) but somehow still manages to feel cozy, welcoming, and friendly. If I'm craving an interesting brew in our neighborhood, Second District is first choice, always. I've had Vietnamese coffee beer, some funky saisons, and this one gin-inspired, juniper-and-coriander-heavy beauty that disappeared from the menu long ago, but that I still think about regularly.... That's the cool thing about this place. There's always something new to try. And they offer a nice variety of glass sizes too, so you can grab a 4-ounce pour of that weird little wheaty beer that you're not quite sure about.... and if you hate it, you're not married to a tall glass. Also! Get the corn dog bites. The corn bread blanket on these salty little dogs is delightfully pillowy and sweet, and they come served with a smathering of tangy handmade sauces. I can't speak to the other food here, but I could eat about 20 of those suckers. Come here! read more

Not a fan. Slow-moving, disinterested bartenders serving middle-of-the-road brews. No information or friendly, proactive engagement. Place just sits there like a bump on a log. Tries to be hip and all old brick, garage door open vibe and fails. Too bad. Has potential, but without engaged staff, the mark is missed. read more

First time here, had the single patty smash burger and curly fries with cheese. Burger was well cooked, ample, and very testy. As were the fries. Menu has several more items I can't wait to try, but will have to wait till next time. Looking forward to it. read more

Great place! Love the beers! Bartenders are very friendly and on top of getting you your next beer. Food is really good too! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice meal and a good beer. read more

If you're looking for a spot to sit at a bar and sample some beers, this is the place for you. They have a rotating selection of about 8 beers and you can get them in 4 oz or 10 oz portions. They also have growlers. The food options are limited and the plates are small. The service left a bit to be desired...our bartender disappeared and it took a solid 15 minutes to get someone else to close out my tab. Overall, it's a fine place to rest your legs and have some libations. read more

Super stoked to have Second District here to help put this side of South Philly on the map, so to speak. A terrific addition to this West Passyunk neighborhood that gets much less recognition than its east side counterpart. Perhaps with places like this popping up, that will change... First of all, the space is awesome! It's a converted garage and they have left the doors there for opening open up in warmer weather! They also kept the original exposed brick and beams, and an old faded sign. They've added a variety of unique vintage mirrors and sconces to the bar area and it's completely candlelit at night. It was perfectly romantic for our first visit on a rainy night date! There's also a back room for spreading out a bit more room with vats and such. I totally loved the vibes! While they don't offer tasting flights, they do offer three sizes of pours. We opted for 4oz of 5 of their brews... Friends & Family, AlterNative, SuberOwl, Bancroft and A Series Of Grand Gestures. All were delicious and unique! Bancroft, while we hear is a fan favorite, was our least favorite. If I had to choose one, it would definitely be the AlterNative, a lighter ale brewed with lemon and thyme while hubs enjoyed the SuberOwl which is fermented with foraged saison yeast best. I really admire the fact that they partner up with local breweries such as Foster & Main and Lost Abbey/Port Brewing. I love seeing that! SD offers a small variety of bar snacks and their veg friendly options were definitely a plus for me! We tried the vegan pork rinds and while I have no idea what they were made out of, they were tasty! Salty and light. We also shared the curly fries which were crispy and fried to perfection. The smoked ketchup which accompanies them was fantastic!! Do NOT miss a dip in this ketchup! We also had our eye on the sliders which come three to an order but you must get one of each variety or three of one kind. They do offer a black bean one as an animal friendly option. Next time for sure. If you find yourself here and in the mood for a sweet treat, they will serve you their HUY brew, a Vietnamese coffee stout served with with a donut and spoon. Neat! Our bartender Alex was attentive and friendly. Bites and brews were served in a very timely manor. We look forward to many more visits here. Welcome to the neighborhood! *Parking isn't the easiest, but not impossible. Uber, by foot, even bike may be best. They just installed bike racks. **As of this time there was was no contact information, but they do have social media accounts. Their Insta is interesting! read more

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My only complaint about my trip to second district brewing is that I didn't do it sooner. After 3 weeks of procrastinating, I took the plunge and walked 5 minutes down the street to South Philly's newest brewery. Every beer I tried was excellent and the food was better than I could have ever expected. As a vegetarian, it can be difficult to find good choices at a brewery; NOT an issue at 2nd district. I ordered the vegan sausage and was floored. The dish was delicious and the Meta Shepard stout was the perfect compliment. I apologize, but I could not help but take a few bites before snapping a pic for you lovely yelp followers; this should be a testament to the food and not my lack of self control. Final suggestion: stop reading this review and try it out for your damn self. It won't disappoint. read more

Second District Brewing - Half eaten vegan sausage. Delicious. - Breweries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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this place was an excellent find!! All the beers were delicious. Even the ones that i wouldn't normally ordered. No flights, but a bunch of 4oz pours, which was fine. Food was good too!! Try the meat stix. the hot wasn't bad and quite enjoyable. IPA popcorn.... really good. just air popped and a little sweet. next was the local italian sausage. fresh bun, big sausage and the right amount of mustard. Parking was tough, but we found a spot a few streets down. The server was attentive and answered questions, but wasn't annoying. Everyone seemed really friendly. i liked the vibe and the fact they made liquor drinks if you're not that into beer. it also sounded like the beers rotate, so expect to maybe not find what you had last time. the bar had hooks for your purse and it was comfortable. don't expect to find a highchair, but i'm guessing not a lot of people like to take their kid to a bar. read more

Second District Brewing is quite the hole in the wall. It's easy to miss when passing but well worth the find when you do get the opportunity to check it out. All the local brews have funky flavors along with a fun small plate menu with items like pirogies, pub platters, and pretzels. Although they don't serve "flights" per say, they offer 3oz pours of every beer. We sampled each one and my favorite was a sour named Ripe AF made with peaches and raspberries. We also ordered the pub board which featured pub cheeses, meats, and crackers. Overall I can't wait to come back to this venue, everything was yummy and I even got a growler of Ripe AF togo because the beer was great and the mini growler was adorable. read more

Decided to check this place after work with a few of my co workers. Love the atmosphere and vibe here. Our bartender was a cute friendly girl with faded green hair. She was nice and attentive to us and split our bills into 4. She even split the chefs board into 4 separate checks for us. Thanks a lot!!!! Most places would not do that. One of my co workers ordered curly fries and it took a while to come out and she gave it to her free of charge. thanks!The chef board is huge and delicious and worth the $18. Definitely will be back with my co workers when we clock out! read more

Second District Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place has quickly become my neighborhood dinner spot. It's within walking distance of my house and we've been looking for a close-by place that isn't purely takeout. We searched yelp and found SDB and have been hooked. We first found this place looking for delivery but just reading the menu it seemed like a place we had to try. The layout is a bit tough and we were still a bit cramped with 3 people our first time there since all the tables are high tops and small. The bar area seems a better place to eat at but isn't great for more than 2 people. Now the food, every, single, thing we've tried has been amazing. In the two times I've been there I've tried almost all of the appetizers and shareable bites. Everything we've ordered has come out hot and delicious. The burger has a secret maple bacon-y spread on it that I was surprised but fell for hard. The vegan options and cheesesteak are great and loaded with anything you could think of. Of course the beer selection is great for the beer enthusiasts but for someone that isn't a huge IPA or stout fan it's hard to find a beer that my personal palate likes. Other than that this is a must try place. read more

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Had a great afternoon here. Good beers, well priced happy hour. Ordered a burger and fries. Burger was good not great and doesn't come with fries. You should definitely order the curly fries. They're awesome. Will be back for sure. read more

Thank you for keeping your guests and employees safe. Great neighborhood place. Fantastic beer and snacks.

We stopped in here on a Sunday afternoon, and I was happy to find ample seating in the small space, a selection of inventive brews (had never tried a black IPA before!), and a super nice server! Loved our table in the bright light of the wide windows, but see how the dark wood and big bar could also work well in the dim of evening. Food and drinks came out quickly, and the team seemed to work well together. Tried pierogis, buffalo cauliflower and buffalo chicken bites. Loved the first two. Buffalo chicken bites were a little big and hard to eat in a "bite," but it is hardly a big complaint. We actually included this as a stop on our Philadelphia Spicy Food Crawl 2018, as the buffalo items had come highly recommended!! And they didn't disappoint. High spice, good flavor. Would definitely come back here for drinks and snacks! read more

Stopped in for a quick couple of beers and had some appetizers while we were out running errands. Interesting and very foodie menu that was fantastic. Nitro pour was delicious. If you're in the area, it's a win for a stop in. read more

Second District Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Good beer, good food (pierogis are insanely good, just needs more than 4 for $9, c'mon yo), cool atmosphere. Get rid of the cat. Have more things on the menu. One more thing... Get rid of the cat. read more

Relaxing place to hangout, drink, watch a game. Quieter neighborhood and chiller clientele than other breweries like Crime and Punishment, Evil Genius, and the one in Ardmore. I'm blanking on it's name and I don't have internet. Nice original beers. Every beer has been good. Nice bartenders. Food is arguably even better. Nice vegetarian selections. All food's good there. read more

OMG THE FOOOOOOD. I'm not a beer person (but the beer was great!)- I'm a food person and the food is incredible. The falafel was the freshest (read: green and not over fried) falafel I've had in all of Philly (and yes there's a lot of buzzed about Philly falafel. I've had it all). House made zhoug. Amazing flavors all around. And the smash burger is also one of the best burgers I've had in Philly (rivals River Twice and Good King Tavern, and a few steps above fountain porter). Wish I'd found this place long ago. Only in south Philly can you find a brewery with food this good. YAAAS CHEF. read more

We visited this brewery while in Philly. Many brewery websites recommend it for one of the best in Philly. They had less beers on draft than the website advertised. The rating received a two instead of one star because the beer was good. The food was decent, but the entire brewery smelled strongly from the food fryer. The wait staff was very unfriendly and barely spoke with us while seated at the bar. Very different experience from many other brewery stops in Philly. Would not recommend going out of your way to stop here. read more

I work in the Navy Yard and I have eaten here and had some beers here twice. The food is really well done and the New Doreenie's Milkshake IPA is the bomb. Cool old tunes on the old style jutbox. In the nicer months they open up the garage doors on Bancroft and when theres a nice breeze coming in it makes the place even nicer to hang out at! Hoping the Milkshake sticks around for a while. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

I love this place! It's dark, it's cool, it's a welcome addition to a growing list of great businesses in the area. Both of my visits to Second District have been at the end of my night after several libations. At that point I am usually nursing a pale ale or two and several glasses of water as I go in for the bites. The chicken sandwich is fantastic and so are all of the snacks I've tried, particularly the pork rinds, wings and pickles. Table service has been great - I had the same friendly server on both visits. Excellent addition to the Philly food and beverage scene! read more

If you've ever been to Harp & Crown on Sansom, there is quite the resemblance in decor, especially behind the bar. The two aren't related but it makes you wonder why so similar. When I came here over the summer, I indulged in a few flights of beer. They have about 8-10 house beers in rotation, so it made sense to sample them all. If you'd like to take some brew home, they have growlers as well. Beer list included: It Starts With You (Stout), American Economics (IPA-Black), Mr. Pale Ale (Pale Ale), Chiaroscuro (Saison/Farmhouse Ale), Bancroft Beer (Pale Ale), PolliNative (IPA), Meta Shepard (Porter), Common Dust (IPA), and Anger Quake (DIPA) As far as food, the one item that sticks out in my mind was the Pickled Deviled Eggs. They arrive and pop of the plate due to their purple color (result of pickling), and with every bite you want more. Surprisingly, I remember them having a lot of Vegan and Vegetarian options (not that I'm one). I'd be surprised if you couldn't find something to tickle your fancy. read more

I've heard lots of good things about this place and was excited to try it! A group of us went on a Friday night for happy hour and it was already pretty crowded so we sat in the back room. The beer and bar snax were pretty good except for the vegan pork rinds, which had a weirdly strong lime flavor. Unfortunately the service we had was terrible. After our food came out we asked for waters and then didn't see our waiter for about half an hour. When he did reappear he'd forgotten about our waters, but we were ready to go by then so we asked for the check. We paid and then left. It wasn't until we split the check later that we noticed he had significantly overcharged our party. When we contacted them about rectifying the bill, they didn't even have the courtesy to respond. read more

This is a great spot with very solid brews, great atmosphere and decor, and a small but tasty menu of food offerings. I love the exposed brick and large garage doors to let the fresh air in! The crowd can be annoyingly "cool" at prime times (hipster couple rolling up on a tandem bike, I'm looking at you!), so try it on a weekday evening or weekend day if that will spoil your good time. read more

Using SPTR, and Sardine Bar, both of which I have deep affection for, and are owned by one of the two parties involved, as paradigms, I found Second District to be lackluster at best. I was first troubled by the absence of an IPA above 4.5%? Perhaps the keg had just kicked, but this fact left me crestfallen. Speaking of disillusionment, the inability to "taste" a beer before purchasing it, left me indignant. Who knows, maybe my waitress was showing off her inner capitalist, but she refused to honor my request. Instead, she suggested that I pay $3 for a 4 oz pour. She seemed to fail to comprehend that if one doesn't like a beer, one certainly doesn't wish to have 4 oz of it, much less waste $3. If she had been prescient, she would have realized that such an action would irritate the Marxist, and thus make me wish to patronize some other capitalist's establishment. A venue where the bartender will proffer a taste, and get two or three beers out of me, instead of a begrudging one. As far as the food is concerned, it was okay. Sardine bar's food is fantastic, and, seeing as the same chef is running both kitchens, this left me scratching my head, whilst pulling the crumbs from my immense beard. Second District is still nascent, let us hope for an evolution. With that said, I will return, but unless things change, I'll stick with Sardine Bar and SPTR, comrades... read more

This place is helping to make South Philly a better place! Second District makes use of large garage doors for open air seating and a large building for brewing on site! Every beer on tap is inventive and tasty, the food is basic but feels artisanal, and the atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming. Can't wait to get back to see what new beers these guys have thought up! read more

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The space is huge and rustic. All the beers I've tried thus far are awesome. Food menu more on the "bites" side, but nothing wrong with focusing on beer. Tried the camellia sinesis, and it is truly delicious. Tea flavor is very subtle. The Vietnamese coffee stout was also good, though a bit on the sweet side for me. The lemon thyme saison tasted light and refreshing but still packed a punch. The beer here was my favorite of three breweries I visited this weekend. The menu is very vegetarian friendly. This visit, I just went with the olives, but they were tasty and well seasoned. Will report back on future food visits. I cannot wait until spring when we can get those giant garage doors open for a fresh breeze. Entrance is on McKean, not Bancroft. read more

Second District is among a family of restaurants, cafes and breweries in the West Passyunk area, of which I am a part of and after 1 visit I can say I'm proud and thrilled that this place exists. Granted, some of the success of their early opening weekend was due to seasonably warm Mid February weather but I'm happy to say that SD backed up their customer windfall with excellent bar food and some of the best beers I've ever had. I tried the Huy (Vietnamese Coffee stout) and the Friends and Family (a vanilla barley wine. ) and both were delicious and potent. The Huy was one of the smoothest beers I've ever quaffed albeit a bit sweet. Definitely a beer I'd prefer post meal. The F&F was also tasty and at 9%abv it packs a whollop. We tried each of their sliders ; Beef, Pork Bahn Mi and black bean. I'm not a fan of black bean in general but the other 2 were home runs and The accompanying curly fries are a unique option. Other beers and menu items look promising (I have it on good authority to try the corn dogs next time) and I'm looking forward to returning soon. Overall a great addition to the neighborhood and Philly in general. read more

I visited the brewery with a few friends on a Monday evening. The bar had a few others around, but it was definitely empty that you could get immediate service. I had their Huy, which is a Vietnamese coffee stout. It was a good beer, but definitely sweet! Think of your standard stout having a baby with a Starbucks frappachino! The food menu looked pretty good, but a little pricier than your standard dive bar. We ordered some curly fries, which turned out to be a pretty large order and was served with some type of barbecue-ketchup madness. I would go back just for the fries haha. read more

Tried this place for the first time- and really liked it. Cool space. Good service. I tried 3 beers - all were pretty good, two IPAs and "beer/wine" like a saison (very good). Service was a little slow but servers were really nice they were slammed so I understand. Tried the chicken cheesesteak- and it was great. I'd recommend checking it out! I'll be back. read more

I've been looking forward to Second District opening since I first heard about it and they did not let me down. The beer was delicious! The space looks great! I love the multi colored wood behind the bar and the vintage mirrors. The bar is huge and we didn't have any trouble finding seats on a relatively busy Sunday afternoon. I knocked off one star as we had to wait quite a while for food, we just ordered crudite and it took about 15 minutes to arrive, it was worth the wait however as the house made ricotta dipping sauce was fantastic. I would highly recommend this as a fun place to hang with friends and have some beers. The tea IPA and the Entwife were particularly tasty. We ordered a sample of everything and all the beer was well done. Can't wait to go back! Especially in the warmer months when they can open the huge garage doors. read more

I checked this place out last night. There weren't a lot of people, so I was able to get a spot at the bar along with a few friends. The ambience is great in this place. I like the way it has an old feel, their bar taps are ran through a pipe coming from upstairs where they keep most of their vats, which I thought looked really cool. I tried the hop wings, which were excellent, 3 whole wings in a delicious sauce with a side of bleu cheese mixed with a little beer. I also had the pork rinds, which were flavored with some type of a salty flavorful powdered topping and served warm. Then I ordered the beef sliders, which were tasty , but very small. The beer selection is ever rotating, so if you go back in a couple of weeks there will definitely be new selections. I tried three of the beers, 10 ounce pours, and enjoyed all of them. I think this is an excellent addition to this side of Passyunk! read more

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Literally broke my tooth on the vegan ribwich sandwich, it was that hard. Our server forgot our order after taking it, and had to come back to ask us again. Food took a really long time to come out, and once it did, it was underwhelming. Cute spot, but not sure we'd go back for food. read more

The space is huge and the bar extends for what seems like forever. There are 3 sizes of beers you can get - 4oz, 10oz and 16 oz. They also have some draft wine. Beers are good and definitely unique (the Huy tastes like a car bomb, if that's your thing). We tried some pork rinds for a snack and they surely hit the spot. It rained while we were there and the ceiling leaked above our table and near the bar. The staff was kind about it and we just moved to another area of the bar. Service was a bit on the slow side, but they were rather busy. Being a new business, I'm sure there are still a few unknown kinks to work out. Can't wait to go back once it gets warmer! read more

Really nice place with GREAT food and delicious beer! Service isn't always the greatest, but I'm willing to overlook that. Located in the garage heavy section of McKean St, not far from Station or SPTR. I find myself wandering here if Tap Room's bar is full. The sliders come in a variety of 3, modest amount of curly fries, and delicious Vegan sausage sandwich are all tasty and worth checking out. The wait has been pretty short, too, and that is a HUGE plus for me. read more

Maybe it's the fact I'm not from around here. Maybe it's because I asked if they made their own beers. Maybe I just look like a asshole. I showed up here hoping I would meet some cool people and have a cool experience. I travel the world for a living and normally feel welcome everywhere! Nope felt like I didn't belong from the gate. I'm nominally the guy that everyone talks to for whatever reason so this really throws me for a loop. I wish them the best of luck but if your not local I would suggest staying away! read more

This place would be better if it wasn't a hipster paradise. I mean thanks to hipsters for making my home value increase but please...your homeless person look is so tired. Beer is good, food is good...albeit overpriced. I'm more inclined to stick with the Taproom. Finally, I was and still am put off by the bar's response to my Untapped review of one of their beers. Essentially it said "you don't know what you're talking about" regarding to a beer I found less than desirable. Oh, okay. Defensive much? Truthfully, I'm probably not their target demographic since I lack tattoos and don't worship at the altar of Bernie but Saul Goodman! read more

Cool, dark interior and great brews! There's food too, although it's a bit pricey - the sliders were good. I like that they sell small pours, which allows you to sample across their beer list. read more