For starters, our service Natalie ran the show, she was AMAZING. Working solo during happy hour on a Friday night all with a smile on her face. We lived in the area for years, and this was our first time here. Drinks were great, food was perfect, but our server was on point. Natalie, thank you, you were awesome, we will be back read more

Love this spot! Such a great staff with a cozy bar and good bar food. Great for watching games and they always have great specials during the games too. read more

This is a small neighborhood pub where the bartender knows almost all of the customers. It has 2 deer head on one side of the wall, which is not my liking so I picked a seat not facing them. On the other side it has the head of a boar. I just need to ignore it. The tables definitely not well maintained, one table has patches of missing covering. Our waitress was very courteous and friendly. Good selections of beer. Menu is very limited, some of them are Slavic dishes. Salad: good portion size with generous amount of goat cheese and some candied spiced walnuts. The dressing has lemony taste, blended well with the tangy goat cheese. Stuffed cabbage: to my surprise it came out dry. I was expecting it to be covered in tomato sauce. It was bland. My friend got the dumplings and it was also dry, not much seasoning. My other friend got crab cake sandwich and he enjoyed it. Scotch eggs were delicious, I like the crunchy outer part of the sausage I came here on a Tuesday day night and it was 90 percent full. It's a good place to hangout with friends for beer or just to relax. read more

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Great staff, good draft list. Smaller, more laid back vibe. Big upstairs area with a pool table and arcade. Great hard working servers.

A great little dive bar! Affordable food and drinks and there is a pool table upstairs. Great local spot read more

Watkins Drinkery - Scotch eggs - Gastropubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Many of the reviews here date back to a previous regime. The new owner, Jack, tends bar and obviously takes great pride in his work. He kept the existing vibe and decor, but has updated the menu a bit. The Watkins Burger was phenomenal. Forgot to take a photo because I was so hungry. Definitely want to check out the upstairs pool room next time! read more

Watkins is such a local gem!! The new owners updated the menu and the food is delicous - try the cheesesteak, they are NOT messing around. The music is great and the staff seems to know just about everyone who walks in the door. read more

Last night my wife and I had a cheeseburger at Watkins Drinkery. Let's just say the photos on Instagram were far from reality. Perhaps the people taking the photographs (on instagram) were luckier than me? My burger, although the meat was excellent, was covered with some type of vegetable and had no cheese. I specifically requested a cheeseburger based on the great pictures I had seen. When asking the food server Why my cheeseburger had no cheese, she said oh you said Watkins Burger. I have no idea what Watkins burger. The food server mildly apologized and asked me if I would like cheese on my cheeseburger. Of course I said yes. After a few moments she returned with what appeared to be a very thin coating of something that resembled cheese. Again nothing like the great photos on Instagram My expectations were too high and based entirely on what I had seen on their Instagram page. Perhaps if I expected I'll product it looks nothing like the photo, I would've been happy Move for recommendation is to base your decision on restaurants on recommendations by other people you know and not on pictures you see on the web Hopefully we can chalk this up to COVID-19 and this instance being an exception to the norm.. Unfortunately, we will not try it again. It had such promise read more

Watkins Drinkery - Misleading Instagram photo . A cheeseburger with cheese - Gastropubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place has righteous attitude from the taxidermy in the walls to the delicious mushroom calamari. A real world gem!

Great food with lots of interesting choices.Good table and bar service. Friendly bar that is comfortable to hang out in.

This is the best bar in Philly in my opinion hands down. This local hang out has a variety of gamey meats and great beer selection.

The new bar from jon who runs the dive is shiny and new!!! It's all redone and awesome, and if you hate the dive for it's grimyness and smoking then there are no excuses for disliking Watkins. I had two beers, one bottle and one draught. I had my usual Franziskaner which is always delicious, and I also had the dogfish head punkin ale, which was my first pumpkin ale of the season! Hooray!!!! The menu at Watkins is not your typical bar fare, lots of gamey and non-traditional for a bar meats are used. Alligator, Rabbit, Boar, Buffalo, Venison and Ostrich to name a few. I tried the venison nachos, and holy sweet jesus they were DELICIOUS. The meat was PERFECT, and it was priced amazingly plus the portion size was great. Now that I no longer live right next to the Dive, and Watkins is much closer I will definitely be making it my usual spot. Plus upstairs they have old school arcade games!!! What more could you ask for? For this first week they're going to be cash only, but a sign on the door informed me that they'll be accepting credit cards as soon as possible. Drink up! read more

Watkins Drinkery - Shiny and new!!! - Gastropubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Man what is there not to love about this place... ok there are a few things but lets focus on the awesome things first! Jon and Kate. (not the people with the 8 kids) The best bar tender and server in the hood as far as I'm concerned. Warm, friendly and accommodating. Good people all around. 7 days a week this joint has happy hour! 7 goddamn days a week I can walk in and get beer for $3.50 read more

I'm pretty much an old lady so my whole out-of-the-house experience usually revolves around food. So I came here to eat, which maybe was the problem. Anyway, I ordered the fish and chip and my date ordered the summer rolls and the stuffed peppers. It was all bland and oddly textured. I couldn't even eat half of the fish. It was just really gross. Anywho, the fries were amazing! Loved the aioli. Everything else was suspect. Let me know if this is the kind of place where you only eat 1 thing in the menu. But out of the 3 things we tried .. it's a no for my dawg [randy jackson voice]. read more

Perfectly good gastropub with interesting menu and reasonably good beer selection. Camel sausage, boar belly, and scotch egg - nice mix. Small, very local, cool decor. read more

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I'm almost afraid to make this review about Watkins Drinkery because I feel like I'm giving up a wonderful secret! We stumbled down to this place after hitting up our usual favorites on East Passyunk Ave that were all completely filled. This place was rather full, but luckily there was one table getting up and we pounced. The place has a homey pub feel with a juke box, TV's, deer heads, the usual. We split the Antelope nachos which were pretty good! I don't think I had antelope before and I think this was an interesting way to try. I also had the burger and it was pretty darn delicious! Everything was washed down nicely with good beers, both on tap and in bottles. They don't have many drafts but they had a good variety. They also have great specials that are on the chalk board, check them out! We once got a wonderful funnel cake dessert off that menu. This has been my go-to place when Passyunk has gotten a bit full. Definitely a nice, little spot to watch a game and make some new friends. read more

Love this local watering hole. Good service, unique snacks. Excellent happy hour prices! And they always have something good on tap. Highly recommend the grilled cheese of the week. It's always good! read more

So I went here the other night with a group of people. On the way I grabbed a gelato from a corner store. Just wait.... the gelato is imperative to the events the low rating of this bar. We sat outside and the waitress came out. She asked everyone what drinks and food they'd like etc. everyone got drinks and food. I said I'd be fine with water. "Are you serious? You're going to bring outside food in and then not order anything?" Well I'm outside with my gelato so I didn't think it would be a problem. But she let me know it was. So I asked if she wanted me to go stand across the street and finish it. She said no she wanted me to order a drink. I told her I don't drink. She told me to get a club soda. So I gave in and got the club soda. It was $1.85 which isn't bad for a club soda. However this lady had no people skills. I really thought she was joking at first. I will however go back because the menu looks very interesting and perhaps she was just having a bad day? read more

Loved this neighborhood bar before the pandemic for its wide variety of menu options, consistent quality of the food and reasonable prices. Stopped by this week and was told if I wanted food, the kitchen was backed up and the wait would be at least an hour. Judging from the recent reviews, i count myself lucky. read more

To bartender John: don't be afraid. I am indeed a horrifically bitter and spiteful Yelper, but you and Watkins are nowhere near my shit list. In fact, I had a better time watching Top Gear with you Saturday night than I've had in a long time. No seriously. We went to Watkins for the first time (having been meaning to try this new neighborhood establishment since it opened) on a Saturday night. Was delighted to find out happy hour is a 7-days-a-week thing there - finally a bar granting its patrons happiness for an hour on weekENDs too!! - and sat down at the bar. Top Gear was on right in front of us, which boded alarmingly well, and there were some great locals brews on tap (especially great at the $2.50 happy hour price!). Ate a bowl of chili with every meat known to man in it. And it made me feel like a bear. A lion's bear. A wolf's hyena's wolverine's lion's bear. DAMN it was good. I did have to send it back to be warmed up, but that's just cause I'm a picky b-tch who likes her meat real hot. Also tried the special that night: Wild Boar Jambalaya. Oh. My. Lord. It was amazing. Actually might be the spiciest I've ever tasted food in a restaurant (minus my overly-Srirachad pho). It was intensely heated, meaty but with the lightness of unhindered tomato. So good. AND there is pool. AND there are darts. I don't think you can get better than that. read more

If you're the type that has a hankerin for kangaroo, then hop on over to Watkins Drinkery. That's my opening blurb. Enjoy. Well, the first time I went to Watkins Drinkery, kangaroo nachos were on the menu, but none of my "pals" were willing to split em with me. So I passed... cause what am I gonna do? Have leftovers, have em boxed up just to tote em around with me the rest of the night? That would just lead to me pestering bar folk on our crawl, all, "Guess what's in here. It's kangaroo." I'd be making everyone's life a living hell. Enough about the roo. By the way, if Watkins Drinkery serves up moose, I am in...if only to drop quotes from the movie Arthur. (The original 1981 Arthur, obviously. Come on.) So, let's get down to brass tacks: I like Watkins Drinkery for the consistently great beer list and for the friendly service and comfortable cozy vibe...The interesting and often changing menu is surely a draw to this neighborhood bar as well. I have enjoyed their wild boar preparations in sandwich form, be it BLT of boar belly or slow roasted and served on a hoagie roll with long hots. I appreciate you, you wild and crazy pig. Stuffed portobello braciole was tasty and vegan too. Good fries, I like their skinny, crispy fries as well. Venison nachos? Thumbs up. Totally enjoyable, and my table was fans of the pumpkin salsa. Seasonal! Fun pals split weird nachos. Remember that. read more

I like Watkins Drinkery because its essentially The Dive for grownups. Its definitely fitting that its the bar that John would open years later when his tastes and business sense became a little more seasoned. Gone are the the PBR, free pizza and microwaveable food, and Adult Swim on the TV. And in its place are an amicable rotating beer selection and crazy cocktails, an impressive food selection, And a rotating selection of shows for your viewing pleasure (Hidden City might be my new addiction!). And it still maintains the cool sense of camaraderie and good spirit. There's only about seven beers on tap. But they rotate enough with the seasons to make the spot a beer haven. You'll also find a bottle list that ranges from High Life and lager to Brooklyn Monster and other craft ales. ridiculous drink offerings range from the seasonal mulled cider with rum and bourbon, to a BACON bourbon martini! There's a good mix of people behind the kitchen (including one of the no longer Worst Cooks in America - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worst_Cooks_in_America), and they deliver a seasonal menu that's good for adventurous and not so adventurous eaters alike. Nachos get topped with venison, lamb sharwma, and kangaroo. Sandwiches get filled with things like pheasant and roasted boar, and pot pies get topped off with rabbit. They have a grilled cheese of the week special, and the fish for their fish and chips rotates semi-regularly (from haddock, to skate wing, and then some!). When I went this week I completely devoured a Brazilian stew that was topped off with wild boar, alligator sausage, and antelope. The menu is just that wild and you might want to consider leaving room for dessert! But at the same time you can still choose to order a burger, some veggie options, and some other not so adventurous offerings instead. and their Taco Sunday may very well give Taco Tuesdays everywhere a run for their money! The extra kicker to the Drinkery is its upstairs game room complete with pool darts, and classic video games. What's not to like? read more

"This is just the crowd I'm looking for - such a mix of people of different ages and walks of life, all under one roof enjoying good beer." Jon, the owner of The Dive and now Watkins Drinkery, told me the other night. "If you want to come into a nice atmosphere and enjoy interesting beer and food, come to Watkins. If you want to go somewhere cheap and have a smoke, go to The Dive. I'm not trying to compete with myself here." It is a definite change from The Dive. Not only is Jon visible from the absent cloud of smoke, but the bar has a different/more grown up feeling of comfort as oppose to The Dive. Take away the paper plate drawings and promotion flyers and replace them with photographs that Jon had taken himself from his trips to Europe. Instead of the only light source coming from the glowing TVs and cigarette cherries, we now have soft wall lamps and (some say tacky, but I LOVE it) Christmas lights cleverly peaking through individual holes in the ceiling tiles. And the biggest difference of all - trade in that can of Schlitz and Hot Pocket for a hand pumped beer engine of the local PBC and duck prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella. Jon's done it. He has some how created the best of both worlds, and both are in a short walking distance from my apartment. There's not much else I can say except I'm very happy for him and his success, and I hope for only the best with this new business en devour. read more

A friend recommended this place to me and it was one of the best recommendations I've had in a while. The menu has something for everyone. The adventurous - kangaroo chili. The vegans - roasted vegetable salad. The drinkers - TONS of beer and hot spiked cider. Oh, and the British loving- a perfect Scotch egg. I've been here 3 times in about 3 weeks because I love it that much. It's not fancy and doesn't take itself too seriously. Good food, good booze and a great waitstaff that puts up with our drunk anatomy discussions at the bar. What more can you ask for? read more

Great neighborhood bar! Good things on tap, and the menu offers up delicious items not seen everyday - Ostrich, Bison, Rabbit, Boar, Duck. Staff was friendly, jukebox eccletic, and the crowd nice & mellow - actually allowed me to enjoy my date and our discussion. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Good to know - they have a 2nd floor that offers additional seating, pool table and more TV's for your viewing pleasure. read more

Really disappointed with this place. It had been hyped up to me as a place that specializes in serving game pubfare. Sounds like a decent twist on the well worn gastropub formula right? Nah. When I arrived, we had to wait for a table because they had pushed a few other tables together for a larger party who was clearly not large enough to warrant such a large table. This was only a minor inconvenience compared to what came next. I saw a charcuterie board on the menu which should have been a good introduction to what this place is all about. When it hit the table, we got zero explanation as to what was what. From what I could decipher, there was some type of flavorless alligator prosciutto, an ugly chilled fish blend (almost like a chilled brandade) which was also flavorless. Wish I could tell you what else was on there but none of it tasted very good anyway. Next up I went with the lamb dish served with flagolet beans and a sun dried tomato vinaigrette. Lamb was overcooked and tough, the mountain of beans piled over it consumed the dish and the vinaigrette was almost non existent. Very poorly executed. I ordered a glass of red wine to go with this (a cote du rhone i believe) and that tasted like it came from a bottle that had been opened days ago. Unless they really do some work on what's coming out of that kitchen there is no reason to go here. read more

South Philly. Someone brought me here and I was like: wow! This is a nice spot and I can't believe I never been here since it was so close by! Good food and atmosphere! Need to come back. read more

Vegetarians and meat lovers untie under a drop ceiling punched with white Christmas lights. They are new American without trying too hard or serving the same things as everyone else. Highlights include kangaroo dumplings, and a revolving draft list. There are small plates, and large. Two small plates is enough to feel full. I was ecstatic about the grilled cheese special that was made with port cheese and pecans. There is a happy hour every day of the week with a solid draft list. The fries are spot on, and come with a house made aoli sauce. From the outside it looks like a place where grizzled old men gather to get away from their wives but the crowd is much younger, but didn't seem too hipster. Shout out to whoever chose the seating. The high top tables near the bar are accompanied by chairs that have backs and a place for your feet to rest. read more

Came here for the first time for a date on Sunday night over the holiday weekend. Crowd was pretty minimal and there were plenty of open tables. Noise level was more than acceptable. Service was timely but not overbearing. They have a decent but not huge selection of beers, both tap and bottles, and a very eclectic menu. I kept it simple with bottled Kenzinger (my new favourite summer beer) and we shared an order of the lamb bacon poutine. Get the large, it's worth it. It was pretty tasty but I was wishing for more lamb bacon, gravy, and cheese curds. Basically the parts that make poutine delicious. Overall loved the atmosphere, and seeing one of my favourite bartenders from the 'hood working here didn't hurt. I would come back for sure! read more

Things I love about this bar: 1. The chatty super friendly bar tender who lives around the corner from me. Hey Michael! 2. Affordable (read $5 regular beers, $2.50 during happy hour!) quality beer - not a huge selection, but all damn tasty! 3. It's like cheers in south Philly - an interesting mix of neighborhood folks, where given a few visits - everyone will know your name. read more

check out photo # 10. Being game fans, my husband and i headed here one night in January on the advice of friends who had heard but not partaken on the food here. we were one of two tables in the place and were waited on by the bartender- a petite young woman. My husband had a few of their beers- we were surprised they had so few considering they labelled themselves a drinkery/pub. First thing to catch my eye was not any of the meats on the menu- but the 5 cases of meat from Wells ( a local specialty meat purveyor) sitting on the floor of the dining room. This was at about 6 pm. After our drinks were served and we had ordered i made mention of the cases to the Bartender/server- hoping that the kitchen was perhaps unaware of the delivery. She replied that she would tell the kitchen. when she came back the message from the kitchen was that they knew and were getting to it. we should have left then. BY now were were the only seated diners and remained so the rest of our meal. our food arrived- alligator sausage in a blanket with a whole grain mustard- nice and buttery- best part of the meal. Shepard's pie- we cant remember what type of meat it was but it was very greasy, needed salt and the mash were lacking the two best parts of Shepard's pie topping- salt and the browned crunchy bits! also had fried whiting with chips- grease bomb- the batter was laden and dense and tasted like fryer. 20 minutes after we complained about the cases of meat, a dish washer came out and took two in to the place next to the bathrooms- throwing them loudly. the other three remained until we left. twice more we made mention of the meat sitting out but no more action was taken. the bartender told me once that the kitchen was busy- we were the only table and your meat is ON THE FLOOR IN THE DINING ROOM FOR AT LEAST THE HOUR WE WERE THERE. Oversights can be forgiven when they happen occasionally- however given that both my husband and i had some gastrointestinal distress after this meal i doubt this was outside the norm. Leaving proteins in the temp danger zone in front of the guests makes me wonder what goes on where we cant see!! we will absolutely not be going back and are advising friends to stay away! read more

This place is certainly a hidden gem. Occupying a space no larger than your typical South Philly cramped, corner bar, wonderful things can be found therein. The beer list is solid. The food menu is what truly impressed me. I had a friggin Ostrich Cheesesteak for goodness sakes. It was tender and delicious. Ran about $10 with fries for 0.25lbs of ostrich. A little steep sure, but worth it to try out the exotic poultry. I can't wait to go back and try some alligator sausage or venison nachos. read more

My wife and I go out almost every friday to a bar or restaurant, usually in South Philly, to grab some food and some suds, and talk about our week. One of the games we play is to ask one another to "rank" our favorite places to grab a beer in the neighborhood. Watkins, like a small yet resilient Sherpa, has been climbing in the rankings, up and up. I'm neither foodie nor beersnob, but in my own opinion, Watkins does both well. They try different meats (ostrich, gator, yeti, possum etc.) in familiar scenarios, like charcuterie or sandwhiches. If that's not your thing, or you aren't very intrepid in your meat frontier, there are 5,000 bars in this city that can give you a good burger. But Watkins goes out on a limb, and changes their menu often, so its a good idea to come back and give them a second chance if you haven't yet. The service is always decent. Wery friendly without being cloying weirdos. Both Johns (bartender and server) remember us, and are always warm. And that goes a long way. A lot of my friends knock the wood panelling and decor. I don't give a shit about things like that. And finally, Watkins seems to always have that sweet spot where there's enough of a crowd so you feel some energy in the place, but not so busy you feel like you are slam dancing to black flag. read more

Update! I like this place. I really do. Like I said earlier, it's a simple neighborhood bar and I finally got to check out some of their food. We ordered the stuffed portobello braciole and the duck confit sandwich. I declare the SPB to be the winner of the two dishes. My friend described its flavor as a "campfire in her mouth" Everything about that dish was nicely prepared and it had a ton of great flavor, albeit somewhat messy. I didn't love the duck. I really wanted to. I did love the goat cheese and cranberry chutney. The way the duck was cooked and the portion was what put me off. I found the duck itself to be dry and it didn't really stand up to the big brioche bun it was on. It definitely got lost in all that bread. The service was excellent. Our waitress was sweet, attentive and had a really great personality and sense of humor. I detect a lot of honesty in this place and that's what I like to see in a neighborhood spot. Cheers Watkins. You got me. read more

I was told by our server that a new chef is in town at Watkins Drinkery. Thus the menu was "in flux". Since this was my first time at WD, I was not sure what to make of this news. I was caught off guard, and I thought it might not be fair to Yelp post-visit due to the change-in-leadership circumstances. But in the end I felt it necessary to inform my friends of what's going down there in South Phila. First of all, the ambience is quite nice. Especially in the winter. Nice cozy atmosphere. I'll be back here for a brew for sure. As for the food, like most of the folks yelping before me will tell you, it is centered around the exotic meats. But let's face it: no pub, even in Philadelphia, can survive with only these offerings. Thus as a first try I decided to go with something slightly mainstream: the cornish hen. The bird was pretty well prepared -- slightly on the undercooked side of things though. The brussels sprouts were oily, but not too oily. My fiancee went with the fish and chips. The catch of the week was Haddock. Really great flavors, but too much batter. Some bites were 100% fried friedstuff. French fries were tasty but the aioli was almost pure vinegar. What's with this recent obsession with vinegar? Someone needs to tell the Philly pub chef posse to let up on the vinegar! Are you with me?? Ok, so in the end I want this place to do well, and I will concede that it's a little unfair to rate this joint before eating their venison nachos. The bottom line is that I will be back for those nachos, and after that visit I look forward to amending this review to four stars. Stay tuned.... Can the new chef bring this place in to the Sidecar/Royal Tavern arena??? read more

The staff and owner here are the reason why I gave this place 4 stars. Their beer selection is also pretty on point. Their food, however, is another story. The kitchen lacks consistency. I've had some really great meals here, and I've had some pretty disappointing ones. With the beer selection and the great staff, I keep coming back, but if the disappointments continue to outweigh the good stuff, then I'm afraid I'll need to find a new spot. read more

I should start by saying I'm intimidated by the menu. I don't eat, or want to try most of the offbeat meats they offer. But the burgers, both the bison and the beef, are fantastic (on awesome brioche). The fries are perfectly crispy and come with some awesome (but super-rich) sauce. The grilled cheese of the week is always exciting and the BLT is exactly how you want a BLT. Crispy bacon, cool lettuce on well toasted bread. It's warm and friendly inside, and the upstairs game room is a bit cramped but a fun little find. I'd like to see a vegetable on the menu, and I'm sad that the burgers are gone for winter, but looking forward to the spring. read more

I'd go with a 3 and a half for this place. I didn't get any food, but my friends did and they seemed to really enjoy it but I thought the menu was a little limited. a couple friends got the burger and they liked it a lot, they really enjoyed the brussel sprouts on it. I did steal some of their fries and they were pretty good, I think they were house cut and they were shoestring size. my other friend got the alpaca empanadas and he was pretty impressed, it was his first time eating alpaca. I've never had it either but it was the one thing on the menu I was thinkin of ordering. they had a decent beer selection, I think I went with a Lands Pale Ale, which was $4, a fair price in my opinion, it was $2 a bottle cheaper than the music venue I was at earlier in the night. The vibes were pretty cool, it was semi-divey, it wasn't dirty but it was worn in. They have an upstairs section where we hung out. There wasn't a bartender up there but a waitress kept coming up to serve us, and she was good, she was attentive and polite. there was also a pool table up there and a bar game station. I'm not from the area, but this place was just a couple blocks from my friend's place, and I would definitely come back if I'm in this area again. read more

Another excellent example of Philly's amazing neighborhood taverns. Great beer, great food, and a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. More than just burgers, this place has upscale fare without fanfare. The drink selection is great. Love that they offered some interesting beverages for those not drinking alcohol, too. read more

I've been on the fence about Watkins for a while. I wanted to love it because it's half a mile from my house and because they are clearly trying to have a vegetarian-friendly menu. But sometimes the beers on tap were not that great, ditto the old veggie burger, and sometimes they had reallllly strange things on the TVs, which could be slightly off-putting. But that was all in the past. New menu, new totally amazing beers on tap, including the Victory Scarlet Fire which is quite possibly THE most interestingly delicious beer I have ever had. Their house-made veggie burger is very good (and I'm not normally a veggie burger type person because most of the time, restaurants put "veggie burger" on the menu and what they really mean is "here's a freaking Boca Burger for $7.99"). And finally, DEEP FRIED BUTTERSCOTCH KRIMPETS. Thank you for throwing off my wedding diet!!! read more