We began our long weekend in University City with lunch at the White Dog Cafe. The bright and ample space, set in three Victorian brownstones, was very comfortable, easy to converse in and the decor really embodied a sophisticated rustic charm. We began our meal with cocktails and an Artisan Cheese Plate which was accompanied by fruit, nuts, pickles, crusty bread and the most delicious strawberry and apricot spreads. The cheese selections were unique and very tasty! Definitely a must have as an appetizer or a nosh with cocktails. For our mains, we selected the Spicy Lamb Bolognese and the Impossible Patty Melt. The lamb ragu was very flavorful and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The Impossible Patty Melt was well cooked and the star of the show was the smoky onion jam and spicy pickles. This was a perfect intro to the foodie scene in and about the University City area. The staff was warm and friendly and the overall vibe makes it easy to linger long after the meal is done. read more

I really wanted to like this place. One of my friends recommended it, and then another group of friends invited me to go after a talk, so I was actually pretty excited to finally try it. And honestly, the restaurant itself is SO cute. Aesthetically, I adore it. It has this old European pub / rustic countryside feeling, especially with the dim lighting. There's a bar in the front and seating toward the back, and they really committed to the whole theme. Mason jars, wood details, the menu attached to a wooden board, and dog-themed decorations everywhere. It's very thoughtfully decorated and has that cozy rainy-day feeling where you just want to sit around and chat. The staff were also polite and checked on us pretty frequently. They kept our water glasses filled, which I appreciated. Food-wise, though, this is where things fell apart for me. We shared the mussels and charcuterie board, and I ordered the seafood cavatelli for myself. The mussels were easily the best thing we had. They came with a choice of red or white, which I'm assuming refers to the sauce or wine preparation, although I wasn't totally sure. Either way, the mussels themselves were really good and the broth was flavorful. The bread was perfect for soaking up all that juice. Honestly, 10/10 for the mussels. The charcuterie board was less impressive. It felt pretty sparse for the price, with the usual salami and ham but no prosciutto. Some of the other items also felt pretty basic for what I expected to be a more upscale board. There was even an egg on it, which just wasn't really my cup of tea. Nothing was necessarily bad, it just didn't feel worth the price. Then came my seafood cavatelli, and unfortunately... DAMN, it was greasy. The sauce was much more oily than creamy, and after a couple bites I already knew I wasn't going to finish it. I didn't want to leave a giant plate of food untouched at the table and look rude, so I took it home and gave it to someone else. For $31, I really didn't think it was worth it. The shrimp and scallops tasted like they came straight from the frozen section, and the tomatoes had that oily, jarred quality to them. Everything just seemed to be sitting in oil. The cavatelli itself was slightly overcooked, although I'm more forgiving of that because the shape can have a little variation in texture. But the grease was just too much. So overall, I think this is one of those places where I really want to love it because the atmosphere is fantastic, but the food just didn't justify the prices for me. The mussels were genuinely good, but that's about where my excitement stopped. I could definitely see myself coming back to sit at the bar, have a drink, and chat with friends because the space is really lovely. But if you're coming specifically for the food, I'd temper your expectations. Beautiful restaurant, lovely atmosphere, nice staff. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the setting or the price for me. read more

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I finally decided to try this place when staying nearby. Two great things: 1. Great server (Matt), very attentive and 2. Delicious cheese curds. I also order the burger, after half of it, I wasn't feeling great but figured it was because of all the toppings, etc (it's massive). A few bites in to the second half and my taste buds could distinguish what was wrong--it wasn't getting used to the interesting toppings, it was tasting RAW beef. I ordered the burger Medium. I've traveled all over the country and always order my burgers Medium. I have never had a burger come out this RAW. It was nauseating. It was closing time, so I just wanted to pay and leave. That was a very expensive meal that definitely was not worth it!! I can't believe I paid $27 for an undercooked burger. I'm thankful I got the cheese curds so I at least had something to eat that edible. Expensive and undercooked beef. Horrible. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Delicious! September Farm Cheddar Cheese Curds - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I came here with my co-workers on Friday for an early lunch and it was great! I love the dog decor inside - it is like you are stepping into someone's eclectic house. I ordered the Caesar salad and I liked the Parmesan crisps on top a lot. My friend ordered the mushroom soup which tasted amazing! Server was super kind and food came out fast! read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Caesar Salad - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is such a cute restaurant nestled in the heart of Penn campus! Our waiter explained that they've been around for over 40 years and use farm fresh ingredients. We came for brunch and tried the Kennet Square omlette and vegan breakfast burrito. The omlette was absolutely delicious- the mushrooms and caramelized onions really stood out, and the egg was very fluffy and soft. The burrito was a little bit too salty but it improved with the salsa/pico provided. One of the highlights of the restaurants is the interior, which is decorated with farm house meets dog-theme vibe. Every room has personality and character. This would also be a nice spot to take visitors or parents when they are visiting the university. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Omlette - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Downgrading my review because of poor service experience with the new staff those evening. We arrived at 4pm for happy hour and got 2 seats at the bar. We were told no high chair at the bar, which was ok. Then another lady comes pretending to be the manager and says "no kids allowed at the bar". This was not our first visit at the bat and we explained to her. She was very rude and blamed the manager taking no responsibility. We then moved to a table, she them comes back saying manager is ok as long as the kids are accompanied with an adult. I was flabbergasted, who in the world would leave kids at the bar and then go sit on a table. Made no sense. Our table was in back and we were waiting for service for 10 mins. After thay we just left. Very Disappointing service today....:( read more

Food: 3 Service: 3 Price: 3 Ambiance: 5 I was in Philly and wanted to try out some brunch place and this is what popped up for me on my trusted Yelp. Aesthetics of this place are on point. So cute! As I was walking to be seated, I passed through so many cool separate rooms. The decor can be visually overwhelming as there are a lot of decked out walls of wallpaper and gold guilder accents. Decadent is what comes to mind. I ordered a mushroom omelet and coffee. It was fine. I mean I'm not sure if I've just become accustomed to really great brunch places here in LA, but given how decadent the place was, I found the food a bit underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it was good but not great. And, what's funny is my server asked me after noticing I didn't eat the potatoes if I liked them! read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We really enjoyed our experience on the patio. The food matched the weather, very al fresco. There was also a running race going on the road next to the restaurant, so we got some entertainment with our dinner! The restaurant is in a great location and has the funnest atmosphere! read more

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Service was okay. It took about 30-mins from getting seated to being served food. There's no syrup for any of their lattes but they have simple syrup as an alternative! The classic avocado BLT was good! Only thing was it was slow service to something to consider if you're in a rush. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Avocado BLT - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We love a cute farm to table situation, the East Coast's first at that. For lunch I chose the meatloaf melt special but the stars of the show was the whipped feta and the mushroom soup. Deeeeelish! Service was excellent, even with the lunch time rush. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Whipped Feta - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We began our long weekend in University City with lunch at the White Dog Cafe. The bright and ample space, set in three Victorian brownstones, was very comfortable, easy to converse in and the decor really embodied a sophisticated rustic charm. We began our meal with cocktails and an Artisan Cheese Plate which was accompanied by fruit, nuts, pickles, crusty bread and the most delicious strawberry and apricot spreads. The cheese selections were unique and very tasty! Definitely a must have as an appetizer or a nosh with cocktails. For our mains, we selected the Spicy Lamb Bolognese and the Impossible Patty Melt. The lamb ragu was very flavorful and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The Impossible Patty Melt was well cooked and the star of the show was the smoky onion jam and spicy pickles. This was a perfect intro to the foodie scene in and about the University City area. The staff was warm and friendly and the overall vibe makes it easy to linger long after the meal is done. read more

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Stopped in to the white dog cafe here for a quick late lunch. The space is nicely decorated and has various rooms on multiple floors, and outdoor sections. The downstairs area seemed cozy with portraits of dogs. We ordered the chopped salmon salad and double cheddar burger. Both had fresh, good ingredients. Burger was cooked at temp, but just seemed lacking. Definitely a pricier though not memorable meal to me. Staff also forgot about us though as we were never checked on until we were done so maybe an off day all around. read more

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The white dog cafe on Samson St is spacious. There are several rooms throughout with different decor. I don't know what brand of coffee they use but I loved the coffee. I ordered the FARMERS PLATE (Cage-Free Eggs Any Style, Green Meadow Farm Smoked Bacon, Multigrain Toast, Home Fries). I am not a fan of eggs but these eggs were cooked and seasoned exactly how I can tolerate eating them. I had to let the waiter know just how good the eggs were! This location is great to celebrate a birthday! There is also outside seating. read more

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I'm not from Philly. And I had never been to Philly. But I came in for a work trip, and this is where my boss wanted to take us. I was so intrigued right from the start. The decor in there is so fun! Dogs, everywhere. Which I love of course. The rooms are so eclectic. Both upstairs and downstairs. We ate in the private room in the back which had fun paintings and sculptures all over. There were 10 of us in the party and I felt like we were attended to well. The food came out in a timely manner. It was tough to choose what to get because everything looked so good! I tried one of the specials - the bao brisket. Pretty yummy. Had some of the buffalo chicken dip - delish! And then ordered the Seafood Bucatini. Which is not something I'd normally order but I'm so glad I did! The white wine garlic sauce was absolutely delicious. I learned that I'm not a big fan of Bucatini pasta (I like thinner noodles). But even with the thickness the flavor was too good to care. The seafood was fresh and it was a good balance of sauce to noodles to seafood. I also ordered the Pear cocktail. And the cider sangria. Both so good! My only regret is not having enough time to explore the location and learn more about the history. Next time! read more

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I came here after a long day of exploring University City. We were able to find seating outside at one of the tables. Everything here is dog themed. They have dog pictures on the floor, in the bathroom, everywhere. Even the drinks were dog themed specials. The waitress came by and explained their happy hour menu. All their food is made farm to table so the quality is superb. To drink I ordered the Pawjito which is rum, elderflower liqueur, kiwi, lime, and ginger ale. It was not too sweet and had a good amount of liquor. To eat I ordered the White Dog Double Cheddar Burger which was recommended by the waitress. It came with green meadow farm smoked bacon mayo, bibb lettuce, tomatoes, grilled red onion, on brioche. For a happy hour special it was a large burger. Unfortunately it did not come with fries so I ordered parmesan fries on the side. The food was great. You can taste the fresh and local ingredients with every item. I can see why this is a popular spot with locals and university students. The food here is very good. I plan to come back here for another happy hour sometime soon to try their other options. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nice restaurant near U Penn. Nice vibe, cute interior with dog themed arts and deco. Food was pretty decent also. I had a good experience and it was memorable. Strongly recommend to eat here if you are near Drexel or U Penn. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Dogs - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tasty American food! We visited White Dog Cafe on a Thursday night, and it was about a quarter full. There is fun dog iconography everywhere and an eclectic mix of rooms. We split the mezze platter, whipped feta, and Hawaiian rolls, and I ordered the cauliflower Milanese as main. The mezze platter had some lovely sauces to pair with the tasty bread triangles. The whipped feta was delicious and was complemented well by the tomato and balsamic. The Hawaiian rolls were surprisingly light and had a sweet flavor. The cauliflower Milanese was excellent with a delicious sauce. Overall, I had a great experience at the White Dog Cafe and would highly recommend them for dinner in University City. read more

My go-to place when hosting friends and family near campus! Every single dish is always great, and I appreciate their farm to fork approach with seasonable species. The dog decorations and themed rooms are a nice touch too! read more

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My Son's Took Me There For My Birthday And The Food Was Good But A Little Different It's A Geeat Place I Would Recommend It To Family And Friends read more

Food was good and tasty service was on point. Nice place to get together with the girls

I am not saying that the ambience and the food is bad, but the bathrooms have very soiled, wet floors with the smell of urine on it. I got stomach virus a few days after eating there not sure whether it was related or not but I ordered the mezze platter and if the servers don't properly wash their hands, it might have been the culprit. It is hoped that this will culminate into the restaurant improving their cleanliness and hygiene. read more

Lots of dog art. LOTS. It's a trip. If you have cynophobia this is not a place for you. Food is all farm to table and seasonal. Ordered the tuna melt and had some of the Spinach & Artichoke Croquettes. Kiwi lemonade was very sweet. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Spinach & Artichoke Croquettes - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Went here for a corporate event. First time back in a decade. This is an interesting ambience with lots of small rooms. We had a pre-fix menu with tuna tarar, salad/soup, burger/chicken breast/salmon. The starter and first course were good but the chicken was very dry. For large parties that may not be a surprise, but still a little disappointed. They have a good wine/beer list. The service was OK. read more

Yelp, you've done it again. I was visiting Philly for my niece's birthday and wanted to locate a restaurant for brunch that has great ratings on Yelp, took brunch reservations, and could handle this party of 4. I located a few, but this one stood out. This restaurant is very easy to locate, and on a Sunday at 11am... plenty of inexpensive street parking. We were greeted by very pleasant hostesses as well as unique and attractive decor. This place is a puppy lovers paradise w the décor. I'm not going to share too much, you have to visit!! We were greeted by the lovely Adrian, who was sweet as pie. She was very professional, timely w table visits, and got our order right the 1st time!! Collectively, we ordered the following... Nashville Hot Chicken w Waffle: Big plate, well seasoned and spicy the way we like it. Puppy Power Beverage: Soooo refreshing!! Light yet impactful flavor. Farmers Plate: Plentiful, well plated, and very tasty. Well seasoned. A la Carte Bacon: At least 6 pieces, and crisped perfectly!! A la Carte Breakfast Potatoes: Sooo good!! I loved the herby seasoning. A la Carte French Toast: This item changed my husband's life!! He literally talked about it all evening, through the wedding, and the next day on our trip back home. It was amazingly light, and the flavor was chef's kiss !! A la Carte Egg Whites: Well prepared and tasty. A la Carte Turkey Bacon: Prepared very well, great portion size. I've been talking about this place since we left. I highly recommend this place for any and everyone !! Job exquisitely done White Dog Cafe. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Street view. - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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What a great spot. Seating outdoor was delightful. Ate from the delicious happy hour menu including tuna tartare, oysters and lovely caesar salad with sauted shrimp. read more

Really enjoyed a good brunch at White Dog Cafe. The ambience is great and the food was delicious. The service was also perfect with attentive staff and the managers also checked in to make sure all was good! We ordered the scrambled eggs, avocado toast, chicken and waffles,monkey bread ,flapjacks and the brunch snack board. Everything was delicious. Definitely recommend the cafe for a great meal. read more

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It was clean and the staff was noxe. Very diverse menu as well. Both lunch and dinner entrees. There was also a great outdoor dining area

Great location in University City. A renovated brownstone. Wish I had visited the wine cellar. A nice cocktail and beer menu with a variety of choices. The deviled eggs were very good. Nice crunch at the end. A tad bit salty. I had the seafood bucatini ; which was delicious. Others had the farm beef meatloaf which was also delicious. The service was great. We were in and out in just over an hour. Our waitress Micaela, was very attentive and made for an enjoyable evening. read more

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I really wanted this to be a perfect experience, but it was wholly unsatisfying. I will say, this is one of the most interesting and gorgeous restaurant venues I have ever visited. That was my favorite part, how interesting walking through each room was. Unfortunately, the service and food were problematic. We had a group, not huge by any means, but the group gratuity became an annoyance following the service. Most importantly, multiple people in the table were served undercooked fish--the inside of their salmon was completely raw. One of these guests also had a severe allergy, and was still given plates with that allergen after alerting the server multiple times. One of the pomegranate margaritas we got was undrinkably spicy. The staff did replace the salmon, but it was sad to see multiple members of our group get cold and undercooked food. Furthermore, our table set the reservation during the Fearless Restaurant week--but when we asked for the special menu advertised online, our server had no clue what we were talking about. He had to ask us what the items on the prix fixe menu were. And after all that, the multiple drinks each person at our table got, the mid-level set price for the 3-course special, we were still hungry. The portions for the fearless menu were really small. But, due to their menu prices, rather than order more I went home for a second dinner. I really wanted to like this restaurant, but I'm disappointed and underwhelmed. The food was alright, but not for the price and experience we got. read more

What a lovely place, brownstone converted into a great cafe, with farm to table fare. We had a great waiter Will who took care of us and gave us the history of the cafe and how it got its name. My husband had the special a steak with hash and two fried eggs in an iron skillet. He said it was a little taste of heaven. I had the strawberry cheesecake stuffed French toast with chicken apple sausage. It was a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth! Can't wait to visit again to try their other meals! read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Steak with chimichurri hash and fried eggs and toast. - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I visited for Happy Hour on a Thursday, and the bar was packed with enthusiastic customers and lively conversations. The restaurant was very cozy, and it makes for a great post-work stop for food and drink. My food was good, however I felt some dishes had potential for improvement. The fries were seasoned well but tasted like it was sitting out for just a minute too long since it wasn't as hot as expected. I asked my burger to be cooked medium and it came out closer to medium rare. The deviled eggs and salad were both delicious, which made for a good closer to the meal. Happy hour dishes were easy to split with my date and still overall a great bite despite some minor quality hiccups. The service was excellent, and we received our food quickly and were checked in on frequently despite a fully packed bar when we arrived. I felt the prices were excellent for the different dishes we ordered, and overall was a good location and spot near Penn's campus for a post-work meal. read more

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Awesome food, staff and atmosphere. Go here all the time. one of our favorite stops in Philadelphia

Very good lunch spot, and also a fun place for a drink. Had a nice soup there with a beer. Good atmosphere

Visited the White Dog Cafe in University City. They have an interesting private room at this place. The place had an interestingly large picture of a dog. There was also these metal flower statues that were attached to the wall. The ceiling was full of many chandeliers. The waitress was very quick and friendly. I had some coffee which was delicious. I had the hummus as an appetizer. I really liked how the bread was so warm and they gave a ton of vegetables with the dish. The vegetables consisted of different colored carrots, radish, and celery. The hummus was topped with red peppers and green chutney. The Thai salad is a must get! The dish was super spicy. It had shiitake mushrooms, udon noodles, tenderloins, and a ton of vegetable. Lastly, the dessert was ok. It was 3 small dessert cakes. The only noteworthy one was the jelly filled cake. read more

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Had a great group dinner (for work) at White Dog recently. They have a private room available that fits ~12-15 people around a table with doors to keep out the noise of the restaurant. Appetizer spread of whipped ricotta w/ toast, Cesar salad, crispy cauliflower and truffle fries. The Ricotta is one of my favorites - I would highly recommend! For my entree I got a sesame crusted tuna dish which exceeded expectations! The servers were very attentive and made sure everyone had food and wine glasses filled. I would definitely recommend White Dog for a group dinner event. read more

White Dog Cafe - University City - Sesame Seared Yellowfin Tuna - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My oncology consult at Penn Vet went longer than I had anticipated. While my dog was having a minor procedure, I decided to walk over for some lunch. I ordered curry chicken salad on croissant with a side of mushroom soup. Positively delectable. Perfect service from the bartender Edward. I had a delicious glass of Sauvignon Blanc to calm my nerves. The interior is quirky and comfy. Everything looked clean and in order. When I sat down I looked to the right and the dog painting was the spitting image of my dog. I am taking that as a positive sign. read more

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The service was good and the atmosphere is nice, but the food was a major disappointment.We tried several dishes, and most fell short:Grilled Chicken Sandwich: The meat tasted off, as if the chicken had gone bad.Shrimp Salad: It looked good initially, but the presentation made it hard to eat. The lettuce wasn't chopped, and the bacon was left in massive, crumpled chunks instead of being crumbled or cut.Spicy Thai Noodles: The noodles were undercooked and hard. On top of that, they weren't spicy at all and had no real flavor.Seafood Cavatelli: The appearance was unappetizing--the pasta shape honestly looked like maggots--though the sauce itself tasted okay.The only real bright spots of the meal were the onion dip and the attentive staff. Unfortunately, because of the food quality, we won't be back. read more

We celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday on a beautiful day outside. We ordered mushroom soup, onion soup, double cheeseburger, trout, New York strip steak, and flounder piccata, all of which were delicious. Our waiter was great, checking on us frequently to see if we needed anything. To finish off our wonderful meal, we enjoyed carrot cake pudding with nuts and ice cream, which was also very good. The restaurant was clean, and the staff was warm and friendly. We will return to try other items on the menu. read more

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White Dog Cafe totally won me over. The space is incredible. It feels like you're walking through a series of cozy, artsy rooms in a historic home, each one with its own personality. It's charming without trying too hard. I went for brunch and couldn't stop smiling the whole time. The coffee was so good I ordered a second cup without hesitation. I had the Farmers Plate and somehow even the eggs, which I'm usually picky about, were perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. You can really taste the quality and freshness in everything. The staff was upbeat and genuinely kind, checking in at the right moments and making the whole experience feel effortless. It's the kind of place where you lose track of time and end up lingering longer than planned. Already looking for an excuse to go back! read more

Perfect place for lunch. Great menu with so many options. Perfect portions if you're hungry. Loved the dog theme and portraits of different canines on the walls and pillows. Each dining room had its own theme and character. Service was good but a little slow with our party of 10. Will go back whenever in the area. read more

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