Standard Tap

rdrummer

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4

I visited Standard Tap for a Sunday Brunch. They open on Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 AM for brunch. The rest of the week, they open at 4:00 PM. Standard Tap is a local Philadelphia taproom. Brunch, in particular, brings out the neighborhood for good beer, mimozas, bloody marys, and good food.

Standard has only draft beer, no bottles, and it is all local to the Philadelphia region. There are some exceptions to this that stretch the regional point a little, one being Troegs, which is located in Harrisburg. Philadelphian's like to claim it as a local brewery, however, so I guess it passes.

Standard has 12 to 14 beers on tap at all times, two on the hand pump. I tried the Troegs Hop Bock on the hand pump. It was truly excellent beer with the wonderful hoppiness of a pale ale and the maltiness of a bock. I also tried the RiverHorse Hop Hazard (NJ), which I didn't like as much. It was good just not as special as the Troegs. They also had beers from Sly Fox (Phoenixville, PA), Stoudt's (Adamstown, PA), Victory (Downingtown, PA), Flying Fish (NJ), Yard's (Philly), and Dogfish Head (DE) on tap.

The menu is handwritten every day. The only thing that is available every day (not for brunch, though) is the cheeseburger, which is superb. For brunch, there were some amazing omelettes, including a venizon and portobello omelet that killed. All the food was excellent. The french toast was extra thick, fresh baked bread; the omelettes were accompanied by biscuits and gravy or home fries. There were also steak and eggs and eggs benedict. Even the fruit and cheese plate was special. Nothing was ordinary.

The service is a little slow but very friendly. The slowness was probably due to the fact that it was standing room only, so get there before noon to get a seat at or in the bar. There is also a back room and an upstairs room, but you miss half the fun by being out of the barroom.

Standard is in a very old, working class neighborhood of Philadelphia, known as Northern Liberties. The area became more than a little rundown, but is receiving something of a rebirth with a number of beer bars, clubs, and restaurants in a twelve block radius. Standard is in a very old building with plenty of quirks to make it interesting, including a keg of Yard's Philadelphia Pale Ale on tap in a 1950s refrigerator with a tap coming out of the door. I definitely recommend a trip to Standard if you are in the Philly area. Brunch and dinner are both great, and the beer is always fresh and special.

10-26-2003 20:35:14 | More by rdrummer

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in here for the first time last week while we were in the area. I have always heard how great this place is, time to see if that is accurate.

Nice sized space with a good amount of seating area. Atmosphere is all over the place. From older people to beer geeks to hardcore hipsters. The smallish bar on the left has the drafts and menu listed above it. Service was pretty good as well. Our server seemed to know her stuff and she came to check on us a few times during our short visit. Selection was great. All but two of the drafts from PA. I got a Dock Street Berliner and it was decent. Only had time to get one beer but I saw a few others I would have liked to try. No food this time but I have only heard great things so I am looking forward to that visit.

Overall a place that I am sure I will stop at many times in the future.

07-03-2012 00:18:18 | More by orangesol

coldriver

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Visited on day one of a 4 day northeastern pub crawl in June 2011. Really like the Colonial look of this place - not sure what it was like in previous live's but it's easy to imagine the founding father's dropping in for a pint. The focus of our trip was local beers and this was the best we found (out of NYC, Boston, Philly, & Baltimore) in meeting our goals.
Place was pretty packed on a Saturday night and we got seated in a smallish room upstairs shared with a dozen guys getting warmed up for a bachelor party. They were somewhat annoying (mostly BMC types) but finally left after a round of bro-hugs the likes of which I've never witnessed before (sure, City of Brotherly Love..., but every guy's gotta hug every other guy? - total of 132 hugs...). After that the service and atmosphere improved markedly. Philly is a great beer city and Standard Tap really showcases the great local offerings. Food was also quite good.

07-30-2011 16:15:07 | More by coldriver

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

It's been way to long since I've been to the Standard. This was a 3rd stop on a recent mini bar crawl.

Right across the street from The Foodery, Standard tap is the real deal when it comes to local beer. I've been to many local bars and this standard runs the standard on PA beer. 1st floor is the standard wooden bar with a nice chalkboard full of good eats and drinks, wine, liquor and 15 or so standard taps. I had some Yards IPA on Cask, it was quite good. Two handpumps by the way and the bartender knows how to pull a pint.

I like the look here, it reminds me of many city bars with the ceiling structure and the walls give off a General Lafayette kinda vibe, homey, rustic, paintings on the wall, you know all those old standards. Their is also an upstairs bar with the same selection and quite a bit more seating, similar to the downstairs. I believe there is also a small deck.

I knew I liked this place when I realized the workers/bartenders were actually seemingly having a good time doing their job. I've been to many a bar in the area with some dull service staff "here's your beer" gloomy outlook on life type of people. Standards people were upbeat without being wild.

This place has a great selection of eats. The fries are killer, well cooked and really fill you up after a small crawl. Large portions. My boy had an oyster po boy, he loved it.

I really like this place and will be coming back, hopefully during beer week.

05-15-2011 11:58:09 | More by onix1agr

nickd717

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Big fan of this place. Liked it better than Monk's Cafe really, although the selection is not nearly as great. Really killer vibe with a good crowd. Lots of good "talent" (i.e. attractive females), not that I care as I am getting married. There's also loads of space both downstairs and upstairs, and it's got a fun atmosphere. The tap list is long - maybe 20 beers or so - and very local-heavy. I think I counted one or two beers on the whole list that weren't from PA. However, you're likely to see some interesting local obscurities that you haven't yet ticked, and some of them will be tasty. I had a Flying Fish Exit 9 (good tick) and a Manayunk California Dreamin IPA (so-so tick). The food is pretty solid if you get a chance to try it. Service is pretty good, even when it's busy. I'll be back whenever I'm in town again.

04-22-2011 22:08:16 | More by nickd717

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I went to the Standard Tap on a recent trip to Philadelphia. The atmosphere was very low-key with dim lighting, cool music, and friendly staff. The bartender was very nice and helpful discussing some good local spots for us to try out. I had two beers at the Standard Tap which were both decent beers-Troeg's Mad Elf (which I had had the previous day at the Troegs brewery in Harrisburg) and a Sly Fox Stout. The beer selection was decent, but not spectacular like some other spots I went to in Philly. I would recommend this place as a cool stop to sit back, relax, and enjoy a beer or two.

12-31-2010 03:00:46 | More by Chincino

Cmack15

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Stopped in this bar after making a big beer haul across the street at The Foodery. Met a friend of mine from Phoenixville here because he knew of the spot. Really cool vibe here super friendly bartender who chatted with us about Philly bars. the bartender loved Memphis Taproom and some German bar that did really good food. Any bar that has Mos def playing is quality in my book, heard the whole album "Black on Both Sides." The draft selection was nothing too impressive and seemed to highlight a lot of local breweries, but they had good beers and you just enjoyed drinking them there. They have an upstairs and downstairs bar but we only saw the downstairs one. I would not make this a destination but if your nearby this a great bar.
Cheers

12-30-2010 21:28:13 | More by Cmack15

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Visited 9/11/10, 5:30-7:00pm

My dinner destination was easy enough to find: a brick 4-story with a contrasting whitewashed facade and huge 'STANDARD' (smaller: 'TAP') painted on the side, anchoring the 2nd/Poplar corner. After a quick browse across the street at The Foodery and a few blocks of strolling in the Northern Liberties 'hood (er, 'NoLibs', which reminds me of Mad Libs, which makes me want to fill in some 'Verbs' or 'Adjective's or 'Persons' to complete my review...), my appetite caught up and I headed inside (through the door with a wriggling tangle of old pipes and fittings for security bars).

Wow, cool inside: I'm a sucker for the nooks and crannies that old buildings, pubs or otherwise, provide. This place looks and feels like a pub 'should': a maze of small rooms, covering two floors, some for dining, one a small bar upstairs with open windows, a cozy balcony for outdoor seating (in use, unfortunately, by a group on this pretty evening), friends chatting everywhere. I nosed around before settling in downstairs in the first room I passed through, grabbing a side table just inside the door and opposite the bar. Warm woods, dark floors, pressed tin ceiling. No TV - just a jukebox, ATM, and cig machine - all downgraded the feel just a little. From my perch on a perimeter bench, I could watch the crowds come and go (not terribly busy on an early Saturday) and the crew gathered around the 10 seat bartop. I'm sure on a busy night it could get dark and cramped, but the early evening vibe was comfortable, a waning sunlight warming most rooms. Good tunes, a rockin' mix of Hendrix, Chili Peppers, and the like.

About as local a taplist as I found at any point in my 3 day visit: 20 or so (2 hand pumps), and all from right there in the SEPA area. My first pick was a Kenzinger: it was $3, its logo was emblazoned on the pints, and it was local (of course). Not bad, either... Later, a Sly Fox Saison (with dinner) and a smaller Flying Fish Exit 6 joined in. Others seen but not tasted came from Stoudts, Yards, Victory, Troegs, Dock Street, etc. All I tried were fresh-tasting and served at the right temperature, poured to shaker pints or unmarked wine glasses.

I probably didn't choose the best item off the menu, but I'm still giving a '4' based on what I saw at other tables and what was displayed on the chalkboard above the bar. My dish, spicy mussels and sausage, had good flavor but the bivalves themselves were overdone, shriveled. There's a game-centric fare I wished I'd have explored, a menu boasting rabbit, duck and antelope!

Decent service, provided by Jason (separated at birth: Jack Black)... attentive and quick enough to refresh an empty glass. Otherwise, a bit more hip/aloof on the serving side.

A comfortable locale and a great neighborhood vibe. Not my favorite place, but certainly somewhere I'd return to again and again if I was a local.

09-18-2010 15:05:20 | More by msubulldog25

Soonami

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

I've been to Standard Tap probably close to ten times now. I've sat at the bar, upstairs, outside; I've been there when it's busy, quiet, early and late. Because of this I feel like I can give a fair assessment of what the general experience one should expect.

The bar offers a great selection of local beers that highlights the best of what is going on in the region. They have both regular beers and special releases from Troegs, Flying Fish, DFH, Sly Fox, Weyerbacher, etc. This is great, but sometimes I wish they would have a beer or two from Belgium or the West Coast instead of the same local beers you can get at countless other bars. That said, with a currently expanded keg set-up, they now offer 20 beers on draught, which improves on selection.

The food is always great, from the classic Standard burger to the veggie sandwiches, and salads. Brunch is good too, I always seem to go back to the burger. It's hand formed, fresh, flavorful beef, that is well-seasoned, with great toppings, and prepared to the desired temperature--if only they could put it on a sturdier roll! A brioche bun is far too soft and timid for such a meaty patty(s). The food is well prepared and the portions are more than adequate.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and cool, with several rooms where you and a small group can take over or busy bars to mingle with new people. The decor is inspired by vintage plumbing parts, with a heavy dosing of dark wood and burnished metals. It's a very inviting place.

My main quibble has been the service. There have been times where I go when it's empty and the bartenders are attentive and nice; there are times when the restaurant is busy and the waitstaff is on-top of things: refilling water, bringing out food and beer, and checking in without being obtrusive. But there have also been times when I went for brunch a little after opening and been told to sit wherever I wanted by the bartender, only to be ignored for 5-10 minutes before getting menus.

The worst offense was on a recent cool summer night, when I ordered a beer and a Coke and did not receive the soda despite reminding the waitress 3 more times. And then I ask for the check and only then did she give me the soda with the check and say, "sorry I forgot, I was really busy tonight." It was pretty obvious to me that she only remembered when she printed out the check that I had ordered the Coke, which I had taken off the bill. Service was particularly slow that night, even for a Saturday and the waitress was clearly not capable.

I would definitely go back again and often bring out of town guests because I think it's just one of those Philly places that people should experience, but usually just for drinks or a meal during quieter hours.

06-28-2010 23:10:32 | More by Soonami

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.36/5  rDev -18.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Well we walked down the block to Standard Tap after waiting a while at North Bowl. After hearing so many good thing's about this place I was excited.

When we walked in we just said damn this is a tight fit with more than a couple people in our party it was tight. My first intial thought was this is it? A very dark bar and what seemed to be kind of dirty. The waiters seemed to be a little overworked and agitated. Not very friendly. So we decided to walk upstairs. It was a little better. More room and a friendlier atmosphere. Must of us ended up getting the kilty pleasure which seemed to be free flowing.As for the tap selection I wasn't that impressed all PA beers and nothing else on the board.I love PA beers but I need a bit of a variety. All and all a decent placce but nothing worth going out of the way for a somewhat of a letdown.

02-27-2010 17:09:11 | More by TheFightfan1