The Foodery - Northern Liberties

Cmack15

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -3.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

I went to this place based on all the reviews I read on Ba about it. The selection is really good and probably the best bottle shop I have ever been to, but having said all that be prepared to spend some loot. I got some Russian River and Bells and few other bottles and spent about $100. Do I feel its overpriced? maybe but if you want quality you gotta pay right? I would go back again but try to limit my purchases or have a budget in mind. I figured I won't be back in Philly for awhile so I better splurge while I had the chance.
cheers

12-30-2010 21:35:27 | More by Cmack15

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -13%
quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

Took my family down into center city for some Christmas stuff and one of MY goals was to stop at the Foodery for a six pack or two of mostly pale ales. I'm currently pursueing the top 50 pale ales here on the BA. My goal was to hopefully get the more difficult selections on the list.
Personally I wasn't very impressed with the selcetion and ended up walking out empty handed.
I was under the impression that with over 800 beers, you could fine a couple pales.
They do have a good selection of beer but nothing that I can't find at the Craft Beer Outlet in the far northeast.

12-19-2010 12:44:44 | More by micromaniac129

MarcGetty

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

Four months ago I moved into Northern Liberties and I am now a 3-5 minute walk from The Foodery - Northern Liberties and thus I visit on a regular basis. While I still get the bulk of my beer elsewhere (due to cost) there is definitely something to be said for the ability to do a mix-and-match six-pack to sample some stuff, which is rare to do in PA and was unheard of when I was first turned on to good beer circa 2002.

The selection is very good, with most of it kept cold. However, I'm not going to say the selection is outstanding because it still misses some common stuff that I would like to see. The prices are indeed high. I've never spent less than $25.00/6 pack for a mix.

The service is definitely good, but sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with the Comic Book Store guy from The Simpsons and not worthy of asking an actual question.

The biggest drawback is the secret pricing. Not only are there no prices on the bottles or shelves, they do not give you a receipt with the pricing they charged you! This is just not cool.

09-27-2010 00:54:54 | More by MarcGetty

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

I like window-shopping at the Foodery, but not so much actually purchasing beer there. The reason for this is because they have a very extensive selection of rare and limited beers but the bottles are not marked with the price, which you have to look up in their cringe-inducing book.

The store has such a wide selection of beers because a lot of the more sough-after ones are so expensive that it dissuades all but the biggest fans with deep pockets, so a bourbon barrel-aged Angel's Share will be there for a couple weeks after release.

This is the first place to go if you must have something special, but I cannot imagine this store ever being my regular supplier of craft beer.

The store is really clean and fairly well organized. The staff is fairly helpful, if a bit hipster-apathetic, but willing to help if pressed. They'll leave you alone to look around for a while and don't mind if you leave empty-handed if nothing strikes your fancy. I always go in if I'm in the neighborhood, but only make a small purchase every other time or so.

And they have a nice selection of various Haribo gummy candies too!

06-28-2010 21:39:31 | More by Soonami

TmoNyc

New York

4.15/5  rDev -5%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

Made my first visit here during Philly Beer Week. The goal of the trip/visit was to find beers that I cannot find in NYC and I will say that this place was more then up to the task. As far as what I can't get my hands on at home (NYC) they had: Russian River, Port Brewing, Terrapin, Bells, Lost Abbey, & Yards to name a few.

The staff was friendly, helpful, & didn't try to rush you in the least. The store was also quite clean which is a plus.

My one complaint is that none of the bottles have prices on them. I wound up spending $90.72 on 7 bottles of beer (3 Port bombers & 4 RR 375's). Personally, I would have liked to have gotten more bang for my buck. Lesson learned for next time.

But other then that, this place most likely has what you're looking for.

06-21-2010 04:18:03 | More by TmoNyc

regspeir

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$$

If there is some esoteric beer you are looking for in Philly, the first retail establishment that comes to mind to try in Philly is the Foodery. The selection is amazing. The staff is also a plus, very knowledgeable and willing to give you all the time you need unless they are busy. Everything is incredibly well ordered in case after case lining the walls. That is the good side. There IS another side. The prices are outrageous. I dare you to put together a mixed six for anything approaching reasonable. And nothing is marked, causing you to have bother the staff repeatedly. For these reasons, this is my place of last resort. If I can find it ANYWHERE else, it is almost guaranteed to be more reasonable.

06-17-2010 01:41:28 | More by regspeir

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -5%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

I have been visiting the other Foodery location for a while and have recently started hitting up this location when i need some good beers on impulse. The initial reaction is amazement at how different this is from the Center City location. There are atleast a dozen doors housing beer, organized loosely by origin (German, English, Belgian, American, Local etc). There is also adequate shelf space to stock an adequate supply of some of the newer releases from the usual suspects (like Southern Tiers Imperial series) and more fancier releases (Mikkeller, Cantillon, AleSmith, Russian River, Cigar City etc.). There is a small deli area and decent amount of seating to enjoy some goods there. The staff is hit or miss with their knowledege about the beer, but are genuinely helpful and friendly.

Like many others, my only gripe is the price. $40 for a bottle of Cantillon or Russian River that goes for $25 elsewhere and even $4 for a 12oz that goes for $2.75 elsewhere. Yes, there is a convenience factor for not haing to trudge miles for an affoardable bomber, but it doesnt quite align with the prices here. So i probably only utilize the Foodery for 20% of my purchases instead of a much higher number. In fact, it is almost just as easy to drink some of these beers in a bar setting and pay a similar amount... ive paid more for a bomber at the Foodery than my local bar for the same item.

06-16-2010 13:22:24 | More by rfgetz

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

The Foodery has 2 locations in Philly. The No Libs location I've frequented, in recent years, almost exclusively (due to its proximity to other great beer depots). I loved the fact that for a long stretch there, I would go in each time to find that they added 20-30 more brews to their selection which, if I remember correctly, is over 900 pushing 1,000. Complete selection of local (spanning a 4-5 state area) brews and a thorough representation of the beer spectrum in quality and origin.

I would agree that the prices may be a little high (even with the mix-a-6 deal), however, my take on the prices is this: I don't mind paying the little bit extra because you can sit down and relax with a tasty sandwich (they have an excellent deli menu) and sample one of nearly 1,000 beers. The neighborhood, the selection and convenience, the opportunity to sit in and enjoy - I think these and other things factor into the prices.

The service is actually (and should be, anyway) excellent. It would appear that it's assumed customers know enough about what they're looking for not to be bothered by the clerks, but all you have to do is ask, if you want help, and the guys in there know their s@#t. No attitude or excessive snobbery either. Plus, they usually know what's available (as far as drafts, hand-pump, casks) in bars and other spots throughout the city, which is extremely helpful.

Do yourself a favor if you savor beer and visit this spot while you're in town.

04-23-2010 15:19:32 | More by Bouleboubier

blackie

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +6.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$

rolled by The Foodery after a fantastic lunch at the nearby Arbol Cafe

outstanding selection - only catch is that it's singles only (not a problem as a visitor, as I'm after variety), lots of regional items, beers from up and down the east coast, and around the world, representing the rarer or harder to find beers well, everything is in coolers save for some of the bomber/750 selections

items of interest may include Russian River, Lost Abbey/Port, Pretty Things, Terrapin, Dark Horse, Founders, Victory - the list goes on and on, not just a couple bottles per brewery - but nearly complete lineups for more than a few, let's just say it gets these consistently high scores with good reason

both guys working offered useful advice when attempting to narrow down my selections, and were candid when answering questions as to the quality of certain breweries

beers are available for in-house consumption alongside their menu of deli items

03-15-2010 01:45:25 | More by blackie

220emaple

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +11%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$

Went to this place today. After being a frequent customer from the Craft Beer Outlet in the Northeast, I appreciated the change in scenery. The difference between the two stores was both the amount of excellent beers, but also the price. The Foodery defnitely has more variety/supply, but it's more expensive...It's nothing too expensive though I guess... I got a 6 pack--St. Bernadus Tripel, Dogfish World Wide Stout, Tripel Karmeliet, Dogfish Old School, Founder's Breakfast Stout, and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter for $39... 6 great beers. The tall guy that works there is also very knowledgeable, and a beer fanatic----would recommend to anyone in the Philly area lookin to try some great craft beers, local or imported.

01-04-2010 03:22:58 | More by 220emaple