Memphis Taproom

marcpal

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $

I had gotten takeout food from here before which I have liked but finally got to spend a good long afternoon there this weekend for Mystery Beer weekend.

It is in whats called 'fishtown' and was actually pretty close to the Philadelphia Brewing company so this would make a tremendous day of beer.

The atmosphere is pure Philly, the bar up front with the dining room in the back. We got a table in the dining room but close to the bar and it was laid back as you can get. It was fairly crowded (not sure if due to event) but it was still comfortable and friendly.

The quality of the beer was high, very high. Outside of the offerings on the mystery beers, which they did not chince on, the bottle list had good variety. The only complaint is that they were out of Pikeland. D'oh. The food was good too, especially for vegetarians. I particularly liked the hummus dip but am more of a meat eater from the other things- the salads we got were all good as were the fried pickles.
Only other complaint about the food is that it was a bit overfried, cant believe I would ever say that.

The selection, as noted, was very good from what was on the mystery package. But from walking in there in the past, they always had a great local assortment on tap and in bottles which is a great positive for a local bar like this to have.

The value for the price was phenomenal and the service was also perfect in that they didnt rush you as long as you kept getting brews at the table and they didnt ignore you either.

This place surely is worth a visit for good beer, good food, good people and a laid back day or night. Look forward to getting back- another gem in an underrated beer and food city.

08-31-2008 14:00:58 | More by marcpal

slander

New York

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Ooooh, the neighborhood's gone I don't know what, but it's dropped off since wherever it was we was. No, I can tell, 'cause I'm not driving for once and can take in the sights, such as they are. Overshot and circling again, it's somewhere here, wait, it's the corner spot there, are they open you think? Had to run north, way out of the way but I did want to see this place...

A pair of bar tables up front and a 13 seat straight old wood bar with a dark lip on the inside wall. The barback holds a stained wood unit with 3 large mirrored panels over tiered booze, wines, some bottled beers, pictures, brewery signage and other pieces, and looong shelves of glassware down below. A center flatscreen above & a vertical blackboard to each side listing tap selections on one, and bottled selections on the other. Drop lamps over the bar & center tracks spots. Fat glass cube windows on both walls off the corner entrance, pale mustard walls over brown wood lowers with some framed prints and brewery signage about, checkerboard tile floors in black & white, and a framed doorway to the rear room; a dozen + tables and booths there, some sharing common benches, the walls brick play with light artwork.

10 taps on a single tower on the center of the bar and a handpump off to one side. A good mix of locals & regionals (PBC Walt Wit, Sly Fox Oktoberfest, Stoudts Pils, DogFishHead Punkin', Allagash Dubbel), not so's (Russian River Blind Pig & Pliny the Elder, Sprecher Black Bavarian), a token import (Fullers ESB) and a cider (Original Sin). They put up a new cask every Saturday, we caught the Lagunitas Sirius on, but that's not where I'm at just now. You know what, Ed? I'm thinking this is going to be a "two beer" place. I started with a Russian River Blind Pig (Ooooh) and then had a Pliny the Elder (didn't suck), because, like you have to ask why. You're an idiot.

Yes, the 2 Russian Rivers, but I could have just as easily (not quite but nearly so) spent some time with the bottled selections. 3 dozen or so in all, roughly 1/3 of them Belgian (Orval, Petrus Aged Pale Ale, Saison DuPont, Cantillon Gueuze, Abbaye Des Rocs Grand Cru, Monk's Flemish Sour Red, De Dolle Extra Export Stout, Chimay Grand Reserve, Duvel, Corsendonk Brown, St. Bernardus Pater 6, Cherish Raspberry Lambic), another 1/3 US (4 from Port Brewing, Lost Abbey Red Barn Ale & Inferno, DogFishHead 90 & Raison D'etre, Sly Fox Pikeland Pils & Phoenix Pale Ale, Rogue Chocolate Stout, Allagash Dubbel, Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale), and the remainder a mix of Germs (Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock, Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, Franziskaner Hefe, Schneider Aventinus), English (J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale '98, Theakston Old Peculiar), a few beers of the world and Miller Light & Amstel Light, for the roundin' it out effect.

Owner Brendan (aka Greg) was behind the bar, we spoke for a while. He used to deal at Nodding Head, picks good beer, knows New Haven pizza, and busted out a De La Senne Taras Boulba (a very nice low ABV Saison, lovely, really) for us. We like him; he may stay. Fewd? They ate brunchy things and wings of hot for me. There was pain, are you happy? Good tunes being piped in. I'm listening to Tom Waits "A sight for sore eyes" thinkin', "What's that from, Foreign Affairs? Yeah, right?" Solid selection, goodies both bottled and on tap (and the drafts running $4 or $5 at that), goddamn. I could do some serious time here.

10-23-2008 01:56:31 | More by slander

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Located in a rather industrial and slightly run-down area in Philly, this "hole-in-the-wall" type place is difficult to spot and rather non-descript from the exterior...
The selection on draught was amazing... Was just informed that the previos week, they had Pliny the Elder and Younger, which I was extremely pissed about missing...
Was able to sample stuff from Russian River, including Blind Pig IPA, which was really impressive...
Good food, as well, a giant cheeseburger with delicious fries... Friendly staff, a great bartender...
A little out of the way, but definitely recommended...

03-22-2009 01:27:23 | More by dsa7783

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I went to the Memphis Taproom last night during a visit to Philadelphia and honestly I wish I was back there now instead of writing this review. The atmosphere of the Memphis Taproom was very relaxed and suitable to hanging out with friends and enjoying the incredible beer selection. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that Pliny the Elder was on-tap so of course I had to order a couple of those. It was exciting to see Pliny the Elder which is one of my favorite beers on tap somewhere other than at the Brewery in CA and the surrounding area. We ordered a couple appetizers including the hummus platter and the fried pickles which were very good. The service was very good and the bartender was very friendly and knowledgable. The Memphis Taproom is a great place if you're looking for a chill relaxed atmosphere and a great beer selection!

12-31-2010 02:56:10 | More by Chincino

doggydaddy

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

I don't live that far from the taproom. It has a comfortable and cozy feel to the bar for such a crappy neighborhood. The staff is highly knowledgeable about their beers, even if you are not. I was not in love with the food at all. Other people I know love their food I do not. Their pierogies were dry and over cooked. This place does have many good beers though.I had a Peche Mortel there and it was truly a great beer. The great part is that the Memphis Taproom has take-out at 20% off. Overall it is a good night out because the prices are reasonable.

12-29-2012 21:16:53 | More by doggydaddy

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

After the wife and I took a tour of PBC. We went down the block to this little place.

I must say I don't usually like the city type bars as they seem to be all the same but this just had an overall great feel about it. We were inspired to come here after after Guy Fieri's show Diners,drive ins and dives. This is a fantastic little bar with a great tap selection and tremendous food to match. The best yet I have been to in Philadelphia. Yes the service is a bit lacking even on a Saturday afternoon but it certainly makes up for the wait. I ended up having Cantillon Gueze,while the wife had a hairey eyeball.

A bit much in price I have seen certain bottles of beer half the price that I have bought here but still all and all a tremendous must visit bar when you are in the area.

03-19-2011 21:22:42 | More by TheFightfan1

Finn

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Got to visit this place for the first time last night. I liked it quite a lot. It had a pretty basic pub feel, but I think it was a little less dark and drab than your average dark-wood paneled pub. it was clean, and had a separate dining area from the bar. It seemed mostly the younger crowd (25ish-35ish?) from around the neighborhood were the majority of the clientele. The service was great, partly because it wasn't very crowded, but the bartender was knowledgeable about what was on tap, and would let you try a small taste of something you weren't sure about. I also loved the fact that you can get half-pints here, so as to allow me to try more of the beers. Speaking of the beers, their selection was excellent, even though there were only about 10 taps and 1 cask. it was a well thought out list with something for most beer enthusiasts. They had, Elliot Ness, Chiswick Bitter, Sorachi Ace, Yards Cape of Good Hope, among them. A very good bottle list too.
The food was very solid, and left nothing to be desired. it wasn't the BEST I've had, but it was very good.
Prices were very fair, in my opinion. Alot of the top notch drafts were 4 bucks a pint. The food was also reasonable, but not cheap. Overall, Memphis Taproom is a bar I left feeling very good about, I think because of the atmosphere, well-thought out beer selection, knowledgable, friendly staff. I will definitely be coming back here. It;s a good example of a beer bar that can be excellent without having 30 beers on draft.

08-30-2009 23:08:29 | More by Finn

roan22

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

I don't live anywhere near this bar, but I have two good friends [NeroFiddled and BeerZombie] who live in this neighborhood, and so therefore I like to go here if I'm gonna hang out with one of them [or both of them like a few weeks ago!].

The first time I visited MT I went by myself, and ended up having a memorable experience because I unknowingly sat next to Craig Laban when he was doing his review of the place. The second time was about 3 weeks ago.

Beer-wise..its a given..the place belongs up there with the usual Philly beer bar greats.

Atmosphere wise..it reminds me of when I used to go to North Star Bar,The Abbaye or Brigids when I never lived near any of those neighborhoods either. A pleasing, yet detached sort of experience.

I don't personally know the owners but I know people who do and I have the upmost respect for them.

The food...is the only issue I can waffle on. But I am ultra particular about food. The fish and chips I have had better. I had fish and chips fresh before from bloody old England [Brighton Beach], and from Vancouver, and MT's version weren't that great.

However the chili I had during the month of December was awesome, so it redeems things. It had lots of cheese, and they brought me extra sour cream..which is a must for spicy chili and I am a dairy product freak. I have been wanting to try the welsh rarebit for a while but I don't like eggs so I am wondering if its possible to do the welsh rarebit without eggs. Just cheddar cheese and toast. and beer MMMM. [LOL sorry].

01-15-2009 09:20:43 | More by roan22

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped into Memphis Taproom for brunch for the first time last weekend. A little smaller than I was expecting it to be but no big deal. Vibe was pretty good. Lots of people sitting around having breakfast and enjoying themselves. I really wanted to check out the beer garden but it wasn't open yet, I will check it out next time for sure.

Once we were seated in the back dining room we promptly ordered some breakfast and a few beers. I got the Red Rooster, it is essentially the typical breakfast stepped up a notch, and it was awesome. I had two beers while I was there, a Ballast Point Bourbon Barrel Sea Monster on cask and a Round Guys Berliner Weiss. The Ballast point was awesome, the round guys....not so much. I took a look at the bottle list and it was pretty impressive, also pretty expensive. Service was really good. Our server came to check on us multiple times throughout the meal, offering refills and getting us new beers. She even offered to replace my beer when it wasn't up to par but I decided to suffer through it.

Overall a really awesome bar that I will definitely return to in the future.

07-01-2012 17:27:22 | More by orangesol

carlosd74

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

I finally got down here as part of the English Premier League Season 2008 kick-off weekend promotion. This review is long overdue seeing as I requested The Alstrom Bros. add them to the site.

The place is easy to get to from Exit 25 off I-95. It is in Kensington but straddles the border with Fishtown. Don't let the fact it is in Kenso keep you away. This side of Kenso never was that bad and if you want proof that the place is on the ascent...just look at the rent/mortgages on Realtor.com for the 19125 zip code. The website has directions and maps. Speaking of websites, it is a very detailed site. Whoever runs it does a great job because it is visually pleasing and it is just organized. The drafts and bottles are listed.

The place has 11 taps including 1 handpump that featured Hop Wallop. The Bottle list is on the rightside of the bar; the Draft is to the left. Of course it has a full bar and a solid wine list. no its not Tria but it is beats out the likes of Monk's. Some of the drafts were: Walt Wit, Original Sin Cider, London's Pride, SN Anniversary Ale(but Southern Hemi was just behind it),Sly Fox Pikeland Pils, Ommegang Rare Vos, Stone Smoked Porter, Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale and Sly Fox Saison. Bottles were around 50 - 60 strong..running the gamet from Lionshead Light to Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen (smells like smoked bacon!). The only stinkers for the nonadventurous would be the High Life and Amstel Light. Drafts were all $4.

The service from Jessica was outstanding. Every thing I want out of a server. You can't miss her. She is a ginger and has many tattoos on her arms. Very attentive and knows her beers. She inspected each glass before using them. I mean she was holding them up to the light to ensure they didn't have a speck of hardwater stain! Plus she picked only good music off the bar's iPod. I never had to wait for her to ask me if I wanted another drink. She found time to chat. She even poured me an ounce of the aforementioned Rachbier from the wee bit that was lingering in an opened bottle. I think she knew the other punter rather well so it wasn't like she was just stiffing him on the last ounce.

The cost was descent. I got thre at 11:00 AM and didn't leave until 2:30. My Girlfriend and I ate and drank our faces off and the bill only came to $69.55! That's less than $20 an hour for pure utopia ($19.87 to be exact). Too bad my Manchester City (not UNITED!!!) club blew the match or else it would have been a perfect day.

Ohand the brunch menu rocked. It doesn't hurt to have a genuine Chef in your kitchen. What other Philly bar do you know that features Polish & Welsh cooking? My beef & onion pasties were great. Nothing frozen here folks. That pastry crust was light and flakey. My Girlfriend's eggs and hash were very good according to her....I have never eaten corned beef hash in my life. The coffee was solid and kept in a carafe as not to render the product ass-like from the heat and oxygen. Hey it was Sudnay at 11 AM and I needed to counter the beer. LOL. Shit even the water must have been filtered because I know Philly tap water's fine aroma all too well. Hey the little things do matter. Oh and the wings were done wel. The oil was peanut and it didn't taste like it was old oil. Plus the scallions were a nice addition as was the real blue cheese that seemed to have an added ingredient (Old bay?)...not sure but it was great. they were not greasy nor were they dripping in a hot sauce. Nice and crisp. Oh and I forgot the wasabi mayo that was under my Pasties was banging!
All I know is that Brendan is busting his ass to make this place awesome!!! That neighborhood deserve something this excellent. Kudos to Fishtown native Ken Correll and Nodding Head's Paula Decker for there $$$ in getting this place off to a great start. I have never seen a place get it so right out of the gate.

08-18-2008 22:11:23 | More by carlosd74