Beer Heaven

Beer HeavenBeer Heaven
Beer HeavenBeer Heaven
Store

1100 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19147-5513
United States

(215) 271-5248 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.23
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
47
pDev:
9.69%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.26 by zbelair from Pennsylvania

Feb 24, 2018
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Rated by SiepJones from Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75
Great selection. Lots of coolers and tons of bomber bottles. Plenty of new options every week.
May 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by Urk1127 from New Jersey

Apr 19, 2016
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Reviewed by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

3.52/5  rDev -16.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I think there is a difference between pricey and "highway robbery". I had been to this store once before, and my second visit was earlier today. I live and hour north in the Lehigh Valley, and totally understand that Philly prices are higher. 2 examples...
Pizza Boy Black Sour. $33 at Pizza Boy. $40 in the Lehigh Valley. Beer Heaven...$56!
Cascade Sours. I think $22 back in the PNW. $24-$26 in the Lehigh Valley. $32-$35 in Philly. $41 each here.
I had a new Green Flash IPA and an Almanac IPA bomber in my hand, and at $11 each, were tolerable. But I honestly can't see spending my money at a place that gouges to such an obscene level. I walked out empty-handed, and will never return again.
I was honest in my ratings up above, but rated the pricing under the "Quality" tab. The store is neat and clean, very well organized and clearly priced. I was asked if I needed any help. And there are a ton of pretty awesome beers on the shelves. But I guess when the not-so-sought-after beers that are reasonably priced actually sell, you are left with a store full of a year or two worth of pretty solid beers priced double what they should be.
Oct 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by FightinIrish88 from New Jersey

Oct 05, 2015
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Reviewed by captainkrad from New Jersey

4.64/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Great little bottle shop! I found some rarities here! The guy behind the counter was super friendly and more than willing to help me out in my search. Beer Heaven is a treasure trove of good finds! My only complaint is that they were a little pricey...
Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by HookemHoos from Virginia

Jul 06, 2015
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.32/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.75
Usually my first stop in Philly, as it is walking distance from my brother's place.Great selection, but a little pricey. If you’re looking for that special or hard to find beer, this is a good place. Lots of Belgians and seasonals in stock.
Jun 18, 2015
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Rated by Craft_Imperial from Pennsylvania

3.04/5  rDev -28.1%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25
Overpriced. I walked out empty handed surprisingly.
Feb 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.22 by cwinther from Pennsylvania

Dec 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Dec 23, 2014
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Reviewed by REY_CORTEZ from New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
Found this spot when I ventured out to Philly from NYC one weekend. Small place with a huge and well varied selection. Got a nice mix a 6 pack that I brought back to my hotel room. Would def return here when in the area again to see what goodies can be found.
Nov 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.16 by beernut from New Jersey

Sep 24, 2014
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Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

3.86/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Great selection of beer here, especially if you're willing to empty your wallet. Yes, a lot of the prices here are basically criminal; I'd say at least a 10% markup on already high city shop prices. It's the location, I suppose. But I still find myself stopping in every once in a while just to see what's available. The staff seems nice enough, and for the most part, pretty knowledgeable in the beer scene, though I've had a few less experienced people behind the counter.

Worth checking out? Sure. I'd recommend shopping around a bit first before you drop any cash here, though if you don't mind the "convenience charges," there sure is a lot here that is hard to find elsewhere.
Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by SpAiReArGsEonNE from New Jersey

Aug 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Lorianneb from New Jersey

Jul 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by soulcougher from Pennsylvania

Jul 01, 2014
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Reviewed by Cheetos from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Parking is a big plus considering most craft stores around Philly do not have parking. I received great service from the lady running the store and she was very knowledgeable of their inventory. They have a decent selection but a bit on the pricey side. Despite the price, I'll be back because of parking and weekly rotation of new beers.
Jun 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by baconfromwalmart from Pennsylvania

Jun 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Tconroy from Pennsylvania

May 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by cheah from Pennsylvania

May 13, 2014
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Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -22.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 4.5
A- Store is very clean and well organized with two walls of coolers and several shelves of bombers. It's pretty small, but easy to navigate

Q- Store looks professional and carries lots of quality beers

S- NON EXISTANT. There was only one girl working, she never acknowledged that we were in the store, just played on her cell phone. The only time she talked to us, was when my seven month pregnant wife asked to use the restroom, to which her reply was 'sorry it's only for employees.'

S- selection was pretty solid, I walked away with a few beers that I didn't find elsewhere in Philly including Sucaba and 50/50 Eclipse beers.

V- this is the most expensive beer store that I've ever been to. $18 for a 6 pack of Jai Alai!? I broke down and bought a $36 bottle of Eclipse and a $23 bottle of Sucaba but that was all I could do.

I walked about with two great beers, that's the only good thing about my experience
Apr 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by seanchai from Virginia

Apr 06, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by ejmvet from Pennsylvania

Mar 28, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by CSpoons from Maryland

Mar 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by JKV96 from Massachusetts

Mar 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Feb 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Necropsy from Maryland

Feb 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by razorsdescent from Pennsylvania

Feb 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by hoppymcgee from Maine

Jan 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dawkins from Pennsylvania

Oct 10, 2013
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Reviewed by mythaeus from Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +16.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
This is my favorite craft beer store in Philly and the surrounding area.

I've been on the quest to get beers off of the BeerAdvocate Top 250 beers list. I usually walk into a store with the list and ask the counter person to help me. While people are generally helpful, Cindy at Beer Heaven was EXCEPTIONAL! She spent nearly 20 minutes going through the entire list with me. She knew exactly which beer was which, when it usually comes to the store, which don't come to Philly, which she no longer carries because they don't sell, size of bottle, and how much each costs and EXACTLY where in the store the beer was. There are 800 different beers in that store! I actually had one that I marked off as "had" and told her I got it in Philly at another store, she told me she's surprised that I found it. Turned out that I screwed up and marked off the wrong beer! How's that for knowledgeable?

Prices are generally on par with the Foodery, Brew at Ultimo, and Southampton The Beer Store. Mix and match 6 and you get 10% off. I usually get 6 that are on my list. I've been there twice and I still need to come back several times more to get all the one on my list.

Highly, highly recommended the place. Ask for Cindy if you find whoever was working there isn't helpful. She may be in the back doing other things. Oh, DON'T go next door for "pho" as one of the reviewers recommended. Head up to 6th and Washington to Pho Ha if you want good "pho". I'm Vietnamese and hate bad "pho" so trust me :)

Al
Jul 26, 2013
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Reviewed by Skeet215 from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I was suprised at the amount and variety of beers available here. The building seems small from the outside, but it is quite impressive within. I found several beers I have never tasted before.I spent quite a bit of time trying to decide which ones to purchase because so many of them appealed to me. I also appreciate the ability to create your own variety packs. The lady at the counter was quite knowledgeable about the various types and quality of their selections. It is a little more expensive than my normal craft beer store, but when in South Philly it is a stop of mine. I would definitely recommend this place.
Sep 15, 2012
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Reviewed by djbow from Maryland

4.44/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
I have read allot of reviews about Beer Heaven and many complain about their prices and some about the service. Yes, their prices are higher than say Wegman's or Whole Foods, however, their selection is unrivaled. When I go to Beer Heaven they always have what I am trying to find. On average their prices are $1.00 to $10.00 higher than other area stores. This said, many times the beers that are more expensive than the other local stores are only available at Beer Heaven. The lady who works at the counter is super nice and knows enough about the giant selection of beers to satisfy the novice to the craft beer geek.

In a nutshell, if you want a hard to find beer that is sold in the Philadelphia area odds are they have it at Beer Heaven. Yes, you pay a bit more, but the law of supply and demand are what they are.

Cheers!!!
May 29, 2012
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Reviewed by gkatsoris

3.84/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 2 | selection: 4
A: A really good place to buy some bottles of beer. Shelves on one side, and coolers on the other. Nothing over 5' tall, so you don't have to struggle to see and/or reach anything.

Q: Nice and clean. Lots of room. PLENTY OF FREE PARKING.

Ser: They know nothing of beer (and they come off as if they probably don't care too; which is sad)! But very very nice & pleasant people that run the store. And also, they need to put some prices out that line up with the beer.

Sel: Some hiddem gems, new brews, and old favorites! I haven't seen Hoptimus Prime in a long long time.

V: lil bit, lil bit pricy.

One of my hot spots when driving in center city, and/or South Philly. And I def recommend the Pho next door!
Mar 30, 2012
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
I read about this joint here on BA and decided to give it a try. It's not far from the Bella Vista/South Street area the wife and I frequent, although it sits on an odd location between the Interstate and the river with lots of strip malls and difficult traffic patterns.

Beer Heaven it is indeed! A small store packed with beer. A huge cooler wrapping around the store, with single bottles and bombers, plus some shelves in the middle with room-temp stuff and more bombers by the register.

I was enticed by all the beer I can't get in New York City, including Williamsburg Alewerks, Caldera (Old Growth), Lost Abbey and Russian River (of which they have pretty much the entire lineup). A ton of different barreled Eclipse Imperial Stout, at $35 each.

Prices are HUGE. Maybe not as bad as The Foodery, but pretty bad. Victory Dark Intrigue was $17.99 ($11.99 in NYC), Older Viscosity marked at $22 ($15 in NJ) and Firestone XV for $28.79 ($19.99 in NJ).

If you got the cash to burn, why not. I just bought two bottles of Russian River Salvation at $9 each.
Feb 15, 2012
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Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
I finally stopped by this place earlier tonight on the way to ikea in South Philly. Oddly located off of I-95 in a strip mall that's not really close to other beer destinations.

It's basically a medium sized retail shop with a very impressive selection of craft beers. Very clean and bright with little to no decor. There are a ton of coolers that surround the back and right walls as well as a long aisle of room temperature bottles. Additionally, there are even more bottles at the counter.

There is tons of shelf space that's filled with probably the best selection in the area. They carry everything here including things I've never seen before. Tons of rare beers as well but be prepared to pay. Selection is better than Foodery with crazy volume that's on par with the quality of Capones. Some highlights were bourbon BA shipwrecked porter, Drie Fonteinen, rare lost abbey beers, eclipse variations, Stillwater, girardin, Cigar City, Cafe Royal and on and on. The only thing missing was Cantillon. That being said, the prices were outrageous! Some things were reasonable but some of the rarer bottles were $10-15 more than most stores(yet still cheaper than Foodery). I guess that's the price you pay if you want access to a particular beer without hassle or a waiting list. I could have gone broke here but left with only three bottles. I'll definitely be back soon!
Jan 24, 2012
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Reviewed by HopDr from Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +13.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
This is a relatively new place, convenient location for most people in the city and it has a parking lot with plenty of free parking which is a plus. It is clean and looks nice, and the people who work there seem very nice and fairly knowledgeable.

It is a bottle store in Philly, so you have to compare the price to other bottle stores in the area. In the grand scheme of things it is expensive, but it is significantly cheaper (~10% on average maybe?) then the Foodery which is the only other place I know of around here that has a similar selection. One fantastic thing about this store as opposed to some bottle shops in the area: the prices are clearly marked for all beers, so there are no surprises.

Selection is pretty amazing for a Philly bottle store. They really had all the standards, most of the harder to find stuff, and some that I can't find anywhere else in the area.

Quality seems good, I have not noticed any problems with the beers I have gotten from there. Most of their beer is in fridges, some out on shelves.

All in all, will be my new go-to bottle shop in the area.
Jan 04, 2012
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Reviewed by tobelerone from New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
This place is in a strip mall right off of 95 so it's about as convenient as an be if you're passing this way. They have a LOT of beer, tons of coolers full of singles and sixers, which you are allowed to break up and mix as you see fit. A 10% discount is given for 12 oz US bottles only if you buy a six.

Numerous large format bottles and rarities. I'm not going to try to name them but they plenty of stuff you will have a hard time finding elsewhere and you owe it to yourself to stop by if you're looking for something truly out of the ordinary.

Prices here are very high. I bought 6 beers and it ran 31.00 dollars, although one was a Peche Mortel for about 8 bucks and another was a 16.9 oz Maine Zoe for the same price. The rare stuff was even steeper but if you really need that bottle I guess you will pony up. Still cheaper than having a high-end wine habit, I suppose.

The single employee was a 30-ish Asian woman..not who you usually find running a beer establishment of this type. She was extremely friendly and fairly well-informed about beer. After I asked her about Maine's Lunch, which they didn't have, she made a point of writing it down and said she would look into getting it. Very cool.

Ok long story short, you need to stop in here if you're close. Amazing selection, lots of rare bottles, just be prepared to spend.

EDIT: this place has gotten better than ever with increased selection and more rare and coveted beers on the shelves than I can remember seeing pretty much anywhere else, including capones or haltime or new beer. The prices are ludricous but damn this is an exciting place to shop.
Dec 14, 2011
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Reviewed by spdyfire83 from Ireland

4.46/5  rDev +5.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
I stopped here while visiting Philly and was thoroughly impressed with the quantity and quality of the beer selection at Beer Heaven. The location is quite random, but they really have a ton of awesome things here. With that said, I was quite stoked to find several one-off treats that are hard to track down in my neck of the woods (Blushing Monk and Marrón Acidifié to name a few). The only negative here is that the prices were very high. On average, I'd say bottles were $2-15 overpriced; however, simple economics of supply vs. demand always wins.

The layout of the store was very well put together - simple and basic. There is no rhyme or reason regarding the order selection; however, there was a wide variety of awesome beers I saw in almost every cooler door. These folks maximize their space and there are plenty of one-off bottles "laying around" for the adventuresome explorer to find. Additionally, the service was not overly great; however, the clerk was very friendly and knew whether or not they stocked what I was asking about.

I ended up buying quite a few things here - though over-priced - as I did not have the luxury of price comparison and running all around Philly to find the best deal. With that said, if I lived in PA this would not be my first stop to shop; however, as I only visit once every few years, I do not mind spending a little more to secure things I want.

I will certainly return here when visiting Philly in the future, but it sure would be nice if they could knock of 5-10% of their pricing and help customers out!
Sep 23, 2011
Beer Heaven in Philadelphia, PA
Place rating: 4.23 out of 5 with 47 ratings