Blind Barber Philadelphia — Local services in Philadelphia

Blind Barber: A case study in racism, laziness and incompetence of white-owned establishments in Center City Phila.

I am an Afrikan American woman who foolishly invited my Afrikan American grad school friends to go out to a white-owned establishment in Center City. NEVER AGAIN. My poor experience at Blind Barber reminded me of the fact that the entirety of modern white.european civilization is built on racism. Here's the APA definition of racism (in part) - Racism is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on physical properties such as skin color and hair texture. This "system" unfairly disadvantages some individuals and groups and damages their health and mental health. Racism is structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized.

Blind Barber definitely takes the top spot for the most lazily white racist and poorly managed bar I've ever been to in the US. Masquerading as a speakeasy (lolol NOT even remotely a speakeasy), I was ignored by a white passing Latino bartender while standing at the bar. He did manage to serve 4 white patrons (2 men and 2 women) right next to me while I stood there. We had table reservations so I tried to make the most of the fact that I had traveled from NYC for this night out. It was amusing for the racist staff to act as if they needed to go out of their way to serve someone who had a reservation. The Asian woman server couldn't be bothered to serve us after the manager told her to take care of us lol. The server sat us at a dirty table and apparently didn't actually check in our reservation because I got an automated email from Blind Barber saying that we missed our reservation and should give them a heads up when plans change. That's what I mean by incompetence - they didn't bother to do any aspect of their job as a bar or restaurant. So after an hour and 20 mins and while actually possessing a reservation the racist staff did not serve me a drink. I guess the white manager and white ownership group doesn't have any control of the racist staff or isn't aware of what racism is or how to manage a bar (again not a speakeasy lol). The above definition or racism and my review might help them get a clue about how not to behave in late 2022.

If you are an African American person, the whites in Center City really are that racist! Don't waste your time or cute outfit on Philly. The racist vibes and poor service at Blind Barber will feature prominently in my explanations for why I no longer go out in...

On Saturday, Jan. 18th, I had one of the most horrible experiences at Blind Barber. Firstly, when did BB start charging a fee? This place used to be a cool spot for my friends and me during college, but it has completely changed. Admission used to be free, but now it’s not—and the $10 cover for the horrible night we had made me regret ever mentioning this place to anyone.

My friends and I walked into BB and sat at the bar. Our night had just begun, and we usually like to have a drink or two before heading upstairs. We had to wait until the ONE bartender—Shaun, Shawn, or however he spells his name—finally decided to acknowledge us. I noticed that this bartender wears almost the same outfit every single time he’s there because there’s another review mentioning him in the same shirt and bandana. (Below is a picture of him, for reference.) Regardless, we waited patiently. When he finally approached, he asked my party what we wanted, and we told him.

One of my friends ordered a drink, he gave her the total, and she paid using the virtual kiosk he pushed in front of her. She selected “no tip” on the kiosk because she planned to tip using cash. As she reached into her purse to grab the cash, the bartender RUDELY screamed at her for selecting no tip. She explained that she was planning to tip in cash because most bartenders prefer cash tips. Despite this, he proceeded to watch us like a hawk, making sure we tipped using the kiosk.

I, myself, always bring cash for tips, covers, and the like, but I was absolutely flabbergasted by his behavior. Shawn, if you read this, you need a class in customer service. You represent the place you work at, and your unprofessionalism is unacceptable.

This experience made my entire party leave, and we won’t be coming back. It was so disappointing. I’ve always invited friends to this bar, but you lost five patrons that night, BB—and likely more, as he pulled the same behavior with other customers. Customer service can completely shape how people perceive a place, and this left a horrible impression.

On top of everything, my lemon drop tasted...

I went to this place last week with my friend. We were looking for a new place to go dancing, so we walked around downtown and stumbled upon this speakeasy. It was my first time at a speakeasy, and it was really cool to see how the barbershop transformed into a clubby vibe area just by going behind one door. Based on my experience, I might come back, but I'm not too sure. I will say this place is great, depending on the kind of vibe you're into. The crowd was diverse, with people ranging from their 20s to probably in their 50s.

The dance floor was quite small and got crowded quickly, so if you're not a fan of tight spaces, this may not be the place for you. Also, the area didn't have many fans, and the fans they had were small, so it got really hot and sweaty very quickly. The people were literally sticking together because of the sweat, and it was gross. However, if you didn't feel like being on the dance floor, there was a bar and lounge area to explore. Overall, the people were friendly, and the music was good.

The DJ played a mix of music from the 90s and some current hits, so there was something for everyone. It's a spot to check out, especially if you're into 90s and diverse music selections and want to experience a speakeasy. I recommend bringing a small fan next time to enhance the overall experience, as it got really hot and smelly due to the lack of...