The Social Downingtown — Restaurant in Downingtown

I’ve always loved The Social in West Chester—it’s easily one of my favorite restaurants in Chester County. Unfortunately, my experience at the Downingtown location was a major disappointment.

While our server was attentive and friendly, the overall atmosphere and experience left much to be desired. One of the staff members responsible for water and table cleanup was noticeably rude, walking around with an attitude that didn’t match the restaurant’s usual vibe.

We were seated next to a group of middle-aged women who were literally screaming throughout their meal, making it impossible for my husband and me to have a conversation. While we typically enjoy live music, the combination of the noise and the chaotic environment made it far from relaxing or enjoyable.

As for the food, it didn’t live up to the high standards of the West Chester location. The stuffed wings were underwhelming both in taste and presentation—they didn’t look appetizing at all. I ordered the meatloaf, which came in a generous portion, but the meatloaf itself was dry and tough to cut. On the bright side, the mashed potatoes and cornbread were tasty, but they weren’t enough to salvage the meal.

Sadly, I won’t be returning to this location, and I can’t recommend it. If you’re looking for a great experience, stick to the West Chester spot—it’s...

The Downingtown Social “was” one of my favorite local places to go! Dinners were different and fantastic and a needed local spot for brunch! Made plans to go to brunch this morning with my family…….got there first at 11am as they had advertised on there website and have gone in the past. Arrived to find a sign on the door stating they are opening at 12noon. Ok. Inconvenience, but ran a few errands to kill time at back at noon. Walked in and was told by the very young man that their was NO brunch today!! Now really!?? What kind of a reputable business model on a whim…..says…..ahhhhhhh ya know what….we’re not gonna do brunch tomorrow! Ahhhh ya know what…..let’s open at noon instead of 11am. I find it funny they stick the young fella at the door to take the brunt! Wonder if corporate giants like Lowes, Giant etc can make up times on a whim…?? See how long it take for patrons to go else where and their established business weaken. I’m sure it’s the fault of COVID and staffing shortages! That’s the go to escape goat!! unfortunately won’t be dining here anymore as with family...

We have been keeping an eye on the opening of The Social, and after the PA COVID recommendations allowed limited in person dining on 1/4/21, we decided to give it a try. However, we ordered take out. The interior of the restaurant looks great and there was a good sized crowd dining inside. Going in to pick up the take out was fine, and we were greeted promptly. We ordered two Chicken and Waffles dinners. Portion sizes were very big, and the meal was very tasty. Our only issue was that the chicken breast was a bit overcooked and got dried out. The seasoned butter and syrup supplied with the meal helped this out a bit. The sweet potato fries, waffles and bacon were all cooked perfectly, and we would get the dish again and just chalk this up as a one off. One suggestion might be to try using chicken thigh meat as an alternative to the breast meat, but not sure if that violated the Southern Scratch philosophy. We're very excited to have this as another dining option in the Downingtown area, and wish the owners best of luck...