P.J. Whelihan's Pub + Restaurant - Hatfield — Restaurant in Hatfield Township

Sunday, August 14, 2022, will go down in history as absolutely, by far, the WORST dining experience of my life. After sitting unattended for 25+ mins we were getting ready to walk out. Just as we were preparing to leave we noticed two servers discussing if anyone picked up our party of 3. Finally, a waitress approached our table. Of course, we had plenty of time to peruse the menu and were able to place our entire order at this first touch. We asked about drinks and were finally given a drink menu. My wife and I ordered a beer and the waitress was off. About 15 go by and the runner brings our appetizer + my daughter's order from the kids menu. As my wife is handed the plate of cheeseburger sliders, the girl cautions that it's hot. Next I hear my wife yelp in pain as the runner hands her a scalding hot plate while saving her own skin (no pun intended) with napkins needed to carry the fiery porcelain. A clear indication to me that the plate sat in the food window for far to long. Who serves a 4 year old with plates that cannot be touched? To make matters worse, we still have not received: sides plates for the appetizer, silverware, napkins, or our drinks: 2 beers, 2 waters, and a child's lemonade. I approach the hostess station which is crowded with employees standing around socializing to ask for said items. The waitress also took notice and acknowledged that she would bring our drinks. Finally, the meal can commence. Well, my daughter ate her dinner and we the wings. Another 30 minutes pass as my wife and I wait for our entrees (1 burger and 1 salad). My daughter has finished her dinner and is growing impatient. But alas, the restaurant gods were on our side again as the two remaining meals were delivered. The waitress made another touch to ask if we needed anything else. Another drink order is placed and a request for additional napkins. Both of which were promptly delivered. Unfortunately, my burger and fries were cold. My wife's salad had some weird....fried gunk mixed in. We couldn't figure out of it was fried bacon or scraps from the grease trap added for entertainment. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that maybe it was the "skin" of the breaded chicken that became separated while mixing the salad. We both finish our meals. My daughter is ready to go. The waitress has been nowhere to be seen for quite some time since delivering the last beer. The staff is using their free time to socialize and there are 2-3 gentlemen, whom appear to be managers, standing in the front of the restaurant with absolutely no clue how to direct their staff, check on guests, or quite simply run a restaurant. I laid my card on the table with the hopes that someone would take notice. After another excessive amount of time, one of the would-be managers comes to assist. He asks how everything was and takes my card. He saw the look on my face and agreed that he would just "run it". He brought us back the check to sign and box to take my burger home. The only solace that could be taken was that we were not alone, since we noticed other guests in our section just as lost as we were. This is absolutely the last time we will visit PJ's in Hatfield. And it is unfortunate because I have been to 3 other locations which have been a great experience each time. This location has a lot of work cut out for them. Pizza Pub was much better and that is...

Updated Review - October 31, 2024: Even though I hadnt yet received the gift card from the last mishap/review, we wanted to give PJ's another try for takeout. We ordered takeout on 10/23 (last wednesday) - in fact it was the EXACT same order as the first time in June: Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad and PJs Burger. In June, they forgot to include the chicken on my salad. This time, there was no dressing on my salad. I checked the salad when I got to my car to make sure there was chicken on it, but I couldnt tell if there was/wasnt dressing as promised. Each time my boyfriend's burger was perfect.

We wont be coming back. The disappointment outweighs the exciting and tasty food......TWICE. I'm totally bummed because its so close to our house. I'm not sure if this is a Hatfield-specific location problem or not, but we might schlep down to the Blue Bell location since we hadnt had any issues at all with that location. Maybe dining in the restaurant is a better experience where parts of meals arent missing because more people are paying attention? I dont know......But this wasnt good for takeout.

From June 19, 2024: We had been wanting to try the Hatfield PJ's for a long time since we had always been fans of the Blue Bell location. And we finally decided to get takeout last night (6/18/24). The ordering process online was easy and the food was ready at the time promised. My boyfriend ordered his fave - the PJ Burger and said it was incredible as always. I ordered the Southwest Chicken Salad and I want to say that it was incredible, but there was no BBQ Chicken as stated :( I didnt realize the chicken was missing until I got home and opened the containers. I will say that the rest of the salad was amazing - the lettuce was so fresh and crisp and the bacon was crispy and perfect. But I was really looking forward to the BBQ chicken incorporated into the salad. Thankfully I had some cut-up chicken at home that I added. I was bummed with our first experience strikeout of missing the main protein in my meal, but we will definitely go back because what we DID eat was delicious and we are longtime fans of PJs. I will just make sure to open everything and double-check before heading...

Update - 08/09/2024 - We were craving wings tonight, so we decided to go to PJ's, knowing they usually have great wings and a good Happy Hour special. To our surprise, PJ's no longer offers the 5 wings for $5 deal. Instead, they've replaced it with chicken nuggets, or what they call boneless wings, basted in their sauces. Unfortunately, we were not impressed with this change. On a positive note, we also tried the Brussels sprouts and French Onion Soup, both of which were tasty. Overall, a bit disappointed with the wings situation, but the other dishes were decent.

Previous review - This review is overdue for we’ve visited a few times already. I was happy to hear and see that PJ Whelihans was going into my neighborhood. Having visited other locations across South Jersey and PA. The food is good, staff is friendly. Was especially happy that we could bring our well-behaved dog to sit outside with us as we enjoy the warm weather, along with a few drinks and delicious food. This time, I have to say, that I was a little disappointed. The sandwich description, I find it to be a little misleading. American Wagyu French Dip - Ultra-premium American wagyu beef, slow roasted, “piled high” and topped with provolone cheese. Served with beef au jus. The food runner presented the sandwich in front of me, and it was far from “piled high”. If you are going to describe your sandwich as “piled high” and charge me $16, then I expect the sandwich to have meat pouring out of the sides and barely get my mouth around it. I'm going to chalk this up as PJ Whelihans getting too corporate. Yes, you might consider a good place to hang out for happy hour and to bring the family, but your hands are tied by the corporation to what you can serve and how much. Which is a shame. The locations should be able to swap out the "regular" boring taps with a few of the local brews, to feature what the area truly has to offer alongside your wings and other foods. Will I return to PJ Whelihans, YES! As I said, I like the happy hour specials, friendly staff and I can bring my dog. I was just disappointed and feel mislead by the sandwich and its...