Apricot Stone BYOB — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I woke up still dreaming about the feast I had at Apricot Stone last night! My friends and I came here spontaneously and were very pleased with the food, so much so that almost every one of us was doing the happy dance when we took our first bites! We ordered some mezze to share such as the grape leaves, the manti, and the hummus. Wow were we off to a great start! The stuffed grape leaves were the first bite of the night that absolutely blew me away. They were soft, not bitter at all, and the rice inside was seasoned beautifully. I highly recommend you try them here! The manti was something we all tried for the first time and I wanted to eat that again and again. I wanted to swim in the broth that these beef dumplings were sitting in! I’m pretty sure we were all fighting over the last few servings of this dish and wanting to drink the liquid off our sharing plates unabashedly. The hummus was so smooth and velvety and delicious! Not a single bit was left on the spoon or plate in came in. For entree we all pretty much ordered the lamb kabob entree with rice pilaf and choice of sides. The lamb was juicy and flavorful and cooked beautifully. The rice was so flavorful I wanted to keep eating it! The muhamara was one of the sides i chose and tried for the first time and I’m obsessed with it - flavorful roasted red pepper dip with walnuts and molasses, it’s all blended as a type of dip and the pieces of walnuts make this dip feel almost meaty and deliciously satisfying. I also got the eggplant salad and the veggies were just cooked so beautifully, great balance of bite yet softness to the eggplant and seasoned well. My friends loved the tabouleh and babaganoush as their sides! I also had the Armenian coffee and baklava for dessert. The baklava was good - I wish there was a bit more nuts in between and some more syrup, but I tried a bite of my friends gatnabur (Armenian rice pudding with blossom water) and would really recommend getting that! Our server did not rush us at all even when we had a hard time deciding what to get, and even guided us through the menu and explained how it would be presented and what would be more shareable. We sat on the heated patio and it felt really magical. I definitely would come back again for a great night with even...

Apricot Stone is darling! I would give it 4.5 stars for the food quality and overall value. This is actually Armenian-inspired cuisine (yay!), and many of the mezzes are quite exceptional. The trio mezze option is a perfect way to taste one's way through several flavors without being overly full (although I am quite apt to make a wonderful vegetarian meal of mezze-only). Favorites of ours include their muhamara (seriously fantastic), baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, imam bayaldi, halloumi, and labneh. Mezze are served with (surprisingly-)crispy pita that is very nice for dipping. Spanakopita is a generous two-piece portion and is fabulous. I found the falafel entree quite bland/dry and boring (as warned by other reviews, but I tried anyway and then was terribly disappointed). I was very sorry to have been so full and not to have tried their boregs or stuffed grape leaves that we love to make at home. My carnivorous dinner companion also enjoyed the lamb skewers. BYOB is always a wonderful Philadelphia option, and the outdoor sidewalk seating on a lovely-weather evening is intimate and adorable (albeit a bit cramped and noisy depending on your neightbors). Inside vibe is tiny and dark, but potentially nice. Service is intermittently very attentive/charming and then overtly rushed to get you out for another set of guests' seating. I really, really dislike being handed the check while actively...

Every now and again, I stumble across a restaurant that is a complete gem & a diamond in the rough. This, place was both. I found it on IG. A influencer posted for Northern Liberties restaurant week highlighting this place, and from what I saw, I had to have it. I've been doing restaurant weeks in the city and on the outskirts for many many years now. I have never had an experience where I've received so much delicious food for my money ($45). I came here with two other friends for the first week of Northern Liberties restaurant week. With my first experience, just off of the taste and the amount of food that I got I knew I had to come back before restaurant week was over. I made my second visit on the Saturday of the last day of restaurant week. My friend and I dined in for my second time and had an extraordinary experience. We got the abundance of food for just $45, accompanied by the generosity of the owner, who opened the bottle of his own tequila and poured shots from it for free. He was very interactive, and very personable. Anytime an owner is that involved and nice to their customers, they get me. He asked me my name, and addressed me every single time afterwards by it. And because of the simple gesture, and the delicious food... They've got a customer that will keep coming back. I will support this business as long as it's around. The staff is very nice & the space is...