Bok Bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

The views and drink selection are good. We had a reservation for a big group on a Thursday night but if we weren't eating food we could have easily been fine walking in without one.

I had been excited for the current chef residency (Kalaya) but the food was somewhat disappointing. I got papaya salad (Som Tum) and the cucumber came either mangled or someone in the back had a snack of it (hadn't noticed until I ate most of my dish but you can see in the a photo I've posted) and the "sticky rice" was rock hard and dried out and just overall inedible (and i've had it before so this isn't a situation where I don't know what it should taste like). The papaya salad was good and had a good balance of flavor though. I wouldn't get it again though. My friends felt like the food was a mixed bag overall with the fried tofu being the favorite of one of them.

Our server was Janine (sp?) and she was a mixture of nice and annoyed with us most of the time we were there. I get people can be a pain but it really did affect my experience.

Overall, come here to the bar to drink and enjoy the view but I wouldn't recommend the food or dining situation at Bok Bar at least with the current...

View and experience 10/10, however food was a 2/10. Kalaya was the food for this week and I was super excited about it because I love Thai food. I ordered the crab Rangoon cannoli and the moo sawan (roast pork with sticky rice). The food was incredibly overpriced, the portions were so small! The cannoli was literally a turmeric spicy whipped filling in a sweet dessert cannoli shell, which made for an unappetizing combination. It didn’t taste anything like a crab Rangoon, and the whipped filling was crusty on the outside which led me to believe it had been sitting out for a while. The pork was incredibly tough and dry, but the flavor was the only thing that saved it. The sticky rice was the best part of the meal and it came in a plastic bag and was such a small portion. I was sitting for about 20 minutes before a server came over, which I didn’t mind so much only because the view was nice. The one thing I had no complaints over was my drink, I got the Sunset Situation which was nice and sweet and summery and strong! As I liked this location, I will go again and either just not get the food or wait until a new food coop...

You come to Bok Bar for basically one reason: the views. As luck would have it, they have an amazing staff and a solid drink selection. Their food options have also improved with a roughly monthly rotation of pop-up vendors supporting.

To take in the views, you won't be charged a cover nor will you need a reservation. You may have to make your way through crowds depending on the day, however, snapping a quick picture should not be impossible. Keep in mind, there is little cover from the sun or other elements, so plan accordingly.

The beer selection is decent and they have a handful of simple cocktails to enjoy. If you aren't quite sure what you'll want, scan the QR code for the full menu and take a look or ask for some advice. The lines move fairly quickly.

Finally, the food changes often but has always been solid in my opinion. Prices are reasonable for the location as well.

Overall, worth the occasional special trip if you're not in the area often. ...