Giuseppe & Sons — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I came for a happy hour at Giuseppe & Sons in Philadelphia, and I must say, it exceeded all of my expectations. The atmosphere was lively and inviting, with a bustling crowd and a warm, welcoming vibe. The food offerings during happy hour were equally impressive. The small plates and appetizers were perfect for sharing, with a range of options to suit every palate. The shrimp scampi and Caesar salad were standout dishes, cooked to perfection and full of flavor. Outside of the happy hour we had to try the table side fresh buffalo mozzarella being a cheese monger it’s a must try. I highly recommend this experience. The service at Giuseppe & Sons was exceptional.

Upon entry there is a small hallway with framed pictures somewhat deceiving and you think the restaurant is going to be small walking through this hall, it’s huge and the attention detail with the interior decorating is just stunning the bathroom is decorated so beautiful and I absolutely love the sink. The decor is like a Victorian speak easy meets Italian mobster 1920’s feel.

Overall, I highly recommend Giuseppe & Sons for their happy hour offerings. The combination of delicious food, expertly crafted drinks, and welcoming atmosphere make it a must-visit for anyone looking for a fun and flavorful happy hour in Philadelphia. I will definitely be returning to Giuseppe & Sons for more happy hour gatherings in the future. The attention to detail is impeccable to say the least.

Looking forward to trying the chefs tasting menu.

CAESAR SALAD | $6 romaine, parmigiano, breadcrumbs. I am definitely a Caesar snob and this is one of the best Caesar salads. Its harmonious blend of flavors and textures make it a delicious choice for any meal. The crispness of the romaine lettuce provides a refreshing crunch, while the salty and nutty flavor of the fresh parmigiana cheese adds depth to the salad. The croutons, add a delightful crunch and contrast to the crisp lettuce. The creamy Caesar dressing, ties everything together with its rich and tangy flavor. Rating: 5/5

SHRIMP SCAMPI $8 garlic, chili, breadcrumb Features succulent shrimp cooked in a flavorful sauce made from garlic, chili, and breadcrumbs. The garlic adds a robust and savory note to the dish, while the chili provides a subtle kick of heat that enhances the overall flavor profile. The breadcrumbs add a delightful crunch and texture to the dish, creating a contrast to the tender shrimp. Giuseppe Shrimp Scampi is sure to leave a lasting impression on your taste buds. Rating: 5/5

HAND PULLED MOZZARELLA $16 extra virgin olive oil, black pepper The table side hand pulled mozzarella at this restaurant is absolutely delicious. The mozzarella is incredibly fresh and creamy, and the fact that it is hand pulled right in front of you adds a special touch. The extra virgin olive oil and black pepper complement the mozzarella perfectly, adding a nice depth of flavor. This dish is a must-try for any cheese lover. Highly recommended. Rating: 5/5

FRIED CALAMARI $7 marinara, pepperoncino The fried calamari at this restaurant is a real treat. The calamari is perfectly cooked - crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The marinara sauce adds a nice tangy flavor, while the pepperoncino adds a bit of heat. The combination of flavors and textures in this dish is fantastic. It's a great appetizer to share or enjoy on your own. Highly recommend giving it a try. Rating: 3/5 - due to portion size I would probably not order again.

MUSSELS GIUSEPPE $6 tomato, white wine, basil The combination of tomato, white wine, and basil created a flavorful and aromatic broth which was great paired with the garlic bread. Rating: 3/5 I didn’t care for the actual mussels the broth was...

Meh. Saw them on a TikTok review so decided to give it a shot. The good: very cool entryways, downstairs and thru a cool long hallway. The bar is very impressive looking, seating was also cool. We had high hopes! The not-so-good: bartender was extremely slow. Drinks were overpriced. Round of two cocktails w20% tip was $65. A Manhattan and an Old Fashioned. That’s very high for fairly small count drinks. It took the bartender 15 minutes to make them, the bar was almost empty. The food was underwhelming. Everything was à la cart. Caesar salad was good, nothing special. Bread brought to table was meh~ again, nothing special. Appetizers: Artichoke Francaise, artichokes were not cooked enough and tough, no dipping sauce. Shrimp scampi was 5 medium curled up shrimp w/ tails in butter on a plate, no garnish. Disappointing. Mains: stuffed veal chop came unstuffed with no sides and no garnish on a plate. The Veal chop was supposed to be stuffed with fontina cheese, prosciutto, and sweet onions There was a small Metal vessel on the plate that, after 10 minutes, we realized contained the “stuffing.” It was poured into that instead of stuffed into the Veal chop. At $55, this was a big disappointment. The scrapings from the bottom of the baking pan were put into that silver vessel. They were greasy, salty and unedible. The shrimp Francaise was not properly prepared. Shrimp were just dipped in something that tasted like tempura batter instead of Francaise, they were not flattened, but left curled. Again, they were served lonely on the plate not accompanied by any garnishes or side dish. We ordered two glasses of wine, which came 15 minutes after ordering them. We each got a different type of wine (a Montepulciano and a Chianti) however, when the waiter came, it was obvious he had no clue which was which, thus neither did we. At $18 a glass, that’s unacceptable. The music was odd for the crowd and mood, leaning heavily on 50s and 60s am radio music. An eclectic mix of hipper tunes to suit the average diner’s age, about 25-30, would have been much more suitable. Maybe because the speaker was blaring right at my head, I found it really super annoying. I’m also not a big Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons fan 😂 In the end, they took the Veal chop off the bill, Apologizing that they forgot to stuff the Stuffed Veal chop lol Even though we didn’t ask for the comp, we appreciated they offered it. But, since we drove an hour and a half to get there from the suburbs, an enjoyable meal would’ve been much more appreciated. Do better. Ambience is great, but without the food to back it up, it means nothing. Clearly, there was no Chef or Sous Chef in that kitchen last night overseeing the food that went out. I also didn’t realize when making the reservation that would it was part of a large restaurant group owned by one guy. There’s no Giuseppe and no sons haha. Won’t return and would be hesitant to go to any of the restaurants in that...

My husband and I got married in the city last year and I came across this restaurant online and chose it as an anniversary dinner spot. Unfortunately this place has so much room for improvement..first the place is gorgeous. The ambience is wonderful. Unfortunately it doesn’t match up to the service and hospitality you’d expect. I hate to say it but this place reminded me of a glorified and smaller Maggianos which I haven’t ate at in 20 plus years.

First off, we were asked 3 times if we were celebrating something special but the hostess, another girl that walked us to our table, and our waiter…(we are close to 40 years old so we don’t make a fuss about celebrations to strangers when we are out) so we simply said it’s our anniversary. Since the workers seemed so invested in asking I thought hmm maybe they do something special…well they don’t. So odd. Next, our waiter clearly didn’t want to be at work. He gossiped behind us at our table and then was no where to found for the majority of our dinner. We were also eventually served bread, but it was some sort of garlic butter bread and a pizza bread. Why on earth would I want a pizza bread if I’m going to most likely be eating something with a lot of red sauce at this Italian restaurant. Also, I mentioned I have a dairy sensitivity to our waiter when ordering and but he never mentioned anything about the bread having butter and cheese on it nor was any other bread offered as other restaurants do that have good professionally trained staff and car about their customers.

Next, we finally get our food and my gnocchi dish tasted like straight up ricotta cheese. They are also the most odd tasting fluffy gnocchis I’ve ever tasted. I was looking forward to them since we made the reservations and they did not taste like gnocchi at all. I’ve eaten a lot of gnocchi being 100% Italian. I asked our waiter about it and he said no it’s made of potato. I had my husband try it and he agreed it tasted like cheese. Since I have a dairy sensitivity and didn’t want to feel ill after dinner, I shared my husband’s dinner. After the waiter saw me eating my husbands dinner with my gnocchi on the other side of the table he never cared to acknowledge it or ask if anything was wrong.

The last thing is that there is not a dress code listed on their website, so you have patrons in shorts and t shirts that look like they just got out of the gym and others in sports coats, dresses and heels. That doesn’t elevate the experience it downgrades it. A lot of college girls and groups showed up and it just felt like it was some trendy, overpriced place and not a nice Italian restaurant with an emphasis on customer service.

There are so many other restaurants with wonderful, attentive employees and real authentic food, so we will not be returning. It’s a shame because the place is beautiful but it needs so much improvement. Will...