Insatiable Restaurant — Restaurant in Philadelphia

We visited Insatiable after reading glowing reviews and seeing stunning cocktails and food shots online. The branding promised a polished, elevated experience—but what we got felt more like a soft open gone awry.

From the moment we walked in, the smell of fresh paint was overwhelming. There wasn’t much ambiance—no music, minimal decor—and we got a few long stares from the bar as we entered. The space has only one booth; everything else is high tops, which was unexpected given the high-end vibe portrayed online.

Our server was nice, but she was bartending and serving solo and clearly overwhelmed. Drinks took a while and didn’t land. The mezcal cocktail tasted oddly like motor oil, and the Chardonnay tasted like it was at the end of its life.

After waiting a long time for the appetizer (French onion soup dumplings), the rest of our food finally arrived—over an hour into the meal. Sadly, nothing was worth the wait: • The dumplings were overly salty. • The burger was bland. • The lobster roll was far too vinegary. • The steak lacked the signature presentation. • The salads were fine, but forgettable.

We were never offered water, checked on, or given updates. The only proactive moment came when what seemed like a friend or off-duty staff member stepped in to help the frazzled server. The cook eventually came out to apologize—but only to the couple at the bar, who’d arrived after us and had already eaten and been comped.

Eventually, the cook came to us and acknowledged she was the only one cooking that night. We appreciate the honesty, but wish that context had come sooner. A little communication would’ve gone a long way. Instead, we felt trapped by the slow service and inedible food, and just wanted the check.

They offered us a round of drinks to apologize, but by then we were more than ready to leave.

All that said: it’s possible we caught Insatiable on an off night. We know restaurant service can be unpredictable and staff issues happen. But when that’s the case, transparency matters. Otherwise, customers walk away not just disappointed—but confused why they...

Exquisite! I lived in Point Breeze for a while and decided to try Insatiable just a little before I moved out. Well, let me tell you how disappointed I was to not have tried this place sooner! From the cocktails to the food, this establishment deserves more praises. Go-to cocktail: Drunk Text ($15), a great choice if you like Mezcal. For food, I don’t know how to put this more plainly, you have to get the Tuna Wontons and the Shrimp Tostadas. The Tuna Wontons is what made me go back to Insatiable a second time… and then a third time… and I am on my way for my fourth time. The tuna is cooked perfectly, but you have to like tuna that is tataki style. If you do like it like that, then you will be the happiest when you have a bite of that Tuna Wonton, especially since the wonton taste so fresh and the wasabi sauce gives it the perfect quick. If you want to continue riding the asian flavor profile of the menu, the cucumber salad is divine. I drank the leftover sesame dressing, that’s how good it is. The great discovery during the third time I went there was the Shrimp Tostadas, what a delicious, fresh, home-made (I assume) tostada with a perfectly cooked shrimp. There was so much flavor. I am going back a fourth time for these. Main course-wise, they were out of lobster roll so I went for the burger. I typically don’t go for burgers but given how good the food had already been the previous times, I knew my burger was going to come out delicious. And, to no one’s surprise, it did. There was also a steak frites order at my table, but that wasn’t as good as the burger. The dessert was not interesting, it was an apple crisp with a square of flaky dough but the dough didn’t taste good (it had a freezer taste) and the apples were too sugary.

Basically, don’t go there for desserts, in fact you won’t need to get desserts because if you order their small plates and some main dishes, you will already be the happiest full stomach. And, even better if you get a cocktail because that really ties it together.

Enjoy!

P.S.: Service was...

Tried this new spot in South Philly with a few friends. There was some good and some not so good.

Good: French onion dumplings were probably the best thing I have ever eaten. We couldn't stop talking about them after. Focaccia and other tapenade was good. Focaccia was very thick though which is unusual. Tapenade was very flavorful. Someone in our party got the shrimp tostadas and loved them. Fries were delicious and perfectly seasoned. Food service was pretty quick. We were able to get a reservation easily and didn't wait at all once we arrived.

Not so good: Lobster roll was meh. Presentation made it almost impossible to eat. Ratio of filling to bread was way off - you had to eat it with a knife and fork. Lobster filling desperately needed salt. Drink service was SLOW! Two people in our party don't drink alcohol and never were offered refills until right before leaving. Chairs are incredibly uncomfortable. It's expensive so not going to end up being a regular place but more of a special occasion spot.

I could have forgiven all the not so good until the end. They had dessert options - one was an apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. My weakness!

Issue #1 - apple crisp had no crisp. It arrived cold with the crumble on top raw. Apple crisp has a crumble typically made from flour and butter that has to be baked to be crispy. Instead mine had just raw flour topping on it. I said something and they took it back and cooked it.

Issue #2 - the apples had the peel on them. Baking 101 of apple desserts is that you HAVE to peel the apples first. If you don't, and cook the apples with it on, the peel becomes leathery and almost inedible. This is not at all something I would have expected at this type of restaurant and was a pretty egregious error to have made. That essentially ruined the entire evening. They took it off our bill which was nice but appalling it...