R&D Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Went here last night after dinner with some friends and was very thrown off by our servers. I was celebrating my 30th birthday with some friends that I haven’t seen in a really long time, but I felt like the minute we sat down, our server was rushing us. We were catching up and having a good time and ordered a total of 7 drinks amongst ourselves. We were probably interrupted a total of 9-10 times while sitting and chatting to ask if we needed anything else, but it was very clear that they were trying to push us out the door. It was very passive aggressive. I totally understand if there was a long line at the door, but there were empty seats next to us and throughout the bar. It wasn’t busy at all. The servers made that experience not enjoyable and honestly would not come back because of them. But music was great (they had a DJ) and drinks were good too.

I wanted to add an addendum after speaking to the owner. Just spoke to the owner and he was very nice and apologized on behalf of the servers! It was a very nice conversation and I appreciate that he took the time to give me a call. Will be giving this bar another chance in the future! Thanks again for your hospitality, Aaron! (Also, he didn’t ask me to delete the review, which is what I was expecting, so I wanted...

Holy Smokes what an amazing evening. We were a large group with a variety of tastes. The best part about eating at Root was that there was something for everyone and their selection of tapas was perfect for sharing. You just might have to order a few plates of the same thing because everything is so tasty.

Make no mistake about it, you are in for a quality meal when you are here. This is not a large restaurant but the menu was interesting ranging from Steak Tartar, Beef & Pork Meatballs, Pennsylvania Trout and Lamb Chops.

We decided to share appetizers with my favourite being the warm olives, the tomato toasts (it reminded me of the toast I had in Barcelona), the mushroom croquettes and the seasoned chickpeas (we order 3 of those plates). Don't miss the hamon iberico and the cheese platter - exceptional. The wine choices are varied with great suggestions for pairings with our entrees.

The staff was very attentive and the owner and chef were gracious in their suggestions for meal and wine pairings.

The decor is 1960 or early 70s. The vibe was so go. Oh.so.good. Relaxed and enjoyable. The bar is in the centre and having a drink at the bar is fun so you can take everything in. What a great place to people watch.

The food was unbelievable . ...

I live in the neighborhood. Have for a while. I've been in the establishment more than a few times. The bartenders and people that work there are beyond snobs. It's over priced. My brother ordered an old fashioned and the server came back a few moments later to tell him they were out of the bourbon they were gonna use. He suggested Evan Williams as a replacement. That's crazy. Bottom shelf for a top shelf price. My brother opted for a different drink. Fast forward to the following Saturday night. I'm out with a friend and we decide to pop in for a fancy drink and they tell us no. Just straight up no. You can't just go up to the bar and order a drink. There's clearly space. So we leave and go to Johnny Brenda's. Always a good time. Upon leaving JB's at 1am, we notice that R&D has pretty much cleared out and only a few people at the bar. So we decide to try again. The same dude that served me and my brother previously in the week told me flat out no. It was 1am. Place is a joke. After talking with others about this place, it seems everyone agrees this a place for a specific type of person. The little hostess guy also had an insane amount of makeup on. Looked green and...