Red Owl Tavern — Restaurant in Philadelphia

When I was planning a little bridal brunch activity for my "wedding" weekend (we eloped back in 2020 and just got around to celebrating in September 2022... by which time I am now also pregnant so lots to celebrate), I had a few requirements: 1. must have chicken and waffles on the menu, 2. must be close to Independence Mall because we were grabbing a Big Bus Tour after, and 3. must allow me to make a reservation for 7 online because I am a millennial and we don't use our phones for calling around. Red Owl was the only restaurant that met all those criteria a month out from my event. So I snagged that reservation and we showed up!

A few ladies got there before me and they gave us a table by the kitchen window -- brunch AND a show. Love.

Abigail was our server. She was super chill and patient with us as we waited for one delayed member of the group before ordering. Abigail also gave us good feedback on our choices (like if someone was stuck between two dishes, etc.) and made sure anyone who wanted coffee always had a hot refill. She was awesome!

My friends had brought some goodies for me like a sash, a veil, and cat ears (most of us are cat ladies, I have 2 myself) to make things feel more "bachelorette" without going over the top (like I said, I am pregnant). Seeing me with the stuff on, staff would walk by and say "congratulations!" and acknowledge they were part of our celebration and I thought that was nice.

The food!! Everyone loved their dish (at least as far as I know). We actually got everything right around the same time -- it might have taken 2-3 minutes total for each person to get their plate once the first plate was set. That's always key with a big group -- you don't want some waiting while others are eating, and you don't want those with food to end up with cold food while they wait.

My chicken and waffles were delicious. I loved that the spice and heat was in the butter, not the chicken, so in theory you could add as much or as little as you like. I slathered it all on because I loved the flavor. The waffle had a great fluffy texture and wasn't overly sweet.

Others who got the Breakfast Jawn seemed to love it -- pork roll, egg, and cheese is my breakfast sandwich go-to so I knew they couldn't go wrong. We did have one seemingly minor mix up where one person ordered avocado toast with a side of pork roll and the next person ordered the Breakfast Jawn and then someone across the table ordered the Breakfast Jawn as well, and somehow what we ended up getting was a very large side of pork roll (two or three slices), one Breakfast Jawn without pork roll, and one Breakfast Jawn with two slices of pork roll. I think there was some mixup there but we got the coveted pork roll on the sandwich before the no-pork roll person finished and she was able to get the full experience with her last few bites.

The only "issue" I had (which I say that word lightlyyyyy) was finding the restroom! It's like a scavenger hunt because the Red Owl is attached to/part of a hotel and they use the hotel's bathroom and it's not right inside the lobby like a lot of chain hotels. You have to go back behind the host stand, bust a left to go down the hall, then bust another left to go down the stairs, then bust ANOTHER left to go into the area with the restrooms. I definitely got lost along the way and it was a close call for me (as most of my restroom trips are, even at home -- thanks little one!) so I wish there was a closer facility or much bigger signs or something to point out the way. Maybe there were and I was just in my blissful celebratory state and missed them.

Overall: solid food and service and I would definitely come back though I recommend not waiting until you're being kicked in the bladder by a tiny human to find the bathroom because...

After a long day seeing the sights of my former hometown of Philadelphia, we returned to our hotel which is connected to this restaurant. After browsing the menu, this place seemed like a good option.

It did not disappoint. The food was very good, the service was good, and the atmosphere was pretty good. I know I gave the atmosphere only three stars. There's nothing wrong with it but it wasn't spectacular like some of the other places I've been around the world.

Since we visited Pat's and Geno's for cheesesteaks at lunch, we were not terribly hungry as a family so we opted for several appetizers and everyone got salads.

The pork belly appetizer was absolutely amazing. Some of the best pork belly I've ever had with an incredible apple flavored sauce that complimented the pork very nicely as it melted away in your mouth. This was my favorite dish of the evening.

The fried delicata squash was also really good. It's hard to screw up anything fried but this was only lightly fried and still had a lot of the squash flavor yet crispy like you would like fries to be.

We also had the brussel sprouts that I opted without cilantro as I am the one in the family of four who thinks it tastes like soap. That may have been why it was my least favorite of the appetizers. While good, it wasn't exploding with flavor beyond that of the brussel sprouts and the occasional hint of mint. Some kind of vinaigrette with maybe bacon or something to give it a little bit of a saltier fattier flavor with an acid such as balsamic might have been good. However, the brussel sprouts were roasted well and not too hard and not too mushy.

I had the roasted beet salad which was very good. It was also very filling as you get a lot for your money. It was done in layers and I think maybe I would have liked it to be a little bit more lightly tossed. I had to sift through the lettuce at the top to get down to the beets that were then sitting on top of the whipped goat cheese. So, after a little bit of effort mixing it around you could get all the flavors in a single bite. Beets could have maybe been a little sweeter but overall it was pretty good.

If you're in the area looking for a decent place for dinner, I would...

I recently dined at Red Owl Tavern and decided to try the Prime Philly Strip Steak for $44, expecting a high-quality cut of meat worthy of the price. Unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. The steak was overcooked, despite ordering it medium, and it had far too much fat to be considered a proper strip steak. The quality of the cut was poor, making it tough and unpleasant to eat.

To make matters worse, the steak was served with a tasteless bulb of roasted garlic and topped with an equally tasteless slab of compound butter. Neither added anything to the dish, and it felt like an afterthought rather than a deliberate enhancement to the meal. Adding insult to injury, the steak had an off-putting acidic taste, likely from whatever seasoning or marinade they used. Instead of enhancing the flavor, it clashed unpleasantly with the dish and made the experience even worse.

Secondly, my friend ordered the 8oz "Tavern Steak," which was so tough it was comparable to a plank of wood, despite being ordered medium. It was borderline inedible and honestly could have come with a chainsaw on the side to make it manageable. This dish was equally disappointing and further highlighted a glaring issue with the quality and preparation of their steaks.

To top it all off, I had ordered a lemonade to pair with my meal, and even that was a letdown. Their mixture was so diluted that it tasted like water. It was as if they had forgotten to include any flavoring, leaving me with an overpriced glass of disappointment.

On a more positive note, the service was attentive, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the presentation of the food was visually appealing. However, these elements could not make up for the serious issues with the quality and flavor of the dishes.

For premium prices, I expected flavorful, well-prepared dishes and beverages, but nearly every aspect of the meal fell short. While the ambiance and service were good, the food quality alone has made me hesitant to return or recommend Red Owl Tavern to anyone.

Days later, I went to LongHorn Steakhouse and had literally the best steak I’ve had in a long time, a stark contrast to the disappointing experience...