The Dandelion — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I had Dandelion bookmarked as the food pics looked good and the prices were right.

ATMOSPHERE: The charm started from the exterior with its old-style architecture that draws you in. We, along with many others entered from the corner door that leads to the pub area that's void of a host stand, so you stand there dumbfounded once inside. The main entrance is actually on the side of the building, right of the corner door. Dim lighting, dark woods and tavern vibe were coupled with clubby background music and very loud conversations.

MENU: English-style apps, charcuteries, soups, salads, seafood, poultry, meats, pastas.

BEVERAGE: Basil Punnet Perfect mixture of sweet & bitter via vodka, strawberries, basil and honey.

FOOD: Carrot Soup Thankfully, this did not taste anything like carrots and more like a butternut squash soup. Creamy with notes of curry.

Dandelion Salad Greens I don't really care for (arugula and cucumber) were mixed with romaine, avocado and dandelion sprouts in a lemon vinaigrette. Eh, I'll take a Caesar instead.

Bangers & Mash AKA sausage over mashed potatoes, and I ate the whole thing! My months of healthy, no sausage-eating ended here as I devoured the two tender links, smooth spuds and tasty onion gravy.

Pan Seared Norwegian Salmon The spouse's dish. The moist filet was dusted (not crusted) with dukkah (Egyptian herbs, chopped nuts & spices) over a tomatoey chick pea stew. I thought everything married well together but the spouse felt that there was too much going on.

SERVICE: The only reason why this isn't a 5-star review. As mentioned earlier, we walked in through the pub door. We were immediately greeted, taken to the host stand a room and several flights of steps away, and brought back to where we started. Couldn't they have just pardoned themselves and gotten us menus instead of following them like puppies?

Christina was our server. While she was nice, she was also very inattentive, made us feel rushed and gave off the feeling like she really didn't want to be there. No introduction of her name, and instead of the usual "Can I start you off with anything to drink" opener or mentioning of specials, we were asked for our food order. Asking questions resulted in answers but her attention would stray to tables behind her as she'd look away instead of engaging and staying focused. Pausing even a few seconds to answer resulted in her saying "Let me give you some time" and quickly walked away. After the salad and soup were brought, there was no offering of pepper (as there was none on the table). Not once did she follow up on us throughout our experience. Only a gal who I assume was a manager, asked us if everything was okay. Its been a while since we've had such dismaying service. The uncomfortable service made me want to scarf down my meal (something I do not do) and get the heck out of Dodge. We don't need our butts kissed but would appreciate the common courtesies when dining out.

OVERALL: Delightful menu and appetizing cuisine. We just got stuck with the...

We actually found this place by accident - we visited Philly for a day trip from NYC and heard about the Green Eggs Café. When we arrived, the line was out the door with a 25 minute wait time in 85 degree heat. We were too hungry to wait so we went in search of a different place to do brunch. Just two blocks away we found The Dandelion, which was an arguably much better experience than we’d have had at a café catering to tourists!

Every room has a different theme (Dog Room, Stable Room, etc.) and it was a welcome and enjoyable quirk. The seating was a unique mix of couches and chairs in the Dog Room.

The service was great and the food was as expected. My company had fish and chips and an omelette with greens, both cleaned their plates. They also had mimosas, but later said they’d had better for the price. I had the Brioche French Toast.

The pictures of the French toast do not do it justice…it was absolutely massive, about 1.5-2 inch thick slices! I somehow managed to eat 3 of my 4 slices. 😋 The French toast came on a bed of syrup rather than coming with a side of syrup to distribute yourself, which I would have preferred.

While the presentation of the thick slices was fun and unexpectedly oversized, I did feel as though the large slices inhibited the taste. The middle of the slices were very doughy, almost sponge cake-like in texture instead of tasting like a true French toast. I would have preferred a thinner slice with a more traditional taste and mouthfeel, and perhaps some berries added to the plating to upscale it and make it pop. That being said, I still enjoyed it as I was so hungry and ate 3/4 of my plate!

I believe that some slight adjustments to the French toast, a classic brunch menu item, would help set The Dandelion apart from local competitors and bring it to par with some of the finer NYC Brunch hot spots that I’ve enjoyed and reviewed.

All in all, we were very happy to dine at this very cute, quirky, and delicious location instead of a more tourist-focused spot. I suggest taking an indoor seating option so you can cool down to enjoy your meal on a hot summer day. I wouldn’t hesitate to bring my friends or family (kids included!) to this cool...

Sooo, where should I begin. I’m here in town for a few days creating experience for my birthday. This restaurant had been saved in my “places to go” for a while. So, I decided to stop in to have a bite to eat on my birthday. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance of the dining area on the upper level. Not warm and cozy but pleasant to the eyes, especially the area around the fireplace. I was told that it would take a while to be seated and it was suggested that I stand by the bar to await a seat. The area downstairs at the bar is very congested, in order to stand there you’re standing behind or beside someone who’s eating and I believe that’s rude. After 10 minutes I returned upstairs to place my name on the wait list but simultaneously a high top seat became available. I was seated near the window which was comfortable, however the table in front of me was loud and boisterous. Nevertheless, I was happy to be seated. I ordered the deviled eggs, fish n chips and a lemon drop. In my opinion, I’m trying to understand why everyone is raving about this restaurant and I found the food to be bland. The deviled eggs were a waste, for $10.50 I was expecting something spectacular, the filling was tart and lacked real flavor. The fish n chips were not pleasing to my eyes or my palate. When it came, I asked “what is that” it was shaped like an enlarged chicken nugget. When I tried to cut it with the knife the steam shot out like a geyser which meant the fish was too moist, the batter was no longer adhered to the fish, so it had to be eaten and scooped with a fork because it had exploded on the serving platter. A whole mess, unseasoned fish that had to be saved with tartar sauce. I couldn’t finish my food because I knew I would never return, but an experience to say the least. I felt unseen while there, never asked if I was ok or if I needed anything. The one good measure is that the server had me presented with a small scoop of ice cream with a candle for my birthday. I’m appreciative for that gesture but unless I lose my tastebuds, I’ll never return, definitely...