The Goat's Beard - Manayunk — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I’ve been coming here on and off for a couple of years and it’s changed (not in the best way). The staff has changed and not a single one looked me in the eyes let alone greeted me when I walked in to meet my friend at the bar. Mind you, this was at the start of happy hour and it was empty in there. All the staff members were huddled to the corner and noticed me walking in. Not even the hostess said anything. I didn’t really mind but it did make me take a mental note of how they didn’t show customer service at the start of a new shift. Let’s talk about their Happy Hour. The real reason why my friend and I came here. I have to say I was extremely disappointed with the menu and the food portions. I’ve gotten the hummus and pita before and it used to come in a big dish with a decent amount of hummus with a great variety of veggies on the side. This time, it was a small portion. Literally half a slice of a carrot, a few string beans, and a small scoop of hummus. As for the garden salad, we added chicken to it and the chicken came shredded but sparingly in pieces. For $6 extra, there definitely wasn’t enough of it. I was sharing these with my friend and we still felt hungry. They barely give you enough toppings in the salad. Because we were still hungry we ordered the spinach and artichoke on top of focaccia bread. This is what turned my stomach with aches and pain that night. It’s the combination of the cream, pepper spices, and heavy amounts of butter grease from the bread that got me aching in my stomach. We didn’t finish it. I get that it’s HH, but for the price I think they could do a little better and afford to give more food in the portions. It was like a kids’ meal. For drinks, their options are very limited. I made the mistake of ordering their Merlot because after a couple of sips, I knew it was a cheap wine and it tasted very oxidized and acidic, that I asked the bartender if I could change my drink to a beer instead. Our bartender was very nice and helpful. I think for future reference, it’s better to stick to the regular menu. Perhaps they are more generous with their preparation. Just keep in mind that when you do come for Happy Hour, get there earlier to secure seats and don’t expect much from the menu. The staff could’ve been friendlier but oh well. That’s...

What a find!

This place is on Main Street in Manayunk. My guest and I had peeped the menu beforehand and were excited to try out the different combinations of ingredients and flavors.

When we entered, the hostess was able to seat us right away in the main dining area on the bottom level. We ordered drinks to start - my guest ordered a glass of wine and I ordered the ginger/fig sangria - both very satisfying. They have a pretty decent drinks/beer/wine selection along with a full whiskey menu (score!)

The ambiance is a mixture of casual/upscale and all around pretty chill. The vibe meshes well with the menu. The outside location was easy to find, right on a corner of Main Street with ample street parking! We found a spot right in front of the restaurant (which was clutch since it was hella cold) without any trouble.

Carlos fries started our night as an appetizer - it's an Australian inspired dish. Sweet chili sauce, paired with sour cream on top of a bed of house made fries. They need to package this stuff up and sell it - they'd make a boatload! I wish there wasn't an end to the bowl! Addicting is an understatement. It's a medley of savory and spicy with a touch of sweetness to complete the "S" trifecta!

We had a hard time settling on our entrees since there was just so many awesome options! We ended up ordering the hummus plate and the vegetable tikka masala {honestly we could've just shut our eyes and pointed blindly at any item and it would've been bomb}.

The hummus is house made and DELICIOUS! It's fresh and light and the dish is paired well with an assortment of typical and atypical hummus accoutrements (pita, baby carrots, celery, plus green beans - an unexpected but welcomed surprise!)

The vegetable tikka masala was more savory than spicy but still nicely done. It's served on a bed of white basmati rice. I like the additions of cashews and sweet potatoes to this typical chickpea only dish - hats off to the chef!

This place from the food, to the ambiance, to the location has it going on. It's definitely worth it since everything is very well done and you're exposed to options not typically found in most New-American type places.

Will definitely be back to continue to try the options...

I have been to this establishment twice. Mysteriously, this location has more than a problem keeping a business for more than 6 months. The second time I patroned the Goat's Beard, the bartendress was attentive and polite, our food arrived in a timely manner and was very good.

Unfortunately the first visit left a bad taste in my mouth. The bartender blatantly ignored and took longer than appropriate to make weak overpriced drinks (stick with beer or whiskey if you're stopping by).

But that was the least of my issues. The biggest problem with this place (and they will never live this down as far as I'm concerned) is the pompous and rude barback.

Yes, you read correctly. The barback may have committed the most egregious crime not only of the service world, but in the ENTIRE world. Here's the scenario:

::PIANO MAN COMES ON THE BAR SPEAKERS::

Me: Nice. Piano Man. My Girlfriend: Yes. I love this song.

::BARBACK (who is within earshot of us) CHANGES THE SONG::

Me: Whoa, brother. Hold fast! You just turned off Piano Man! Barback: Yeah, no one wants to hear that song. My Girlfriend and I: WE DO.

::BARBACK WALKS AWAY::

So not only did this scaliwag change the almighty Joel, but refused to repent for his sins. I ask you this, Goat's Beard: What sort of philistines are you employing here that don't know the difference between good music and whatever they play at the Ambercrombie & Fitch that Mr. Barback obviously lives at?

Please rectify this situation as soon as possible and...I don't know, maybe assign Thursdays as "Billy Joel Thursdays" where only he will be heard. All. Night....