Urban Farmer Philadelphia — Restaurant in Philadelphia

A group of us dined at Urban Farmer on Sunday evening after the Philidelphia Marathon. This could have been a great dining experience. Unfortunately it wasn't. My heart goes out to the kitchen on this one, because the food was fantastic. One of the best steaks I have ever eaten. Kudos to the chef and the back of house team! When you are going to drop a bill on a table at the end of the meal with an automatic 20% service gratuity added I think it would be a reasonable expectation that there actually is some service. The initial greeting and presntation of the menus was great, but it was a slippery slope from there. The wine took over 30 minutes to make it to the table (and I was scolded by the server for my impatience when I asked her to present it.) I had to ask for empty cocktail glasses to be removed from the table (which never fully were) ask for water glasses to be topped up (several times) and at the end of the meal ask for the table to be cleared. Twice! The poor server assistant seemed somewhat overwhelmed with the task and just kind of gave up at some point. I had to coax him back to the table to see the job through. The server was no where to be seen, and ever worse, neither was the manager. I did ask to speak with the manager at one point but apparently he/ she/they had stepped out. Whoever I spoke to did not offer to send the manager to the table when he/she/they were available. Maybe there wasn't one? Who knows. Chef, some frustration on your part would be completely justified that the front of house team is dropping the ball so badly. Leadership in the dining room appeared to be non-existant. It's not the server assistants fault that they don't know what their next step should be. It's the manager. It wasn't that busy so I would also question why the guest is directing the clearing of the table instead of the server. When the bill came to the table it included a $169. service gratuity. Ouch. I would also like to mention that I did send an email to the restaurant a few days after our meal requesting to speak with the GM about our experience. I think it would have been more constructive to speak about some of the "opportunities" than to leave them in a google review. Unfortunately I...

Overall, I would give Urban Farmers 3 stars. While the restaurant had a nice ambiance and kept our reservation despite our lateness, I found the quality of food and service to be lacking considering the prices charged. It wasn't a terrible experience, but I expected something outstanding when paying $100 per person, especially when we only ordered one cocktail.

Pros: The restaurant had a pleasant ambiance; it was comfortable, and the other patrons were nice and enjoying themselves. The establishment has a visually appealing interior decor, including beautiful large windows overlooking the greenery outside. The corn bread and butter were delicious, leaving a positive impression.

Cons: Unfortunately, the steak we ordered, the 1855 NY strip on the bone, was mediocre. We anticipated a tantalizing outer crust and a perfectly cooked medium-rare center, but the dish fell short of expectations. It lacked sizzling presentation, wasn’t flavorful, and wasn't as tender as anticipated, though the steak knives provided were satisfactory. The pork belly dish suffered from being overly fatty and overcooked. The selection of healthy side options was disappointingly limited. We opted for baby carrots, but they arrived very soft, soaked in butter, and overcooked, lacking the desired freshness and texture. The dessert choices were also limited, with a lack of traditional options. Consequently, we decided to skip dessert altogether. The service was adequate at best. We had to repeatedly request water before they eventually placed a jug on our table, which was less than attentive.

In conclusion, Urban Farmers offers a mixed dining experience. While the restaurant's ambiance and decor create a pleasant atmosphere, the quality of the food and the limited options for sides and desserts leave room for improvement. Given the steep prices, I had higher expectations for both the food and service. While it wasn't a terrible experience, I would recommend exploring other dining options before considering a...

Farm to table done right!

Had a great experience at this place! To start, it's right on the Ben Franklin Parkway, so it's easy to find but parking is tight - I parked 2 blocks into the neighborhood, but if you're lucky, you might see some open spots right on the circle.

Inside, it's got that rustic chic thing going on - lots of color and interesting light fixtures. It's modern yet traditional - it's a high end comfortable environment.

For the first course I got their caramelized cauliflower soup. So tasty and unexpected! It's made with cream and topped with a golden raisin relish and charred saffron croutons. So many flavors and love the use of the ingredients! Definitely a must!

For the entree I ordered their cauliflower steak. I was a bit hesitant on overdoing on the cauliflower, but I went with my gut - and it paid off! It was well roasted, and laid over seasoned lentils with a mango chutney on top! Each piece was savory but not too intense - that melt in your mouth type of feeling.

For dessert, I ordered one scoop of their toffee chip, and one scoop of their white chocolate ice cream! You can taste how fresh it was! Super creamy, and the flavors were well incorporated throughout.

Overall, I was impressed on the different treatments of ingredients (the cauliflower in the steak vs. the soup) as well as the quality and quantity of ingredients utilized - really nice to give your taste buds some new things to enjoy!

I also liked all the veggie friendly options available - always looking for more veggie places. The service was top notch. Our water glasses were constantly being refilled, and the servers were great in accommodating for any dietary restrictions.

I'm already looking forward to my next...