The Phil's Tavern — Restaurant in Whitpain Township

This was a cool place. I was on my way home from work, on an extra long day. While driving home, I quickly searched for a bite along my route. It was just after 9p... most places were closing within mns. This place was a mere second out of my way & stated it was open slightly longer than the other places.

I was starved & just needed something light before getting home & to bed. 1st thing, ample parking everywhere. Coming in the entrance, 1st thing i noticed was the signage on the front door. "No sleeveless tees" or something to that effect. I was hoping it wasn't too upscale of a place, as I'm a "grease monkey" & not exactly appropriate attire, also wearing a head bandana. From what I gathered, I didn't have an issue. Not many ppl there but a Phillies game was on at the bar where I was headed straight to.

It's a pretty place. Clean, inviting, & I think draws in a more higher class or more sophisticated crowd, but not uppity. I dont think I'd find many hipsters at a place like this. The average person with etiquette or manners would fit right in though.

I ordered simply a grilled cheese, said it comes with fries & a pickle. I omitted the latter. Broccoli bites was the side dish I ordered with it. Absolutely fantastic. There was quite a bit of items to choose from on the menu, so I believe the pickiest eaters would find something here too.

I believe the bartender's name was Dobbs, I could be wrong. Awesome fella. Very polite & accommodating. The handful of patrons that were there watching the game were quite lovely people. Very down to earth & just easy to chime into their conversations. 😅

I'd like to visit this place during the day for sure. I recommend going here. I believe that they're on the pricier side too, but I have a feeling the food could be worth it. They made my grilled cheese out of this...

Disappointing Experience After Years of Patronage

I have been a loyal customer of Phil’s Tavern for over 35 years, frequently visiting with family and friends. Unfortunately, our recent visit on Thursday, September 19, 2024, left us with a sour taste and disappointment that has made us reconsider ever returning.

Upon arrival at around 6 PM, my father and I were told by the host, Brian Lupo, the manager, that there would be a 15-minute wait for a table. This seemed unusual given that the parking lot wasn’t full, there was no one else waiting, and we could clearly see multiple empty high-top tables in the dining area. When we pointed out these available tables and expressed our willingness to sit at one, Brian responded in a snarky manner, insisting that there was still a 15-minute wait.

When we questioned the handling of the situation, we decided to sit at the bar, which also had several open seats. Shockingly, Brian became defensive and asked us to leave, which was both uncalled for and extremely unprofessional.

After decades of positive experiences, it’s disheartening that the rude behavior of a single staff member, let alone the manager, could overshadow what has always been a welcoming place. Unfortunately, this experience has made us reconsider ever returning, and we will be sharing this disappointing encounter with others.

Customer service should always be a priority, and sadly, this instance showed that one employee's attitude took precedence over ensuring a positive...

We've been going to Phil's for years. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Last night we had both. And what is worse? No one seemed to care. It wasn't particularly busy for a Sunday night. We were seated right away and the room we were in (back left) was half empty. My wife had the Billy B's salad (comes with a crab cake), my son had the Cajun Swordfish and I had the ribs. Dinner took a while to arrive. As you can see from the below -- this was a service issue -- not a kitchen issue. The crabcake was mostly filler -- very little lump crab. She's ordered this many times in the past and this was something new. I'm not sure if there is a new chef or they are just cutting cost. The swordfish was good but came out luke warm. My ribs were actually cold -- so it was obvious that the plates were sitting in the kitchen for a while before the "runner" brought them to the table. I sent them back and, guess what, they just re-heated the same ribs with the french fries on the plate. And yeah -- we waited forever for them to come back. Finally we asked for the check. We asked our waiter twice and then a manager came by -- she brought it quickly but not politely. As if I was bothering her with a simple request. It will be a very long time before we ever go to Phil's again -- and that makes me sad. It has always been great -- but obviously things...