B Side Hookah Lounge

The place is pricey so if you’re bank account isn’t set up right i would advise you not to come here. Almost every bar has hookah now so I’m sure you can find something cheaper and even better elsewhere. This establishment is just money hungry which is normal but they make it so obvious which is abnormal. The entry fee is dumb because it’s not a nightclub, atleast when i went, there were tables everywhere and no one was dancing. It’s a restaurant/​bar, so anyone who comes in is going to spend money anyway so i don’t see the point.
So after you pay to enter, the hostess says you have to spend however much to sit at a table. That’s tasteless and stupid because everyone’s first instinct will be to say no until they see the menu at the bar and calculate everything in their head to see if the price makes sense. Or they get uncomfortable from standing then they finally ask for a table. How about the hostess show some class and just ask people if they plan on ordering food. Anyone who orders food, drinks, and hookah here will easily meet the table requirement.
Lastly, the typical rude ass philly bouncers literally yelling at everyone to get the fuck out when the club is closing. It was a little before 2 and we weren’t even finished our food and drinks and some asshole is yelling at our table of 3 cute girls to hurry up and get out but the waitress was the one who was slow with giving us our bill and take home boxes. Our food was slow coming out too so it was actually their fault but he was yelling at us.

So I live about an hour and a half away in bucks county. I came to Bside for the first time in April of 2014. I’ve gone to hookah bars and lounges all around bucks and montco since then, never quite being as happy with the experience.
I came back to the city a few days ago and planned to stay for the better part of a week and made my grand return to Bside. What a decision that was! The drinks are almost as delicious as the hookah :-) everybody here, from the owner himself to the bartenders, the people at the door, the security, the wait staff, the couple other people walking around in charge, and even the dude changing the coals and the guy waiting to pump soap in my hand in the bathroom… The staff at Bside are all here to guarantee and enable my superior experience :-) I can’t stay away!!!
And if that wasn’t enough, the other customers are awesome as well. I’ve met new interesting people to talk to and chill with for the past couple nights in a row. And what makes it better, I came back yesterday, and it’s like I’m a part of the Bside family…
This wonderful establishment, that I’m about to program in my cellphone under the name «Paradise» has made a very significant life decision for me. I’m starting to look at places tomorrow, and moving to this city, so that I can come to «Paradise» whenever I want to. :-)
Love to everyone at Bside, be seeing you soon…
Fondly, the other Nick ;-)

Hmmm. Well let’s talk about what I liked about this place…
Not much.
This was by far the most average hookah experience I’ve had and one of the worst customer service wise.
A friend was visiting from out of town and instead of going to Byblos (natural inclination) I decided to try B Side instead as a friend mentioned it was a chill spot with good music and a nice crowd. Good music? Sure. Nice crowd? Eh maybe for winter I guess. Everything else? Nah.
When we entered we were surprised to see that they were charging a $ 5 cover before 9pm. Most places don’t start charging until 9pm or even later. After paying and putting that iffy feeling to the side we made our way in where we were approached by a waitress. She asked us if we were planning on sitting at the bar (we replied yes) and she notated that if we would’ve decided a table instead there was a $ 50 minimum that night. Ummm ok. I guess if you were to put that in retrospect that’s probably a hookah rental and 3 or 4 drinks which isn’t that big of a deal for people looking to stay the majority of the night.
Less than 5 minutes in, my friend and I decided that the bar was a bit uncomfortable and with no coat check we wanted more space for our things. I flagged down another waitress to move us to the table who then informed me that the table (yes the same 2 person table) now held a $ 150 minimum. Lol WHAT? Like I’ve never seen a table up priced so quickly. At the same time I’m trying to figure out when I relocated from a semi-​shabby hookah lounge to a nicer club that would even warrant such a price for a 2 person table. Since my friend was paying, I also didn’t want to have to have him incur that price after we’d just had dinner as well. After explaining to the waitress she insisted on giving me the same price and I requested a manager. The manager was BEYOND helpful (sarcasm) and told me that we could switch to the table, however the hookah we ordered at the bar would not count towards the tables minimum. Okay. Whatever. Whateverrrrrrrrr
So we move, and the music is great and there’s a better crowd than I expected in cold weather. Bigger issue being the difficulty we had tracking down a waitress of whom were either flirting with male patrons or taking shots and similar foolishness. Drinks were weak and watered down and not worth the price at all. The hookah did not boast a strong flavor and in my opinion took way too much effort to get a good pull. I haven’t been back and I’m comfortable with that decision. Although it’s smaller, Byblos offers a hookah experience that I prefer much more over B Side. Yes, the music was good but that’s just not enough. Judging by the other amount of negative reviews the questionable experience I had during my visit wasn’t an anomaly. B Side clearly just survives on doing the bare minimum. No thanks.

Good vibe and music for an urban crowd… Drinks a bit pricey. Service at the bar was fast and consistent.

STAY AWAY!!! This place is a rip off. Read the below reviews. It looks like a lot of people had the same experience as us.
They over charge for everything. We sat down and the person told us it was $ 30 min per person. Then after 2 hours the waitress told us it was $ 300 min for the table. We only had five people and they charge us $ 300 min? $ 72 per person including tips. We were there for 2 – 3 hours. They also charged us $ 15 cover fee. Yes, on top of the $ 72 per person. I had to pay $ 15 at 10 pm to get in. Of course they don’t inform of the min before you go in.
I want to remind you this is for a hookah bar. The place is not high class. The hookah was noting special. I can find a place 5 min away for ¹⁄₅ of the price.
The place is no where near worth what they charge.
Stay away. This place is a WAY OVER PRICE hookah bar.

WORST. PLACE. EVER. Minimum $ 300 tab for a party over 6 people, which wasn’t really an issue, BUT it’s based on table size, not actual size of party itself AND there’s a cover that doesn’t go towards that minimum. The music is so loud, it’s hard to hear the person sitting next to you and it’s all about bitches and the n-​word. After waiting 30 minutes for two orders of wings, I complained to the manager and the waitress claimed she didn’t hear my order, yet 1. She repeated it back to me at time of order 2. She brought the drink I ordered with the food 3. EVERYONE AT MY TABLE HEARD ME ORDER, even over the loud ass music. Oh yeah, there’s also a mandatory 20% «service charge» which is their code for tip. If you’re thinking of going here, DON’T. I’d give it negative stars if I could.

Came in for the first and last time on a Wednesday night. Took my credit card for a tab and charged me 20 $ a drink. 5 drinks for 92.77. I was rudely told by manager that a shot of Baileys was 8.00 apiece and patron was 10.00. After asking for a shot, they gave me and my wife a double without asking and said they’d take it off bill. On top of a 14.27 «service charge». Wtf is that??? Your a damn bar! The manager was a foreigner who was rude as hell and said too bad, welcome to Philly. Stay away. They will rip you off and laugh at you on the way out. Rember, I paid almost 100.00 for 5 drinks. And the place sucks anyways. AVOID!!!

Ok so for looks and atmosphere this place gets 5 stars. Food I can not speak on being did not order any, but drinks OH BOY BE READY. Order 2 Captain & Cokes and the total was $ 21.50. I’m sorry but for $ 10.75 these things better be savage-​like. Instead you get a semi-​talk skinny (probably 8oz-​10oz) glass filled to the brim with ice and a dash of Captain with a glass of Coke on ice. I was appalled and literally couldn’t believe they at least weren’t double-​shot strong for that price. Lost me on first touch with that outrageous 2 drink bill. Plenty of cheaper options. But I’ll say the left side of the building is awesome and super dim lit with some pretty cool dance lighting and hip-​hop /​urban beats playing.

I had to go out to Philly for a work conference and found out about this place on Unilocal.Absolutely great staff all around (especially the bartenders) and great quality hookah. If I ever find myself back in Philly, I’ll be sure stop by for a round 2. Keep up the great work!

Good hookah, expensive everything. Slow service especially after the place gets super packed after 11pm. If you ask for water make sure you ask tap or in a glass, they’re sneaky to bring out water bottles and charge you. Hot wings were delicious, owner is super nice! Would’ve been nice if they were playing authentic Arabian music, not rap and radio hits.

Good location. I appreciate the music that was being played (urban). It was a bit chilly when I went, and I happened to be sitting by the door at the bar, so the blast of wind of quite annoying. I think that the drinks are a little on the pricey side, if I return, I will be arriving tipsy. the hookah was gross. I believe it was the hose. It was old, or just something was wrong with it. When we pulled it, it left black ashes in our mouths. It took us FOREVER to get the hookah person’s attention, and when we did we were brought another faulty hose. By that time I was just over it. It is decorated very nicely from what I saw. I will admit I did not get up and explore due to not wanting to lose my seat.

I love B-​side! It’s my go to bar in Philadelphia. Diverse crowd. Staff are pleasant. Very attentive. Music is always great on Thurs/​Fri/​Sat. Drinks are reasonable. Always can find at least one local celeb or a few of the Sixers players (especially after their home games) in Bside.
The only thing I hate about the place now is that they enforce this you have to buy (at a certain rate) to sit. I understand it’s business, but I hate it! I end up spending the rate for the table at the bar anyway which pisses me off even more when I get the tab. Lol Don’t let that deter you just be prepared.

Great hookah, but they have $ 70 minimal. The drink is ok, the service was horrible, they don’t really pay attention to customers. Its a ok place.

NO thanks, went here last Friday evening around 630 to meet with my travel group. It was about 20 of us altogether. While it was nice that we had a separate area, the service was a bit lacking and I was not a fan of the tip already included in my check. While I understand that is typically the norm, I wasn’t expecting that since the 2 other individuals on my check did not purchase any food. She literally received $ 13 to give us 4 drinks and a hookah and still never brought me my water after asking twice.
There were also no drink specials and the drinks were pricey. I was told from the other individuals in my party that the food was also seriously lacking as well
It’s crazy also that the woman’s restroom only has two stalls and it was so hot in there.
I won’t be back.

Best Hookah in Philly! Let me just say ever since I’ve moved out here from California, it’s been such a drag to find a hookah bar that knows how to make a lasting bowl that gives dense smoke. It came to the point where I just bought my own because Byblos and the others don’t truly know how to pack a hookah bowl and use proper coals. I’ve been to at least 10 different lounges and BSide is definitely the best I’ve had :) Brianna took good care of us… she’s a doll!

This place honestly only had one redeeming quality about it: a friendly bartender. We first went in there with the intention of having a hookah. After having to pay the $ 5 cover, we go in and THEN are told by a server that reservations are required to have a table with a hookah and that they were completely booked. While this may seem fine, (1) there were many empty tables and (2) this wasn’t told to us till AFTER we paid the cover which they said was «no refunds.»
Of course, this was actually illegal for them to withhold our money especially after false advertisement. Additionally, a few other people came in with the same intention of getting a table/​hookah and complained to the management while also demanding a refund. They had not purchased anything from the establishment and yet the management refused to issue a refund, which again is illegal.
Lastly, there was a credit/​debit card minimum of $ 25. Not only is this a ridiculous amount if you just intend to have a drink, but it is also illegal as businesses are only allowed to put a max of a $ 10 minimum.
Overall, I felt like this place was there to simply swindle customers, specifically new ones, of their money. If it was possible to give this place half a star, I would have.

This bar definitely stands out from other old city establishments. Their bartender makes horrifically strong drinks. If the other local cocktails are sledgehammers, B-side’s are chainsaws filled with deadly adders.
A note about atmosphere — hookah smoke and hip hop music blend to create a great break from the regular Old City haunts. People dance here, and they dance well. Management and staff is crazy attentive for such a busy place.
Give it a shot. And maybe another shot. Maybe another shot. Wake up somewhere you won’t want to check in on foursquare (or I guess it’s «swarm» now or something).

Finally made it here after an unexpected setback (see my review for Rotten Ralph’s). Atmosphere is chill and very hip. Loved the DJ and there was no cover this particular night (this Thursday that just passed). Service was also very great between ordering drinks and the hookah experience. I didn’t even have to notify them to change my coals.
Six drinks (mixed, beer, and soda) plus our peach-​banana shisha came to $ 60 after service charge & taxes, plus, a couple bucks we decided to throw the waitress anyway ($ 55-​something before the last bit) since I wasn’t sure if that was a tip or not; never saw that on a bill before. I wasn’t expecting the extra nearly $ 10 and do understand some people’s peeves without advertising it, but, it doesn’t change my experience drastically.
Will return.

I have been wanting to do Hookah in philly for a long time and I had read pretty descent reviews about B-​Side so when the boyfriend and I found ourselves wandering the city on Saturday I suggested this location.
We were seated outside, which was a good move because the music inside was extremely loud and «clubby». I don’t mind some dancing music but it’s not really what I am looking for when going to smoke hookah. For me, it’s kind of a social activity where I would like to actually have a conversation and be heard. Outside was pretty much perfect though; if for the people watching alone.
Ordered the grape hookah, which I thought was pretty good but made the boyfriend light headed. The server was pretty good. She seemed to be handling both inside and outside tables so there were points where we didn’t see her for a bit and refills were a little harder to come by than I would like.
My only real issue here — and it’s a big one for me — was the automatic service charge. We were a party of 2 and yet there was an automatic 15% charge on our bill. This makes me crazy… particularly when they slip it on the bill without warning. This could have been a 3 star experience but I am subtracting one for that.

Take a deep breath. Gasp caugh ahem. Ok, not that deep. Not like a bong. More like a little puff. How is that? Much better, right?
Hookahs have been on my bucket list. Sure, close to the bottom, but it was on the list. This is a great place to try it. Went on a Tuesday night when it was quiet and the ladies gave us the inside scoop on hookin. We tried the vanilla and got set up on one of the big water pipes.
The smoke was extrememlu mellow. Once its cooled theough the water and long hose you cant even tell you are smoking. But you are and the nicotine rush starts quickly.
There were a few regulars in there besides us newbies. They have a good selection of drinks so those not hookin it up still felt at home.
So if this is on your bucket list, give em a try. Just remember, just a little puff.