Square Peg

I was here about a month ago for happy hour with Nina S and Sarah F and others. I am sorry to see this place turn into a new restaurant. Nate and Rob at the bar were great. Bite size orders for $ 2 to $ 3 for happy hour. The lemonade drink was awesome. Some of the dishes were better than others. I loved the mac n cheese grilled cheese and kimchi fries but most of the vegetarian dishes were just ok.
This was one of my new favorite happy hour spots. I hear that the new restaurant moving in will keep many of the same employees and I hope that they do because the service here has always been great. The bartenders especially know what they are doing..

I still think this is a 5 star establishment after another visit tonight. Rob was an amazing bartender! My friends and I had outstanding service at the bar for happy hour. The Cucumber Lemonade was my favorite drink! It’s a very good drink for spring. I can’t wait to go back again soon and they are offer a Center City Sips Menu starting June 5^th throughout the summer!
We enjoyed happy hour $ 2 and $ 3 bites so much that we ended up getting a table and stayed for dinner. I had the pear and brie salad and it was a great spring salad with lots of arugula. That went well with all of the fries and other not so healthy menu items. The menu is very balanced and offers something for everyone — even vegans and vegetarians!

I go for happy hour, The food bites are quite good but small. $ 5 you call its and cocktails .
What always amuses me is that the tables are usually filled with senior citizens which doesn’t seem to go with the overall vibe. I am guessing its the theatre crowd?

Came here without a reservation on a Saturday night. No reservation was needed but place had a good amount of diners. They had pretty good options for vegetarians and it was labeled on their menu.
Had their flatbread special and it was made half with cheese and half without no prob for me and my bf. That was meh. Their veggie chili was pretty good. Falafel platter was meh. Hummus didn’t taste good at all. The cauliflower and cucumber salad were the best part of the platter. Overall food was meh. Atmosphere was nice and laid back.

With over 100 reviews I’m not sure if I have anything too useful to add. It’s an open sunny space serving interesting American food. I went with my daughter, my mom and my (ex)MIL for lunch. They had a nice menu, almost upscale diner food. Of course they had your standard alcoholic drinks but they also had some fun nonalcoholic drinks.
We enjoyed our meal, soup and sandwiches — i cant specifically recall what we ate. I imagine this is a fun place for a happy hour too but that is pure speculation. Not sure I would go out of my way to eat here again, but would certainly eat here again if I was in the neighborhood and in need of a light bite to eat.
PS for the parents of little ones they did have a highchair.

I think our bartender was stoned. She was just way off, like in la la land or something. The snacks menu has some nice options and the house made potato chips are bomb.
Id probably only come back during HH they have a late night one from 9 – 11 on fridays

My two friends and I came here for happy hour around 6pm on a Thursday afternoon and there was plenty of seating by the bar. They have a pretty decent menu of daily bar specials ($ 2 and $ 3 bites!). We ordered a couple of $ 2 bites to share — the country fried chicken-​kimchee taco, pulled pork chipotle slider, and Moroccan spiced salmon rillette — plus the Spanish tots and deviled eggs sampler off the happy hour snacks menu. The bites were meh, but I LOVED the Spanish tots, which came with smoked paprika aioli, sour cream, pepperjack, and scallions. The deviled eggs, which came in a sampler of three, were also pretty good, especially the one stuffed with kani salad.
I also ordered the cucumber lemonade, one of the $ 5 specialty cocktails. Garnished with lots of mint, it was light, cucumber-​y, and very delicious.
Overall, great weekday happy hour from 5−7pm!

We dined here for no reason (other than we didn’t want to cook I guess) with Mom. We made a reservation through
(admittedly just so that I could get the points) because I am sure there would have been no trouble for us to get a table at 8pm on a Thursday.
When we arrived they brought us to our table… upstairs. The downstairs was seemingly empty and when we got upstairs there were only 2 other tables up there. Bizarre. Before we could get our coats off our server was asking us if we knew what we wanted to drink. As we looked at the menu, the amount of time she stood there became awkward. When I mentioned we might need a minute she said she could offer suggestions. We each ordered a beer, I had the Shandy.
When she returned we weren’t yet ready to order but again an awkward situation (I guess she was bored because her section was empty). We ordered a Ceasar Salad to start, he had the Cheesesteak Pot Pie, Mom had the Vegetarian Chili, and I had the Mac + Cheese Grilled Cheese. Not something I would normally order, but it was freezing up there. We had to ask them to turn the ceiling fan off. It was a rainy and cold night already so I’m not sure why it was blasting to begin with. A note about the Shandy – it was very tasty, but I think it might have been the first Shandy I ever got without Ice. Not a big deal, it just seemed odd. Shandy’s are my favorite which is why I had to get one (even though it contradicts the cold, rainy, winter night).
Anyway, the Caesar salad came… it was two hearts of Romaine grilled and then DRENCHED in salad dressing. The dressing was tasty; creamy and peppery. It was served with the a crispy parmesan which I love but I guess it’s hard to screw that up. Overall it was good… but WAY too much dressing.
When the entrees came, they were definitely the perfect portion. The cheesesteak pot pie was in a deep bowl with a giant flaky biscuit on top. He said it was good but that it was more of a chili or a soup. The biscuit was hard to manage because it just broke apart everywhere and made a huge mess.
The chili was served in the same size bowl with a small piece of cornbread on the side. I had considered getting the chili and am SO glad I didn’t. I don’t know how she could eat that. It tasted like someone dumped an entire jar of ancho powder in the pot. It was too smokey and had no flavor (other than ancho). It was also very thin – more of a soup. Overall, not good at all.
The mac and cheese grilled cheese was served with tomato soup. Unfortunately this was not soup – it was basically ketchup. Thick, gloppy, with the consistency of pudding or mayonnaise. The taste was good but it was weird to eat it with a spoon. The grilled cheese itself was OK. It had an odd sour taste to it as opposed to buttery. I could feel my arteries clogging with each bite but I guess you have to splurge every once in a while, right?
I also ordered the Raspberry Thai Basil Lemonade that I was SO SO excited about. Unfortunately it tasted as though no one rinsed the basil leaves before putting them in the glass because it had a «dirt» taste. I LOVE sweet things but I think this might have been too sweet for me. It was OK… great in concept but needs a little tweaking.
Overall I would give food a C, service a B, drinks a B, atmosphere/​ambiance a C+. By the time we were done with our salad we were the ONLY table left upstairs. Our server stood behind the table to the left just waiting for us to finish. Also, as we were paying the check, a DJ came on and the music was SO LOUD we had to literally scream to hear each other. Oh, well. I am sure we will give it another try sooner or later (but probably later).

It’s really good here if you’re looking to clog some arteries! Totally enjoyed the Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese and the Fried Chicken.
Time to renew my gym membership.

What a suprise.
We went in with a party of 10, so I was expecting poor service, but we had a main attentive waiter along with various other staff assisting with the food and drinks.
The Old Fashion at the bar was suggested to be made with Makers Mark Rye… I suspect it has something to do with the MM Rye promo material laying around, but it was still good, maybe a little bit too sweet, but the bartender has some good recommendations for the rest of the group and seemed well trained.
The fried mac & Cheese sandwich looked amazing but seemed like I was eating a low-​fat version… there was just something missing. Maybe if grilled it with butter on the bread or used a sharper cheddar cheese it would have more flavor. The drunken soup that came with it had a wierd flavor, not the roasted tomato flavor I was hoping for.
The calamari was the most disappointing, it was overfried, dry and brittle. No dipping suace and not even that great of a portion in the little bowl it came in… skip this appetizer. The seared tuna was exactly what you were expecting, just with a little less tuna than most other restaurants.
For entrees, I had the fried chicken. Like the calamari, it was overfried with the outercoating becoming a hard shell-​like armor. This made the chicken inside extra moist and once you cracked away the shell, was a very tender and well cooked piece of chicken. I thought I tasted a hint of dill in the seasoning, and it was enough to eat the chicken by itself. The spicey-​honey sauce it comes with should be skipped, tasted like Frank’s Hot Sauce to me and not what I want to taste along my friend chicken. The cornbread was less than average an on the dry side.
The salmon was prepared well, I didn’t try the trout but the eater said he liked it. The salads were a good sized portion with nothing standing out.
The service here saved the few disappointments on the menu and I’d recommend going inf or a date to check it out.

I am pretty sure this place was Marathon Grill the last time I ate here. The food was pretty good then. I guess with a new establishment you expect a change in the food. I guess Square Peg didn’t get the menu; the food was still pretty damn good.
I had friends in town who are Detroit Lions fans attending the game last Sunday. I instructed them to meet me at Marathon at 10^th & Walnut. I arrived before them, and realized that Marathon was no longer there. At that moment two things went through my head, my friends are going to be lost looking for Marathon Grill, and I am not sure if I want to take a chance and eat at a place I know nothing about it. I don’t want to disappoint my guest.
The wife and I went inside to have a few drinks while we waited for the rest of our party. The place looks the same, well at least what I can remember. The bartender behind the counter was friendly, and the atmosphere was pretty comfortable, so I decided to settle down with an Alagash White and check out all the food coming out of the kitchen. When the rest of my party arrived we decided to have a few more drinks and figure out where were going to eat as I was still a little apprehensive. That all changed once I saw a young lady sitting at the other end of the bar eating what looked like a nice grill cheese sandwich. Well it was a mac & cheese grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. I didn’t order the sandwich, but it did play a factor in us staying.
We started out with the honey chipotle wings, calamari, and the hoagie dip. I like my wings to be a little more crispy than how they were served however, they were still pretty good with a little kick. The calamari was nothing special. It wasn’t rubbery and it was calamari. Now on to the hoagie dip. As a native New Yorker I hate that word; it’s a hero. That issue aside, I have to say Square Peg is on to something here. Think of an Italian Ho — - chopped up and hit with a touch of mayo. Yes, I know mayo is not usually on an Italian Ho — -, but the roasted garlic mayo works. My only complaint here other than hoagie… there are places in Philadelphia well known for their bread. Instead of using standard italian bread that would be on a table at a 3 star Italian joint, utilize the product that is a hit in the city of Philadelphia.
My wife and her sister ordered the turkey burger. The said there was too much cranberry relish on the burger and wish it was served on the side. After scrapping most of it off, they both were satisfied with the meal. I decided to go with the the fried chicken. The cornbread could have been off the plate and it probably would have been better than trying to eat that dried thing. The chicken itself was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The special hot sauce honey was not bad at all. My friend decided to go with the «Breakfast all Day» since he skipped it for beers and dogs at the Stadium, He decided to go with the hangover food, the Breakfast Poutine. I guess at the rate he devoured it said it all.
I am glad that I decided to give this place a chance. I will certainly be dining at Square Peg again. Next time however I am getting a table. We decided to sit at the bar to watch the Yankees choke, and the Giants beat up the 49’ers. The bar stools are a tad bit uncomfortable and our buts were hurting.

Appearance: Looks exactly like the Marathon Grill that used to be in the same location. Clean, modern and industrial, large windows, exposed beams, wood tables and exposed brick walls.
Service: Attentive and sweet
Food: Unimpressed, disappointed, and still hungry when I left.
As an appetizer we ordered the deviled eggs of the day. One order came with three egg halves and a garnish of the daily toppings.
I ordered the mac and cheese «grilled cheese» served with drunken tomato soup. This was nothing to write home about and what really irked my table was that for $ 12 you don’t even get the whole sandwich. They literally cut corners and served each person three triangles of the sandwich rather than four. I am a petite girl and was still hungry after the meal. When we asked our server what happened to the other parts of our sandwich — he told us that they serve the remaining triangles at happy hour for $ 2. Come on man — how cheap can you get?
I will not be back.

Really people, you’re whining that one of Marathon’s many locations closed and turned into a truly-​different restaurant in a city full of repetition? Please.
This place, overall, is awesome. One of my favorite restaurants I’ve been to in the past year or so. What I like about Square Peg, and I assume this is much of the intended draw, was that it’s more than a meal. Yeah sure I like high quality food, but I can get that plus it be a conversation piece how is that a bad thing?
For me this place only doesn’t get five stars because the food itself isn’t spectacular, and for me was a bit overpriced for what you’re getting. Over $ 10 for eating out of a Fritos bag? While it was really, really good not totally worth it. Cheese steak pot pie was maybe $ 3 – 4 overpriced as well. Too small and light on the meat. I don’t mind paying for good food but those were ticked up a bit much in my opinion.
But major props for trying and I hope this place sticks around. Had a lot of fun with my group eating here.

I enjoyed my brunch at Square Peg so much that I suggested it as a late night spot after an outing last week. I had heard that they were offering a late night happy hour, so it was a no-​brainer to walk a few blocks out of the way to check it out.
When we arrived, there was no one in the main reception so we just went straight to the bar. It was kind of obvious that the people who were there were friends with the bartenders. The bartenders themselves made no effort to welcome us or make eye contact. We stood around awkwardly until I was finally able to get someone’s attention. When I asked about the late night happy hour, I was told it had already ended. It was just after 11pm at this point. Turns out, their late night happy hour is from 9−11pm. Okay. So I requested a menu to order some snacks. The kitchen closes at 11. And after checking out their website, I’ve discovered that the bar closes at midnight on weeknights.
With so many spots open until 2am and with late-​night kitchens, it’s unlikely that I’d choose Square Peg for a nightcap. And honestly, even if I’m not hungry, I’ll still head somewhere that feels a little more welcoming.
Again, I really did enjoy my brunch a few weeks ago so I’m going to combine my four stars for brunch with my two stars for this lousy experience and average out to three. There’s a chance that I’ll return for a meal but it’s highly unlikely that I’ll go back just for drinks.

Now with 3 visits under my belt and having sampled bites and booze, I feel confident in my ability to rate this establishment.
From the get-​go, I was highly anticipating this menu. White chocolate-​habanero wings? Yeah that’s definitely my style. My first foray for food took me there for brunch and it did not disappoint. The breakfast poutine absolutely floored me and curbed my fried egg on something craving. The wings, which were nothing like I ever tasted before were definitely the right choice. The habanero lingering in the back with heat was a great balance to the custard like consistency of the sauce. Also, try the banana bread, you won’t be sorry.
On a recent visit, I tasted their house-​cured bacon and deviled eggs. The deviled eggs were quite tasty (I tried the mustard seed and avocado varieties) but it was the bar bacon, that stood out to me. It was cooked perfectly and had a natural sweetness along with whatever their curing spice consisted of. I was highly impressed.
On the booze end, they focus on beer and bourbon (whiskey) and small batch distilleries at that. You’ll find plenty of creative cocktails on the menu to satisfy almost any craving. The restaurant has a great space (it’s huge) and a wonderful staff who in my experience has been both knowledgeable and pleasant. I can see myself being a regular here.
Rumor has it that they will be starting a late night happy hour. Thank God I run.

Attended the inaugural Bunch Club UYE here which was a complete and total slam dunk. And while there was a few minor kinks that had Square Peg just fall short of 5 stars (I FINALLY have a review where I wish I could give half stars!), it definitely demonstrated why its worthy of several more visits down the line. Especially once their brunch gets a little more seasoned and they kick off the late night happy hour that they have in the works.
I enjoyed Matt Levin’s cooking at Adsum, and while I find Tapestry to be significantly better in a lot of ways; I’ve found myself missing it in a lot of ways. And while I really enjoyed and saw the potential of the spot that it was in, I never really cared for Marathon Grill all that much. So the fact that the space and the chef just happened to come together was a definite plus for me. And overall it adds up to a chill atmosphere that serves diner inspired food with a unique twist, as well as some killer cocktails.
Since Levin is known for things like his Tastykake Sliders (tiny burgers with Kandy Kake «buns») you know that he likes to do things a little outside of the box. And while the menu most definitely has its bold innovations that I am salivating for as a result (Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese, Cheese Steak Pot Pie, Fried Chicken Tacos! Do want! Do Want!), there are a few innovations that just kind of clashed. While Chocolate Habanero Chicken Wings were perfectly cooked and the Maytag blue dip it came with was a simple pleasure. But the sweetness of the chocolate and the spice of the pepper canceled each other out to the point that I didn’t get much of either. And as Michelle said General Tso definitely waged war on the Cobb salad. But the breakfast poutine with its sausage gravy and fried egg yolk oozing onto fries and bacon is a SERIOUS contender for my last meal on earth. And since breakfast is available any time of day at Square Peg you don’t need to wait for the brunching hour to indulge upon it! And save room for dessert if you can (I hit a delicious wall during it but still managed too), because things like the chocolate pudding pie with pretzel crust and burnt bananas in a mason jar, and the carrot cake sundae (you read that right!) are most certainly worth it.
Square Peg also offers up a versatile cocktail menu that had plenty of interesting blends, and even had a spiked milk shake list that could contend with the one at PYT. The Brunch menu yielded specialty cocktails like the Fine + Dandy (a little too fruity for my tastes but appreciated the blackberry, blueberry, and limoncello combo) and a BACON Mary (which I would have so gotten if it was done with vodka instead of scotch) and a specialty line of juleps which all sounded and looked amazing. Since it cost $ 9 and was one of the least daring that I’ve had in Philly, the basic Bloody Mary could use a bit of work. Since I’ve been known to abide (
) I just had to get the Little Lebowski milkshake, and I am happy to report that it was quite the urban achiever! While the base was definitely similar to The Dude shake at PYT, the Prairie Organic Vodka and addition of Stumptown coffee did give it an upgrade.
It was the first time Square Peg ever had a brunch, so as expected a number of things did run out due to the demand. And while I did like that the brunch menu had the addition of some delicious starters and specialty cocktails, I didn’t like that the main dishes were the exact same as the everyday breakfast menu, and wouldn’t mind seeing at least a couple specials added on down the road. But I was very impressed overall, especially by our extremely attentive and highly professional server (who I also wish I could remember the name of!). And it was cool that the managers were cool and friendly enough to check in on us too. So when it comes down to it I think I have reason to like this Square Peg more than the old school 80’s show (
)!

OH MY GOD that mac n’ cheese grilled cheese was really alright.
DAMN I had that mahi mahi quesadilla and I just shouted «Well this is OK!»
and the goat cheese salad! Like, wow. It was definitely, definitely one of the goat cheese salads that I’ve eaten in my life.
The calamari was good.
The beer selection is good.

Soft openings can cause crash landings.
Hoping that with time the place will come into its own, iron out menu kinks, because despite all the other seemingly successful ingredients (the chef, the concept, the service, the name, décor!), the execution and delivery of the food fell totally flat.
Comforting traditional favorites, (a little too Starr-​Jones-​ish, if you ask me) with a twist is what the menu offers. What you get is not exactly what is promised.
What you receive is a bland mac and cheese grilled cheese lacking the gooey-​cheesy quality that one would expect out of a dish, a calamari dish is like every calamari dish before it (save for the inclusion of shrimp crackers), and ditto the fish and chips (like all fish and chips before it save for a bit of green curry sauce).
Roasted brussel sprouts are served without that crispy caramelized exterior. A Matzo ball soup offers good broth, but the matzo is dense, weighty and lacking flavor. Equally, a promising Brisket and gnocchi is sent instead with parpadelle, and the dark chocolate and chipolte flavor of the dish is pretty much non-​existent — the only saving grace of the meal comes in the form of a burger (which plainly speaking, one should always be able to do well)
What’s left? Not much. Drinks and the wine selection rouses us a little, but not enough to make us sit up in our chairs.
Loved Adsum. Love this chef. Am waiting for redemption.

First impression: not so great. But I will get back to that later…
Square Peg is the latest whiskey-​themed comfort food restaurant in a city teeming with whiskey-​themed comfort food restaurants.
I do appreciate that, unlike Village Whiskey and other places, the spirits menu is meant to actually be a guide as opposed to an intimidation tactic. Indeed, the drink and domestic bourbons are easy to understand and order.
I had a Philadelphia Sling, made with Four Roses Small Batch bourbon. Loved it, and I hope other places catch on to mixing drinks with 4 Roses, cause it is perfect for such a purpose.
The food was fun. Mac n cheese grilled cheese? Yes please! The fries were salty and crunchy, served with a helping of fresh dipping sauces, including an interesting tartar sauce. It had a lemon-​y flavor which I loved. I also loved the smashed potatoes. Wow, those were great.
The atmosphere is kind of meh, but the space was limited, especially considering how iconic the Marathon Grill was before it.
The only bum note was the first 10 minutes there. We were sat directly in the sunlight, and when we asked to have the shade drawn, someone tried then walked away. We were forgotten about, and our issue with the sun beating down directly into our eyes was overlooked/​ignored.
I had to twice ask to either move tables or have the shades drawn. Finally– FINALLY– after 10 minutes, it was established that, in fact, the shades dont go down. Our table was moved– which is funny, since I suggested that 10 minutes before, with an entire room full of tables.
I understand reasons why moving tables is an issue– reservations (which we had, btw) server charts, whatever. Guess what? I dont give a shit. This sort of thing shouldnt happen, and we came *THIS CLOSE* to walking out before we were even served.
It’s a good thing we didnt however. I really like Square Peg, and our server Kim deserves a special shout-​out. She was awesome, funny and informative.
Pretty good place. I suggest trying it.

Had to try Square Peg as soon as I saw the menu and heard it was opening last week. So my friend, my fiancé and myself visited this past Saturday.
Levin has done it again. The menu had so many interesting options, it was hard to try just one! But I settled on the meatloaf, my friend had the turkey sliders and my fiancé ordered the cheesesteak pot pie.
I also tried the old fashioned from the cocktail menu while my friend had a highball. Both cocktails were excellently made.
The space (previously a Marathon Grill) is just lovely. 2 stories and decorated with simple dark wood, exposed brick, huge fun pictures of the staff and other things. The bar is also located upstairs.
The food did take a little longer than we hoped but it was worth it. The turkey sliders are served cold but have that «day after Thanksgiving» feel. My meatloaf was excellent with a Heinz 57 glaze (I personally love a ketchup glaze) with skin-​on mashed potatoes served underneath. The dish comes with spinach but I also ordered the Brussels sprouts; honestly I think I should have ordered the collard greens as the sprouts were not as tender as I prefer. My fiancé’s pot pie was definitely the stand-​out dish. What can be better than cheesesteak witha light and flaky crust? Loved it!
The only 2 things that I had issue with: the wait time for the food and the fact that our waitress disappeared at the end. So long in fact that another waitress came to pick up our check b/​c she saw how long we were waiting. She had previously been especially attentive so I imagine there must have been some issue she was tending to but being held hostage at a restaurant table is a particular pet peeve of mine. The place was busy as heck and it was only the 4^th day they were open so I’m sure kinks are still being ironed out.
I will definitely be returning as there a few other things I NEED to try (and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a return of Levin’s infamous tastykake sliders!!!).