Tank Bar

I’ve been to the Tank Bar many times. It really is the bar area at FriSatSun. Except that in addition to FriSatSun’s menu, the Tank Bar also offers a separate bar menu of appetizers and starters. Recently I heard that they changed the Tank Bar appetizer menu but I haven’t seen it. I usually order from FriSatSun’s regular menu. I order the mushroom soup and when it is in season, I order the asparagus salad. The dressing is deceptively simple and delicious. The restaurant/​bar changed their menu to a seasonal dish model so some of my fav’s wont be back until spring. But the new dishes are also tasty and up to snuff.
On my last visit, my friend and I ordered one round of Manhattans — which delivered a mighty kick. There are always interesting folks at the intimate bar. In a place like that, the bartender has a definite impact on the atmosphere.

Definitely an interesting neighborhood spot. We went here for drinks before dinner. Generally the service was good and the drinks were well made. The fish tank was interesting but I kind of expected it to be more exciting. Overall, this is a great spot if you live in area but I wouldn’t travel too far to get drinks here.

Low-​key, laid-​back, and refreshing. This bar is totally unlike most bars in this part of Philadelphia, which tend to be overly loud, gaudy, or senselessly expensive. Admittedly, it’s very difficult to have a good time with a big group here due to space constraints and the subdued atmosphere. However, it’s a great place to grab drinks with a small crew after dinner or work day, and you never really have to worry about finding a table. One downside is the early closing time (around 10ish).

Wow… not much to say about this place that hasn’t been already said. It’s a strange, tiny little bar and I stopped in here with a friend while we waited for a table at Audrey Claire.
The glass of house wine I had wasn’t inexpensive, but they definitely filled that glass as high as possible! I almost couldn’t finish it in the 20 minutes we were there (but I did and that’s probably why I was extremely talkative during dinner).
Strangely, the service was spotty even though we were sitting at the bar and there were only a few other people there. The bartender at the time seemed very flustered.

LOVE IT! But there are 3 important things to remember:
1. The door is inside Fri Sat Sun. Go in, and see the steps in front of you.
2. It’s dark and there are mirrors everywhere. I was very disoriented when I walked in!!! But your eyes will adjust.
3. You will feel like you’re in a fun house.

My usual crowd and I came here out by randomly selecting a place on Unilocal and we loved it because it was so quirky. Usually quirky gets places a higher rating for me because I’m always starved for something different and interesting, but unfortunately this place had it cons as well.
The reason why my friends and I loved our first outing to this place was because the bar itself felt like you were on a cruise ship. The low ceiling with no windows and the fact that it’s a very limited space makes it very intimate. There’s a giant fish tank behind the bar as well.
This place also has an interesting mix of people– i.e. cougars and some random young 30 year olds. You can’t get a table unless everyone in your party is ordering food and that kinda sucks because the bar is too small for a large group to gather. If you have 4 friends max you could probably make it work, other than that it’s pretty awkward.
Anyway, the fact that they’re unwilling to accommodate anybody, even after 9pm to sit a table on Thursday night if they’re just ordering drinks kinda blows. Oh well. Tank Bar– you could have been my new Thursday night destination. Moving on!

I really want to give Tank Bar a 5 star review, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I did. The carpet needs, needs, NEEDS to be replaced. I couldn’t focus on my drink because the stale stench was just too pervasive. Maybe my expectations for a place called Tank Bar were just too high.
On a positive note, I can tell that many stories have been and continue to be made at Tank Bar. Perhaps I’ll go back and make one, then update my review with 5 stars.

This is the most bizarre and wonderful place. It’s almost hidden on the second floor of Friday Saturday Sunday … I never even knew it was there until friends took me. It feels like a little speakeasy where it’s always midnight: there are no windows and all the lighting comes from Christmas lights and a shockingly bright fish tank. It’s at once terribly romantic and classy but also feels like it’s straight out of the 80s (I mean that in a good way). The upholstered seats and fake flowers on the bar only add to the atmosphere.
But the real excitement is the cocktails. Sean makes the best sidecar I’ve had, and, very excitingly, Tank Bar now has a specialty cocktail menu! On which everything is half off during happy hour! This means delicious and fruity $ 5 drinks from 5:30 — 7:30 weekdays. The best is the Bumpy Sidecar. It comes garnished with hazelnuts so it feels fancy and is also rich and tasty.

I’ve been sitting on this one for a while, partially because I wanted it to be my little secret happy hour spot. Alas, the time has come.
Thanks to the fish tank and Christmas lights as the only source of illumination the place seems so cool and hidden and intimate, so much so that I’m shocked when other people start rolling in. If you are having an affair this seems like a great place to take your paramour.
I’ve yet to be disappointed by any of the cocktails – the Spicy Dirty Bond and Bumpy Sidecar are my favorites – and on the one occasion where my date* was dissatisfied, the bartender promptly replaced it with something more to her liking, free of charge. The appetizers – shout out to the wasabi deviled eggs and spiced nuts – are likewise quite good. As noted, all of that is half off during happy hour i.e. $ 5 or less no matter what food or cocktail you order.
* Please do not draw any conclusions about the circumstances surrounding this date based off my earlier comments about Tank Bar being a great place to have an affair. Nothing illicit was going on. Well… nothing illicit along those lines.