Tapestry

I’ve been here a few times and the beer selection is consistently good. They also have some great cocktails, one of which the bartender kindly altered for me because I hate gin with a fiery passion. The food here is solid, in particular their burgers. What really grinds my gears are the toppings/​extras. They have a ton of them on the menu and it gives you the ability to customize your own meal, but they are grossly overpriced. I requested avocado on top of the burger, which is $ 1 extra. Instead of a whole avocado (or even half of one), they smeared about a tablespoon of avocado on the top of the bun. Really? $ 1 extra for THAT? Needless to say, skip the toppings here because they’re not worth your money. I want to love this place, but I think I’ll be sticking with the drinks menu from now on because I can’t trust the portions coming out of the kitchen.

I want to give this place a 4 star review so badly. I have been here three or four times and every time the food has been good — but last night’s experience leave me wondering if i will go back.
To take a positive perspective, I’ll start with the good. When this place opened up this past year, I was so excited — another great spot in Bella Vista/​Queen Village, with a ton of great beer on tap, lots of yummy food choices to please most palates, a cool atmosphere which literally «defines» its name, with pretty purplish tapestries hanging around the windows, and they even play good music. It’s dark enough to give it a cool «North 3^rd» type vibe without being so dark that you feel like you’re in a dirty bar (i.e. Royal Tavern — which I do love, but that’s for another review).
The mac and cheese and burger are delicious. The bacon wrapped dates are the bomb. And the wings were one of the best I have ever had in the city. But if you come into Philly trying to be the next great pub and DON“T have a good burger on the menu, well, you’re popping up in the wrong city.
Now for the negative. Last night I came in with my BF and two friends, after i persuaded them to go there over another fav spot because i said «the food is great, great beer, good service» blah blah. Well, insert food in mouth. We showed up and I thought for sure the waiter had to be new. He took forever to bring out our beers — i literally thought maybe they were brewing them back there. Then he finally came back to take our orders. Nothing fancy — mussels, fried cauliflower, skirt steak sandwich, a salad and wings. An hour and two or three rounds later — I had to ask «are we ever going to get our food?» Oh, there were also two tables in the whole place — and a few people drinking at the bar.
A woman came over and proceeded to apologize about how «they were so busy» earlier and the kitchen got backed up. Um, what does that have to do with now? Suddenly our food came out all at once, looking like it had been sitting back in the kitchen window while the kitchen staff was likely smoking a J out back. Not that i have a problem with kitchen staff doing that — but customers come first. In a neighborhood with so many other cool bars and restaurants, I would be hesitant to come back here for a while.

I’ve given Tapestry two tries, and I don’t think I will return to see if third time’s a charm. The first time I went I was 2-​turned-​into-​6 group with Adrienne R. I was probably the 6^th, and it took at least 20 minutes for anyone to give me a drink menu (when we had a server at the bar against the window). By that time, I held off on ordering a drink because we would be seated any moment. Any moment turned into another 20 minutes perhaps. Finally we got a table. I ordered a turkey burger, and it was probably the worst turkey burger I’ve ever had. The meat just tasted completely off. I ate only half of it…
Then my fiancé and I returned for brunch this past weekend. The brunch menu is fairly decent, but one item we wanted was unavailable (said our server when we ordered it…). So I went with an egg white omelette, and my man got a proscuitto panini. The paninis are weak sauce. So tiny! It tasted nice though. It came with only a little microgreen side (like, 5 stems). Meanwhile, I see the next table over have a chicken panini delivered, with a heaping side salad! What’s up with that?
My omelette was pretty good, but not worth a return visit. I just expect so much more than what is delivered here. Maybe I’m a tough critic… but me thinks not.

I have been to Tapestry enough times for them to charge me rent and I don’t even remember half of the trips.
For food: 4 Stars — My two all time favorites are the Shepherd’s Pie and the Mussels. The food is very casual and I love that you can make your own pizza or burger with quality options (Just don’t do it wasted because you can put together some horrific combos)
For Beer: 5 Stars — They have decent dark beer selections in the summer which is one of my requirements.
For Service: 4 Stars — I have made a ton of friends going here and they are all very attentive and solid.
For Management: 0 Stars — Most of the great bartenders and servers have either been fired or moved on because of the management. As a customer I have seen one of the owners acting inappropriately towards a female server. I go here a lot, but they shouldn’t be training new employees more often than they change their taps.
Basically I love the place, but you better get in here before it goes the way of Adsum and shuts it’s doors again.

holy mac n cheese goodness. i really shouldve just ordered that! enjoyed a few brews and dinner for a friend’s birthday. the draft and bottle list would be reason enough for me to come back/​recommend to a friend.
3.5 stars

Horrible service! I have lived in the neighborhood for 10 years. I frequent Beau Monde, Bistro la Minette, Fitzwater Café, Southwark, and the many other magnificent gastropubs and eateries in and around Queen Village and Bella Vista. Never have I ever been completely ignored for 20 minutes, watching two other tables get served before our own. We occupied a table for two on the sidewalk last night… The inside was empty and there were three servers serving the partially full outdoor seating area… sorry to not be able to blame the lack of service on the crowd. I gave this place another star because they have an amazing beer selection on tap… If you can ever get the server to bring you one. A friend warned me not to bother with this one. Should have listened. I also think this corner is doomed since it has had 4 – 5 different restaurants attempt to occupy it in the past 10 years.
Some other con’s for the frequent foodie:
1. Not a huge selection of tapas — there were many olive selections but no cheese.
2. Be prepared for pizza, Mac-​and-​cheese, and burgers… There are only three real large plates besides those options. (the usual muscles, salad, steak, and chicken).
3. The outdoor seating area along Bainbridge is nice, but avoid the end closer to 6^th if you can… It’s right by their trash area.

I’d give it 7 stars. Octopus is slammin. Beers are never ending. Cocktails are incredibly unique, and the plates are ridiculously fair priced and good portions. Say no more. No one can possibly feel unwelcome here. Extremely casual atmosphere with just an awesome look.
I also live around the neighborhood, so if you’re looking for something tucked back and behind South Streets busy atmosphere, this is your place. OUTDOOR SEATING TOO!

Hello outside dining!
Tucked behind the South Street busy-​ness is this neighborhood gem! The beer list is shown by type and area, so you can always try something new. Be bold and adventurous because this place has some nice and unique choices. Food-​wise? You can’t go wrong. There are some small plate selections such as deviled eggs, sweet potato fries, and mac and cheese. My choice was the duck confit salad which had goat cheese and dried cherries. The combination worked, and I left pretty happy. Prices are really affordable, so I hope I’ll be in this neighborhood again to try some of the other plates, and of course, their beer.

I really like this place and so does my girlfriend. So much in fact that we somehow managed to go three weekends in a row. The beer list is great, with always something new to try. The duck confit salad is perfectly unique and bold. Be prepared and only order it if you’re a fan of duck in general. I have had the chili twice now and stand at ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. The first time was definitely meatier and savory. To me, the pizza is hit and miss but I don’t often indulge in it. I leave that one up to her. I can’t say enough good things; the perfect location, rotating drafts, and great food!

Like the other Unilocaler on here said, Tapestry leaves much more to be desired.
The ambiance is nice and cozy and neighborly with a vintage, but not overly macabre feeling. Tapestry is small, but has enough room to house the patrons that visit.
The beer selection on the wall looked great.
The cocktail list was… old fashioned, but some interesting twists.
The domestic and imported cheeses were interesting, though we didn’t order of inquire about it more.
The food was dismal. I was not impressed. The husband regretted his dinner and we both regretted the dessert, which was uninspiring, burnt and borderline mediocre.
Service was nice and friendly, but lacking and slow. I really just wanted to get out of Tapestry and get on with the rest of my evening, but apparently they want you to stay and never leave.
Sadly, if I am ever back in Philadelphia, I’m going to have to pass on by Tapestry.
This would be a good places for drinks and Tapas, but just forget dinner and dessert.

Okay folks! So I stopped by on Wednesday before my death metal concert at the TLA! And I am glad I did!
I was first met with a greeting which is always nice! The tap list was varied and nice.
But this day I got something from the bottle list. And in my search for the Italian craft, I enjoyed Birra Del Borgo ReAle Extra, which I have been meaning to try!
So upon tasting this gem, I decided to try a pizza. Pizza with pancetta to be exact! It was a ten inch, and I ate 6 out of 8 slices which tells you how hungry I was!
The pizza was excellent and the service was great. Mind you it was not crowded at all, but rarely do I go out when there is crowds just for this simple reason!
So thanks, Tapestry for the start of a great day!

Now THAT is a beer list. This beer menu is definitely comparable to some of the best in the city. They also have very pleasant outdoor seating that we took advantage of.
My best advice for you: get the chef’s cheese selection! You will get to try so much exciting and interesting cheese with some perfectly crunchy baguette. Nothing could be better than sitting outside and eating cheese on a perfect spring afternoon. Hey, to each his own!
I would stay away from the sandwich list, just because they are much smaller than you would expect. Your best bet might be just splitting a bunch of the smaller plates with a few friends to get the most of your money.
Enjoy!

We were so disappointed when Adsum closed and honestly resisted going to Tapestry out of respect for Adsums short life. We didn’t think there was anyway that it would be as good as Adsum, so didn’t want to waste our time.
Boy were we wrong. Tapestry surpassed our expectations and surpassed Adsum. They have an abundance of beers (bottled and on tap) and an extensive menu.
We chose to sample the small plates menu and practically ordered every item. In particular the bacon wrapped dates blew us away. So much so that we ordered second helping. Other favorites were the sriracha deviled eggs, the roasted beets and the spicy house pickles…
Unfortunately we didn’t save any room for dessert. Suppose we’ll have to go back.

After having logged enough hours at Tapestry, I feel confident enough to say that it is a wonderful bar/​restaurant in my neighborhood and I’m hoping it will stay around for a while.
This space has seem some turnover through the years and I’m finally excited about one of the offerings. The crew who put together Tapestry seem to have their focus in the right spots. The cocktails are superb, the beer selection is stellar and the food does not disappoint. It’s a great spot to meet up with friends or even to have a fun dinner with that special someone.
I really thought it was going to be hard to top the previous offering (Adsum) but Tapestry has found a way to breathe new life into this space. The décor is similar because they kept a lot of the existing layout. The colors are deep and rich blacks and the whole spot just feels a bit more inviting than it ever did before.
For the small plates, I really like the bacon wrapped dates and the sweet potato fries are actually crispy. I’ve had a number of other items on the menu as well and I’ve also stopped people at the bar to ask what they are eating. The staff here understands presentation and flavor and it makes for a great experience.
I’m a fan, I’m a regular and will continue to be, for as long as possible.

After an Indian dinner on South St, we couldn’t decide where to go for a drink. I pulled out the trusty Unilocal app and immediately decided on this place. Can’t believe I couldn’t think about it on my own since I had been wanting to try it out!
I can’t give this place 5 stars, because I haven’t had any food here. However, I was here around 9:30 on a Friday night with 2 friends. We grabbed seats at the bar and were quickly wrapped up in a ginormous beer list. The drafts and bottles are all very reasonably priced. I loved the selection, the atmosphere, and the company. Bartenders were attentive. Can’t wait to try this place out again.

Five stars for the beer selection alone. I can’t begin to speak to the food as we didn’t sample any but the beer list puts this place over the top. I wasn’t expecting the amazing list I got when I walked in. If you’re familiar with the previous occupant, Adsum, the set-​up is very similar and the atmosphere pretty close also. When I walked in, the words «Russian River» slapped me in the face from their draft list. Not everyday you can sample their amazing Bling Pig IPA so thanks to Tapestry for hooking that up. In talking with the bartender they clean their draft lines once a week so you can be assured a great brew. Also the list features a healthy «next up» list which highlights the next kegs to be poured as the current list is kicked. This is definitely a great way to keep the excitement up and patrons returning.
I have to say, I was super bummed to see Adsum go, but now am sad I don’t live in the neighborhood any longer to frequent Tapestry weekly (daily?!) Amazing selection of craft beers (some of which I’ve never seen on draft — ever) and I’m hearing, great food. They also have great events on a regular basis. I will return next time in Philadelphia without a doubt.

I hoped and prayed Adsum and its lame burgers, gross fish, and snooty attitude would go away and be replaced by something delicious, gracious, and frankly, useful to the neighborhood. And (drumroll) my wish was granted!
Tapestry is exactly what the neighborhood needed. Great burgers, great drinks, great service. (Even great bathrooms.) I highly recommend:
— a medium rare burger with smoked gouda and pickled jalapenos.
— the charcuterie plate with speck, coppa, soppresata, finocchiona, and lomo (dried pork tenderloin — a little sweet and yum) … stoneground mustard, lots of good chewy baguette, caper berries and cornichons. it’s a meal in itself.
— a Manhattan. perfection in a glass.
— the duck confit salad with arugula and dried cherries — ask for extra bleu cheese because it matters /​balances out the salt and vinegar flavors and meaty textures.
Plus the food prices are exceptionally reasonable.
Personally I hate sports (unless it’s Johnny Weir in a sparkly unitard) so I could do without the het pigskin pass on the TV screens. However, when in Philly. Plus I’m not the target demographic. Anyway the volume is off and thankfully it’s not the kind of scene that welcomes yelling every ding-​dong play at the monitors. So I can focus on the delish food.
Postscript: When I open my imaginary restaurant the TV will be all Dynasty, Ann-​Margaret movies, Cher videos, Dolly Parton interviews and Telemundo all the time.

Our party of 4 showed up on a Friday night around 7 and were told that there would be a reasonable 15 minute wait. I ordered a «Corpse Reviver» at the bar, which was a tasty gin-​n-​absinthe concoction. The service at the bar was a bit slow, but the care and attention put in to creating the cocktails was well worth the wait.
After being seated by an enthusiastic waiter, we ordered some small plates to share. The bacon wrapped dates were sweet-​smokey flavor bombs, and priced at a very reasonable $ 5. We also split the octopus salad, the beet salad, and the red peppers with burrata and chewy french bread. We enjoyed every bite and washed it down with affordable craft brews and a well-​made Rum Old-​fashioned. The final bill was reasonable, and we left buzzed and satisfied.

Holy crap the beer!
A menu for all hungers
If you don’t know, ask
First, my one overarching experience that crossed every aspect of Tapestry: just how damn helpful and friendly the staff is. That says a lot, and covers a lot of shortfalls in most places. Here, they weren’t covering much so it was a nice added bonus.
Came in here with a group of about 6 on a Friday night and snagged corner bar seats. Everyone in our party got different beers, and these folks (except myself) were all hockey players and really appreciate good beer in great volumes. And we did. Their selection is bordering on the unwieldy, but fortunately as I said before the bartenders and staff are more than happy to help you decide on what’s palette perfect at that moment.
Decided on some food too. As per usual for the first time out at most places I’ll opt for the hamburger. It’s my benchmark of sorts; if you can’t do a good burger, I’m probably not going to like your other offerings. It’s just been my experience and hasn’t led me too off course yet. The burger with bleu cheese and caramelized onion was one of the better ones I’ve had recently. It was cooked perfectly as requested (medium rare). My only complaint was the bun. It was pretty plain, not buttered or grilled as I could tell. I also had the spicy pickles, which were damn good, crisp and thick and not over the top on the heat level.
After beers and food, cocktails were decided upon after talking with the bartender. I mentioned I like old fashioned’s and she suggested a rum old fashioned. It wasn’t on the menu but she said it’s a favorite to make. Damn! It was delicious, and I wish I knew the ratios so I could make it again at home. Better reason to go back I suppose.
Tapestry is a great neighborhood spot to replace the much loved Adsum. I can definitely see going back here for drinks especially, and likely a few small plates next time.

Tapestry likely gets its name from the absurd amount of ‘taps’ available for your beer drinkin’ pleasure. Not only that, their menu is very ‘tap’as-centric — so a well-​fitting name.
The menu was pleasantly brief, and although it’s not very vegetarian-​friendly, Tapestry is indeed for «Beer Booze & Bites.» I’m not trying to get dinner there, just nibble on something while I sip a cocktail and the hubs gets a beer. But Tapestry, I was disappointed in the cocktails. I’d understood they were to be well crafted, but it was a frank disappointment. Beer — great — but booze …
I was surprised that with the revamp of the site from Adsum to Tapestry that little had changed in the interior — the lights still a bit too bright, and all the windows completely unobscured from most angles — which is nice on some days, but on others produces the uncomfortable fishbowl effect.
I’ll probably be back again, but probably not soon. Likely when I take advantage of their great tap list, but no cocktails, likely. Beer is the star of the show here (I think I heard 120+ beers), and the ‘bites’ are good, with large ‘small plates’ and the ‘plates’ I saw were definitely good entrée size. I’d say the place would be great for groups and a relaxed evening.