The Boilermaker

**Place is closing its doors on 9/​10/​12** Changing to the Butcher and the Brewer very soon. Par for the course for the folks that own all of these joints.
Too bad, as I loved the place. Excellent house beers from Terry Hawbaker, the old brewer at Bullfrog in Williamsport, PA. Farmhouse style beers and I recently sampled his Berliner Weisse, Grissette, Belgian DIPA, and all were outstanding. I have not eaten here, but the food looked very good with the limited menu. You can order smaller pours so you can try more beers and not spend a lot of $$.
Atmosphere is dark, medieval like without being all Renaissance Faire cheesey.
Upstairs bar is where I prefer to hang out. Lengthy bar with high ceilings, large common tables with enough room to stand around as well and not get in anyone’s way.
I’ll check out things when they re-​open.

So Legit… I’ve recommended it twice in the last two days to people coming into the city for dinner I think my exact words were GO THERE IMMEDIATELY you will not be sorry. Since I don’t recall/​remember my first visit I will only review my most recent. KP’s BDAY HH was pretty awesome. We had a huge party so we ended up getting the long table in the back room to ourselves. Sips is pretty sweet here and it doesn’t get overly crowded. The house made pretzels have a special place in my heart and the St. Germaine Champs cocktail rocked my world like only bubbles can. UM… JUST GO

So as seems to be the case in my life, I have only ever frequented this bar for drinks. But I’ve been here a few times now, and feel like I can write a fair review –and my review is that it’s amazing. I am really fast becoming a big fan of this place. As a fan of dark, cozy spots, this place seems to tickle my fancy. It’s not very bright inside, and the use of hanging candles /​chandelier candles seem to really give it a lot of flavor. There’s a variety of seating and an upstairs /​downstairs. I’ve only ever hung out downstairs, and really enjoyed it both times. It does seem to get REALLY crowded during happy hour — but hey they are all just trying to get more of the goodness.
The drinks and beer list are all pretty progressive — craft beers, and good strong cocktails. I’ve enjoyed the St Germain and the Julep here — both were strong, well made, and had really nifty ice cubes.
If you are looking for a well made, decently priced cocktail, or a good beer list, trek here. I have never eaten a real meal here, but the fries were delicious.

I like a bar with some kitschy theme. This place gets at least 2 stars for taking provincial surroundings (wooden tables, candelabras with real candles/​wax) and pairs it with the boilermaker — beer with a side of whiskey (to be sipped with your beer and not shot). I also like a boilermaker so this place was like a little sliver of heaven for me.
It was hot in here but it seems everywhere this summer is all kinds of hot so I really can’t complain. The drinks were fairly priced and the service was just fine. I didn’t try the food because nothing on the menu really appealed to me. That’s the only major drawback I saw.
I am sold on the boilermaker idea — it’s what scores this place that extra star that makes it more than «A-​OK.»

Kind of all about this place so far.
Unique and intriguing. Beer list is prominent, and it’s why I came here to begin with. I only went two places during Philly Beer Week: The Farmers Cabinet and here. Since beer week, I’ve returned about 3 times. What I love about this place is not just the décor, but the fact that you order beer by its corresponding number, AND you can get half pints! In fact, it seems encouraged! Trust me, this is the way you’ll want to go once you see how many things you want to taste.
I’m fairly obsessed with hydrating, especially while drinking, so I have add points because the bartender will give you a glass of water without you having to ask.
Yes, the bathrooms may throw you off a bit once you’ve had something to drink. I think some of the doors don’t lock, which isn’t the best situation when both sexes are using the area.
Yes, it is rather warm here in the summer months. Never stopped me!
The menu is small but everything on it is enticing, although I haven’t had anything but the fries just yet. I’ve also been eyeing one of their sandwiches… the one with prosciutto.
I want to come here late at night and see how much sexier it gets in here. I’m betting a lot. And OMG I have to try a boilermaker, finally!

As soon as I walked in, I knew this place would be instant badassery. They were playing some blues music (always a fan of) and had tons of candles burning everywhere. Like Vinny P, and Zac H had mentioned before, this place gives off a true blood kind of vibe.
I went on a Saturday night around 1AM with 3 other friends. The beer selection was expansive, however I hadn’t come for the alcohol– I came for the hot dogs. Their hotdogs came with cheese wiz, and bacon bits. The blues band was wrapping up upstairs (sadness). Our bartender, Stephanie delivered impeccable service. None of my friends left thirsty.
Anyways, highly recommend this place for large groups, and on dates. The upstairs backroom has a piano covered in candles an wax… badass

Having been to Doc Watson’s and Blue Bear Tavern, I was really happy to finally try the Boilermaker. Appropriately named for the day we went there to celebrate a friend’s birthday as it was 97 degrees outside. Even more so as the upstairs is not air conditioned (EDIT: They were experiencing issues with the a/​c. It is normally working just fine and they brought up fans for us). We were in the Throne Room, which is the back area of the 2^nd floor. It FELT like a Throne Room — dripping candelabra, long wood table w/​benches, «throne» at the end of the table. Even the piano was covered in wax. It’s really incredible looking. Our servers were lovely — they brought my husband a free beer since the one he wanted was kicked. They have a really cool cocktail and beer list and there are a TON of great drafts, including local. We didn’t get to try any of the food however.
I’d love to come back here again, just not when it’s a heat wave. This would be a really awesome spot during the winter (or even a Halloween party…)

Really like the atmosphere here. Though they have a very limited selection of spirits, this place is really focused on the beer. But it’s a great selection, and even better — it’s an affordable selection.
The food menu is pretty good too. I had the pulled pork w/​bbq sauce, bacon & fried egg. Very good.
They have a cool upstairs area that I have yet to visit. I hear it can get crowded, and I can definitely hear the live jazz they have playing up there from the downstairs area.
A complaint I do have is that their service isn’t all that great. It’s not that they’re rude; it’s more like some of them are not attentive or just not good servers.
In any case, this place is worth a few trips to try the many beers and the tasty-​sounding food items.

This place reminds me of The Blacksmith in New Orleans… aka the oldest bar in America. The ambiance is amazing, over 40 beers on draft, rotating meat skewers for my meat loving friends= the perfect, cozy bar for a pregrame or nightcap!

First off, I’m a fan! Farmer’s Cabinet looked a little crowded, but that’s not a problem because Boiler Maker is strategically placed around the corner. There are two floors, and there are a few communal tables for larger groups. Since it was just us two, friend and I score the table that looked into the back room on the first floor. The place is dark and intimate, and the candles cast a nice warm glow, with the wax dripping.
We ordered roasted lamb shoulder, corn bread, and country potatoes. Fancy stuff, easy on the palate, and pretty much all gone. The meat was juicy and tender. Very, very good!
The beer list is amazing with a ton of choices of drafts and bottles, and they also had some classic cocktails. I ordered one of the boiler makers (the Virginia), and it was interesting. You are given a beer and a shot of liquor to enjoy side by side. It was something different, and something I would try again!
A blues band was playing upstairs, so we took it upon ourselves to check it out. Another lovely dark place to enjoy. Full bar, and more beers and cocktails to try for the next time I come here!
Adding it to my list of favorite places!

I got an incredibly gracious and apologetic private message from one of the owners about the below experience. It says a lot that they cared enough about their business to reach out and touch base. It went a long way with me.
With that in the past and all things even again, this is a very cool bar. It could (awesomely) double as a vampire bar in True Blood and the idea of a bar to pay tribute to the beer-​and-​shot combo is a worthy one. The long and communal tables make it natural for big groups; the dark candle lit mood makes it good for dates.
Like at Farmer’s Cabinet, the beer list is great, even for a city with our beer credentials. Because of the owner’s message I’ll be glad to come back and try them.

I heard this place referred to as a more approachable and more affordable Farmer’s Cabinet. I tend to agree.
In talking with the staff, the focus here is booze and light bites with a focus on great beer and whiskey (bourbon) cocktails. The menu is small but seemingly well executed. The hot dog plate for instance gets you two hot dogs topped with kimchi and some really tasty fries. At just under 10 bucks, you’re looking at a nice deal in center city.
I love the half pours. I was able to basically drink 4 beers but only really require the stomach room for two. The point of their hefty and well picked selection is for you to try a bunch of different things.
I’ve heard rumors of live music and since this was a music venue, it fits perfectly. The dark lighting and communal tables make this a fun spot. I aim to return regularly.

I felt cool just walking into this place. It had an awesome vibe. It’s almost entirely lit by candles which gives it a nice speakeasy feel without having to wait forever to get in. The beer list is impressive and the cocktails were outstanding and incredibly reasonably priced.
My boyfriend and I stopped in before meeting friends for dinner and loved it so much that we decided to go back after dinner. This place manages to be a great date place AND a great place to drink with friends.
I will definitely be returning soon.

Candles & darkness & wax, oh my! This place is like a cozy vampire’s lair. I love all the surfaces covered in drippy melted candle wax. On Friday night it was surprisingly not too crowded, and the crowd actually dwindled between 11-​midnight. Odd, that’s normally prime bar time. We had our choice of tables, and it was nice to have waitress service even though we were just having drinks. There were plenty of beers on tap plus boilermakers, cocktails & wine choices on the menu.
This place has a dark/​romantic vibe. Somehow it doubles as the perfect place for a cozy, intimate date OR a night out with friends. I will return to this unique spot.

Fantastic.
I love the cozy bar with all the lit candles, the rustic décor with the picnic bench tables, and their fancy take on boilermakers. I had the California, which was a saison with a shot of Hendricks gin. I am a sucker for Hendricks, but it really went quite well with the saison pairing. The food was also pretty good. We had the hot dogs with kimchi (an order came with 2) and the mashed potato with bits of bacon… delish!
Definitely can’t wait to return!

Is this place really sustainable? I mean it’s right next to Jefferson, but I don’t think the atmosphere is going to be attracting the student crowd… docs couldn’t keep it together and they were pretty popular among jeff students. It’s just an odd location…
That said this place has such a weird, creepy, unique vibe, I really liked it a lot. Supposedly there will be live music upstairs to come. I’m not sure how the owners bought and redecorated this place in less than a couple of weeks.
And jesus all those candles, is that sustainable? I hope so because it’s pretty cool to have chandelier candlewax dripping on you from overhead, and little candles lighting the stairs (fire hazard?). There’s 28 worldwide drafts downstairs, 12 different local drafts upstairs, and a variety of boilermakers they offer. I also tried the fries which were really good.

I went to the boilermaker last night to see how they changed the place after the short-​lived Blue Bear attempt. I came away impressed… The décor was a bit odd (I can’t imagine what their candle budget looks like), but everything else was right on point. They have an excellent beer selection at very reasonable prices, I think the had 28 rotating taps downstairs, more at the upstairs bar. We tried a couple of the boilermakers, in addition to many of the craft beers, and I liked mostly everything I had… Except the local white whiskey, that tasted like turpentine. There are certainly enough options to keep you interested.
The food was quite good as well, which was a surprise considering the recent opening and relatively small menu. Most of the proteins come off a rotisserie and there are a bunch of good sides to pick at. We split almost every item, my favorites were the Mac and cheese and the prime rib, but really everything was good.
All in all, it was really good. I’m pretty happy to add it to the list of neighborhood spots.

Came here to grab a couple of beers on a Thursday night. It was surprisingly busy, given that the place just opened. Supposedly this is a side project from the folks at Farmer’s Cabinet and you can tell based on the lighting (or lack thereof). Thank god the hostess led us up the stairs because I couldn’t see a damn thing! But enough of my whining… let’s get back to the important stuff.
There are 24 taps downstairs and then they keep the 12 local taps at the upstairs bar. I was pleased with the Engine 1892 Market Stout from Philadelphia Brewing Company, which was a recommendation from the bartender, Rocco. He clearly knew his beers, but was also able to recommend/​successfully make some cocktails for my friends. He was also very personable. The food menu looked really good, but it was under the «coming soon» section, so I was unsure if it was actually available last night. I was intrigued by the turnip kimchi that apparently comes on their hot dogs. I’ll definitely be back to try that and will update my Unilocal review accordingly.
To summarize, a great place for beer aficionados. And vampires. I’m torn between giving 3 and 4 stars, but I figure I can always go up once I try their food!

Very cool place! It’s all candlelight and mason jars inside, just like its sister restaurant, The Farmer’s Cabinet. The food is more casual though: sandwiches, burgers, and salads. The beer selection is ridiculously extensive. I had a non-​beer drink, a Tequila Mint Julep, and I enjoyed it. The fare is a little pricey for a casual place but that’s just how Center City is. My oxtail sandwich with fries was $ 12, and my drink was $ 9, but the sandwich, fries, and drink were all very good.