Split Rail Tavern

Everything we had for lunch was really good and would back to try other dishes. The salad with dandelion greens was huge and had a light tangy dressing. The waitress wondered if a side was needed, but the salad was so large it would take a huge appetite to add shrimp or chicken to this and eat it all. The brined fried chicken was great. Came with slaw, bbq sauce a pickle and excellent fries. if this was BYO I would go for dinner.
Great service.

There are so many restaurants in the borough, I think a safe bet would be over 60. Awesome? Yes, but the diversity in the cuisine isn’t there. Welcome Split Rail! A super cute gastropub is a lovely addition to the dub. I vaguely remember countless nights in the early 2000’s at 15 North (thanks Vodka) but my oh my has this establishment changed. It has been completely renovated and I absolutely love the décor.
Me and my group of 5 loved our meals! The hummus plate came with a delicious cherry tomato salad that was devoured. The eggplant fries came with basil aoli. More please! They even had a vegetarian empanada. Please note: VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY TO THE MAX. This is pretty clutch if you ask me. If you’re down with Fish, order the Shrimp Succotash. I ordered mine without the pancetta, so I pretty much saved 2 pigs, self back pat.
The veggie grinder was well liked too. The only item that wasn’t enjoyed was the Margarita Flat-​bread. It was super oily and the sauce was flavorless. Our super friendly waitress was understanding and removed it from the bill without me even asking.
I will definitely return even though my $ 1 well drinks at 15 north are a thing of the past!

What a nice new addition to WC! Went for dinner recently with friends. I was very happy to see some interesting vegetarian options! They had the usual hummus plate but also eggplant fries (delish) as well as a vegetarian empanada for starters. Dinner items included a «grinder» and a falafel sandwich. I tried the empanada and grinder. Both very good. Grinder was big and full of veggies and came with a substantial side salad (as requested instead of fries). It was yummy but kind of smothered in sauce. Should’ve gotten it on the side. Others at the table tried a bunch of things and enjoyed all. Flat bread was super oily and greasy and sent back. Overall I would definitely return! Great service. Huge beer selection.

Love the food, beer selection is great, service is even better! We love coming to see Natalie at the bar

We spend at least 20k a year out on food. maybe more, who keeps track… anyway, this just might be the greatest secret in the western hemisphere… anyway at least the Usa… been here about 10 times on different days of the week over the last couple of years and it is a flat out 100% wow. on food
No shit

The good: decent cocktails and the bartenders were nice.
The bad: a ridiculous owner who spent 15 minutes loudly ranting from behind the bar about how VERY stupid everyone in the south is — ‘even VA’. This includes the quote «They are slow and dumb and I just can’t stand them.»
This was not a private conversation or a short one (or funny for that matter). It was loud and extended and cut short a fun night out I was having with a friend, (and new Mom who doesn’t get out much these days) that I hadn’t seen in several years. As a southerner, (with a sense of humor) I really tried to let it slide, but he kept going on and on and on to the point where my friend (a New Yorker no less) was like this is embarrassing, let’s go.
If the atmosphere matched the cocktails or the owner’s take on the south was quieter, or shorter or even kind of funny, then this place could easily be 3 or 4 stars, but alas we’ll never return to the Split Rail Tavern.

Came here for a night out with there girls good atmosphere we got the eggplant fries which were delicious enjoyed are few drinks will definitely come back again.

Great service and great food. I’m a vegetarian and highly recommend the veggie sloppy joe. Stoked on all the great food options in this town lately.

Great for a weeknight or weekend dinner/​bar scene! Easily got a table for two on a Tuesday night toward the end of the 5 – 7 happy hour. They have a well-​rounded draft beer list. They also had a draft wine board, but I’m not sure what that was about. Our waitress was super friendly, and she had some good pointers about the menu. The eggplant fries were godly. They literally melt in your mouth. I had the roast pork Italian sandwich type thing for my entrée. It was a humongous portion. I had asked for the peppers to be on the side because I’m a wimp when it comes to heat, but they actually put the peppers on the sandwich and gave me a side of them… an oops on their part. I’m not one to complain or send something back like that but let me tell you, those were hot peppers! I couldn’t really eat the sandwich too easily. I would go back! Good for the non-​college scene of West Chester.

I like the newest incarnation in this location– a big improvement over the prior Alibi’s/15 North. The urban rustic chic décor is a welcome addition to the WC gastropub scene. Great social vibe– the place buzzes on a Friday night, upstairs and down. Reminds me of Austin.
We had an italian pork sandwich Philly style that was really well made. The craft cocktails are creative, but they really should increase the selection, and improve the size of the pours given the prices. Great beer selection.
The split rail makes our list for a regular stop on the WC circuit.

A friday night after 10 pm. For drinks
Was very loud upstairs. People had to talk loud and lean in to other person to be herd over piped in music.
Bathrooms on rear of first floor only.
Staff was fast on service.
A nice time was had.

5 stars is not enough… Food, drinks, events, staff, ticks all boxes rightly! Thumbs up to James, my personal glassware supplier! :-)

I really have to hand it to this place, they really know how to handle large crowds of people, and still maintain good service and tasty food.
I arrived here with a group of 8 on a Thursday evening for dinner. Being there was so many of us, I didn’t expect to be seated quickly, but we were seated almost immediately after arriving.
When we first arrived, we were one of the only ones on the second floor of the restaurant, but it didn’t take long for the place to become completely packed to the brim. There wasn’t an empty seat to be found… Anywhere. One of my biggest complaints was the noise level… It was really, really loud. My friends and I had to nearly yell just to talk to one another. When the waiter came, he had to stand directly next to the person he was taking food orders from because he couldn’t hear what anyone was saying.
The food was good. Split Rail definitely has a menu full of options you don’t find everywhere, so that was a refreshing change. The eggplant fries were good… And that’s coming from someone who isn’t the biggest fan of eggplant. I ordered the grilled chicken pita, and it was good. I could tell the chicken was freshly grilled and the pita itself was excellent.
I also have to applaud our waiter, dealing with a packed restaurant, he really did a fine job.
Other than the noise level, the only other complaint I have is the price. Some of the menu items are quite pricey, but I suppose everything in West Chester is a little pricey.

The veggie sloppy joe is really tasty, and the vibe is very chill around lunchtime. Very hip aesthetics inside.

I really REALLY wanted to like this place and it has so much potential — the atmosphere and décor are really awesome! But I was really feeling the menu especially after reading the other reviews so I was stoked to give it a shot… then they were out of basically everything! Asked for octopus — «we ran out tonight». Decided to try the mussels instead — «we don’t have it tonight either». So I opted for just the wings instead, which were good but you can get wings anywhere. Then at the end of our meal, I asked for some dessert and our waitress told us that the kitchen had closed. It was 10pm… why didn’t she give us a heads up to see if we wanted anything else before the kitchen closed? I was definitely under-​whelmed by this place which was so disappointing. I’m hoping to give it another shot in a few months after the work out the kinks.

Nice little dinner spot in West Chester with great food/​drinks and friendly service.
They have a good selection of beers on tap, both domestic and imported as well as a pretty nice selection of wines to choose from. The food is equally as good. You’ll find a lot of uncommon dishes here that are both a breath of fresh air and very delicious! The eggplant fries go amazingly well with an ice cold IPA.
Got to love the interior décor of this place too. Nice and clean with that old school industrial steel and wood feel to it. And of course they have a few TV’s to watch your favorite games and what not.
No problem recommending this to anyone looking for a fun place to eat or to anyone who just wants a change from their usual spot.

This is a must try in West Chester! I went here last night with my parents and we were seated right away. We got there at the perfect time before it got very crowded. My first observation was how great the renovation turned out. The hardwood floors are beautiful and I love how they left the old windows in and some exposed brick on the walls. This has a modern yet classic feel that turned out perfectly.
After reading great reviews on here about the eggplant fries, we decided to order them as an appetizer and they were delicious! I definitely recommend them!
I looked at the menu ahead of time and wasn’t too thrilled with the vegetarian options but was pleasantly surprised after hearing the specials. They had 2 other vegetarian dishes to offer. I got the fried green tomato sandwich and it was incredible! It had a giant portobello mushroom on it, a generous amount of tomatoes, spouts and a homemade spicy red pepper mayo. Yum! I subbed the fries for the salad and could not believe how generous of a salad portion they give! It was huge and delicious. Oh and a nice pickle on the side! The table next to me got the vegetarian pasta vegetable dish that looked incredible with brussel spouts, artichokes and so much more. I was so torn with what to order!
My parents ordered the mussels as an appetizer. They gave a very generous amount and they loved the white sauce and warm bread that came with the mussels.
My mom order the special which was a steak flatbread and my dad ordered the pork sandwich. I tasted some of his fries and they were delicious. He absolutely loved his sandwich and my mom enjoyed the flatbread.
The owner or manager checked on us a few times and this impressed me. Our waitress was very attentive and gave great recommendations. She even gave us a water pitcher for our table in a cute milk jar.
The chefs here are top notch and come from extensive cooking backgrounds. Obviously they listened to the need for more options for vegetarians and I am so happy about that. I was happy to hear by our waitress that by the end of the night, they usually run out of the specials which means the ingredients are all fresh which is what you want when you order a meal.
The beer list on tap is great and they have a good variety.
We will definitely be returning, hopefully soon! This is exactly what West Chester needed!

My love had some business to do in West Chester so I decided to tag along with her and grab a bite to eat beforehand. We went to this place because of the positive Unilocal reviews. We were greeted with a smile and shown to our seat immediately. The server came right over with the menus and told us the specials for the night. The had a pretty decent draft beer select including a few good Belgiums. We ordered our drinks and food and before we knew it, the appetizer, Eggplant Fries came right out. The were served with two dipping sauces: a marinara sauce that was tasty and a garlic aioli that had a greenish tint to it and had (in our best guestimation) the faint taste of some sort of pickle inclusion. It was REALLY good. I could have dipped my flip flop in that stuff and would have loved that damn flip flop. We moved on to our dinners. I had the special for the night which was a meatball flatbread with mozzarella and fresh basil. The mozzarella was a good quality cheese that melted nicely. Not that cheap stuff that congeals after 60 seconds and has a plastic consistency. The meatballs were ok, but not fantastic. The sauce was flavorful and hearty. My love got the duck confit salad which had duck, (duh, right) with frisée, sliced strawberries, cherry tomatoes and a nice crostini with goat cheese on the side. She said it was tasty. They had clean restrooms, TV’s for the big game going and was a nice chill atmosphere. The service was great. Very very friendly and inviting space. I would absolutely go back when in the area again.

Strengths: GREAT beer and wine selection. In fact, I don’t know of any other place here in West Chester or Philly that has wine on tap in three sizes: — 3 oz, 6 oz, and carafe are all available for a number of reds and whites. Next time I’ll try the beers out more.
The space itself is really nice — they have transformed it into an open, airy, yet still cozy place with attractive wood tables and bar runners. It’s somehow modern-​yet-​rustic and a lovely space to hang out in, if a bit loud. Our server was gracious and attentive.
And — this is a big one for me — I love the bottle of water they automatically supply at your table, so you can refill at will. Awesome touch.
My food — I ordered the falafel pita — was delicious;I I subbed the split rail salad for fries and to make it vegan, omitted the yogurt sauce. It was excellent — great falafel with generous bites of onion, bell pepper etc. And the salad was outstanding.
Opportunities: Please, Split Rail, please please consider adding more vegetarian/​vegan-​friendly options to your menu. You are already at the level of some of the more amazing gastro-​pubs in Philly and, if you take a look at the menus of many of those places, you will see the trend towards veg-​friendly items.
I’ll be back!

Went here during the bike race in West Chester. I liked the look of this place. It has a pretty large wood bar that’s nice. The bartenders were fast and helpful. Lots of beer and drink choices to pick from. I had a Cesar chicken salad for dinner. It was very good and the chicken was large and cooked spot on. I will be back for sure.
I have been back several times and have no complaints. Give it a try for sure!