Urban Saloon Reviews

We came here on a Saturday evening with a party of eight for dinner and were able to get seated very quickly. At first I thought maybe the food was sub par. They are next door to another popular local eatery. But the food was excellent. The room is not crowded with tables - they are not shoehorning people in. We shared a buffalo chicken dip with pita bread and chips which was tasty. We had a selection burgers which were good. They could have stood a little more seasoning but were, I thought, pretty good. The fries were outstanding. There is good beer list with many bottles and a good selection of drafts. The kitchen was pretty slow. We waited a good bit for our food to come out, but or waitress was very busy and still kept an eye on our table. I would return here for another meal.

Had dinner here before our tour of Eastern State Penitentiary. Despite the name, it was family friendly. The food was good and we all enjoyed our meals. Prices were reasonable/comparable for the area. Service was attentive. Good choice.

Chose this place for dinner due to it's proximity to Eastern State Penitentiary that we toured. (Directly across the street). The restaurant is in a huge brick building. One big room with great character. A nice bar and flat screen TVs about the place. Hubby and I both got burgers. I got the saloon burger and he got the steakhouse burger. They were phenomenal! He got fries which were blah. You could have gotten tots which he wishes he opted for. I got a salad as my side and asked for the citrus dressing which was light and refreshing. We also ordered an Edamame appetizer. Delicious, fresh, lightly salted served with soy sauce. Food was fantastic and I can't rave enough about their burgers.

We stopped here for lunch during our visit to the Eastern State Penitentiary since it is right across the street. The service was okay - after our food was delivered our waitress only checked in once. She didn't check back to see if we needed anything or offer to refill our drinks. The food was good but the menu was limited. With all the selections in the area, I would probably go somewhere else next time.

We ate at the Urban Saloon on 12/30/18 and I became violently ill within an hour of eating. I had a mediterranean salad with salmon. I have never been so sick in my life. After three weeks of feeling terrible, multiple doctors visits, ER trips, and loads of testing. I was diagnosed as having Giardia parasite as a result of food poisoning. I reached out to the restaurant and initially received no response. I called and asked to speak with the manager and then received an email offering to send me a gift card to come back and let them make it right. At a later point when I was diagnosed with a parasite- I reached out again and explained how severe it was and received no response! Do not eat here! Spare yourself the risk of getting sick- I wouldn’t wish how I felt on my worst enemy! The lack of response from their management team just added insult to injury. Beyond poor customer service combined with dangerous food!

Needed somewhere to eat before we went to the haunt at the prison, which is right across the street. The wings are great. The nachos not so much. Burger was very good and the tator tots were crispy. Price wasn't bad either. Great spot to grab a bite and a beer before the prison opens for the night.

We stopped in after the Eastern State Penitentiary tour. Jack’s Firehouse would not let us sit at a table for drinks only so, we went next door to Urban Saloon. Full disclosure, we only had beverages. Our niece & nephew had cocktails (which they said were really good) and my husband and I had diet soda. The menu looked interesting. The décor is minimalist which I liked. Service was excellent. They were totally fine with us just having drinks. Noise level was low/average. Large screen TV’s with multiple sporting events, especially college football. Nice atmosphere. We’ll go back again and eat when we go to Terror Behind the Walls.

Stopped for lunch after Eastern State Prison tour. Had group of 8 for lunch. The entire experience was a disaster. Food was bad: Wings were cold. Fries were greasy & limp. Salad was limp with no-taste dressing. Chili was disgusting. One in our party had the Saloon burger and it was the only thing that was not a tragedy. The worst part of the entire experience was the service; it was atrocious. We could not get our waitress' attention at all. She ignored us the entire time we were there. The only help we got was from a young man helping her. We found out when paying the check the reason that she never once returned to our table was that there was an automatic 20% tip added. We were not worth her time. While that is not an uncommon practice for restaurants for larger parties, to reward one of the worst, rudest wait persons ever seems unfair. Of you are looking for a lunch spot after the prison tour, be kind to yourself and go to one of the other nearby eateries.

The food is really good. i have been here in three different occasions: bar, family brunch and as part of a restaurant crawl... It is your fun American bar, good people, fun bartenders, good food and lots of space... Always a good place to go to chill and have fun.

We went in a few days ago for a quick burger and some nachos. The burger was ok; their famous tater tots were cold and then quickly microwaved to lukewarm when we complained. My nachos were burnt...the edges of the chips were blackened, as if they'd been placed in one of those heater things and forgotten. When I told our waitress about the burnt chips, she answered that this might be a new way the cook was preparing things! I thought she was joking, but she wasn't. She didn't offer to take them back. I searched around the plate for the few chips that weren't burnt, but ultimately sent back the dish. She came around and asked, in typical waitress fashion,"How was the food?" But I'd just told her the chips had been delivered burnt! (In terms of taste, they'd been slathered to the hilt with cheese, perhaps to mask the mistake). I grabbed the manager and told him about my food and at first he gave a whole lotta reasons why he thought the chips might have gotten overdone, but I had to set him straight: the plate was BURNT and thus INEDIBLE!!! He said he'd take it off the bill. Now, if the waitress (who clearly has few customer service skills--you don't tell a patron to eat burnt food!!!)--of she had apologized, that would've been one thing. But she didn't credit us with any intelligence, and instead made herself and the restaurant look bad because she was too clueless to own the very obvious mistake (I even showed her the burnt chips--to no avail). Next time, Urban Saloon, treat your customers with respect!!! And don't serve burnt food and say it's been made in a "new way."

The food was delicious! The atmosphere was chill. The service sucked. Our waitress was aloof and uninterested in earning her tip. Younger crowd/sports pub

I was there only for a few beers, but the ambiance is really nice, bartender was excellent and the prices were really reasonable. I probably go visit it again later

Got there on a Saturday at 11 am when they opened after our tour at the penitentiary and enjoyed our outdoor seating. Started with the #Free Britney which was a delicious mix of vodka and their lemonade. Enjoyed roasted beet salad with salmon on top and my husband enjoyed his Mediterranean salad as well.

Upscale pub food is what's on the menu here. They do a good job with it. It's pretty reasonably priced, the service is usually attentive and quick and the food is tasty. I pretty much only have one thing here though, since it's kind of unique- the Urban Beene burger is a patty with bacon and peanut butter. Do not knock it until you try it! It's amazing! Add the tater tots and you have a great little meal. There are some tables outside looking at the historic Eastern State Penitentiary across the street. It can get pretty crowded when events are going on there, but it's usually easy to get a seat for lunch or on week nights. Even weekends earlier in the evening aren't bad. It's a good local spot by the Art Museum.

We ordered nothing but appetizers and it was perfect. The brusselsprouts were phenomenal. And the dry rub wings were the. BEST EVER!!!

Soft drinks are charged PER DRINK like bar drinks. Doesn’t say it on the menu nor did the server mention we would be charged again when she asked us if we wanted refills. We payed $21 for 6 cokes! It was a FAMILY LUNCH also. Comparing this to the usual free refills you get everywhere else we were caught off guard.

Came across this street from the eastern state penitentiary to catch the Sunday night came. The service wasn't too great. The sever dropped off our wings on the corner of the table and ran off before we could even ask for some napkins. But what do you expect I guess. On the up side the wings were good and the drink menu is great. So many different kinds of ale and beers and even imports. Typical bar and restaurant but very nice space and plenty of tables with a nice vibe.

This restaurant is across the street from the Eastern Penitentiary. It's a typical stand up pub with 30% table room the rest stand-up bar space. It had just started to rain and it was mobbed ....the seating person was exceptionally good. The service side is well coordinated and the place is clean for a pub. Beer selection is extensive and a lot of small craft brews are carried. I had roast beef. My friend a burger. Both well served good portions and median pricing. It was painfully loud the background...well foreground music. On everything else they get 4 to 5 stars.

We wished we had more time for an actual dinner(we had reservations for the Halloween nights across the street and we arrived late but hungry) we had the pub pretzels. AMAZING!!! The staff were friendly and attentive. We hope to have dinner there next time.

A friend and I had toured the Eastern State Penitentiary (which is located across the street from the Urban Saloon). We then spotted this place and thought we'd check it out. We had lunch (both choices were excellent) and stayed for a few drinks. They have an amazing variety of draught beers so I was able to sample a few of those. The best thing, though, about the Urban Saloon was the bartender - Erinn! She was super friendly, attentive and knowledgeable....definitely the best server or bartender we met on our entire trip. Chatting with her was like visiting with a friend! I highly recommend you check out the Urban Saloon. Try and go in the afternoon when Erinn is working!

Visiting Eastern State Penitentiary and happened upon Urban Saloon. What a great choice for our party of 4. The food was excellent and the service was also.

We were famished after a long day out in Philly. My friend recommended this place, she had eaten here before and loved it. The host seated us immediately. He was pleasant and hospitable. The server asked us about our day and took the time to find out where we had been. We only eat chicken and were pleasantly surprised to find chicken appetizers and two chicken sandwiches. Most places don't even bother offering even one chicken option. The food was excellent. The service was great. This place was a great choice. One thing I would recommend- we ordered lava cakes for dessert. They were the standard type you usually find. They were fine, but other restaurants serve lava cakes with vanilla ice cream, that helps to cut the sweetness and richness. I would suggest they put a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the lava cakes. That's all.

Loved it! Stopped here for a quick lunch after visiting the eastern state penitentiary and I was pleasantly surprised. Really fun and comfy atmosphere with tvs on every wall. I was surprised to find that Vegetarian and vegan options available. I'm a vegan so I ordered the A.L.T (avocado lettuce tomato) without ranch. There drinks were great and there was a wide variety of beers and whiskey. Staff was friendly

This was the perfect place to go after our visit at the Eastern State Penitentiary. We walked across the street and had a great lunch. I ordered a Monte Christopher Panini and had a house special drink. The atmosphere was pleasant and the customer service was exceptional.

A quick visit to Philadelphia brought us to the Urban Saloon for a lunch. It happened by chance but did not disappoint!! A friendly and helpful staff, delicious beer choices, tasty food, all wrapped in a nice atmosphere. The main reason for visiting was for the Eastern State Penitentiary tour. This place is across the street!! There seems to be enough on street parking but have a Plan B.

This place is directly across from Eastern State penn. I discovered my love of Crispin apple cider here and it had the feel of a saloon. I have a ball sitting at the bar drinking and catching up with friends.

great place - great ambience, great crowd, great general vibe. very busy so had to wait quite a long time for a meal, which then wasnt amazing. to be fair, it was fine but i would say that if you want to go somewhere for drinks or to be part of a vibrant crowd, then this is a great place to go. if youre looking for a really tasty meal, you will get pretty good food, but not great food. i dont tend to go to bars to eat, i go to drink, and theyve got that down to a t.

The urban saloon is a normal restaurant. I don't think it has great food but can be satisfying. The one awesome item they have is a big chocolate cookie served in a skillet for dessert. Don't miss that if you go there.

My boyfriend and I dropped in here on a sunny Winter's day for a drink and some lunch - we sat at the bar and chatted with the friendly bar man, watched the EPL and NFL on screens behind the bar and enjoyed a great sandwich. I'd highly recommend this place - goof snacks, good beer selection and great staff along with great décor and lots of screens (but it doesn't feel like sports bar so don't be put off).

The food here was decent but definitely not worth the price. The service was terrible. Our waitress was miserable when we saw her, which was not often. Wouldn’t return.

I was extremely eager to try the lobster avocado Benedict. Unfortunately it was a sincere miss. The English muffin was burnt and non edible. The lobster had a slight ammonia taste letting me know it was going bad.

We had some time to kill before we went into the Eastern State Penitentiary so we went across the street to the Urban Saloon. We could've stayed here all night. Great atmosphere! Awesome staff!! Especially the bartender with the tats and ponytail!!! He rocked!!!! We even came back after our tour at Eastern State Penitentiary to eat!! Delicious food!!!!

I was the only black guy in the place and I waited for over 20 minutes for a waitress to even approach my table. I left in disgust!

My wife and I went to Urban Saloon and we had a great time. The food was good and the atmosphere was even better. Plenty of TV's if you're into watching sports, a great drink menu and the service was awesome. We had Shannon as a server and she was excellent. I highly recommend Urban Saloon, especially if you're attending an event at Eastern State Penitentiary which by the way is directly across the street.

Made the mistake of going into this place on the day of the first football match of the season. To say it was crowded is an understatement. It's a young person's bar and grill but we were made very welcome and the service was good. The food was good with generous portions. It is oppostie the Eastern Penn Penitentiary so it is an excellent location.

This place has the best atmosphere and greatest drinks. Around for your money and the food is always fresh and tasty as well as pleasing to the eye

Visited over the weekend with a group of six. It is a big place with lots of standing room and TVs. food and tap list were very good, which is our motivation to go out. It was a bit loud, but that is probably expected for a Sunday during football season. Overall, an enjoyable experience. I would go back.

We were thirsty and this bar did just what it needed to do! The food was fresh and the beers were cold. The prices were good. I had the chili and it was AWESOME!! Highly recommend.

We stopped at the Urban Saloon after our visit to the Penitentiary (it's right across the street). The menu has a good variety of breakfasts and pub food. Everything was tasty and plentiful. The service was good, too.

Great bar and great atmosphere! Very clean, and the staff is very friendly! Great place to kill time when visiting the haunted Eastern State Penitentiary across the street.

After visiting the Pen, we stopped here for lunch. Everyone was very helpful and nice and the food was good. Nice decor as well. Very reasonably priced. We enjoyed the meal very much.

If you're in the jail tour block, this is a good place to stop. A good menu and food that is prepped and presented really well. Service a little slow, but the staff is really attentive and well groomed. Place is clean and prices are fair, especially when you think how they could gouge given the attraction across the street. Handles large groups and families, don't let "saloon" fool you. It's a good family pit stop.

My friend and I both had the chicken salad sandwich and the Sunday beer special. The staff was friendly, the beer was cold and the food was excellent.

My husband and I head here when we crave their tater tots and fantastic chicken wings sampler. We also head here when we want a cold wheat beer with our "health nut" salads. They always have a great seasonably appropriate beer list to quench your thirst. The dark cavernous restaurant offers shelter from the summer heat. The outdoor picnic tables are perfect in the evening though. Wear sunglasses if you are facing down the hill!

This was a good restaurant and conveniently located across from Eastern State Penitentiary, so a good place to stop before or after your tour. We found the food to be good with large portions and the service adequate, The decor was very pleasant. We would eat here again if in the area.

My twenty something daughter chose this place for hubs and I to take her, her friends, our son and his out of town guests for a meal after the Texans spent a day sightseeing in Philly. The young people enjoyed the nice selection of libations available here. We ordered Buffalo cauliflower (x2) Maryland crab dip and hummus appetizers. The cauliflower seemed to be the favorite of the group. The crab dip (my choice) was just OK. I didn't take note of everyones meals but they all seemed very happy. There was a lively discussion about how good the tots were (I concur). My Saloon burger was very good and hubs enjoyed his shrimp/scallop cake dinner (I think it was the special that night and not a regular menu item). It was a good place to take a group of young adults :-) and I wouldn't hesitate to stop back in for a bite to eat next time I am in Fairmount. Our server was gracious and efficient. Things didn't move along at a lightning pace but since our goal was a nice visit with our children and their friends it was hardly an issue and given the size of our party it was no longer that I would expect. Thumb up for Urban Saloon.

Good service, nice bar, a great selection of beers. A good variety of craft beers and "regular" beers.

Stop on before a visit to the penitentiary on a recommendation. Nice place seemed pretty busy. The drink menu is very large with many options of beers and cocktails. The placed seemed well staffed and the wait time for drinks was short and staff was attentive.

Fast service, but a mixed bag. Family didn't like the Caesar salad, I thought the loaded fries were good. Eat outside if you can, because inside can be very noisy especially during football games. Men's bathroom had garbage overflowing and no hand paper towels; one of the stalls had a replacement roll of toilet paper outside the holder. Granted it was almost 9 (and the places closes at 10), but there's no excuse for letting the bathroom go like that. If the bathroom isn't clean, what does that say about the rest of the place?

This is a cool place to stop and grab a drink with friends or sit down for a meal. Spacious enough for fairmount festivities by the close by Ben Franklin Parkway. Staff is legit and reflect the city well if you're from out of town. Parking may be an issue but look around the side streets by Eastern State Penn or by the sports field but be mindful most are permit only after 2 hours & signs are easy to understand

Stopped by on a Saturday morning. Was a little early. Good thing because soon there was a line. Excellent food. Had the egg sandwich and Monte Cristo. Recommend both.

Good value tasty burgers. Draft beers are reasonably priced. A tad noisy but lively, pleasant crowd. Good to watch sports events.

Bar had a solid selection of beers. We stopped here after we toured the Eastern State Penitentiary and it was conveniently right across the street. Bartender was a little unfriendly. We seemed to be more of an inconvenience to her. The bartender that relieved her seemed to be a bit more friendly. Didn't get much for food except grilled cheese and tomato soup, which my friend thought was pretty good.

Convenience and a decent beer list are Urban Saloon's best friends. The food certainly is not. The atmosphere is tragic. It feels like a college bar without the fun or the attractive clientele.

Great atmosphere and outstanding food! Staff was friendly and helpful. We met the cook to commend him on such a great job! This was definitely the best restaurant we ate at on our two week East Coast vacation. A most stop!

My husband (43) and myself (34) went there for their comedy/show in the back room but I made an error on the date & we were there 1 week early so we decided to eat dinner there. Considering we can eat and the portions are generous (the soup's are huge) well worth the $53.00 bill. We went the following Saturday I had bought tickets too - it was very funny. The food was just as good the 2nd time around and the resturant is very nice to look at and cozy. Were hooked when we go to the cozy this is the spot to go to. AA++

We went on a tour at Eastern State Penitentiary across the street and missed our tour bus so we decided to stop in for a beer to pass some time. The bartender was so sweet. She understood we only had about 20 mins and she was knowledgeable and friendly. There was a special going on for draft beer and we were in and out in more than enough time. We probably had time for a few more. Being from Texas, the atmosphere was perfect! They even had outdoor seating. We didn't have time to try the food, but the order of wings next to us looked delicious. We will definitely make this a stop for drinks our next trip to Philly.

We wanted a bite after our visit to the Eastern PA Prison. It’s pricey, but it’s Philly. The wings were OK. The Loaded FF had the wrong cheese and were not loaded. The waitress must have run down. She seemed user or uninterested at the end.

We stopped into Urban Saloon for lunch because it was across the street from the Penitentiary and we hadn't eaten yet. There was a good selection of items from breakfast eats to lunch. The spicy aioli was a terrific condiment. We also enjoyed the baked brie appetizer. However, the entrees were nothing to write home about it. However, it was convenient and quick.

We dined here recently. Overall, I'd say this is a place with typical bar type food. We dined on a Sunday, when the brunch menu was offered. I ordered the wings, half jerk and half buffalo, and both were awesome! My daughter had the breakfast burger, and I don't think there was a bite left. Prices were typical. Service was a little slow, however, it appeared that our waitperson had the whole place! I'd eat here again.

The burgers and drinks were excellent and well seasoned. We did not get the tots, but they looked very good. The only downside was the bathrooms. They need to be updated and my stall did not have a working locking mechanism. Everything else was superb.

The restaurant is directly across from the ESP. The only reason I stopped there was because of the name. :) It was worth it. I settled on the Breakfast Burger with fries. It has: Bacon, Pork Roll, Fried Egg, American & Cheddar on Brioche. I only marked them down because I ordered my burger medium and it was done. It was a very messy burger (as all should be) but delicious. I wouldn't pay $12 again though. The restroom and restaurant was clean. The waitress at the bar was friendly and informative.