The Grey Lodge Public House

The Grey Lodge Public HouseThe Grey Lodge Public House
The Grey Lodge Public HouseThe Grey Lodge Public House
Bar, Eatery

6235 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19135-3404
United States

// CLOSED //

The Grey Lodge Public House announced that it has permanently closed on November 19, 2020.
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.34
Reviews:
83
Ratings:
106
pDev:
9.91%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by PEBKAC:
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Reviewed by PEBKAC from North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2.5
After visiting a couple spots on the Philadelphia map, me & my newly relocated tour guide entered the Grey Lodge.

The first floor was quite occupied for the early evening, but word of mouth had us floating to the top level, where BAs were known to migrate.

Quite cozy up top, nothing like the heavy air that circumvents the masses underneath. I have nothing against the patrons downstairs, but I was hungry. :) The lighting was a little better too, so I could at least read the beer list & menu with these squinters. The menu was quite hefty for a bar, so we took our beers first. Not too much going on that night, but enough to try on a first visit. My friend killed the keg of Hooker Doppelback, but being the gracious patron he is, let me have the honor. Five minutes later, I was already halfway through that tasty brew, when the food arrived. The curry mussels looked really good, but I didn't order that. I had the steak sandwich, which sadly was a big disappointment. It was basically Steak-Ums & white cheddar cheese wiz. Now, I heard a rumor that an authentic cheese steak uses cheese wiz, but the menu read a bit differently. The side order of clam chowder though, was pleasantly better then expected.

We met a handful of BAs locals during the meal that made the experience all the better. Eventually moving up to the bar, the conversations continued a little past my expertise, but still quite friendly.
We casually argued about a few brews, & then we would be treated to samples by the lovely barkeep.

Before you knew it, it was time to leave. A parting pint of Blackbird oatmeal stout made the walk back into town oh so much easier on my knees.

I came away with two thoughts from my trip:

1)The two chicks at the end of the bar must of felt very lonely sipping Miller lites all evening.

2)PYNK?


Seriously, I had a very pleasant evening & definately look foward to visiting this fine establishment again.
Nov 26, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.23 by slasich from Pennsylvania

May 16, 2020
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Reviewed by tomasher from New Jersey

4.66/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75
Have gone here off and on for the past ten years or so. A true gem in an area that needs it. Located near the original Chickie's and Pete's, it's a relaxed atmosphere with great beer, tasty food, and a solid staff. Scoats knows his stuff, and I am a big fan of the cajun wings!
Apr 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.28 by tmac from New Hampshire

Feb 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by Devman171 from Maryland

Nov 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.23 by CorNine3127 from Pennsylvania

May 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.66 by cp45 from New Jersey

Apr 29, 2015
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Rated by Goodytime from New Jersey

4.69/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Awesome beers and awesome grub. Must go if in the area
Apr 21, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by Dietrich from Pennsylvania

Nov 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by NYR_Rob from Pennsylvania

Nov 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.88 by rfgetz from New Jersey

Nov 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Robjvoorhees from New Jersey

Sep 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by andrew8387 from Pennsylvania

Jul 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by soulcougher from Pennsylvania

Jun 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by SpAiReArGsEonNE from New Jersey

May 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by cheah from Pennsylvania

May 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Feb 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by little_star from Illinois

Feb 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by micropale from Pennsylvania

Feb 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by ColForbinBC from New Jersey

Jan 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by sebrennan from Vermont

Dec 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by CuriousMonk from District of Columbia

Nov 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by woooobeer from New Jersey

Oct 30, 2013
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Rated by IdrinkGas from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Overall the cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired. Bathrooms are pretty gross.
Oct 10, 2013
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Reviewed by doggydaddy from Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>They offer a large variety of beers on tap! Something for everyone, They have fantastic food choices a well. They have a very knowledgeable staff to help you with your all of your beer needs. The prices are pretty reasonable.You get a good night out and it won't break your bank. A great place to visit when you're in Philly.
Dec 29, 2012
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Reviewed by moebus from Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Great corner bar, with amazing selection of beers. A must visit. Good pub food and an awesome selection of Bourbons in the upstairs bar everything from pappy van winkle to george t stagg. If you are a bourbon lover, hit the upstairs bar, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Great events, try to get to a Friday the firkenteenth, it is a great way to drink yourself thru a day and sample some rare cask beers with other beer lovers. Filled with locals and beer geeks, a place everyone can feel at home.
Oct 08, 2012
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Reviewed by mitrednip1 from Canada (ON)

4.6/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Atmosphere - This was a great classic pub with a relaxed atmosphere and laid back clientele. It was smaller but perfectly comfortable.

Quality - The food was fantastic and was very reasonably priced. The beer menu included over 10 beers on tap that were top notch and included rarities such as Pliny the Elder, and their bottle list was also top notch.

Service - It was a friendly open atmosphere where you could go to the bar yourself and get your next drink, but despite that they still came to your table regularly to see if you needed anything and recommended beers to fit your taste.

Selection - Again, excellent selection both on tap (which seems to rotate very frequently) and in bottles.

Food - It was pub food and it was very good.

Value - We're from the Toronto area and I'm used to spending huge amounts of money at Ontario beer bars or in NY. After 9 beers (that included some rare treats like Pliny) and a full meal for two, the price was what I'd expect to spend for just a meal at home. The value was fantastic!!

For anyone traveling to Philadelphia I'd recommend Grey Lodge.
Aug 13, 2012
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Reviewed by JeffTheJuice from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +15.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Known for their Groundhog Day and Friday The Firkinteenth events. However, you can stop in any day of the year and expect an awesome time. Their prices are some of the best, especially for their growler fills. And they ALWAYS fill beyond the 64oz fill line. The bar is really laid back and makes use of local artwork. It's one of the few bars where I actually look forward to going to the bathroom to check out the awesome work done. Also, this place has the best fried pickles in the city (sorry Memphis Taproom). And the steak/chicken sandwiches are DELICIOUS!

Highly recommended. If I was recommending to a visitor, it would be the Grey Lodge Pub, Monk's Cafe and Memphis Taproom.
Apr 25, 2012
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Reviewed by Louski from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
An excellent addition to the NE Philly beer scene. Very unique artistry (especially in the bathroom)- you'll have to see it for yourself. I have only recently discovered this gem, but have been back quite a few times since. I real local bar except for the great selection of rotating taps which includes many local brews (Yards, Dock Street, Manayunk) as well as some of the finer crafts in the US. I was actually there just a few weeks back for a tapping of a sixtel of Pliny the Younger. A very low key tapping (by design) but a tribute to the reputation this place has for dishing out top quality beers. I can't close this review without mentioning the great food either. Somewhat of a typical bar menu, but the quality certainly warrants a pat on the back. I'll be seeing these guys again soon.
Mar 25, 2012
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Reviewed by mltobin from Connecticut

3.64/5  rDev -16.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Along NE Philly, a good ways from any part of the actual city. Its kind of like trekking from Manhattan to Far Rockaway. Anyways, the atmosphere was loud and happy on the evening that we visited. Some beer signs scattered the wall of a large bar area. They had around 16 beers on tap, with a focus on regional options such as Sly Fox, Manayunk and Yards. As well as other options from the US craft beer scene. No standouts when I was there. They carry bottles from Chimay, Rogue, Founders, Hoegaarden and some more. Staff was friendly and quick. As a couple others mentioned, I was a bit underwhelmed by some of the offerings. But it is certainly a great place to kick back some decent beer, especially if you find yourself living or passing through this random part of the city.
Nov 16, 2011
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Reviewed by PhillyStyle from Georgia

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Visited on a Wednesday evening:

If I still lived in the Northeast, this place would most certainly be my local. And it should have been my local, but until I ran across this website, after I had moved, I had no idea about the pub. Frankly, it is just sad. Regardless, this is a great spot. Upon entering, you could tell that it was just locals, as I can't really imagine too many people, other than BA's making the trek to the pub in this part of town. And to be clear, this is not a disparaging remark about NE Philly; I lived there for many years and loved it. Nothing pretentious about this place, just a good place to gather, drink and talk with your friends. I think that there was a fantasy football draft taking place in the back. Got to love that.

Obviously, the place had a great vibe even though there may have been only been a dozen people in the place including the 2 bartenders. The service was exactly what you would expect from a pub in NE Philly and the beer selection was fantastic. I had a Stoudts as I don't get a huge Stoudts selection in Atlanta. I didn't try the food and I didn't make it upstairs, but I would recommend any BA to pay it a visit, you will definitely get a greater understanding of the people and the culture of the great city of Philadelphia.
Sep 01, 2011
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -15.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
The Grey Lodge is the ultimate bar's bar, if you know what I mean. Located in the ultimate blue-collar area of Philadelphia, where bars open at 9am or earlier and faded bar signs often advertise beers even your grandpa may not remember.

I love the atmosphere here around. So real and unpretentious! The Grey Lodge is one of these working-class bars, only it happens to have great beer and better-than-average food (which I did not try but looks promising).

I was there right after 10am when they first open and was the only customer. Was expecting a heftier beer selection, but had a nice Stone Double Dry-Hopped Ruination. Also a Deschutes on tap, which I cannot get in NYC, Great Lakes Erie and lots of local and Pennsylvania beers (I had Roy Pitz Chicken Leg).

Wish I could have gotten some of those rarer brews they get at the Lodge from time to time, like Pliny, Lost Abbey and Port Brewing...

The bottle selection is small but focused, with some gems like Alesmith and Firestone Walker Parabola. One thing I do enjoy is the variety of their serving sizes, including 8-oz, 16-oz, 60-oz pitcher and 64-oz growler. That's how it should be!

Service was fine, beer was fresh, atmosphere is great. The Grey Lodge is a good alright bar, one I would frequent if I lived nearby, but it is not the world-class joint some consider it to be, and not really worth a detour unless they happen to tap a crazy keg.

P.S> Forgot to look at the restrooms so I must come back here
Aug 03, 2011
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Reviewed by Beard from Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
My local bar, even though I am not really known to head out much. First of all, I need to mention Scoats who is just great for the beer community in Philadelphia. Very knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and just generally awesome for the stuff that he does. The set up is pretty simple, 10 taps that constantly rotate, a great tendency to lean towards local brewers, and very solid pub food. Have to give a special mention to the fries, some of the best around. I would recommend the Grey Lodge to anyone who wants, it is a truly a diamond in the NEAST's rough.
May 13, 2011
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Reviewed by jp11801 from Florida

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Great place in Northern Philly for the beer lover who is just looking for a casual time out. Stopped by on a saturday and they had a nice selection on tap. I had 21st Amendment Hop Crisis that was outstanding.
The bartender was a down to earth good guy who was attentive but not obtrusive. Offered samples of beer I had not tried.

I had the cheesesteak which was very good just not outstanding. The fries were outstanding fresh cut fries that you gave to try if you come here.

I liked the atmosphere nice overall feel and locals at the bar were friendly and funny. I highly recommend this place.
Nov 07, 2010
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Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Finally made it out to the Grey Lodge Pub upon the recommendation of many of my PA BA buddies. First off let me say that this bar is nestled into one of the most blue collar area's of the Northern Philly that I have been in. Definitely felt like the "Eastern Europe" of Philly to me. So we walk in at noon on a Saturday and see a good sized dive bar with 2 already drunk locals drinking PBR bottles with fervor. My immediate impression is that either these guys are going to be totally cool or a total problem for a blue collar beer geek like me. Turns out they were totally cool...albeit s*it faced! As I go in to sit down the one guy goes "Who ya rooting for?" and I respond "Who's playing?" which gets a giant laugh and a "I like this guy" response! By the end of our 2 hours here this guy introduced himself to me multiple times, gave me his home address 3 blocks away, and invited me to come hang at his house in the future.

Moving on to the service: Bill our bartender was a really nice guy. Easy to talk to and helpful. He was attentive and fairly knowledgeable about the beers he served. The selection was pretty eclectic. Good mix of styles and lots of local PA breweries represented. Decent bottle list too. I really enjoyed the Dock Street Rye Porter on hand pump he poured me.

Food was really tasty....I had the lodge steak which was served in about 5 minutes flat...Bill said "We have a great microwave" with a smile on his face when we commented on the lightning fast serving time. Cheesesteak was delicious though and I'd gladly order one again.

We didn't make it upstairs (I've heard they have a nicer bar upstairs) but since downstairs never had more than 12 people in it we were happy staying downstairs.

A funnier moment came when Bill told us a story about some drunken kid who showed up at 10:30am asking him for a beer and a shot but was already drunk...low and behold at about 12:30pm Bill asks all the bar patrons if they need another round or if they will be okay for a few minutes. We tell him we are fine and he tells us that apparently the kid from 10:30am decided to go to sleep in the middle of the street about a half a block around the corner so he called an ambulance to pick him up.

As I walk out of the door I look to the right and 20 feet down the sidewalk is a muscular guy wearing a wife beater and the largest iguana i've seen draped around his neck like a snake. The iguana has its own spiked collar on. Gotta love Eastern Europe :)
Sep 06, 2010
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Reviewed by dpcoz from Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Anytime I venture to Northeast Philadelphia, They Grey Lodge is easily a "Must". Truly a special place.

Atmosphere - Standard Bar atmosphere, a mix of regular patrons and beer enthusiasts.

Quality - 11 taps including a hand pump. Beer Menu for taps and bottles on a large chalkboard, cleanly and it seems that everytime I stop by, something new is renovated at the Lodge

Selection - Top notch - bombers and bottles of all the goods. Beer on tap is never the same twice. Their website is top notch in updating patrons as to whats on tap, next in the queue, on the radar, etc. They also store kegs for special events.

Food - Surprisingly top notch - I recommend their take on a cheesesteak - Lodge Steak - voted in top 10 Philadelphia in 2009 (610 WIP's Cheesesteak Challenge. Blackened Chicken Sandwich was also excellent

Value - Some pints of beer can be a bit pricey - I think I paid something like $9 for a pint of Russian River once.
Jul 30, 2010
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Reviewed by witness from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Im not sure how i feel about this place. You can come here any day of the week and find something new to drink on tap. this must be great for the locals, but for someone who has to drive 45 min to get here, it can be very dissapointing to find out the beer you drove here to drink, is already tapped out.
They also have a great variety of different styles. However, a lot of them don't fit the season. e.g. Ithaca's cold front just became available on tap - i can't see many wanting to drink this during a warm spring day.
All in all, this a place you should visit, i just think the process is a litte erratic.
Apr 07, 2010
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Reviewed by Gleebalz2000 from Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Awsome food and beer but very small. Not a good place to go on the weekend. Quizo on Wednesday night is also a good time. The cheese steaks are one of the bests in the city. There are events are wacky and wild. This place is not meant for large crowds but it is worth checking out.

I went there Saint Patrick day and they had a home made recipe for Lamb Stew really good. The next event that is going to happen is stout season at the Lodge looking forward to checking it out. Always big fan of there events.
Mar 24, 2010
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Reviewed by mymrnngjckt from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -9.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Made my first stop at this legendary Philadelphis establishment. Nestled in suburbia. Plenty of street parking available. The place was cozy and had the most prominent corner bar feel I have ever seen. The place was loaded with locals but I didn't feel out of place. A friend and I took a table and we were quickly attended to by a waitress. Service was good. Not great. We had to wait for our server to come over and take our second beer and food order. The selection was impressive. Lots of local and regional draft. The food was outstanding. If they didn't have all the great beer, I would still come here for the food.
Dec 29, 2009
The Grey Lodge Public House in Philadelphia, PA
Place rating: 4.34 out of 5 with 106 ratings