The Craft Beer Outlet

The Craft Beer OutletThe Craft Beer Outlet
The Craft Beer OutletThe Craft Beer Outlet
Eatery, Beer-to-go

189 Franklin Mills Blvd
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19154
United States

(215) 632-5035 | map
philabeeroutlet.com

Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9am - 9pm
Friday - Saturday: 9am - 10pm
Sunday: 11am - 8pm
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.52
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
66
pDev:
7.08%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by InspectorBob:
Photo of InspectorBob
Rated by InspectorBob from New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

Feb 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.91 by Urk1127 from New Jersey

Apr 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.64 by tomasher from New Jersey

Apr 14, 2016
Photo of Grs343434
Rated by Grs343434 from New Jersey

5/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Jeff and crew are an absolute pleasure to work with. Always a pleasant experience when I go there. Thank you.
Mar 28, 2016
Photo of momtokate2002
Reviewed by momtokate2002 from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
An absolutely amazing place to buy beer! They have a large quantity of quality beer and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful! Highly recommend to anyone looking for rare or unique beers!
Dec 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.84 by crystalwho from Pennsylvania

Sep 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.64 by fredmugs from Indiana

Aug 24, 2015
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.37/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
A very unassuming store located in a strip mall. However, once you walk in you notice things are done well.

Excellent amount of quality items and selection. Large amounts of single twelve ounces bottles and a good selection of bombers and foreign imports. Why a full stand display of Helldorado when I walk, why thank you my good sir!

Very good service as well and knowledgeable. A little bit off the path depending on where you are going but a definite must stop place.
Aug 08, 2015
Photo of PsychedelicQuaker
Reviewed by PsychedelicQuaker from Pennsylvania

4.94/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Somewhat intimidating pick-your-own 6 pack beer distributor. But once you've gone a couple times you realize that the staff is super helpful and not judgmental. They have Beer tasting events on the weekend, growlers and an amazing selection of craft beers.
Aug 02, 2015
Photo of Goodytime
Rated by Goodytime from New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 2.75
This place has a great selection, is very knowledgeable, but just a little on the pricey side. Overall I visit here often.
Apr 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.45 by OGShotzy from Pennsylvania

Mar 06, 2015
Photo of Beolach
Rated by Beolach from Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
Amazing selection and knowledgeable staff.
Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by FightinIrish88 from New Jersey

Nov 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by pwoody11 from Delaware

Sep 15, 2014
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -14.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75
The wife and I were driving down to Philly from Westchester County, New York, and approaching the city on 95-S I somehow found this jawn and decided to take a little detour. It is not too far from the interstate highway.

Located in a generic strip mall in a not-so-great area of Northeastern Philadelphia, this is definitely not the kind of neighborhood you expect to have a craft beer store.

The best stuff here is right as you enter to your left: a small selection of goodies and rarities, including Double DBA, Old Stock Brandy, Fifty Fifty, Prairie Brewing (first time I see this OK brewery in Philly), New Holland Night Tripper...

Beyond this, I didn't find this store to be amazing, outstanding or world-class. It is your typical Philly bottle store, with coolers filled with pricey single beers.

Everyone is super helpful and eager to find a beer for you, and the seven taps and little bar setup are cool. But really, this is not a destination. You can stick to The Foodery and Beer Heaven in Philly proper and find better beer than here.
Aug 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by timotao from New York

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by AGust82 from Connecticut

Jun 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Mrduprey215 from Pennsylvania

Jun 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Latarnik from New Jersey

May 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by kingston2 from Pennsylvania

May 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by cheah from Pennsylvania

May 12, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Flooz from Pennsylvania

May 12, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by CSpoons from Maryland

Mar 18, 2014
Photo of Valentno7
Reviewed by Valentno7 from Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Great beer selection, I like that they have a growler station and they also have tastings on Fridays. They had all the beers that I wanted from this pass Xmas. I would definitely check the selections they have when the season change to see if they have something I have been looking for. They are a tad bit pricier then other places that I have been too.
Mar 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by JKV96 from Massachusetts

Mar 06, 2014
Photo of CassinoNorth
Reviewed by CassinoNorth from New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Craft Beer Outlet was the first store I checked out on the way into Philly (it's north Philly so those of us coming from NJ, it's rather convenient to hit on the way in, way out)

It's setup is a bit different than most stores as it's organized by style and not by brewery which can be a bit confusing if you're looking for a certain brewery specifically. There's a few tap handles usually pouring some solid local beers on the right when you walk in. They also run specials depending on the day. I believe wednesdays? are discount bomber days.

The cooler is expansive with basically every 6 pack they have in the store broken into singles then a huge selection of cold bombers as well. The guys I talked to were really knowledgeable and friendly. Not the biggest store, but they use their space wisely. A bit pricey for someone from NJ but worth it for all the releases they get.

Check this place out, it's worth it.
Feb 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by doggydaddy from Pennsylvania

Dec 28, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by WEBBEER from Pennsylvania

Dec 03, 2013
Photo of JeffTheJuice
Reviewed by JeffTheJuice from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Great selection and excellent customer service. Not the biggest selection in PA but it is well curated. Free beer tastings on Friday and a big bottle sale on Wednesday are nice recurring weekly events. Convenient location with good parking.
Nov 30, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by nickfl from Florida

Oct 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Dawkins from Pennsylvania

Oct 10, 2013
Photo of mythaeus
Reviewed by mythaeus from Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25
Made my way there a few days ago for the first time and will definitely be back there. The place is SUPER clean and extremely organized. The selection is sizeable and has drafts and growler filling as well. I came with BA top 250 list of which I've knocked off about 80 beers, yet I was able to pick up 2 that other places in the Philadelphia and surround area didn't have. The price for harder to find beers are a little higher than most other places I go to in Philly, except for RR Supplication which they stocked plenty, but overall, prices for other beers are normal.

What I really like is the service. I've only dealt with one person, Mark (IIRC), and he was extremely knowledgeable and incredibly helpful going through my entire list. Upon finding out that it was my birthday, he gave me a glass from the store as a birthday gift! I only spent $15 on that day so THAT is service!

Al
Aug 08, 2013
Photo of cdmillard
Reviewed by cdmillard from Maryland

4.45/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75
This place has an incredible selection, including many beers that I can't get in Baltimore. Selection is incredible, and the service is good. My one complaint would be prices. Their prices on many of the more difficult to fine beers are $4-5.00 higher than anywhere else. An example would be Older Viscosity. I can get it in Atlanta, where I travel frequently, for about $15.00. It's $22.00 here. Get the idea? Don't get me wrong, it's a great place, but I always feel somewhat violated when I walk out of there.
Jul 20, 2013
Photo of scotorum
Reviewed by scotorum from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -20.8%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 2.75 | selection: 4
Stopped here on my way back from Baltimore yesterday after reading reviews which raved about finding hard to locate top rated beers.

A barrel of empty sixpack cartons for filling with 12 ounce selections just inside the door made it clear that is a specialty. And the selection WAS excellent. They even had most of the Bell's I had seen in Michigan, as well as a bunch of different Bruery bombers. But nothing was particularly cheap. The sixer I made up did not contain any especially exceptional items, yet the total was $18, the most I have paid for such yet going into my second month of craft beer adventure.

Although the clerk who checked me out was cheerful, the place was abuzz with employees and customers darting in front and behind. Most of the singles were in coolers, which is awkward when you want to check labels and prices.

Not the best shopping experience. Plus the place is in a very busy shopping plaza rather off the beaten I-95 path. But if you have money to spend and are looking for a better beer selection, this is probably as good as it gets in Philly.
Jun 24, 2013
Photo of Beeranator
Reviewed by Beeranator from North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I was in NJ visiting family and saw the reviews on this place so decided to try it. We drove through traffic for an hour and a half and by the end of the drive was doubting that that drive would be worth this unknown beer shop. When we got there i walked through the door and spotted a Brooklyn Black ops and that was it for me it was worth that drive, i ended up spending $150 got that black ops, Russian River, Lost Abbey, and some Firestone Walker. I was looking for some Nugget Nectar but they didn't have any, I asked and they told me they had just gotten some in their Case shop so i went over and grabbed one! They also have a surprisingly good Gluten Free Beer selection. Needless to say this place is a little oasis for beer lovers. I will definitely come back here when I'm in the area.
Mar 30, 2013
Photo of dailyminefield
Reviewed by dailyminefield from North Carolina

4.67/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
I went through Philly during Thanksgiving and made a pit stop here. I did some research and picked this spot based on its proximity to I-95 and the fact they carry Russian River.
It's in a plaza and has a generic looking sign. It was a little smaller than I expected, but the quality of what they stock is second to none.
I walked out with some AleSmith, BCBS, several varieties of RR and DFH World Wide Stout. None of which you can get in NC.
The staff was very friendly and answered all of my questions. The prices were a little steep, but understandably so since they are in the city and carry a wide variety of rare beers.
If you are driving through, you should definitely stop and check it out. It's the only store I have been to in Philly, so I don't know how they compare to other local shops. Philly has to be the best place to buy beer east of Chicago. Vermont is a close second, but solely based on local beer.
Mar 19, 2013
Photo of dc4three
Reviewed by dc4three from New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75
The Craft Beer Outlet in Northeast Philly was a pleasant experience if I dont say so myself. Not as big as I thought it would be considering all the hype, but nonetheless, an awesome shop if your looking for some rare finds. Great selection of bombers, six packs and invidual 12oz bottles. Also a nice and clean growler station with 6 taps. Also they had a killer selection of glassware ranging from standard pint glasses to gigantic snifters. I was happy to see some brews I cant find in Jersey at this shop (Russian River, Bells, Great Lakes, DuClaw, Clown Shoes, some Maine Beer Company's). Prices are not too too bad, but you pony up for beers that you cant find in your area. Only downfall was there was only one person working the entire store, so not only was she answering the phone, helping customers with questions, working the cash register, but running around the entire store like a chicken with her head cut off. But other than that, this place is sweet and i will definately be making a return here!
Feb 04, 2013
Photo of Damian74
Reviewed by Damian74 from South Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
The selection is great balance of quality and quantity.

About 15 doors with local craft, American craft, and international.

The selection ranges from affordable Sam Adams, Corona etc...to more expensive Chimay, Dogfish head, Southern Tier and Lost Abbey. Make sure you look in the front of the store it has a nice selection seasonals and mixed 12 packs on the floor by the entry.

The staff is exceptional. Everyone knows there stuff and loves beer. Was given a free bottle opener once. My daughter got a free root beer once lollipop another. Very friendly staff, glassware for making a large purchase. The prices are very competitive as well. You can even sit at one of there tables in the back and drink up some of there beers on tap. You can sample beers before you purchase a growler. Great place highly recommend!

They are an asset to the NE Philly Beer community. They have tasting events and adjust the selection based on demand. I look forward to going back when back in Philly!
Dec 09, 2012
Photo of claspada
Reviewed by claspada from New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev -10.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
Not as big as I was expecting from the high reviews but a nice clean establishment with above average selection but apparently this place is popular and sells out of popular stuff rather quickly. (They had Founders Bolt Cutter but were sold out of the Great Lakes Christmas beer which is one of things I was hoping to find.) Plenty of beers I cannt get in Jersey like Bells, Dark Horse, Great Lakes and even some CIgar City.

The prices were a little steep (around $22 for a mixed 6 pack) but they were all above average beers. The 2 people working were very helpful and nice and knew their inventory well which was nice. They also have a growler station apparently which is nice for locals.
Dec 03, 2012
Photo of BeerVet
Reviewed by BeerVet from Pennsylvania

4.86/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Great "craft your pack" resource if your in the Philly area. Staff is GREAT...I'm a monthly repeat customer and they know me by name and are always interested in more than making the sale. Selection is always the best of the tri-state area IMHO. Great stop if you like seasonal craft brews; my favorite is September-December (pumpkins, Oktoberfest, holiday brews). A little pricy, but I blame that on PA sales tax and the FF'ed -Up PA liquor laws! If your in the area, pull out an extra $20 and support the local PA beer guy, who's willing to go though the trouble to break 6-packs and provide a WORLD-CLASS craft beer MECCA!!!!
Dec 02, 2012
The Craft Beer Outlet in Philadelphia, PA
Place rating: 4.52 out of 5 with 66 ratings