Quotations

QuotationsQuotations
QuotationsQuotations
Bar, Eatery

37 E State St
Media, Pennsylvania, 19063-2917
United States

(610) 627-2515 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.67
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
30
pDev:
17.98%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of Ummbeer
Reviewed by Ummbeer from New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I've seen a lot of reviews of this place stating that the food wasn't very good. I don't expect a quality beer joint to be a five star restaurant so maybe my expectations are not high. I thought the food was great. There were 6 of this their on this lunchtime outing. We all just had burgers and sandwiches but everybody was happy. Two of us had the duck sandwich which they said was very good. My one bit of constructive advice would be to list the ABV of the beers and also the cost. I don't like being in the dark on either front.
Jan 22, 2015
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
I'm on the fence here. It seems that Quotations gets slammed here on BA, but I think that's a little harsh. It has problems, yes, but in the end it's a fairly decent place and they've got a fairly decent tap list. On the other hand there are several places right nearby that have similar offerings.

Problems:
• Looks like a bookstore from outside. Of course the awning is needed during the day.
• Dining room is separate from the bar, which is GREAT, but the atmosphere back there is DEAD.
• It's got a nice decor, but is it polished? Not really. I look at the ceiling tiles that are stained and ask myself how hard are they to replace?
• The area behind the bar is way too large, consuming most of the room... but they don't have a draft system, everything comes out of mobile TRUE coolers. They must not have a basement... ?
• The coolers lead to problems pouring beer, and the bartenders don't know how to pour beer. I was delivered a beer that was foaming over and running onto the bar and that was treated as if it was everyday normal.
• It doesn't seem like anyone really knows anything about beer. One look at the descriptions on the beer list will tell you that.
• The food is mediocre (and slightly over-priced as some claim).

So the next owner will have a gold mine. All they have to do is fix the "warm but cold" atmosphere, bring in a real chef, train their servers and they're set. The quotes on the bar are nice. The colors selection is nice. The grey tile on the floor is OK. As mentioned, the separation between the bar and dining area is great. And they've got 17 taps! Of course a proper draft system would have to be put in (which then might accommodate even more)!

But I digress, my intention is to point out that this is actually a good place to stop in for a beer despite the possible negatives.
Positives:
• The owner can be a great guy who recognizes you and treats you well. He might be an ass sometimes but I've never seen that myself.
• IMHO the food is "you get what you pay for". Yes there's better, but it's not bad. Unfortunately, the kitchen can be slow even when they're not busy.
• 17 taps of good beer (wait, 15 or so I think because there's some mainstream crap). How they keep up with the new "trending" beers I don't know because they don't seem to have a clue. Maybe their distributor is guiding them. Regardless, it seems to be fairly diverse and balanced, and constantly changing! That's a big plus.
• Dedicated locals at the bar who love the place. They give the bar life.
• Pleasant atmosphere, if not completely polished.

So in conclusion, I'd have to say I'm a supporter of Quotations. I always root for the underdog. I hope they can address their problems and find a way to make everything work. There's too much competition out there for them not to.
Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.66 by jgiordano88 from Pennsylvania

Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by RobertColianni from Pennsylvania

Oct 30, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by GeoffreyM from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by garuda from Pennsylvania

Oct 09, 2013
Photo of mfunk9786
Reviewed by mfunk9786 from Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -30.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 2.5
Quotations doesn't seem to understand why they're often empty or close to empty while craft beer booms around them - it's because their food prices are too high, their beer is served ice cold (really, so cold, way too cold for most of the styles on their menu), and the place needs a few more lights. The atmosphere is downright dour in this place, and the quality of what they serve isn't doing them any favors.

If you like your beer served below freezing, by all means, enjoy! If you want the only $9.99 crab fries on the planet (really, $9.99), head to "Quotes"! Otherwise, go across the street to Iron Hill or get the hell out of Media.
Jun 27, 2012
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -21%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
Transcribed from notes dtd W, 29 Dec 2010.

It was Media Day for this wandering beer scribe and I was finishing my rounds of the triumvirate of Nokes, Quotes and the Hill as local beer types refer to them.

It is located slightly catty-corner to Iron Hill (Media) on their northeast side of the street. A wide windowfront ran along the East State Street with the doorway on the west side of the building, opening onto a snaking passageway with a waiting bench along the left wall, followed by the m.d.s. a little further aft. To the right of the bench was a portal leading into the bar area. High tables and chairs encircled this space, including along the windowfront. The blonde wood bar (and the place was primarily outfitted with blonde wood, if that trips your trigger) had its top heat-etched with actual quotations. The restaurant seating area was on either side of the bisecting passageway that ran the length of the place. The kitchen was halfway back on the right and the lavatories were seven-eighths of the way aft on the left. The tabletops also had heat-etched quotations and the fronting windows were painted with quotations as well as being written onto blackboards throughout the restaurant area.

Beers: Sixteen (16) rotating drafts and a whole bunch of bottles.

Ambiance: I do not know what gives with this place, but it is a good concept poorly rendered. Every time that I have gone in, it strikes me as being particularly joyless. The staff is reluctant to talk to me and I just feel like it is all business while it should be a bar.
Nov 09, 2011
Photo of MsRif
Reviewed by MsRif from Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -14.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
The owner of this place ruins what could be a perfectly fine establishment. He is very odd...often getting into arguments with patrons and I believe he refuses to put a lot of local stuff on tap because that would be his "competition" which makes no sense. The clientele here are generally obnoxious sports fans who want nothing more than a miller lite and some wings, which is fine, but that is not my preferred drinking environment. I have gone when there isn't a game on, and it is much more bearable, enjoyable. Even still, the prices are pretty outrageous for both beer and food. Quality/selection is decent, but not nearly as good as Pinocchio's which I would much recommend over Quotations.

Service was spotty...good enough I suppose. The bartender didn't really seem beer-knowledgeable, which was a bummer. Food was good but again, expensive. I will pass on this place in the future, though it was worth a try just for the experience.
Oct 29, 2011
Photo of Rifugium
Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

2.75/5  rDev -25.1%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I've poked my head into this place on a few occasions, gotten a really bad vibe instantly, then just opted to go to Iron Hill right across the street. But I finally did visit Quotations properly just recently.

The appearance is pretty basic: medium-sized bar holds about 20 people, I'd say, with plenty of tables. Large windows provide a view of the street. The bar is setup like someone just threw in a few kegerators and called it a day. I get a real d-bag/a-hole vibe from this place, and even when I went and there were only a few people there, I could tell right away, this is where d-bags go to drink and pretend like they know what good beer is, while listening to crappy music over the PA and slamming out the beat to "Buffalo Soldier" like it's some uber underground song that only they know, and have such a connection to. Not that that's the management's fault, but speaking of that...a lot of the reviews I've read have mentioned how crass and irritable the owner is, and having now seen him in action, I suppose those statements are justified. And the more I hear about him and his ignorant outlook towards beer and the beer scene, the more I realize that this place deserves no legitimate business from true beer enthusiasts. Basically, this bar comes off to me as a polished turd: a regular everyday bar with regular everyday staff, that just happens to keep a good beer selection.

As for the beer selection, it was pretty decent. A good selection of crafts and micros appropriate for the season, though nothing overly extraordinary. The food menu was decent, with mostly comfort food, and some pricey entrees that why would you even consider? The food itself was not bad, and other than the entrees, pretty reasonably priced.

The staff seemed pretty generic when it came to actual beer knowledge. Our bartender was pretty attentive, so I have no complaints about the service in general, really. I'd kind of want to go back during busy hours to get a better feel, but I just KNOW that the crowd would be intolerable.

My two cents:
Iron Hill is right across the street, and MUCH nicer than this place, and even if IH's beer selection is limited to their own brews, said brews are still generally good, and the atmosphere makes them a lot easier to enjoy. The other option is Pinocchio's just a few blocks away. Beer selection is much better, and the people are better.
Jul 15, 2011
Photo of Thirsty2383
Reviewed by Thirsty2383 from Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +27.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Hands down the best bar in Media and surrounding towns. Big menu from apps to sandwiches to entrees. Their specialty is seafood and when you order say for example the crab fries, you don't just get old bay on the fries you get mounds of crab meat too. They keep the kitchen open late so if you've got the munchies at 1am on a Saturday this place can accommodate.

The real draw is the beer. Quotations has a rotating tap list that is updated at least 1-2x a week. At least a dozen options with a few staples. This time of year the bottles rotate just as fast because everyone's sucking down the variety of Oktoberfests and pumpkin beers they stock up on. They import their beer from UK/Europe and domestic micro and macro breweries. Majority of which are Belgium style. They usually get in highly rated, award-winning beers and those brewed for a limited time. Very fun to try. Friendly, well-versed staff is always happy to give recommendations and samples.

I love to go here to watch sports, they have a big bar seating area with 4 (I think, maybe more) big screens. Only negative I would say is when they bring in live music. The bar is not equipped to handle acoustics and you'll find yourself screaming at the person next to you. But there's never a cover.

If you're in the Media area, be sure to make a pit-stop.
Sep 29, 2010
Photo of djeffbee
Reviewed by djeffbee from Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +30.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Media has really become a great hangout for those 18-80. Lots of options for those who like good beer. Quotations has more of the atmosphere, selection, and character of place that any beer dude is looking for...

Walk in - you get mix of beer geeks, hot chicks, and macros drinkers.

10-15 taps that rotate quick, along with the bottle selection as well. Always a theme going on...

Service to me has been great! Food is great as well. Gotta have the crab fries!!! All food is reasonable and fresh!

Solid and descriptive beer menu....

Good music and activites...

Big place, not cramped...

Solid management.

Awesome place...
Dec 31, 2009
Photo of SuburbanBrew
Reviewed by SuburbanBrew from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3
I visit Quotations with friends at least twice a month. Easy to get a table or bar seat even on Friday evenings except during sporting events. Beer selection is always good although don't expect to see any local beers here. This place is right across from Iron Hill which I also frequent. The two places have totally different types of crowds; Quotations I would say has a bit older crowd while Iron Hill tends to be full of younger peeps. Not that it matters to me but it may to you. Quotations serves lots of Terrapin, Bells, Flying Dog and Left Hand plus they seems to carry Kwak and De Troch's Framboise for months at a time which is a good thing since my GF loves DeTrochs and my friends swear by Kwak. If you're in DelCo looking for a good selection of non-local brews Quotations is the place.
Dec 11, 2009
Photo of Stigs
Reviewed by Stigs from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 2
My second time here, have an office in the area so anytime I go there I be sure to stop.

Atmosphere - pretty standard bar/eatery...everything looked clean. went there to watch a game, and had an ejoyable experience. havent been there on the weekends though so not sure of what an assumed added crowd is like.

Service - bartender was quite helpful. i was there with a beer newbie and he overheard us talking about pumpkin beers, so he gave us both a free sample of Pumking which was on tap. it was pretty empty (went on a tuesday night to watch a hockey game) but the bartender was quick to take our orders, refills, and allowed us to choose was went on the numerous tv's surrounding the bar area.

Selection - not a huge tap list, but they had some stuff i havent seen out my way. through the night, I had: Terrapin Rye Squared, Terrapin Depth Charge, Southern Tier Harvest, and a Pumking. they were running a Miller Lite special that night and it was amusing to see most everyone at the bar taking advantage of it, save for a very attractive girl who was housing pumking like it was the greatest drink on earth.

Food - both times i was here the food left me a little underwhelmed. we ordered some "crab fries" which were mediocre, and i had a sort of steak sandwich which was also a bit greasy, lukewarm, and dissappointing. oh well, i was here for the beer anyways.

Value - an appetizer, two sandwiches, and 7-8 beers ran us about $70, but work was paying so i didnt mind.
Oct 26, 2009
Photo of KevinRx
Reviewed by KevinRx from Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Being local to Media, I'd have to call this my go to spot when I'm looking for solid brew and good food. The beer list changes all the time, while still keeping some solid regulars. Over the past few weeks I've seen Pumking, Oberon, Big Hoppy Monster, ST Unearthly, Avery Maharaja, Gamma Ray, countless Belgians, and the list goes on and on. The bartenders and servers are all easy going and easy to talk to. Most can give you a good feel for the brews on the menu. My only complaint would be the lack of any local offerings from the many breweries in the area. The beer list here is really good. If you're looking for Southern Tier or Bells, def the place to go. I just think an offering from Victory or Yards would be nice.
Sep 22, 2009
Photo of victory4me
Reviewed by victory4me from Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -22.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2
If you want to talk about a place that is hit or miss, this is the place. I've been to Quotations many times and there is really only one thing that keeps me coming back to this establishment. The beer. The problems are with everything else they do here. I got there about 8pm on Friday night to meet up with friends I hadn't seen in a while. The bar area was packed not to a fault and the atmosphere was just fantastic. Then the band shows up. An accoustic band who should be playing without any amplification at all is playing with the speakers turned up to 11. Half the bar clears out while the rest of the patrons are left shouting over the music. This happens every time they have live music.

The theme is a good idea that is executed poorly. The quotations written on the walls are rather lame and really have no relevence to anything. There should be markers all over the bathroom for patrons to write their own quotes on the walls, but I guess that would be too innovative. Here's a quote for you, "These quotes suck!"

The food is not impressive and the menu is too long. I would rather go somewhere that only serves a few things passionately well than a place that serves everything they possibly can but with subpar quality. I have never been wowed by any of their food offerings and the only reason I ever get food there is because I get hungry as I'm drinking their awesome beer.

The service is hit or miss as well. A couple of the servers are very knowledgeable and fast while others are unattentive and don't know the difference between Miller Lite and Oberon. The tap list is very informative, but difficult to read. Bars are dark places so they print the tap lists in black on blue paper? Odd. Additionally the fonts and type size are inconsistent with horrible spacing. It's very easy to overlook something.

Finally I'll get to the good part which is the beer and particularly the beers on draft. I give Quotations a lot of respect because they have some options on tap that I can guarantee nobody else in the region has available. This is the tap list from Friday:

De Troch's Framboise
Bell's Oberon
Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2007 vintage!)
Aventinus
Southern Tier Raspberry
Manneken Pis
Left Hand Sawtooth ESB
Flying Dog Old Scratch
Doc's Hard Pear Cider
Cape Ann Tea Party
La Chouffe
St Bernardus Tripel
Smuttynose Summer Weizen
Goulden Caroulis Keize Roon
Blue point Hoptical Illusion

An impressive tap list to say the least. So despite the flaws of this establishment, they do know how to do beer right. Although I probably wouldn't put vintage Stone IRS on tap in the middle of the summer, I would have waited out a few more months until the late fall/winter. Regardless, the beer is the reason I go here and honestly the ONLY reason I go here.

EDIT: Knocking selection down to a 3.5 from 5. Found out Quotations refuses to carry local beers, which is an outright disgrace as far as I am concerned. Even more laughable is the owner's explanation, which is that by serving local beers they would only be supporting their competition. How can any bar in this region that considers itself a "beer bar" not have a local pilsner on draft during the summer? Troegs Nugget Nectar is the best beer made in PA and they refuse to tap it during the winter when it's fresh?

No Victory. No Troegs. No Stoudts. No Yards. No Flying Fish. No Sly Fox. No Philadelphia Brewing. No Dogfish Head. No Legacy. No General Lafayette. Nadda.

Part of being a legitimate "beer bar" is embracing the local craft beer scene. Quotations is not a legitimate beer bar.
Jun 28, 2009
Photo of bjspicer
Reviewed by bjspicer from Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Went to Quotations on Saturday night, January 17, 2009 with my girlfriend and another couple. Got there about 6:30 and was expecting it to be pretty crowded, however, it was not too bad and we were seated right away. Decided to bypass the bar area, which had about 4-5 flatscreen televisions on the walls, and about 10-15 tables in addition to a decent size bar. Ended up sitting in the dining area to the left, which had about 10 tables.

Went with a Bell's Hopslam to start things off. My girlfriend had a glass of white wine, and my other female friend ordered a Martini. My Hopslam arrived in a nice Quotations goblet. It was my first taste of Hopslam and it was wonderful.

Ordered up some mozzarella sticks and shrimp lejon as appetizers. Food came out in a timely manner and was pretty tasty. I could not decide on what to order as my meal, so I just went with a crab cake sandwich and a side of onion rings. My girlfriend went with the hot pork sandwich, her friend with the endive salad (she didn't want the crab, so she asked for chicken and the waiter said no problem at all), and her boyfriend ordered the filet cheesesteak. Again, food came out in a timely manner, and my crab cake sandwich was out of this world. There were no complaints about the food.

Our waiter, Dave, stopped by several times to see how things were and to refill drinks. Overall, a very pleasant experience. Nice tap list, decent menu, good service and reasonable prices make Quotations a worthwhile stop if you are in the area.
Jan 18, 2009
Photo of gdfan47
Reviewed by gdfan47 from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +12.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I really like this place, media is a cool little town.. In my hs years I knew some girls that used to live here, its a cool place.

This place is interesting, like most beer bars it seems to be a mix of beer geeks and people that just wanan drink macros or red bull and vodkas

they have at least 15 taps, maybe more. They seem to have a heavily rotating bottle selection as well.
The service has always been good, there is no real reason I havent eaten here, the food looks good and seems reasonable. I have just never been full when I was there
The beer menu has very good on the nose discriptions
They have a good amount of belgians as well as some really cool domestic

They have some cool off the beaten trail stuff too, its the only place I have seen 2 brothers on draft

My friend has been playing music here once a month or so, and I always have fun

Really big place,I love that its non smoking

I have seen the owner / or at least manager post on here he seems like a man who cares about really taking care of the beer geek customers

This place is really good for the craft/ belgian beer movement, it does a great job of crossing people over from macros

def worth checking out
Dec 06, 2008
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Visited for the first time with 6 BA's. Wasn't sure what to expect with some of the previous reviews. But, with some of the slections they had flowing, the recent into PA Oggi's/Left Coast Brewing, I felt this place deserved a chance.

Located directly across the street from IH Media and Media Trader Joe's there is at least reason to stop in here every now and then.

The overall vibe is fine...nothing spectacular but certainly clean and pleasant. You will understand the meaning of the name once you visit.

Despite not having an overwhelming number of taps I gave the selection a bump up due to the originality of the selection. Many of the brews on were quite different....such as ST Pumking, Laughing Dog CSB and three Oggi's/Left Coast choices. I like to see different and not a repeat of the same old stuff.

Our service was solid and pleasant. I am told that we talked to the owner and despite previous posts we had a very nice chat with him. I am sure he knew we knew our beers....and he treated us as such.

A quality place, that I am told is much better now having gone non-smoking. I will certainly poke my head in to see what is flowing next time I am in the Media area.
Nov 22, 2008
Photo of sholland119
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
The best beer bar I have found in Media. Compared to most areas in the Philly suburbs, Media's best restaurants, bars, brewpus, etc. do not match up to the best in West Chester, Paoli, Wayne, Malvern, Newtown, etc. This is true for Quotations too, though it's still good.

Atmosphere is fine but way too smoky and as bright as a diner in the bar area. Selection is somewhat limited (10 or so taps, 15-20 bottles) but very high quality. This is *the* place for Bells products in our area. We had Hop Slam on tap a few weeks ago and Oberon on tap today and both times they were the only place in the areas that had the product on tap. They are also on the forefront with the Italian craft beer movement.

Service is just ok. For some reason, I don't mind when I go to Capone's and the bartenders don't know a thing about beer. I think it's because it seems like all of the bartenders were there long before Matt started bringing in craft beer and they are doing the best they can. Here the bartenders are young and uninformed. I find that inexcusable but maybe that's just me...

There's some good stuff at Quotations but I won't go out of my way to stop here unless we're in the mood for Bells on tap . The place could be great but, well, it's not.

UPDATE: Atmosphere has improved dramatically since the PA smoking ban. Selection continues to shine as there is a lot of stuff you will find nowhere else. I also upgraded service based on a couple of good experiences with one of the young bartenders (even saw him at the Kennett Brewfest) and with Mike, the owner.

HV
Apr 04, 2008
Photo of drtth
Reviewed by drtth from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
My son and his friends have been here a couple of times and were complimentary.

So my wife and I went here for dinner on a quiet Wednesday night. The food was fine and so was the service. I found the owner very well informed about beer and I got some useful ideas about beers I want to try. The bottle and draft beer list is exceptional and well worth exploring. As for beer prices I found them consistent with the quality of the beer. A pint of draft Bell's Expedition Stout in this restaurant was priced as I'd expect given the per bottle price if you can find it. We did not care for the part of the dining area where there were two different large screen TVs (both on and on different channels) making conversation difficult.
Feb 18, 2008
Photo of leftmindedrighty
Reviewed by leftmindedrighty from New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -14.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4
I've been here a few times now, most recently for their 12 Belgian Taps of Christmas.

Atmosphere is on the higher end as far as bars go. Actual quotations from famous and not so famous people are everywhere. On the walls, bar, windows, every where you look.

Every time I'm here I find a real treat on tap. They do have a solid tap line up, and I've yet to be served a bad pint or snifter. They had Goudenband on tap for the 12 Belgian Taps of Christmas, and it being one of my favorite beers, that made the night. I have yet to eat here, so I can't comment on the food.

Service, well, thats a touchy subject. Every time I'm here I get lousy service. And I've only sat at the bar. You typically get the best service when sitting at the bar, which makes you think how sitting at a table would pan out.

While having my last beer of the night, another Goudenband, a gentleman sits next to me. He flags down the bartender, and says that he has a couple of questions about the beer. The "bartender" then points at me and says "Ask this guy, he's had a couple of them" and then walks away. Are you freaking kidding me? The poor schmo sitting next to me hadn't even uttered the name of a beer, and was told to ask the stranger sitting next to him, who was just another customer, about the beer he was interested in. At that moment, I set my glass down and left. That goes beyond unprofessionalism, thats just a dick move. Why don't you take the time to train your staff, or even just give them a sheet to read off of. You have your help telling customers to answer other customer's questions?

My opinion, just go to Iron Hill right across the street. You'll get great service, knowledgable staff, and you won't have to answer other customer's questions.
Feb 18, 2008
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.6/5  rDev +25.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
After seeing all the previous reviews of this place, and after a few less then entirely satisfactory BA posting dialogues with the owner here (Mike), I confess I didn't know what to expect when I visited this place the other night. However, suffice it say, what I did see/experience was not what I guess I had come to expect.

As you walk in the front door, the first thing you notice is a good size bar area to your immediate right. The bar itself easily accommodates around 20 patrons, and includes probably 8 or 9 tables as well in the bar area. As you stand by the bar with it on your right and look back, you can see three modest size dining areas. None of them are particularly large, but all together I would guess there must be close to 30 tables and chairs. So the restaurant area is actually pretty good size, and set far enough away that diners here miss quite a bit of the smoke and noise from the bar. It's a pretty nice set up. The place itself has sort of a newish, almot industrial feel to it. By that I mean it has something of a TGIF/Applebees feel to it. I didn't get any food, but what I saw looked good, if not particularly exciting or special. Still, at least based on what I saw, I can't imagine anyone panning the food here. It looked to be a cut above what I'd call typical pub grub, if not exactly a huge cut above.

As for the selection, at least with the beers on tap, it was jaw dropping awesome. The night I was there it included hopslam, stille nacht and the scotch winter ale from Canaster. There were an additional 5 or 6 Belgians on tap, as well as Bells Kalamazoo Stout, Aventinus, Pyramid Apricot (not to generalize, but Mike has a better then average selection of "chick beers" here - fruit beers and lambics), and a number of others. I think there were roughly 20 beers on tap, all of which were solid. I spoke to Mike about the selection, and he confirmed that he goes out of his way to try to feature beers you are unlikely to see any place else. That would explain the unusual fact that there were no beers from Victory, SlyFox, SmuttyNose, etc. the night I was there. Mike was quick to point out that he has nothing against these local breweries, but just feels you can get their beers pretty much everywhere, and that's not what he's about.

The service was generally excellent, and I noticed there were plenty of employees working behind the bar the night I was there (Saturday). The bartender confirmed that the size of the crowd (the place was packed) was pretty typical for a Saturday night.

I guess I agree that the prices here are a bit high (in the $6 range for the non-Belgians), but the beers here are exceptional. I paid $7 for a 12 ounce glass of Stille Nacht, which I think is VERY fair. Also, the beer was incredibly fresh, and was probably the best stille nacht I've ever had on tap (which granted, amounts to no more then 2 or 3 other times).

I had told Mike I would likely be stopping by, so I sat and had a couple of beers before introduing myself, just so I could see him and his crew in action. To say the least, I was impressed by normal operations at Quotations.

One thing I've noticed at the beer bars I've visited in the area, the owners are not afraid to work. Matt at Capone's, Jeff at TJ's, they all work very hard and put in VERY long hours. However, I've never seen anything like Mike and his wife (Stacey as I recall). Here it was 8:30 on a Saturday night and Mike was just everywhere; taking orders, talking to customers, taking out the trash (I kid you not), bringing out more beer, helping with table service.

This is an exceptional place, with one of the best draft selections I've seen anywhre. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

While I'm here, I might as well say something about the owner (Mike), who I was able to talk to for 10 or 15 minutes. The man is clearly wound pretty tight and is extremely passionate about his place. He does occasionally crack a smile, but it's obvious he loves his restaurant/tavern, and is serious about his work there. Talking to him about his beer list, I think it fair to say that he is also very competitive about how his place compares to some of the other outstanding beer bars in the area (this area is just teeming with great beer bars). I have no doubt he wants people to think it the best, and he's not above working his butt off to achieve that result. The results speak for themselves.

It's a pity this place doesn't get better recognition from the BA population. IMHO, it truly is one of the better beer bars in the area, if not the entire country. I'll definitely be back.
Jan 20, 2008
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Reviewed by NolanGTI from Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -22.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 4
So I finally tried Quotations after my mini-dust up with the owner (or manager, I forget). I had a pretty open mind going in and was actually pretty impressed with the decor and set up when we strolled in.

My first glance at the tap list had me looking over it again. Not that it was bad, but there wasn't a single beer I was geeked about seeing. Some of that is probably personal preference and some was the fact that it was a bit ho-hum for a bar that claims to have the best tap list in the area (claim was made in a beermail to me). Of the three other people I was with, 2 of whom are BA's, none of us ordered a draft. The bottle list was solid with a pretty strong variety and a varied selection. Not sure that this selection is destination worthy, but if you are in Media, the IH/Quotations combo ain't bad. It certainly isn't enough to get me away from TJ's or The Drafting Room (or the upcoming Belgian place in Wayne).

Service was solid but unremarkable.

I have lowered my service number to 1 based on the possibly insane owner who started an incredibly unprofessional email string with me via BeerMail. The tone of which was pretty much that he didn't need BA and then went on to badmouth just about every other bar in the area. I just couldn't bring myself to give this place any more money after the interactions I have had with him.
May 21, 2007
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Reviewed by BelgieScott from Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Quotations continues to improve. Beer selection, particularly selection of Belgian beers, can only be called outstanding. During last visit, within the past week, Q had 5 Belgians on tap, including St. Bernardus, McChouffe and Urthel Quad, along with 4 or 5 other good American beers. Also good bottle selection, many very good Belgians and Germans. Nicely mixed crowd most of the time, light beer enthusiasts keeping the bills paid, and Belgians on tap quite reasonable at $6. Food was somewhat mediocre at outset of restaurant, has improved a fair amount to my thinking, but strength of Quotations is the beer selection. Some bartenders knowledgeable, some others less so. Raw bar Thursday and Friday afternoons, live music Fridays and Saturday nights, often quite good. Certainly best beer selection in Philadelphia suburbs, by far. Several negative reviews seem way off the money, I think.
Mar 08, 2007
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Reviewed by MmmIPA from Pennsylvania

2.69/5  rDev -26.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5
I went there today while my girl went to the book store up the block.I had the Russian River/Avery duo belgian beer and a Bells Expedition stout.I expected the begian to come in a goblet but not the stout.I felt cheated out of that, and each of the beers were 6 bucks.I got to talking to the bartender and he asked how I heard about the place and I told him about Beer Advocate and the rating system.He asked how the rating where for Quotations and I didnt have the heart to tell him that they sucked.I dont think I will go there again,I just wanted to see what was up with the place.Ide try Iron Hill next time .
Feb 24, 2007
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Reviewed by paddyos from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +14.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
My wife and I stopped in here for a few beers after dinner and beers across the street at Iron Hill. It turned out to be a pleasant end to our big trip out to the burbs.
The bar is to the right as you walk in through a corridor. There are a few small tables in the bar area in front and dinner is served in the back room. The bar itself is a light wood with different quotes burned into the top. It probably seats about 20 with plenty of room and a few tvs behind it. The only complaint I have about the room is that it is way too bright.
The tap selection was pretty good and since I have never had the pleasure of Bell's Two Hearted off the tap I started off with that and never looked back. Also to be found on tap were Aventinus, Javer Dark, Hoegarden, Something from Blue Point - DIPA maybe? Pyramid Apricot, and a couple of others.
There was also a very nice lineup of bottles and the beer menu goes into some good details and explanations of each.
All in all this place is a very good beer bar and between it and Iron Hill across the street it might be enough to draw me out to the burbs on a somewhat regular basis.
Feb 08, 2007
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Reviewed by StoutHearted from Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.5
Great beer, cute atmosphere, but you're gonna pay for it. It seemed that no matter what my boyfriend and I ordered, domestic or import, bottle or draft, they charged us $6 a beer. The beer list is fantastic: They had my beloved Duchesse de Bourgogne on tap, a definite plus. I read reviews about the bad service, but we had good service at a bar table. It was a crowded Friday night with loud music, but the waitress didn't abandon us. Non-smokers beware, the local clientele was lighting up all around. Sports games were on the TVs, which kind of clashes with the literary atmosphere of famous quotes being written all over the walls, tables, and bar. Oh well, might as well get some learning in between watching Philly blow another chance at a championship. Food wasn't anything to rush right over for. We ordered spicy cheese fries, which I heretofore will refer to as Coronary Fries because they had a swamp of cheese on top. They did a curious thing where they wrapped foil on top of a typical fast-food red basket, and put the fries on top, so we had all that wasted, empty space in the basket. Why not just put them on a plate? So we ended up with a side of fries with cheese soup on top of a basket. Not very impressive. Best bet is to have brews at Quotations, and then go across the street to Iron Hill for some decent food.
Feb 06, 2007
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Reviewed by WonderWoman from Pennsylvania

2.79/5  rDev -24%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 4
Want to save a buck...go to Quotations. I don't mean the four legged forest creature, I mean money. It's not because the prices are great, it's because you may walk out before even being served.
This is the second time I've been here. I thought I'd give it another chance after the first time I was here.
It is a brightly lit bar as there are huge windows facing the street, great for people watching. The tables and bar are a light wood color with quotations burnt into them. I should have observed the bar a bit more but I was so frustrated with the dirty table and dirty silverware I was afraid the bar would be just as filthy. Sure enough when our drinks came our glasses had food particles stuck to the side of them. This was my first visit.
I thought I'd give it another try, but this time go directly to the bar.
The bar was clean and the bartender greeted us promptly unfortunately, that's where it ended. No drinks were to be had, as after sitting for upwards of 10 minutes with no return of the bartender we opted to give up the beers we were hoping to try and save some cash and leave. It's not that our bartender had mysteriously disappeared, he was helping other people and chatting with what appeared to be friends. The deciding factor to leave Quotations was when our bartender choose to do dishes instead of helping us, curious beer patrons.
I hope whoever goes there next doesn't have to experience what I had to, I have never been serviced so wretchedly in my life. It's a shame as their beer selection was great.
Jul 16, 2006
Photo of DarkerTheBetter
Reviewed by DarkerTheBetter from Minnesota

2.91/5  rDev -20.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
7-15-06 update.

The last two times I have been here have been miserable. A month or so ago, I brought my girlfriend here for lunch. The table we were seated at was absolutely filthy. There were chunks of food all over and the silverware itself was encrusted with old dried food. The glasses we were served our beer in were crusted over with filth as well with little particles of someone else's food floating around inside. We went to Iron Hill for lunch.

Now, today I head in for a beer and the frizzy haired male bartender greeted us with a smile and threw down two coasters for us. He then proceeded to help some other patrons. He then left the bar to help a band or something set up their speakers. Then he returned to the bar to help his two friends get their drinks. I was at wit's end by now. His next move was to wash dishes at the sink so he could still talk with his buddies. Unbelievable! I We were ignored at the bar for over 10 minutes! I have never been treated so poorly at a bar in my entire life.

It's too bad their rotating selection is so awesome, because I'll never go back!

-Original Review-

...So I ran across the street to see what this place was all about. The boring, bland, and generally lame exterior had me a little put off from the get go. But once inside, I was singing a different tune.

The entrance of the building takes you down a relatively long, windowed corridor with a wall on your left and a view of the bar on your right. As I walked this, I kept wondering when I would be let in so I could get at all of the goodies. I finally ran out of glass barriers and found a hole in the wall to let me into the bar area. The general lay out of the place from this vantage point is that there is a bar up front, and dinner seating in the back, mostly in the form of booths. I preferred the bar, as I was really following a terrible side track from a shopping trip to the Trader Joe's across the street. Once at the bar, I had to scan around to get the gist of what was on tap. Instead of one centralized tap center, all of the taps were spread around the large bar. When I got tired of squinting at taps, I noticed a tap and bottle list on the bar next to me. That will help. After a little deliberation, I realized that I wanted either the Double Daddy from Speakeasy, or The Poet from New Holland. I asked for a sample of each and figured the Double Daddy had enough of my attention to warrant a glass. When it came, it arrived in a Leffe long-stemmed chalice. Very nice. Whilst savoring my beer I noted the lay of the land.

As I said before, the front is all bar, and the back is all eating. Over all, the place had a very open feel to it with an all glass store front allowing tons of sunshine into the building. The bar itself was really huge with tons of space around a small beer cooler/island in the middle. I can't imagine tenders getting caught up back there, even on the busiest night. Looking down at the bar itself, it was covered with quotes (like the name, I get it!). I sat next to something inane said by Charlie Chaplain The light woods of the bar seemed to reflect the other light colors of the place, like the white ceiling, and the light green on the walls. Around the bar was a series of small tables where a few patrons were having their lunch. Over all, the openness really struck a chord with me. Ah, but alas, I have not been here on a Saturday night.

On tap it looked like they had Rouge Dead Guy, a Chimay, Hoegaarden, Double Daddy, NH's The Poet, OD's Oak Barrel Stout, Guinness and Harp. The bottle collection also was nothing short of stupendous. I spied on the menu a Stone RIS '06! I snatched one of those bad boys up for my fridge at home. Man, what a place! Their taps rock, their bottle rock and the bar tender I spoke to explained that their tap handles seldom reflected what was actually on tap because things changed so much, and I was there on a Wednesday! Kinda makes me feel all warm inside.

Someone here clearly cares a lot about beer. Also, the bartender who helped me on my way also knew a lot about beer. I even asked her for a recommendation for the Iron Hill across the street and she had some ideas about that as well. This is really a quality place with some quality employees! I'll be back! After I finished my beer, I headed across the street to the Iron Hill to see if their specialty beers were all that good...

9-12-07 update.

Well, I stopped back to see what was on. Had an amazing brew and our server was awesome. What can I say? I'll bump my numbers up to reflect more of an average.
May 24, 2006
Quotations in Media, PA
Place rating: 3.67 out of 5 with 30 ratings