Bottle Bar East

Bottle Bar EastBottle Bar East
Bottle Bar EastBottle Bar East
Eatery, Beer-to-go

1308 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19125-3204
United States

(267) 909-8867 | map
bottlebareast.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
30
pDev:
15.5%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.98 by jgiordano88 from Pennsylvania

Dec 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by captainkrad from New Jersey

Apr 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by mltobin from Connecticut

Dec 29, 2016
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Reviewed by soze47 from Massachusetts

4.77/5  rDev +19.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Top three beer store over ever been to. Great novelty in usually out of region selections from far away places. Very friendly staff and I walked out spending too much money!
Dec 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.45 by CanConPhilly from Pennsylvania

Jul 06, 2016
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Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

4.04/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
Not a particularly memorable place based on decor and vibe, but a very nice selection of draft and bottle offerings. Service was good, though we were sitting at the bar so that is pretty easy. Didn't eat anything or even look at the menu, so I can't comment on that.
May 10, 2016
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Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

4.01/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
Nice place with a grungy, industrial feel. When you first walk in, you pass through the bottle shop. Quantity is moderate, but they do get a lot of good to great stuff, including some harder to find items. Prices are about on par for the city, with higher end stuff being fairly expensive. The bar area is a bit cramped, with a counter that seats maybe 10 people, and some small tables to the side. I think there's an upstairs space too, but I haven't been up there yet. Bar selection is pretty good, with 12 taps to choose from, and of course you can select stuff from the shop fridges too. The food is okay, though overpriced for what you get. That little burger with no sides for $13 is ridiculous. If you have to get food there, it'll behoove you to take advantage of the daily deals, e.g. half price tacos on Tuesdays and burgers on Wednesdays. $6.50 for the same burger is more like it.

Overall BBE is worth checking out. Barcade is usually my go-to in Fishtown, but there are a lot of places within walking distance that make for a barhop, including BBE, and the fact that you can take out from the shop is just another plus.
Feb 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.89 by IdrinkGas from Pennsylvania

Dec 27, 2015
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Reviewed by razorsdescent from Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +22%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
Bottle Bar East is an interesting place. if you are looking for grab and go beer I am going to suggest you move along. However, if you want to sit and drink some good beer, this is a great place to do it. The grub is decent to. Also, they have one of the hottest bartenders in all Philly and their beer knowledge matches their looks.
Dec 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.34 by Imstillthegman from Delaware

Dec 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by soulcougher from Pennsylvania

Jul 11, 2015
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.59/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Nice place in new hip neighborhood. Vibe is half neighborhood bar and half bottle shop. Singles can be purchased and consumed at the bar. Nice tap list too, all styles and areas.
Jun 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.03 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Jun 06, 2015
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Rated by EmpireoftheBrew from Delaware

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.75
Selection tends to be more expensive then competitors.
Apr 02, 2015
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Rated by TBonez477 from Vermont

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Only trouble was the neighborhood. Not the best place to visit in the late hours.
Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by Sarge3130 from Pennsylvania

Jan 08, 2015
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%
There is a butcher-bar-restaurant behemoth called Kensington Quarters that recently opened on this hipster stretch of Frankford Avenue, and it happens to be right next to Bottle East. Beer, meat, butter, artisanal shit? I’m in!

Bottle East is a bottle shop + bar. The shop selection is real good and the prices are reasonable. Cheaper than the Foodery and Brew in South Philly, and you can get a bottle at the shop and drink it at the bar... points for that, yo!

Some cool names on the shelves and coolers: Mikkeller Beer Geek, Brewdog, Avery Pump(KY)n, Angel’s Share, Russian River, Velvet Merkin, Love Child and other Boulevard brands, Appalachian 666, Evil Twin Even Less Jesus, Heavy Seas Greater Pumpkin…

The bar has 12 taps and nothing terribly exciting, but I do dig the electronic screen menu that combines drafts and food. Carton Calypso, DuClaw, Sixpoint, Brooklyn, Jai Alai, Southern Tier Pumpking… it’s alright.

Food looks good, including duck sliders. I’ll get some next time I stop by. I don't sound terribly excited by this place, but I do like it a lot and wish I had a bar/shop near me in South Philly like this (kind of like Brew+SPTR in one)
Dec 13, 2014
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Reviewed by blckwiteboy from Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -25%
Bottles are priced pretty high but not higher than if you sat down at a bar. They have a wide selection of beer in multiple breweries. Most places have more breweries but this place has more selection from the same brewery. A great place to try new beer and beers from the same brewery. Do not go here if you just want to buy one beer or some low grade American beer.
Nov 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ArtZan from New Jersey

Oct 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by cheah from Pennsylvania

Jul 15, 2014
 
Photo of amano_h
Reviewed by amano_h from Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I've been coming to Bottle Bar East for about a year now and I've always hesitated to review this place without actually sampling some of their food and experiencing their bar; now that Philly Beer Week gave me an excuse to do so, I shall now take this opportunity to provide a somewhat biased, purely subjective review which now would include... food!

BBE is not much different from any of the many bottle shops that now inundate the Fishtown/NorLibs/Center City/Old City area. Kind of like the ever present battle between Security vs. Civil Liberties, the battle between Outrageously Marked-up Beer Prices vs. Availability You Can't Match Anywhere Else in the Country is strong here as well. I guess some people don't realize this simple mantra because I still see people walking out of establishments like these carrying two-three cases of Miller Lite, but I digress.

Yes, BBE has a phenomenal beer selection; unlike other bottle shops, however, BBE gives its loyal customers a chance to reserve bottles of harder to get beer (they even had one for Cantillon St. Lamvinus at one point) on Facebook on a first-come-first-served basis. They will also carry most of the so-called "whales" or "special release beers" that make their way into the city of brotherly love, albeit again on a first-come-first-served basis and marked up the wazoo.

What BBE does better than a lot of your average overcharging bottle shops in my opinion are their growler fills/bar area and their food offering; they seem to have some sort of gourmet chef cooking up magical concoctions that they advertise on Facebook every week working in the back and the results are pretty magical. I tried their Duck Fat fried Brussels Sprouts, the Buffalo Deviled Eggs, and their Brisket and Ramp Flatbread -- all of which were cooked with amazing expertise to the point I couldn't believe I was eating at a bar.

BBE also hosts fun weekly events such as trivia night, beer "burlesque" and etc.; it's pretty much Philly Beer Week every week at Bottle Bar East.
Jun 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Mar 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by JMFP from Delaware

Mar 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by rfgetz from New Jersey

Feb 22, 2014
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Reviewed by PaBrewSki from Pennsylvania

2.2/5  rDev -45%
vibe: 1 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 3
I was really excited to find this place as they are allowing their Facebook followers to reserve beers via comments. I'm 2 hours away from Philly but my buddy lives pretty close to Bottle Bar East and was happy to pickup beers that I reserved. I was a little nervous when they weren't posting prices but I figured that it couldn't be too bad.

After reserving my first beer (Deschutes Class of 88 Belgian) I decided to call and ask them for pricing so I knew how much to pay my friend. The guy on the phone was clearly wearing a really cool mustache and plaid shirt and informed me that they don't usually giving pricing over the phone. I laughed a little thinking that he was joking but the silence on the other end assured me that yes these dudes are price gouging so bad that they know you are going to cancel your reservation if you aren't already there when you find out how ridiculous it is.

When my friend picked up the bottle he paid $28 for my bottle and $7 for a bottle of Hopslam for himself. While there he noted that a Nugget Nectar sixer was $22 (it's around $14 2 hours away at the brewery or surrounding area and/or $46 for a case).

I won't be buying more beer from Bottle Bar East. At least I learned my lesson on a decent bottle that i'm sure I will enjoy.
Jan 30, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by oglmcdgl from Pennsylvania

Jan 07, 2014
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Reviewed by Ddan85

2.63/5  rDev -34.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 1.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Pretty standard, run-of-the-mill bottle selection with a poorly curated tap selection. The guys stocking seemed pretty cool and knowledgeable, but when I asked the mild-aged guy at the register a question, he wouldn't even get up to talk to me and spouted some salesy jargon across the room. Knowledge, questionable. A parrot, most likely. Clearly not someone I'll be taking recommendations from.

Male bartender seemed more enthusiastic than knowledgeable about beer. Female staff seemed to know NOTHING about beer, yet the forced conversation felt as if they were instructed to flirt with "the guys" at the bar or something. The panini was great, but the kitchen was totally janky with wires everywhere and no hood over the stove so smoke was going all over. The lighting was...there was no lighting besides an oppressive fluorescent light in the corner.

In conclusion, Bottle Bar East will be very successful as a product of circumstance - its location. And only because it's in Philadelphia, where you can't buy single bottles, 6-packs and cases under one roof. A true success inspite of themselves.
Dec 24, 2012
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Reviewed by NICOLEdawn

5/5  rDev +25%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
YES!!! THIS IS EACTLY WHAT FISHTOWN NEEDED!!! the beer selection is insane and you can mix your own six pack and take it home OR you can drink any of the beers from the cooler at the bar!!! where else can you do that??? NOWHERE!!! prices are great. the food is great and also well priced. you must try the pickled pepperdew stuffed with goat cheese!!! great chill place to hang, nice lounge upstairs with darts and foosball. staff is extremely friendly and helpful. not too snobby. open to all. love.
Nov 13, 2012
Photo of beersnob76
Reviewed by beersnob76

3.35/5  rDev -16.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4.5
went on from what i was told their second day of a soft opening. place has a way to go as far as keeping people . service way very subpar between the wait for anything and attitude from the staff ,selection is nice but does not make up for the many shortcomings it seems as if it is going to be another dime a dozen place , not such a good vibe at this time i would skip if i was asked to go again , there are pleanty other places that have better selection and much better service . but if your are thirsty this place might hit the spot for some people but not this one.seems like anyone can throw a place together and own a bar nowaday.
Nov 10, 2012
Bottle Bar East in Philadelphia, PA
Place rating: 4 out of 5 with 30 ratings