Grace Tavern

 

Nothing like moving to our new city to get you exploring and running around like a little kid, in awe of the new sights, places, folks. On this Sunday, the wife and I rode our bikes from our jawn in South Philly to Resurrection Ale House, then to the Art Museum and back home through Grace Tavern.

This place sits in a neat corner-square of Graduate Hospital. The area is a little too white and preppy for me, but I really enjoyed the location, so chill. The bar was packed with World Cup fans watching the 2014 final, but the tables outside were perfect. Grace is owned by the same folks as Resurrection and Local 44, but it doesn’t have the same hipster atmosphere. This is more of a local pub, dark and cozy and a tad Irish.

The draft list is not terribly impressive but it’ll do: Prism, Ommegang, Victory, Arcadia, Great Lakes, Chimay, Great Divide…

Service was excellent and cheerful, and we struck a conversation with some locals who invited to visit the bar/restaurant they work at. Philly is a friendly town indeed. I will revisit Grace, and will try the food (those famous green beans!)

 

 

What intrigued me most about this place was, it is a bar under the umbrella of the "Monks", people. That, the greatest Belgian bar in the city has a hand in Grace Tavern, is a draw in itself. Among other intriguing notes were that, Grace Tavern is an atypical, down to earth neighborhood bar---with some great beers. It has a little bit of that feel one gets when going into, "The Prohibition Tap Room", which I rated a while ago. Both, cozy neighborhood Philly bars that have a very NON-neighborhood beer selection.

At Grace Tavern,, the atmosphere was relaxed, (I went on a Sat. afternoon), with a nice solid separation from a small but cozy dining area. I was at the bar. The bar and the eating area had a handful of people. I'd wager it gets a bit crowded at night. Would be hard to put 100 people in there. That is always a drawback in a review. I rarely get to many of these places during prime time.
I met and talked with one of the owners, (James) and he seems as knowledgeable as it gets when it comes to Belg Beer. I'm sure that is a trademark of the owners of these bars with "Monk", ties. In fact---James was telling me about the trips he and other owners take to Belgium just to seek great beers and find out exactly how to get them to the US.

Finally---Grace Tavern has the most incredible appetizer I have ever had at a bar...or anywhere.
Don't get taken aback when I tell you about it, because it involves...String Beans!...haha.
They are marinated and flavored and cooked and served like fries. It then comes with some of the best kick ass, spicy Cajun, (or Spanish?), dip. They are addictive....but it's getting addicted to ...string beans! Takes any guilt away.
IN FACT---in the front window of the bar...they have the Best of Philly Magazine's, award for the , "Best alternative for vegetarians at a bar instead of fries"...
(Who knew THAT was a category?,,,heh).
They should patent them.
I had a Saison Dupont and a Chimay on tap and, as a suggestion from James, I had a pretty heady and delicious, micro brew. It was a Clown Shoes beer...but don't know what exact one. I had a very nice time there.
One more thing---
Also in the window was another Best of Philly award.
It was for one of, "The Best 50 Bars in Philly".
Grace Tavern was---#1.

The only complaint I may have is, their website isn't that updated. They have good beers there, that aren't on it and beers that are on that site, not there anymore.
That is not close to enough to let me down. They will always have some good beer.

I'll definitely go back.

Den

Stopped by here on a whim because it's Philly Beer Week and framboise De Amarosa was on tap but I came a day early for that, Oh well.

Grace Tavern is on the way to Ressurection Ale House, it's a hop skip and a jump away. i've been eyeing this place up for years because of all the craft neons in the window. Does not look like much from outside and once inside, it reminds me of a slew of other Philly bars. Inside, there is a parch for your drinks on the wall with some seats, to the left a full bar with seats and a very small dining type area, although i this is not the place to go for awesome food. Very dark with minimal swag on the wall. Booze, wine, beer and a small selection of bar food. about 10 or so taps in total, a nice selection of locals, some belgians and some american imports. A old style cooler full of bottles of varying styles. Since this is owned by the boys at monk's I was expecting s bit more. the selection is what it is, but not what it could be, and im thinking this bar is just not geared towards being the dopest, just your average neighborhood bar here. service was ok but also a bit standoffish. since this is monk's affiliated, this does not surprise me at all. I could see myself coming here if I was on a neighborhood bar crawl and this was one of the spots, but nothing beyond that.

Grace Tavern is a quaint neighborhood beer bar/restaurant in the Graduate Hospital/South Philly area that looks like a dump but is actually a great craft beer destination with really good food.

Teeny tiny with a small bar, a couple of high tops and three tables in the back of the restaurant. The crowd is consisted of mostly younger hipsters but the place has a dark laid back vibe that I really enjoyed.

The menu is small but they serve high quality gastro pub cuisine. Artisan sandwiches and apps as well as mussels and two or three entrees. Also, some vegan dishes for those who have dietary restrictions. The service isn't bad but the bartender serves everyone in the building including the bar and all of the tables. This mans you might have to wait a bit but they are always at least knowledgeable and friendly.

The draft list consist mostly of locals but they have a pretty extensive bottle list for such a small place representing lots of quality American craft breweries and tons of Belgians. This was the first place in the Philly area where I was able to find Rochefort 10.

This place is off of the beaten path but is worth seeking out.

Stopped in here on our between Resurrection and Monk's; beer selection was decent, but our bartender didn't seem to want to serve us. A group of six, who all ordered at least two beers each, along with a shared bomber should probably get at least a little conversation. There were 2 people sitting at the bar who were finished eating; other than that, the place was empty. We asked her opinion on a couple beers and she basically just told us the style of each beer. Either way, it was just a pit-stop on our way!

This is exactly what you want in your regular bar. Tasty sessionable beers, cheap sandwiches and deep-fried goods, an interesting crowd, and cool bartenders. The taplist isn't the best in the city, but they have an interesting collection of mostly local beers served promptly and cold. The food comes out fast and hot as well.

The walls are filled with old photos, the bathroom is gross, dark wood everywhere and a big screen television. This is the perfect bar to unwind after work: an unpretentious place that serves tasty burgers and sausages and has the Phillies game on.

Decided to stop by Grace Tavern after getting some good reviews from some friends. It's slightly off the beaten path, in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood in Philadelphia, but certainly not a far walk/cab ride from Center City.

It's a pretty small place. A bar to the left right when you walk in, with a small counter/shelf thing on the left to set a beer or some food down. There are a few tables in the back in a small dining area.

They rotate a decent selection of drafts, as well as some bottles. I was disappointed that they charged $5 for a half pint. The beer looked like it came in a small juice glass. I was thinking it would come in at least a goblet. They could lower the price some there.

The real reason I wanted to check out Grace Tavern was for the burgers. I heard they were great, and they most certainly were. It came on a real soft, tasty roll. The meat was tender, juicy and full of flavor. The cheese and bacon wasn't gooey, or greasy. Grace Tavern is owned by the same people the own Monk's. I've heard they use the same meat for the burger, but the soft bun was definitely better than the hard one that Monk's serves. The fries were also great, with Monk's style sauce on the side.

Service was pretty good. Although it is a small place, it was completely packed. Only 2 bartenders were working the bar, and waiting the 6 or 7 tables in the back, and no one really had to wait too long for a drink or to order food. Well done. I will most certainly be back for more!

this place is wonderful

its one of the other restraunts from the people that own monks

the food menu is very cool. They seem to have alot of spicy/ cajun food. no mussels, but thats ok. The blackened green beans are are very cheap $2 for an order that will leave you pretty full. And probably overall the best food for the money in the city, the food is soo good and cheap. Im pretty sure all sandwhiches are under $8. The tuna is amazing and you can usually get some of the monk's bourbon mayo which makes me drool. They have about 5o bottles to choose from in probably the coolest fridge I have ever seen. Really cool and diverse bottle selection, and the beer is very cheap. Cantillon was $10 for a bottle. and most beers are under $5. The draft list is different almost every time I go there, it seems to be mostly domestic. They arent afraid to put weird stuff on draft (they had Rogue Menaige a frog) They quite often have southhampton double white tho.

on and parking is usually pretty easy and they serve food till 2 am everyday....

run dont walk to this place
its also never really that crowded...

Stopped by here last night after coming from Ten Stone and i am glad i did. The place seemed somewhat punk rock to me, which i liked. What I liked even better was the tap selection. On tap there was Troegs Nugget Nectar, Rogue Brutal Bitter, Southhampton Double White, Monk's Sour Flemish Ale, Noddinghead Melvin,Harpoon UFO and more. I didn't get a good view of the bottles but i did see Bear Republic Pale Ale. The place was a bit hectic when I got there but finally managed to get myself a Nugget Nectar. There is a lot of tin on the walls and ceilings and the place also has a few tables towards the back. It was nice and dim and made for an enjoyable evening. I didn't get to try any food but I'm definitely going to turn this place into one of my regular bars, so maybe next time. Give it a try if youre in the area, you wont be disappointed.

What first came to my mind when I walked into the Grace Tavern was that the owner was doing everything in his or her power to keep overhead down so the patrons could relax and concentrate on their beers. And that’s exactly what I did.

The atmosphere has that feel where you know you could scrub the hell out of the place and it would look just as dirty as when you started. There was a general gloominess to the place with ornate pressed tin walls that were painted black. The ceiling had the same design to it except it was red with a few pipes and cross beams protruding. The bar runs along the length of the left wall as you enter and has an old rustic feel to it that is very simple, yet deadly efficient. The young bar tender stood there looking half happy, half dazed (not in a stoned way) and welcomed us as we entered. The narrow building veers off to the right as you go further back into a slightly elevated seating area. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with this bar at all. It’s not flashy in the least, but it’s efficient.

The taps available were right out in the open with Yard’s Love Stout, DFH India Brown, Stoudt’s Pilsner, Monk’s Flemish Sour, Hoegaarder, Nodding Head’s 60 Schilling and Yuengling. If you’re looking for the bottle selection, it’s on display stretched out in front of the hard liquor. They had a good selection of bottles as well with some Belgians, Lambics and some more tasty craft brews.

For our service, we just went to the bar and the bar tender seemed legitimately excited to be doing his job. That’s one of those little un-quantifiable aspects of bar tending that I really appreciate. He got our brews quick and made some good recommendations.

Didn’t get to the food this time around, but may stop back for a dinner some other time. However, this may not be a good place to take a date as it is rather drab. But if you’re looking for a place to go out with the guys, this is clearly a great place to drink.

I sought this place out due to its ranking. I did not know what to expect. Went with Rebecca, who had never been there either.

The feel is very corner bar but once inside you saw all types and knew not everyone was from around the way. Very 1st impression was a Johnny Brendas with a better location.

I like how everything was low key. Simple an dplain best describes the place. The 2 bartenders did a good job with a Friday night crowd - yet it wasn't packed out. I arrived at 9 and left around 11:30. The 'tenders were helpful and not as "quirky" as Monk's (maybe that has to do with the smaller crowds).

The menu was limited but the Monk's influence made it a step up from typical pub grub. I thought the fries were better thank Monk's but my girlfriend thought otherwise. Same mayo dip as at Monk's. The homemade chicken sausage sub was fresh and the roll was top rate.

I don't have the taps memorized but they were majority local brews and a few Belgians and I think a Guinness. Bottles ranged from macro to obscure lambics. It was not outstanding but considering it was billing itself as just a corner watering hole it exceeds the norm in Philly. It was nice that they kept the macros to just bottles didn't waste tap space.

Beware the parking sucks - but if you are from Philly you already knew that. I parked in that lot of Lombard behind Ten Stone and walked the 2 blocks. Also, Smoke Nazis should stay away. As a non-smoker I fully support owners who want to allow smoking. It is a private property issue. If you want smoke free start your own place or take your $$$ to a Smoke Free place. Sorry it just bugs me how people want more intrusive laws. After they ban the smoke -what will be next? Yeah the politicinans call a "health issue". Want to see how smoke & alcohol laws make for a lame time??? Just go to Vancouver! ***I will get off the soap box now since this is not the right forum.****


I would go back if I was down in South Street area.

Phil wanted to beat tourists for doing the "Rocky thing" at the Philly Museum of Art. You know, that whole running up the stairs and jumping up and down thing, arms outstretched in the air, overhead, all pumped, like we're gonna kick Apolla Creed's ass (gonnna flyyy nowww!!!). How terribly uncool you are. The Dali exhibit, however, was solid, well worth the price of the ticket I didn't have to pay for if only for seeing "Dali Atomicus", although strangely, no "Persistence of Memory". "Deconstruction of Persistence of Memory", sure, but no regular old pastuerized, homoginized, "Persistence of Memory", the quintessential Dali piece. Most curious indeed. On the heels of Dali, we did this walk clear across Pennsylvania to Grace Tavern, arriving just in time for drink...
A little cornerish bar, not too deep, not too wide. A dark wood bar to the left seats about 9 and an adjacent bar counter seats a half a dozen. Pressed tin ceiling (red) and wall uppers (black, with a cool fleur-de-lis pattern), and dark wood slat lowers, drop lighting over the bar and lighting fixtures on the walls and above the bar back unit, a TV in the rear corner above the bar next to a blackboard listing the current tap selections, large front windows looking out onto South Street, one round table to the rear of the bar and another half dozen around the bend in the nook. A sectioned mirror bar back displays booze and bottled beer, with more in the cooler.
10 taps, a good few of them local and regional micros (Nodding Head 60 Shilling, Troegenator Dopplebock, Yards ESA, Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout, DogFishHead Shelter Pale Ale, Ommegang Wit) and beautiful Monk's Sour Red, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Guinness and Yuengling. Upwards of 2 dozen bottles, including the Chapeau Cherry & Peach lambics (odd lambic choice), Duvel, Chimay, Westmalle Triple, Kwak, La Fin Du Monde, Salvator Dopplebock, Stella, Franziskaner, Sinebrychoff Porter, Girardin Gueuze, Yards Philly PA & Saison, and Anchor Steam. Nice little beer selection. I could drink that Monk's Sour Red all damn day.
They've got a small food menu with just a few apps, salads, sausages, burgers and a handful of other things. I woofed a basket of the Frites with the Monk's bourbon mayo and Phil did the blackened green beans, done all spicy cajun craziness. Food was real damn good, beer was good. Yeah, I could do some time here.

This place is a perfect neighborhood bar. It's been around a long time but has only recently become Grace. This is an extention of Monk's which is where it gets the limited but very nice beer selection. The food is good and well chosen for the feel of the place. The bar keep is very knowledgable on what's flowing and is always on top of things when it comes to service. The one problems is that it's out off the way as far as a stop on the way. This place is great for picking a spot, ordering some food and sipping a nice brew. I very much recommend it!

Ah yes, the smoky, dimly lit Philadelphia neighborhood bar that was Kelly's has been revived into a smoky, dimly lit Philadelphia neighborhood bar with a coat of paint and a decent beer selection. If you're wowed by tin cielings and vintage refrigerators, like I am, you won't want to miss this place.

With upwards of 10 beers on tap, many of them from local breweries, this neighborhood bar, nestled tightly in the bosom of south Philadelphia, definitely beats the alternative.

Being that it is owned by the same folks who run Monk's, you can expect less than stellar service, but it's nothing that you wouldn't expect from a gritty neighborhood place. I do have to give it mucho bonus points for having their full menu available until 2 AM. That's an accomplishment, in my book.

The beer is fresh, the seating is limited and the bartender probably has warrants for felony assault, so shut your beer hole before he shuts it for ya!

In all seriousness, this is a great place to start or finish an evening. It has good beer, it's reasonably clean and the prices won't kill you. Go there!

A lovely little place just around the corner from a friend of mine's...I had heard of the place, but never bothered to stop by. The other night, we went in for a nightcap, and, believe me, I'll be back a lot now.

Atmosphere is simple and dark, with the main bar starting in the front, and the tabled area doglegging to the right. Tinned walls rise up around you, and the whole place is very comfortable -- this place is your classic neighborhood bar. the high ceilings keep all the smoke up there too, which is nice (that being said, in a few months, that might not be a concern at all anymore). I would have liked a little bit more comfortable seating in the back (tables and reasonably sterile pre-fab chairs) -- a booth or two to just relax and slouch around in would push things up another half point.

Quality is up to the Monk's standard -- very good and knowledgeable.

Service is very much like Monk's as well -- very good, and a little tense, a little on edge.

Selection is quite smaller than its big brother, but that's not the purpose of this bar. It's here to be a neighborhood watering hole that happens to serve good brew. I saw more Miller Lights on the tables around me than anything else, and if that's what pays the bills, so be it. Taps included Ommegang Witte, Monk's Sour, a Sly Fox offering, and a few other tasty treats. Everything's appealing. I had a Witte (4.00), and a Girardin Gueuze 350ml (8.00). Both were at the right temperature and served in correct glassware.

Another night, we went there, and the first round, all local craft brews for 5 people, with two baskets of pomme frites, was only 24 dollars. Very affordable. I haven't reviewed the food yet, but I will when I eat more. The frites were a touch salty, but good, and the bourbon mayo (as always) was fantastic.

By the way, I always mention the Grey Lodge as the neighborhood bar with good beer, but the Grey Lodge (as I stated in my review) is where you see new beers first in Philadelphia...some never get further, and others breakout into the mainstream. As a result, some are fantastic, and others are a little underwelming.

So, with that in mind, I'll say this about Grace -- it's where those beers that get past the Grey Lodge "make it." Everything on here is a winner, and they still keep Joe Sixpack happy too. You'll like it, your friend who only drinks Yuengling or Miller will like it, and you can get all the bourbon mayo fries you want.

Definately stop in if you're in the area -- in my opinion, it's in the top 10 for Philadelphia.

Another great offering from the good folks who have brought us quite a few nice bars. I went in on a Saturday night, and while it was crowded, it wasn't too killer compared to a lot of other nearby bars. The tap list is solid, with as nice a selection of micros you'll find outside of the really high-end beer bars. They had Bigfoot on tap for just four bucks, which I thought was a steal, to go along with Ommegang Witte, Yuengling, Monk's Flemish Sour, and a few others I can't seem to recall. It's pretty smokey even by bar standards, but the overall atmosphere is pretty nice and inviting; it just feels like a quiet local place. The food is a relatively small menu with offerings similar to those at its sister restaurants, but the fries I split with my date were excellent, and the Monk's garlic mayo is always incredible. Our waiter was very knowledgable and talked beer for a few minutes, made a pretty nice production out of swirling the yeast out of my girlfriend's bottle of Franziskaner hefe, and was about as nice as you find in Philly. Nicely done, and I'm looking forward to visiting again.

This is a nice little place that is just up the street from where one of my best friends lives (22nd and South). Anyway, the two previous reviewers have really nailed this place for what it is. A good, neighberhood bar, nothing more, nothing less. On my last visit on a late night in September the bar was quite packed, but as always the atmosphere was pleasant, the beers were in excellent shape, and the service was fast and friendly. This place always has 8-10 beers on tap, and of those 8-10 over half are micros, and under half are macros. On my last visit they had one beer from nodding head (I forget which one), the awesome O'Reilys stout from sly fox, sierra nevada ipa, yards saison, ommeganag witte, monks sour flemish red, rolling rock, miller lite, and one or two others. The food is cheap, and the menu is limited, but things always smell good by the kitchen. A great little bar, that "is, what it is!"

What a cool little place, this is just something so unexpected... then you find out it is connected to Monk's... ok, that explains it. No wonder it is so freakin' great that I had to come back again after only a week!

At a 3 point section of Philly where 23rd, South and Grays Ferry hit, (you can just walk South and pop to it), you round the corner and suddenly the sign is there. First time I went was Labor Day weekend and I went in with no idea of it's connection and no idea what to expect there for food or beer. The building itself is from the 30's and they have kept most everything there original and just scraped the crud and layers of paint down so that you can appreciate the painted tin ceiling and walls -minus the neon beer signs that had been there before they opened as Grace this year. The etched mirrors and antiquated bathroom (one unisexer which is cleaner than most in Philly!) give you a step back in time kind of feel. Which brings me to my favorite part. There is a Bevador cooler in the front by the window that is a working beer cooler, it has lazy susans in it, and wow does it look like a time machine! Christian the bartender this Saturday mentioned that they are working on obtaining an original top to get it back to originality.

Good sized bar to belly-up to, nice and sturdy with comfy seats. Tables in the back for maybe about 8 parties? Smallish place but not crowded feeling. Darkish interior, but clean. You have that row-homey feel, walk in and the bar is to the left and tables to the rear. Seems to have a standard 1-2 barbacks and one cook from what I see, but both times I have been there, everyone is friendly as all getout and willing to chat about the place, the beer, the food. Seems they really like working there and are just good people. That adds to it. And it is good to have a bartender that knows there beer, our little crew this Saturday chatted beer w/Christian and had a good time with it.

Food has been upped since they opened, but they are still keeping it sweet and simple, yet wonderful. Do not go without the beans for apps!!
2 apps: Sauteed green beans in cajun spices w/remoulade sauce, $3/basket. (sooo wonderfully unexpected and crispy fresh, don't even bother using your fork, just go to town with your hands!) Frites (fries), freshcut/doublefried w/Monk's bourbon mayo $1.75side, $3.50 basket. (get the basket! trust me, they are wonderful)

Bistro salad $5.95, chicken waldorf salad $6.25.

Still haven't tried the sausages($6), but have heard that they are amazing, and when they go past me they look wonderful! Chicken and apple on italian roll w/lett &raspberry mustard, spinach & feta w/lett & grey poupon, hot italian w/sauteed peppers &onions, boudin blanc sausage w/lett &pommery mustard.

Platters are lobster sandwich $11, maine lobster & lagostino tails w/mayo & celery on toasted & buttered hot dog bun w/fries/slaw. Oyster po'boy w/fresh Virginia oysters breaded &frided on baugette w/chopped lett, garlic butter & remoulade sauce, fries/slaw.

Jamblaya, ricke/ckn/andouille sausage/tom/pep/onions/cajun spides -cup $5.95 or $9.95 bowl, and you can add langostino for $2/$4

Burgers I was told are huge but haven't seen or tried, but are brought over from Monk's also. ($7meat $6vegan). Grace-lett/tom/red onion/swiss, South Street- sauteed onion/blue cheese, Kennett Square-sauteed mushroom/sharp chedder, Vegan- vegan aoli/lett/tom.

OK BEER!!
On tap this time around there was SlyFox's O'Reilly's Stout, Ommegang Wit, Nottinghead California Common, Monk's Flemish Sour, Sierra Nevada IPA, Yard's Saison, Guinness, Yuengling, Rollingrock, Millerlite.
They had some bottles w/the usual suspects lined up, only one that I had not had before was the Cherish lambic, they were down to the peach only, which one of our crowd pulled for one of her selections. We were doing the taps so I unfortunately did not pay too much attention to the bottles, but there was about 10ish to choose from, and not a bad lineup. They also have a decent crowding of liquor back there, so anyone can find something to enjoy.

This is just a darn good place. They keep it simple and do what they are doing very well.

From the men who brought you Monk's Cafe, Fergie's Pub, and Nodding Head Brewpub, this bar is the newest edition to the burgeoning "Graduate Hospital" neighoborhood in Philly. Just south of Fitler's Square and a few blocks west of the actual Graduate Hospital, the bar is part of a weird shaped intersection of 23rd, South, and Gray's Ferry streets.

With the styles and successes of their previous three establishments, I didn't know what to expect on this place. The pre-opening releases were few and mostly not helpful. Well, it ain't nothing like Tom and Fergie's other places; Grace's is just a neighborhood bar, plain and simple.

Behind a front-side completely made of glass is a layout shaped like a L with a twisted leg. Bar is on your left with plenty of space in front of it for gaggles of quaffers to hang out. Heading toward the back is a small area for seating, with about 8 small tables that cover no more than two dozen people. The decor is incredibly sparse - literally nothing adorns the walls and ceilings besides painted tin with typical tin-roof designs. The color scheme is dark, the music is punk and indie rock classics, and their is one bartender and one barback. Its a really small and simple place, without a doubt.

On draught is 10 beers: Miller Lite, Yuengling, Ommegang Witte, Nodding Head Grog, Sierra Nevada Summerfest, Rogue Mocha Porter, Monk's Flemish Sour, Yards Saison, and two more good micros that I cannot remember. In bottles was Anchor Steam, a couple more macros, Cherish Kriek, and a few more Belgians. Very full bar of liquor with a couple standard wines. Nothing special with the serving - pint glasses and mixed drink shakers.

The bartender was nice, attentive, and pleasant. The food is only five different sausage sandwiches (Italian with peppers, Boudin Blanc, Chicken Apple) and one vegetarian sandwich. Nothing more, nothing less, and they were all around $6.

So its a typical Philly neighborhood bar, but maybe a little nicer and with a slightly larger selection of beer. Otherwise, there is nothing special about the place. Painfully simple interior, food menu, beer selection, and vibe. Just a place for some beers with friends if you live in the neighborhood. Unless some friends ask to meet here I don't think I'll ever go back - though only 12 blocks over from me, there is nothing this place brings to the table that many bars much closer do not already. More than a few bars in Center City and Northern Liberties have more character and/or an interesting beer selection.

But hey, its good for the slowly gentrifying area and is the definition of solid. For me, though, I'd pick Ten Stone (which is two blocks east) over Grace's any day.