Philly Help

Skip them both and instead go to Reading Terminal Market and get a roast pork and sharp provolone sandwich at DiNics.

Before everyone tells you to drive out to Tired Hands for IPAs , just use http://www.phillytapfinder.com and find one of their beers on tap in the city. Although personally I'd rather go to Yards Brewery for some cask beer but I'm in the minority there.

 

Tired Hands is 20ish minutes from that hotel, as per Google Maps. Non-beer, Reading Terminal Market, Liberty Bell... I'd pass on Pats/Genos and go to Dalessandro's Steaks..IMO, Delessandros blows them both out of the water, and it's much closer to where you're staying.

 

Get the brisket sandwich at DiNics. Little known fact - it's better than the roast pork sandwich.

 

Usually I would steer anyone staying downtown away from Tired Hands, but you are so close.

If you want a similar experience to Monks, and the same mussels, their sister bar, Belgian Cafe, is significantly less crowded, in an neighborhood with more free parking, and you have great beer bars nearby (look at the Fairmount neighborhood on PhillyTapFinder).

I may be in the minority, but one of the best cheesesteaks in the area is right down the road from your hotel - Mama's Pizzeria on Belmont Ave in Bala Cynwyd.

 

Go to second district or crime and punishment both great with chill vibes. And I’ll second the dinics and yards comments above as well. I haven’t been to the new yards facility yet. Can’t wait to get there soon.

 

Yeah my bad, "Presidential Blvd" didn't register to me. Didn't realize he wasn't downtown, but out on City Line.

 

Good place. And you could then also walk to Brewery ARS but that's really a place to hang out.

Of the smaller places, I also have enjoyed visits to Bar Hygge and Urban Village

 

The cheesesteak is overrated.
Italian Pork sandwich is not.

 

Past the edit time, realized a typo that completely changed the statement. What I meant to type:

And you could then also walk to Brewery ARS but that's not really a place to hang out.

 

Wife and kids? Go to Manayunk just across the river. Manayunk Brewing Company isn't the bee's knees but they've got some nice stuff and decent enough food, and it is a nice walk up and down the street; and there's also Lucky's Last Chance on the other side by the bridge for a great burger and beer. You can get your kids ice cream at several different places.

Another place that's under the radar but has put out some great stuff is Wissahickon Brewing Company. Worth checking out.

I would not take the wife and kids to Monk's, too crowded. Lunch? Maybe. There are way too many great places in the Northern Liberties/Fishtown/Kensington area to even consider going into center city for beer at Monk's. Duly noted by @rfgetz the Belgian Cafe is a good alternative and also close to a lot of other places.

If you are going to go into the city and not to Northern Liberties (Johnny Brenda's, Barcade, Frankford Hall, Evil Genius, etc.) I'd suggest South Street, and maybe even a walk up third street through to Old City (2nd Story Brewing, Khyber Pass). Whole Foods on South St. used to have good prices, and Jim's Steaks at 5th is another cheese steak contender. Brauhaus Schmitz also has great German beers. Also, you can just park on the very top level of parking at Whole Foods and not get towed so save money on parking fees.

I'll second Dallessandro's for sure, and @rfgetz who suggested Mama's Pizzeria (definitely an interesting steak and great pizza!), but also Chubby's which is right across the street from D'ally's and does an incredible chicken cheese steak. If you want to compare side-by-side even Barry's in Roxborough (a few blocks away) is good (he used to work for D'ally's), but Pat's and Geno's are for amateurs and tourists and you're getting ripped off. If, however, you do go, be aware that you can bring your steaks right across the street and eat them at the Garage where you can grab a nice can of beer to wash it down.

I'll also second that since you're so close to Tired Hands it's probably worth a trip. My kids like the Fermentaria a lot. I have no idea why, but I "can live with it".

The Rocky statue, meh, but it's there. If you're going to do that at least go into the museum, it's fantastic. I would not recommend the Barnes however unless you know what you're looking at.

Good luck, there's a lot out there. The Philadelphia beer scene can barely be scratched in a weekend.

 

Unless by "Friday night" you mean "Friday at 4 PM" I don't know that this is going to work out for you. You can't put your name in and leave, and the tables there fill up quickly. It's not especially kid-friendly either; if your kids are teenagers it's not an issue, but for younger kids, I would echo the poster above who recco'd Belgian Cafe. It's more spacious and less crowded, and the food is just as good as at Monk's - though the beer list is a step down.

Since you're out on City Ave., you should definitely check out Tired Hands. It's 15 minutes from where you are staying. If you want mussels and great beer and aren't keen on trying to get into the city on Friday, you could also consider checking out Teresa's Next Door out in Wayne, which is a bit closer to where you'll be and is less of a hassle to get to on account of not having to fight traffic and parking.

The suburbs have a lot to offer beer-wise.

 

If you go to the Fermentaria - you can make reservations for a table on their website. It can get crowded on weekends. Also - the general store is a short walk away and you can pick up some cans and bottles if interested

 

Great call! I always forget about Fiorino myself. It's like dining in the front room of someone's house. Oh, wait, it is the front room of someone's house!

 

I second Nerofiddled's opinions. He is a Philadelphia scholar!

 

Really refreshing to get feedback on the weekend and recommendations, far too often these threads just die off...Glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

Damn, I forgot to recommend Mama's for a cheesesteak! It's like 5 minutes away from there too. Ah well, maybe next time.