This place continues to serve excellent and unique food day in and out with an always changing menu. Â The tomato macaroni with cheese and bacon is neither tomato soup nor mac and cheese but is absolutely delicious. Â I have had the falafel pita wrap multiple times and always enjoy it. Â Both the onion rings and salt and pepper fries a great indulgence and good for sharing. Â Their short rib entrees are also delicious. Â They always had a fresh cooked vegetable side based on what is fresh and it is always cook to perfection. Â Half off cans and discounts on certain growlers during happy hour are another reason to go. Â They always have a great beer selection and this place is just expanding. Â The staff is very friendly and they are very good to their regulars. Â I personally love going in at 11 or 12 during the week. Â It is a very friendly and layed back atmosphere. Â Definitely a place to check out. Â Personally prefer this bar to any of the ones in Graduate Hospital. Â Just another great reason to come to Point Breeze.
Review Source:This is my second review because it deserved. The rude man I spoke of in my previous review is no longer there. So I decided to give it another try went during happy hour and loved their 1/2 off beer can selection. Although the menu has changed which I was a little sad to see cause I loved the sandwich I had here before, food was still great! I got a side salad with spicy ranch dressing which was soooo good, they have my favorite pickles I've ever had! And onion rings are huge and delicious! Thank u Scott for informing me that the rude man is no longer, and encouraging me to come back.
Review Source:LOVE this place! Â Moved into a place around the corner a little over a year ago and was so stoked when this place opened! Â The bartenders are super knowledgeable about their beers on tap that change pretty frequently. Â The food is also stellar! Â If you are hung over on a Sunday (as we all experience sometimes) you MUST go and have the breakfast fries. Â Fries smothered in Tabasco, gravy, and topped with an egg. Â I also had a truffle cheesesteak once which was absolutely wonderful. Â If you havent yet discovered this place make the trek out to point breeze and you will not be disappointed!
Review Source:Saw a review on TV about the Hot Dogs, so had to check it out. Really liked the vibe, the exterior and interior were remarkably clean. In fact, the entire time we were there a young man was cleaning - windows, tables, sidewalk. He even swept the curb area and street. So that was impressive. Beer list is wonderful. The food was just ok. The much touted hot dog looked boiled even though it was grilled. The chilly on top was really tasty but sparse. The Bean and Pork soup was disgusting, looked like grey porridge. Just made the day before, it was mushy, watery. There was SOOO much mushy pork I could barely hunt out the mushy beans.
Review Source:Sardine Bar has transformed the old Wander Inn.
I was looking forward to seeing the transformation and I was not disappointed.
Friendly, knowledgeable staff willing and eager to offer suggestions. Great selection of brews on tap. Try the Rasp Beret Cider.
We sampled the salt and pepper fries, coney dog special, falafel, and onion rings.We started with the sardine sandwich.Thin French baguette slices, sardines, thin slivers of boiled egg topped with spring greens. Best $2 I've spent on my trip. The onion rings were exceptionally crisp and the fries with dill sauce were a great take on a classic. The falafel was fresh and served with spicy pickles a perfect combination.
I've waited for years to see this rebirth. The experience was worth the wait.
ASB is warm, inviting, full of friendly wait staff and bartenders, and serves really excellent food and beer that is priced well. Â Everything I've eaten here has been delicious, but their vegetables stand out. Â Brussels sprouts, asparagus - whatever is on the menu, order it. Â If you like food that grows out of the earth you won't be disappointed. Â Just keep in mind that veggies don't do a whole lot to counter the beer you're ingesting. Â Speaking of, one thing I particularly enjoy is that there are always many different styles of beer to choose from, so if you have an eclectic palate you'll be content.
The crowd is chill, though there was one time when a hipster made fun of my bike as I was locking it up outside the bar. Â Sorry it isn't a fixie, bro. Â Some of us like gears and coasting. Â
So, to recap...fresh seasonal menu with meat and veggie options, reasonable prices, 99% cool people, and a beer list that has something for everyone. Â Why aren't you there?
Went to American Sardine Bar last night at 6:30. Sat outside. White picnic tables are so low that at 5'9" my legs did not fit under the table. They were out of the Dogfish Festina Peche I had gone there looking for.
I ordered the short rip sandwhich with provolone and arugula. Instead, I received a sliced roast beef sandwhich with provolone and spinach. The lettuce choice is negligble, but last time I checked short ribs were not slices of roast beef from the local ACME.
Also ordered the grilled asparagus with pickled egg. The eggs were basically minced, so I could not get them on my fork or even remotely taste them.
The fries and aioli is pretty delish, but I definetly will not be returning.
I have mixed feelings about Sardine Bar. A well rounded beer list doesn't impress me in Philadelphia, so while they have a pretty interesting selection of beers on tap, I think we all expect that from Philly gastropubs.
I'm giving them 4 stars because everyone else really liked dinner. I didn't but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. Menu was definitely on the...oh how should I describe it...hipster side? Like a Whole Foods Gastro Pub? Service was a tad slow, but definitely friendly. There will be a return trip, for sure.
ASB is a gastropub by the same owners as South Philly Tap Room, so you know you're going to get some great beers and great food. The difference here are the food offerings --- ASB seems to focus more on sandwiches with a chalkboard menu. Some highlights:
- Beef Shortrib sandwich
- Walt Wit braised pork sandiwch
- Fries with dill sauce (Great for sharing)
- Tomato macoroni
- Sardine sandwiches are only like $2 so try one out
They serve food til 1am every day!!!
I love this place so much. I've only been a couple times but every time I've been the service, food, and drinks have been wonderful. It is also such a relaxing laid back atmosphere, the decor is casual and unassuming. It's exactly the kind of place I want to hang out in.
My favorite thing about this place is the volume of the music is just right, it's loud enough that you can enjoy the music  and also carry a conversation with a group of people.
The food is AMAZING, the prices are good for what you are getting, I've never had a problem with the portions. But even so the prices could be higher, and I would still want to eat here because everything is prepared so well.
I wish I lived closer, otherwise I'd definitely be a regular here.
Food is always delicious, creative and the menu is always changing. The staff is super friendly, helpful and accommodating. They act more like your friends than your bartender/waiter/waitress. It's my go-to place. It's casual and moderately priced enough to support frequent visits, while being equally respectable so ones frequent visits don't become embarrassing. :) PERFECT! Oh, and the "beer garden" is super sweet. It's literally beer and sandwiches in their yard behind the bar.
Review Source:I have decent eyesight. Â I wear glasses to reduce strain at times but usually if I squint I can get by pretty well without. Â While trying to read ASB's menu in dark light, I squinted so much that the muscles in my face began to convulse. Â I felt lost and alone, like I would never be able to choose a beer. Â
The bartender placed himself between us and the said menu, looked us both in the eye and said "Can you read that? Â I can't." Â Then he looked at my ID, and said "You're young!". Â Then he asked questions to find out what we may like. Â He brought me small glass to taste before I made my decision on a solid IPA. Â After but an hour at this locale, Â I felt nothing but love for him.
The atmosphere is a bit out of a fairy tale, like POPE, but not quite as grungy. Â The beer selection is huge, and the smell of the things coming from the kitchen sang to me like a siren song. Â I was only there for a short while and decidedly only to drink, but I will be back many, many times. Â No question.
Late supper at the Sardine Bar is a great experience! Loved the atmosphere of the place - it was dark & charming and our waitress was friendly and knew her beer well enough to make some great suggestions. Grab a basket of salt & pepper fries for the table - the portion is very generous, plus LOVE that dill pickle dip!
Chalkboard menus are always exciting as they promise a menu that'll rotate a bit with the seasons and inspiration in the kitchen.
I've been hearing about the Sardine for a while from friends and the praise was well-deserved. What a great spot for the neighborhood!
American Sardine Bar is like that cool 12th grader you want to be friends with, but you're a junior: you can be accepted but never totally fit in. That is to say that since it's a bit off the beaten path, cheap, and even hotter than before thanks to the Layover, it's full of young, neighborhood hipsters who are nice enough but aren't necessarily letting you into their club just yet. Regardless of the crowd, this spot serves up tasty, well-made food with lots of flavor and love. The sardines were a huge hit at our table--we had them all. Each had it's own flavor, taste, and preparation, which led to four very different and tasty dishes. Then I had the patty melt, which I've been dreaming about ever since. It's only cooked one way (their way) with American and Swiss and perhaps a sprinkle of crack. The onion rings were huge and deep fried and the perfect hangover cure. My friends had the falafel, the filet-o-fish, and the open-faced chicken. We all left full and smiling. And full of good beer.
Review Source:ok so i'm the only person who drinks red wine at dive bars. Â good thing this place is like the least dive-y dive bar just a few skips from my home.
***the menu changes and it's all written on a chalk board - every vegan option is labeled VEGAN which i LOVE - the servers are all very up to speed on what is vegan and what isnt. Â While i wouldnt pick this as my first choice for a dinner - i would pick this as a great, affordable, place to have some drinks w/ friends and eat some delish veg options while i'm at it.
***they had a nice choice of red wines, and if you like beer they have a beer for everyone. Â i didnt drink any beer but all the people i was with did. and LOVED the options.
i would go back here anytime and recommend it completely.
The thought of sardines conjures images of tin cans with little keys (a la the gigantor one hanging above the entrance to ASB) and tiny fish packed in oil. The sardines here are to the ones in the can as Jamie Lannister is to his brother Tyrion (if you get that reference, you're OK in my book). We ordered a few, and they were really awesome. I would guess that they are about 6-8 inches in size, and perfectly grilled and charred. The best part is the toppings they come with, such as a mango relish or jalapenos. Throw in some tabasco and you've got yourself a pretty unique plate.
The beer selection here is also very good. I recommend trying the American Sardine Ale, which was brewed especially for ASB by Manayunk Brewing. Don't worry: it's not a sardine beer! If you're not into that, they have tons of other creative beer picks, lots of them in cans.
The decor is a no-frills, ultra-casual sort of feel, just like many of the taphouse/gastropubs that have been opening up around the city. We were there at an off hour (2pm on a Friday, I think), so not sure if the crowd was representative of other times, but it was mostly construction-worker dudes hanging out. They were nice enough and joked around with us asking us if we were lost. I get the sense that lots of locals hang here and are cool with the visitors.
If you're in the neighborhood, I would def recommend stopping in for a beer and some sardines (which I realize is a pretty bizarre recommendation to make!).
Good food. Lots of beer. Yayyy.
Anchovie sandwiches. Â Stout braised short rib sandwiches. Gigantic beer battered onion rings. A multitude of beer options. Though this place doesn't look like much, the food is pretty nice quality and the beer selection is solid. Prices aren't bad but not cheap.
This one is a gem. Cheers.
I've been here once for happy hour and had a great time. The happy hour specials are amazing. I think it was half off on some beers? Definitely not breaking the bank at this place. The beer list was also very extensive. There were a bunch of beers I had never heard of, and the bartender did a goo job of helping me find one I would like. The atmosphere was very relaxed, and I felt very comfortable. I could have stayed forever. Love this place.
Review Source:Pro - The redhead server/bus boy was sweet
Cons:
Service:
Sucked a fat one. Â Our server (the one that looks like a middle aged Pilgrim, not the redhead) took 15 minutes to take our drink order, 15 minutes to take our food order, and our 2 sandwiches took over a half hour to come out..oh and there were 6 people in the restaurant. Â He was also very dismissive which I got a hoot out of since he was the one waiting on me. Â I also asked for my burger to be cooked medium and he told me you don't get to pick the temperature but lucky for me, it was medium. Â SO LUCKY for me. Â I thought about telling him that the only other restaurant I have ever been to that didn't do temperatures on burgers was Friendly's oh and McDonald's and BK.
Food:
I got a soda to drink and it tasted funny. Â I asked for a different kind and it also tasted funny. Â Like there was too much seltzer and not enough syrup in their soda fountain. Â It wasn't a huge deal but annoying. Â Like you can't even get your sodas right. Â I ordered the patty melt which I have had all over the place. Â I was expecting something legit because of all of the positive reviews I read on it. Â It was OK, very cheesy which I liked but not enough burger I thought. Â Cheese to burger ratio was like 1:1 and I would have liked to taste more meat.
Cost:
My burger was $11 and came with a pickle. Â And the fries were $4. Â Come on now.. Â Give me a break. Â This place ain't Rouge! Â And I sure as hell didn't taste anything like a Rouge Burger. Â
Final thoughts:
If you want to drive to a wasteland , get treated like crap by an old pilgrim (maybe it was his sideburns that made me think of a pilgrim) , drink funky soda, wait forever for your food, then get hozed by the center city prices even though you are in the wasteland..then the Sardine Bar is exactly where you want to go!
This place rocks...
The crick in my neck from turning around to look at the menu to look at the menu on the wall is worth it. Food is fantastic. The hipster staff is great and way to nice .Glad  sardines is finally  up and rolling. Finally there is a great alternative to that trashy trucker bar sidecar if you want to get something to eat and drink in the neighborhood.
Keep up the good work!
I recently went here on a Sunday for brunch. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the friendly staff, which set the tone. We ordered the pork roll and egg sandwich and ricotta stuffed french toast to split. Last minute decision we decided on the 'homefires' because what brunch is complete without them? We were not disappointed. I couldn't even really tell you what was in those homefires, but it had to have been fairy dust because the combination made for a mouth watering goodness. The portions are also huge... the bread is behemoth sized and extremely tasty. They have a really wide selection of beers as well. The menu is innovative and unique. The atmosphere is also open and friendly; everyone was chit chatting with each other around the bar. I will definitely be stopping back in the near future.
Review Source:We heard about this place via Anthony Bourdain and walked here from the city center area - it was a hike, but as we explored the neighborhoods we worked up a good appetite for a snack. We went in for the City-Wide Special (a can of Narraganset and a shot of Powers for $5) and the famous sardine sandwich. Although tiny - it's basically two slices of baguette - the sardines, boiled egg, black pepper and onion made for a symphony of "mmmm"s between sips. It was worth the trip.
For those who don't dig the fish, I recommend the potato tacos. Sounds odds and it is, but the two small soft shells tacos were the perfect size for a quick bite (not suitable, however, for dinner). The menu is small but decent, but the drink menu is really what you're there for anyway, and that is stocked with local brew and craft beers, as well as a full stock of liquor.
This seems like the Philly version of hipster, with dark red walls and curtains, a vintage bar feel, a specific menu, and tattooed bartenders. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a stop in. At $5 for a City-Wide and $2 for the sardine sammy, you'll mix among the Anthony Bourdain watchers and the locals and might be unsure of who is whom.
I can see how this place is probably a real gem for people who live in the neighborhood. The bar is cute, has an extensive well-crafted beer list and reasonable prices. Â The bartender was very nice, fast and attentive. I only had drinks here, but the food looked pretty tasty, and the menu looks pretty damn awesome. I will be back for some food. I think seating itself might be a little limited, but I didn't explore the back.
I love the giant front door, but it does cause quite a draft during winter months and it's so close to a large chunk of the bar that it gets pretty cold whenever opened, which I can assume would be quite a bit on weekends.
I went here due to a suggestion by Anthony Bourdain, and the siren songs of a sardine sandwich filled with boiled egg, onion, and black pepper would make any man jump off the deck. South Philly and in particular the region where American Sardine Bar is located is going through something of a renovation in recent years due to its direct line of sight to center city. If this continues I anticipate places like this, and others around it will have its rent increase and either evolve in to something yuppie or hipster like, or cease to exist. Which is sad, because this place is truly something great in terms of a neighborhood bar, it is the place where you could go and sit around all day long without a care in the world about whats happening outside. Or even whats happening outside of your 2 feet border.
I also discovered the wonders of the Narrgansett beer, and it is something amazing to be sure.
Went Saturday night before the Flyers game.
Cool hipster bar. Â Jukebox was AMAZING. Â Nice beer selection. Â Menu is a little "short" but decent. Â
Started with a Weyerbacher Yankee ale (came in a wine glass which always throws me off). Â Light brown and had a caramel taste, decent beer though. Â I had open faced chicken sandwich....the gravy was amazing and the chicken was perfectly cooked. Â My brother had the pulled pork sandwich which was "lighter" fare. Â 2nd beer was Pbl ppa which was more my speed. Â Split the onion rings which were awesome.
Would try the sardines next time. Â Will go back again.
First off, it's awesome they have a legit option in this neighborhood. Â I don't live in this neighborhood, but do live in Pennsport and know solid food/social options are lacking for the younger, non-typical South Philly (old school Italian/Irish) crowd south of South outside of East Passyunk. Â So props for that. Â Seriously.
I hear a ton of great stuff about this place from friends, chefs, etc. Â So was excited to try. Â Maybe it's better for late-night snacks and drinking, but alas this is a dinner review. Â Deal with it.
The food menu was seriously lacking in options. Â Handful of sandwiches, sides, sardines, and a couple soups. Â "Hey a-hole you can only eat like two things at once!" Â I get that. Â Just saying it's less than the average bar, and I was expecting some solid food options from this place for whatever reason. Â The options they did have were at least inventive, different...but heavy.
Heavy. Â That's how I felt after eating here. Â I did choose a sandwich (Drew Lazor's "Dad Sandwich") that had like two kinds of meat, BBQ chips, cheese probably, on Texas toast. Â But what would've been lighter? Â The vegan potato and mushroom pamboza? Â Wrong, my girlfriend had that, ate half, and felt gross afterward too. Â Also had the fries and a sardine. Â Nothing special.
Beer list was above average, but nothing great. Â A 6 out of 10 (think Ommegang, Troegs, PBC stuff). Â That stuff is good, just not special any more in this city.
Service was fine, no complaints there.
Overall I don't dislike ASB, wouldn't fight my friends if they wanted to go back but probably wouldn't choose it myself.
Went here for my birthday and was treated well. OK taplist--but they can certainly do better. I ordered an old fashioned, but it wasn't made probably, but it was passable.
I loved my pulled pork sandwich, onion rings, sardine bite ($2, bread, egg, sardine). It's a great spot that served over ten of us really well. Recommended.
Man, my first time here was quite the doozy but I'll get to that later.
First off, I'm biased because this bar is a five minute walk for me, but I wouldn't mind walking 25 minutes to be completely honest. Very cozy downstairs and still retains that borderline dive-bar (albeit classy) atmosphere. The beer selection is rotating and always exceptional, and their citywide is my new favorite (Naragansett pounder + shot of Powers = $5 - sure, have some).
The food is terrific, too. Had fries, onion rings and a bangin-ass pulled pork sandwich. I hear from friends that pretty much everything is on-point foodwise.
Now, here's my real reason for loving this place: the jukebox incident. I appreciate any establishment that doesn't settle for those crappy internet jukeboxes where any schmo-hawk can request anything they want. No, no, I demand a bar show me their taste and give me a selection of hand-picked CDs. In this particular go-around, I made my usual selections and, to my delight, saw that they carry Suicide's self-titled '77 debut album ( a true classic!).
Now, I decided to pick a song called "Frankie Teardrop" thinking it was their more upbeat song "Cheree". In actuality, "Frankie Teardrop" is a 10-minute long song about a father's descent into insanity. Needless to say by the time Alan Vega started his murderous screaming, the entire bar (filled with at least one elderly couple) was confused and probably a little scared. The bar quickly shut it off and the manager was apologizing to various patrons.
I was beyond embarrassed. I later apologized to our waiter and explained I thought I was picking "Cheree." He laughed and reassured me it was no big deal. However, he informed the manager that I was actually the one who picked the song and the manager ended up comping my most expensive drink simply for owning up to it.
This is when I knew that Sardine was safely on my favorite bars list. Just tread softly when you're at the jukebox.
This bar is about 3 blocks from my home in South Philly and I'm so happy it's so close. I go there a few times a month and I'm constantly surprised by the different craft beers they have on tap and the different foods they've listed on the chalkboard.
The ambiance in this place is great. It's very low lit and there are only a few tables creating a cozy feel. I know there's an upstairs but I've only stayed on the first floor either sitting at the bar or one of the high tops in the back.
I left a tip to try the salt and pepper fries and I'm stickin' to it! No matter how full I am when I go I make it a point to get the crispy, shoestring fries served in a big ceramic bowl. I've had a few of their sandwiches in the past and my favorite has to be the Pittsburgh cheesesteak. The crowned jewel of this place is their selection of canned beers. If you make it there during happy hour you can enjoy your cans for half the price!
I love bringing friends to this place when I'm in the mood for a low key, chill night and a few local brews.
My boyfriend and I really love this place, but I would love it more if they had kept the vegetarian seitan/cheesesteak sandwich. I get it, the chef does what he wants, but lots and lots of people love this sandwich including my non-vegetarian boyfriend.
The pamboza is good, and interesting, but not great. Â The seitan was great! The best I have had.
I love Point Breeze, I love that this bar is in Point Breeze! I love the beer selection and the food including the onion rings, but the return of the seitan sandwich would make this my favorite place to go!
[End Whining]
Heckuva happy hour. All cans are half off which means $2-$3 per beer! I won't complain there.
I think the major flaw the bar has its location. I think it's great for the area but it detracts people from going west of Broad with so many great options east of the main corridor. American Sardine has plenty of space and it looks to have a really solid, inexpensive menu.
I ordered the basic, salt and pepper fries with dill sauce. It was delicious. I think this place deserves a lot more attention but its location makes it difficult for people who rather focus their evening on the more bustling eastern portion of South Philly (Italian Market, Bella Vista, East Passyunk, Pennsport, Queens Village,etc.).
I look forward to coming back and trying a sardine sandwich and the Walt Wit Braised Pork!
I have been to sardine bar several times and have never been disappointed by the service, atmosphere, or beer! Â There's no frills up in here. Â The tap lists and menu are written on chalk boards that you have to get up and look at.
I went there for the PBC Fishtown Beer Runner's Fried Chicken Run back during Philly Beer Week and really enjoyed the event atmosphere they provided. Â I really wish that fried chicken was an all-the-time thing on their menu because it was DELICIOUS. Â I also like that their upstairs area has art for sale by local artists.
I went for the release of their American Sardine Ale, a Belgian Blonde that is made by Manayunk Brewery. Â It was really delicious! Â It came with a complementary sardine sandwich....which was absolutely disgusting. Â Do not get that unless you really love the taste of sardine ALL UP IN YOUR MOUTH. Â Get the beer though. Â Get it with the onion rings because they're my favorite in the city so far.
You should make the "scary" trek south of Washington Ave. to check this place out. And here are a few reasons why:
1. Happy hour includes half price cans. The thing is, their can list is extensive and exquisite. Yes, I just used the word exquisite to describe canned beer. It is, I promise. Anecdote: they had one of my favorite tripels and I had three of them. For $9. I can barely remember the rest.
2. Their food: not an extensive menu but hot damn. Anything that says you can get it "Pittsburgh style" you should do it. I didn't know what this meant until I came to this bar. It means you get a GIANT pile of shoestring french fries and cole slaw on top of your sandwich. It's like a meal in itself
Other items that make me remember them:
Falafel - whatever sauce their using is da bomb
French Fries with dill pickle dip - I like pickles a little too much. Oh, you can order an actual pickle too.
Onion Rings - big, fluffy battered & again with the freakin sauce!
Veggie cheesesteak - do it
3. It's a cool spot, cool servers, and has a great vibe. There is always this "Jerry Garcia" character at the bar who is interesting. Say hi if you see him.
Next time, I guess I gotta get the sardines.
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