We've shared a lot of great memories with National Mechanics. Â We've done Thanksgiving dinner there. Â Our post-wedding celebration brunch was held there. I even got up in front of a rowdy crowd and read a "Broem" for the book release party of BROETRY (my poem was appropriately titled "Lager, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways).
And there's good reason for this - National Mechanics is awesome.  Consistently good food (particularly brunch), awesome décor and a great crowd always make NatMechs a good time.
NatMechs is decorated like a warped church with high ceilings and pews, look carefully at the plants lining the windows and you'll see Venus Flytraps ready to feed on the next fly that unfortunately made his way into the space.
Brunch is where it's at, with a great selection of food and a Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar with a ton of selections to create your favorite Mary. Â I also particularly like the plantain chips on the regular menu.
A nice mixed drink and draft list round out NatMechs. Be sure to check out your pint glass and the glasses around you to get a nice variety of local Philly "celebrities!"
NatMechs hosts a ton of fun events (like Science On Tap and the Olde City Sideshow) so it gets pretty packed on the weekends, but it's always worth it regardless!
I've been here twice and have had great experiences on both occasions. Â The food and drink are good and the waitstaff is friendly. Â We went this past Saturday night with a group of 12 and they were able to quickly seat us and take care of us. Â The atmosphere is cool and it's a good place to kick off a night of bar crawling around Old City.
Review Source:3.5 Stars. After seeing a free show at Lucy's Hat Shop (thanks to Yelp!) we walked down the block to finally check out National Mechanics. I've been all over Old City, but have never visited this unique spot located in one of Philly's historic bank/church buildings.
After getting our IDs checked by the big boys at the front door and noticing the bar area was packed, we found an empty table and plopped down on the converted pews. Cool interior concept to match the building, especially with the stained glass windows. A server be-bopped over to our table and gave us drink/food menus, which would have been helpful if we could have read them. Yeah, it's very dark in here; thank God for cell phone illumination.
I decided to try one of their specialty drinks, a Cupertino Mule described as a blend of
Apple Whiskey & Ginger Beer. It was an interesting blend of flavors, but not my favorite drink. I followed that up with a Banana Bread Beer, which tasted exactly like it sounds. Unique, but delicious.
We were a little hungry so we ordered their corn dogs, a surprising menu option, and enjoyed those while listening to the DJ spin some good dance tunes and watching some drunk dancing. We didn't stay extrememly late, but I'm sure the entertainment factor in that area goes up as the night wears on.
I avoid Olde City on the weekends, so this review only applies for Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Back on a Thursday night in May, I hosted a Steam Punk themed birthday party at National Mechanics. Â I worked with Sarah, who was responsive and really helpful in planning the event. Â There was about 30 people, a photo booth, a drink special, and platters of food - Sarah, the owner, and the staff were extremely accomodating. Â The weather was gorgeous, so a good portion of the party spilled to the front entrance. Â Drinks were easy to get and all my friends seemed to have a good time.
Now I've been returning for Tuesday karaoke. Â Nick is a great karaoke DJ in that he has a huge list of songs and he has the most amazing memory. Â He will never forget your face or name! Â But karaoke here is pretty serious and it gets crowded. Â Depending on who sticks around after the dinner rush, your karaoke entertainment can vary, but the regulars are amazing performers and you will have fun even if to just watch. Â On some nights, if drinks are aplenty, you'll see people dancing, but the crowd in general is very supportive and love cheering everyone on, even the horrible tone deaf singers (who we all love!).
Never had an issue with service, even on a packed night. Â Also although there are only 2 bathrooms, there's almost never a wait (plus they're clean!).
As for food, when I used to eat gluten, the Corn Dogs were great. Â Last night I had the tacos and they were a win. Â I plan on being there at as many Tuesdays as possible and sing my heart my out!
Delicious! I took some out of town guests to NM on Saturday for lunch/brunch. I was pleasantly surprised with the beer list and specials.
I had a delicious Peach beer that I will be back for. The service was a little slow but the food was well worth the wait. Our waitress was friendly and accommodating to our dietary restrictions in our group.
Excited to go back!
Wine and chicken sandwich at a well-known bar joint? Â Ok, so I definitely have a different perspective on this restaurant. Â I would suggest taking this review with almost a grain of salt (but I will write it anyway lol)
Specifically, I had a white moscato to drink and a chicken breast sandwich to eat.  I played it safe with the drink selection, because when is a white moscato NOT delicious (in my mind)?  I will say that the chicken breast sandwich was not the menu choice that I would have expected to be  sub-par.  Oh noes, why u no pay no justice to the chicken ingredient?!  I wish that there was both more flavor and less dryness in the chicken.  Please please heed my suggestion and be careful with your chicken!
I would not UNrecommend anyone to National Mechanics, especially if people wanna know a place in Old City that can serve them super awesome drinks. Â I hope that next time I become more adventurous.
I have to confess, the first time I went there only because I have never been in a bar that looks like an old museum from the outside.
I am a vegetarian and I have tried veggie burgers at a lot of places and repeatedly been disappointed. I usually look for alternative options at most places, but decided to give National Mechanics a try after the great reviews for the veggie burgers. This is by far the BEST veggie burger I have ever eaten. The patty had julienned carrots! And just the right amount of dough to hold the veggies together.
They have a decent beer selection and other cocktails as well. Their unique beer glasses with those tiny faces are cool too. Once I went here to see the olde city sideshow. It was my first time seeing anything like that and it was crazy entertaining. I've heard they clear some tables on the weekends for a dance floor, but never been myself. The waiters have always been super friendly and helpful with suggestions about the food and very knowledgeable about the beers.
Judging by the reviews here, from people I know no less, I would have expected to like this place. Wrong.
We went in late and were seated promptly. The music was so loud we couldn't hear the server who was telling us that the beer list he gave us was mostly useless then seemed to get upset when asked for an up-to-date list to look at since we couldn't hear him. After the third time asked he turned tail and left the table...so we did too.
I'll give another star since the rest of the staff we encountered were quite nice.
I really only come here for one reason: Â their veggie burgers! Â Fantastic, fresh ingredients, and one of the best in the city. Â The rest of the food is standard bar food, but the veg burger really stands out. Â They usually have decent enough beers on draught, but I only go here when it's not busy. Â At night this bar completely changes its character. Â It goes from a low key hangout to a full-out dancefest...which is cool, if that's your scene. Â Just know that past 9PM the scene changes really, really quickly.
Review Source:We came for brunch and really enjoyed ourselves. Making our own Bloody Marys was fun. There were lots of spices and hot sauces to choose, although the fixings were scarce (in Wisconsin, we add everything from pickles and beef sticks to bacon, deviled eggs, cheese...you name it:-).
Our orders of egg skillets were delicious and blueberry pancakes were good. The atmosphere is fun and eclectic. Would definitely come back again.
National Mechanics has something of an identity crisis. Good happy hour with a good draft selection and discounted burgers. At the same time, their burgers should always be discounted, or else discontinued. The veggie burger is original, I'll give them that: it's made with shredded pieces of vegetables mashed together in a patty that falls apart before it can reach your mouth. The regular burger is fine, but I wouldn't bother requesting it any special way: it comes out medium well every time.
It's a story of good and evil. They have a lot of positives, and if I was just hoping to grab a drink with some friends, I wouldn't mind a quick stop at Mechanics. Other than the fries, which are hard to ruin, I probably won't be getting food here again. The burgers won't ruin your day but with all the options in the area, it's hard to justify making that mistake again. For a few dollars more, I'd much prefer making my way to Smokin' Betty's and grabbing their incredible buffalo chicken sandwich.
Take it for what it's worth: National Mechanics can be a fun happy hour, but when it comes to its identity as restaurant, it tries a little hard and fall a little too short.
Then I was meeting up with a group of friends, 7 or 8 of us I believe, and National Mechanics was chosen as our dinner spot.
Although I hung around Old City a ton in my late teens-early twenties, I never made it past 27 when it came to nightlife. However National Mechanics was a pretty chill place that I could see myself frequenting on a semi-regular basis when in the city.
We were able to snag seats at the bar within 10 minutes of being there which was a plus.
I like this place, but only before 10 PM. Â The food here is very tasty (hummus was good, as were the mushroom tacos) and they have some nice beer choices on draft. Â Once the music starts ooncing and the staff tries to move your table to make room for the dance floor, though, it's a good time to leave...you know, unless you're into the club/nightlife scene (no judgment).
Review Source:National Mechanics has a crazy atmosphere that is somewhat charming during brunch - you have weird light displays and beautiful atrium plants in the window. The service was good in the beginning but later on it was difficult to order additional drinks and get the bill.
The brunch menu has the usual fare and I ordered a burger. The bun was pretty good and the burger is a good size. It took over 45 minutes for the burgers to come out which was a pain. We almost went over our 2 hour parking limit and had to rush around before the check came.
The beer glasses are fun to look at and have different celebrities on them. They were somehow out of the "peach nectar" and said they could not make a bellini. I just asked for peach schnapps and the champagne and the bellini was pretty good. They had an odd version of sangria that was sparkling and I don't recommend it. They do have a good selection of some local beers and my husband liked the Yards IPA which was also reasonably priced.
Suggestion to the chef- put huevos rancheros on the brunch menu!
I was told this was a bank converted into a club. But when you go inside, you can tell it's more of a restaurant that tries to have a dance floor at night. The dining tables take up a lot of space and really inhibit you from moving around.
The DJ was playing some good music when I went, but the clientele was so bro-ey. Be ready to be bombarded with drunk college kids dancing up a storm.
The unisex bathroom line was also ridiculously long.
I will say that the beer selection was superb.
I love this place. For one big reason, no TV! It seems like everyone goes to bars nowadays to just sit around looking at TV, hell I'm guilty of it myself. I mean its a bar, if you need to drink while watching TV get a good laz-boy and enjoy!.
In addition, the one thing I love about this place is the high roof, and open space. So you don't get that sardine in a can feel, especially after one too many drinks resulting in a decline with body odor, common sense, and dignity. The drinks are reasonably priced and taste superb. Ultimately, the Bartenders on hand are both skilled and knowledgeable in their craft.
National Mechanics seems to be hugely popular. Â Every time that I have been it has been crazy crowded. Â
Personally, I think National Mechanics has a bit of an identity crisis. Â It seems to want to be a craft beer bar and nightclub. Â I don't recommend this place for dancing, and I wish they wouldn't try. Â There really isn't the room for it. Â You take two steps into the bar and the tables are all pushed together because of the surging crowd. Â If they want to make this place a dance hall they need to get rid of all the tables.
It is crazy loud, don't expect to talk... to anyone, order your drinks with hand gestures or writing things down or flashing lights. Â
It is a shame really, because the place has a interesting look to it. Â Pews used for benches in some of the booths and goofy junk on the walls (I like Gia M.'s description of "dark wood meets steampunk"). Â
They either need to change this place into a small dance club, or a weird pub. Â It could be something special, but right now it seems like it is just trying to please everyone. Â It seems like they please most based on the crowds, but for me it is just lacking.
This place can be a little...douchey. Â The bar is impossible to get to, the crowd is clearly people who aren't from Philadelphia who are just looking for someone to hook up with. Â My friend almost certainly got her cell phone stolen here.
But, there's free dancing! Â FREE DANCING. Â FREE DANCING!!! Â So if you want to go dancing, and you don't want to pay a cover, this is the place for you. Â The DJ is solid enough, and it's way too dark and loud in there for anyone outside your immediate circle of friends to notice just how terrible you are at dancing. Â
In sum, not the greatest crowd, but if you want to go dancing with your friends and you don't want to pay a cover, this is the place for you.
Yet another place I've visited while waiting for a train (i.e., I can only spend about an hour in the joint). With National Mechanics, I know that I need to come back.
My boyfriend and I almost walked straight past the place while we were on the prowl for it, but we took a closer look at what we thought was an old bank and realized it was our destination. We walked in and my first impression of the place was "dark wood meets steampunk." I loved the specials list that was on the wall next to the door, and the decorations were incredibly weird (in a good way, though)-- I saw a plaster dog with working light bulbs poking out of its body. We walked in during the bar's trivia, so the place was lively and the moderator was making fun of the regular patrons in a friendly way. My boyfriend and I sat at the bar, a little jealous that we weren't playing.
As for the actual bar, the bartenders were great-- they were knowledgeable, friendly, and let us try a couple of things before we ordered. My boyfriend ordered some sort of stout (or was it a lager?) and I got a framboise. I don't know why I thought I was getting a draft of it (or at least a whole bottle), but I was served in a flute. I was a little disappointed at first at the amount I got for the price I paid ($6), but I realized later that if I had much more, it would have been unfinishable (on account of the sugar). The service was a little sloppy (my glass was dripping), but I'm going to chalk that up to it being a difficult glass to serve beer in.
All in all, I thought that National Mechanics was intriguing and I plan to go back-- especially because of the good food smells I was getting from the table behind me (grilled cheese) and from the patron to my right (giant piece of chocolate cake). Unfortunately, I didn't try anything because it was late and I wasn't hungry for once.
Caveat: Â This review is about brunch only. Â I've been at dinner, and it wasn't bad, and at night, when there is usually a pretty decent DJ.
It opens for brunch at 11 and we arrived at about 11:15. Â It was already pretty busy, but we were seated quickly and our orders were taken relatively quickly. Â And then it went down hill.
We didn't get our food until nearly 12. Â They were busy, but not THAT busy. Â Our waitress did not come to check on us during that time except right before our food came out, because we had been clearly spending the previous 10 minutes trying to flag her down. Â Once we'd eaten, it then took them an unbelievably long time to bring us the check and take our credit card. Â At that point, we were tired of looking at the weird decorations of dogs with light sabers coming out of their backs.
The food was okay, but nothing to brag about. Â The yolks of the fried eggs were completely hard. Â The omelet was tepid. Â The home fries are good, but that's about it.
I think the only reason to come here for brunch is the bloody mary bar, where you choose your own rim lining, vodka (or even tequila?) and hot sauce.
I came over for brunch one Saturday with some friends after our usual brunch spot had a ridiculously long wait. Â Thankfully, National Mechanics had plenty of open tables so we were seated immediately. Â
The exterior of the building is gorgeous, and I love parts of the interior like the stained glass windows and the church pews for booth seating. Â However the whole time we sat at our table, I couldn't help but think of the line from Super Troopers "Hey Farva, what's that place you like to eat at with the mozzarella sticks and all the goofy shit on the walls?" Â I'm convinced the employees found junk at yard sales and went "this is so random, let's glue it up there."
The food was just ok. Â I got a bacon and cheddar omelet which was average, but nothing special. Â The home fries that came with the omelet were really good and the high point of my meal. Â A lot of reviews have complained about service, but we had no issues. Â Our waitress was attentive without being overbearing. Â She kept our glasses filled, but didn't hover or make us feel rushed. Â
I really loved the famous Philadelphians pint glasses. Â I asked if I could buy my Bill Cosby glass, but she said they don't sell them and that I could just take it!! Â They definitely get an extra star for that.
I came here for just a half an hour so I can't speak about much but I can say that the actual place is pretty unique given that it appears to be in an old bank, the interior is funky with funky lights and several long tables to accommodate 6-8 people. I wasn't impressed with the beer selection but I'll be honest, I think I enjoy a smaller variety of beers than a good amount of people out there so I can't necessarily say the selection is "bad." All in all, I got my beer by a cool bartender who did let me try a taste of something on tap. This seems like a place I may want to return to to get food because from the look & smell of things, the food seemed good!
Review Source:I really wanted to like you National Mechanics so much so that I've dined with you on three different occasions hoping that the flaws I encountered were just a fluke.
I had the same friendly server each time I've been here and although she is very nice...she just takes our orders and NEVER returns until she brings the check. The food has been brought out cold and our drinks refilled by other staff. On one occasion I flagged her down and ordered another Mimosa which never came. That same visit I got her attention twice as she was walking by to ask for more water which never came. Â Today my good friend (who is the Duke here) who orders the same thing every time was disappointed because out of the five of us only four received our food. We watched as his eggs Benedict was taken to another table of four and apparently that person also ordered the same but his companions were left without food. The staff member finally realized she had made a mistake and told my friend that his would be out shortly. They obviously threw an order together because the English muffin wasn't toasted and the hollandaise was refrigerator cold. I'm not sure if its poor management or an incompetent expediter but National Mechanics you really need to get it together!
THIS PLACE IS LOUD.
I wrote that in caps, just to make sure you could hear me. And if you come here during happy hour, expect monstrous crowds and a noise level that you can actually feel pulsing against your skin. And all without music. It's remarkable, really.
I remembered National Mechanics fondly as the first place I'd ever had a hamburger served on an English muffin. Too bad they got rid of it. So this time I got the "jumbo crab cake". The description says crab cake. Singular. And the thing costs $16, so I'm thinking at least a burger-sized cake with lump crab meat, like you can find around the corner at Mac's Tavern. Reasonable expectation, right?
Wrong. What I got were two air-hockey-puck sized crab cakes that I'm certain came out of a box in the freezer and may or may not have been microwaved. I was very disappointed. I rarely send food back - because I expect it to come back even worse - and so I powered through it, thanks mostly to the steak fries and seasonal vegetables, which were both prepared well.
The server was friendly and apologetic, which counts for something. But as someone not much for the bar scene, and because the food was so underwhelming, I probably won't be coming back here. Especially when there are so many better options nearby.
Found this place by accident while walking around in Philly on New Year's Day with my wife & friends trying to find a place for brunch after the restaurant in our hotel couldn't accommodate our group of 7.
The staff were very courteous, polite & attentive and service was fast. We all loved the atmosphere,ambiance & unique decorations inside.
We ordered from the brunch menu. I had the Sausage skillet and my wife ordered the Blueberry pancakes. Food was very good and was delivered hot to our table. Everyone in our group agreed that National Mechanics was definitely a "have to come back here" place.
The brunch menu is excellent. Â $7 for eggs, meat, potatoes, and toast. $9 for an omelet. Â $7 for the bloody mary bar with what may be over 100 hot sauces. Â The food service is VERY slow, but I'd rather finish a bloody mary before eating anyway. Â They serve their brunch menu from 11am-330pm on the weekends.
The atmosphere is great... there are terrariums and live pitcher plants in every window.
Old bank converted into a bar, so it looks cool. Inside looks like most bars, lots of wood. Crowd can be decent, usually on the hipster side.
If you want decent service, sit at the bar (although I did have one bartender spill my almost full beer all over me,ehhh i guess it happens).
If you sit at a table, BE FOREWARNED.... I have only had terrible service. I have had two experiences that stick out to me, as follows.
1. Sunday brunch: they have a bloody mary bar, out of bloody marys. They had a bunch of delicious looking food options, out of those. We finally put in an order, takes 45 mins to get to us. Server took our drink order to start then took her sweet time coming back to us.
2. Two weeks ago, grabbing frosty beverages: Started with a beer at the bar, got it easily was your normal transaction. No room to sit at the bar so my two brothers and I opt to sit at one of the many open high top tables available. Server immediately comes up and tells us we need to order through her if we sit there. No problem, pretty standard procedure. She then basically asks us to order right away, while we have fairly full drinks. We tell her to come back shortly as it is only a matter of time.
She is an ok server for the next round, maybe two. After that it was an abomination. We ask for waters, they don't come. We try to flag her down for the next 4 rounds. We are literally the last table (a few patrons at the bar are being served) and no one will acknowledge us! Some servers get pissed if you don't tip 20%, I dint know if shes not getting paid on tips, but she certainly didn't act like it.
Very entitled world we live in... if you want decent service, sit at the bar.
Brunch review-went here at noon on Sunday for their Bloody Mary bar.
Alcohol:
Sooooo dissappointing. There were 2 different tomato juices (mildly spicy and not spicy) and a bunch of different hot sauces and salts. The tomato juices aren't nearly as spicy or good as the store-bought mixes IMO. There were no olives, okra, or other interesting things to spice up the drink. Â
Food:
I got the pancakes. The pancakes are good, better than I can make at home but definitely not even nearly close to as good as at IHOP or The Original Pancake House. The pancakes themselves are a little doughy and they only bring you out a small cup of maple syrup with your order. I asked for butter and they brought me two butter packets. Maybe I'm being overly harsh here but butter packets are ok at Denny's or other chains but I was hoping for whipped butter. Also asking for a third cup of maple syrup made me feel like a disgusting person.
The menu looks kind of boring, however National Mechanics is in a really cool building in a good location so I'll be back on a weekend night to drink and mix with the locals. Will update.
My cousin and I hobbled in here post half-marathon. Â We were blood thirsty for some brunch. Â And Bloody Mary's!
First impression is that the old building is great - from the detail in the roof to the stained glass windows. Â It feels like a decommissioned church or banquet hall. Â We sat at the bar and took it in while we checked out the menu.
Pretty standard brunch menu. Â The eggs benedict on a crab cake looked appealing, but since we weren't on the shore or in Maryland we both stayed away. Â I got an omelette w/ spinach, cheddar, and tomatoes. Â My cousin went for the veggie burger. Â We both decided to let the bartender make our Bloody rather than building our own. Â He did it well, though it was a bit weaker than I've had in Boston and we both added an extra splash of hot sauce.
Food tasted good, but I can't tell if it was because of the half marathon induced calorie deficit or otherwise. Â Of the two plates, I preferred the veggie burger. Â It was not the standard "burger" -- rather seasoned, shreaded, panfried veggies (but not watery) topped by a fried egg, over medium. Â It really was a delicious departure from the typical oat patty.
Negatives were slow service and incorrect orders (I got an egg white omelette instead of regular, we had to ask for the fruit plate we'd requested that was actually fruit smothered in sweet cream - kinda gross). Â It was busy though, so understandable.
My cousin's favorite part was the little knob on the side of the toilet seat. Â A unisex bathroom, it allowed one to raise/close the seat without actually touching it. Â Classy!
3.5 stars
First impression: wow nice architecture! LOL. My friends and I were in Philly for a few days and wanted to go out. We had done the chill bar drinking and were looking to let loose a bit. Since we were staying near Old City we wanted to stay in the area and boy was it difficult finding a decently yelped place to go to. Music was ok when we arrived (they played some Top 40) then it started to get all 90s weird howdoidancetothis music... like SO BAD. We're from CA and we loooove to dance. seriously, we haven't seen that many people dancing in Philly.
Their bartenders are nice but the drinks are weak. Not a lot of alcohol for the price you pay. The atmosphere is nice and a good mix. This place is pretty roomy and has booths for you to rest if you ever feel tired (but would you really since no one dances) or just feel the need to sit and chat with friends.
I guess if you're in Old City and in dire need of a place to go, I'd recommend this place over the rest that was on Market near the area. SMH
I came here on a Saturday night and this place was bumping! It's a small place, but it has everything you need: a bar, seating area, and a dance floor (albeit, a small one). The beer selection is decent and seating area has a solid pub-like ambiance.
The DJ plays typical top 40 music and there didn't seem to be many super hammered people there. There are only two unisex bathrooms, so get in line with your drink.
If I lived in Philly, I definitely would come here as a regular.
The Old Town of Philadephia is beautifully historic, the architecture just took my breath away. I was surprised when I arrived at National Mechanics, it was not what I expected at all.
It looks like a historic bank or civic building, all regal. Inside, the music was bumping and the crowd was drinking it up. I felt inclined to dance it up, but ordered a couple beers first.
Almost everytime I see Delirium Tremens (7.0APV%) on tap - I order it. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=q_a15wPkUlHcfuBFiQCC5Q&userid=Lu8y2ayxVlAzuJEVfVcH4w">http://www.yelp.com/user…</a> It's one of my absolute favorites and call it my birthday beer, because it's what I drink when I deserve the very best. Which is almost anytime.
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