I feel like I have done myself a terrible disservice. Â I have lived near the Philadelphia Tavern for years and always avoided it. Â I've heard it was full of smoke, and dirty and generally full of rowdy Eagles fans. Â (I don't mean that disrespectfully, it's just a well know fact that Philly fans in general are um, passionate.. yes, passionate about their teams.)
I met my parents for dinner here last night, it was $.50 wing night and my step mother loves her some wings. Â I have to admit, I was thrilled with them! Â They were hot, crispy, saucy and all around wonderful! Â We ordered the mild, which had plenty of buffalo flavor but didn't hurt my dad's weak taste buds, the old bay, which are my step mothers favorite, and BB-Q, which are an all around crowd pleaser. Â My dad ordered a salad, which was fresh and crispy; we also split the crab dip... yum!
It was remarkably clean, the baseboards and floor were very well kept. Â I am a stickler for that. Â In all fairness, I never made it into their restrooms so I can't judge that, but I was impressed at the overall cleanliness of the place. Â No smoke smell either, which is always nice.
The server, whose name I can't remember was great. Â She was quick to refill drinks, take our order, and she was nice to chat with,
Overall, I can assure you I will be back here. Â I am actually pretty sad it's taken me so long to stop in.
My husband and I tried out this small historic looking tavern in Manassas to compare their cheesesteaks to those in Philly. Â My husband is a Philly native so he is very particular and usually won't eat a cheesesteak outside of Philly. Â The staff was very nice and the cheesesteaks were very good! Â My husband got his with onions and provolone and I got it with the whiz as well as marinara (trying to replicate Pat's "pizza wit" steak). Â The bread was great, the quality you expect for a Philly cheesesteak (the menu says they get their bread from the Philly Amoroso bakery). Â The meat was tender and not grisly at all which can sometimes occur at places like Geno's in Philly (Geno's is touristy anyway). Â The only issue with mine was the cheese whiz was layered on the open side rather than mixed into the steak which I thought was odd, but I just took my fork and mixed it in before eating. Â That just is an untraditional way to serve it. Â Of course, eating it inside a restaurant at a table isn't tradition either, usually at Pat's we'd be standing up eating it at a counter. Â My husband got a Philly microbrew beer that he enjoyed (Yards brewery). Â The atmosphere was quaint, it had a few Philly items, but certainly wasn't overwhelming with Philly stuff. Â There was a Rocky poster and an Eagles light but no Phillies, Flyers, or Sixers decorations that we saw. Â It isn't a sports bar but does have a couple of TVs. Â Overall an enjoyable experience and cheesesteaks were Philly quality.
Review Source:My husband took me to this neighborhood bar in Old Town Manassas. Â They have free street parking. Â On Mon-Fri, they offer $2 drafts of Yuenling, and other Bud type beers, and on Mondays...it's their special $3 margaritas and $1 tacos. Â They also have $2 off all their appetizers. Â Rail drinks are $3.5. Â The bartender mixes up a mean margarita, exactly how I like it! Â You can't taste the tequila but you can certainly tell you've had a couple of drinks after a few hours. Â The appetizer menu contains a variety of yummy fried treats such as fresh fried mushrooms, onion rings, calamari, and cheese fries. Â They have wings and of course, Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. Â It's a fun little bar in a quaint little part of Manassas. Â We'll certainly be back!
Review Source:One morning last summer I woke up craving a cheese steak. Â Weird? Â Yes probably so, but I told my husband and he said he had been dreaming about a great cheese steak. Â Well, with me craving something similar to what would be served in Philly and both of us determined to find it for lunch, I went online checking out cheese steaks in NOVA. Â We agreed based solely on reviews, this was the place and we were not disappointed. Â The cheese steak was huge, plenty of juicy steak and definitely big enough to split. Â We elected provolone this first visit with the grilled onions/peppers. Â It was hot, gooey and delicious. Â The fries and pickle on the side were tasty as well - nice and crisp. Nothing worse than soggy fires! Â We've been back when we have had the opportunity to trek down to Manassas and tried the cheese steak with Whiz the second time. Â It was good, but I have to say I preferred the provolone. Â I'm just not a fan of the processed cheese food! Â Don't expect a huge beer selection - this is a small tavern. Â The Yuengling on draft was good and cold though. Â Next time we are craving a cheese steak, Philadelphia Tavern is where we'll head.
Review Source:Based on The Yelp reviews (and because we had an Entertainment Book coupon), my wife and I decided to try Philadelphia Tavern today for lunch. Great place! Â We both started with one of the Sunday (til 1pm) drink specials -- good sized and spicy bloody Mary's. We both ordered the cheese steaks with fries. Best cheese steaks we've had -- anywhere in NoVa! Â Our order came out quickly and even though it was just a cheese steak, it was nicely presented on a plate with some fantastic fries and a pickle wedge. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We don't get to Manassas often but we might now!
Review Source:I discovered this place as a result of an invitation from a friend who is also a local artist. Â I met her and two other girlfriends from work there and have been there on my own at least three times. Â I find the waiters and everyone very attentive and nice. Â There is a wide range of food, and good beer on draft. Â I have been there and caught a Giants game- seems to be a good place if you don't want to deal with a packed house and juvenile customers. Â The last time I was there was right after standing outside all day in the heat at the Romney Rally. I left the rally with just enough time before the crowd broke and sat at the bar and had nice conversations with a couple set of people. Â Great place. Â If you go on a weekend or after 5, park at the commuter lot a block away and forgo the parking garage, it will be a pleasant departure.
Review Source:The best Cheese Steak in Manassas!
Notice, I didn't say Old Town, I said the whole city!
After a great family weekend watching the Panthers dismantle the Redskins, our group of five decided on a cheese steak dinner.
James was scheduled to take the 730p train to the CLT so we were able to dine well and be close to the train station...though  Amtrak  was a half hour late.
A great meal and great service from April
This is a fantastic Cheese Steak, it just does not get better outside of Philly.
The clam chowder is excellent as well.
The only disappointment was the 'sell' of the draught Hofbrau Haus brew...only to learn they were out.
This place is charming and has high-quality food for the prices they charge. The setting is warm and comfortable, and the staff are friendly. I had fish & chips and my friends had sandwiches, and we argued over whose fries were better (fish & chips come with wedge fries, sandwiches come with skinny fries - both are great).
This is a good place for a snack and a drink after a day of canvassing.
Nice little bar in old town, Manassas. The Reuben was hearty, there was a good amount of corned beef. The waitstaff was very nice and accommodating on a Saturday night, walked in was sat immediately at the last available table. Two different waitresses attended to us, brought us everything we asked for in a timely manner.
Review Source:Just went there today with my wife and in-laws. I had the fish and chips. The food was pretty good. Everything cost a few more scheckels than I expected, but not horrible.
I will not be beating the door down to go back, but it was good food for what it was.
The waiter seemed to have all kinds of stories and sit upon a throne of lies.
Had heard great things about The Tavern and were finally able to visit for the first time while in town last night. We really liked the varied menu with lots of great choices. We were impressed with the quality of the food and the great service. Every person we met, from kitchen staff and bartenders to servers and food runners/busers to regular patrons was very kind and friendly. Owners Kari and Mark are the best! They genuinely want every experience at The Tavern to be a positive one. Great place for meeting friends or enjoying a meal with family!
Review Source:Love it here, not too expensive. One of the last Mom and Pop shops left in Manasty. The root beer is on tap, might be the greatest non alcoholic drink ever. I personally suggest the following off the menu in no particular order.
1) Cheese steak w/ fries and wiz on the fries.
2) The Italian Hoagie.
3) The mussels.
4) The baked brie
5) The meatloaf.
6) Crab dip.
7) The burgers.
8) The crab legs
9) Monday taco nights.
Well this is my first review ever! Â And sadly it is negative. Â Now that I am signed up I will surely write some positive ones too. Â However, I just can't help but be upset with this place. Â My husband and I have been here a few times in the past. Â The food is always just OK, not great, but passable. Â Our food today was actually quite good. Â When we arrived we sat down as there was nobody to seat us. Â We finally got a waitress to come over several minutes later with menus. Â Part of the reason we don't come back that often is that for the area it is extremely overpriced. Â But today they just outdid themselves. Â My husband and I ordered beer and it was happy hour (actually a decent deal). Â We ordered 2 root beers for our daughters. Â Had our food and got the bill. Â We of course knew the sandwiches were overpriced but was amazed to find that they charged $3.75 per kids drink!!!! Â Even in the heart of NYC they would never charge $3.75 for a soft drink. Â At first we weren't going to say anything and then I thought I am never coming back, I want to know how they think this is a decent price. Â I asked the waitress who said that the root beer comes from a keg and is very expensive. Â I said that would have been nice of you to tell us when we ordered one each for our daughters making their two drinks $10 with tax and tip!!! Â INSANE!!! Â Anyways there is tons of competetion in the area with great service, prices and food. Â I say if you are thinking of visiting...take your business elsewhere!!!
Review Source:This is a difficult review for me. Â Part of me really loves this place. Â The atmosphere feels like Pa, and I grew up in central Pa and went to college in eastern Pa. Â The atmosphere largely reflects the original owner, who was from Philly. Â The current owner is from Fairfax. Â He's basically kept the food and atmosphere the same. Â In fact, part of me feels like the food may even be better. Â The staff (especially behind the bar) are very friendly. Â But I have to knock off a star because the owner is the epitome of obnoxious. Â In small doses, this is ok and can almost seem Phillyesque. Â But on some nights, he's in rare form and dominates the atmosphere; sometimes oblivious to the fact that families frequent his establishment. Â He also seems negative towards Manassas, which makes me wonder why he chose to live and own a bar here. Â He can be very friendly, but may be overwelmed with the responsibilities and opportunties that come with being the proprietor of this type of establishment.
That being said, the food is fantastic for bar food, and well priced. Â The burgers are large and juicy, with mouth watering grilled onions. Â The fries are crispy, tasty...almost started tearing up. Â Meatball sub is good, italian sub is huge. Â Wings are quality, fried to a crisp and tasty sauce. Â Jalapeno poppers are some of the best I've had. Â Great nightly specials as well (eg. 0.50 wings or $5.00 burgers). Â
Decent selection of beer on tap. Â I love guiness. Â For some reason the guiness tastes better than average here; don't know if its psychological, intentional, or a divine intervention. Â Just added Yards pale ale, which is a great pale ale. Â Better on tap then bottle, but great either way. Â Manassas bars lack much interesting selection in beer...hence the strange euphoric celebration recently about stella artois at the tavern and the confused question of "what's a yards?" with the probably pointless explanation of...well it's a microbrew from Pa.....
People are crazy, and this is definitely the case if you belly up to the bar. Â So, do that and soak it all in. Â Actually, I'm thinking I might have to do some more research at the Philadelphia Tavern.
"There are RAW vegetables on my veggie hoagie?!" Â That was my vegetarian Aunt here a few years ago after a disastrous run in with this joint. Â Luckily I learned her lesson and steer clear of the veggie hoagie.
We come for the atmosphere to have a relaxing, comfortable bite to eat and beer. Â We enjoy their fish entree, philly steak sandwich, and crab dip.
Best lunch in Manassas. Â I don't go to Philly tavern much in the evening, but I get lunch here a time or two a week. Â In addition to their excellent cheese steaks they have excellent daily lunch specials. Â Today I had their pot roast, which was delicious.
The only thing that keeps me from giving them a full five stars is that they don't dry their vegetables before putting them on sandwiches and salads. Â This makes their sandwiches a little soggy, and the dressing doesn't stick to their salads.
The couple of times I have been there in the evenings, they had cheap beer, and good mixed drinks. Â Unlike a couple of nearby places, you can't smoke in Philly Tavern, because they don't have a separately ventilated smoking section.
3.5 Stars
Before I begin this review, I need to make two things very clear.
1) Like their sports, Philly people take their cheese steaks seriously.
2) I'm quite OFFENDED by the reviewer that called the cheese steak a "steak 'n cheese sub" Â I shudder at the sheer combination of those words.
I first found out about this place I believe from Washingtonian magazine. Â It had mentioned how the owners are from Philly and wanted to bring authentic Philly "cuisine" to Northern Virginia.
As a Philly native myself, I was very excited to come and try it. Â And what better to test their Philadelphia cooking but to try a cheese steak! Â Now anyone from Philadelphia knows that what MAKES a cheese steak is the ROLL. Â The menu had mentioned the rolls come from Amoroso Bakery - GOOD START!!! Â As I waited for my cheese steak to arrive, I heard the familiar sounds of the chef in the back dicing up the steak on a flat grill. Â Don't bother springing an extra dollar for the fries. Â The chips here are excellent. Â They are homemade and sort of thick cut (as the best way to describe them) and seasoned well.
As for the cheese steak, the roll was perfect. Â The steak and cheese were the part that were slightly disappointing. Â The cheese steak felt "weak" to me. Â As in, there wasn't that much meat inside. Â Or cheese. Â It needed more. Â The cheese steak is a "fat" sandwich. Â It just needed more.
On a side note, I did try the chili which is supposedly made with Yuengling (Can't get much more Philly than that) Â The cup is HUGE. Â It's really a good deal on the chili and tastes good.
In all, this is pretty darn close to the real deal. Â I've never been here for an Eagles game but I'd be inclined to come back over the summer or especially the fall when the Phillies make the playoffs again. :)
So I have been to the tavern a few times since the smoking ban and the environment is so much better. Unfortunately the cheesesteaks were going down hill due to using a lot of oil or something. I went back tonight and the good news is that the cheesesteaks are as good as they have ever been. Perfect crunchy, yet soft roll, perfectly seasoned and cooked steak. PT is back on my must list and I'd definitely recommend another shot if you tried it during the smoking days.
Review Source:YES! Â YES! Â YES! Â YEEESSSS!!!!
After a long, long search and trying out many different places... I have FINALLY found a pretty near spot on Philly Cheesesteak! Â This place has it and it is goooooood. Â The place even has a bit of a Philadelphia feel to the decor and such. Â It was quite cool. Â Growing up in good ol' Allentown, PA which is a mere hour north of Philly, I grew up eating good cheesesteaks, and taking numerous trips to Philly over the years, also had THE stuff there as well. Â I move down to DC and it's all lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheddar cheese, odd rolls, improper meat cuts, etc. etc. Â This place here...does it right for the most part.
Now, I will say they do offer the whole lettuce, tomato, mayo thing... but don't do it... don't do it. Â Get the cheesesteak with provolone cheese (or cheese wiz if you wish) and grilled onions. Â Then, ask for some marinara sauce on the side (because they don't list it as a topping option...which they SHOULD!) and then pour that on top of your delicious cheesesteak and enjoy a taste of heaven! Â The fries that come with it are quite good too. Â They served some good sweet tea with it as well which just added to the deliciousness of the experience.
Come here! Â Get a cheesesteak! Â Stat!!!
Oh, and as for the smoke concerns, now that VA is non smoking... there is no smoking in the place. Â So those of you that were put off by the dense cigarette smoke... it is now nonexistent.
Located in Downtown Manassas I went with my brother and mother. I had purchased the entertainment book online and used a coupon for this place.
The philly sandwiches are really good and they give you A LOT!
Since its also a bar, the place smelled a little smokey but it wasn't so bad I couldn't eat there.
The staff there could be a little more friendly but she wasn't rude by all means.
They have great specials if you go there to drink. Buckets of beer for $5 is pretty cheap!
If I go back to visit my brother I will definately be going back.
If your looking for an authentic philly cheese steak look no further. Â According to my waitress the place recently got new menus made and updated the options for cheese steak. Â Cheese steak purists will be disappointed to see that nontraditional items are offered. Â Wanting the real experience I went "wid with" meaning onions and cheese, opting for the cheese wiz. Â The ribeye is cooked perfectly with the onions and cheese and then the gooey concoction is loaded up into the perfect sub roll and topped with another shot of cheese. Â And THE RUMORS ARE TRUE, they truck their rolls down from Philadelphia. Â I had read that somewhere and asked my server. Â She specifically didnt know but asked the boss man. Â They do indeed ship in real Amoroso's rolls from philly for these cheese steaks. Â A detail that separates the real deal from the pretenders.
Fortunately for me no one was smoking in the bar. Â The is possibly the easiest way to ruin a meal for me. Â I guess the smoking crowd doesnt like to come out 11 am on a Saturday. Â I'll have other opportunities to see the smoke issue as i will be going back for my cheese steak fix, even if i have to get it to go
The place itself is narrow, but cozy. Â The staff was super nice and you feel like everyone may actually know everyone else in there. Â I almost forgot to mention, the chesse steak came with fries, they were the twice fried kind, not my personal favorite but still good, crispy outside soft hot inside. Â And I ordered ice tea which was surprisingly great. Â I dont think its that often that i remember ice tea after leaving a place. Â
On the strength of the cheese steak alone i'm going with 4 stars. Â If i can convince myself to order anything else I'll be back to update my rating. Â I did overhear some other patrons raving about the chicken noodle soup.
I'd agree with the previous reviewer Carl D. - the Steak n' Cheese Subs are excellent!
However, from my perspective - the place has a problem. If you love smoking and cigarette smoke - you will love this place. But if you don't - you may not want to come back in here. There were a lot of people smoking at the bar. Even if you sit at the row of tables away from the bar - you won't escape the smoke - when I got home I had to change clothes and throw them in the washer to escape the odor.
The place has a long, narrow shape to it. While I was there, the Jukebox kept being fed with coinage and was playing 1970s/19080s classic rock hits Journey, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Feat, Peter Frampton, etc. I thought the music was a tad on the loud side. At least three flat panel HD screens hang in the place - each one was displaying a standard def channel: Â ESPN, ESPNews, and the Golf Channel. Of course they looked fuzzy - c'mon guys - if you are going to get flat panel HD sets - show HD channels! The Men's bathroom has a small flat panel TV over the commode - which was displaying ESPN.
My waitress was friendly - and efficient for the most part. I ordered the Steak n' Cheese steak sandwich platter - which is chopped rib eye - I added grilled onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers, provolone cheese, mayo, lettuce, and tomato, I ordered hot peppers on it - but you cannot order it that way - instead they'll bring you a tray with 3 compartments - sliced pickles, whole hot cherry peppers, and a pepper relish. I added a little of the pepper relish. Â The food came out in a reasonable amount of time - but without any hot peppers. I had to wave at the waitress from afar - she figured out immediately without my talking to her what I needed and she brought the hot pepper tray right out. Â I also had a glass of water, and a glass of Smithwick's beer.
You can also opt for either American cheese or Cheese Wiz instead of Provolone cheese on your sandwich.
Sandwich was tasty - steak was good, all the grilled veggies were yummy, the hoagie bread was perfect for this sub. The french fries were nice and crispy, and the dill spear was crisp and delicious.
5 stars for the food - 1 star for the smoke, noise, and environment. 3 stars overall.
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