Let me say up front that I only entered the upstairs bar and didn't try any food. So, for all I know, they might make a tasty burger, but I'll never return to find out.
A friend and I who hadn't seen one another for a couple years were looking for someplace in Doylestown to catch up. I like craft beer and he likes any beer, so we decided to try Stephanie's given that they present themselves as a bar for "beer geeks" (it even says so right on their cheesy coasters). The beer list on their website wasn't spectacular, but it had some interesting selections. The actual bar, not so much. In fact, as soon as he handed me their beer list, the bartender warned me that he was out of EIGHTEEN beers. Given that there were 31 beers on the list, that means nearly 60% OF THEIR TAPS WERE DRY!
Oh, well, we were already there. And Racer 5 was one of the few kegs that was still on line. Of course, when he delivered my pint, I learned that it was $8. To put that in perspective, on a per-ounce basis, that's about 3.5 times the retail bottle cost. If you were to calculate the per-ounce cost based on the cost of a keg on a commercial account, I'm willing to bet their mark-up is more like 6-8X. I later decided to switch to Founders Breakfast Stout .... oops, make that NINETEEN dead taps (we've now crossed the 60% mark). He added that the only stout or porter still flowing was Guinness -- what is this, Applebees? Actually, no, because I suspect Applebee's prices their wares much more fairly than Stephanie's does. So, I gritted my teeth and settled for another $8 Racer 5.
Well, maybe I was paying for the lovely atmosphere, right? Well ... no. The 10 or so TVs scattered around the place all had the same hockey game on, all with the sound turned up loud enough to make conversation difficult, but possible. I suppose I should have counted my blessings, however, because not much later some chucklehead with a Mr. Microphone cranked to 11 began blithering about trivia questions and conversation did become impossible. The thing is, there were only six of us in the bar (gee, I wonder why) and only 3 people seemed even marginally interested in playing this nimrod's game, and they were all seated at a table FIVE FEET AWAY FROM HIM. Yet, he still apparently needed a PA system cranked to the max to add to the "fun." it was at this point, I finished up and left.
On the plus side, our bartender seemed like a nice guy. Still, would it have killed him to knock a buck or two off my second pint to acknowledge that they were basically running a bait-and-switch operation at this point?
All things considered, judged by their self definition as a beer geek bar, Stephanie's can only be considered an EPIC FAIL.
We were randomly walking through town on a Friday night looking for a drinking establishment. We found this place, and thought for sure it was going to be another douchebag sports bar with shitty beer.
We were so pleasantly surprised to find a super friendly bartender, an amazing beer selection (including three Michigan beers to cure my homesickness!), and decent bar food.
We were a little confused, as there seemed to be a club in the basement with scantily clad women filing in as it got later. We weren't brave enough to check that out, but the main floor pub is definitely worth a look if you're a beer fan.
This place is terrible. Filled with underage kids. Â Don't waste your time. Â And I agree with the last post. Â They'll kick you out for any reason that feel like- and by that I mean physically assault you while shoving you out. Â And the bartender lost my credit card that I had used to open a tab. Â This place should stop trying to be what they're not.
Review Source:I was torn between giving Stephanie's a 3 or 4 star but ended up with 3...here's why:
Pros:
-VIP card: my husband and I have been VIP members since they started offering it. We love that this card will get us discounts on drinks and food plus other random perks.
-Great selection of beers...over 30 on tap plus many, many more bottled. I love their take-out/buy by the bottle shop too.
-Great location...downtown Doylestown!
-Pretty decent food. When ordering off the menu, the food has been good, but read below in the Con's section for another perspective on the food.
Cons:
-Inconsistent levels of service: over the years (yes, we've been going to Stephanie's for over five years), I have noticed a steady decline in the quality of servers at Stephanie's. When we first start going, the bartenders were knowledgeable about the beers and very friendly...my kinda place. Lately, they seem to be uninterested and do not know much at all about beer. A bummer for a place with suck variety.
-Bouncers are not friendly at all: I don't know why some bouncers feel they have to be rude and act all tough guy to do their jobs...REALLY not necessary for the friendly regular coming in for a beer or two.
-Late night food is awful: they started offering pizza late night so we gave it a try once...really awful. Don't waste your time with it if you're craving something greasy after a night of drinking...just go across the street to Baked on Main for late night pizza (that's actually good)
-Identity crisis: on the weekends, I never know what to think of Stephanie's. The bar I love is upstairs, but then there's a dance party/club going on downstairs in the basement. And now they even have a martini bar. I just feel like they are straying away from what their good at and what made them popular to begin with.
Over the years, I've gone to Stephanie'[s less and less but what keeps me popping my head in here and there is their beer selection and decent food. If they could focus more on customer service and figure out what kind of bar they want to be, I'd become a regular again.
This place is declining. I don't know about the downstairs dance/pool/scamming area since I haven't been down there since it was Kelly's but the upstairs needs some help.
They used to have a jukebox they took it out and play really bad music channels. Lots of Journey.
Ray the bartender was my favorite and he's gone now. He KNEW about beer so you could ask him about different ones and he'd recommend something. Sometimes they have girls working the bar who know nothing about the beer and the beers I always want aren't available even though they are on the menu.
I will consider going back because their selection is pretty good-but it could be AWESOME, like it was in 2008. Also, the side beer store is OVERPRICED to the point of laughing out loud.
My first trip to Stephanie's was good enough to warrant a second trip (but mediocre enough not to inspire a review, you see).
The second trip...oh dear, the second trip.
Our server took our drink order and delivered rather quickly. Then someone else took our food order. I asked for raw onions on my burger, and I could tell he didn't understand what I said. But instead of asking, he just scribbled something down. So I told him again. "Oh! Raw onions!" Confirmed.
Our food came (after a long wait), and it was good. Quite good, actually.
By this time, we were all ready for refills (and additional water). But we were out of luck. We actually never saw any servers ever again. Not once. All night. (One of my companions said that our original server was standing at the bar, staring into space the whole time.)
We actually had to ask the bartender for our check, and also had to give it back to him when paying (we needed change for the tiny tip we were leaving).
I was curious about the dance parties they throw in the basement, so I asked the bouncer (I think that's what he was...) what kind of music they played. He started to answer, but immediately got distracted by a cute girl at the bar and walked away to talk to her.
Just sayin': If I leave a bar thirsty, then someone was not doing their job. The two stars are specifically for the quality of the food at this place.
I was brought in here with some friends who lived in the area. Â They said it had good beer and I needed to kill some time before catching my train. Â Entering the bar was a bit off putting, we were all carded and given wrist bands (I know I look over 21). Â The bar is decked out in sports memorabilia, though then you notice brewery signs on the wall as well, "Great Lakes", "Chimay", and other Belgian and microbrew names. Â This place has a serious identity crisis. Â However, the beer was awesome, they had 2 Unibrou's on tap, Chimay and plenty of American microbrew. Â Honestly most underage kids couldn't afford this stuff though I think there was a Coors tap for the sports fans. Â I think there were about 20-25 taps total and I could easily become a regular if I lied in the area.
Review Source:Although you would not guess it as you step in and are given a wrist ban upon ID check, Stephanie's has a fantastic beer selection! Â I was thrilled to find a few selections from Ommegang and Unibroue on tap. Â I did go on a Friday night when it was busy, so service was a bit slow, but for the most part it was a positive experience. Â I will definitely make it a point to stop in here next time I am in Doylestown.
Review Source:We started going to Stephanie's recently, (the upstairs sports bar portion) and have been back several times, and it's quickly becoming one of our in-town favorites. Â It's got a great atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff, and most importantly, excellent food. Â I've had the burgers and wings, and so far have been really, really happy with everything. Â The wings were probably the best I've had recently, plenty of meat and excellent flavor, although I've got to warn you, the "hot" wings actually are hot! Â My wife is a big fan of the goat cheese salad, to which she has them add grilled chicken. Â It becomes a meal in itself, it's a very generous portion.
The beer selection is excellent, and they're happy to bring out samples so you can figure out which one to go with. Â (if you like IPAs, try the Bear Republic Racer 5 or Hop Rod) Â We've also gone to the "Beer Geeks" take-out side, where they have something like 300 beers to choose from. Â Only issue with that side is sometimes they have trouble keeping the more popular craft beers in stock. Â It's an excellent way to try out new beers, although some of them can be pretty expensive, even with the 10% discount on the six packs.
Stephanie's has quickly become my favorite spot for a relaxing lunch or evening. Â The place has it all. Â Very friendly owners who have hired a great staff that are friendly and honest. Â If a beer is going bad they'll let you know. Â If you need access to WIFI, they have the code. Â Looking for a new beer or drink to try and they'll make a recommendation, give you a sip and let you decide. Â Takeout beer selection is great too if you want choices beyond a six pack of Bud (which they don't have out of principle).
Food is good too. Â Last time I had their veggie burger, which was made fresh to order. Â Other favorites include the salad, mac and cheese, and burger. Â All portions as other reviewers have mentioned are generous and can be shared.
Looking to party? Â Downstairs has a mix of live music and DJs most nights. Â Slightly younger crowd, but the same friendly experience.
Only thing that is missing is an outdoor deck, which I don't expect to ever happen. Â Too bad. Â Otherwise this place would be nearly perfect, but for now it is as good as it gets!
Update: Â Stephanie's just opened up a new takeout side of their restaurant/bar. Â You can come in, sit down, and have a bite to eat or place your order and take the food to go!
They have a really nice selection of SINGLE beers to go. Â I picked up 9 belgian beers and 3 other hard to find domestics! Â They give you a 10% discount if you buy a 6 pack or more. Â I'll DEFINITELY be back here to try out new beers w/o having to buy a case due to the stupid PA alcohol laws.
I asked if the Stephanie's Beer Geek/Mug Club card works for takeout and they said it'll work on food but not for the takeout beer.
As always, Stephanie's is open late every day so get in there already! Â I've upped my review to 5 stars for Stephanie's because this is just another great way to get awesome beer and their selection of single bottles is the best in the area!
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