Varga bar is amazing and one of my favorite gastropubs ever. I liked every dish we ordered and how they had many tasty-sounding beers on tap (duh).
Here are a few dishes my friends and I had:
1) jumbo lump cheese fries - jumbo lump crab, white cheddar, parmesan, truffle oil
2) duck confit chicken wings - pomegranate molasses-bourbon-chili sauce, housemade bleu cheese, celery
3) varga salad - watermelon, arugula, warm feta, mint, shaved red onion, white balsamic vinaigrette, toasted pepita
4) kobe beef sliders - applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized shallots, boursin, onion rings, smoked paprika aioli
Everything was yummy/flavorful and I bet most of the items we didn't have were good as well. Service was great and our whole experience was smooth.
This is one of those places where I feel like I have a lot to say, but simple this place overshoots my expectations and I was a happy customer. If you happen to be in Philadelphia, you should visit if you're a gastropub fanatic. I think any place that has hand-pumped taps are notable. Beware though, hand-pumped taps usually means room temperature beer (like how the Brits drink).
We were here on a Saturday night (7/6) for drinks only, it was past 10pm and we all had dinner already. But tell me why the waitress decided to give us such a terrible attitude even though we ordered at least 6 drinks for 4 of us? She rolled her eyes, talk in such a snotty tone, and even gave us a terrible look as we left. I have never seen such a degrading attitude in the service industry! I was confused as to what was going on, but my friends pointed out it was probably because we didn't order FOOD. Srsly? We drank and laughed it off, but seriously we will never come back here if we're ever in town. I cannot believe we gave her a tip. Even if you're having a bad day, don't put it out on your customers. The hostess who led us inside was friendly though, so I'm not trying to make it seem like all the workers here have that kind of attitude.
The drinks were okay, I had hard lemonade (?) and it was eh, didn't even taste the alcohol. My bf had 3 rounds of sangria which was okay but for some reason he loved it. Small bar/dining area in the inside, with chairs/tables available outside. Great location, just unfortunate we were stuck with a snotty waitress.
Came here with friends at around 11:30 at night for some drinks. Waitress was incredibly rude to us because we didnt order a full on dinner service. Given that this is a bar/restaurant and the time we came at, that hardly warrants such a negative, unprofessional attitude towards your customers. There werent any lines out the door and the restaurant was hardly packed so I don't know what her beef was. She made us feel incredibly uncomfortable with her eyerolls and snarks so I will not be coming here anymore. Drinks were good though just not the service. Heck service might be good - it could've been just my waitress.
Review Source:Having never been to Varga before Philly Beer Week 2013, I decided that I would really make a splash and go four times in the six nights I went out. This worked out so well that, when presented an opportunity to complete a participant observation exercise for a grad school class, I opted to observe the Varga patrons and staff instead of the local coffee shop. Here is what I turned in to my professor (I got an A).
I visited Varga Bar at 5:30pm-6:20pm Thursday, June 6th, 2013. It was overcast with a few drizzles outside, but not enough to prevent folks from dining al fresco. The outside looks clean and is maintained nicely (impressive considering the white brick). I imagine that some folks are drawn in simply because of the appearance. The open-window style is very appealing, and the fact that people were sitting outside despite the slight drizzles shows that it's clearly a hot spot to be.
Varga Bar seems to be a "cool" spot for families, young professionals, local beer aficionados, and everyone in between. They have a great deal during happy hour, and the space is comfortable and kitschy with the whole pinup theme. The staff definitely seems to have a solid relationship with each other, giving a friendly vibe to the establishment before you even interact with anyone. Â The crawfish boil experience, while not novel or new to me (since I've been living in the South for a while), seemed to draw in a number of people wanting to try something new, and I saw faces both light up and look very confused when the crocks were brought to their table. Philly Beer Week can bring people to new locations that they might not usually visit otherwise and that may also have been breathing some new life into the happy hour period of time. It was a comfortable scene, and one that I plan on recreating soon (though hopefully without the notepad and pen).
The inside was very comfortable though, at times, a tight squeeze for the employees to get past the patrons (always at the expense of the employees comfort/time, though, never an issue for the patrons). There were paintings of pinup girls on the ceiling and a few posters on the walls, and it had a very put-together feel, the whole restaurant/bar going along with the theme. The kitchen's location was unobtrusive to all but maybe the very last booth in the back, and even then only when the servers were bringing things back. The lighting was definitely more "bar" like than simply restaurant, without being dingy but definitely a little dimmer than I'd expect from a mere restaurant.
The employees all seemed to fit into the at-times-cramped space and move like a well-oiled machine. There were no arguments that I overheard, and no complaints from the customers regarding timing or service. I think that this was not a normal night at Varga due to the crawfish boil taking place. However, I noticed with the friendly atmosphere and comfort that many patrons seemed to have that it felt like "business as usual". As it was Philly Beer Week, it's likely that there were more people there for beer than food, though a number of folks seemed drawn in by the novelty of the crawfish. Stopping by around happy hour, I was bound to come across all different types of people from post-work relaxers to families to buddies just grabbing a drink and starting the weekend off early. I thought it was funny that the one person I observed eating a meal from start to finish took a photo of his food, because I definitely caught a number of other people doing the same thing.
Good beer selection. Â Drinks my party had were just ok. Â Food was excellent. Crab fries were great. Â In my party, we had a turkey burger, veggie burger, short rib sandwich, and the baby back ribs. Everyone said they enjoyed everything. Â I look forward to coming back and enjoying the outdoor seating.
Review Source:Finally made it here after bookmarking it well over a year ago. Â Worth the wait. Â I love the decor inside. Â Makes the restaurant stand out among others. Â Came for brunch and didn't really know what to expect menu-wise, but I was happy to find that there was an even amount of breakfast and lunch options. Â I went with the grilled ribeye and eggs, which was seasoned well and cooked exactly as requested. Â The amount of rosemary was a tad strong, but overall it was a very tasty dish. Â I also tried a bite of the kobe burger, which tasted pretty good. Â Sipped on the mango-jalapeno margarita, which was interesting - I would only really recommend it to those who enjoy legitimate spicy tasting drinks. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Review Source:Highly recommend! Â This is definitely a g-back-to-place for me. Â
I think I found my favorite snack place. Â Here is everything we got:
Truffle mac and cheese with bacon - it was so good! Â It was topped with bits of truffle too and was really cheesy. Â They put mascarpone cheese in it!
Crab lump fries - I am not crazy about crab, but this was a winner too. Â It was shoe string fries topped with this melted cheeses with crab.
Fish (shark) tacos - spicy and delicious!  It's a  must try!
Buck a shuck special - the oysters were huge! Â It also came with this vinaigrette that I also liked. Â
You should also try their homemade ketchup!
Our server (Dan, I believe) was great. Â He was swift and attentive. Â We never had to get his attention because he got to it before we did. Â It's as if he were psychic.
A great place to sit and drink a beer outside (they have an extensive menu and some beer cocktails!), but the food is mediocre bar food at best. Â You can tell as soon as you read the menu; nothing was inventive, and it was all pretty heavy. Â We had the half baked chicken and the spinach salad with blue cheese, cashews, and bacon. Â Our waitress was friendly, although the food took awhile to come out as did the bill.
Review Source:I only had drinks - no food. The bartender was fast but not overly friendly or talkative.
They have a lot of beer selections! I drink beer but I was in the mood for a stronger
cocktail so I opted for one of their many 'Beer Cocktail' selections. I ordered 'Beast of Burden' ($9.50) and really liked it! It was a refreshing mixed drink made of Pilsner, vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. It was smooth and easy to drink. I recommend this if you like beer and vodka! Â However, I think it was on the pricey side but in this section of the city that is expected.
The atmosphere is kind of like a lounge atmosphere because it's small and the lighting is dark. There were a lot of people dinning outside on the sidewalk while I was there too. I'd like to go back for their food because after reading the reviews it sounds like it is worth a try.
We stopped by here for brunch on a Saturday, because whenever we walk by this place, it is always packed. Â We were lucky to get a seat outside. Â And things were looking good. Â The brunch menu had a good variety of options and the cocktails looked good. Â However, our enjoyable experience ended there. Â It took the one waiter they had working over a half an hour to take our order. Â And, I am convinced the only reason he did so was because I went inside and asked the host.
The food was solid, nothing too special.  I had the turkey and Brie sandwich, with fries.  It was a good size and the fries were thin and not too crispy.  I enjoyed the house made ketchup.  My girlfriend got the eggs Benedict, which was served over bacon and sautéed spinach.  The dish had a nice garlicky flavor added to the spinach.
Overall, the meal took us over an hour for two simple dishes, no drinks, and coffee. I'll definitely go back  for drinks and apps on a day I want to lounge and relax, but I would not recommend going if you are expecting a relatively quick and painless branching experience.
A solid dining & drinking experience but nothing to write home about. Varga's specialty drafts and imports are fantastic (if maybe a little over-priced), but the food is what you' d expect from a mid-range bar. I found the service to be friendly, although the restaurant experience varies from intimate to casual and lively based on when you choose to visit--
Great for casual get-togethers or more intimate dates/evenings out.
I've been here many times for drinks over the past few years, but I had a lovely dining experience here on Friday night.
1. Awesome beer. Just awesome. Beer list doesn't have prices, though - which bothers me. Don't want to get stuck with the $9 beer!
2. Truffle Mac n Cheese is fantastic, and the portion is huge. We shared between 3 people.
3. Pork taco app is really good, though a little oily. There are 3.
4. Sandwiches were good too!
5. They have fun events, tap take overs, block party for beer week, beer dinners, etc.
I saw some Yelp reviews and decided to check this place out. With our great luck of the day, we ended up running into their block party! Great beer selection offered and it was fun that they had a grill outside and blasting music to enjoy in damn hot sun. I'm certainly coming back on a normal night.
Review Source:Went to the Varga bar over beerfest for the street festival on Saturday. The pinup artwork/decore which was the main reason we picked the venue was cool and well done but left us a little underwhelmed, like watching a comedy where you see all the good one liners in the previews.
That being said the tap selection was decent and varied well, even if a little over priced and the staff was knowledgeable when free and not swamped from the foot traffic that day. I'm not certain you could get three people behind the bar there but it would have helped them a ton.
One of my friends I had gone with tried to pay by card, and within 50 seconds of handing it over the bar staff had misplaced it. Took about 30 mins but after searching through garbage cans and all over the place behind the bar itself it finally manifested. We kinda expected a comp on the drinks which never came, but they were very apologetic.
All in all a fair experience at best but I think beerfest had a big part to do with it.
I really love this place. Great drinks, great food, great outdoor seating. They have a great selection of food and are willing to make accommodations for you if need be. For the most part I have never experienced poor service here... I have always had pretty good service for how crowded it always is... if you are claustrophobic or on a first date, probably best to avoid this spot. Try the wings.
Review Source:I used to love going to varga when I lived very close by. I decided to go back on Saturday, and I was so disappointed! First of all, it was a Saturday night at 7:30, and there were many empty tables--I was surprised. Â
Next, our waitress was--distant. Â She basically threw down what we ordered and moved on with her day. She asked us how everything was as she kept walking by our table. It was really bizarre. I am not sure what we did to peeve her, but she seemed to be rather happy talking to her friends at a nearby table and watching the hockey game with her fellow waiters and waitresses at the bar. I guess we were in the way of her fun!
Lastly, my turkey burger came out rather rare (like the color of the Yelp banner red). I couldn't find our waitress so I flagged down a waiter, who asked me to pick the burger up and put it on a plate for him. It was really strange--I don't send food back often--but I think they should have probably just taken the whole plate. Of course, our cheery waitress came by and interjected "What's wrong?" As if I deliberately undercooked the burger to make her mad.
Overall-meh. Not sure I'll be jealous anymore when I walk by and see people sitting at the outdoor tables. Not sure I'll go back. Sad!
I love trying different places in the city during the warm months that have outdoor seating. This is DEF a plus about Varga. They have a good amount of tables outside and all the windows open. I went on a Sunday for Brunch and they had a good amount of both breakfast and lunch options which can sometimes be hard to find. I enjoyed all the food and my experience. The service however was terrible. When you have bad service it changes your entire outlook on the place. We had to wait to even get water. I am happy I did not leave and would like to go back but hope the service improves!
Review Source:We were looking for a great burger spot on a Saturday with the kids. Varga fit the bill and some! The kids absolutely loved the burgers, and the service was tremendous. The beer selection is 2nd to no one, and my wife's berry cocktail was a hit. We have been back a few times since the 1st visit (sans the kids) and everything always has been great.
Review Source:I went for a late brunch or lunch on Sunday. There was no line and the two of us got seated really quick.
The kobeburger i got was perfectly cooked medium rare. and the meat is SO thick and juicy. Abundant fresh stuff inside the burger. with pretty good (but nothing unique) fries on the sides. Comes with some kind of sweat bbq sauce which you can choose to put on your burger (I'm not sure if the waitress just gave it to us or if the sauce normally comes with the burger).
My friend got the crab omelette. I didn't try her dish but it was her second time getting it. She replaced her roasted potatoes with french fries.
Our waitress was great. Checked up on us often, filled our water when it needed to be, didn't rush us for the check, was very kind to explain the menu and give her opinion, got me hot sauce (i asked for it when i ordered it) when the burger  came out.
One thing I was annoyed by was the small space. My back was facing the back of another customer, and everytime someone had to go through between us, I had to scrunch myself towards the table (when I already was kinda scrunched) or get up from the chair and let ppl in.
I will go back to Varga anytime, but the reason I'm giving 3 stars is because I know there are better places with burgers and omelettes in the city.
TERRIBLE SERVICE.
When we asked for a drink menu, we were told by the waitress that it was too busy, and she couldn't provide one...WTF?
Ordered food...one of the dinners isn't brought out, were told it will be out in  2 minutes...25 minutes later-after everybody else has finished their food and drinks, the missing meal finally comes out.
After a short discussion with the manager-we are informed we will not be charged for the excessively late plate...but it still shows up on the bill... along with multiple drinks that we never ordered. Â
Nobody was happy.
People seem to like this place...but I cannot figure out why after this experience.
There is a lot to like about Varga Bar, including the following:
1) outdoor seating: this is seriously one of the best places to hang out at during the warmer months. The outdoor tables may even offer more space than the indoor tables, which are a little tightly packed
2) beer list: awesome. They have a huge chalkboard with a list of amazing crafts. I love that they often have creative takes on the Yards Love Stout. When I was there last, they had a habanero love stout. They made you taste it before they would sell you a whole pint because it was so hot! I freaking loved it. It was one of the best beers I've ever had.
3) food: I recommend the kobe burger. It's a nice size and a good value at $12 or so. I found it to be very tasty and filling.
Things I think they could improve:
1) in the dining room, some of the tables are impossibly close together. I felt like we were all celebrating the birthday of the person at the table next to us. "Happy birthday, blonde girl! Can you pass the pepper when you're finished blowing out those candles? Thanks!"
2) Even though my friend recommended them, I did not care for the oysters here. I got a dozen during the buck-a-shuck happy hour, and one of them was pretty rank. The others were just OK. If you want oysters, go to Oyster House.
All around good place. Recommend.
I've been hearing about Varga bar from the boyfriend for a while now, so when he suggested we visit the place late on a Friday night, I jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, I had a bit of an upset stomach, so I will have to update this review later when I get back there.
The bar is tiny, but has some pretty cool decorations (pin-up models on the ceiling) and a classic vibe. The beer list is extensive and prices are pretty normal/a little on the high side. The food looked amazing (although the prices didn't look quite so wonderful) and I can't wait to come back to try the fries. In addition, they do sometimes have off-menu specials, like the Philly soft pretzel sticks that come with Wiz and hot mustard. We ended up ordering the pretzel sticks after consultation with the waitress, who recommended them for an upset stomach. They were soft and yummy, although the lighting is so dark that I mistook the hot mustard for yellow mustard and had a sinus-clearing ten seconds of spice.
Since the place is small, the servers aren't overwhelmed with tables-- my water glass was never empty and the waitress checked on us a lot (a little too often, if you ask me, because I just wanted to talk). But they aren't as meticulous as they should be-- when my boyfriend paid the $13 and change bill with a twenty, they brought us the dollar bills, but neglected to bring the correct coins along, too.
For the food alone, I'd give 4.5 stars. Â I stopped in on a Tue at 5:30pm. Â Wasn't busy, the host was nice, the waitress was pleasant, the food runner too. Â All three seemed a bit detached, were professional, not aloof, but didn't do anything that made me feel particularly comfortable. Â I was a single diner, I think I was low-stakes for them and because the place was nearly empty, they weren't into any kind of groove. Â Some staff are skilled to the point that they are more adaptable and able to connect with a customer in most any phase of their day. They could have asked if I'd been there before, just something to make a connection. I put out good energy, am polite, clear on what I want. Â Will tip quite well (25-30%) if someone makes an effort. Â
Overall vibe of Varga is urban professional (Yuppie), definitely hetero, but gay friendly.
I liked the waitress but was a bit uncomfortable overall. Â She helped me pick a beer, I said I liked dark beer, but not too bitter, she recommended and brought me the most bitter beer I think I''ve ever tasted--a mocha beer. Â I was fine with it, it wasn't bad and I can enjoy most anything. Â
Food was quite good--there's real skill in the kitchen. Â Chili took a few minutes to warm to--wasn't particularly spicy, but there was a lot of subtle flavor. Â Crab cheese fries are off the charts. Â Plenty of crab, tasty cheese sauce, crisp fries, home-made ketchup on the side. Â Relied more on flavors than on lots of oil, or butter, I'm always impressed when something is rich, but you don't come away feeling trashed or immobile. Â
They have an ice cream dessert with three flavors in a serving, each based on a breakfast cereal--I'll make another trip there to try this.
If you are looking for a cozy corner restaurant in Philly for a cocktail or perhaps a whole meal, this is your place.
Most recently had the turkey and warm Brie sandwich which did not fail to impress. Great burgers and the loaded crab fries are quite the indulgence. They have a long list of daily specials to keep things interesting, too. Â
The extensive beer and wine lists, vintage art work and the hum of folksy music under dim lighting make it a great place for any type of crowd.
It might be a tight squeeze on the weekends, but grabbing a table or seat at the bar on a weeknight is easier than you might think. Varga is a neighborhood favorite.
I LOVE this place! This is so very rare. It is the perfect American spot with some fresh twists (all that crab!). Â I had a girls brunch there and it was amazing. Definitely get the omelette with crab, boursin, and spinach! Â Absolutely delicious! We also split their blueberry pancake stack, which was the most amazing pancake I've had in a while. And if you are too full, you can always ask for the half stack!! They are very accommodating. Very unexpected!
I will definitely be back to dinner soon! Â Love love love!
Varga bar was not exactly what I was expecting, but it was solid. On a Saturday night we had no problem getting a table and the lack of a crowd made for a quiet night. The place is small-ish with a more bar atmosphere than restaurant atmosphere, and our server seemed to judge us ever so slightly for only ordering three appetizers between the two of us for dinner (even though it was dinner amount of food and dollar signs). Also, I wish they had a more extensive--or at least more varied--beer list: for those who gravitate toward Belgians or wheat beers or triples (re: not hops) you're doing to have a bit of a problem. I guess that's why there's wine, but with so many restaurants in Philly doubling as stellar beer bars it makes me wonder.
Now onto the positives. Brussssssellllllsss sprouts!!! Best Brussels sprouts I've ever had. Crispy layers on the outside, soft on the inside with their cooking juices mixed in. Damn. I could have eaten the whole huge bowl of them. The Kobe beef sliders were delicious and the perfect size. The bacon, carmelized shallots, and boursin on top made for a good combo, and their slider size meant ample toppings on each. Win. Also, the onion rings they came with were yum and a surprising accompaniment for an appetizer. The duck confit chicken wings were my least favorite of the three: pretty tasty, though I have to say the sauce was not for me. They did fall off the bone, though, and came with chunky bleu cheese dip and thin sliced celery sticks. Need another plus? The food came out unbelievably fast.
Overall I'd come back for just the Brussels sprouts, and maybe on a more happening night the atmosphere would be lively and fun. I sense a future upgrade in stars since their food really is good.
So it's not entirely authentic, but unless you can fly to London on a whim, the fish and chips at Varga is one of the best versions you'll find anywhere in our city. Â It's fried perfectly and the malt vinegar with it makes my heart sing. Â The fries aren't really chips (they're more like McDonald's fries to me), but they're good in their own right. Â And I still love the beer selection here. Â Make a point to stop here ASAP and get the brussels sprouts to go with your meal.
I will point out that I've never had service here that's head-over-heels amazing, but the food makes up for it and it's consistently good. Â This isn't another bar with crappy food.
This promised update to my Varga review is woefully overdue - especially since their awesome menu has turned it into a regular haunt for me.
I have now tried out most of their menu items, and am always pleased by the diversity of choices. Â Whether you're looking for a salad, a cheese plate, some bar snacks, a sandwich, or a proper sit-down meal, the seemingly small menu has options for everyone. Â They have great daily specials, and do a fabulous brunch menu ranging from egg white frittatas with mixed greens to caramelized banana french toast with chocolate, walnuts and syrup that would get you banned from the South Beach Diet for life. Â I have greatly warmed up to their ever-changing beer list since it always has at least one thing that makes me very happy.
Varga is another one of those spots that seems constantly packed, yet has a table available for me. Â I often stumble into more-than-expected fun here as well. Â A recent random Friday happy hour beer led to noticing signs that they were having a pajama party later that night. Â Showing up in my cozy flannels for a late dinner earned me access to super cheap beer specials, and the PJ-clad staff seemed to be having a lot of fun. Â During a late night snack stop in December, a random Santa clad bar crawl group made Varga their final stop, much to the delight of the patrons.
Random fun, good beers (and cocktails), and delicious diverse foods come together to make a very solid experience. Â Yay! Â I'm a fan.
My friend and I I had heard about the clam bake at Varga, so we wanted to go to check it out. We're definitely both food and beer people, he being more into the former and I the latter, but it was a great shared experience.
The steaming pot of seafood, the bottomless pieces of bread, and the whole experience did bring us some attention. We really kicked butt and it demanded observation. Varga's deliverance of the meal (ignoring the poor service) was excellent. Worth going again this summer just for that clam bake.
Onto the beer. As I've mentioned before, Varga's gimmick is that it serves American craft beer to the theme of pinup girls. Considering what they had on tap when I first went there, this time I was a bit disappointed. And it's not like having five double IPAs on tap is the worst thing ever--some places don't even have one--it just seems a bit excessive and ultimately hurts the experience. Furthermore, categorizing your beer list between "session golden," "session dark," "strong golden," and "strong dark" doesn't make much sense. On top of that, calling an American strong dark ale a session beer and then listing Russian River Damnation as a strong dark makes even less sense. But other than that, I should say that the beer list was good, even if the geek in me wasn't totally satisfied.
Here's what I ordered:
Started off with a Founder's Double Trouble a double IPA from the Michigan brewery. Pours lighter than expected in a smaller-than-desired goblet with a half-inch head and a hazy golden-orange color. Smells typical, some pine, citrus, with some notes of caramel. Delivers in taste the same. A nice low-alcohol taste with a strong caramel malt backbone, but that is grossly disguised by the citrus/pineapple hop presence. A complex beer, but certainly one seems to be a bit extreme on the hoppy end. It may require more discernment.
Lucky for me, I got my next order, Southamption Triple in a pint glass (but not a 16 oz. pint, to be sure). Small and disappearing head left me with some desire--almost no presence of lacing. It indicated to me that it had a sweet, thick body. And it did. True to its style, this New York triple is carried by a strong presence of apple and pear--and not by the spice that I associate with this style. A very good beer with minimal alcohol undertones, making it a good pairing for the meal (and was my main drink while I devoured the clambake). A great value from Southampton, I wish it would be available more often.
Finally, at Varga, my final drink was Oskar Blue's Gordon, another DIPA. Definitely an interesting choice of my part, considering the trajectory that my previous choices had me headed. Nevertheless, though cynical and critical of Oskar Blue's often (but love the fact that it cans its beers), because its beer tend to be obvious, the Gordon was the nicest beer I had all night. Similar to the Founder's (I have a hard time with distinguishing overhopped DIPAs), in its character, more clear with a bigger head and a darker color, though. Notes of flowers and citrus in the nose. Beefy enough to make me sip the beer and malty enough to make it actually drinkable, this is a well-crafted brew from Oskar Blue's. Nicely done.
What else hasn't been said already? 22 beers rotating on tap, and they are listed from light-dark on the menu for the beer-impaired. Yes!
Jumbo lump crab cheese fries. Truffle mac and cheese. Mussels and little neck clams with chorizo in sweet corn sauce. Everything else.
I like the crowd too. Not douchey, but laid back in a tad-more-than-casual atmosphere.
Came here just for the JUMBO LUMP CRAB CHEESE FRIES and was NOT disappointed. AMAZING. seriously. So decadent, but so worth it.
We went for brunch and actually ordered that as an brunchtizer but ended up eating most of it, and packing up half our brunch to go along with some of the fries. They're pretty big.
For brunch I got the arugula salad which was reealllly good and my friend got the pancakes with lemon ricotta and fruit. The pancakes were good, but once the lemon ricotta and fruit was gone they were pretty ordinary.
BUT GO FOR THE FRIES.
Even though it was 80 degrees, sunny, and we were sitting outside for brunch, my eyes kept drifting over to the grilled cheese and tomato bisque on the menu. Â Maybe it's because I know it's no longer officially summer and I was craving the comfort foods of fall, or maybe I just really wanted grilled cheese. Â Either way, I ordered that and the blood orange margarita.
The grilled cheese was perfect, crispy buttery bread with gruyere and fontina melted in between. Â It was great on it's own, but became other worldly when dipped into the tomato bisque. Â The bisque was so thick that when I shamelessly dragged my sandwich through it, you could see the trail left behind it. Â It was spiced nicely with fresh oregano and a tiny drizzling of truffle oil. Â And as always, the blood orange margarita (Miss October, I believe) was fantastic.
I've been here many other times for drinks and have always had a good time. Â My only complaint with the place is just how loud it gets inside, which is why I try to always sit outside. Â Other than that, Varga is a great bar to hang out with with great food and fun drinks.
Every time I go to/walk by this place, it's crazy busy...and for good reason! I've only ever had appetizers, but I love their hummus, pot o' pickles, fried pickles, and those wonderful sprouts. One of the best plates of roasted Brussels sprouts in the city. The beer list is long, the cocktails look really fun, and there is a LOT of outdoor seating.
The thing that really keeps me coming back, however, is the wonderful service. Even on days when you swear they don't have enough wait staff for the number of full tables, service is quick, friendly and funny, and never intrusive. Love!
Looking forward to trying their brunch some time soon.
Varga is the best beer bar in Center City. Â Monk's is great, but I think Varga has a consistently strong, rotating draft selection plus a hand pump for fresh cask ales. Â I visit about once a month at most if I want to have a good beer, talk to good people, and have a good happy hour. Â
The last time I visited, I tried their food for the first time. Â I had a special soft shell crab sandwich with fries. Â The fries had a great paprika flavor, but they were very very salty. The same goes for the sandwich. Â It was beer-battered and fried, but I couldn't taste the ingredients because of how salty it was. Â
But, let's be honest, you're probably not at Varga for the sandwiches. That's just a perk. You're there because you want a good beer or cocktail, and this place rarely fails to deliver on that end.
Know that awkward moment when you smile at a bartender and he looks at you very briefly with something that can only be defined as a snarl?
That was my last experience at Varga. I don't want to call this bartender inattentive, because that's not serious enough. I'm pretty sure he hated us and having to do anything for us. Which was confusing considering there were three lovely ladies dressed as pin-ups just trying to get some food, booze and pay him money.
One person in my party even tried getting a food menu from a hostess who then said that she couldn't provide us with one as the bartender had to. Really? You can't give us a menu? Ummm.....
The poor service was probably enough to turn me away for good.
I would suggest if you're going to insist on going that you try the brussel sprouts because they are perfect. The truffle mac and cheese is also a delight, but throw truffle in just about anything and I'll eat it.
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