Vino Volo

So long story short, I was stuck at PHL for a number of hours and was looking for a place to eat, drink, and relax.

First off, I realize that this place is predominantly a wine bar and my expectations for food was pretty low initially.  However, after I read the various reviews, I decided to give it a shot because a number of people recommended the pork tacos.  Unfortunately, I've had excellent tacos in Mexico at local taquerias and what Vino Volo served is an embarrassment to all tacos around the world.  It was obvious that the white corn tortillas were previously frozen and improperly warmed up because it did not taste like it was actually cooked.  The "braised pork" was little better than striated cardboard.  It was dry, tasteless, and tough to swallow... literally.  The only thing that made the meal palatable were the minuscule lime wedges that came with the meal.

If the food wasn't bad enough, I question the ability and knowledge of the waitstaff.  We had ordered a Shiraz, which according to the menu was a straight Shiraz.  What arrived was actually a blend that wasn't aerated or allowed to breath.  The bouquet of the Shiraz was nothing like the typical Shiraz and produced a gag reaction from me just by getting a whiff of it from 3 feet away.  I would have chalked it up to my personal preferences if it wasn't for the fact that I actually like most Shiraz.

The service was just OK.  The waiter was semi-attentive, which isn't a bad thing since I hate being overly bothered when I'm trying to enjoy (or in this case, choke down) a meal.  For being in the middle of an airport, the seating and ambiance was fantastic.  However, like someone else mentioned, the seating wasn't conducive to eating, and I do not like to be forced to recline that far from the table while drinking wine (since I sip them instead of gulp them).

A most civilized way to spend your time at the airport.

Vino Volo is located in the PHL airport. They have an excellent wine selection and some great, although few, menu choices. You should check the menu first just to make sure that they have something you like.

First, what I love about this place is that it's like a tiny oasis in the hustle and bustle of the airport. The chairs are extremely comfortable and the atmosphere inviting, which is so rare for an airport restaurant.

They had various flights of wine tastings but I stuck with a single glass of Riesling. I tried the "small" portions of the smoked salmon bites and pork tacos.  Both were delicious. The smoked salmon was raw on top of what tasted like a piece of Melba toast with some aioli. The tacos were in corn tortillas, which are far more authentic than the flour kind!

If I ever had time to kill in this airport, this is where I'd spend it! Overall a great spot!