Kite & Key Menu

  • Appetizer
  • Soup
  • Salad
  • Mussels
  • Sandwich
  • Anytime Dinner Plates
  • Flatbread
  • Dessert

Healthy Meal suggestions for Kite & Key

  • Appetizer
  • Soup
  • Salad
  • Mussels
  • Sandwich
  • Anytime Dinner Plates
  • Flatbread
  • Dessert

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  • Adam F.

    Came for a late Sunday brunch. Close proximity to the Museums; on the same strip as Sabrinas and Rose Tattoo cafe. Good selection of beers. Lots of outdoor seating was a plus. Brunch menu looked good but ended up with the burger - cooked perfect and enjoyed the bun. It was topped with bacon and shoestring onions which was a nice touch. Got a side of chipotle mayo to give it a bit of kick. Would def come back to try the rest of the menu. Brunch drinks looked good too - they have a michclada - basically bloody mary with beer...delicious.

    (4)
  • David L.

    Fish and Chips/Steak Sandwich/Burgers. Good food and large list of beers. Great place to hang out with co-workers, or friends.

    (5)
  • K W.

    since sabrina's was crazy packed (not surprising), our brunch crew went down the street to a much less crowded kite and key. the inside of the restaurant was run of the mill (it looks like every irish pub or ~*similar concept establishment*~ in philadelphia but supposedly this place is a canadian pub?) the food was decent and definitely reasonably priced. i had coffee and a spinach-bacon-cheese omelette with home fries for a little over 10 bucks + tip. the brunch menu isn't extensive so if you're looking for a lot of choices and the ability to customize eggs/omelettes then i would recommend looking elsewhere. my fellow brunchers said their food was satisfactory. while it was great to be seated quickly and eat decent breakfast food, the service could have been better. almost every table was full in the restaurant, which definitely slowed things down and our waitress appeared to be tending to a majority of said tables. this made it difficult to get consistently good service and attention.

    (3)
  • Kristi A.

    This place only merits a 3 star review because of the chill atmosphere of the bar. If you're looking for a good, flavorful meal, go somewhere else. I came here for Saturday lunch with some out of town friends. We actually only came here because the wait for Sabrina's was deathly long and we were in an empty-bellied hungover state. The service was SLOW. The prices are somewhat high ($10 for a grilled cheese and bowl of tomato soup?!), and the food took an hour to get to our table. I think there was one waitress for the whole dining room and bar area. While she had a friendly demeanor, there was nothing she could do to redeem the misseasoned food and tortoise-like efforts of the kitchen. The menu items were theoritically delicious, but were flawed in actuality. My friend ordered the breakfast burrito special, which was nearly ruined by the surplus of cilantro... and it was served with french fries. Really? Weird side for a breakfast burrito. I got the portabello mushroom buger which I found to be delicious. My boyfriend ordered the steak sandwich and said the seasonings were horribly off for a sandwich with so much potential, but the steak was good. Another friend got the Margherita flatbread, which was okay: the sauce was very sweet and semi tangy. The french fries, which I was looking forward to most were way too crispy and plain. All in all, the atmosphere was neat, but the food and slow service were a deal breaker.

    (3)
  • Sarah B.

    The service and the beer selection is the only reason this place did not get one star. The draught list was awesome, and the server was very pleasant, but the food was AWFUL! Words cannot describe how bad it was. We first ordered hummus for an appetizer. What came out was a pile of mashed chick peas with some sort of slime on top of them acting as a cucumber garnish. The "hummus" had NO flavor or any added ingredients expect for the chick peas. I had to pile salt on for it to even have any kind of taste. For my entree I got a basic salad, how does one screw that up? It was very warm, uncomfortably warm for a salad. It was a hot summer night, and I wanted to go somewhere with a cold beer and refreshing salad. It was at least 80 degrees in the restaurant and the food was sub par. I will never be going back there ever again.

    (2)
  • Gretchen V.

    Visiting philly and this place was recommended. We were there in the evening and sat outside. Nice little restaurant. Great food, prices, and our waitress was very knowledgable on the menu. We really quizzed her. Had the pulled pork sandwich, and the caesAr salad. Both were good. My only complaint would have been that the fries were pretty mediocre.

    (4)
  • Jennifer D.

    It is a great place, and the staff is extremely patient despite the locals that were extremely rude while we were there. They are "servers", not "servants", you know what I mean? As an artist myself, I was a little ashamed of the self important jerks as they talked about how important they were loud enough that all could hear and all but knocked two patrons out of their seat to take up more room in the restaurant. That being said, the food was great, my drink was fine, and the server was attentive despite the snaps in the air beside us to get her attention. Grace under pressure is an underrated talent, and the full staff there should be commended for that talent.

    (4)
  • Katrina G.

    I've been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. It has a welcoming atmosphere: it's nicer than just a bar, with plenty of outdoor seating. The food is very affordable. For some reason I'm in love with their caesar salad w/calamari. My husband liked his burger, and he also appreciated the good selection of beers that were on draft. One thing that was lacking both times I went was the service. While the servers are very nice, it can take them a long time to come to the table. It was worse at lunch service (even though there was hardly anyone in the restaurant), but I noticed it during dinner as well.

    (4)
  • Matthew G.

    Since it is one of the closer places to where I work at on Spring Garden, I have been here probably a dozen times over the past 2 years for lunch. Guess the two thing I would say is that it is a decent-enough option for lunch (not dinner) and that you get consistent inconsistency in the service, quality of the food, and the time it takes to bring out the food. It isn't that crowded at lunch though so you can always get seated quickly which is a plus if you only have an hour or so for lunch. Service ranges from friendly to surly. Seems to depend greatly although the waiters/waitresses don't generally have to cover that many tables at one time. Generally 3-4 tables which isn't bad although they can be stretched thin if they only have one server working the late lunch crowd at 1:30 or 2. As for the food, fried calamari tends to be one of the better appetizers although they could use a side of marinara instead of just drizzling on the bottom of the plate. Wings aren't bad either. Soups range from 'tasty treat' to 'death by salt.' I would generally avoid them unless you really want soup. Ditto the mussels too. I love mussels and you just don't know if they will come out overcooked here, not cleaned enough, or just right. Given the price tag, it just isn't worth getting a plate of half-edible mussels. Hand-cut fries aren't bad and the sandwiches are usually decent enough although they won't blow you away either. It isn't a vegan-friendly place but there are a couple of offerings including a portabella mushroom sandwich and a few salads that should tide any vegetarians you are dining with. Basically it is a place that has solid lunch bar food or wouldn't be bad to order a beer & wings to watch a Phils' game. It isn't a place I would bring a date or go for dinner though. They also have a nice range of beers on tap which is probably the best thing about Kite & Key but I would never order a beer at lunch while at work (make that two beers).

    (3)
  • Kelly P.

    kite and key is in 3.5 star territory. it's close enough to my place that i can walk to it, there's some outdoor tables, the bartenders have been great, but the servers could use a little work (attention to detail, approach, etc). i'm not totally convinced that the menu is as good as it could be either. i give extra .5 star because of the beer menu..

    (4)
  • Sarah K.

    Loved it! Went there with 3 others on Saturday night. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea at the bar... MAN! That bartender was not messing around! That drink really packed a punch. After two of those, I was SET! Between the four of us, we shared calamari (something I don't usually like, but theirs was done very, very well -- not chewy, not scary, not gross), a margherita flatbread (yum), and pumpkin fettuccine (one of the specials that day, I think). The pumpkin fettuccine had (I think) crab and hazelnuts in it... whaaaaat! Crazy good! Our server (Julian, I think) was super nice and really helpful. My friend started to order a beer that had "pumpkin" in the name, but he warned her ahead of time that it was not a pumpkin beer, so she opted for something else. Thank you, Julian!

    (5)
  • Ian P.

    I just ate here for the first time and had a great experience! There were tons of beers available both on tap and bottled. Our waitress was friendly and very knowledgable. She recommended a delicious draft beer to me and had no problem answering any questions we posed. The burger I ordered (Kite and Key Burger) was amazing. I definitely plan to come back some day!

    (5)
  • Amanda E.

    No wait for Sunday brunch, mimosas were great, veggie burger was even better. Servers definitely could have been friendlier, but the food came out quickly and was delicious

    (4)
  • Nikkie C.

    Mussels were excellent. Very good craft beer selection. Nice ambiance. Near a parking garage so you can actually park!

    (4)
  • Beth R.

    This bar was a great addition to the museum area. It's small enough to be a nice neighborhood bar, but not divey. It has enough flatscreen tvs to attract a crowd for eagles/ phillies/ march madness, and a stellar beer list. The outside tables are a nice option, if you walk by on a sunny sunday afternoon, you'll find plenty of happy day drinking. I've been here for dinner, lunch, happy hour, to watch phillies and eagles, to have drinks with friends, and on dates. Last night I was enjoying a Victory Golden Monkey with a friend, and we happened to be sitting next to the bar's owner, who was really nice. If you live elsewhere in the city, I'd still recommend making the trek over.

    (4)
  • Tracy K.

    After drooling over their menu for months, I finally stopped in to try them for brunch. The atmosphere & crowd had me considering bumping them up to a 3rd star, but alas, it was not to be. The bloody mary was pretty good, but the food tasted assembled rather than prepared: bagged, canned, and jarred ingredients rather than fresh. They are mediocrity in gastropub's clothing and they certainly did not deliver value for the money charged. Much in the same way Chili's is not real mexican food, Kite and Key is not a gastropub.

    (2)
  • Melissa P.

    Hip Hip Hooray for Kite and Key! They have a lovely patio! I love what the owners did with the mural and the flowers... great ambience for a spring/summer's eve. The drinks flow and the service is great! Our waitress was really great.... she had lots of good bs, and was very accommodating (by that I mean she unlocked chairs and brought more over as our group expanded.) She was also very knowledgeable and loves her job. Always nice. They just switched up their menu, and I thought that the chicken/brie sandwich was a little dry. Nice concept though. The asparagus soup was delish... both in season and creamy! oh- i almost forgot- I think the location is subpar for anyone who doesn't live in Fairmount.

    (4)
  • Sean H.

    When my boss was in town from London, we took him out one night to show him what Philly had to offer. When my coworkers decided on Kite & Key, I was like, "Oh, that's kind of far north, isn't it? What about our wallets and kidneys?" Of course, I was eating my words soon after that. The area is totally fine, and the place itself was quite cozy and lively. I had some kind of blackened chicken club sandwich that was the special for the night, and it was quite delicious. Their beer selection was quite good, though I ordered one that was entirely too hoppy for my tastes and wound up giving it away. Good spot, though I'm not sure how often my non-car-owning self will be in that area.

    (4)
  • Colleen L.

    I live right around the corner, so Kite & Key is my neighborhood bar. I love the relaxed, yet classy atmosphere that it gives off as a place to hang out and have drinks on...well, any day of the week! The outdoor seating is clutch and I take advantage of it whenever possible! If you are a fan of beer (and I don't mean Coors Lite & Miller Lite), you will like the selection that they offer. I have eaten lunch here a few times - the chicken tacos are light, fresh, and delicious! I could probably eat them everyday! I have also been here for brunch a few times - really good and the mimosas are delish! Oh, and I was there after a long Sunday Funday...and had a spicy flatbread that I can't remember the name of that was really delicious and flavorful. All in all, I'd say it's a great bar - if you like smaller, "everybody knows your name" kind of places (which I do!)...and the food is definitely good! Very happy that it's right around the corner : )

    (4)
  • Rachel U.

    This was a great happen-upon brunch spot this summer. Really nice outdoor area on nice weather days, and our waitress didn't forget about us, which I find can often happen when you're sitting outside. Reasonably priced, and good menu options. Above all, however, was the pb&j french toast. Delish!

    (4)
  • Brian Y.

    Went here on the advice of a waiter at another restaurant. They have great craft beer and the bar tenders were personable and made you feel at home. I would definitely go back.

    (4)
  • Steve S.

    On our second visit we had 8 in our party. It was a Saturday night at 6pm. We had a reservation although, we did not need one. The place was only about 1/4 full during our 90 minutes there. Two of us were drinking and ordered the Yards Philly Pale Ale which our server recommended. He came back 5 minutes later to tell us they were out and so we had the Yards IPA. When we ordered another, he came back 5 minutes later and said they were out of that too, so we had the Troegs IPA. It was clear our server was poorly trained from the beginning of our visit. We had to ask for some bread, which he seemed puzzled about...but he came back with a plate of sliced baguette, but with no butter. When we asked for butter, he actually said "we don't have any" WTF! - so we asked if they had olive oil, to which he also said no, but then he quickly remembered seeing a vinegar and oil set-up and proudly brought it over. We were told that they were out of two dishes on the menu. One of our group ordered the escargots for the first course, but 10 minutes later he came back and said they were out of that too. Our server also twice reached in to grab plates that still had food on them and people were still eating - one of the dishes was the chickpea salad (there was still plenty of food on the plate, so we asked him to put it back on the table). This is my biggest annoyance in restaurants, it happens an average of 1 out of 3 of the establishments we go to. I wish more operators would train their staffs better. Here's what we ordered and the comments: 2 Grilled Cheese sandwich - average, the two kids liked them Buffalo Wings - not bad, average, decent portion Gnocchi - didn't enjoy, but she ate it Chickpea Salad - very good Grilled Romaine - very good PBBLT (pork belly, bacon, let, tom.) - Bad, bad, bad! - the bread was hard as a rock, it was completely unacceptable, although I choose to keep it to myself. It was hard to enjoy the pork belly, et al when the toasted bread cracks apart and tastes like saw dust. You would think what appears to be a signature sandwich would be prepared properly. Crepes DeBouf - Excellent Veal Tacos - Excellent 2 Logan Chicken Sandwich - not bad, average Vegetarian Burger - Excellent, above average Overall, I still like this place, but they really need to train the kitchen staff and servers better...otherwise they won't make it long term.

    (2)
  • Catherine K.

    Cool place to grab beers but I would go elsewhere for grub. The buffalo chicken pizza had way too much blue cheese dressing on it (I personally prefer blue cheese crumbles instead of thick creamy dressing) and the pulled pork sandwich was awful. As a southern raised girl, I take my pulled pork sandwiches seriously. The pulled pork was cooked entirely too long and was so mushy that it hardly resembled meat. It was just a big mushy stringy mess. The sandwich also had way too much cheese melted on it (I personally prefer pull pork sandwiches without cheese) and there was entirely too many pickled peppers on the sandwich. All in all - I would only go back here for drinks.

    (2)
  • Max B.

    Really enjoyed sitting outside on a warm, sunny day. Great draft selection, veggie burger lives up to the hype, pulled pork was more South Philly than SxSW, but the meat was juicy and flavorful and the sauteed longhots added a wonderful bite. Waitress was attentive and hostess seemed to do a friendly job of handling new arrivals. Look forward to revisiting on the next nice day...lots more to try on their menu.

    (4)
  • Paul L.

    This place is white! Everything from the walls to the plates to the people. It's whited out! Now I'm not hating, I'm just observing. I didn't really feel left out or nothing because Korea was with me along with a little bit of China and California. So all in all, I didn't really feel left out or anything but yo, all I'm gonna say is if you're looking for a good, brand-spanking, whitewash of a time. This is your jams! They are in possession of a solid selection of draft brews, which explains my overall comfort level. Surrounded by Asian nations and an Asian state, with taps in tow, one could not help but feel familiar. Prices are decent but I did expect things to be $1-2 less than what I was used to, being a NYCity Slicker and all. The waitresses were attentive but I couldn't help but notice that every time they came over to check on us, it seemed like they were American tourists wading through a sea of foreign-ness. I think one of them actually brought over chopsticks. No, I'm just kidding. That didn't happen. Sorry for the racial tint in which I've reviewed, but I just wanted to Yelp it like I saw it, and the eyes through which I've witnessed said events resulted in a good night. It's definitely a pre-game type of place or maybe even for post-game festivities, though I would imagine if I had won any sort of game, my post-game celebration would definitely not be here. So remember folks, pre- not post-, but only if you like white toast.

    (3)
  • Linz J.

    Came here today with my boyfriend before venturing into Whole Foods. We pass the place regularly, and was always curious about it. The overall look of the place certainly has a lure - it looks like a sure success. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best. My "Kite and Key" burger had the Philadelphia toasted brioche staple, which, of course, in its buttery fluffy goodness can NEVER go wrong. But, although the burger had an underlying smoky-grill flavor, it had a texture similar to a frozen patty and was otherwise bland. I asked for it to be cooked medium, and was cooked very well done, though that's no surprise because the only places in Philadelphia that ever cooks to temperature is 500 degrees, and Village Whiskey. The bleu cheese was hardly recognizable until I got a wonderful clump of stanky goodness plopped right in the center of the burger (sarcasm). It had no other ingredients other than bacon, which was the other positive thing about the burger, in that it wasn't crispy (why do people put crispy bacon? I think it throws off your bite-flow) and the amount on the burger was generous. The fries were awful. Skinny little tasteless things I'd suspect to be frozen - what's the point? Just give me a lonely burger if you're going to skimp and throw in a side of freezer origin. The boyfriend agreed. His dish, the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, apparently didn't "have much in the flavor department; lacking in BBQ sauce, and I all could taste was the long hots." Service-wise, the guy was okay. He probably wouldn't bat an eye if we spontaneously combusted. Hit a gold mine with the beer, though. Great selection, found a wonderful tasting beer, Stone Smoked Porter. We were definitely glad we satisfied our curiosities about the place, but needless to say, the desire to return certainly won't surface.

    (2)
  • Candice F.

    I recently went to The Barnes Foundation & the audio tour took forever! My friend and went in search for a bar nearby. We popped into Kite & Key and thought it was pretty good. There was a golf tour on the TVs (of which there were many), so we ordered some beers and kicked back. The place kinda smelled like chlorine/cleaning products, which wasn't awesome, but the food & service was good. My friend ordered the burger & I had the steak sandwich. Both came out really quickly & we liked the fries! I'd go back again and try the mussels. The place was pretty good. No major complaints or praises.

    (3)
  • Amy H.

    Can't ask for me, good food, good drink, and Gangnam style music playing in the background. Let's get this party started!

    (4)
  • Mindy K.

    Kite and key is def one of the best gastro-pub/restaurants in the city. The beer list is always impressive, the food is consistently divine, the decor is relaxed and comfy, and the bar staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The only reason I take away a star here is that some of the waitstaff can be a bit douchey - and this was certainly the case on the last Friday night we stopped by here. About the food.... I've always been a fan of the WINGS here - the sweet, tangy and tart thai chili sauce is a perfect combination for the meaty wings - consistent and satisfying. This time, we also ordered the BURGER which was almost shockingly good. Based on my pas experience at Kite and Key, I assumed it would be a great burger, but somehow I wasn't prepared for the level of awesomeness that was BROUGHT-ED. I am a sucker for bleu cheese burgers though so the abundant dose of bleu could have contribted. Full disclosure: the bf thought they were maybe a teensy bit heavy handed with the potent bleu, but to that I say NAY, perfect meat:cheese ratio was achieved. The other 2 dishes were specials, but I hope they put these on the regular menu (oh GOD pretty please) because I'm straight up obsessed with them now: FRIED PICKLES and chicken + queso empanadas. Yep, QUESO. Fried Pickles + Chipotle Aioli These were thick discs-sliced pickles, battered and served with a spicy aioli. Sometimes fried pickle in disc shapes don't offer enough pickle, so you end up eating a sliver of just batter (village whiskey, I'm looking at you), but these were thick enough to have that juicy briney crunch betwixt the fried (but not dough-y) batter. I couldn't stop raving about these all weekend. Chicken + Queso Empanada These also deserves fanfare. C'mon- QUESO! In the empanada! The outer dough was crispy and the chicken and queso stuffing was moist and flavorful. Need to write to the owner about adding these permanently. YOU MUST TOO! Do your part, all.

    (4)
  • Christine B.

    I went here after a volleyball game in Fairmount for a beer and some food. They had a decent selection of beers on draft. Everyone tried something different. I went with the banana bread. They also had Duchesse in a bottle, which is my friend's favorite beer, and she says its hard to find. A couple of us shared some edamame. It could have used some more salt, but otherwise was tasty, and they gave us a huge bowl.

    (3)
  • francis d.

    Nice little spot. Pretty decent selection of beer, and your typical gastropub type of food. I had a steak sandwich, it could of been saucier but overall not too shabby. Check it out if youre in the area

    (4)
  • Sara C.

    Meh? So so? I dunno. Kite & Key seems like a decent enough place, but it just has never struck me as a place I'd go out of my way for. The outdoor seating is pretty sweet, but the food and service was only okay. Beer list is a fairly standard selection of local and domestic craft beer. They do seem to throw plenty of special events, one of which I had a less than fantastic experience at during Beer Week. Long story short, they threw a Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout event (super rare beer with lots of buzz) and gave out playing cards to reserve a pour. They might be better served next time to alert attendees that this is the way it will work - or go the way Monk's and the Khyber did with Pliny the Younger and sell tickets ahead of time. Just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I dunno, nothing to see here that is any better than my regular spots in South Philly. I suppose if I lived in Fairmount or worked around CCP I'd stop by more often. The locals can have it.

    (2)
  • Tal C.

    Ordered the veggie burger for take out. Asked on phone that they use the brioche bun and hold the mayo. The man taking my order repeated it back to me so I felt confident I would get what I ordered. I picked up the food and when I opened it at my destination, the veggie burger was on a wheat bun with tons of mayo. I couldn't eat it and obviously couldn't send it back. Since a lot of vegetarians don't eat mayo, you would think this is something you should opt-in for. EPIC FAIL, Kite and Key.

    (1)
  • Steven L.

    I have always had "decent" meals here. Burgers and wings. Yesterday I took my 2 girls. We ordered wings, Nacho's, Steak fajitas and their new, Fried pickles. Well the wings were great. The Nachos (great chips!) were buried under a mound of guac, sour cream and salsa. They quickly became soggy. The "steak" fajitas had a few slivers of meat, its was a ton of onions and peppers. The fried pickles were a greasy glob of fried breading with a "McDonalds" burger size slice of a pickle. We shared one. The girls pronounced it "disgusting" as did I. I called the waitress and sent it back. We ate one of six. Well they never brought out another order and when I went to pay the 42.00 check the pickles were on there. I complained, nicely. They said They're out biggest seller and just because YOU didn't like them, we're not going to take them off the check. I said fine, then wrap my food to go. They said "we already threw them out". Arrogant and obnoxious. I surprisingly kept me cool and said fine. My business, that employs 28 people, right down the street will receive orders Monday to NO LONGER DO BUSINESS with Kite and Key. I hope you enjoyed "beating me" for those $6.00 pickles. I'll never step foot nor order from there again. From now on, I'll stick to Sabrinas and the Rose Tattoo. Same block much better food. Just for the record, it's not the paltry $6.00, it's the principle !!

    (1)
  • Katherine K.

    This is one of the few bars around this area with such a great selection of beers. I've been here a few times for drinking and haven't eaten here until this past weekend. The food I ate was really good, especially the calamari app. However, all of that was spoiled, when, from our breezy and easy outdoor seat, did I see a little mouse run right out of the kitchen door!!! Ugh, vomit. I know that MOST food establishments in Philadelphia have some critters there, but to actually see it was pretty gross. I will definitely be back for beers because I really like the atmosphere and the selection, but probably (and I say probably because you never, never know) will not eat here again.

    (3)
  • B M.

    Three gals went out for a late dinner - we had the following Edamame appetizer (more than enough for three to share) 1 extra dirty dirty gin martini (extra olives) 2 Magner's Hard Cider Vegetable Flatbread (huge - plenty of leftover) Kite and Key Burger (without onions), Medium Rare Caesar Salad Edamame was delicious and there was plenty. French fries with the burger were a bit overdone. Burger as ordered Medium Rare but was more Medium. Waittress was attentive and, overall, the food was good! We will definitely be back.

    (4)
  • Tommy L.

    One of the best mussel dishes I ever had!!! I would have drank the broth that they were cooked in if people were not watching :). I will definitely order the mussels again (Thai Chili flavor). Also, the waitress was so nice. Her name was Jacquelyn. She really seem to love kids. My family thoroughly enjoyed our dinner tonight!!!

    (5)
  • Brandon K.

    I stopped by here on a Tuesday night just to grab a few casual drinks. It's got a nice atmosphere when it's not too crowded. The bartender was friendly and knew his beer really well. A few of the locals were posted up at the bar and we enjoyed some good conversation over the course of the night. It's a place that's definitely worth stopping in to check out at some point.

    (4)
  • Anna Marie C.

    reasons why i like kite and key: wings:get 1/2 of the buffalo and 1/2 of the sweet garlic chile. it works. outdoor seating in the summer. big windows to enjoy the scenery otherwise. usually spot-on service. lots of tv's. and they do love their hockey there. and right now, they have my fave beer ever (monks sour flemish ale) on tap. score.

    (4)
  • Maura G.

    this place was packed, but luckily there was only about a 10 min wait before we were able to score outside seating. our waitress was very nice, but you could tell the stress of the day was getting to her. she never took it out on us though, and for that we thank you. fish tacos - just do it. with extra pico. we came here during beer week, and good thing we did because they had some fantastic beers to choose from. yard's bourbon bartholomew is my new fave. we also got a show with our meal - the yardsmobile showed up and some locals held gladiator races in homemade costumes and chariots. that alone was worth the trip here.

    (4)
  • Pam D.

    I've been here a few times and the food and service is always great. Great crowds and certainly great beer! The Cajun fries are tasty, and they have great flat-bread. Great Spot!

    (4)
  • Jose A.

    I really like the Kite & Key, it is most definetly one of my favorite places to grab a drink in parkway/springarden area. Awesome beer selection, really great food. They even have a few beers every now and then that I've never had before (which is a hard thing to do, lol), a flemish sour ale, and a beligan sour ale, both extremley good, in addition to having founders apperances every now and then, which in my opinon is one of the best breweries in the country. ...I will absolutley be frequenting this place...

    (4)
  • Erin F.

    Instead of waiting an hour in line at Sabrina's ( which is good but I am not a fan of waiting) go here! A small Sunday brunch menu but sometimes a small menu is a good thing and in this case it definitely is! If you are looking for a drink to go with your brunch try a Franklin Mary! So delicious!

    (5)
  • Kathy D.

    Went here last night with some friends and were lucky enough to get a table outside. We shared mussels, flat bread pizza and calamari and everything was delicious. (Especially the bread that came with the mussels, and the waitress was nice enough to bring us more pieces.) Prices were reasonable considering how good everything was. They had a good sized beer list, but didn't have a lot of light, aka wussy girl beer, that I prefer, but their wine was reasonably priced, so I was in luck. Great location, and it's easy to catch a cab afterwards on Callowhill, or park if you're driving. It wasn't that crowded, so I would bring a big group here.

    (4)
  • Caroline H.

    A group of us (about 10 people) went here last night for a bite to eat and some beers after a dragon boat practice. Wasn't too crowded and we quickly got a nice big table in the back. I ordered the Kite and Key burger and a Hennepin (sp?). The burger was a decent size and cooked medium as requested. It was covered in blue cheese crumbles and bacon that was cooked perfectly (not too crispy but not chewy). The bun was fresh and complemented the burger perfectly. Also don't spend the extra $2 for the fries-- the homemade potato chips that come with it are fantastic! Definitely good stuff! Comments about the veggie burger and gnocchi were also very positive. Service was great even though we were a large party. We'll be back after the next practice I'm sure.

    (4)
  • Louis R.

    I like it. Cool bartender, understated decor, no pretention, large selection of strong drafts, banana bread beer...like...cask beer?! I definitely like it.

    (4)
  • Colbey W.

    Kite & Key always gets very busy during brunchtime so we thought it was bound to be something special. After trying it on two occasions- brunch and lunch- I've concluded it's good but not worth the wait that you'd usually experience on a weekend. Solid food (but nothing great, in my experience) and service is good considering the crowds we have fought both times. I may be back but since McCrossen's is closer and generally less crowded, the odds are slim.

    (3)
  • Sean R.

    ROICKIN' SPOT. Good food and awesome service.

    (4)
  • The S.

    I happened upon Kite & Key one night after getting bumped from a flight home. Spending a night in Philly is not so bad, so I set out to scour the pubs. (Yeah, surprising for me, huh? OK, maybe not.) I had spent some time just driving around, but when I saw the Kite & Key's facade, it immediately beckoned me in. It was a warm winter day, and the open garage door with patio seating seemed perfect for a pint. And I was NOT disappointed! Kite & Key has a great variety of quality craft drafts. The clientele and staff made me feel right at home, and I quickly struck up a conversation with the mate next to me, asking him, apart from Kite & Key, what was the best pub around? I was very happy to see that I did not need to qualify or elaborate upon that question. This is a PUB, forgodssake, and these are Pub People, with an easy unspoken camaraderie that suffused the air, pint by pint. The lively and convivial conversation that followed gave me a sweeping virtual tour of the best pubs in Philly, and everyone had good points to support their case. After a couple, I left to be on my exploration. If you find yourself in Philly, please make Kite & Key a stop in your crawl. You will not regret it.

    (4)
  • Faye R.

    It's pretty average. The drinks are great and I recommend this place if you are not planning on eating anything!

    (2)
  • Molly R.

    A classic pub, all nice and open in the summertime. It feels welcoming. And the jukebox is excellent. Something for everyone (and the group I was there with certainly had eclectic tastes). I only enjoyed drinks in the bar area, but the menu looked awesome as well. The only thing bad I can say is that I'm very embarrassed and disappointed in myself that I didn't pick up on the Ben Franklin reference in the name sooner.

    (4)
  • Douglas B.

    I randomly stumbled into this gastro-pub because it was within walking distance of the Franklin Institute Science Museum. They had excellent seating areas, and service was quick and helpful. The beer selection was definitely of higher quality then most small gastro-pubs, and the clientelle was respectful even though there was college football playing (and the desired teams were all losing.) Everyone in my party was completely happy with their food selections, which included the Veggie Burger, the Cajun Fries, the Homemade Tomato Soup, The Kite & Key Burger, the Garden Salad with Chicken, and the Garlic Chili Wings. The server was helpful, friendly, and expedient. Really not much else you can ask for from a small pub. The only issue keeping me from giving this place 5 stars was the very poor neighborhood surrounding it, not exactly the place you want to be late at night by yourself.

    (4)
  • Jessica M.

    Yup... good spot. Great for watching a game or as a stop on a Fairmount Bar crawl. Crowd does not get messy like at Urban. Good beer selection and the BEST French Fries in the city in my opinions. Thin, crispy and dusted with just the right amount of spice.

    (4)
  • Lydia H.

    Kite and Key offers a nice, unassuming place for a beer or a bite to eat. Since it's off the beaten path, it wasn't too busy on Sunday night when we went for dinner around 6. We sat up in the restaurant area, where there are about 10 tables, and there is also a bar area right by the door with a bunch of high tops and bar space. Apparently when it's not storming (as it was on Sunday night), they will open up the big windows in the front as well. I had the Franklin Burger, and the boyfriend had the chicken salad sandwich. The burger was good, and served with a heap of french fries. The chicken salad was pretty bad - it was completely dry, and was flavored way too much with lemon. They should take it off the menu it was that bad. For dessert, we tried the chocolate beignets, which were delicious. They were brought out steaming hot and served with a white cream sauce and a dark chocolate sauce. I would love to go back on a nice summer evening to sit by the windows and have a drink. Not an extensive menu, but it has a nice selection to satisfy your taste buds.

    (4)
  • Laura H.

    LOVE this place. Great for weekend brunch, lunch, or casual dinner. Food has always been good - veggie burger! Great beer list.

    (5)
  • Jeremy K.

    Nice rotating craft beer selection. Decent bar food. Good place to go for the game or to hang out with a bunch of friends. A lot of outdoor seating, so that's always nice when the nice weather arrives.

    (3)
  • Meredith K.

    I'll keep this one fairly short, but it's not going to be all that sweet. I'll start with the good: The service was excellent. Kristy, our server, was friendly, prompt, and attentive, and the food and drinks came out quickly. It was a beautiful day, so we were enjoying the outside seating area (despite the not-so-pretty view of the beer store and the dilapidated Rose Tattoo). Their beer list is fairly extensive and includes selections from such powerhouse breweries as Rogue and Founder's. Unfortunately, my grilled chicken sandwich was not up to par. The chicken was nicely blackened and was moist enough, but the Kite and Key is apparently anti-sauce. Neither my sandwich nor my friend's sliders (he got the combo: crabcake, beef, and pork) had any sauce. Who wants to eat a dry sandwich? Furthermore, I asked for honey mustard and the best they had was Dijon. Don't get me wrong, I like Dijon, just not as the primary condiment on my sandwich. Where's the aioli at, yo? They didn't have any other kind of bread besides white, either, which was kind of annoying. No options for sides besides fries, so I gave most of them to my friend... they kind of reminded me of McDonald's fries. It's a shame the food wasn't too good, especially considering the prices (which weren't cheap), because I enjoy the setup and the atmosphere inside. They just opened pretty recently, so hopefully they'll step it up a notch.

    (3)
  • Kim D.

    Nice, simple place to go to grab some lunch. I particularly enjoy the chicken sandwich here, and the fries are amazing. I've never gone here for the bar, but it seems like a good, small hangout to catch a Phillies game or something. Oh and the outdoor seating is nice, for the most part.

    (4)
  • Bryanne R.

    1 star for beer selection 1 star for atmosphere like the Dogwood Cafe I loved in JP -1 = Pumpkin creme brulee tasting like the filling of the cheap lemon cookies you buy at the dollar store. -1 = Dishes i could have whipped up if I had perused the frozen section at Trader Joes, popped those bad boys in the microwave and served them to guests. Edamame with salt. Garlic and chile wings - it was basically sweet and sour chicken from any Chinese food place. - 1 = Two adults not being able to find an entree they would want to try. We both have grown out of the picky-food stage. So we went with an arsenal of apps. Sigh. It's so close to our place too.

    (2)
  • Jing G.

    2.5-3 stars.. It's an average little bar/restaurant with the regular bar food items that aren't great but don't suck. They have an okay beer list. At least from what I got (the mussels), the portions here are pretty big. There wasn't just a scant number, but a genuine heap of mussles that I couldn't finish! Also - don't sit outside. At least during the warm season. We did and the size of mosquitos here was pretty alarming.

    (3)
  • Jill T.

    The Kite & Key is a great place for lunch if you work in the Spring Garden/Callow Hill area. There aren't many options around there so I was happy to come across Kite & Key. The food is really tasty and boy do they have a lot of beer options! Fab for happy hour after work!

    (4)
  • Brad P.

    A great bar! I didn't eat anything here, but the food looked and smelled fantastic. The bartender we had (Scotty) was informative about the beer and was a fun guy to talk too. Didn't try to but into conversations too much, but was there for a good laugh and we had a great time. Definitely a great place to grab a beer and watch a game!

    (4)
  • Barak B.

    The place was pretty bad. I ordered a steak sandwich. I got a piece if meat with bread. The meat was not cooked medium and they left out the carmelized onions and chimicurri. Gracious server but they shouldn't have charged me for the meal when they mess up that bad. You can go there for a drink if you want but don't eat there.

    (1)
  • Brian C.

    Consistent food, good beer, instead of going to Sabrina's try this place out for a change! Every time I come here i'm surprised that the food is as good as it is. It's kind of a weird location, and I think they get a lot of the overflow from Sabrina's, but I think they probably deserve a little more attention than they get. The wings are really good, as is the brunch selection... I have yet to be disappointed. I've really only been here for brunch/lunch so I have no idea what kind of crowd comes here in the evening. The only thing about this place that really bugs me is the lighting... it's dark and dreary... but not in a cool way like an english pub. During nice days they have the doors up front open, but still something isn't right. Also, the jukebox is notable - They had me at the Walkmen, which had the #1 slot. Cool.

    (4)
  • Christina P.

    I first went here for brunch during the marathon since Sabrina's had 1.5 hour wait when I called them. When I called Kite, they said they probably didn't have a wait but if they did it was short, and took my name and party size down. When I arrived, and was finally able to talk to the hostess 10 minutes later, she informed me that they do not take names over the phone and it would be a 30 minute wait. I decided to put my name down, and the wait ended up being around 40 minutes, but that was not my biggest issue. We looked at the brunch menu while we waited, which only includes about 7 or 8 items. We were finally seated outside and it took a little while for our waiter to come over. Then, some more time for him to come back and take our order. He disappeared like this for lengths of time frequently, and I can understand that he was probably very busy but he was not the friendliest person and didn't apologize once. We gave him our food and drink orders at once to save time. When we got our appetizer, we didn't have any silverware or napkins to eat it with and had to ask for some. 30 min later we got our entrees - which were egg dishes. They must have been cooking them that whole time because my friend's over easy eggs were hard and brown. The potatoes that came on the side were chopped so small they were dry and crispy. The portions were pretty small in general which I wouldn't have minded if the food was good. I had to ask three times for hot sauce, which I first asked when I ordered my food to avoid that problem. They were very busy, but there were certain things that weren't done that don't take much time. Like apologizing for the wait or asking how our food was, or being more friendly/pleasant in general. Kite has a lot of improving to do.

    (1)
  • Peter S.

    This used to be a great place for "gastropub" dining but the food, service, and beer selection have continually gotten worse. I don't plan to eat there again even though I live just up the street. The servers are no longer attentive, the kitchen is way slow, and even the once delicious burger and wings suck and are overpriced. At this point, they only seem interested in peddling booze to those douche bags at the bar. what happened K&K? You're making McCrossen's up the street look good, and that's not saying much. We just waited 25 minutes for our lunch with only four other tables occupied. The server didn't check on us once during that time. The hockey puck burgers that were finally brought out by the bartender had no lettuce or tomato and my bone dry side salad didn't have the side of dressing I ordered. When I asked for it, I was given plain olive oil. When we got the bill, the fries that come with the $11 burger cost an extra $2 (confirmed by our server). Please... very disappointing.

    (2)
  • Emily M.

    Yummy...super cute restaurant. Well, to be fair, I only went inside to use the bathroom and it was pretty crowded. My friends and I sat outside on a chilly, early Fall evening for immediate seating and it was quiet and relaxing. The food was excellent. I had the fish fry with some of the best fries ever - I'm turning into quite the connoisseur. :) Verdict: I would go back without a doubt.

    (4)
  • Prof J.

    I've been here a couple times, and I'm always impressed with the beer selection. There are lots of interesting beers to choose from, and they seem to do a good job of selecting the beers appropriately for the season. I definitely enjoyed my food (a tomato-mozzarella sandwich that was on special), and the others in my part liked theirs as well (definitely a thumbs-up vote for the mussels). A fun atmosphere. It was pretty packed on a Thursday, so I imagine it really fills out on the weekends. Some of the desserts (vanilla beignets) looked awesome, but unfortunately didn't have room!

    (4)
  • Dawn H.

    Awesome selection of beer on tap and great food.

    (4)
  • Oski B.

    Came here for Sunday brunch with a friend. The hostess was either clueless or, at the least, contradictory: "you can sit anywhere you want...but oh you can't sit there because we're expecting a party...oh, I'm about to seat a couple there...that table's not available either." Their Omelette de Jour was a BLT. WTF is a BLT omelette? I ended up ordering the Huevos Tostados which was okay, but I swear that the ham in my dish was basically sliced up deli meat from the local Wawa. Overall, a mediocre experience, but the absence of a line in comparison to Sabrina's a few stores down makes it a decent brunch alternative.

    (2)
  • Jen L.

    I didn't love it here. The food seems decent, maybe a little expensive (almost 9 bucks for eight chicken wings) and I'd like to see a little more variety. The website advertised daily/nightly specials but the 'specials' we were told about are what is already on the webiste menu. Lame. I'm not sure if EVERYONE (except us) in the restaurant ordered fish last night, or if this place always smells fishy, but it was bad. Like low tide out on the wharf.

    (2)
  • Lauren H.

    I've been here a few times, most recently last Thursday, and I've always been pleased with the experience. Being rather warm on Thursday, Kite and Key was making full use of their outdoor dining area and had opened the doors & windows at the front of the bar to create an inside/outside feel. My friend and I snagged a table right at the edge of the bar/outside seating area, so we were able to enjoy the weather AND the basketball game in a rather Spring-like fashion. We went decidedly unhealthy with our food choices and ordered both types of wings (the standard buffalo and the sweet chile garlic wings) and a basket of cajun fries. Wings were quite tasty, and though I tend to be a buffalo girl, I think the sweet chile garlic wings won the night. Beer selections is rather decent as well. Plentiful tvs and a spacious floor make this a great place to watch whatever game is on, and they can accommodate groups well. Each time I've been here, there is a fun and boisterous vibe. Great place to hang out with friends, and for the casual date night.

    (4)
  • Faye S.

    Pretty yummy calamari. Also pretty yummy duck confit, although it was served with watercress, and I didn't realize I didn't like the stuff until I had a huge mouthful of greens. Doh. Plus, for the price I paid ($14 or so), I was hoping for a bigger piece of duck and some sort of carb. I'd try this place again and get a burger. Yummm.

    (3)
  • Aisling O.

    Great Fish Tacos! Who would've known!? I moved here 2 & 1/2 years ago after spending about 5 years on the west coast. The first thing I missed was the great mix of flavors found in the fish taco. Logically, in the past 2+ years if I see a fish taco on the menu, described as the traditional baja style, cabbage, lightly fried white fish, pico de gallo, corn tortillas, lime... my mouth starts to water and I get my hopes up...but every single time I've ordered one in this city, I've been completely disappointed. Frankly, I've oft times been grossed out by what has come out of many a kitchen, claiming to be a fish taco. So, you can imagine my surprise when I had an good one, finally, just down the street from my house. I went to K&K for the first time this week to reconnect with the girlfriends...honestly we just picked it because it was a mid point for everyone. The atmosphere was pretty quiet. Not bad but not great either, with a decent beer list. This place would be pretty unremarkable if it wasn't for the food. Our hummus plate app was great, and the fish tacos did not disappoint. So, as odd as it may sound, if you are craving something remotely close to the fish tacos you get in Southern California...Kite and Key is the place.

    (3)
  • Miriam W.

    A fine place to grab a Hoegaarden and catch the game on the numerous flat screen TVs. Beers were brought promptly and we were left to our own devices until our pints neared empty at which point our waitress reappeared.

    (3)
  • Erin P.

    I went here on a lunch break with 6 other coworkers. We were able to get seated, eat our food, and enjoy each others company in an hour. I got the veggie pizza and it was tasty. It was a thin crust pizza with not too many veggies (I hate when a veggie pizza is bombarded with EVERY veggie known to man). Although I wasn't drinking I did take a peek and they have a great beer menu. The waitress was attentive and helpful when choosing what to eat. I enjoyed this place and it is just like it says - a pub. I will be visiting it again sometime soon!

    (5)
  • Erica S.

    I've only ever been here for lunchtime/daytime, so I can't comment on the late night goings-on here. The staff is always wonderful- kind and attentive and helpful. Beer refill-age happens quickly. And the food is genuinely good. Did I just say that I come here for lunch during the workday and yet know how quick beer refills are? Um. Nevermind. The fries are delicious. The outdoor/up front tables are great. And the bathrooms- some of the nicest in the city. I always make note of bathrooms. And the name- how cute is that?

    (4)
  • Wade G.

    I love the mussels at Kite and Key! Great outdoor atmosphere in the summer or cool bar to meet a friend at to chat. Food has really upgraded the last year! I really enjoy this bar and recomend it!

    (4)
  • Vivienne H.

    i love this bar, great beers. my favorite bartender is jacquelyn, she's so sweet

    (5)
  • Tom D.

    When this place first came around to my neighborhood, I went there maybe 3-4 times in the span of a couple months. It later lost its novelty and its somewhat awkward location precluded me from returning. I just went back today and had brunch there. I was not surprised that the brunch was good, I ate the eggs bennie's and someone else in my party had french toast. We were sitting around watching the Eagles play pretty much all afternoon. I was smiling from the flavorful Bloody Mary cocktails. I will probably reacquaint myself with this place for dinner or for evening drinks.

    (4)
  • Lauren Y.

    In summary, great. Plenty of outdoor seating, which I love. If for some reason you can't get a seat outdoors, there is open air seating in the main section of the bar. The gastropub food has not disappointed but then again I've only tried the mussels (YUM!) and the chicken and brie sammie (lower case yum). The $4.50 stoli drinks are what keep me coming back. And heck the place is super convenient to moi. Only downside, smokers. They don't smoke inside but the certainly smoke real close to the outdoor seats and I don't like my meals with a side of tobacco.

    (4)
  • Sarah C.

    I went in search of Fish Tacos. Based on looking at Yelp reviews all over the city, I picked this place to be very promising in delivering me good fish tacos within walking distance of my job. (I work at the Comcast Center) As promised, Kite and Key did have Fish Tacos and they are good. Not the best I have had, but they show well. For 9 bucks and change you get three fish tacos. They are not small either. Since Kite and Key uses flour tortillas instead of the traditional corn tortillas for their tacos. There was good flavor, but I am a fan of a little more spice and originality. The fish breading was also a little strange to me. I like fried fish tacos, but the breading on this fish was almost like a cornmeal breading, producing a texture that I did not care for. All in all, it was a filling lunch at a good price. But I will continue my Philly fish taco search!

    (3)
  • Maria T.

    This is a cute bar and restaurant! Our waiter was funny and attentive. The food was great! Had the mushroom burger and fries- my friend and I demolished that meal!! (she had the same item). Another friend had the Vanilla Beignets. They both had beers too. Overall location was great, the food was delish, our waiter was awesome, and the decor was adorable. Oh and the price was reasonable. Definitely check out this spot if you are looking for a quick burger or beer.

    (4)
  • Mark S.

    This is a nice neighborhood spot for me and friends. They are completely revamping their menus in April / May 2010 - so check back to see what is new. We sampled ravioli from the new menu. Portions were not filling, but quality was great. Good stop for decent food and a few drinks. It can get louder in the evenings as the bar picks up. Appetizer menu is my favorite part.

    (3)
  • Melissa A.

    I couldn't ask for a better neighborhood pub. I love their beers and their veggie burger is out of this world. The back dining area can be cramped and excessively loud; I find I have the most fun when I sit at the bar for dinner. The clientele seems to primarily be the 20 to early 30-somethings.

    (5)
  • Megan D.

    I've been to Kite & Key a few times now and I can say they have a pretty good beer selection and a decent food menu. I've been there on a Friday night when the business was fairly slow and I've been there on a Friday night when you can't get a seat and the noise level is beyond moderate. I've tried the vegetable flatbread (pretty standard) and the veggie burger (seriously delicious but comes as a double burger...I wasn't even sure how to go about eating it). Service is kind of hit or miss. Not a bad place to grab some food and a drink considering it's right in my neighborhood.

    (3)
  • Erin A.

    I give it four stars for serving an underserved hood and providing a mush needed watering hole on West Callowhill. We jsut got drinks but they were cheap, cold, good and served quick. Menu looks typical pub food. It was packed on Friday night at 10PM with a great young professional crowd. It was very loud.

    (4)
  • Cynthia H.

    Whilst I am an outside dining fan, the space is plentiful. Whilst I am a dining and drinking fan, the service is spotty, and the food mediocre....Perhaps one has better service inside, but with a large outside space, service should be just as good. Perhaps I'll stumble there again after I've eaten and already have a buzz....

    (2)
  • Kathryn S.

    First time I wished Yelp offered the "half star" because they probably deserves 3.5. I really like Kite and Key-- nice service staff, great beers and decent food, but it never really wows me. One beer currently on tap that does wow me is a Farmhouse Saison. Delish saison-styled beer. To top, they offer $1 off all drafs from 5-7p happy hour. Food is good. I reccomend eating an appetizer opposed to a full-on meal. Nachos have a unique twist: black chips topped with Mexican Chorizo sausage, chunks of avocado and Chihuahua cheese.

    (3)
  • Brett M.

    Been there twice-my second time being tonight. The first time, a group of 10+ of my friends accompanied me there on a Sunday afternoon, and the restaurant was more than accommodating. The only problem was the smell of stale beer that permeated throughout the bar; but hey, it's a bar, so what should I expect? Everyone seemed to enjoy the food except me. I had the chicken tacos which seemed kinda bland. However, I must say that their beer list is impressive.

    (3)
  • Joshua S.

    I agree that West Callowhill is in dire need of more places to hang out. There are plenty of spots popping up all over the Fairmount area, this particular portion of street is like a big concrete blank spot next to the awesomeness of Sabrinas. Kite and Key is the first (of the more I'm sure will come) decent drinking spots over there. We sat outside, which is slightly tainted by the emptiness of the rest of the neighborhood. It was nice out, though, and the service was fast, friendly, and likeable. Beers were cold and delicious, as was the wine. My girlfriend and I tend to severely judge bar food on the basis of wings and calamari. Two staples of the happy hour appetizer experience and no place of business should have any real excuse for not perfecting such traditional staples. We went with the wings for our first visit. The big complaint about them is that they are those creepy full body wings that look like fried bats. I'm a carnivore, but it just skeevs me out to break apart the joints of a chicken. And the celery was the type you would pass over if you were shopping for it. It was obviously old and poorly stored. It's mostly garnish, but.... My shrimp po'boy was pretty damn delicious, minus the overabundance of mayonnaise, and the gnocci was worth trying. I caught a glimpse of the inside on my way to the bathroom and the interior looked nice. I think once they iron out some of their shortcomings and get some company on West Callowhill to create a little street life and ambiance, Kite and Key will be a really good time.

    (3)
  • David C.

    Not a bad place...it is a pub after all... The one thing they are missing, as a "pub" is a better selection of beer. Other than that it wasnt bad... I like the outdoor seating and the limited dishes they have, they just opened earlier this summer, are good. I'd definitely go back

    (3)
  • Nina S.

    In Center Center from out of town and needed a quick bite to eat before our trip to a near by museum. A quick search on Google turned up some positive reviews on Kite and Key. The restaurant was absolutely buzzing when we entered and had a homey, comfy feel to it. The service was very friendly and patient as we asked several questions about the menu. The beer selection was varied with high quality microbrews. Unsure of which microbrew would be most pleasing to my palate I requested a small sample from the waitress. She happily obliged and I decided on a crisp, refreshing wheat beer. The food was fairly standard pub fare, but came out quick and met our expectations. Overall, I would highly recommend the kite and key for a quick bite to eat or a nice happy hour spot if around Center City.

    (4)
  • Charlie S.

    I had lunch here the other day. I ordered fish and chips at the bar with a beer based on a recommendation from a friend. I thought it was ok, but not great. I would definitely come back again to try something else for lunch. The bar is very old-school and inviting. They have some great beers on tap...beers that really are for "beer drinkers" i.e. people that don't drink Miller Lite when they want a real brew. This place seems like it would be great for drinks and rock/jazz music on a Friday night.

    (3)
  • Julianna K.

    Lots of outdoor (off the sidewalk) seating is definitely a plus. But the food was just okay, and the service was sketchy. Our server forgot to take our order, then we had to ask for utensils and plates when she brought us our appetizers. However, she was good at keeping up with our drinks, which is a good thing. The beers were delicious, in particular the vanilla bean porter I had was exceptional. And I generally don't like darker beers, but I also can't resist anything with a sweet flavor. The menu was unimpressive and I was hard pressed to find anything that was really appetizing. So I ordered a pork belly BLT. It tasted, well pretty much like a BLT with a thin pork chop on it. My bf's burger was bland, and the topping choices were limited. The best thing on the table was the huge bowl of mussels my friend got. They were tasty, even to someone not a big fan of the creepy, squiggly, multicolored mollusks, like me. Kite & Key gets 1 star for beer selection, 1 for outdoor seating, a half for service and another half for food.

    (3)
  • Jimmy M.

    Just tried this place. Decent beer selection, mostly priced $5-$6 (more for the ciders, etc). Small selection of dishes, but good food overall. It seems like it will fit in well with the neighborhood. The front doors open up to a large outdoor seating area, which is very welcome in the city in the summer months. My biggest complaint is that there was nothing on the walls to absorb the sound, and it was very loud and hard to hear the waitress and other people at our table.

    (4)
  • Lauren C.

    Love stopping at this place after a bike ride and grabbing a beer when the weather is nice. They open up the windows so you can sit at a high-top table inside and still get a breeze from outside. Veggie burger - outstanding and unique! Nice beer selection.

    (5)
  • Amanda F.

    The Kite & Key would definitely be one of my neighborhood hangouts if I still lived in the neighborhood. As it is, it's proving worth the trip when searching for a low key evening. It's a really cute little bar with a good amount of tables if you don't feel like crowding around the bar. All of the food I've gotten there has been perfectly edible, if not anything stellar (except for the sweet garlic chili chicken wings, good lord those were good!) Everything else was just all right. Not a huge fan of the fries, but that's a small quibble. They've got a nice beer list and some cool special events. We didn't even realize they were a) having a special sixtel event and b) tapping Pliny the Younger! until we walked in. At most places there would be an obnoxious crowd for that, but the space and the noise level both were very manageable. Beer prices are a BIT on the high side sometimes ($5.5 for a 13 oz pour of Allagash makes me raise my eyebrow just a bit) but the overall atmosphere, and the service (our waitress was very good about juggling our various beer orders at different times and humoring us when we weren't able to decide what to eat for a while) was worth it. All in all, it's a nice but still neighborhood-feeling bar that is perfect for a quiet but fun evening with friends.

    (4)
  • Martha N.

    I like coming here for a beer with friends, but the waitstaff is consistently inattentive and the food is bland. I went on a Friday afternoon (only because Sabrina's was closed due to electrical probs) and while the place was full, there were only two waitstaff. This means our server saw us to seat us, take our order, drop off our food and then to bring us our bill. This wouldn't have mattered except we needed some tartar sauce and lemon wedges. This leads me to our fish and chips. They were greasy and tasteless. It was a disappointing experience overall. Come here if you want a great beer, poor service and even worse food.

    (2)
  • Heather F.

    If you work near Logan Circle and are spending your lunch hour actually eating lunch, Kite and Key is a Yeah. We're talking quesadillas, salads, burgers and fried foods. Bar fare. Effective and efficient. We were in, fed and out in under an hour. The prices are reasonable and if you want to be outside, they have tables available. I've walked by a few times since and on weeknights the place is busy.

    (3)
  • Jess D.

    I've been here a couple times now, usually for happy hour and a bite to eat. The food is better than your average bar food. On my most recent visit, we went to happy hour on a Monday and the atmosphere was perfect-- not too loud and not too busy. However, our waitress was not as attentive as we would have liked. We had to ask for water a few times and my friend received her order wrong. I will definitely give this place another try when the weather gets better.

    (3)
  • Kelly G.

    Altho the waitress was super nice, it was a slow service lunch... and my food was borderline terrible... grilled veg open faced sandwich (in theory, soooo sooo good) but even the salad it came with was icky. Not a lot of veg options here. However 3 other people had excellent lunches there (ex: pulled pork). They do have a lot of TVs, all sports, if you like. So in conclusion, my food was blah & the service was sloow, but it was a cute clean cut bar, so I'd usually give 2.5 stars but.... they have the elusive exclusive chocolate brewed Yards porter on tap! So 3 stars it is.

    (3)
  • Steve M.

    Awesome Beer, Awesome Food, Awesome Service. This is my local hangout since we moved to Philadelphia.

    (5)
  • Nicholas A.

    They might have the best mussels in Philadelphia -- the thai chili mussels are GREAT. They have a good beer list -- I don't get down with beer much, but those that do seem satisfied. Go for the beer, stay for the food, and walk home because the neighborhood is GREAT!

    (4)
  • Andy C.

    This place was tons of fun. Small, intimate, and reasonably priced. Food was excellent. We had lunch and I got the steak sandwich. Tasty!

    (5)
  • Scott H.

    Cold food

    (2)
  • Jamie K.

    Great service, great food and beer. Had a variety of appetizers. Amazing burger, fries, mussels. Would definitely go again when we're in the area!

    (5)
  • Taylor H.

    Good beer selection, busy late at night, and dog friendly. Good stop on our vacation visiting friends in Philly. We did not eat here so I can't comment on the food but our friends love this place. Conveniently located near a park for the dogs.

    (4)
  • Flora T.

    One of the best veggie burgers I've eaten. You can tell they make it in-house. This is a nice neighborhood hangout.

    (4)
  • Don K.

    Just went here for the second time for brunch/lunch. It was pretty busy the last time we went but today there was plenty of open tables around lunch time. Great beer list that constantly changes. Food was excellent. I have tried both the chicken cutlet and steak sandwich. They allowed me to substitute a side salad that was very good size with tasty dressing for no extra charge. Overall a great spot to relax, have brunch/lunch, and throw down a few. Look forward to heading back soon.

    (4)
  • veronica c.

    i loved this place! had an amazing dinner of mussels in white sauce and some pizza... beer was great as well! Great service, very friendly people. Loved the atmosphere. Definitely going back soon to chill outside, now that it's getting warmer.

    (4)
  • Rachel H.

    Great beer selection. I've eaten here a few times for lunch/dinner and the food was decent, but not great for the price. It's a great location and the opening of the front windows' is awesome in the summer time - I'll totally keep going back for the beer and atmosphere.

    (3)
  • Robin S.

    I wasn't really thrilled with Kite & Key. I came here for brunch. It was a hot, muggy day in September and the ventilation was off (at least in the back of the restaurant) so not only was the air thick and hot but there were flies milling around our table. I ordered the standard breakfast (bacon, eggs, potatoes.) The potatoes were odd, they were maybe sort of like tater tots but with a strange after taste. The bacon and eggs were ok, nothing special by any stretch of the imagination. The wait was out of control. Considering we ordered nothing more complicated than a burger, it should not have taken nearly as long as it did. Of course the stifling heat didn't help. Maybe our experience was an anomaly but I would probably not go back. Two stars because our waitress was nice.

    (2)
  • Franco X.

    Yes I do like if for their beer selection, fine tv view, friendly beer servers,little above average for sandwhich, since that is only food I have had there. They must get rid of those looking bad shoe string fries and bring in some monster streak fries. Also make sure the fries are defrosted and cooked too. Also great when all doors are open and it is warm outside.

    (4)
  • Erik s.

    A pretty extensive beer list but no GUINNESS? Alright I will drink a Founders, but you lose half a star! and you lost another half star b/c your crab cake was all filler and no killer. And you lost a whole star b/c you had my hopes high when you had gravy cheese fries on your menu- yet you had the audacity to serve shoe string fries ?! But you had decent mussels.. whowhatafunk making mussel's buffalo style? You did Kite and cheers to that b/c adding blue cheese crumble and hot sauce to anything can only lead to good. Best mussels in the museum district- way better than Belgium Cafe's tasteless bowl of shelled shit, but not as tasty as Standard Tap's and Chickie and Pete's mussel and red sauce- which I could drink by the gallon. Their rendition of chili was interesting and pretty good- no beans and shredded meat. Overall a solid addition says I.

    (3)
  • Yea A.

    I was so excited when a new bar opened up right down the street from me, but that excitement fizzled the first night I spent there. Don't get me wrong -- the drinks are a good price, food is okay, but the crowd and the music make it a no-go for me. I've been numerous times b/c it's so close, and in the spring when the outdoor seating is open there have been patrons so drunk that they've come up to my table and hit on my in front of my husband. The jukebox is WAY too loud most of the time, playing crappy music, and the crowd can be very sports-bar douchey. It's a real shame, because on the nights where the jukebox isn't blaring bad music and the crowd is more chill I can see it's potential for being a great bar. I prefer Prohibition for my local pub -- bartenders are awesome, fabulous beer and bar menu and a chill location. They also have a jukebox and TVs but have figured out how to let them be in the background without overriding the ambiance.

    (1)
  • Payal P.

    Was here the night the Phillies phinally clenched the World Series! My friend and I got the last available table right in front of the tv's. It was great atmosphere and I definitely want to come back on a nice day and sit in the open-air room. Our server was super friendly and made sure we were never lacking anything. They have a great beer list and a lot of beers on tap - I tried 2 Belgium's - I remember one called Le Cheuffe which I really enjoyed. Also they have Golden Monkey is bottles, yesss! For food - decent - I got the nachos which were just ok, they used cheese whiz which I do not like and the chicken tasted spongy but they had a good avocado dip on it - it wasn't guacamole at all which is what they were trying to pass it off as...but the dip was prob the best part of the nachos. My friend enjoyed the crabcake sliders and the fries were phenomenal! Aside the nachos I'll def be back.

    (4)
  • Caroline C.

    The K&K is near my place of employment, so my coworkers and I have found ourselves there twice in the last month. We have tried both their regular and their Cajun french fries as well as the edamame. I was pleased to see that they had Magic Hat as well as the more fancy La Chouffe. Service outside is a little crazy, it was like our tables weren't assigned to one person, which meant that frequently one of the nice women would come by and ask us if we needed anything. This is good for a large group because we don't always drink at the same pace but, simultaneously, sometimes it's not that great to be checked up on so much.

    (3)
  • Andy M.

    Kite & Key is a friendly new pub without a lot of pretenses. Their beer list ranges from Yuengling to St. Bernadus, and they have a modest, but sufficient menu. So far, its a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

    (4)
  • Sarah R.

    Great beer and vibe, and the bar food is not bad either. I had the veggie burger which was surprisingly good. This is the kind of place that the girls will love to come with their boyfriend on a "laid back" date night to enjoy the open air, or to hang out with a bunch of friends and pound a few drinks.

    (4)
  • Liam K.

    Great place. Great seasonal menu. Great service. Very nice patio in summer time. great beer selection. This area needed this.

    (5)
  • Nat Z.

    fish tacos are a must. they have this cool sauce that they give you to put on it... we sat outside, which was nice, since it's pretty quiet. atmosphere outside (and in general) is pretty unpretentious. service was excellent and there was an excellent selection of beers on tap. they are a bit keen on the breading / frying thing....

    (4)
  • S. M.

    This place has an excellent beer list, and fabulous food. The dredged fries were the best I've ever had, bar none. The ambiance was casual, friendly, a very nice after work grown-up crowd. The staff was professional and friendly, also knowledgeable about their products. It's also located in a sweet residential neighborhood. I'll definitely go again on my next trip to Philly :)

    (5)
  • John D.

    What kind of restaurant dyes corn chips to make them "blue corn chips"? If you're hurting for a meal that will turn your poop a radiant blue, look no further than Kite & Key's nachos.

    (1)
  • jenny m.

    I was in town visiting staying at the nearby Embassy Suites and stumbled across this place. It was late on a Thursday and my sister & I were looking for somewhere to get some food & drinks. We turned the corner on to Calloway St and saw this place. It was really busy for 11 p.m. on a school night (good sign!) so we stopped in. My sister ordered the hummus and I got the fish tacos. I was pleasently surprised with the tacos. I was glad they didn't come lathered in cheese & sour cream, they actually had an interesting salsa verde sauce instead so they were somewhat healthy (a plus!). The hummus was pretty decent as well, up to par with some mediterranean places I've been. And I had my first Yuengling that night. Having grown up in the midwest and lived in Chicago for the past 8 years, I'd never even heard of this beer. Such a shame - it's a pretty tasty lager (I had many more over the course of the weekend!). And if I hadn't been on vacation with my parents & 7 yr old niece, I would have come back on Friday or Saturday to sit outside and drink more. I'm guessing this place gets somewhat lively on the weekends!

    (4)
  • Meems C.

    veggie burger.

    (5)
  • Dave F.

    A solid 'ol bar which has come on a lot in popularity since I first went there last year with some work people - food is your typical solid bar food fare, beer and wine are good too and it's well priced. Would go back again.

    (3)
  • Leah M.

    Good place for some food and drinks! It's a good place to watch sports and to hang out with some friends too! They're food is pretty good and the service was great. I'd recommend Kite and Key anyday!

    (4)
  • Kathleen D.

    Kite & Key is best enjoyed while sitting at one of the outdoor tables. I don't make it there as often as I should, considering their beer list (so nice to see a not-that-accessible Ninkasi!), but it's awesome to have them a short walk away in the neighborhood. I've only had dinner here once. I stopped in for my brother's birthday last month with my mom and grandmother. While most of us enjoyed our meals, my grandmother wasn't a fan of her roast beef. She later opted to switch to a burger (also what I was eating) and liked that much better. Only thing to know: service was a little laggy, but otherwise, it was great. Gotta make it back soon!

    (4)
  • Mark Z.

    Went here on a date with my girlfriend, an I enjoyed my experience. The space is nice and huge with a good amount of seats even on a busy Saturday. Our waitress was very nice and would always hit our table to see how things are, so awesome service. The beer selection was really good from great craft to imports. The food was really good as well. My chicken parm sandwich was delicious, and I just dig shoestring style fries. Awesome place for dinner and a drink, so I suggest going here for both!

    (5)
  • John K.

    Kite and Key and Sabrina's are our standard go-to's when we're not looking to cook. And that's no surprise considering they're only a block away. So when some friends stopped by, we all decided to head back to Kite and Key for some eats. Potato & Cheddar Perogi ($9) Sauteed onion, sour cream If pierogi's are on the menu. I'm ordering it. Kite and Key had these bad boys on special and they were crisply fried, with a creamy, cheesy mixture within. Sauteed onions and sour cream rounded out each bite. Calamari ($10) Spicy tomato sauce, arugula The calamari were expertly fried, yet tender. For $10, they gave you a boat load to boot! Presentation was prototypical of a bar, with spicy marinara hiding underneath, with a field of arugula lightly dressed on top. But again - it's unbelievable how much calamari there was! Steak Sandwich ($10) Grilled filet, chimichurri, caramelized onions, pepper jack cheese, french fries The filet sandwich came out perfectly cooked - medium rare and well-seasoned. The caramelized onions added some acidic depth, with the earthy chimichurri providing herbaceous notes. The pepper bite of the pepper jack cheese was nice. The fries were thin and crispy, nothing wrong there! Fish and Chips ($15) Beer-battered fish, french fries, malt vinegar You can put money on the fact that the GF will usually order the chipper. The beer-battered fish was light and flaky, though the batter wasn't as malty as she normally likes. The pat of malt vinegar helped though! The only issue we had on this particular night was that the sodas we ordered were completely flat and tasted of Robitussin. The server gave us a weird look, which prompted me to invite her to have a taste. She declined. In all fairness though, that's not typical and the drinks were obviously taken off. In any case, if you're looking for a proper drink (read: alcohol) and good bar eats, Kite and Key is a great bet on Callowhill Street.

    (4)
  • Jeff K.

    I've been to Kite & Key twice I think it is a pretty good spot to wine, dine and hang out. This is a good spot to hang out with friends or colleagues, enjoy some appetizers, grab an entree and have a few beers. THE GOOD... -lot of beer options both on draft and bottle (local micro brews too) -fried pickles are good -fish and chips are very good -vegetarian and vegan options -the times I went it wasn't too loud and crazy -servers were friendly THE BAD... -parking can be a pain Overall I like Kite & Key. I highly recommend going with a local micro brew. They usually have a big chalkboard of all of the different beers available. The food has been pretty good and I have received friendly service. I'd like to try their brunch sometime!

    (3)
  • Zach V.

    I visited Kite & Key with my aunt for lunch around 12:30 on a Friday. She was already seated when I arrived in the back of the restaurant which sits up a few feet from the main bar area. Our server came over quickly and took our drink orders. They had a nice variety of beer on tap and in bottles. For our appetizer's we shared the Red Diablo Mussels and fried pickles. The broth the Mussels were in was awesome. For lunch we both had burgers. They were very good. During our meal the service was fantastic and all the employees were very nice. I would return to Kite & Key again if I'm in the area.

    (4)
  • Dana M.

    Two stars because the veggie burger and other options are pretty decent. I'm big on customer service though, (and just generally a cranky person) hence why I deducted another star. We arrived at K & K at around 9:30-ish and waited to be seated. And waited. And waited. The place was packed so I figured it was the late late happy hour folks and people waiting for dinner were seating themselves. A woman sitting on a stool near the hostess post had her back to us so I finally went over and asked her if we could just seat ourselves. I'm not sure if we ever would have gotten seated if I hadn't approached her. The drink and ordering process went smoothly. The fried pickles were probably the worst I've ever had. Texture was off and overpriced. Seven dollars for 5 fried pickles? FIVE? No, just no. Cajun fries and veggie burger are great. Those are two solid options if you're vegetarian. Our server pretty much ignored us for the rest of the night. We had to flag her down to order another drink. She just really inattentive, and I hate to make this about race, but we were also the only black people in the place. It could have also been that were the only people seated for dinner, but she was also just sitting at the barstool near the hostess table, or maybe because she got up every once in awhile to take drink orders and got really busy making conversation with the patrons... blah, I'm running out of excuses here... There was also dead roach hanging out between the ketchup and the salt. Sigh. What an experience.

    (2)
  • Candi K.

    We are suburban people, so driving into the city always drives me a bit batty. But an out of town friend was in town for the week, so off to town we went! The location is really convenient for those who are driving...a good amount of street parking and a large, reasonably priced parking lot is next door. It was a nice fall evening so they had the front open. We had a great bar table right at the opening, so we got the best of both worlds...a bit of cover from the breeze that kicked up while enjoying one of those last few nights you could eat outside. Our waitress was really friendly & quickly got us drinks (a nice draft selection!). I ordered a buffalo chicken cheesesteak (it was on the specials that night) which I loved. A mix of sandwiches at our table, and nothing was bad. Good food for the price point with good service. I doubt we'll be back just because we tend to try someplace new every time we go into the city, but I'd definitely recommend it!

    (4)
  • Kelly M.

    Disappointing...we were hungry so we ate but it blows my mind how places still serve frozen burger patties and store bought chicken cutlets and charge like its handmade stuff. How hard is it to hand make a burger patty and bread a chicken cutlet? I'm annoyed by having to pay this check.

    (1)
  • Dana S.

    Great little spot in Fairmount. They have a good amount of outdoor seating which is great for those beautiful summer days. I've never eaten there so I can't speak to thier menu, but a great place to grab a drink with friends.

    (3)
  • Rebecca O.

    Boyfriend and I come here once a month or so, we live close and can always get a table. One of the best things about k&k is that the servers always remember us, especially Ericka (?) and she knows our regular drink orders and menu orders. Very casual place and I'm not crazy about the crowd, but we do always feel comfortable there. HOWEVER---after having no less than 12 pulled pork sandwiches and 10 or so burgers (over the course of a year), I will confidently say that the pork/burger is always good --but those brioche buns are awful! Either always taste super stale, too 'airy' (?) or...just cheap. So, k&k, Like, just skip the whole brioche thing - and get high quality hamburger buns from any one of the bakeries in town. We'll all be a lot happier

    (3)
  • Breylon S.

    My experience at this site last weekend was VERY POOR due to the service provided. Started ok, but our servers were switched. I ordered my meal and realized I didn't want it. I wanted to order something else. In any other restaurant, you get the courtesy to do that if you inform the waiter/waitress in a timely fashion (which I did). Instead, two things occurred: (1) I was told the kitchen was closed by that point. This was not true. I watched a couple of people order meals/beverages even after I asked. The waiter simply and clearly didn't want to bother satisfying the customer; (2) I was met with a non-negotiable manager who pointlessly reiterated that I could not order something else and that I was stuck with the meal. She didn't resolve the situation. She actually confirmed the overall poor service. I frequent Philly often enough, but I don't plan for this to be a stop I make in the future.

    (1)
  • Gretchen E.

    Kite & Key never disappoints. One of the best spots for outdoor dining, morning to night, offering a great view of the Barnes, former Inquirer building, and the new Granary apartments and its puppy tenants. Fantastic Bloody Mary. Crispy creative nacho plates. Brothy salty mussels. Dessert beignets to share. And a selection of burgers. The fries are a bit bland - definitely not fresh cut - and the veggie burger tastes like fried air. Good sauces though. Creative brunches on weekends - starting at 11am - and open until 2am each night. Beer events held often recruit a good crowd of locals and tourists. Ben Franklin would be proud.

    (4)
  • Stephanie S.

    Came here for the Firestone Walker craft beer event last weekend during Philly Craft Beer Express. I also used to come here often, 3 yrs ago when I worked nearby. Always thought highly of this place... has great food and pretty good craft beer selections on tap. We ordered a few rounds of different Firestone Walker brews, as well as some others not on the specials menu for those in my party who don't like the heavy hitter beers. Was nice they had several different selections to chose from. For food, we ordered several munchies, hummus was delicious, the fried pickles were huge, edamame was slightly over-cooked but still good, I didn't eat the wings but they smelled good, and the Thai chili oysters were also enjoyed by the folks at my table. Several years ago, I remember eating a veggie burger that was delicious. The calamari at our neighbor's table looked huge and tasty, so I"ll keep that in mind for next time. Overall great place, sometimes service can be slow when they are slammed packed, but its OK if you're just there to socialize, drink some good beer, and eat some good food. Tip: sit at the bar area.

    (4)
  • m b.

    Maybe the dishwasher was cooking today? I dunno, I've looked through the photos here of the food at K and K and some of it looks amazing. Yet today, the food was worse than that of McDonalds! Horrible. Eggs Benedict was cold, overcooked, with a tiny amount of darkly colored "hollandaise" sauce (without question, from a package) on top of a hard, cold, long-ago toasted English muffin,. The breakfast burrito was stuffed with spongy eggs (scrambled?) with little to no other ingredients? I had to hunt for the 5 black beans that were in there. My husband had been here before and said his experience was similar so not sure what to think as many other reviewers actually liked this place?

    (1)
  • Patricia B.

    I've been disappointed with the service here on numerous occasions. Just recently, I came here on two separate occasions in the afternoon on the weekend. Both times, the restaurant was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. It took way too long to be noticed by a server, once seated. And trying to get the check was a near impossible task. Getting our cards back once we paid the check? Even worse. It's a shame because I like the food and the set-up/atmosphere is great. The veggie burger is one of my favorite in the city and the fried pickles are nice (different from most places, they serve five larger chips, rather than a basket of smaller chips...and they're delish!). Get it together on the service, Kite and Key! I would be back much more often if you did...

    (3)
  • Janine L.

    Stumbled upon this place by chance while searching for an eatery close to the Franklin Institute. Charming atmosphere with a nice selection of draft beer. The menu was a small but perfect for our needs. The Cheese plate was outstanding! I never have seen such a generous portion - well worth the price. Will definitely visit again.

    (4)
  • Christine N.

    This is an okay choice for brunch. We had a new waitress that didn't know the menu and had to keep going back to ask people for clarification. They don't have many exciting options and the omelet I had was pretty mediocre. Many of my friends were vegetarians and they wouldn't accommodate their dietary restrictions, so not sure what's up with that. I wouldn't go back or recommend this place.

    (1)
  • Katie M.

    Had lunch with my mom today. The food was great. We split a house salad and a buffalo chicken flat bread. Service was quick and food was really good! I recommend going here for a quick lunch. Drink selection was great as well!

    (4)
  • Jade V.

    I should just call Kite & Key "Old Reliable." I've been here for lunch, brunch, dinner, and just drinks. It's a great little pub around the museum district in Philadelphia and the Community College of Philadelphia. To be honest, I come here for the beer. The draft beer selection is varied, large (something like 17 beers on tap), and constantly changing. They also have quite a few bottled beers. While Kite & Key is great for beer, they have a decent selection of pub food, too. I've enjoyed their mussels (comes with a couple of pieces of garlic bread) and flatbreads. Nothing especially unique in terms of food, but the flavors & quality are solid and will fill you up and keep you going.

    (4)
  • Craven M.

    Excellent beer selection. Rotating tap beers. Karsteel Pumpkin is delicious.

    (4)
  • Dennis L.

    Kite & Key is a nice little gastropub with a small dining area in the back. If you come early enough, it's pretty quiet, but after 730 it starts to fill up with bar goers and gets much louder. I came for dinner and ordered a Fried Calamari as a starter and the Steak sandwich for the main course. You get a very gracious serving of fried calamari with arugula on top and a good amount of red sauce spread across it. A slice of lemon would have been appreciated, but that was not included. The large pieces were fried well and not too oily or heavy, I would say the amount of breading was ideal. The arugula was new to me and it added a great flavor to it, but then I personally just really love arugula. The Steak sandwich was cooked medium rare and perfectly. It comes with a large serving of thinly sliced fries, again deep fried rather well. If nothing else, this place knows how to work it's deep fryer. The sandwich came on a large roll sliced in half topped with sesame and it was absolutely delicious. The Steak still had a nice pink center and the Chimichurri sauce complimented it perfectly. I was unable to finish the sandwich so took half of it home. A random side note, the fries were actually pretty good cold. Not something you find often.

    (4)
  • Yana L.

    This was the best veggie burger that I have ever had. Not only was the patty itself completely delicious and juicy - not too thick and not too thin - but everything placed on this burger makes for a delicious (and extremely filling) meal. This is the only entree that I have had at the Kite & Key, but I always really appreciate how many vegetarian options there are - not just one default. The fried pickles are good - a bit pricey for the portion, but if you love that kind of stuff - definitely worth it. According to my companions: Quesadillas are delicious - stuffed with delicious beef. The guacamole could use a little extra lime and salt, but that is easy to correct on your own. The taco salad is huge, incredibly intense, and delicious. The sauce is actually pretty mild, and pairs well. Overall, this place is a great find. The portions are generous, the prices reasonable, and the location is convenient. The servers are all very nice and peppy - happy to answer questions, and they keep the refills coming at regular intervals. There is a nice mix of ambience - with a classic sports bar in the front, and quieter seating in the back of the restaurant. We only went here because the line for Sabrina's was completely ridiculous (1 hour wait, for brunch) - and I am so glad we did!

    (4)
  • Sanoj P.

    Simply ridiculous. These guys have pretty whatever you want. I've been here countless times, and I can say confidently, I've never had a bad experience. Not one. Beer - Awesome craft beers. Food - What are you looking for? They have food for everyone, and everything is pretty good. They have the best fried pickles in Philly and their veggie burgers are awesome. Service - When it gets crowded, it gets a little slow. But they are great. And the bartenders are knowledgeable and fun. If you're looking for a sit-down restaurant with fancy-schmancy linens and a chef in the back from Chopped, find another place. This isn't that. But if you're looking for a great bar with good food and good beer, and people who aren't full of themselves, this place is great.

    (4)
  • Marc W.

    9 old guys visited on a wed night,busy but not packed. atmosphere was fun. noise- no worse than anywhere else apps we tried were wings and calamari - both very good . The calamari had raves. Beer list is excellent as everyone also writes. fairly priced and I think is the best feature of this pub. We were all very happy with our entrees which included burgers, pulled pork, fish tacos, steak sandwich. only smiles. the fries are not special but good and there is a dipping sauce if you ask. service- we found that to be efficient and friendly. no delays. We visit a beer/burger place once a month together and have done so for two years. Kite and Key did not disappoint in any way.

    (4)
  • Aubrey L.

    My good friend and I recently threw a surprise 30th birthday for our two husbands here and we couldn't have been more thrilled with Kite and Key. We inquired with a number of places, so many required a guarantee or made you pay to rent space and were inflexible etc. Kite and Key was so accommodating to us! From the beginning Jim helped us plan a great menu and always got back to us really quickly. The night of was perfect. They let us have multiple tables in the front of the restaurant where we set up some decorations and served our appetizer platters (which were so delicious, favorites off the menu but in big group size portions). In addition to having guests buy drinks from the bar they had two waitresses that came through to take orders. They were incredible, knowing 60+ peoples drink orders and so friendly when pushing through a rowdy crowd. The night was a great success and so much of it was due to our choice in Kite and Key. It was low key and fun but the staff was so attentive and professional. Can't wait to get back and get some more fried pickles!!

    (5)
  • James B.

    The Saturday brunch special was a delicious portobello quiche. It came with a sizable salad for only $8. Wow, that's a good value. The beer selection is excellent. Decent pub fare overall. Nice service.

    (4)
  • Nicole L.

    Came here for a coworker's birthday tonight and I was mostly ambivalent by the experience. While our server was quite friendly and attentive, I found my hot roast beef sandwich to be on the meh side. Points for not using cheez whiz in the tasty cheesesteak spring rolls, though. My biggest gripe was the extraordinary number of flies in the restaurant -- I felt like I spent half my night swatting them out of my face or from my food. At one point a gnat swam into my friend's burger and I'm not sure if it escaped alive. I'm sure the biggest attraction at Kite & Key are the numerous drafts they have on tap, but when it comes to dinner this place unfortunately tanks. Save your money for the other competition in the area, because you can get better food and not feel grossed out and disappointed. ps. what is the "artesian cheese" on their menu?

    (2)
  • S L.

    I have been to this place a handful of times, and the only thing that I've eaten that was worth the calories was the hummus appetizer. Everything else on the menu is just meh. The service is also meh. I'd much rather stop in for drinks and to watch a game at the bar. Will pass on any food the next time I'm in.

    (2)
  • Kristen J.

    We always go to Kite & Key after work and we are never disappointed. The beers on tap fit everyone's tastes, although I will say that the wine list could be updated. The food is good & shareable. This is always one of my favorite spots to hit on a warm spring day or cool early fall evening. The staff is friendly & attentive. This is definitely one of my favorite hang-out spots.

    (4)
  • Maria D.

    I had the pumpkin ale which was delish! we ordered nachos & mussels in white. the nachos were huge, crunchy, and covered with melted cheese. They had guacamole and sour cream on top and both were really good! The mussels in white were spicy but just enough and super tasty. We will def be returning!

    (4)
  • Tanya M.

    This place is awesome. Had a great server names Jane. Lots of info and amazing service. Burger was great with little onion straws on it and the Cajun fries to sue for and them to top it off the side if Cajun mayo that I smeared on everything and scraped the bowl with my fries. Can't wait to come back

    (5)
  • Nikki R.

    Solid place to grab an affordable drink and treat yourself to a lil something special at the end of a long work day. Spicy Thai Mussels, $14? I'm in. So good. You're going to struggle to talk yourself out of eating all the bread while sopping up the sauce. Lots of beer options. Great staff, always nice and willing to give suggestions.

    (4)
  • Carol C.

    I've heard that this place can be inconsistent sometimes, but if that is the case, they were on point the evening we came! We got fish tacos, veggie burger, and steak sandwich. The fish tacos were so crisp and perfectly flavored. The veggie burger came with TWO patties - I don't know if that is normal, but it was bomb. I am normally hesitant about ordering steak sandwiches because they can either be tough to chew, or be filled with cheap meat. However, neither was the case here - the steak was a thick cut, juicy, and tender enough to eat as a sandwich. Although they have craft beers on draft, drink options are kind of limited. Overall, a very pleasant dinner.

    (4)
  • Erik R.

    Review is only for location and Breakfast/Brunch menu: 1st things 1st, this place is a great little Irish/ Tavern/ Pub. It's no where near as busy as Sabrina's (which we waited for over an hour after giving reservations). Plus it's more open, less crowded. K&K is a wannabe sports bar. But, they just don't have the tech for it. They have plenty of flat screens which is really all you need. Onto the food. Their Breakfast/Brunch menu is very limited. With most of the options containing some egg in the them. I had the French Toast and bacon. It was drizzled in syrup and nice and thick slices. It was very filling and good. but you'll notice that the entree itself is listed only with bacon. No eggs, grits, porridge, friut (unless ordered separately). The service was good. Food was fine. Just make sure you get what you oredered upon delivery to your table.

    (3)
  • Gabby M.

    Pretty nice place! The food was good; I had the burger and it was good but a little overdone, even though I asked for medium. The negative part was how incredibly loud it was in there, even at 1 in the afternoon.

    (3)
  • S C.

    Got drinks here with some friends and the service was good, drinks were priced well, ambience was laid back. Good neighborhood joint for drinks.

    (4)
  • Meaghan D.

    My absolute favorite neighborhood bar. Their constantly rotating craft beer list is all one needs to be happy.

    (5)
  • Victoria R.

    Places like this remind me to never order ethnic food where it's not usually the menu style. This place is more like a burger/bar joint. Thought I could indulge in their Saturday Brunch Specials. Boy was I wrong! Their chilaquilas and breakfast burrito looked fancy enough but was done all wrong and tasted terrible. Ugh, so disappointed but that's what I get for ordering Mexican food at an American restaurant. So disappointed.

    (2)
  • Tiffany T.

    This place is alright.. but nothing too special. I was pretty excited though seeing all the awesome drafts.. Monks fleming for $5.50?! But they tricked me! I was like.. how is it cheaper than monks... guess what? It's a 10 ounce glass NOOOO Beers are fairly priced though , between 5-8 bucks. I didn't get any food except an appetizer of edamame $5 and it was a HUGE plate we couldn't even finish between 4 people. For that, I give them +1/2 star Service - was sooo poor in the beginning. I think she knew her shift was ending.. so.. But it honestly took about 5-7 minutes for her to come over and service my beer :/ Sadness The second server was much better. But boo to the first server!! :(( Final: 3.5 stars

    (3)
  • Scott J.

    Burrito was dry and basically an omelet in a flour tortilla. Could have used some avocado, side of salsa, and put the hash browns that came on the side inside the burritto. Beer selection was above par and my fiance said her breakfast sandwich was good. Too bad Rose Tattoo wasn't open.

    (3)
  • J S.

    My favorite place to grab a drink. Can't say enough good things about the nighttime bartenders (Scotty, Gabe and Efrem). Love the nachos and the beignets. It's a great bar to sit and hangout with your friends.

    (5)
  • Jennifer D.

    I went there for Sunday brunch and was unimpressed. People who were seated well after me were served before me, I had to ask more than once before they finally brought me some water, and the eggs benedict were simultaneously overcooked and cold.

    (2)
  • Tammy Y.

    Avoid the eggs. We stopped in this past beautiful Sunday and I ordered from their Sunday brunch menu - the Classic Breakfast - eggs over easy, bacon, potatoes. Pretty simple right? especially when you offer a specific Sunday brunch menu? Honestly did not even know eggs could go this wrong. Cold, rubbery and just sad. The entire plate was cold. The amount of food sparse. Have never returned a meal in my life, but I did this time. To their credit they offered to re-make it and when I said no, they didn't charge for the meal. Wouldn't go back unless I was already full and just wanted a good Bloody Mary.

    (1)
  • Christian B.

    I still really want to like this place... I hope we just caught them on a bad night...We were in town for the Collegiate Rugby Championship- CRC and Can you believe a bar turning down a rugby family willing to drink the local brews on tap???? Although this place has a great atmosphere with lots of people enjoying the vast beer selection on the patio (which is what drew us in)... its a tad out if the main stream in a part of town that people told me was a bit seedy which the best kinda place to sample the local flavor of a new city (in my opinion)... However the bar tender was extremely rude and very un accommodating and Honestly we felt a bit discriminated against. . For one if my first places I visited my first time to Philly, thankfully it was the exception to this great town. With the many beers on tap during this BEER WEEK the bartender refused to accommodate us with a beer flight or samples we were willing to pay for... My dad & I (serious beer drinkers) always willing to try local brews wanted to sample the local brews but were not familiar with the local and eclectic brews available... I was really hoping for a better experience... Please let me know if you visit this place and I just caught them on an off night ;which does happen) Cheers

    (1)
  • Christine L.

    Live way too close to this place. Best neighborhood bar on the planet. One word: MUSSELS. I can't get enough of their mussels, specifically the red diablo ones. In all honesty though, everything I have had on their menu is great (except for the nachos, need more stuff). Outdoor seating is great, and the beer list is always changing. Will miss having this as my local bar, once I move out of the city!

    (5)
  • Mark J.

    Dining data March 8, 2014 for dinner. The chicken cutlet sandwich was excellent. My wife had the steak sandwich and really enjoyed it. Plenty of Yards beers on draught to choose from. The only negative is the bar is so loud it is difficult to have a conversation with feeling like you are yelling. Servers and hostess were friendly and attentive. The prices are good considering the location so close to down town.

    (4)
  • Edward M.

    I've been here several times and have always enjoyed it. Perhaps it was the good company. And it's also the friendly, prompt, and competent service. As well as the decent selection of interesting beers and wines (they also have a full bar, incidentally). The food I've tried so far has been mostly the flatbreads or, as we call them, mini pizzas. They had a nice crunch on the edges and tasted good. Prices are on par with similar establishments. They have a good mix of seating areas. There are tables for various sized groups in the back, bar seating in the front (i.e., by the bar, where there are also screens for the television program du jour), and - when the weather is nice enough - outdoor seating where you can observe the street life of Callowhill avenue while sipping your drink (whether gin and juice or something else).

    (4)
  • Emmett M.

    This place just got a fan. Stopped in for some suds and a bite last night after a viewing, so we were just looking to relax, cheer up, and unwind, and Kite & Key delivered. Huge beer list leaning heavily on the craft, especially in draft form, and I was extremely happy with the Dirty Bastard; normally when a bar has such variety I hop from beer to new beer, but last night I stuck with that dark s.o.b. for long haul. Food options were appealing, but as a swine lover I had to give their pulled pork a try. Sandwich comes with some shoestring fries that I should have upgraded to the soup du jour, but that was on me and my indecisiveness. As for the sammy, it is loaded with very tender meat, though I didn't get any crispy crust, but sometimes that's a good thing. They also throw a healthy and tasty dose of long hots on the pork that brought the perfect amount of heat to my eats, and, even if it's not my preferred style, a gooey slice of provolone that helped tie it all together. Friends got the garlic wings, which were very good (not so crispy, which I like, so some of you may need to ask for them well done), with a sweet and very mildly spicy sauce that had lots of breath destroying flavor. We also got a plate of nachos that was okay and great to pick at, but nothing was overly special about them. I really liked K&K, from the warm interior to the quite comfortable booth I sat in, the night was a success. The only small complaint I'd have was our server being a little strange: his service was timely and attentive, but a few times he came over to ask if we needed anything and when we said yes and turned to get the attention of a friend who didn't see his arrival, by the time we turned back he had drifted off. Still, we were never left wanting for very long, so it is a mild complaint at most.

    (4)
  • Three R.

    I received and email from Jim of Kite & Key and I have to say,"thank you Jim." After reading through other ratings it seems the problem is service not discrimination. Sometimes people's bad behavior can be read wrong and from the looks of the reviews you should have staff training. Because of the Kite and Key Management and their response I will try Kite and Key again. Great work and thank you Jim.

    (4)
  • Matt D.

    We've tried brunch here twice when Sabrina's was packed out, and both times were mediocre at best. I waited to write a review until we could give them a second chance. On the second visit, I had the absolute worst breakfast burrito I've ever come across. It was egg wrapped in a tortilla with some bland enchilada sauce and cheese. Why in the world would you only put egg in your breakfast burrito? The guy next to me made the same horrible choice, and just jabbed at the egg roll for a while trying to decide whether or not to eat it. The burger we got was so/so, but for being cooked perfectly, it still seemed a little dry. The only thing worth eating on the brunch menu is the peanut butter and jelly french toast, but do not order the grape juice cocktail catastrophe that would appear to be a fine accompaniment on the brunch drink menu. The beer prices seem on par with everywhere else in the area, and the atmosphere is good. I just don't see us giving it another chance with so many other options around.

    (2)
  • Edmund S.

    This is an awesome beer bar in the Fairmount/Spring Garden area. Close to the Art Museum and Logan Square. The food is good and the wait staff friendly.

    (5)
  • Yam W.

    Went here for Sunday brunch and we had a wonderful time. The outdoor seating was lovely, the server was great, and the food was a classic brunch. The menu is limited, but my partner and I were both happy with our meals. I ordered the belgian waffle and he had the western omelet. Kite & Key is a great option to get a hearty brunch before heading out to the art museums.

    (5)
  • Di P.

    I wandered over to Kite & Key Saturday morning after realizing the brunch place close to it was going to be over an hour wait. It made me wonder how many other Saturday morning patrons at Kite and Key were there for the same reasons... I've been to this place before but just for drinks-- and their beer selection is usually pretty decent. However their food was very much just the standard bar food. I think they try to add little twists to make it a little more special, but it's nothing that wows you. Wish I could say something more funny or useful but I guess it just reflects how this place wasn't terrible or super great.

    (3)
  • Trang N.

    We like to go here since there is a lot of outdoor seating which can accomodate our pups. There is another section to the side of the restaurant away from the street which is a little private then sitting directly out front of the large windows. While the atmosphere is great, dark hardwood and sports paraphernalia with all this Philly! There is a great projector TV in the back to watch games. On any given weekend, Kite and Key is always buzzing with locals relaxing. it's a great watering hole. The food sad to say is hit or miss, as is the service. The last time we were here, We started with the hummus. this plate very large. I was surprised as to how much hummus they pile one! The buffalo wings are done nicely, crisp with just the right amount of sauce. Not soggy and chewy like most places. I tried the sweet thai chili mussels and was truly disappointed. the dish came out hot and smell delicious, however the mussels were very small and overcooked. It's a bit concerning since the Mussels had a special section on their menu which boasts of four different preparations. I noticed that the Margarita flatbread was pretty much a small personal pizza. I've had the fish and chips on occasion which isn't too bad. The fish does get soggy if you don't eat it right away, however I remember a hefty portion of fish underall of that batter. The clear winner here is always the beer, that is if you can flag down someone to order from!

    (3)
  • Jain S.

    This has been one of our go-to spots since they opened. Great beer selection, reliable food, excellent service. The one tiny drawback is their outside tables. The sidewalk seating is a major attraction, but the tables are so wiggly you need to hold onto your plate! Come on guys, how much trouble would it be to turn them upside down once in a while and tighten the screws?

    (4)
  • Chuck H.

    Great Food, Reasonable Prices, and Chimay on Tap, does it get any better? Amazing French Onion Soup, a nice variety of salads made better by adding grilled chicken. I love the Steak sandwich with Chimmichurri sauce and the burger is a safe bet. Never had a meal I didn't like. I jokingly refer to it as the Winchester (Shaun of the Dead reference) because I spend a bit too much time there.

    (5)
  • Julia E.

    My co-workers and I stopped here after a meeting for a few glasses of wine. They had a decent wine list, we ordered a great bottle of red. The server was very knowledgeable about the wine and answered all of our questions. We decided to add the cheese plate to our order... Such a great choice it was above and beyond what we were expecting. The meals (veggie burger and mussels) and second bottle were a treat as well. Totally recommend this place. Great vibe,food and booze.

    (5)
  • Noah G.

    After an educational stop at the Franklin Institute to see the Dead Sea Scrolls boo and I began walking back to the car when all of a sudden my dark passenger reared its ugly head. Suddenly I was overcome with the need for a beer despite an earlier discussion to have a "dry" weekend. And before I could think of a counter argument of why we should go to a bar boo was leading us into K&K. I'd been there a time before but it was a bit foggy and pretty forgettable so I didn't really have any expectations this. We sat at a long table in the center of the front bar area and ordered off their extremely impressive and rare beer list. The Phillies (RIP) were on and no matter where you turned there was a TV with it on which was another huge bonus. Plenty of TVs + Phillies + Awesome beer is usually my equation for the perfect sports bar (which K&K is not) but it definitely worked for me. As I realized I was beginning to get comfortable and knew we couldn't stay without something to entertain my date I suggested I buy us dinner. This is where things go down hill. I got the cuban sandwich and boo got the pulled pork, two of the most flavor busting sandwiches on the market generally. These however were not. I actually had to salt my cuban and the pork sandwich barely had any sauce on it. When emo bands say I cut myself just to feel we were salting out sandwiches just to taste. The beer and TVs were so good that they turned a 1.5 star experience into a 3 star outing. I'll probably be back but just for the nectar.

    (3)
  • Jane C.

    Enjoyed the hummus appetizer and the veggie flatbread. Delicious food and good beer at a reasonable price.

    (3)
  • B L.

    Great place. I think the food was average and the service at the bar was a tad slow as well as it was very loud. Could have turned down the juke box a little, but all minors things. I would absolutely go back for some drinks with friends.

    (3)
  • Ashley D.

    Went here later at night for drinks and a snack. There was a cockroach crawling on the wall next to our table. The waitress did nothing about it and made an excuse. It was discussing, don't come late at night unless you want cockroach as an appetizer

    (1)
  • Brigit P.

    Went to the Barnes with family and stopped here first for some Sunday brunch. They were very accommodating and the food was great! Everyone loved their meals. I had the portobello omelet - delicious! Hope to be back again soon... Maybe on another summer visit to the Barnes.

    (5)
  • J K.

    Great bar for craft beers. I like that its a little off the beaten path, and has a nice chill atmosphere. Easy to get a table and quiet enough to talk without shouting. The Kite and key is convenient to the Free Library and the Barnes foundation, so could be a stop for lunch or dinner before or after attending an event or exhibition there. The beer is definitely better than the food, there was a good variety of beer styles (IPA, stout, saison, white, porter, etc there were at least a dozen on tap). The beer list does a good job describing the beers, and the servers are also knowledgeable. Some notes about the food: The veggie burger is a stand out. Two patties, special sauce, cheese, sprouts etc I almost thought I was eating a Big Mac rather than a veggie burger! Ordered it with pepperjack at our server's suggestion, and the added kick of the spicy cheese was great! The fried pickles with spicy dipping sauce were a fun treat, deep fried slices of pickles in a crispy coating, served piping hot on a bed of greens. Taco salad with grilled chicken was very good. The Thai mussels were overly spicy (for me) and came in a huge portion that I could not finish because they were so spicy. they came with plenty of toasted french bread. The flatbread pizza looked good but I did not taste. Overall, I think the food is "ok" but definitely come for the beer!

    (3)
  • Molly M.

    This place is super cute. I went here after a 5k race and we took advantage of their outdoor seating. There were like 10 of us but the waitress was extremely patient. We sat along a mural dedicated to kite and key. It wasn't a mural arts program mural but still cool to look at. I had a mimosa and the breakfast sandwich. The breakfast sandwich was a fried egg, bacon, and scrapple all on a bun with a side of roasted sweet potato fries. Everything was amazing. Also, this location is pretty clutch for people watching.

    (5)
  • Joe I.

    I had a fantastic experience here while in town for work. Sat at the bar for lunch and a beer - bartender was awesome, perfect blend of service, friendliness and distance. Gave me a great recommendation for a bottle shop. Not a huge list of beers, but a good sized list, but every one of them was a top notch offering. Good selection of high quality bottled beers too. Lunch was Chilaquiles ("nacho chips tossed in salsa borracho, queso fresco, onion, cilantro & topped w/ two fried eggs"). Sounds weird, but it was totally awesome. I would return here in a heartbeat. Totally recommend.

    (5)
  • Dan A.

    Their Veggie burger is the best I've had in Philadelphia!

    (4)
  • Kerry A.

    Went here with work colleagues for an early dinner yesterday -- only because Sabrina's was closed. Utter disappointment. Slow, scattered service. Have things on menu as specials and then tell you that they're not going to be ready for awhile. 3 of us got fish tacos ... battered cod on charred tortillas with wilted lettuce and fair salsa. The best part of the meal was the jalapeno sauce they served on the side which I could've put on everything. Companions loved the beignets and the bread pudding. Not worth a trip back for me.

    (2)
  • Andrea F.

    When I first walked in, I was greeted by the typical Philly bar smell of beer, vomit, and overflowed toilets but I ignored it because the place just looked so damn charming with the exposed brick and books lining the back wall. With that said, I really only took a star away for the smell as well as our waitress' overall apathetic nature. Besides this, I was pleasantly surprised. GREAT beer selection. The fried pickle appetizers were amazing. SO crunchy and big and served with a delicious chipotle dipping sauce, which is always essential. I got the steak sandwich, which I expected to be roughly chopped and fairly small and also hard to chew which often happens with those kinds of sandwiches. But what I got was more like two thick cut juicy filets plopped on a fresh bun, complete with melted horseradish cheese and a spicy pesto. I'll admit, the pesto and the cheese weren't both needed since it was a bit overwhelming in flavor but it was still so good and the steak was cooked perfectly, I overlooked it. The side of fries were also really good- shoestring cut and super crunchy and salty. I'd definitely go back on a day it's not raining so I can enjoy the widely talked-about picnic patio brunch and not have to endure the bar smell.

    (4)
  • Jennifer S.

    Love all the Victory and Troegs available One of my favorite day drinking establishments. Always a good, fun crowd and the service is solid!

    (4)
  • Paul P.

    Kite and Key never disappoints. The food is outstanding, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is nice (albeit the bar can get a little loud on nights and weekends.). I definitely recommend the veggie burger and the mussels diablo.

    (4)
  • Aaliyah P.

    It was a little loud/cozy for a bar not on the Erin Express but i very much enjoyed my SouthHampton Biere de Mars and the price point was spot on. Our server was efficient and no one ever lacked for a glass of beer or water (yeah we mixed in the l'eau- haven't you heard hydration is key) Will def be back to check out more beers and the outside dining area is pretty sweet.

    (3)
  • Pete L.

    It was ok. Beers were wrong, no big deal but how hard to get 4 beers right? Fries were cold and the roast beef sandwich with aged provolone was tasteless. Just no flavor at all. Kind of an overall meh experience. It was noon-ish on a Friday and busy but not insanely so.

    (3)
  • Marco D.

    The veggie burger is amazing, and their chipotle mayo is super delicious!

    (5)
  • David C.

    I came here with some work friends when the winner of the NCAA bracket pool offered to buy the first round. I tried beignets for the first time, and they were particularly good. The outdoor seating was nice, and if I lived in the Fairmount Park area, I have a feeling that this place would be my regular stomping ground.

    (3)
  • Augustina G.

    When I went there, I had high hopes because I've heard nice things about it from other people I know. Too bad that didn't happen. Came in on a slow Sunday night with a friend of mine who once lived down the street and suggested that we go there. I ordered a chicken cutlet sandwich. Took a bite out of it and the middle was raw! I was grossed out and asked if they remake it. A girl's not trying to get e.coli over here! Second sandwich, same problem! The server tried to explain to me that they had this problem 3 times earlier in the day and suggested that I ordered something else. If they had this problem, why didn't she say this before I ordered it?!? ended up getting a burger and I was pretty annoyed at this point because my friend already finished his burger and we were there for over an hour at this point. When we got the check, the server still charged me for the burger! Although she was apologetic, that should've been comped when you take in consideration that I bit into raw food that wasn't meant to be raw and waited over an hour to have something edible served to me. I didn't make a fuss about being charged, but I don't recommend eating here. I had a beer and that was fine and that was it.

    (1)
  • Michelle C.

    After the Yelp schwag was distributed at a record pace at the Night Market, we ended up at Kite & Key for a couple brews and a bite. We grabbed an outdoor table and enjoyed the crisp night air while sipping everything from west coast IPAs to Yard's ESA on cask (yum). I was in the mood for something buffalo, so we ordered wings and asked for them well-done. Said wings came out rather quickly and didn't seem very well done, but it could also be because they were pretty large. While the buffalo sauce was nice and the blue cheese and ranch dipping sauces were on point (seriously, no skimping on the blue cheese), the wings were a little too juicy for my liking. No worries though, they also offer a buffalo chicken flatbread, which I'll likely hit up next time. One beer turned into four, and before we knew it the windows were being closed since the patrons inside were getting chilly. We decided to join them at the bar to watch A-Rod take a swing of air so final it was felt all the way in Philly. I really enjoyed myself at Kite & Key and I'll even go so far to say that I'd willingly go out of my way to hang out there again soon.

    (4)
  • HalalBite F.

    Food tested: beignets, chocolate bread pudding, veggie burger Positive: nice decor, awesome veggie burger, and delicious desserts Negative: beignets have a harder shell than I would hope for. Grand Lux's beignets are a lot better. Overall: good place to go for a solid vegetarian meal and dessert Revisit: yes Health tip: go for the veggie burger minus the cheese.

    (3)
  • Ted F.

    Stopped in for lunch, it was a bit crowded and loud but the food & service was good, the menu was straight pub grub with the addition of several flavors of mussels as a specialty. They have 12+ taps of legit craft beer, and some bottles of Flagship craft beers as well. Most of the beers on tap were local, 3-4 West coast and a couple Mid West. Seemed like they keep that ratio steady. A worth wile stop for a beer nerd.

    (5)
  • Austin S.

    In my opinion as a southerner, this is a gem in a butthole of a city. Found this while going through Yelp app looking for somewhere to get dinner while here for the weekend. Everywhere else seemed extremely pretentious and did not need to be! We walked here from our hotel near Reading Market. Greeted immediately into a cutesy and homey atmosphere. Our drinks took a hot second, but I think that is because our waitress was busy. My husband had one of the specials-Mussels, calamari, and pasta. He said it was effing delicious. He also had a rum & coke and a hot toddy. He loved the rum and coke, but the hot toddy fell short for him. I had the flat iron steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans-it was pretty yummy. Had sodas until the end then had a Stoli O & cranberry. It was pretty good. Had beignets afterward. My husband ate most of them. It was good and the service was good. Overall, I would definitely recommend.

    (4)
  • Walter K.

    I have not heard much about this spot. That, and the fact combined with it's an inconvenient (for me) location are the two main factors I've never made the trip. But I'm here to try and convince you not to make the same mistake. It's always nice to see a good beer bar, and especially one that is close to me and open for lunch. The Kite and Key impresses on two beer fronts: reasonable prices and excellent selection. Dan stayed with the $5 16oz Hennepin pours, while I had my first Nugget Nectar of the season (on cask) and Bell's Double Cream Stoudt ($6 apiece, I believe). Their website isn't updated as often as the taps, but it gives a good idea of the type of variety offered. It's almost exclusively American craft beer, which is right up my alley. The food menu offers standard dishes. The menu opens up during dinner, with the menu almost doubling in size. We split an order of wings to start. We were served large, breaded hot wings. I wasn't impressed with the wing, sauce, or price ($8.5 for seven wings). Must miss. My entree was an order of three fish tacos. The presentation and portions were good, but the flavors were lacking. It was good, nothing else. I understand that this dish is something that should only be ordered within walking distance of the beach, but it could have still been better. Dan ordered one of his favorite entrees: fish and chips. A plate full of shoestring fries was topped with several large pieces of breaded grouper. I like the choice to use grouper because it's a more flavorful fish than cod or haddock, which are commonly used by other restaurants. The atmosphere here is great. There are several TVs with different sports on, including hockey and club soccer. The bartender provided great service. Granted, we were two of five in the whole place. I'm sure the environment changes quite a bit on a weekend night. Bottom Line: I was impressed with my first stop at the Kite and Key. They might not have the food to make me keep coming back, but they certainly have the beers. I'm glad to have discovered another respectable stop in the seemingly barren Logan Square/Fairmount area (but there are a few great ones, to be sure).

    (4)
  • Charley D.

    Get the Kite and Key burger with the cajun fries. They are great!

    (4)
  • Kate W.

    The Kite and Key is a great bar and restaurant. The atmosphere is upscale but casual. It is the kind of place we feel comfortable going to for dinner, just a drink before a night out, or when we are in jeans and a tee-shirt and need a beer while out running errands. Also, when it's nicer out, they have great outdoor seating and are dog friendly. The beer menu is great. There are lots of options that rotate frequently, and usually they are not more than $6 a beer. The food menu is pretty good for bar food too. Don't expect gourmet cuisine, because it is a bar after all, but everything we've tried has been delicious. Last night we split a hamburger, and there was not one morsel left. We go here often, and I've never tried anything that I didn't like. Last but not least, the service is always consistently friendly and knowledgeable.

    (4)
  • Aliya Z.

    We tried this place for a lunch - well just because it was freezing cd and we had no idea of where to go else having Sabrine's full and all booked. The Sunday lunch was not that good as I wanted. Just 2 eggs on portion of nachos with small amount of sauce. Apparently it is just a bar and place for drinking and snacking. Don't go for branches there.

    (3)
  • David A.

    A Monday night and one of my favorites on the block, Doma, was closed (should have known!) so I went to Kite & Key. Shared a flatbread margarita with my friend Jules. Thin, crispy and good. Had the mussels in white sauce (oil,garlic,etc.). They were very small but portion was large and they were cooked well. Even tried a draft. Not much of a beer guy but it is basically a bar so it would be rude not to! They put on the Flyers game for me as well. A good experience. Friendly, efficient service and a good bar with food.

    (3)
  • Jayna B.

    The Kite and Key is exactly the kind of place I would go every day if I lived closer. And drank beer. Don't hate. What I would most like for you to understand, though, is how DELICIOUS the food is. I eat out vegetarian and it is sometimes difficult to find a good veggie burger AND fries on one plate. Kite and Key has HANDS DOWN the BEST VEGGIE BURGER. It comes with sprouts and cheese and some yummy sauce and mushrooms and it makes me want to just go here alone and enjoy it without having to pause in the deliciosity to pay attention to whomever I am with. The fries are thin, which isn't even my favorite kind, but DAYUM, GINA, they are perfectly salted and crisped so make me just want to eat them by the handful. Which I sometimes do. Again, don't hate. I have also eaten the Fried Pickles which are thick cut and come with Chipotle Aioli. Not only is aioli a terrific scrabble word, but it makes the fried pickles even MORE delicious than they already are. The Veggie Flatbread has also served me well in the past with it's thin but sturdy crust and perfectly cooked veggies. This place is super chill and while the staff are usually hipstery in a very obvious way, they don't try to force it on you, which is more than I can say for pretty much any place in NoLibs.

    (5)
  • Sara G.

    Pretty standard American fare. The stand outs were the big draft selection & the OUTSTANDING veggie burger. It felt like biting into a garden of deliciousness!!

    (3)
  • Michele R.

    I liked this place a lot. Wonderfully friendly and attentive server, damn good fries, quality drink list, and the famed veggie burger held up to its reputation.

    (4)
  • Bob S.

    I like the Kite quite a bit. Friendly staff, and knowledgeable about their beers and cocktails. The owners are usually mingling in the crowd on most evenings, which is cool to see. They seem to care about the place and really "get" beer. So it gives the sense that this isn't just a business to them it's a passion. Which is cool to see. Food selection has always been strange here. Flatbreads, burgers, & muscles are the favorites by far for everyone. But I can't speak highly enough of their specials. Every time I'm handed that specials menu I order something from it and am always glad I did. When the Cuban sandwich is available, I encourage everyone to order it. It's fantastic!

    (5)
  • Joe G.

    Ate here Friday night with my date - wanted to try this place because I've heard wonderful things about their food and beer selection. It was crowded, being a Friday night and all, but they were able to sit us pretty quickly. The hostesses were very friendly and smiling which is always a good sign to me. Once sat, it took a bit of time for the waitress to come over and take our drink order, which normally I'd blame on the help until I realized she had about 12 other tables to tend to, so definitely more an incompetence in management that with the service. She was very knowledgeable about the beer selection, and when I requested something that was not on the menu, she was quick to point to a suitable alternative. Again, drinks took a while to get to the table but in no way do I blame it on the service. We started off with a cheese tray, which usually can be quite tasty and filled with lots of different cheeses and accompaniments to the cheese. This tray did not live up to code, I'm afraid. 3 types of cheeses - a soft bleu, a camembert, and what I am guessing was a cheddar. They were accompanied by an apple, bread, grapes, and some marmalade, the latter was quite tasty with the bread (could have been a dessert by itself!). My problem with said tray is that there were 2 soft cheeses on it. Sense tells us that if you want to serve a 3 cheese tray, you always serve a soft, hard, and medium, and you give an array of accompaniments like nuts, or something more savory. This was definitely more of an after dinner cheese tray, though it was not listed as such. The cheeses did not provide anything to write home about either. For main courses I ordered a crabcake sandwich (the special). I asked if the crab was MD crab, a simple question, but the server did not know the answer. Again, not saying it was her fault, as this is information that should be on the menu. It was somewhat disappointing, and nowhere near pure crab (could see the filler). The fries served along with it were very nice - hot and salty! My date's flatbread pizza came out beautifully and the colors on it (was a veggie) were beautiful - bright green spinach, tomato on a perfectly sized pie. Gave the appearance of being crisp, but not overly so. The decor of the place was nice - some great seating areas, and the books lent an intellectual atmosphere to the place. Gave off a cozy feeling without being too cramped nor too spread out. I give my rating of 3 stars because out of everything, the service was a solid 4, the drinks were a solid 4-5, but the food was at best a 2. I'd definitely come back for a visit, but next time I'll be eating somewhere else first.

    (3)
  • Sarah H.

    **THIS REVIEW IS SPECIFICALLY IN REFERENCE TO MY PHILLY CHEESESTEAK TASTING ADVENTURE - Please refer to my review of Cosmi's Deli for background & stipulations of the quest** As the "odd man out", we can't be TOO hard on Kite & Key. The only reason they were even represented was because one of the top-rated spots (John's Roast Pork) was closed and, well Kite & Key was convenient. A far cry from a traditional cheesesteak, Kite & Key prepares more of a "sliced steak" sandwich. And it's served on focaccia bread. That's just plain weird. It performed poorly in nearly every category with an overwhelming number of complaints in relation to its barbeque aftertaste and lack of authenticity. So yeah, this isn't a real cheesesteak. They should really just be disqualified. (Full result details can be found at: 22ndandphilly.blogspot.c… )

    (2)
  • Kristin W.

    After finding Doma and Sabrina's closed for dinner, we resigned ourselves to eating at Kite & Key...and were pleasantly surprised. We started with an order of Edamame (generously sized portion that was perfectly salted) and then both ordered off the specials menu. I loved the freshness of the Chickpea Salad and we agreed that the spicy, juicy chicken in the Blacked Chicken Club was great. We'll be back...even on a night when the neighboring restaurants are open.

    (4)
  • Mike T.

    We stopped in here for a late dinner on a Friday evening, while they were still busy. At this point, it was working towards more of a drinking crowd. The staff was able to seat us promptly and drinks were not too long to arrive to the table. The overall decor and layout was pretty nice, however the overly loud tables near us were not so nice. Hell, it was a "late dinner", but far too early for people talking/yelling so loud, think 9:30 p.m.. Oh well. Anyways, the food came out with a moderate wait time, it was a burger and a cheese steak for us. Both of them were fairly tasty, but what was kinda weird, was the cold grinder roll, likely had been frozen ! Other than that, the meat on both sandwiches, fries, cheese, etc. were just fine. And the component that helps keep them at 3 stars for me is the solid beer list. Both great local and not so local beers featured. Any restaurant that serves RR has an on-point beer program.

    (3)
  • Therese M.

    The portabella sandwich is definitely worth trying if you're a fan of portabella. It's tasty and filling.

    (4)
  • Chris M.

    Beer selection is top notch. Rotating draft list brings us back. Good decor, good ambiance, friendly ppl. Outdoor seating is perfect on a nice day. Didn't eat, so we'll be back! It's next to Doma & Sabrina's. Stop in for a yummy beer!

    (4)
  • Darlene P.

    DELICIOUS!!! The cajun fries are a must! They have a ton of beers to choose from and a great menu that brings together just about enough random food items to make it work! Love it!

    (5)
  • Brittany A.

    A great spot for brunch or a few drinks! When the weather is warm they open up the front doors. They always have great service. Would highly recommend if you're looking for a drink on a Sunday afternoon!

    (4)
  • Jordan E.

    This place wins on so many levels - especially when you're enjoying looping Kenny Loggins Danger Zone on the juke box, as I so love to do. It's got that local bar vibe going with a convenient location, easily accessible to Benjamin Franklin Parkway (hence the name, mwahaha). I've now been her thrice, each time better then the last. The place is really easy to miss if you don't get accidentally lost or find it on Yelp - but once you find it your paid in dividends. The exterior is beautiful and a great place to chill - the interior feels like everyone knows your name. The staff is awesome. The best part - the beers and drinks. Unbelievable how cheap it is to drink higher end beers and cocktails here. 7 of us came on July 4th evening and proceeded to pound 30+ cocktails. Total price $167 with tax. No idea how this was possible. This place is a must if you are looking to an eclectic mix of people and a laid back quasy raunchy night - with out the pretentiousness of Fish Town. Miss you already!

    (5)
  • Daisha N.

    Ok. The GM is amazing. He took care of me and my family all night. The wine selections on blends were defiantly something I would dabble in when you get there. The GM (general manager) brought out some tasty samples of cheese, nuts, honey, and it hit the spot. I would love to come back here and try more of the food. The GM stated they are in the middle of a few changes for the better and making different menu options. This place is perfect for a large, small, or date night. The lighting is low and gives you that hipster/hole in the wall/cheers atmosphere that made being at home feel. We sat next to the window near the fire place. They have candles lite throughout the restaurant that makes it really cozy and comfy. If I was you "add": this to your to do's. Enjoy!!!

    (5)
  • Myriah K.

    Food was excellent. Kids chicken fingers was large, good breeding and white meat chicken. Hot roast beef sandwich was excellent. Veggie burger was wonderful, fresh large cut veggies. Went on a Sunday afternoon, service was a little slow, about an hour to get the food. Great place if you are not in a hurry. I will be back!

    (5)
  • Kristina C.

    So came back and to update my previous 4 stars...this place is amazing! And try the dealing diablo mussels, do spicy and amazing...I'm spooning the broth out...amazing! And best crowd here is amazing for game watching...you can't have a bad seat in here. The bar staff is also on top of drinks...bonus! And they have updated the outside seating so if you want a chill great place to sit outside then definitely come here. And...they have for us gluten free folks, omission, greens Amber, and magners...double bonus!

    (5)
  • Allison B.

    Kite & Key is my favorite bar in Fairmount for two reasons: great beers and really great food. They've always got unique tap takeovers. Top picks for food include the wings, diablo mussels (the broth is ridic), and nachos. The veggie burger is super rich (it's basically a deep fried homemade patty) and I've heard their regular burger is great too. Note: It's a big space but can get pretty loud. Ask for a table near the back if you don't want to have to scream over your friends. Also, you can now order food between 3 and 3:30 (the kitchen used to switch over, but now it's all the same).

    (5)
  • Katie L.

    Kite & Key has delicious sandwiches and an amazing craft beer selection. I went after a visit to the Franklin Institute and it was a great ending to a great trip. I was there on a weekday at a very odd time (probably about 2pm or 3pm; a little after lunch time) so it was very quiet. The service was wonderful and our server was very knowledgeable in regards to the beer selection available. Definitely worth a visit.

    (5)
  • Jolene T.

    Nice place! Very accommodating, even during busy times. We had a large party of about 20 people and it was difficult to get reservations elsewhere but, Kite & Key were very helpful. Food was good, portion sizes were fairly large and beer selection was great!

    (5)
  • Margaret T.

    I love Kite & Key! Their draft list is consistently amazing, with good variety. Not sure what to recommend since it changes so frequently, but there's sure to be something for everyone. Great for grabbing a drink at the bar or sitting down to eat with friends. I've probably been here 10+ times at this point. Highlights: They have one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. I would highly recommend it. Flavorful and filling, it owns the veggie burger category by not trying to be a burger and just doing its own thing. Great French fries. Also try the quesadilla! Warnings: I've seen the cheesecake with mango on their special list a few times. I got it once and it was NOT good. It can be very loud indoors when it's busy, but there's also a lot of outdoor seating for nice days!

    (5)
  • Diana K.

    I'm glad that this neighborhood bar is doing well, has a loyal customer base, and serves a variety of beer and exciting menu items. I was really happy to see it full of people on a cold Wednesday night in Callowhill. I ordered the veggie burger, which I saw was rated best in Philly at one point in time. It was actually really delicious and had great bread, a topping of mushrooms, carrots, and alfalfa sprouts, and a juicy inside. The fries were underseasoned and not crispy at all, and highly reminiscent of McDonald's fries. My boyfried ordered a medium rare burger and received a well done version that lacked much flavor, and was way too dry. We ordered two beers and ended up spending more than $40 on the meal after tip. For a pretty unsatisfying burger, that felt like a lot of cash to give up. Since it's so closeby and has a nice atmosphere and beer list, I will most likely be back to try the food once again, but for now it's just a 3 star experience.

    (3)
  • Herbie H.

    A group of us tried to go to Sabrina's for brunch and had a predictably long wait. Not feeling like standing in the cold, we walked down to Kite & Key and saw the menu appealed to everyone. We were immediately seated (thankfully) and greeted by friendly and accommodating staff. The brunch menu spans everything from french toast to eggs benedict and a veggie burger. It's a nice mix of breakfast and lunch items - really having something for everyone. I ordered the breakfast burrito. It was only okay - I think it could have used a little bit more seasoning and all-around flavor, but overall it was satisfactory. Other people got omelets, which also looked/tasted okay, per their review. Lastly, someone ordered french toast and scrapple, which got a good review. Service was attentive, our food came out quickly, and we had an all-around pleasant experience. My reason for the 3 stars is really he food. It was fine, but not great. Perfectly fine for a lazy Sunday morning.

    (3)
  • Michael P.

    Really nice grub pub in Fairmount. It's a good place to go before or after museum visits. They've got a nice big bar area up front, with several hightops, and a dining room further back. Rotating craft beer taps with a good variety, although that's pretty par for the course in this town. Food was pretty good, I enjoyed the fried pickles and calamari, and had a nice fish taco. The mussels are pretty good too. Service was pretty good, if a bit slow. The beer board was also out of date, but the printed menu was correct.

    (4)
  • Vichet O.

    Again, gotta make a check-list. I've been here many times, and yet, no review. Kite and Key has solid food, good beer selection, and a comfy space for pretty much any part-size and a price point that won't make you think "god damn, I am never getting food while drunk ever again," making it a good place to start or end your night over drinks and snacks. I'm a big fan of the wings and hummus here. The fries are good, and so are the flatbreads. The only reason I haven't tried more on their menu is that, for me, those late night options are pretty much all I need after ten beers. The service has always been friendly, and again, this place combines the cheapness of a neighborhood pub without all the the sticky-floored trappings. Kinda makes me wish I lived in Fairmount.

    (4)
  • Naresh A.

    This is the first time I've come to Philly and fried. Suggested me this. Went late night with my friends. We had a Flat Bread with Buffalo Chicken: I must say that this bread is not really impressive. It's too crispy but the chicken and cheese is the best stuff one can have. Nachos with Guacamole is another dish which was really impressive and yummy. Will surely come back if I get a chance.

    (4)
  • David H.

    Came downtown today with the family to go to Franklin Institute. We decided we wanted to go somewhere other than FI. We picked Kite and Key in part on the name and the reviews here. We were not disappointed. Service was prompt, we sat near the bar and the bartender served us. He was friendly and nice to the kids. Food was great. I had the burger, wife had the mussels which were outstanding. The broth was so flavorful and the mussels cooked perfectly. Kids shared the margarita flatbread which they devoured. Overall a great lunch and nice change of pace from typical museum cafeteria food.

    (5)
  • Elisabet R.

    Never had a bad meal here-- you kind of always just know what you're gonna get in terms of quality of service and food. It's not anything super special, but it's always good! The fries are great and so are the burgers. My favorite though... the bread pudding!! If they have it, you'd be foolish to not try it-- absolutely delicious. They always have a great selection of wine and beer and it's always a fun spot to go watch the football/basketball games.

    (4)
  • Maggie M.

    Kite and Key has some great beers, It's a really nice place to find at 18th and Callowhill, and the food is really quite good. It gets 4 stars from me, however, for the stellar customer service they provide. An example-- It was about 10:50 and I had a 45 min. break in an all-day staff meeting. It was about 95 degrees and the sun was baking (okay only 80, but i have a low heat threshold). I walked to my go-to staff-meeting bar only to discover they didn't open until 11:30!!!! What to do? Then I saw that Kite and Key's doors and windows were wide open and the tables were set up. I rushed over and inside, desperate for the relief from work-meeting-overload that only an ice cold beer can provide. It was immediately obvious that while it was open, it was not yet Open. I sadly and sweatily turned to leave, only to be stopped by the bartender's voice-- "Don't sweat it! What do you want? It's no big deal-- it's only 10 minutes." In less than 2 minutes I was seated under a kick-ass ceiling fan with a CHILLED glass ofdeliciously, refreshingly, ice cold, draft lager. (and that's a big deal-- those who know me know i avoid draft beers like the plague unless I know the barbacks). AND THEN, he put on Sportscenter without asking because he saw I was reading espn on my phone! Despite the fact that he was still prepping the bar for the day, he kept my glass full and remembered me when i came back for lunch with some co-workers a few hours later. And made a great joke about my dedication to my job when my co-workers returned to the meeting and I stayed. So the beer list is pretty high quality, even if it leans heavily towards Pale Ales and other sundry Hop-filled beverages. Prices are higher than I think they should be, but like I said, this is the kind of place the business people and bigwigs can walk to a business-quality lunch/dinner (if they work on this side of the parkway). The food is pretty fancy and absolutely delicious. What it comes down to for me, however, is that they were there for me in the clutch... and really, it's that they went out of their way to serve me and make my day better when they could have just shooed me away.

    (4)
  • Bill D.

    Terrific service, terrific menu, terrific taps. We are in town for a conference and went here because it was close. So glad we did. We were seated immediately, greeted by our server Amanda and had our drinks in no time. We told Amanda we were from out of town and she made some suggestions. The steak sandwich was delicious and cooked to order. They have a great tap list with local and regional choices. I had an Aprihop from Dogfish Head and wish I had 10 more. The service was top notch and the food and beer were outstanding. Bottom line, if you are in Philly, the Kite & Key us a must.

    (5)
  • Nicole W.

    Nice place to have brunch. We were visiting from DC, and stumbled upon this place when the restaurant down the street (Sabrina's) had a huge line. Key and Kite had outdoor seating with a GREAT WAITRESS! Staff was top noch! The mimosas were $5 each, and I was cool with that. The food was average.. Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast-- awesome, but heavy. I had the omlette of the day, which was 'ight. visit and enjoy! it is within walking distance of most hotels in center city.

    (3)
  • Barrett L.

    Came to Kite and Key this morning for brunch when the line was too long for Sabrina's. This Fairmount bar has many advantages over its brunch rival a few doors down: outdoor seating, a liquor license, and portions that won't double your girth in one sitting. However, while the service was fine, the food wasn't particularly memorable or as good as other brunch places in the city. I had the classic breakfast with scrapple, while the BF opted for the Veggie Burger (highly rated by everyone on Foursquare). My eggs, potatoes, and scrapple tasted totally fine; no complaints but no real highlights either. His veggie burger on the other hand was very good, something I will probably order the next time I come back (if I come back). One other thing to note: the glass containing my mimosa wasn't cleaned throughout, but I haven't gotten sick (yet). Still, kind of unsettling. Nonetheless, Kite and Key is a good neighborhood bar, but probably not worth going out of your way for.

    (3)
  • Christian S.

    I have been here three time prior to my visit yesterday. The food here is good and the service has always been pretty good. The mussels red Diablo is probably one of my favorite dishes. I have taken my out of town vendors here and they love the food as well. The wings here could be cooked a little better, but I have had worse so no real complaints here. I have wanted to bring my wife to this place for sometime but she is not a fan of large crowds, and the place has always been so packed when we drove past. Last night 6/9/2012 my friends had a baby sitter and wanted to hit the town. This was our second bar of the night but our first in Philadelphia. (started at Dublin Square in Voorhees) Being that this was the first time I brought my wife here to place I have been raving about I was hoping the service wouldn't be bad. Our waitress was attentive, and not mean, but just had the attitude of it had been a long and night and she was just waiting for the doors to close. I've been there as a server, and figured we just caught her on a bad night. Well we are sitting there enjoy our drinks enjoying the night air. A girl at the table next to us starts to scream. We look over and there is a cockroach jumping off her leg. They proceeded to tell the waiter who really couldn't do much about it, and really didn't care. So the girls sit back down, but now the two ladies in my party are on edge. The girls are sitting there and a few minutes later start screaming again; another cockroach. They did not stick around for another. As my party continues to sit and enjoy our meal a cockroach climbs up the leg of my friend after that we paid the tab and got the heck of there. We were eating outside so you are kind of open to the elements; weather, smells, fumes, etc. However the doors were open so it was very easy for the cockroaches to enter the building. Living in NYC and eating outside, I never saw a rat surface as patrons were eating. I know they are there, but if I don't have to see them; I am ok. The food here is good, but the incident last night may keep me from there for awhile and that is unfortunate.

    (3)
  • Callan W.

    This place has the cutest name and based on that, I always wanted to go...so when my brother and his fiance asked me and my boyfriend to meet up for a meal, i was happy to oblige... If you are going for beer you will be happy...if you are going for beer and mussels...you will still be happy.... If you are going for a decent meal...well, that is where the happy train stops... My boyfriend is a steak and potatoes kind of dude...so obviously he went for the flank steak and french fried potatoes...at $17 for the plate, the meal was disappointing...I could read his mind as the waiter put the plate down...the steak was a joke...small in size, no sizzle, no seasoning...and to compensate, the amount of fries was comical and over taking the plate....3 days later and he is still talking about how unhappy he is... My brother got the fish tacos...he said they were good, but he was still hungry after eating them...we ordered chips and salsa prior to the meal and the amount of salsa/guac given was also comical...meaning minuscule I ordered the tempeh sandwich...I knew it would be a roll of the dice, but I went for it since I felt like being experimental...I lost that round...the tempeh was good...but the spicy pickled veggie stuff on the sandwich was not....i picked apart the sandwich and ate the good stuff... the mussels looked good...i think it was smart of them to focus on them on the menu... The beer selection is good and decently priced....but since this place is out of my neighborhood, I doubt I would return... the waiter we had was so so...he failed to bring stuff that we asked, and when I asked him a question about the tempeh sandwich, he didn't know it...he did offer to ask the chef, but I didn't want to bother... It wasn't that busy for a saturday night...perhaps that should have been a sign...oh well, so much for basing a restaurant choice by its name...

    (2)
  • Kinnari A.

    So I think my boyfriend would give this place 2 stars, but i would give it 4. He was not impressed with his 2egg scrambled eggs and scrapple breakfast, but my veggie burger was one of the best ever. It had 2 patties and totally scrumptious from beginning to end. I am glad I opted for the side salad instead of the fries because I was pretty full after my burger. The service was really good too. So I think my suggestion to everyone is to go for lunch, not for breakfast because apparently the breakfast options are not so exciting.

    (3)
  • John P.

    Went with the family after a day at the Franklin Institute. Good selection of craft beers. The menu was complete with a good selection for the kids. Steak sandwich was very good. Service was fast and polite.

    (4)
  • Andrew C.

    Good food (veggie burger is fantastic) and the craft beers are pretty good. Service sometimes isn't the best but its worth it if you're in the area.

    (3)
  • Denise H.

    Was here at dinnertime on a glorious Thursday night and enjoyed the outdoor seating. It was quite crowded, but the Phillies were on so it was a nice atmosphere. I liked the colorful outdoor mural that spiced up this gray part of town. Kite & Key is a great place to go for drink and socializing but I wouldn't go for the food alone. The beer selection is adequate. The staff is friendly and attentive - the food arrived quickly. My shoestring fries were over-done and almost inedible. The mixed green salad was just that, covered in vinegar and could have been a side portion. Half-plum tomatoes were merely a garnish, but for the price, disappointing. I have been here before and the nachos are good. The cheese plate is great, but a bit pricey for the portion. Didn't have the wings, but they looked and smelled delicious. Overall, I would say this place is over-rated, but great for some after-work fare and happy hour. Great place to watch sports with lots of seating to yak it up with friends. As far as food goes, if they can't step it up to to the nearby Sabrina's or Rose Tattoo, they should stick to pub grub and cater to the sports addicts. Sabrina's & Rose Tattoo, walkable from there are two competitively nice places I would opt for if in the neighborhood for the food. K&K's great beer selection versus the wannabe frou frou menu seem incongruent to the overall atmosphere.

    (2)
  • Jessica D.

    Went here last night, the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend after being at the Made in America Fest all day.. I have to say I was very impressed by how quickly they accomodated our large party of 10, and how fast the food came out. The waitress was there to refill our waters before I even knew I needed more, which alone gets an A+ in my book because I drink too much water all the time. Having that said, the food was passable. It didn't blow me away, nor was it terrible. The nachos surprisingly tasted good, despite all the toppings looking like they came from a can, including the chicken meat. The guacamole was too liquidy and bright green for my taste.. it may or may not be radioactive, lol. But despite appearances, they still tasted good, and all the chips were crispy, even the ones under all the liquidy toppings, which is pretty impressive... fully expected them to be soggy! Tomato soup and grilled cheese was also tasty, even tho again I am pretty sure the soup came from a can. and the cheese on the grilled cheese was bright orange.. also probably radioactive. Other people in my party experienced the same with their meals... good taste, but did not blow them away. All in all, this is a great place to go to socialize, good vibes and pleasant experience with super fast service. Great spot for decent bar food with a group of friends, but I would probably not suggest it for a date spot.

    (3)
  • Kamilah B.

    The service was excellent! I had the fish tacos, which were a bit to spicy for me, but they were made well. They could give you more than the one small piece of fish though in each taco. Hubs had the chicken sandwhich, which he loves. He also got the garlic wings as an app which were good.

    (4)
  • Vinny P.

    This review is after my first visit to Kite and Key and I'm happy to report that it was a pleasant one. My only real gripe with the place is that they would not put on the Yankee game for me when I asked. They claimed they couldn't find it. I didn't argue the point but suffice to say, I live in Philadelphia, it was on fox. I met up with a friend and we pretty much closed the place out. The beer selection was tastefully done and I definitely had a few pints of very nice beers. I even like that they had an ale that was being served on cask. Big points for that one. As for the food, it was pretty good. We split the half fried chicken and mac and cheese. It was cold that night and some comfort food was what we needed. The mac and cheese came in a small crock and after it cooled a bit turned out to be very tasty. A subtle hint of herbs and maybe some a dash of cayenne for brightness. I believe it had Gruyère in it which basically sold it for me. The fried chicken was just that. It was cooked nicely and tasted very good but I would have liked to have seen something else to accompany it. The best fried chicken I had in philly was actually drizzled with a little bit of honey. That would definitely be a nice addition to that dish. All in all, not a bad spot by any means. We spent a few minutes chatting with a man who introduced himself as the owner. He and his wife were pleasant and let us know about upcoming events they were having. The details of that conversation are a bit hazy because I was in the middle of splitting a bomber of Double Dead Guy with my friend. Still, I would return to this place and most likely, I'll consult their site for the beer events they will be having.

    (3)
  • Rose D.

    This place is very understaffed and results in a very unorganized and scattered serving experience. We got seated relatively quickly (one reason we decided to eat here). However, waiting and nearly an hour and a half for a decent burger and mediocre fish tacos is very off putting. We should have kept walking....next time Sabrina's.

    (2)
  • Aasima A.

    We were trying to decide where you eat, and went in to look at a menu. When we heard Led Zepplin playing, we knew this was the place! Great bar-y atmosphere, the staff is friendly but not all over you. The veggie burger is an actual vegetable burger, moist and covered in cajun mayo. The fries are good and crispy and come out hot. The soup and grilled cheese were exactly what I needed on a windy spring day. Top notch place, with great staff, reasonable prices, decent prices, and full quantity

    (5)
  • Hardik K.

    This is one of my favorite bars in Philly during the summer. Great to sit outside and have one of their great selections of beer and mussels. They have other great food and the atmosphere is always great. I recommend this bar if you are looking for something less crowded and in a more calmer area.

    (4)
  • Mike S.

    Went there for the great craft beer selection, but the upscale bar food but delicious as well. All beers were reasonably priced and served in proper glassware. Food was quick and delicious.

    (4)
  • Sarah J.

    Somewhere between really-nothing-special and actively-bad. Probably more the latter because it's such a disappointment as its around the corner from me. Just left brunch on a Saturday at ~11. The "Philly a Breakfast Sandwich" with scrapple was awful. My friends agreed. Hard egg, thin slice of overlooked scrapple, cheap cheese, and dry, untoasted brioche. For $9! The home fries were good though. Service was sporadic and inattentive.

    (2)
  • Ren H.

    Went on a lovely and gorgeous Saturday afternoon which probably accounted for the crowd. The decor was nice however the noise levels were way too loud. I could barely hear my brother talk. Granted we were seated right next to a huge open window, it was still extremely loud. The food was disappointing. The calamari appetizer was generous but was average. I ordered pulled pork sandwich which was dry and tasteless aside from the jalapeno. My brothers burger which was their signature burger was dry, gritty, and lifeless. The cheese looked like dark orange and was dry and old. In regards to their fries, I would have preferred McDonald's. It ruined such a beautiful afternoon. Skip this place.

    (1)
  • Alisa A.

    Definitely try the buffalo mussels they have. I like the how they can open up the front of the restaurant to get fresh air in.

    (4)
  • Katie P.

    Wanting to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and take advantage of the beautiful sunny day, I was interested in some outdoor seating for brunch. Kite & key has the perfect location to enjoy the nice weather. It is still within walking distance, but does not have much hustle and bustle like you would closer to center city - it was relaxing. I could have sat there all day. I ordered the Philadelphia breakfast sandwich that came with some awesome home fries. See photo ;) I still need to try the flat bread pizza! The next table over ordered one. I was envious. I will be back to try it.

    (4)
  • michelle Marie R.

    If their food is as good as their phone service was rude you're in for a treat. Wanted to try it for the first time so I called to see what time their kitchen was closed. Received a reply with a major attitude "it's on the website". Crossed that option of my list immediately. Check yo self before you wreck yo self.

    (1)
  • Kim H.

    The BF and I came to Kite & Key on Bastille Day @ ESP, and somehow managed to get a table right away. The service was a little slow, and our waitress kept forgetting little things here and there, but she was very busy, so it didn't really bother me. I had the diablo mussels, which were fantastic! I think it was the first time I ever finished a whole bowl of mussels. BF had a salad and cheesecake (don't ask) and said they were both very good. Great beer selection, too! This place does get crowded, but it's worth the wait!

    (4)
  • Marcos S.

    It is an okay place. Our waitress was however really awesome. She made us feel welcomed. The man behind the bar was very funny. The food was not too good. But we had the chicken sandwich and the salad. Ehh nothing special. But the service was really top notch. It probably is better for football season.

    (3)
  • Elizabeth H.

    The food tastes good, nice menu and nice beer selection. Outdoor seating if that is your thing. Unfortunately there were cockroaches crawling all over the outside wall of the building and running around underneath our table. Sad to say that I will not be going back there now.

    (2)
  • Noah R.

    Nothing about this establishment had any redeeming qualities whatsoever, service was extremely slow, the decor was unattractive, and the food was uninspired and unflavorful. Our table also had a tilt that had food continuously slide down it requiring us to pull it back. The resturant at least wasn't overly expensive. The only circumstance in which I would return is if someone paid me.

    (1)
  • Brito C.

    The Philly breakfast sandwich is garbage. I would have preferred a frozen Jimmy John's croissant breakfast sandwhich over this thing. This place needs to get their brunch game together.

    (1)
  • Abby R.

    Fantastic bacon cheeseburger, amazing pierogis and a decent margarita. Worth checking out if you're in Philly!

    (4)
  • Bridget C.

    Tidy bar with decent food. Folks from work meet up here for parties when a fellow employees are changing companies.

    (4)
  • Matthieu K.

    Had brunch ... Polite and fast service. I thought the food was well presented and it came from the kitchen pretty quickly too. Seemed a bit loud, but it's a pub ... right? Food was good overall, I don't get the 1-star reviews, I am a snob and found it all acceptable. We need more of this and a whole lot less Denny's. Beer with a bacon sandwich? That is winning my friends.

    (4)
  • mike v.

    Went yesterday for brunch and I was pleased. The french toast was excellent. The scrapple was cooked well and piping hot. (I would have liked to see a more high-end bacon, however - theirs was like Oscar Myer from grocery store.) Great fries. Inside is nice. The staff was nice and the service was quick even though the place was packed. This is more like 3.5 stars instead of 4.

    (4)
  • Elaine M.

    I can only review Kite & Key on their beverages. They have a great draft list, with about 10 different micro-brews, mostly local selections. They also have a nice bottle selection of craft beers and also your standards (ML, BL etc.). I was there late in the afternoon with a friend around Christmas time, so it wasn't too crowded until the happy hour and dinner crowds started rolling in. The bartenders were great at offering beer selections and keeping out glasses full. They also handled the obnoxious drunks next to us well (kept them under control, without angering them). The atmosphere in Kite & Key is a typical cozy, pub. The bar is made of old solid dark wood, keeping with the pub theme. The bathrooms are small and could use an upgrade but they were clean.

    (4)
  • Jason G.

    Love Love Love this place. I atmosphere and the small bar setting is wonderful. The menu is very good and we tried a few things and we could decide what we liked better. The beer prices are pretty good to. They have a lot of local stuff and the staff was super friendly. Fun and hip spot to grab a drink. A++

    (5)
  • Angela J.

    Sunday Funday at it's best Let's start with the mussels... Yummmmmmmmmmmmm the Diablo and the Thai chili are delicious (parsley instead of cilantro for those of you that care), great spices and tons of broth, which is always good... And some tasty bread to sop up all the broth. Also, a solid Bloody Mary, lots of horseradish and lemon, lime, olives, etc...... Brunch is solid, a good choice if the wait at Sabrina's is insane (which normally is true), OR, a great place to wait and have a cocktail or three before your table over there is ready! Ladies...bathrooms are clean and stocked, and the patio seating is great. Lastly, friendly bartenders (and good looking) and good table service, just be aware... The kitchen closes 3-3:30.........so if you're on a run on Kelly drive and need some food...plan your long runs accordingly :) my friend and I spent the longest 30 min of our life waiting for some mussels one Sunday! We arrived at 3:05 :) and the mussels were still worth the wait.

    (5)
  • Manijeh A.

    I really wanted to like this place, because we recently moved 2 blocks away. We went there for the 3rd time last night and I think it's time for a review. The two of us went there on a week day at 7:30pm. They took our order at about 7:45. I ordered the chicken cutlet salad from the "specials" menu, and my boyfriend ordered fish tacos. The food didn't arrive until 8:40. I could have gone home, made a salad and ate it in that time (the server kept stopping by every 10-15 minutes, telling us "your food should be out any minute now"). The chicken cutlet in the salad was completely burnt. It was black on one side. and because it was dark, I didnt even see it until I had already had the first bite. And the Fish tacos were extremely blend and greasy. I would have been ok with the long wait if the food was good. But long wait AND bad food? no thank you!

    (1)
  • Jana S.

    Amazing bar! Fantastic rotating draft beer selection, not to mention the great bottle selection. Food - fried pickles are fresh, not frozen. Absolutely delicious. And the mussels... Holy wow! Get the Thai chile, sweet and spicy and super tasty. Good bread to dip too, although I also recommend a side of fries! Awesome food, awesome beer, awesome crowd. I'll definitely be back!

    (5)
  • Naomi O.

    Outdoor seating is great and server was very nice. This is as bland of a brunch selection as you get can. Very mediocre food and not a good jump off for Sabrina's being packed. Go somewhere else.

    (2)
  • Scott P.

    This a Great place for good food, drinks and good service. Living in the area makes this an easy walk to. My wife and I look forward to going to the Kite at least twice a week.

    (5)
  • Colleen M.

    Stopped here a few weeks ago for a post-Barnes bite. I had heard about it from a few friends and was looking forward to a beer and the veggie burger that everyone has been raving about. The beer list was definitely worth the trip but the food was kind of standard. I would give this a 3.5 stars if I could. They didn't have the soup that was on the specials menu and it was only 3p on a Monday. It wasn't busy and I found it strange that you would be sold out of a special that early in the day. I appreciate that the veggie burger was handmade and not a boca burger or something but I can't exactly say it blew my hair back - it was good but not outstanding as other reviewers have indicated. I have had better but I have certainly had worse. The fried pickles were delicious but not a large enough portion for the price. I am not sure I would go out of my way to have them again. Overall, I would come here for another beer but probably wouldn't bother with the food. If you are looking for an overall outstanding experience there are plenty of other places in Philadelphia where you can get both.

    (3)
  • Anthony S.

    The fact that I remember how much I disliked this place should speak volumes, since it was almost a year ago when I visited. When a friend was in town visiting, we only chose to come here because we already parked the car and the wait for brunch at Sabrina's was too long for how hungry we were. Big mistake. I had a "breakfast burrito" that was one of their specials. I'm pretty sure it was a "special" because they had too many eggs and needed to get rid of some, because that's all the burrito was. Egg. No onions, beans, chillies, tomato, or greens inside. And it was covered in this red sauce that didn't taste like anything. Maybe this place is better if you're a meat-loving, sports-watching type of person, but I'm not and won't be returning to Kite & Key.

    (1)
  • Michael P.

    Much better than standard bar fare! Burger was good, mussels better than expected. Totally worth a visit

    (4)
  • Keren C.

    I wish I remembered our initial server's name so that I could give her 5 stars. She was the ONLY bright spot in this dining experience. My party changed tables so got a different server before we placed our orders; the experience immediately went downhill at that point. It was obvious that our new server didn't want to be bothered with a large party and it showed in the service. When we complained, the manager was even more indignant. To make matters worse, the food was mediocre, at best. No one really enjoyed anything that they ordered. No one had any alcohol so I can't really speak on that aspect of the establishment. Needless to say, I'll never step foot in there again.

    (2)
  • Diana B.

    Always a great beer option. Great selection and a wonderful food menu too. And, great service too

    (5)
  • Douglas M.

    The veggie burger patty looked like it was deep fried and was slathered with mayo. You're doing it wrong, Kite & Key! Only reason I'm not giving a 1 star rating is because our server was pretty cool.

    (2)
  • Cameron P.

    I have only been here once on a late Sunday afternoon. The place was packed but we were able to snag two spots at the bar. Great draft selection and friendly bartender. The place is large and gets loud. Probably will come again and try some food.

    (4)
  • Naura S.

    Love it. Love the scene, the beer list, and the menu. Yummy hummus, yummy pulled pork sandwich, yummy steak sandwich.

    (5)
  • Tim S.

    Philly breakfast sandwich was disgusting. Bread/bun was way too big with no vegetables (lettuce tomato etc) and scrapple itself was gross. Should have gone to china town

    (1)
  • Gen M.

    SO DISAPPOINTED. My boyfriend and I walked by this place on our way to Sabrina's down the street, and what we saw people eating outside looked so good that we turned around and decided to give this place a shot. We should have just stuck with our original plan to go to Sabrina's. I ordered the breakfast burrito and it was just TERRIBLE. Menu said there were black beans in the burrito, and there were white beans in reality. It was so awfully bland, and the enchilada sauce did nothing to help. The "home fries" were over salted that I had to douse them in Tabasco. I made it through half of my meal before I gave up. Our waters and coffees were never refilled. It started to rain a bit toward the end of our meal, and the servers paid no notice to the customers eating outside and getting rained on.

    (2)
  • David P.

    Nice local pub in the Spring Garden section of the city. They have a good amount of outdoor seating which is hard to find for the city. They have a decent list of craft beers on draught. Food is okay. Lively crowd in the evenings.

    (3)
  • Kelly C.

    came here for brunch... food was super disappointing. the actual menu offered was definitely not the same as the one they hung outside their window.. the breakfast burrito which was their "special" was not special at all... my friend and i continued to munch on it waiting for that bite where we'll go woooowww! .... never happened.. super sad. it was like eating solid carbs. service was ok-- it was a busy sunday so it took a while to get our check.. honestly after the disappointment of the food, we wanted to gazette out of there.. but it felt extra long for the waitress to return. after we stepped out it felt like an hour lost, not certain what i tasted or ate.. maybe we should've just waited for sabrina's. :/

    (2)
  • Greg T.

    Like to drink.

    (3)
  • Elizabeth D.

    I'd like to come back on a less hectic Friday night. I felt like it has great potential - awesome draft list, great bartenders, and good food. However, we did put our name in for a table for 6 and were told at 20 minute wait at most. Over an hour later, if I hadn't already had several beers, I would have been angry. We finally snagged our own table in the main bar area. Great pub food - the buffalo mussels with blue cheese were amazing. Mostly since the broth at the end was amazing. Buffalo flatbread was also very good. Fried pickles, not so much. They should either be fried spears, or slices. K&K's had a TON of breading and not much pickle. Dipping sauce was crazy thick.

    (3)
  • Arun T.

    My friend took me here while visiting Philly. As soon as we sat down my friends and I noticed the great beer selection. The waitress was very friendly and kept up with our humorous remarks. We ordered a round of beers, Stone IPA for me. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. It really hit the spot and with a side of crisp fries, I was stuffed. Not to mention the cheap prices for great food and beer. If I wasn't a New Yorker and I lived nearby, I would be here often. Also the fact that they change their beer menu gives you some variety.

    (4)
  • Karen F.

    3-4 stars - I will give them 4 as our service was excellent (we came on the Sunday night of July 4th weekend) and the food was surprisingly excellent. Our party of 3 sat in the back dining room which was a/c-chilled to a crisp. Bet that comes in handy on crowded nites - but it was DEAD at 6 PM on that particular Sunday. We started with a DELICIOUS order of chicken nachos and they were served with blue corn tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole and a good amount of melted cheese. YUM! My friend ordered the grilled chicken (her usual - she's been 3-4 times and unlike other reviewers - she likes the grilled chicken here), my husband got the pork burger and I got and LOVED the (fried) fish tacos. At 3 tacos per order for $9.50 - that was very fair. The only culinary "oops" were the twice-fried french fries. They were hard as rocks and cold. Kinda greasy and blah tasting. I bet they sat around due to the low-turnover night. I bet they taste better fresh outta the fryer. Too bad. Oodles of beers on tap and by the bottle - even a choice "by the cask". Hubby got a Blueberry wheat pale ale - which tasted great. The chocolate beignets and other choices tempted us from the dessert menu, but alas, we did NOT order dessert as we were too stuffed to manage it. Less pretentious (and less cutesy) than Pub & Kitchen - this is not a gastro-pub - it's simple bar food with a fresh tasting twist. I live walking distance so I'll be back for sure!

    (4)
  • Greg K.

    Excellent beer selection. Good outdoor seating (mediocre view). Shoestring fries were amazing, as were the fried pickles. The burger was alright, too much bread to toppings, flavorless beef. Bbq pork wich was flavorless. Good for beer and snacks...

    (3)
  • Lindsey R.

    Quaint place with a small dining room and friendly atmosphere. The service was fast and the food was tasty. We went on a Tuesday night with a party of 4. The fried pickles were quite good, burgers were very big and the chicken corn chowder was think and hearty. Two appetizers were more than enough for 2 people and all the entree sizes left us with doggie bags. Definitely a must try local stop.

    (4)
  • Adam C.

    I went down one sunday afternoon to Sabrina's to grab lunch. I suppose I should be writing this part on Sabrina's page but...I'm not really exactly sure why I keep going there. The food is only soso and I cannot tolerate a wait to be seated. Anyway, there was a wait and so I decided to explore the vicinity before getting back in my car and driving elsewhere. Kite and Key is up the block and I quickly found it. I was greeted promptly and offered a table but opted for a spot I saw at the bar to save them table space since they were also dealing with a brunch crowd. I sat and before too long, Brenna, the bartender greeted me and got me situated with a drink. She was pretty busy so it took her a little while to get back to me for my food order. They were serving brunch and the menu was somewhat limited. I think I should have gone gor the PB&J French toast but Brenna convinced me that it was dessertlike and as the only other interesting item was the burger that is what I got. It came out quickly, cooked the way I asked but honestly it was not one of the better burgers I've eaten. I pet peeve of mine is when the condiments are not put out prior to my food arriving. I was left, nibbling my dry undersalted fries while I tried vainly to get Brenna's attention. I had gone halfway through before she caught my eye and got me the ketchup, salt and pepper. Another pet peeve of mine is when ketchup is readily available but mustard is not. I was left nibbling on my now properly salted fries as I waited for the mustard so that I could finally dress my burger. As mentioned, even with the full complement of condiments the burger was pedestrian at best. I know that I go to a lot of places to eat where the expected activity is only drinking but I still have expectations that if there is a kitchen and a menu that what I order should be up to par. The groups sitting on either side of to me seemed to be enjoying their brunch cocktails. The woman sitting to one side did have a problem with her Mimosa refill because the glass it was served in had residue from the previous drink. It was brought to Brenna's attention and she immediately resolved it by replacing the drink, albeit with another less than clean glass. We could see the dishwasher right there and it was definitely being used but I guess it just wasn't doing an adequate job. When this was brought to her attention she used a brand new glass and served a manmosa (Kite & Key's version of the double). I also observed that when the check came she did not charge for any of that round at all. One cool thing about this place is the fact that they have an old fashioned hand pump tap. It was pretty cool watching Brenna, who by the way is a real likable character, hand pump the beer.

    (3)
  • Jess S.

    Great place, awesome beer list, and pretty tasty food. We had the Thai chili mussels, which were basically covered in sweet chili sauce. They were good, a little too sweet for me, and they left you insanely sticky. But they were well cooked, and the sauce didn't overwhelm the mussels. We also split a veg burger, which was delicious. I love any place that doesn't just give me a morning star burger. As far as the service goes, we were the only people in back but our waitress rarely checked on us, and it took forever to get our check. It wasn't an issue for us, since we weren't in a rush, but its something to keep in mind if you need to get in and out.

    (4)
  • Erica M.

    Another great meal from Kite & Key. I am absolutely obsessed by their veggie burger! In addition to my veggie burger, my dining companions got nachos, calamari, and the portobello mushroom sandwich. Everything was very good (though the nacho-eater wasn't as impressed as he was last time he got them). The portions are generous, and they were very willing to substitute a mixed green salad for fries at no additional charge. It's amazing how quiet the dining area is compared to the bar area - they did an excellent job with the acoustics at this place! Definitely will be back soon (and not just because it's so close to my apartment)

    (4)
  • Christina S.

    My friends and I visited Kite and Key this past weekend for brunch after riding around the area. It was a beautiful day, so we chose to sit outside. We all ordered drinks- I got the Transfusion (yum), my friend got Franklin's bloody mary, and another ordered the Michaelada-all three drinks were delicious. Our server was attentive and friendly. For brunch I got the quiche of the day and a side of bacon. The quiche was portabello and spinach, and I have to say it was pretty tasty. The side of bacon was cooked perfectly. Yum. It came with a huge, fresh side salad lightly dressed with a house vinaigrette. One friend got the classic breakfast, and said it was good but slightly overpriced, and the other got the spinach, bacon and parmesan omelette and said it was delicious. I like Kite and Key for the outdoor seating and the fact that it's not located on an ultra busy street... and if in the area, I'll definitely go back.

    (3)
  • Leah G.

    This is a fine place to stop by for a beer and some food if you're in the neighborhood, but not worth making a destination of it. The food is just fine, nothing special, but also not quite as good as the pub grub you can find elsewhere in the city. Maybe I ordered incorrectly, but I did not love the burger.

    (3)
  • Stella H.

    My group and I (there were 8 of us) stopped in on a Saturday nite for a quick bite and a few cocktails after we toured the Titanic exhibit at the Franklin Institute. This is not a restaurant destination, but their menu had enough to satisfy all (soups, salads, sandwiches and several entrees). Loved the fried pickles! Nice tap beer selection too. A little on the loud side -- it was tough having a discussion between all of us, but we made do.

    (3)
  • Erica E.

    This review is only for their brunch. I came to kite and key because the wait at Sabrina's was so long (I'm sure they get a ton of customers for this specific reason). I really wanted breakfast and they had a brunch menu that seemed suffice enough for my cravings. The place overall was just...meh. I ordered the typical eggs and bacon dish and I was just extremely underwhelmed. Honestly, I probably would have been better off going home and making breakfast myself.

    (2)
  • Kathleen D.

    Kite & Key is best enjoyed while sitting at one of the outdoor tables. I don't make it there as often as I should, considering their beer list (so nice to see a not-that-accessible Ninkasi!), but it's awesome to have them a short walk away in the neighborhood. I've only had dinner here once. I stopped in for my brother's birthday last month with my mom and grandmother. While most of us enjoyed our meals, my grandmother wasn't a fan of her roast beef. She later opted to switch to a burger (also what I was eating) and liked that much better. Only thing to know: service was a little laggy, but otherwise, it was great. Gotta make it back soon!

    (4)
  • John K.

    Kite and Key and Sabrina's are our standard go-to's when we're not looking to cook. And that's no surprise considering they're only a block away. So when some friends stopped by, we all decided to head back to Kite and Key for some eats. Potato & Cheddar Perogi ($9) Sauteed onion, sour cream If pierogi's are on the menu. I'm ordering it. Kite and Key had these bad boys on special and they were crisply fried, with a creamy, cheesy mixture within. Sauteed onions and sour cream rounded out each bite. Calamari ($10) Spicy tomato sauce, arugula The calamari were expertly fried, yet tender. For $10, they gave you a boat load to boot! Presentation was prototypical of a bar, with spicy marinara hiding underneath, with a field of arugula lightly dressed on top. But again - it's unbelievable how much calamari there was! Steak Sandwich ($10) Grilled filet, chimichurri, caramelized onions, pepper jack cheese, french fries The filet sandwich came out perfectly cooked - medium rare and well-seasoned. The caramelized onions added some acidic depth, with the earthy chimichurri providing herbaceous notes. The pepper bite of the pepper jack cheese was nice. The fries were thin and crispy, nothing wrong there! Fish and Chips ($15) Beer-battered fish, french fries, malt vinegar You can put money on the fact that the GF will usually order the chipper. The beer-battered fish was light and flaky, though the batter wasn't as malty as she normally likes. The pat of malt vinegar helped though! The only issue we had on this particular night was that the sodas we ordered were completely flat and tasted of Robitussin. The server gave us a weird look, which prompted me to invite her to have a taste. She declined. In all fairness though, that's not typical and the drinks were obviously taken off. In any case, if you're looking for a proper drink (read: alcohol) and good bar eats, Kite and Key is a great bet on Callowhill Street.

    (4)
  • Jeff K.

    I've been to Kite & Key twice I think it is a pretty good spot to wine, dine and hang out. This is a good spot to hang out with friends or colleagues, enjoy some appetizers, grab an entree and have a few beers. THE GOOD... -lot of beer options both on draft and bottle (local micro brews too) -fried pickles are good -fish and chips are very good -vegetarian and vegan options -the times I went it wasn't too loud and crazy -servers were friendly THE BAD... -parking can be a pain Overall I like Kite & Key. I highly recommend going with a local micro brew. They usually have a big chalkboard of all of the different beers available. The food has been pretty good and I have received friendly service. I'd like to try their brunch sometime!

    (3)
  • Zach V.

    I visited Kite & Key with my aunt for lunch around 12:30 on a Friday. She was already seated when I arrived in the back of the restaurant which sits up a few feet from the main bar area. Our server came over quickly and took our drink orders. They had a nice variety of beer on tap and in bottles. For our appetizer's we shared the Red Diablo Mussels and fried pickles. The broth the Mussels were in was awesome. For lunch we both had burgers. They were very good. During our meal the service was fantastic and all the employees were very nice. I would return to Kite & Key again if I'm in the area.

    (4)
  • Mark Z.

    Went here on a date with my girlfriend, an I enjoyed my experience. The space is nice and huge with a good amount of seats even on a busy Saturday. Our waitress was very nice and would always hit our table to see how things are, so awesome service. The beer selection was really good from great craft to imports. The food was really good as well. My chicken parm sandwich was delicious, and I just dig shoestring style fries. Awesome place for dinner and a drink, so I suggest going here for both!

    (5)
  • Brittany A.

    A great spot for brunch or a few drinks! When the weather is warm they open up the front doors. They always have great service. Would highly recommend if you're looking for a drink on a Sunday afternoon!

    (4)
  • Jordan E.

    This place wins on so many levels - especially when you're enjoying looping Kenny Loggins Danger Zone on the juke box, as I so love to do. It's got that local bar vibe going with a convenient location, easily accessible to Benjamin Franklin Parkway (hence the name, mwahaha). I've now been her thrice, each time better then the last. The place is really easy to miss if you don't get accidentally lost or find it on Yelp - but once you find it your paid in dividends. The exterior is beautiful and a great place to chill - the interior feels like everyone knows your name. The staff is awesome. The best part - the beers and drinks. Unbelievable how cheap it is to drink higher end beers and cocktails here. 7 of us came on July 4th evening and proceeded to pound 30+ cocktails. Total price $167 with tax. No idea how this was possible. This place is a must if you are looking to an eclectic mix of people and a laid back quasy raunchy night - with out the pretentiousness of Fish Town. Miss you already!

    (5)
  • Daisha N.

    Ok. The GM is amazing. He took care of me and my family all night. The wine selections on blends were defiantly something I would dabble in when you get there. The GM (general manager) brought out some tasty samples of cheese, nuts, honey, and it hit the spot. I would love to come back here and try more of the food. The GM stated they are in the middle of a few changes for the better and making different menu options. This place is perfect for a large, small, or date night. The lighting is low and gives you that hipster/hole in the wall/cheers atmosphere that made being at home feel. We sat next to the window near the fire place. They have candles lite throughout the restaurant that makes it really cozy and comfy. If I was you "add": this to your to do's. Enjoy!!!

    (5)
  • Myriah K.

    Food was excellent. Kids chicken fingers was large, good breeding and white meat chicken. Hot roast beef sandwich was excellent. Veggie burger was wonderful, fresh large cut veggies. Went on a Sunday afternoon, service was a little slow, about an hour to get the food. Great place if you are not in a hurry. I will be back!

    (5)
  • Kristina C.

    So came back and to update my previous 4 stars...this place is amazing! And try the dealing diablo mussels, do spicy and amazing...I'm spooning the broth out...amazing! And best crowd here is amazing for game watching...you can't have a bad seat in here. The bar staff is also on top of drinks...bonus! And they have updated the outside seating so if you want a chill great place to sit outside then definitely come here. And...they have for us gluten free folks, omission, greens Amber, and magners...double bonus!

    (5)
  • Allison B.

    Kite & Key is my favorite bar in Fairmount for two reasons: great beers and really great food. They've always got unique tap takeovers. Top picks for food include the wings, diablo mussels (the broth is ridic), and nachos. The veggie burger is super rich (it's basically a deep fried homemade patty) and I've heard their regular burger is great too. Note: It's a big space but can get pretty loud. Ask for a table near the back if you don't want to have to scream over your friends. Also, you can now order food between 3 and 3:30 (the kitchen used to switch over, but now it's all the same).

    (5)
  • Katie L.

    Kite & Key has delicious sandwiches and an amazing craft beer selection. I went after a visit to the Franklin Institute and it was a great ending to a great trip. I was there on a weekday at a very odd time (probably about 2pm or 3pm; a little after lunch time) so it was very quiet. The service was wonderful and our server was very knowledgeable in regards to the beer selection available. Definitely worth a visit.

    (5)
  • Jolene T.

    Nice place! Very accommodating, even during busy times. We had a large party of about 20 people and it was difficult to get reservations elsewhere but, Kite & Key were very helpful. Food was good, portion sizes were fairly large and beer selection was great!

    (5)
  • Margaret T.

    I love Kite & Key! Their draft list is consistently amazing, with good variety. Not sure what to recommend since it changes so frequently, but there's sure to be something for everyone. Great for grabbing a drink at the bar or sitting down to eat with friends. I've probably been here 10+ times at this point. Highlights: They have one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. I would highly recommend it. Flavorful and filling, it owns the veggie burger category by not trying to be a burger and just doing its own thing. Great French fries. Also try the quesadilla! Warnings: I've seen the cheesecake with mango on their special list a few times. I got it once and it was NOT good. It can be very loud indoors when it's busy, but there's also a lot of outdoor seating for nice days!

    (5)
  • Diana K.

    I'm glad that this neighborhood bar is doing well, has a loyal customer base, and serves a variety of beer and exciting menu items. I was really happy to see it full of people on a cold Wednesday night in Callowhill. I ordered the veggie burger, which I saw was rated best in Philly at one point in time. It was actually really delicious and had great bread, a topping of mushrooms, carrots, and alfalfa sprouts, and a juicy inside. The fries were underseasoned and not crispy at all, and highly reminiscent of McDonald's fries. My boyfried ordered a medium rare burger and received a well done version that lacked much flavor, and was way too dry. We ordered two beers and ended up spending more than $40 on the meal after tip. For a pretty unsatisfying burger, that felt like a lot of cash to give up. Since it's so closeby and has a nice atmosphere and beer list, I will most likely be back to try the food once again, but for now it's just a 3 star experience.

    (3)
  • Herbie H.

    A group of us tried to go to Sabrina's for brunch and had a predictably long wait. Not feeling like standing in the cold, we walked down to Kite & Key and saw the menu appealed to everyone. We were immediately seated (thankfully) and greeted by friendly and accommodating staff. The brunch menu spans everything from french toast to eggs benedict and a veggie burger. It's a nice mix of breakfast and lunch items - really having something for everyone. I ordered the breakfast burrito. It was only okay - I think it could have used a little bit more seasoning and all-around flavor, but overall it was satisfactory. Other people got omelets, which also looked/tasted okay, per their review. Lastly, someone ordered french toast and scrapple, which got a good review. Service was attentive, our food came out quickly, and we had an all-around pleasant experience. My reason for the 3 stars is really he food. It was fine, but not great. Perfectly fine for a lazy Sunday morning.

    (3)
  • Michael P.

    Really nice grub pub in Fairmount. It's a good place to go before or after museum visits. They've got a nice big bar area up front, with several hightops, and a dining room further back. Rotating craft beer taps with a good variety, although that's pretty par for the course in this town. Food was pretty good, I enjoyed the fried pickles and calamari, and had a nice fish taco. The mussels are pretty good too. Service was pretty good, if a bit slow. The beer board was also out of date, but the printed menu was correct.

    (4)
  • Vichet O.

    Again, gotta make a check-list. I've been here many times, and yet, no review. Kite and Key has solid food, good beer selection, and a comfy space for pretty much any part-size and a price point that won't make you think "god damn, I am never getting food while drunk ever again," making it a good place to start or end your night over drinks and snacks. I'm a big fan of the wings and hummus here. The fries are good, and so are the flatbreads. The only reason I haven't tried more on their menu is that, for me, those late night options are pretty much all I need after ten beers. The service has always been friendly, and again, this place combines the cheapness of a neighborhood pub without all the the sticky-floored trappings. Kinda makes me wish I lived in Fairmount.

    (4)
  • Naresh A.

    This is the first time I've come to Philly and fried. Suggested me this. Went late night with my friends. We had a Flat Bread with Buffalo Chicken: I must say that this bread is not really impressive. It's too crispy but the chicken and cheese is the best stuff one can have. Nachos with Guacamole is another dish which was really impressive and yummy. Will surely come back if I get a chance.

    (4)
  • David H.

    Came downtown today with the family to go to Franklin Institute. We decided we wanted to go somewhere other than FI. We picked Kite and Key in part on the name and the reviews here. We were not disappointed. Service was prompt, we sat near the bar and the bartender served us. He was friendly and nice to the kids. Food was great. I had the burger, wife had the mussels which were outstanding. The broth was so flavorful and the mussels cooked perfectly. Kids shared the margarita flatbread which they devoured. Overall a great lunch and nice change of pace from typical museum cafeteria food.

    (5)
  • Elisabet R.

    Never had a bad meal here-- you kind of always just know what you're gonna get in terms of quality of service and food. It's not anything super special, but it's always good! The fries are great and so are the burgers. My favorite though... the bread pudding!! If they have it, you'd be foolish to not try it-- absolutely delicious. They always have a great selection of wine and beer and it's always a fun spot to go watch the football/basketball games.

    (4)
  • Sarah J.

    Somewhere between really-nothing-special and actively-bad. Probably more the latter because it's such a disappointment as its around the corner from me. Just left brunch on a Saturday at ~11. The "Philly a Breakfast Sandwich" with scrapple was awful. My friends agreed. Hard egg, thin slice of overlooked scrapple, cheap cheese, and dry, untoasted brioche. For $9! The home fries were good though. Service was sporadic and inattentive.

    (2)
  • Ren H.

    Went on a lovely and gorgeous Saturday afternoon which probably accounted for the crowd. The decor was nice however the noise levels were way too loud. I could barely hear my brother talk. Granted we were seated right next to a huge open window, it was still extremely loud. The food was disappointing. The calamari appetizer was generous but was average. I ordered pulled pork sandwich which was dry and tasteless aside from the jalapeno. My brothers burger which was their signature burger was dry, gritty, and lifeless. The cheese looked like dark orange and was dry and old. In regards to their fries, I would have preferred McDonald's. It ruined such a beautiful afternoon. Skip this place.

    (1)
  • Alisa A.

    Definitely try the buffalo mussels they have. I like the how they can open up the front of the restaurant to get fresh air in.

    (4)
  • Katie P.

    Wanting to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and take advantage of the beautiful sunny day, I was interested in some outdoor seating for brunch. Kite & key has the perfect location to enjoy the nice weather. It is still within walking distance, but does not have much hustle and bustle like you would closer to center city - it was relaxing. I could have sat there all day. I ordered the Philadelphia breakfast sandwich that came with some awesome home fries. See photo ;) I still need to try the flat bread pizza! The next table over ordered one. I was envious. I will be back to try it.

    (4)
  • michelle Marie R.

    If their food is as good as their phone service was rude you're in for a treat. Wanted to try it for the first time so I called to see what time their kitchen was closed. Received a reply with a major attitude "it's on the website". Crossed that option of my list immediately. Check yo self before you wreck yo self.

    (1)
  • Kim H.

    The BF and I came to Kite & Key on Bastille Day @ ESP, and somehow managed to get a table right away. The service was a little slow, and our waitress kept forgetting little things here and there, but she was very busy, so it didn't really bother me. I had the diablo mussels, which were fantastic! I think it was the first time I ever finished a whole bowl of mussels. BF had a salad and cheesecake (don't ask) and said they were both very good. Great beer selection, too! This place does get crowded, but it's worth the wait!

    (4)
  • Marcos S.

    It is an okay place. Our waitress was however really awesome. She made us feel welcomed. The man behind the bar was very funny. The food was not too good. But we had the chicken sandwich and the salad. Ehh nothing special. But the service was really top notch. It probably is better for football season.

    (3)
  • Elizabeth H.

    The food tastes good, nice menu and nice beer selection. Outdoor seating if that is your thing. Unfortunately there were cockroaches crawling all over the outside wall of the building and running around underneath our table. Sad to say that I will not be going back there now.

    (2)
  • Noah R.

    Nothing about this establishment had any redeeming qualities whatsoever, service was extremely slow, the decor was unattractive, and the food was uninspired and unflavorful. Our table also had a tilt that had food continuously slide down it requiring us to pull it back. The resturant at least wasn't overly expensive. The only circumstance in which I would return is if someone paid me.

    (1)
  • Brito C.

    The Philly breakfast sandwich is garbage. I would have preferred a frozen Jimmy John's croissant breakfast sandwhich over this thing. This place needs to get their brunch game together.

    (1)
  • Abby R.

    Fantastic bacon cheeseburger, amazing pierogis and a decent margarita. Worth checking out if you're in Philly!

    (4)
  • Bridget C.

    Tidy bar with decent food. Folks from work meet up here for parties when a fellow employees are changing companies.

    (4)
  • Matthieu K.

    Had brunch ... Polite and fast service. I thought the food was well presented and it came from the kitchen pretty quickly too. Seemed a bit loud, but it's a pub ... right? Food was good overall, I don't get the 1-star reviews, I am a snob and found it all acceptable. We need more of this and a whole lot less Denny's. Beer with a bacon sandwich? That is winning my friends.

    (4)
  • mike v.

    Went yesterday for brunch and I was pleased. The french toast was excellent. The scrapple was cooked well and piping hot. (I would have liked to see a more high-end bacon, however - theirs was like Oscar Myer from grocery store.) Great fries. Inside is nice. The staff was nice and the service was quick even though the place was packed. This is more like 3.5 stars instead of 4.

    (4)
  • Elaine M.

    I can only review Kite & Key on their beverages. They have a great draft list, with about 10 different micro-brews, mostly local selections. They also have a nice bottle selection of craft beers and also your standards (ML, BL etc.). I was there late in the afternoon with a friend around Christmas time, so it wasn't too crowded until the happy hour and dinner crowds started rolling in. The bartenders were great at offering beer selections and keeping out glasses full. They also handled the obnoxious drunks next to us well (kept them under control, without angering them). The atmosphere in Kite & Key is a typical cozy, pub. The bar is made of old solid dark wood, keeping with the pub theme. The bathrooms are small and could use an upgrade but they were clean.

    (4)
  • Jason G.

    Love Love Love this place. I atmosphere and the small bar setting is wonderful. The menu is very good and we tried a few things and we could decide what we liked better. The beer prices are pretty good to. They have a lot of local stuff and the staff was super friendly. Fun and hip spot to grab a drink. A++

    (5)
  • Angela J.

    Sunday Funday at it's best Let's start with the mussels... Yummmmmmmmmmmmm the Diablo and the Thai chili are delicious (parsley instead of cilantro for those of you that care), great spices and tons of broth, which is always good... And some tasty bread to sop up all the broth. Also, a solid Bloody Mary, lots of horseradish and lemon, lime, olives, etc...... Brunch is solid, a good choice if the wait at Sabrina's is insane (which normally is true), OR, a great place to wait and have a cocktail or three before your table over there is ready! Ladies...bathrooms are clean and stocked, and the patio seating is great. Lastly, friendly bartenders (and good looking) and good table service, just be aware... The kitchen closes 3-3:30.........so if you're on a run on Kelly drive and need some food...plan your long runs accordingly :) my friend and I spent the longest 30 min of our life waiting for some mussels one Sunday! We arrived at 3:05 :) and the mussels were still worth the wait.

    (5)
  • Manijeh A.

    I really wanted to like this place, because we recently moved 2 blocks away. We went there for the 3rd time last night and I think it's time for a review. The two of us went there on a week day at 7:30pm. They took our order at about 7:45. I ordered the chicken cutlet salad from the "specials" menu, and my boyfriend ordered fish tacos. The food didn't arrive until 8:40. I could have gone home, made a salad and ate it in that time (the server kept stopping by every 10-15 minutes, telling us "your food should be out any minute now"). The chicken cutlet in the salad was completely burnt. It was black on one side. and because it was dark, I didnt even see it until I had already had the first bite. And the Fish tacos were extremely blend and greasy. I would have been ok with the long wait if the food was good. But long wait AND bad food? no thank you!

    (1)
  • Jana S.

    Amazing bar! Fantastic rotating draft beer selection, not to mention the great bottle selection. Food - fried pickles are fresh, not frozen. Absolutely delicious. And the mussels... Holy wow! Get the Thai chile, sweet and spicy and super tasty. Good bread to dip too, although I also recommend a side of fries! Awesome food, awesome beer, awesome crowd. I'll definitely be back!

    (5)
  • Naomi O.

    Outdoor seating is great and server was very nice. This is as bland of a brunch selection as you get can. Very mediocre food and not a good jump off for Sabrina's being packed. Go somewhere else.

    (2)
  • Scott P.

    This a Great place for good food, drinks and good service. Living in the area makes this an easy walk to. My wife and I look forward to going to the Kite at least twice a week.

    (5)
  • Colleen M.

    Stopped here a few weeks ago for a post-Barnes bite. I had heard about it from a few friends and was looking forward to a beer and the veggie burger that everyone has been raving about. The beer list was definitely worth the trip but the food was kind of standard. I would give this a 3.5 stars if I could. They didn't have the soup that was on the specials menu and it was only 3p on a Monday. It wasn't busy and I found it strange that you would be sold out of a special that early in the day. I appreciate that the veggie burger was handmade and not a boca burger or something but I can't exactly say it blew my hair back - it was good but not outstanding as other reviewers have indicated. I have had better but I have certainly had worse. The fried pickles were delicious but not a large enough portion for the price. I am not sure I would go out of my way to have them again. Overall, I would come here for another beer but probably wouldn't bother with the food. If you are looking for an overall outstanding experience there are plenty of other places in Philadelphia where you can get both.

    (3)
  • Anthony S.

    The fact that I remember how much I disliked this place should speak volumes, since it was almost a year ago when I visited. When a friend was in town visiting, we only chose to come here because we already parked the car and the wait for brunch at Sabrina's was too long for how hungry we were. Big mistake. I had a "breakfast burrito" that was one of their specials. I'm pretty sure it was a "special" because they had too many eggs and needed to get rid of some, because that's all the burrito was. Egg. No onions, beans, chillies, tomato, or greens inside. And it was covered in this red sauce that didn't taste like anything. Maybe this place is better if you're a meat-loving, sports-watching type of person, but I'm not and won't be returning to Kite & Key.

    (1)
  • Michael P.

    Much better than standard bar fare! Burger was good, mussels better than expected. Totally worth a visit

    (4)
  • Keren C.

    I wish I remembered our initial server's name so that I could give her 5 stars. She was the ONLY bright spot in this dining experience. My party changed tables so got a different server before we placed our orders; the experience immediately went downhill at that point. It was obvious that our new server didn't want to be bothered with a large party and it showed in the service. When we complained, the manager was even more indignant. To make matters worse, the food was mediocre, at best. No one really enjoyed anything that they ordered. No one had any alcohol so I can't really speak on that aspect of the establishment. Needless to say, I'll never step foot in there again.

    (2)
  • Diana B.

    Always a great beer option. Great selection and a wonderful food menu too. And, great service too

    (5)
  • Douglas M.

    The veggie burger patty looked like it was deep fried and was slathered with mayo. You're doing it wrong, Kite & Key! Only reason I'm not giving a 1 star rating is because our server was pretty cool.

    (2)
  • Cameron P.

    I have only been here once on a late Sunday afternoon. The place was packed but we were able to snag two spots at the bar. Great draft selection and friendly bartender. The place is large and gets loud. Probably will come again and try some food.

    (4)
  • Naura S.

    Love it. Love the scene, the beer list, and the menu. Yummy hummus, yummy pulled pork sandwich, yummy steak sandwich.

    (5)
  • Tim S.

    Philly breakfast sandwich was disgusting. Bread/bun was way too big with no vegetables (lettuce tomato etc) and scrapple itself was gross. Should have gone to china town

    (1)
  • Gen M.

    SO DISAPPOINTED. My boyfriend and I walked by this place on our way to Sabrina's down the street, and what we saw people eating outside looked so good that we turned around and decided to give this place a shot. We should have just stuck with our original plan to go to Sabrina's. I ordered the breakfast burrito and it was just TERRIBLE. Menu said there were black beans in the burrito, and there were white beans in reality. It was so awfully bland, and the enchilada sauce did nothing to help. The "home fries" were over salted that I had to douse them in Tabasco. I made it through half of my meal before I gave up. Our waters and coffees were never refilled. It started to rain a bit toward the end of our meal, and the servers paid no notice to the customers eating outside and getting rained on.

    (2)
  • Dana M.

    Two stars because the veggie burger and other options are pretty decent. I'm big on customer service though, (and just generally a cranky person) hence why I deducted another star. We arrived at K & K at around 9:30-ish and waited to be seated. And waited. And waited. The place was packed so I figured it was the late late happy hour folks and people waiting for dinner were seating themselves. A woman sitting on a stool near the hostess post had her back to us so I finally went over and asked her if we could just seat ourselves. I'm not sure if we ever would have gotten seated if I hadn't approached her. The drink and ordering process went smoothly. The fried pickles were probably the worst I've ever had. Texture was off and overpriced. Seven dollars for 5 fried pickles? FIVE? No, just no. Cajun fries and veggie burger are great. Those are two solid options if you're vegetarian. Our server pretty much ignored us for the rest of the night. We had to flag her down to order another drink. She just really inattentive, and I hate to make this about race, but we were also the only black people in the place. It could have also been that were the only people seated for dinner, but she was also just sitting at the barstool near the hostess table, or maybe because she got up every once in awhile to take drink orders and got really busy making conversation with the patrons... blah, I'm running out of excuses here... There was also dead roach hanging out between the ketchup and the salt. Sigh. What an experience.

    (2)
  • Candi K.

    We are suburban people, so driving into the city always drives me a bit batty. But an out of town friend was in town for the week, so off to town we went! The location is really convenient for those who are driving...a good amount of street parking and a large, reasonably priced parking lot is next door. It was a nice fall evening so they had the front open. We had a great bar table right at the opening, so we got the best of both worlds...a bit of cover from the breeze that kicked up while enjoying one of those last few nights you could eat outside. Our waitress was really friendly & quickly got us drinks (a nice draft selection!). I ordered a buffalo chicken cheesesteak (it was on the specials that night) which I loved. A mix of sandwiches at our table, and nothing was bad. Good food for the price point with good service. I doubt we'll be back just because we tend to try someplace new every time we go into the city, but I'd definitely recommend it!

    (4)
  • Kelly M.

    Disappointing...we were hungry so we ate but it blows my mind how places still serve frozen burger patties and store bought chicken cutlets and charge like its handmade stuff. How hard is it to hand make a burger patty and bread a chicken cutlet? I'm annoyed by having to pay this check.

    (1)
  • Dana S.

    Great little spot in Fairmount. They have a good amount of outdoor seating which is great for those beautiful summer days. I've never eaten there so I can't speak to thier menu, but a great place to grab a drink with friends.

    (3)
  • Rebecca O.

    Boyfriend and I come here once a month or so, we live close and can always get a table. One of the best things about k&k is that the servers always remember us, especially Ericka (?) and she knows our regular drink orders and menu orders. Very casual place and I'm not crazy about the crowd, but we do always feel comfortable there. HOWEVER---after having no less than 12 pulled pork sandwiches and 10 or so burgers (over the course of a year), I will confidently say that the pork/burger is always good --but those brioche buns are awful! Either always taste super stale, too 'airy' (?) or...just cheap. So, k&k, Like, just skip the whole brioche thing - and get high quality hamburger buns from any one of the bakeries in town. We'll all be a lot happier

    (3)
  • Breylon S.

    My experience at this site last weekend was VERY POOR due to the service provided. Started ok, but our servers were switched. I ordered my meal and realized I didn't want it. I wanted to order something else. In any other restaurant, you get the courtesy to do that if you inform the waiter/waitress in a timely fashion (which I did). Instead, two things occurred: (1) I was told the kitchen was closed by that point. This was not true. I watched a couple of people order meals/beverages even after I asked. The waiter simply and clearly didn't want to bother satisfying the customer; (2) I was met with a non-negotiable manager who pointlessly reiterated that I could not order something else and that I was stuck with the meal. She didn't resolve the situation. She actually confirmed the overall poor service. I frequent Philly often enough, but I don't plan for this to be a stop I make in the future.

    (1)
  • Gretchen E.

    Kite & Key never disappoints. One of the best spots for outdoor dining, morning to night, offering a great view of the Barnes, former Inquirer building, and the new Granary apartments and its puppy tenants. Fantastic Bloody Mary. Crispy creative nacho plates. Brothy salty mussels. Dessert beignets to share. And a selection of burgers. The fries are a bit bland - definitely not fresh cut - and the veggie burger tastes like fried air. Good sauces though. Creative brunches on weekends - starting at 11am - and open until 2am each night. Beer events held often recruit a good crowd of locals and tourists. Ben Franklin would be proud.

    (4)
  • Stephanie S.

    Came here for the Firestone Walker craft beer event last weekend during Philly Craft Beer Express. I also used to come here often, 3 yrs ago when I worked nearby. Always thought highly of this place... has great food and pretty good craft beer selections on tap. We ordered a few rounds of different Firestone Walker brews, as well as some others not on the specials menu for those in my party who don't like the heavy hitter beers. Was nice they had several different selections to chose from. For food, we ordered several munchies, hummus was delicious, the fried pickles were huge, edamame was slightly over-cooked but still good, I didn't eat the wings but they smelled good, and the Thai chili oysters were also enjoyed by the folks at my table. Several years ago, I remember eating a veggie burger that was delicious. The calamari at our neighbor's table looked huge and tasty, so I"ll keep that in mind for next time. Overall great place, sometimes service can be slow when they are slammed packed, but its OK if you're just there to socialize, drink some good beer, and eat some good food. Tip: sit at the bar area.

    (4)
  • David P.

    Nice local pub in the Spring Garden section of the city. They have a good amount of outdoor seating which is hard to find for the city. They have a decent list of craft beers on draught. Food is okay. Lively crowd in the evenings.

    (3)
  • Kelly C.

    came here for brunch... food was super disappointing. the actual menu offered was definitely not the same as the one they hung outside their window.. the breakfast burrito which was their "special" was not special at all... my friend and i continued to munch on it waiting for that bite where we'll go woooowww! .... never happened.. super sad. it was like eating solid carbs. service was ok-- it was a busy sunday so it took a while to get our check.. honestly after the disappointment of the food, we wanted to gazette out of there.. but it felt extra long for the waitress to return. after we stepped out it felt like an hour lost, not certain what i tasted or ate.. maybe we should've just waited for sabrina's. :/

    (2)
  • m b.

    Maybe the dishwasher was cooking today? I dunno, I've looked through the photos here of the food at K and K and some of it looks amazing. Yet today, the food was worse than that of McDonalds! Horrible. Eggs Benedict was cold, overcooked, with a tiny amount of darkly colored "hollandaise" sauce (without question, from a package) on top of a hard, cold, long-ago toasted English muffin,. The breakfast burrito was stuffed with spongy eggs (scrambled?) with little to no other ingredients? I had to hunt for the 5 black beans that were in there. My husband had been here before and said his experience was similar so not sure what to think as many other reviewers actually liked this place?

    (1)
  • Patricia B.

    I've been disappointed with the service here on numerous occasions. Just recently, I came here on two separate occasions in the afternoon on the weekend. Both times, the restaurant was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. It took way too long to be noticed by a server, once seated. And trying to get the check was a near impossible task. Getting our cards back once we paid the check? Even worse. It's a shame because I like the food and the set-up/atmosphere is great. The veggie burger is one of my favorite in the city and the fried pickles are nice (different from most places, they serve five larger chips, rather than a basket of smaller chips...and they're delish!). Get it together on the service, Kite and Key! I would be back much more often if you did...

    (3)
  • Janine L.

    Stumbled upon this place by chance while searching for an eatery close to the Franklin Institute. Charming atmosphere with a nice selection of draft beer. The menu was a small but perfect for our needs. The Cheese plate was outstanding! I never have seen such a generous portion - well worth the price. Will definitely visit again.

    (4)
  • Christine N.

    This is an okay choice for brunch. We had a new waitress that didn't know the menu and had to keep going back to ask people for clarification. They don't have many exciting options and the omelet I had was pretty mediocre. Many of my friends were vegetarians and they wouldn't accommodate their dietary restrictions, so not sure what's up with that. I wouldn't go back or recommend this place.

    (1)
  • Katie M.

    Had lunch with my mom today. The food was great. We split a house salad and a buffalo chicken flat bread. Service was quick and food was really good! I recommend going here for a quick lunch. Drink selection was great as well!

    (4)
  • Jade V.

    I should just call Kite & Key "Old Reliable." I've been here for lunch, brunch, dinner, and just drinks. It's a great little pub around the museum district in Philadelphia and the Community College of Philadelphia. To be honest, I come here for the beer. The draft beer selection is varied, large (something like 17 beers on tap), and constantly changing. They also have quite a few bottled beers. While Kite & Key is great for beer, they have a decent selection of pub food, too. I've enjoyed their mussels (comes with a couple of pieces of garlic bread) and flatbreads. Nothing especially unique in terms of food, but the flavors & quality are solid and will fill you up and keep you going.

    (4)
  • Craven M.

    Excellent beer selection. Rotating tap beers. Karsteel Pumpkin is delicious.

    (4)
  • Dennis L.

    Kite & Key is a nice little gastropub with a small dining area in the back. If you come early enough, it's pretty quiet, but after 730 it starts to fill up with bar goers and gets much louder. I came for dinner and ordered a Fried Calamari as a starter and the Steak sandwich for the main course. You get a very gracious serving of fried calamari with arugula on top and a good amount of red sauce spread across it. A slice of lemon would have been appreciated, but that was not included. The large pieces were fried well and not too oily or heavy, I would say the amount of breading was ideal. The arugula was new to me and it added a great flavor to it, but then I personally just really love arugula. The Steak sandwich was cooked medium rare and perfectly. It comes with a large serving of thinly sliced fries, again deep fried rather well. If nothing else, this place knows how to work it's deep fryer. The sandwich came on a large roll sliced in half topped with sesame and it was absolutely delicious. The Steak still had a nice pink center and the Chimichurri sauce complimented it perfectly. I was unable to finish the sandwich so took half of it home. A random side note, the fries were actually pretty good cold. Not something you find often.

    (4)
  • Yana L.

    This was the best veggie burger that I have ever had. Not only was the patty itself completely delicious and juicy - not too thick and not too thin - but everything placed on this burger makes for a delicious (and extremely filling) meal. This is the only entree that I have had at the Kite & Key, but I always really appreciate how many vegetarian options there are - not just one default. The fried pickles are good - a bit pricey for the portion, but if you love that kind of stuff - definitely worth it. According to my companions: Quesadillas are delicious - stuffed with delicious beef. The guacamole could use a little extra lime and salt, but that is easy to correct on your own. The taco salad is huge, incredibly intense, and delicious. The sauce is actually pretty mild, and pairs well. Overall, this place is a great find. The portions are generous, the prices reasonable, and the location is convenient. The servers are all very nice and peppy - happy to answer questions, and they keep the refills coming at regular intervals. There is a nice mix of ambience - with a classic sports bar in the front, and quieter seating in the back of the restaurant. We only went here because the line for Sabrina's was completely ridiculous (1 hour wait, for brunch) - and I am so glad we did!

    (4)
  • Sanoj P.

    Simply ridiculous. These guys have pretty whatever you want. I've been here countless times, and I can say confidently, I've never had a bad experience. Not one. Beer - Awesome craft beers. Food - What are you looking for? They have food for everyone, and everything is pretty good. They have the best fried pickles in Philly and their veggie burgers are awesome. Service - When it gets crowded, it gets a little slow. But they are great. And the bartenders are knowledgeable and fun. If you're looking for a sit-down restaurant with fancy-schmancy linens and a chef in the back from Chopped, find another place. This isn't that. But if you're looking for a great bar with good food and good beer, and people who aren't full of themselves, this place is great.

    (4)
  • Marc W.

    9 old guys visited on a wed night,busy but not packed. atmosphere was fun. noise- no worse than anywhere else apps we tried were wings and calamari - both very good . The calamari had raves. Beer list is excellent as everyone also writes. fairly priced and I think is the best feature of this pub. We were all very happy with our entrees which included burgers, pulled pork, fish tacos, steak sandwich. only smiles. the fries are not special but good and there is a dipping sauce if you ask. service- we found that to be efficient and friendly. no delays. We visit a beer/burger place once a month together and have done so for two years. Kite and Key did not disappoint in any way.

    (4)
  • Aubrey L.

    My good friend and I recently threw a surprise 30th birthday for our two husbands here and we couldn't have been more thrilled with Kite and Key. We inquired with a number of places, so many required a guarantee or made you pay to rent space and were inflexible etc. Kite and Key was so accommodating to us! From the beginning Jim helped us plan a great menu and always got back to us really quickly. The night of was perfect. They let us have multiple tables in the front of the restaurant where we set up some decorations and served our appetizer platters (which were so delicious, favorites off the menu but in big group size portions). In addition to having guests buy drinks from the bar they had two waitresses that came through to take orders. They were incredible, knowing 60+ peoples drink orders and so friendly when pushing through a rowdy crowd. The night was a great success and so much of it was due to our choice in Kite and Key. It was low key and fun but the staff was so attentive and professional. Can't wait to get back and get some more fried pickles!!

    (5)
  • James B.

    The Saturday brunch special was a delicious portobello quiche. It came with a sizable salad for only $8. Wow, that's a good value. The beer selection is excellent. Decent pub fare overall. Nice service.

    (4)
  • Nicole L.

    Came here for a coworker's birthday tonight and I was mostly ambivalent by the experience. While our server was quite friendly and attentive, I found my hot roast beef sandwich to be on the meh side. Points for not using cheez whiz in the tasty cheesesteak spring rolls, though. My biggest gripe was the extraordinary number of flies in the restaurant -- I felt like I spent half my night swatting them out of my face or from my food. At one point a gnat swam into my friend's burger and I'm not sure if it escaped alive. I'm sure the biggest attraction at Kite & Key are the numerous drafts they have on tap, but when it comes to dinner this place unfortunately tanks. Save your money for the other competition in the area, because you can get better food and not feel grossed out and disappointed. ps. what is the "artesian cheese" on their menu?

    (2)
  • S L.

    I have been to this place a handful of times, and the only thing that I've eaten that was worth the calories was the hummus appetizer. Everything else on the menu is just meh. The service is also meh. I'd much rather stop in for drinks and to watch a game at the bar. Will pass on any food the next time I'm in.

    (2)
  • Kristen J.

    We always go to Kite & Key after work and we are never disappointed. The beers on tap fit everyone's tastes, although I will say that the wine list could be updated. The food is good & shareable. This is always one of my favorite spots to hit on a warm spring day or cool early fall evening. The staff is friendly & attentive. This is definitely one of my favorite hang-out spots.

    (4)
  • Maria D.

    I had the pumpkin ale which was delish! we ordered nachos & mussels in white. the nachos were huge, crunchy, and covered with melted cheese. They had guacamole and sour cream on top and both were really good! The mussels in white were spicy but just enough and super tasty. We will def be returning!

    (4)
  • Tanya M.

    This place is awesome. Had a great server names Jane. Lots of info and amazing service. Burger was great with little onion straws on it and the Cajun fries to sue for and them to top it off the side if Cajun mayo that I smeared on everything and scraped the bowl with my fries. Can't wait to come back

    (5)
  • Nikki R.

    Solid place to grab an affordable drink and treat yourself to a lil something special at the end of a long work day. Spicy Thai Mussels, $14? I'm in. So good. You're going to struggle to talk yourself out of eating all the bread while sopping up the sauce. Lots of beer options. Great staff, always nice and willing to give suggestions.

    (4)
  • Carol C.

    I've heard that this place can be inconsistent sometimes, but if that is the case, they were on point the evening we came! We got fish tacos, veggie burger, and steak sandwich. The fish tacos were so crisp and perfectly flavored. The veggie burger came with TWO patties - I don't know if that is normal, but it was bomb. I am normally hesitant about ordering steak sandwiches because they can either be tough to chew, or be filled with cheap meat. However, neither was the case here - the steak was a thick cut, juicy, and tender enough to eat as a sandwich. Although they have craft beers on draft, drink options are kind of limited. Overall, a very pleasant dinner.

    (4)
  • Erik R.

    Review is only for location and Breakfast/Brunch menu: 1st things 1st, this place is a great little Irish/ Tavern/ Pub. It's no where near as busy as Sabrina's (which we waited for over an hour after giving reservations). Plus it's more open, less crowded. K&K is a wannabe sports bar. But, they just don't have the tech for it. They have plenty of flat screens which is really all you need. Onto the food. Their Breakfast/Brunch menu is very limited. With most of the options containing some egg in the them. I had the French Toast and bacon. It was drizzled in syrup and nice and thick slices. It was very filling and good. but you'll notice that the entree itself is listed only with bacon. No eggs, grits, porridge, friut (unless ordered separately). The service was good. Food was fine. Just make sure you get what you oredered upon delivery to your table.

    (3)
  • Gabby M.

    Pretty nice place! The food was good; I had the burger and it was good but a little overdone, even though I asked for medium. The negative part was how incredibly loud it was in there, even at 1 in the afternoon.

    (3)
  • S C.

    Got drinks here with some friends and the service was good, drinks were priced well, ambience was laid back. Good neighborhood joint for drinks.

    (4)
  • Meaghan D.

    My absolute favorite neighborhood bar. Their constantly rotating craft beer list is all one needs to be happy.

    (5)
  • Victoria R.

    Places like this remind me to never order ethnic food where it's not usually the menu style. This place is more like a burger/bar joint. Thought I could indulge in their Saturday Brunch Specials. Boy was I wrong! Their chilaquilas and breakfast burrito looked fancy enough but was done all wrong and tasted terrible. Ugh, so disappointed but that's what I get for ordering Mexican food at an American restaurant. So disappointed.

    (2)
  • Tiffany T.

    This place is alright.. but nothing too special. I was pretty excited though seeing all the awesome drafts.. Monks fleming for $5.50?! But they tricked me! I was like.. how is it cheaper than monks... guess what? It's a 10 ounce glass NOOOO Beers are fairly priced though , between 5-8 bucks. I didn't get any food except an appetizer of edamame $5 and it was a HUGE plate we couldn't even finish between 4 people. For that, I give them +1/2 star Service - was sooo poor in the beginning. I think she knew her shift was ending.. so.. But it honestly took about 5-7 minutes for her to come over and service my beer :/ Sadness The second server was much better. But boo to the first server!! :(( Final: 3.5 stars

    (3)
  • Scott J.

    Burrito was dry and basically an omelet in a flour tortilla. Could have used some avocado, side of salsa, and put the hash browns that came on the side inside the burritto. Beer selection was above par and my fiance said her breakfast sandwich was good. Too bad Rose Tattoo wasn't open.

    (3)
  • J S.

    My favorite place to grab a drink. Can't say enough good things about the nighttime bartenders (Scotty, Gabe and Efrem). Love the nachos and the beignets. It's a great bar to sit and hangout with your friends.

    (5)
  • Jennifer D.

    I went there for Sunday brunch and was unimpressed. People who were seated well after me were served before me, I had to ask more than once before they finally brought me some water, and the eggs benedict were simultaneously overcooked and cold.

    (2)
  • Tammy Y.

    Avoid the eggs. We stopped in this past beautiful Sunday and I ordered from their Sunday brunch menu - the Classic Breakfast - eggs over easy, bacon, potatoes. Pretty simple right? especially when you offer a specific Sunday brunch menu? Honestly did not even know eggs could go this wrong. Cold, rubbery and just sad. The entire plate was cold. The amount of food sparse. Have never returned a meal in my life, but I did this time. To their credit they offered to re-make it and when I said no, they didn't charge for the meal. Wouldn't go back unless I was already full and just wanted a good Bloody Mary.

    (1)
  • Christian B.

    I still really want to like this place... I hope we just caught them on a bad night...We were in town for the Collegiate Rugby Championship- CRC and Can you believe a bar turning down a rugby family willing to drink the local brews on tap???? Although this place has a great atmosphere with lots of people enjoying the vast beer selection on the patio (which is what drew us in)... its a tad out if the main stream in a part of town that people told me was a bit seedy which the best kinda place to sample the local flavor of a new city (in my opinion)... However the bar tender was extremely rude and very un accommodating and Honestly we felt a bit discriminated against. . For one if my first places I visited my first time to Philly, thankfully it was the exception to this great town. With the many beers on tap during this BEER WEEK the bartender refused to accommodate us with a beer flight or samples we were willing to pay for... My dad & I (serious beer drinkers) always willing to try local brews wanted to sample the local brews but were not familiar with the local and eclectic brews available... I was really hoping for a better experience... Please let me know if you visit this place and I just caught them on an off night ;which does happen) Cheers

    (1)
  • Christine L.

    Live way too close to this place. Best neighborhood bar on the planet. One word: MUSSELS. I can't get enough of their mussels, specifically the red diablo ones. In all honesty though, everything I have had on their menu is great (except for the nachos, need more stuff). Outdoor seating is great, and the beer list is always changing. Will miss having this as my local bar, once I move out of the city!

    (5)
  • Mark J.

    Dining data March 8, 2014 for dinner. The chicken cutlet sandwich was excellent. My wife had the steak sandwich and really enjoyed it. Plenty of Yards beers on draught to choose from. The only negative is the bar is so loud it is difficult to have a conversation with feeling like you are yelling. Servers and hostess were friendly and attentive. The prices are good considering the location so close to down town.

    (4)
  • Edward M.

    I've been here several times and have always enjoyed it. Perhaps it was the good company. And it's also the friendly, prompt, and competent service. As well as the decent selection of interesting beers and wines (they also have a full bar, incidentally). The food I've tried so far has been mostly the flatbreads or, as we call them, mini pizzas. They had a nice crunch on the edges and tasted good. Prices are on par with similar establishments. They have a good mix of seating areas. There are tables for various sized groups in the back, bar seating in the front (i.e., by the bar, where there are also screens for the television program du jour), and - when the weather is nice enough - outdoor seating where you can observe the street life of Callowhill avenue while sipping your drink (whether gin and juice or something else).

    (4)
  • Greg T.

    Like to drink.

    (3)
  • Charley D.

    Get the Kite and Key burger with the cajun fries. They are great!

    (4)
  • Emmett M.

    This place just got a fan. Stopped in for some suds and a bite last night after a viewing, so we were just looking to relax, cheer up, and unwind, and Kite & Key delivered. Huge beer list leaning heavily on the craft, especially in draft form, and I was extremely happy with the Dirty Bastard; normally when a bar has such variety I hop from beer to new beer, but last night I stuck with that dark s.o.b. for long haul. Food options were appealing, but as a swine lover I had to give their pulled pork a try. Sandwich comes with some shoestring fries that I should have upgraded to the soup du jour, but that was on me and my indecisiveness. As for the sammy, it is loaded with very tender meat, though I didn't get any crispy crust, but sometimes that's a good thing. They also throw a healthy and tasty dose of long hots on the pork that brought the perfect amount of heat to my eats, and, even if it's not my preferred style, a gooey slice of provolone that helped tie it all together. Friends got the garlic wings, which were very good (not so crispy, which I like, so some of you may need to ask for them well done), with a sweet and very mildly spicy sauce that had lots of breath destroying flavor. We also got a plate of nachos that was okay and great to pick at, but nothing was overly special about them. I really liked K&K, from the warm interior to the quite comfortable booth I sat in, the night was a success. The only small complaint I'd have was our server being a little strange: his service was timely and attentive, but a few times he came over to ask if we needed anything and when we said yes and turned to get the attention of a friend who didn't see his arrival, by the time we turned back he had drifted off. Still, we were never left wanting for very long, so it is a mild complaint at most.

    (4)
  • Three R.

    I received and email from Jim of Kite & Key and I have to say,"thank you Jim." After reading through other ratings it seems the problem is service not discrimination. Sometimes people's bad behavior can be read wrong and from the looks of the reviews you should have staff training. Because of the Kite and Key Management and their response I will try Kite and Key again. Great work and thank you Jim.

    (4)
  • Matt D.

    We've tried brunch here twice when Sabrina's was packed out, and both times were mediocre at best. I waited to write a review until we could give them a second chance. On the second visit, I had the absolute worst breakfast burrito I've ever come across. It was egg wrapped in a tortilla with some bland enchilada sauce and cheese. Why in the world would you only put egg in your breakfast burrito? The guy next to me made the same horrible choice, and just jabbed at the egg roll for a while trying to decide whether or not to eat it. The burger we got was so/so, but for being cooked perfectly, it still seemed a little dry. The only thing worth eating on the brunch menu is the peanut butter and jelly french toast, but do not order the grape juice cocktail catastrophe that would appear to be a fine accompaniment on the brunch drink menu. The beer prices seem on par with everywhere else in the area, and the atmosphere is good. I just don't see us giving it another chance with so many other options around.

    (2)
  • Edmund S.

    This is an awesome beer bar in the Fairmount/Spring Garden area. Close to the Art Museum and Logan Square. The food is good and the wait staff friendly.

    (5)
  • Yam W.

    Went here for Sunday brunch and we had a wonderful time. The outdoor seating was lovely, the server was great, and the food was a classic brunch. The menu is limited, but my partner and I were both happy with our meals. I ordered the belgian waffle and he had the western omelet. Kite & Key is a great option to get a hearty brunch before heading out to the art museums.

    (5)
  • Di P.

    I wandered over to Kite & Key Saturday morning after realizing the brunch place close to it was going to be over an hour wait. It made me wonder how many other Saturday morning patrons at Kite and Key were there for the same reasons... I've been to this place before but just for drinks-- and their beer selection is usually pretty decent. However their food was very much just the standard bar food. I think they try to add little twists to make it a little more special, but it's nothing that wows you. Wish I could say something more funny or useful but I guess it just reflects how this place wasn't terrible or super great.

    (3)
  • Trang N.

    We like to go here since there is a lot of outdoor seating which can accomodate our pups. There is another section to the side of the restaurant away from the street which is a little private then sitting directly out front of the large windows. While the atmosphere is great, dark hardwood and sports paraphernalia with all this Philly! There is a great projector TV in the back to watch games. On any given weekend, Kite and Key is always buzzing with locals relaxing. it's a great watering hole. The food sad to say is hit or miss, as is the service. The last time we were here, We started with the hummus. this plate very large. I was surprised as to how much hummus they pile one! The buffalo wings are done nicely, crisp with just the right amount of sauce. Not soggy and chewy like most places. I tried the sweet thai chili mussels and was truly disappointed. the dish came out hot and smell delicious, however the mussels were very small and overcooked. It's a bit concerning since the Mussels had a special section on their menu which boasts of four different preparations. I noticed that the Margarita flatbread was pretty much a small personal pizza. I've had the fish and chips on occasion which isn't too bad. The fish does get soggy if you don't eat it right away, however I remember a hefty portion of fish underall of that batter. The clear winner here is always the beer, that is if you can flag down someone to order from!

    (3)
  • Jain S.

    This has been one of our go-to spots since they opened. Great beer selection, reliable food, excellent service. The one tiny drawback is their outside tables. The sidewalk seating is a major attraction, but the tables are so wiggly you need to hold onto your plate! Come on guys, how much trouble would it be to turn them upside down once in a while and tighten the screws?

    (4)
  • Chuck H.

    Great Food, Reasonable Prices, and Chimay on Tap, does it get any better? Amazing French Onion Soup, a nice variety of salads made better by adding grilled chicken. I love the Steak sandwich with Chimmichurri sauce and the burger is a safe bet. Never had a meal I didn't like. I jokingly refer to it as the Winchester (Shaun of the Dead reference) because I spend a bit too much time there.

    (5)
  • Julia E.

    My co-workers and I stopped here after a meeting for a few glasses of wine. They had a decent wine list, we ordered a great bottle of red. The server was very knowledgeable about the wine and answered all of our questions. We decided to add the cheese plate to our order... Such a great choice it was above and beyond what we were expecting. The meals (veggie burger and mussels) and second bottle were a treat as well. Totally recommend this place. Great vibe,food and booze.

    (5)
  • Noah G.

    After an educational stop at the Franklin Institute to see the Dead Sea Scrolls boo and I began walking back to the car when all of a sudden my dark passenger reared its ugly head. Suddenly I was overcome with the need for a beer despite an earlier discussion to have a "dry" weekend. And before I could think of a counter argument of why we should go to a bar boo was leading us into K&K. I'd been there a time before but it was a bit foggy and pretty forgettable so I didn't really have any expectations this. We sat at a long table in the center of the front bar area and ordered off their extremely impressive and rare beer list. The Phillies (RIP) were on and no matter where you turned there was a TV with it on which was another huge bonus. Plenty of TVs + Phillies + Awesome beer is usually my equation for the perfect sports bar (which K&K is not) but it definitely worked for me. As I realized I was beginning to get comfortable and knew we couldn't stay without something to entertain my date I suggested I buy us dinner. This is where things go down hill. I got the cuban sandwich and boo got the pulled pork, two of the most flavor busting sandwiches on the market generally. These however were not. I actually had to salt my cuban and the pork sandwich barely had any sauce on it. When emo bands say I cut myself just to feel we were salting out sandwiches just to taste. The beer and TVs were so good that they turned a 1.5 star experience into a 3 star outing. I'll probably be back but just for the nectar.

    (3)
  • Jane C.

    Enjoyed the hummus appetizer and the veggie flatbread. Delicious food and good beer at a reasonable price.

    (3)
  • B L.

    Great place. I think the food was average and the service at the bar was a tad slow as well as it was very loud. Could have turned down the juke box a little, but all minors things. I would absolutely go back for some drinks with friends.

    (3)
  • Ashley D.

    Went here later at night for drinks and a snack. There was a cockroach crawling on the wall next to our table. The waitress did nothing about it and made an excuse. It was discussing, don't come late at night unless you want cockroach as an appetizer

    (1)
  • Brigit P.

    Went to the Barnes with family and stopped here first for some Sunday brunch. They were very accommodating and the food was great! Everyone loved their meals. I had the portobello omelet - delicious! Hope to be back again soon... Maybe on another summer visit to the Barnes.

    (5)
  • J K.

    Great bar for craft beers. I like that its a little off the beaten path, and has a nice chill atmosphere. Easy to get a table and quiet enough to talk without shouting. The Kite and key is convenient to the Free Library and the Barnes foundation, so could be a stop for lunch or dinner before or after attending an event or exhibition there. The beer is definitely better than the food, there was a good variety of beer styles (IPA, stout, saison, white, porter, etc there were at least a dozen on tap). The beer list does a good job describing the beers, and the servers are also knowledgeable. Some notes about the food: The veggie burger is a stand out. Two patties, special sauce, cheese, sprouts etc I almost thought I was eating a Big Mac rather than a veggie burger! Ordered it with pepperjack at our server's suggestion, and the added kick of the spicy cheese was great! The fried pickles with spicy dipping sauce were a fun treat, deep fried slices of pickles in a crispy coating, served piping hot on a bed of greens. Taco salad with grilled chicken was very good. The Thai mussels were overly spicy (for me) and came in a huge portion that I could not finish because they were so spicy. they came with plenty of toasted french bread. The flatbread pizza looked good but I did not taste. Overall, I think the food is "ok" but definitely come for the beer!

    (3)
  • Molly M.

    This place is super cute. I went here after a 5k race and we took advantage of their outdoor seating. There were like 10 of us but the waitress was extremely patient. We sat along a mural dedicated to kite and key. It wasn't a mural arts program mural but still cool to look at. I had a mimosa and the breakfast sandwich. The breakfast sandwich was a fried egg, bacon, and scrapple all on a bun with a side of roasted sweet potato fries. Everything was amazing. Also, this location is pretty clutch for people watching.

    (5)
  • Joe I.

    I had a fantastic experience here while in town for work. Sat at the bar for lunch and a beer - bartender was awesome, perfect blend of service, friendliness and distance. Gave me a great recommendation for a bottle shop. Not a huge list of beers, but a good sized list, but every one of them was a top notch offering. Good selection of high quality bottled beers too. Lunch was Chilaquiles ("nacho chips tossed in salsa borracho, queso fresco, onion, cilantro & topped w/ two fried eggs"). Sounds weird, but it was totally awesome. I would return here in a heartbeat. Totally recommend.

    (5)
  • Dan A.

    Their Veggie burger is the best I've had in Philadelphia!

    (4)
  • Kerry A.

    Went here with work colleagues for an early dinner yesterday -- only because Sabrina's was closed. Utter disappointment. Slow, scattered service. Have things on menu as specials and then tell you that they're not going to be ready for awhile. 3 of us got fish tacos ... battered cod on charred tortillas with wilted lettuce and fair salsa. The best part of the meal was the jalapeno sauce they served on the side which I could've put on everything. Companions loved the beignets and the bread pudding. Not worth a trip back for me.

    (2)
  • Andrea F.

    When I first walked in, I was greeted by the typical Philly bar smell of beer, vomit, and overflowed toilets but I ignored it because the place just looked so damn charming with the exposed brick and books lining the back wall. With that said, I really only took a star away for the smell as well as our waitress' overall apathetic nature. Besides this, I was pleasantly surprised. GREAT beer selection. The fried pickle appetizers were amazing. SO crunchy and big and served with a delicious chipotle dipping sauce, which is always essential. I got the steak sandwich, which I expected to be roughly chopped and fairly small and also hard to chew which often happens with those kinds of sandwiches. But what I got was more like two thick cut juicy filets plopped on a fresh bun, complete with melted horseradish cheese and a spicy pesto. I'll admit, the pesto and the cheese weren't both needed since it was a bit overwhelming in flavor but it was still so good and the steak was cooked perfectly, I overlooked it. The side of fries were also really good- shoestring cut and super crunchy and salty. I'd definitely go back on a day it's not raining so I can enjoy the widely talked-about picnic patio brunch and not have to endure the bar smell.

    (4)
  • Jennifer S.

    Love all the Victory and Troegs available One of my favorite day drinking establishments. Always a good, fun crowd and the service is solid!

    (4)
  • Paul P.

    Kite and Key never disappoints. The food is outstanding, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is nice (albeit the bar can get a little loud on nights and weekends.). I definitely recommend the veggie burger and the mussels diablo.

    (4)
  • Aaliyah P.

    It was a little loud/cozy for a bar not on the Erin Express but i very much enjoyed my SouthHampton Biere de Mars and the price point was spot on. Our server was efficient and no one ever lacked for a glass of beer or water (yeah we mixed in the l'eau- haven't you heard hydration is key) Will def be back to check out more beers and the outside dining area is pretty sweet.

    (3)
  • Pete L.

    It was ok. Beers were wrong, no big deal but how hard to get 4 beers right? Fries were cold and the roast beef sandwich with aged provolone was tasteless. Just no flavor at all. Kind of an overall meh experience. It was noon-ish on a Friday and busy but not insanely so.

    (3)
  • Marco D.

    The veggie burger is amazing, and their chipotle mayo is super delicious!

    (5)
  • David C.

    I came here with some work friends when the winner of the NCAA bracket pool offered to buy the first round. I tried beignets for the first time, and they were particularly good. The outdoor seating was nice, and if I lived in the Fairmount Park area, I have a feeling that this place would be my regular stomping ground.

    (3)
  • Augustina G.

    When I went there, I had high hopes because I've heard nice things about it from other people I know. Too bad that didn't happen. Came in on a slow Sunday night with a friend of mine who once lived down the street and suggested that we go there. I ordered a chicken cutlet sandwich. Took a bite out of it and the middle was raw! I was grossed out and asked if they remake it. A girl's not trying to get e.coli over here! Second sandwich, same problem! The server tried to explain to me that they had this problem 3 times earlier in the day and suggested that I ordered something else. If they had this problem, why didn't she say this before I ordered it?!? ended up getting a burger and I was pretty annoyed at this point because my friend already finished his burger and we were there for over an hour at this point. When we got the check, the server still charged me for the burger! Although she was apologetic, that should've been comped when you take in consideration that I bit into raw food that wasn't meant to be raw and waited over an hour to have something edible served to me. I didn't make a fuss about being charged, but I don't recommend eating here. I had a beer and that was fine and that was it.

    (1)
  • Michelle C.

    After the Yelp schwag was distributed at a record pace at the Night Market, we ended up at Kite & Key for a couple brews and a bite. We grabbed an outdoor table and enjoyed the crisp night air while sipping everything from west coast IPAs to Yard's ESA on cask (yum). I was in the mood for something buffalo, so we ordered wings and asked for them well-done. Said wings came out rather quickly and didn't seem very well done, but it could also be because they were pretty large. While the buffalo sauce was nice and the blue cheese and ranch dipping sauces were on point (seriously, no skimping on the blue cheese), the wings were a little too juicy for my liking. No worries though, they also offer a buffalo chicken flatbread, which I'll likely hit up next time. One beer turned into four, and before we knew it the windows were being closed since the patrons inside were getting chilly. We decided to join them at the bar to watch A-Rod take a swing of air so final it was felt all the way in Philly. I really enjoyed myself at Kite & Key and I'll even go so far to say that I'd willingly go out of my way to hang out there again soon.

    (4)
  • HalalBite F.

    Food tested: beignets, chocolate bread pudding, veggie burger Positive: nice decor, awesome veggie burger, and delicious desserts Negative: beignets have a harder shell than I would hope for. Grand Lux's beignets are a lot better. Overall: good place to go for a solid vegetarian meal and dessert Revisit: yes Health tip: go for the veggie burger minus the cheese.

    (3)
  • Ted F.

    Stopped in for lunch, it was a bit crowded and loud but the food & service was good, the menu was straight pub grub with the addition of several flavors of mussels as a specialty. They have 12+ taps of legit craft beer, and some bottles of Flagship craft beers as well. Most of the beers on tap were local, 3-4 West coast and a couple Mid West. Seemed like they keep that ratio steady. A worth wile stop for a beer nerd.

    (5)
  • Austin S.

    In my opinion as a southerner, this is a gem in a butthole of a city. Found this while going through Yelp app looking for somewhere to get dinner while here for the weekend. Everywhere else seemed extremely pretentious and did not need to be! We walked here from our hotel near Reading Market. Greeted immediately into a cutesy and homey atmosphere. Our drinks took a hot second, but I think that is because our waitress was busy. My husband had one of the specials-Mussels, calamari, and pasta. He said it was effing delicious. He also had a rum & coke and a hot toddy. He loved the rum and coke, but the hot toddy fell short for him. I had the flat iron steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans-it was pretty yummy. Had sodas until the end then had a Stoli O & cranberry. It was pretty good. Had beignets afterward. My husband ate most of them. It was good and the service was good. Overall, I would definitely recommend.

    (4)
  • Walter K.

    I have not heard much about this spot. That, and the fact combined with it's an inconvenient (for me) location are the two main factors I've never made the trip. But I'm here to try and convince you not to make the same mistake. It's always nice to see a good beer bar, and especially one that is close to me and open for lunch. The Kite and Key impresses on two beer fronts: reasonable prices and excellent selection. Dan stayed with the $5 16oz Hennepin pours, while I had my first Nugget Nectar of the season (on cask) and Bell's Double Cream Stoudt ($6 apiece, I believe). Their website isn't updated as often as the taps, but it gives a good idea of the type of variety offered. It's almost exclusively American craft beer, which is right up my alley. The food menu offers standard dishes. The menu opens up during dinner, with the menu almost doubling in size. We split an order of wings to start. We were served large, breaded hot wings. I wasn't impressed with the wing, sauce, or price ($8.5 for seven wings). Must miss. My entree was an order of three fish tacos. The presentation and portions were good, but the flavors were lacking. It was good, nothing else. I understand that this dish is something that should only be ordered within walking distance of the beach, but it could have still been better. Dan ordered one of his favorite entrees: fish and chips. A plate full of shoestring fries was topped with several large pieces of breaded grouper. I like the choice to use grouper because it's a more flavorful fish than cod or haddock, which are commonly used by other restaurants. The atmosphere here is great. There are several TVs with different sports on, including hockey and club soccer. The bartender provided great service. Granted, we were two of five in the whole place. I'm sure the environment changes quite a bit on a weekend night. Bottom Line: I was impressed with my first stop at the Kite and Key. They might not have the food to make me keep coming back, but they certainly have the beers. I'm glad to have discovered another respectable stop in the seemingly barren Logan Square/Fairmount area (but there are a few great ones, to be sure).

    (4)
  • Kate W.

    The Kite and Key is a great bar and restaurant. The atmosphere is upscale but casual. It is the kind of place we feel comfortable going to for dinner, just a drink before a night out, or when we are in jeans and a tee-shirt and need a beer while out running errands. Also, when it's nicer out, they have great outdoor seating and are dog friendly. The beer menu is great. There are lots of options that rotate frequently, and usually they are not more than $6 a beer. The food menu is pretty good for bar food too. Don't expect gourmet cuisine, because it is a bar after all, but everything we've tried has been delicious. Last night we split a hamburger, and there was not one morsel left. We go here often, and I've never tried anything that I didn't like. Last but not least, the service is always consistently friendly and knowledgeable.

    (4)
  • Aliya Z.

    We tried this place for a lunch - well just because it was freezing cd and we had no idea of where to go else having Sabrine's full and all booked. The Sunday lunch was not that good as I wanted. Just 2 eggs on portion of nachos with small amount of sauce. Apparently it is just a bar and place for drinking and snacking. Don't go for branches there.

    (3)
  • David A.

    A Monday night and one of my favorites on the block, Doma, was closed (should have known!) so I went to Kite & Key. Shared a flatbread margarita with my friend Jules. Thin, crispy and good. Had the mussels in white sauce (oil,garlic,etc.). They were very small but portion was large and they were cooked well. Even tried a draft. Not much of a beer guy but it is basically a bar so it would be rude not to! They put on the Flyers game for me as well. A good experience. Friendly, efficient service and a good bar with food.

    (3)
  • Jayna B.

    The Kite and Key is exactly the kind of place I would go every day if I lived closer. And drank beer. Don't hate. What I would most like for you to understand, though, is how DELICIOUS the food is. I eat out vegetarian and it is sometimes difficult to find a good veggie burger AND fries on one plate. Kite and Key has HANDS DOWN the BEST VEGGIE BURGER. It comes with sprouts and cheese and some yummy sauce and mushrooms and it makes me want to just go here alone and enjoy it without having to pause in the deliciosity to pay attention to whomever I am with. The fries are thin, which isn't even my favorite kind, but DAYUM, GINA, they are perfectly salted and crisped so make me just want to eat them by the handful. Which I sometimes do. Again, don't hate. I have also eaten the Fried Pickles which are thick cut and come with Chipotle Aioli. Not only is aioli a terrific scrabble word, but it makes the fried pickles even MORE delicious than they already are. The Veggie Flatbread has also served me well in the past with it's thin but sturdy crust and perfectly cooked veggies. This place is super chill and while the staff are usually hipstery in a very obvious way, they don't try to force it on you, which is more than I can say for pretty much any place in NoLibs.

    (5)
  • Sara G.

    Pretty standard American fare. The stand outs were the big draft selection & the OUTSTANDING veggie burger. It felt like biting into a garden of deliciousness!!

    (3)
  • Michele R.

    I liked this place a lot. Wonderfully friendly and attentive server, damn good fries, quality drink list, and the famed veggie burger held up to its reputation.

    (4)
  • Bob S.

    I like the Kite quite a bit. Friendly staff, and knowledgeable about their beers and cocktails. The owners are usually mingling in the crowd on most evenings, which is cool to see. They seem to care about the place and really "get" beer. So it gives the sense that this isn't just a business to them it's a passion. Which is cool to see. Food selection has always been strange here. Flatbreads, burgers, & muscles are the favorites by far for everyone. But I can't speak highly enough of their specials. Every time I'm handed that specials menu I order something from it and am always glad I did. When the Cuban sandwich is available, I encourage everyone to order it. It's fantastic!

    (5)
  • Joe G.

    Ate here Friday night with my date - wanted to try this place because I've heard wonderful things about their food and beer selection. It was crowded, being a Friday night and all, but they were able to sit us pretty quickly. The hostesses were very friendly and smiling which is always a good sign to me. Once sat, it took a bit of time for the waitress to come over and take our drink order, which normally I'd blame on the help until I realized she had about 12 other tables to tend to, so definitely more an incompetence in management that with the service. She was very knowledgeable about the beer selection, and when I requested something that was not on the menu, she was quick to point to a suitable alternative. Again, drinks took a while to get to the table but in no way do I blame it on the service. We started off with a cheese tray, which usually can be quite tasty and filled with lots of different cheeses and accompaniments to the cheese. This tray did not live up to code, I'm afraid. 3 types of cheeses - a soft bleu, a camembert, and what I am guessing was a cheddar. They were accompanied by an apple, bread, grapes, and some marmalade, the latter was quite tasty with the bread (could have been a dessert by itself!). My problem with said tray is that there were 2 soft cheeses on it. Sense tells us that if you want to serve a 3 cheese tray, you always serve a soft, hard, and medium, and you give an array of accompaniments like nuts, or something more savory. This was definitely more of an after dinner cheese tray, though it was not listed as such. The cheeses did not provide anything to write home about either. For main courses I ordered a crabcake sandwich (the special). I asked if the crab was MD crab, a simple question, but the server did not know the answer. Again, not saying it was her fault, as this is information that should be on the menu. It was somewhat disappointing, and nowhere near pure crab (could see the filler). The fries served along with it were very nice - hot and salty! My date's flatbread pizza came out beautifully and the colors on it (was a veggie) were beautiful - bright green spinach, tomato on a perfectly sized pie. Gave the appearance of being crisp, but not overly so. The decor of the place was nice - some great seating areas, and the books lent an intellectual atmosphere to the place. Gave off a cozy feeling without being too cramped nor too spread out. I give my rating of 3 stars because out of everything, the service was a solid 4, the drinks were a solid 4-5, but the food was at best a 2. I'd definitely come back for a visit, but next time I'll be eating somewhere else first.

    (3)
  • Sarah H.

    **THIS REVIEW IS SPECIFICALLY IN REFERENCE TO MY PHILLY CHEESESTEAK TASTING ADVENTURE - Please refer to my review of Cosmi's Deli for background & stipulations of the quest** As the "odd man out", we can't be TOO hard on Kite & Key. The only reason they were even represented was because one of the top-rated spots (John's Roast Pork) was closed and, well Kite & Key was convenient. A far cry from a traditional cheesesteak, Kite & Key prepares more of a "sliced steak" sandwich. And it's served on focaccia bread. That's just plain weird. It performed poorly in nearly every category with an overwhelming number of complaints in relation to its barbeque aftertaste and lack of authenticity. So yeah, this isn't a real cheesesteak. They should really just be disqualified. (Full result details can be found at: 22ndandphilly.blogspot.c… )

    (2)
  • Kristin W.

    After finding Doma and Sabrina's closed for dinner, we resigned ourselves to eating at Kite & Key...and were pleasantly surprised. We started with an order of Edamame (generously sized portion that was perfectly salted) and then both ordered off the specials menu. I loved the freshness of the Chickpea Salad and we agreed that the spicy, juicy chicken in the Blacked Chicken Club was great. We'll be back...even on a night when the neighboring restaurants are open.

    (4)
  • Mike T.

    We stopped in here for a late dinner on a Friday evening, while they were still busy. At this point, it was working towards more of a drinking crowd. The staff was able to seat us promptly and drinks were not too long to arrive to the table. The overall decor and layout was pretty nice, however the overly loud tables near us were not so nice. Hell, it was a "late dinner", but far too early for people talking/yelling so loud, think 9:30 p.m.. Oh well. Anyways, the food came out with a moderate wait time, it was a burger and a cheese steak for us. Both of them were fairly tasty, but what was kinda weird, was the cold grinder roll, likely had been frozen ! Other than that, the meat on both sandwiches, fries, cheese, etc. were just fine. And the component that helps keep them at 3 stars for me is the solid beer list. Both great local and not so local beers featured. Any restaurant that serves RR has an on-point beer program.

    (3)
  • Therese M.

    The portabella sandwich is definitely worth trying if you're a fan of portabella. It's tasty and filling.

    (4)
  • Chris M.

    Beer selection is top notch. Rotating draft list brings us back. Good decor, good ambiance, friendly ppl. Outdoor seating is perfect on a nice day. Didn't eat, so we'll be back! It's next to Doma & Sabrina's. Stop in for a yummy beer!

    (4)
  • Darlene P.

    DELICIOUS!!! The cajun fries are a must! They have a ton of beers to choose from and a great menu that brings together just about enough random food items to make it work! Love it!

    (5)
  • Maggie M.

    Kite and Key has some great beers, It's a really nice place to find at 18th and Callowhill, and the food is really quite good. It gets 4 stars from me, however, for the stellar customer service they provide. An example-- It was about 10:50 and I had a 45 min. break in an all-day staff meeting. It was about 95 degrees and the sun was baking (okay only 80, but i have a low heat threshold). I walked to my go-to staff-meeting bar only to discover they didn't open until 11:30!!!! What to do? Then I saw that Kite and Key's doors and windows were wide open and the tables were set up. I rushed over and inside, desperate for the relief from work-meeting-overload that only an ice cold beer can provide. It was immediately obvious that while it was open, it was not yet Open. I sadly and sweatily turned to leave, only to be stopped by the bartender's voice-- "Don't sweat it! What do you want? It's no big deal-- it's only 10 minutes." In less than 2 minutes I was seated under a kick-ass ceiling fan with a CHILLED glass ofdeliciously, refreshingly, ice cold, draft lager. (and that's a big deal-- those who know me know i avoid draft beers like the plague unless I know the barbacks). AND THEN, he put on Sportscenter without asking because he saw I was reading espn on my phone! Despite the fact that he was still prepping the bar for the day, he kept my glass full and remembered me when i came back for lunch with some co-workers a few hours later. And made a great joke about my dedication to my job when my co-workers returned to the meeting and I stayed. So the beer list is pretty high quality, even if it leans heavily towards Pale Ales and other sundry Hop-filled beverages. Prices are higher than I think they should be, but like I said, this is the kind of place the business people and bigwigs can walk to a business-quality lunch/dinner (if they work on this side of the parkway). The food is pretty fancy and absolutely delicious. What it comes down to for me, however, is that they were there for me in the clutch... and really, it's that they went out of their way to serve me and make my day better when they could have just shooed me away.

    (4)
  • Bill D.

    Terrific service, terrific menu, terrific taps. We are in town for a conference and went here because it was close. So glad we did. We were seated immediately, greeted by our server Amanda and had our drinks in no time. We told Amanda we were from out of town and she made some suggestions. The steak sandwich was delicious and cooked to order. They have a great tap list with local and regional choices. I had an Aprihop from Dogfish Head and wish I had 10 more. The service was top notch and the food and beer were outstanding. Bottom line, if you are in Philly, the Kite & Key us a must.

    (5)
  • Nicole W.

    Nice place to have brunch. We were visiting from DC, and stumbled upon this place when the restaurant down the street (Sabrina's) had a huge line. Key and Kite had outdoor seating with a GREAT WAITRESS! Staff was top noch! The mimosas were $5 each, and I was cool with that. The food was average.. Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast-- awesome, but heavy. I had the omlette of the day, which was 'ight. visit and enjoy! it is within walking distance of most hotels in center city.

    (3)
  • Barrett L.

    Came to Kite and Key this morning for brunch when the line was too long for Sabrina's. This Fairmount bar has many advantages over its brunch rival a few doors down: outdoor seating, a liquor license, and portions that won't double your girth in one sitting. However, while the service was fine, the food wasn't particularly memorable or as good as other brunch places in the city. I had the classic breakfast with scrapple, while the BF opted for the Veggie Burger (highly rated by everyone on Foursquare). My eggs, potatoes, and scrapple tasted totally fine; no complaints but no real highlights either. His veggie burger on the other hand was very good, something I will probably order the next time I come back (if I come back). One other thing to note: the glass containing my mimosa wasn't cleaned throughout, but I haven't gotten sick (yet). Still, kind of unsettling. Nonetheless, Kite and Key is a good neighborhood bar, but probably not worth going out of your way for.

    (3)
  • Christian S.

    I have been here three time prior to my visit yesterday. The food here is good and the service has always been pretty good. The mussels red Diablo is probably one of my favorite dishes. I have taken my out of town vendors here and they love the food as well. The wings here could be cooked a little better, but I have had worse so no real complaints here. I have wanted to bring my wife to this place for sometime but she is not a fan of large crowds, and the place has always been so packed when we drove past. Last night 6/9/2012 my friends had a baby sitter and wanted to hit the town. This was our second bar of the night but our first in Philadelphia. (started at Dublin Square in Voorhees) Being that this was the first time I brought my wife here to place I have been raving about I was hoping the service wouldn't be bad. Our waitress was attentive, and not mean, but just had the attitude of it had been a long and night and she was just waiting for the doors to close. I've been there as a server, and figured we just caught her on a bad night. Well we are sitting there enjoy our drinks enjoying the night air. A girl at the table next to us starts to scream. We look over and there is a cockroach jumping off her leg. They proceeded to tell the waiter who really couldn't do much about it, and really didn't care. So the girls sit back down, but now the two ladies in my party are on edge. The girls are sitting there and a few minutes later start screaming again; another cockroach. They did not stick around for another. As my party continues to sit and enjoy our meal a cockroach climbs up the leg of my friend after that we paid the tab and got the heck of there. We were eating outside so you are kind of open to the elements; weather, smells, fumes, etc. However the doors were open so it was very easy for the cockroaches to enter the building. Living in NYC and eating outside, I never saw a rat surface as patrons were eating. I know they are there, but if I don't have to see them; I am ok. The food here is good, but the incident last night may keep me from there for awhile and that is unfortunate.

    (3)
  • Callan W.

    This place has the cutest name and based on that, I always wanted to go...so when my brother and his fiance asked me and my boyfriend to meet up for a meal, i was happy to oblige... If you are going for beer you will be happy...if you are going for beer and mussels...you will still be happy.... If you are going for a decent meal...well, that is where the happy train stops... My boyfriend is a steak and potatoes kind of dude...so obviously he went for the flank steak and french fried potatoes...at $17 for the plate, the meal was disappointing...I could read his mind as the waiter put the plate down...the steak was a joke...small in size, no sizzle, no seasoning...and to compensate, the amount of fries was comical and over taking the plate....3 days later and he is still talking about how unhappy he is... My brother got the fish tacos...he said they were good, but he was still hungry after eating them...we ordered chips and salsa prior to the meal and the amount of salsa/guac given was also comical...meaning minuscule I ordered the tempeh sandwich...I knew it would be a roll of the dice, but I went for it since I felt like being experimental...I lost that round...the tempeh was good...but the spicy pickled veggie stuff on the sandwich was not....i picked apart the sandwich and ate the good stuff... the mussels looked good...i think it was smart of them to focus on them on the menu... The beer selection is good and decently priced....but since this place is out of my neighborhood, I doubt I would return... the waiter we had was so so...he failed to bring stuff that we asked, and when I asked him a question about the tempeh sandwich, he didn't know it...he did offer to ask the chef, but I didn't want to bother... It wasn't that busy for a saturday night...perhaps that should have been a sign...oh well, so much for basing a restaurant choice by its name...

    (2)
  • Kinnari A.

    So I think my boyfriend would give this place 2 stars, but i would give it 4. He was not impressed with his 2egg scrambled eggs and scrapple breakfast, but my veggie burger was one of the best ever. It had 2 patties and totally scrumptious from beginning to end. I am glad I opted for the side salad instead of the fries because I was pretty full after my burger. The service was really good too. So I think my suggestion to everyone is to go for lunch, not for breakfast because apparently the breakfast options are not so exciting.

    (3)
  • John P.

    Went with the family after a day at the Franklin Institute. Good selection of craft beers. The menu was complete with a good selection for the kids. Steak sandwich was very good. Service was fast and polite.

    (4)
  • Andrew C.

    Good food (veggie burger is fantastic) and the craft beers are pretty good. Service sometimes isn't the best but its worth it if you're in the area.

    (3)
  • Denise H.

    Was here at dinnertime on a glorious Thursday night and enjoyed the outdoor seating. It was quite crowded, but the Phillies were on so it was a nice atmosphere. I liked the colorful outdoor mural that spiced up this gray part of town. Kite & Key is a great place to go for drink and socializing but I wouldn't go for the food alone. The beer selection is adequate. The staff is friendly and attentive - the food arrived quickly. My shoestring fries were over-done and almost inedible. The mixed green salad was just that, covered in vinegar and could have been a side portion. Half-plum tomatoes were merely a garnish, but for the price, disappointing. I have been here before and the nachos are good. The cheese plate is great, but a bit pricey for the portion. Didn't have the wings, but they looked and smelled delicious. Overall, I would say this place is over-rated, but great for some after-work fare and happy hour. Great place to watch sports with lots of seating to yak it up with friends. As far as food goes, if they can't step it up to to the nearby Sabrina's or Rose Tattoo, they should stick to pub grub and cater to the sports addicts. Sabrina's & Rose Tattoo, walkable from there are two competitively nice places I would opt for if in the neighborhood for the food. K&K's great beer selection versus the wannabe frou frou menu seem incongruent to the overall atmosphere.

    (2)
  • Jessica D.

    Went here last night, the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend after being at the Made in America Fest all day.. I have to say I was very impressed by how quickly they accomodated our large party of 10, and how fast the food came out. The waitress was there to refill our waters before I even knew I needed more, which alone gets an A+ in my book because I drink too much water all the time. Having that said, the food was passable. It didn't blow me away, nor was it terrible. The nachos surprisingly tasted good, despite all the toppings looking like they came from a can, including the chicken meat. The guacamole was too liquidy and bright green for my taste.. it may or may not be radioactive, lol. But despite appearances, they still tasted good, and all the chips were crispy, even the ones under all the liquidy toppings, which is pretty impressive... fully expected them to be soggy! Tomato soup and grilled cheese was also tasty, even tho again I am pretty sure the soup came from a can. and the cheese on the grilled cheese was bright orange.. also probably radioactive. Other people in my party experienced the same with their meals... good taste, but did not blow them away. All in all, this is a great place to go to socialize, good vibes and pleasant experience with super fast service. Great spot for decent bar food with a group of friends, but I would probably not suggest it for a date spot.

    (3)
  • Kamilah B.

    The service was excellent! I had the fish tacos, which were a bit to spicy for me, but they were made well. They could give you more than the one small piece of fish though in each taco. Hubs had the chicken sandwhich, which he loves. He also got the garlic wings as an app which were good.

    (4)
  • Vinny P.

    This review is after my first visit to Kite and Key and I'm happy to report that it was a pleasant one. My only real gripe with the place is that they would not put on the Yankee game for me when I asked. They claimed they couldn't find it. I didn't argue the point but suffice to say, I live in Philadelphia, it was on fox. I met up with a friend and we pretty much closed the place out. The beer selection was tastefully done and I definitely had a few pints of very nice beers. I even like that they had an ale that was being served on cask. Big points for that one. As for the food, it was pretty good. We split the half fried chicken and mac and cheese. It was cold that night and some comfort food was what we needed. The mac and cheese came in a small crock and after it cooled a bit turned out to be very tasty. A subtle hint of herbs and maybe some a dash of cayenne for brightness. I believe it had Gruyère in it which basically sold it for me. The fried chicken was just that. It was cooked nicely and tasted very good but I would have liked to have seen something else to accompany it. The best fried chicken I had in philly was actually drizzled with a little bit of honey. That would definitely be a nice addition to that dish. All in all, not a bad spot by any means. We spent a few minutes chatting with a man who introduced himself as the owner. He and his wife were pleasant and let us know about upcoming events they were having. The details of that conversation are a bit hazy because I was in the middle of splitting a bomber of Double Dead Guy with my friend. Still, I would return to this place and most likely, I'll consult their site for the beer events they will be having.

    (3)
  • Rose D.

    This place is very understaffed and results in a very unorganized and scattered serving experience. We got seated relatively quickly (one reason we decided to eat here). However, waiting and nearly an hour and a half for a decent burger and mediocre fish tacos is very off putting. We should have kept walking....next time Sabrina's.

    (2)
  • Aasima A.

    We were trying to decide where you eat, and went in to look at a menu. When we heard Led Zepplin playing, we knew this was the place! Great bar-y atmosphere, the staff is friendly but not all over you. The veggie burger is an actual vegetable burger, moist and covered in cajun mayo. The fries are good and crispy and come out hot. The soup and grilled cheese were exactly what I needed on a windy spring day. Top notch place, with great staff, reasonable prices, decent prices, and full quantity

    (5)
  • Hardik K.

    This is one of my favorite bars in Philly during the summer. Great to sit outside and have one of their great selections of beer and mussels. They have other great food and the atmosphere is always great. I recommend this bar if you are looking for something less crowded and in a more calmer area.

    (4)
  • Mike S.

    Went there for the great craft beer selection, but the upscale bar food but delicious as well. All beers were reasonably priced and served in proper glassware. Food was quick and delicious.

    (4)
  • Elizabeth D.

    I'd like to come back on a less hectic Friday night. I felt like it has great potential - awesome draft list, great bartenders, and good food. However, we did put our name in for a table for 6 and were told at 20 minute wait at most. Over an hour later, if I hadn't already had several beers, I would have been angry. We finally snagged our own table in the main bar area. Great pub food - the buffalo mussels with blue cheese were amazing. Mostly since the broth at the end was amazing. Buffalo flatbread was also very good. Fried pickles, not so much. They should either be fried spears, or slices. K&K's had a TON of breading and not much pickle. Dipping sauce was crazy thick.

    (3)
  • Arun T.

    My friend took me here while visiting Philly. As soon as we sat down my friends and I noticed the great beer selection. The waitress was very friendly and kept up with our humorous remarks. We ordered a round of beers, Stone IPA for me. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. It really hit the spot and with a side of crisp fries, I was stuffed. Not to mention the cheap prices for great food and beer. If I wasn't a New Yorker and I lived nearby, I would be here often. Also the fact that they change their beer menu gives you some variety.

    (4)
  • Karen F.

    3-4 stars - I will give them 4 as our service was excellent (we came on the Sunday night of July 4th weekend) and the food was surprisingly excellent. Our party of 3 sat in the back dining room which was a/c-chilled to a crisp. Bet that comes in handy on crowded nites - but it was DEAD at 6 PM on that particular Sunday. We started with a DELICIOUS order of chicken nachos and they were served with blue corn tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole and a good amount of melted cheese. YUM! My friend ordered the grilled chicken (her usual - she's been 3-4 times and unlike other reviewers - she likes the grilled chicken here), my husband got the pork burger and I got and LOVED the (fried) fish tacos. At 3 tacos per order for $9.50 - that was very fair. The only culinary "oops" were the twice-fried french fries. They were hard as rocks and cold. Kinda greasy and blah tasting. I bet they sat around due to the low-turnover night. I bet they taste better fresh outta the fryer. Too bad. Oodles of beers on tap and by the bottle - even a choice "by the cask". Hubby got a Blueberry wheat pale ale - which tasted great. The chocolate beignets and other choices tempted us from the dessert menu, but alas, we did NOT order dessert as we were too stuffed to manage it. Less pretentious (and less cutesy) than Pub & Kitchen - this is not a gastro-pub - it's simple bar food with a fresh tasting twist. I live walking distance so I'll be back for sure!

    (4)
  • Greg K.

    Excellent beer selection. Good outdoor seating (mediocre view). Shoestring fries were amazing, as were the fried pickles. The burger was alright, too much bread to toppings, flavorless beef. Bbq pork wich was flavorless. Good for beer and snacks...

    (3)
  • Lindsey R.

    Quaint place with a small dining room and friendly atmosphere. The service was fast and the food was tasty. We went on a Tuesday night with a party of 4. The fried pickles were quite good, burgers were very big and the chicken corn chowder was think and hearty. Two appetizers were more than enough for 2 people and all the entree sizes left us with doggie bags. Definitely a must try local stop.

    (4)
  • Adam C.

    I went down one sunday afternoon to Sabrina's to grab lunch. I suppose I should be writing this part on Sabrina's page but...I'm not really exactly sure why I keep going there. The food is only soso and I cannot tolerate a wait to be seated. Anyway, there was a wait and so I decided to explore the vicinity before getting back in my car and driving elsewhere. Kite and Key is up the block and I quickly found it. I was greeted promptly and offered a table but opted for a spot I saw at the bar to save them table space since they were also dealing with a brunch crowd. I sat and before too long, Brenna, the bartender greeted me and got me situated with a drink. She was pretty busy so it took her a little while to get back to me for my food order. They were serving brunch and the menu was somewhat limited. I think I should have gone gor the PB&J French toast but Brenna convinced me that it was dessertlike and as the only other interesting item was the burger that is what I got. It came out quickly, cooked the way I asked but honestly it was not one of the better burgers I've eaten. I pet peeve of mine is when the condiments are not put out prior to my food arriving. I was left, nibbling my dry undersalted fries while I tried vainly to get Brenna's attention. I had gone halfway through before she caught my eye and got me the ketchup, salt and pepper. Another pet peeve of mine is when ketchup is readily available but mustard is not. I was left nibbling on my now properly salted fries as I waited for the mustard so that I could finally dress my burger. As mentioned, even with the full complement of condiments the burger was pedestrian at best. I know that I go to a lot of places to eat where the expected activity is only drinking but I still have expectations that if there is a kitchen and a menu that what I order should be up to par. The groups sitting on either side of to me seemed to be enjoying their brunch cocktails. The woman sitting to one side did have a problem with her Mimosa refill because the glass it was served in had residue from the previous drink. It was brought to Brenna's attention and she immediately resolved it by replacing the drink, albeit with another less than clean glass. We could see the dishwasher right there and it was definitely being used but I guess it just wasn't doing an adequate job. When this was brought to her attention she used a brand new glass and served a manmosa (Kite & Key's version of the double). I also observed that when the check came she did not charge for any of that round at all. One cool thing about this place is the fact that they have an old fashioned hand pump tap. It was pretty cool watching Brenna, who by the way is a real likable character, hand pump the beer.

    (3)
  • Jess S.

    Great place, awesome beer list, and pretty tasty food. We had the Thai chili mussels, which were basically covered in sweet chili sauce. They were good, a little too sweet for me, and they left you insanely sticky. But they were well cooked, and the sauce didn't overwhelm the mussels. We also split a veg burger, which was delicious. I love any place that doesn't just give me a morning star burger. As far as the service goes, we were the only people in back but our waitress rarely checked on us, and it took forever to get our check. It wasn't an issue for us, since we weren't in a rush, but its something to keep in mind if you need to get in and out.

    (4)
  • Erica M.

    Another great meal from Kite & Key. I am absolutely obsessed by their veggie burger! In addition to my veggie burger, my dining companions got nachos, calamari, and the portobello mushroom sandwich. Everything was very good (though the nacho-eater wasn't as impressed as he was last time he got them). The portions are generous, and they were very willing to substitute a mixed green salad for fries at no additional charge. It's amazing how quiet the dining area is compared to the bar area - they did an excellent job with the acoustics at this place! Definitely will be back soon (and not just because it's so close to my apartment)

    (4)
  • Christina S.

    My friends and I visited Kite and Key this past weekend for brunch after riding around the area. It was a beautiful day, so we chose to sit outside. We all ordered drinks- I got the Transfusion (yum), my friend got Franklin's bloody mary, and another ordered the Michaelada-all three drinks were delicious. Our server was attentive and friendly. For brunch I got the quiche of the day and a side of bacon. The quiche was portabello and spinach, and I have to say it was pretty tasty. The side of bacon was cooked perfectly. Yum. It came with a huge, fresh side salad lightly dressed with a house vinaigrette. One friend got the classic breakfast, and said it was good but slightly overpriced, and the other got the spinach, bacon and parmesan omelette and said it was delicious. I like Kite and Key for the outdoor seating and the fact that it's not located on an ultra busy street... and if in the area, I'll definitely go back.

    (3)
  • Leah G.

    This is a fine place to stop by for a beer and some food if you're in the neighborhood, but not worth making a destination of it. The food is just fine, nothing special, but also not quite as good as the pub grub you can find elsewhere in the city. Maybe I ordered incorrectly, but I did not love the burger.

    (3)
  • Stella H.

    My group and I (there were 8 of us) stopped in on a Saturday nite for a quick bite and a few cocktails after we toured the Titanic exhibit at the Franklin Institute. This is not a restaurant destination, but their menu had enough to satisfy all (soups, salads, sandwiches and several entrees). Loved the fried pickles! Nice tap beer selection too. A little on the loud side -- it was tough having a discussion between all of us, but we made do.

    (3)
  • Erica E.

    This review is only for their brunch. I came to kite and key because the wait at Sabrina's was so long (I'm sure they get a ton of customers for this specific reason). I really wanted breakfast and they had a brunch menu that seemed suffice enough for my cravings. The place overall was just...meh. I ordered the typical eggs and bacon dish and I was just extremely underwhelmed. Honestly, I probably would have been better off going home and making breakfast myself.

    (2)
  • Katrina G.

    I've been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. It has a welcoming atmosphere: it's nicer than just a bar, with plenty of outdoor seating. The food is very affordable. For some reason I'm in love with their caesar salad w/calamari. My husband liked his burger, and he also appreciated the good selection of beers that were on draft. One thing that was lacking both times I went was the service. While the servers are very nice, it can take them a long time to come to the table. It was worse at lunch service (even though there was hardly anyone in the restaurant), but I noticed it during dinner as well.

    (4)
  • Matthew G.

    Since it is one of the closer places to where I work at on Spring Garden, I have been here probably a dozen times over the past 2 years for lunch. Guess the two thing I would say is that it is a decent-enough option for lunch (not dinner) and that you get consistent inconsistency in the service, quality of the food, and the time it takes to bring out the food. It isn't that crowded at lunch though so you can always get seated quickly which is a plus if you only have an hour or so for lunch. Service ranges from friendly to surly. Seems to depend greatly although the waiters/waitresses don't generally have to cover that many tables at one time. Generally 3-4 tables which isn't bad although they can be stretched thin if they only have one server working the late lunch crowd at 1:30 or 2. As for the food, fried calamari tends to be one of the better appetizers although they could use a side of marinara instead of just drizzling on the bottom of the plate. Wings aren't bad either. Soups range from 'tasty treat' to 'death by salt.' I would generally avoid them unless you really want soup. Ditto the mussels too. I love mussels and you just don't know if they will come out overcooked here, not cleaned enough, or just right. Given the price tag, it just isn't worth getting a plate of half-edible mussels. Hand-cut fries aren't bad and the sandwiches are usually decent enough although they won't blow you away either. It isn't a vegan-friendly place but there are a couple of offerings including a portabella mushroom sandwich and a few salads that should tide any vegetarians you are dining with. Basically it is a place that has solid lunch bar food or wouldn't be bad to order a beer & wings to watch a Phils' game. It isn't a place I would bring a date or go for dinner though. They also have a nice range of beers on tap which is probably the best thing about Kite & Key but I would never order a beer at lunch while at work (make that two beers).

    (3)
  • Kelly P.

    kite and key is in 3.5 star territory. it's close enough to my place that i can walk to it, there's some outdoor tables, the bartenders have been great, but the servers could use a little work (attention to detail, approach, etc). i'm not totally convinced that the menu is as good as it could be either. i give extra .5 star because of the beer menu..

    (4)
  • Candice F.

    I recently went to The Barnes Foundation & the audio tour took forever! My friend and went in search for a bar nearby. We popped into Kite & Key and thought it was pretty good. There was a golf tour on the TVs (of which there were many), so we ordered some beers and kicked back. The place kinda smelled like chlorine/cleaning products, which wasn't awesome, but the food & service was good. My friend ordered the burger & I had the steak sandwich. Both came out really quickly & we liked the fries! I'd go back again and try the mussels. The place was pretty good. No major complaints or praises.

    (3)
  • Amy H.

    Can't ask for me, good food, good drink, and Gangnam style music playing in the background. Let's get this party started!

    (4)
  • Mindy K.

    Kite and key is def one of the best gastro-pub/restaurants in the city. The beer list is always impressive, the food is consistently divine, the decor is relaxed and comfy, and the bar staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The only reason I take away a star here is that some of the waitstaff can be a bit douchey - and this was certainly the case on the last Friday night we stopped by here. About the food.... I've always been a fan of the WINGS here - the sweet, tangy and tart thai chili sauce is a perfect combination for the meaty wings - consistent and satisfying. This time, we also ordered the BURGER which was almost shockingly good. Based on my pas experience at Kite and Key, I assumed it would be a great burger, but somehow I wasn't prepared for the level of awesomeness that was BROUGHT-ED. I am a sucker for bleu cheese burgers though so the abundant dose of bleu could have contribted. Full disclosure: the bf thought they were maybe a teensy bit heavy handed with the potent bleu, but to that I say NAY, perfect meat:cheese ratio was achieved. The other 2 dishes were specials, but I hope they put these on the regular menu (oh GOD pretty please) because I'm straight up obsessed with them now: FRIED PICKLES and chicken + queso empanadas. Yep, QUESO. Fried Pickles + Chipotle Aioli These were thick discs-sliced pickles, battered and served with a spicy aioli. Sometimes fried pickle in disc shapes don't offer enough pickle, so you end up eating a sliver of just batter (village whiskey, I'm looking at you), but these were thick enough to have that juicy briney crunch betwixt the fried (but not dough-y) batter. I couldn't stop raving about these all weekend. Chicken + Queso Empanada These also deserves fanfare. C'mon- QUESO! In the empanada! The outer dough was crispy and the chicken and queso stuffing was moist and flavorful. Need to write to the owner about adding these permanently. YOU MUST TOO! Do your part, all.

    (4)
  • Christine B.

    I went here after a volleyball game in Fairmount for a beer and some food. They had a decent selection of beers on draft. Everyone tried something different. I went with the banana bread. They also had Duchesse in a bottle, which is my friend's favorite beer, and she says its hard to find. A couple of us shared some edamame. It could have used some more salt, but otherwise was tasty, and they gave us a huge bowl.

    (3)
  • francis d.

    Nice little spot. Pretty decent selection of beer, and your typical gastropub type of food. I had a steak sandwich, it could of been saucier but overall not too shabby. Check it out if youre in the area

    (4)
  • Sara C.

    Meh? So so? I dunno. Kite & Key seems like a decent enough place, but it just has never struck me as a place I'd go out of my way for. The outdoor seating is pretty sweet, but the food and service was only okay. Beer list is a fairly standard selection of local and domestic craft beer. They do seem to throw plenty of special events, one of which I had a less than fantastic experience at during Beer Week. Long story short, they threw a Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout event (super rare beer with lots of buzz) and gave out playing cards to reserve a pour. They might be better served next time to alert attendees that this is the way it will work - or go the way Monk's and the Khyber did with Pliny the Younger and sell tickets ahead of time. Just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I dunno, nothing to see here that is any better than my regular spots in South Philly. I suppose if I lived in Fairmount or worked around CCP I'd stop by more often. The locals can have it.

    (2)
  • Tal C.

    Ordered the veggie burger for take out. Asked on phone that they use the brioche bun and hold the mayo. The man taking my order repeated it back to me so I felt confident I would get what I ordered. I picked up the food and when I opened it at my destination, the veggie burger was on a wheat bun with tons of mayo. I couldn't eat it and obviously couldn't send it back. Since a lot of vegetarians don't eat mayo, you would think this is something you should opt-in for. EPIC FAIL, Kite and Key.

    (1)
  • Steven L.

    I have always had "decent" meals here. Burgers and wings. Yesterday I took my 2 girls. We ordered wings, Nacho's, Steak fajitas and their new, Fried pickles. Well the wings were great. The Nachos (great chips!) were buried under a mound of guac, sour cream and salsa. They quickly became soggy. The "steak" fajitas had a few slivers of meat, its was a ton of onions and peppers. The fried pickles were a greasy glob of fried breading with a "McDonalds" burger size slice of a pickle. We shared one. The girls pronounced it "disgusting" as did I. I called the waitress and sent it back. We ate one of six. Well they never brought out another order and when I went to pay the 42.00 check the pickles were on there. I complained, nicely. They said They're out biggest seller and just because YOU didn't like them, we're not going to take them off the check. I said fine, then wrap my food to go. They said "we already threw them out". Arrogant and obnoxious. I surprisingly kept me cool and said fine. My business, that employs 28 people, right down the street will receive orders Monday to NO LONGER DO BUSINESS with Kite and Key. I hope you enjoyed "beating me" for those $6.00 pickles. I'll never step foot nor order from there again. From now on, I'll stick to Sabrinas and the Rose Tattoo. Same block much better food. Just for the record, it's not the paltry $6.00, it's the principle !!

    (1)
  • Katherine K.

    This is one of the few bars around this area with such a great selection of beers. I've been here a few times for drinking and haven't eaten here until this past weekend. The food I ate was really good, especially the calamari app. However, all of that was spoiled, when, from our breezy and easy outdoor seat, did I see a little mouse run right out of the kitchen door!!! Ugh, vomit. I know that MOST food establishments in Philadelphia have some critters there, but to actually see it was pretty gross. I will definitely be back for beers because I really like the atmosphere and the selection, but probably (and I say probably because you never, never know) will not eat here again.

    (3)
  • B M.

    Three gals went out for a late dinner - we had the following Edamame appetizer (more than enough for three to share) 1 extra dirty dirty gin martini (extra olives) 2 Magner's Hard Cider Vegetable Flatbread (huge - plenty of leftover) Kite and Key Burger (without onions), Medium Rare Caesar Salad Edamame was delicious and there was plenty. French fries with the burger were a bit overdone. Burger as ordered Medium Rare but was more Medium. Waittress was attentive and, overall, the food was good! We will definitely be back.

    (4)
  • Tommy L.

    One of the best mussel dishes I ever had!!! I would have drank the broth that they were cooked in if people were not watching :). I will definitely order the mussels again (Thai Chili flavor). Also, the waitress was so nice. Her name was Jacquelyn. She really seem to love kids. My family thoroughly enjoyed our dinner tonight!!!

    (5)
  • Brandon K.

    I stopped by here on a Tuesday night just to grab a few casual drinks. It's got a nice atmosphere when it's not too crowded. The bartender was friendly and knew his beer really well. A few of the locals were posted up at the bar and we enjoyed some good conversation over the course of the night. It's a place that's definitely worth stopping in to check out at some point.

    (4)
  • Anna Marie C.

    reasons why i like kite and key: wings:get 1/2 of the buffalo and 1/2 of the sweet garlic chile. it works. outdoor seating in the summer. big windows to enjoy the scenery otherwise. usually spot-on service. lots of tv's. and they do love their hockey there. and right now, they have my fave beer ever (monks sour flemish ale) on tap. score.

    (4)
  • Maura G.

    this place was packed, but luckily there was only about a 10 min wait before we were able to score outside seating. our waitress was very nice, but you could tell the stress of the day was getting to her. she never took it out on us though, and for that we thank you. fish tacos - just do it. with extra pico. we came here during beer week, and good thing we did because they had some fantastic beers to choose from. yard's bourbon bartholomew is my new fave. we also got a show with our meal - the yardsmobile showed up and some locals held gladiator races in homemade costumes and chariots. that alone was worth the trip here.

    (4)
  • Pam D.

    I've been here a few times and the food and service is always great. Great crowds and certainly great beer! The Cajun fries are tasty, and they have great flat-bread. Great Spot!

    (4)
  • Jose A.

    I really like the Kite & Key, it is most definetly one of my favorite places to grab a drink in parkway/springarden area. Awesome beer selection, really great food. They even have a few beers every now and then that I've never had before (which is a hard thing to do, lol), a flemish sour ale, and a beligan sour ale, both extremley good, in addition to having founders apperances every now and then, which in my opinon is one of the best breweries in the country. ...I will absolutley be frequenting this place...

    (4)
  • Erin F.

    Instead of waiting an hour in line at Sabrina's ( which is good but I am not a fan of waiting) go here! A small Sunday brunch menu but sometimes a small menu is a good thing and in this case it definitely is! If you are looking for a drink to go with your brunch try a Franklin Mary! So delicious!

    (5)
  • Kathy D.

    Went here last night with some friends and were lucky enough to get a table outside. We shared mussels, flat bread pizza and calamari and everything was delicious. (Especially the bread that came with the mussels, and the waitress was nice enough to bring us more pieces.) Prices were reasonable considering how good everything was. They had a good sized beer list, but didn't have a lot of light, aka wussy girl beer, that I prefer, but their wine was reasonably priced, so I was in luck. Great location, and it's easy to catch a cab afterwards on Callowhill, or park if you're driving. It wasn't that crowded, so I would bring a big group here.

    (4)
  • Caroline H.

    A group of us (about 10 people) went here last night for a bite to eat and some beers after a dragon boat practice. Wasn't too crowded and we quickly got a nice big table in the back. I ordered the Kite and Key burger and a Hennepin (sp?). The burger was a decent size and cooked medium as requested. It was covered in blue cheese crumbles and bacon that was cooked perfectly (not too crispy but not chewy). The bun was fresh and complemented the burger perfectly. Also don't spend the extra $2 for the fries-- the homemade potato chips that come with it are fantastic! Definitely good stuff! Comments about the veggie burger and gnocchi were also very positive. Service was great even though we were a large party. We'll be back after the next practice I'm sure.

    (4)
  • Louis R.

    I like it. Cool bartender, understated decor, no pretention, large selection of strong drafts, banana bread beer...like...cask beer?! I definitely like it.

    (4)
  • Colbey W.

    Kite & Key always gets very busy during brunchtime so we thought it was bound to be something special. After trying it on two occasions- brunch and lunch- I've concluded it's good but not worth the wait that you'd usually experience on a weekend. Solid food (but nothing great, in my experience) and service is good considering the crowds we have fought both times. I may be back but since McCrossen's is closer and generally less crowded, the odds are slim.

    (3)
  • Sean R.

    ROICKIN' SPOT. Good food and awesome service.

    (4)
  • The S.

    I happened upon Kite & Key one night after getting bumped from a flight home. Spending a night in Philly is not so bad, so I set out to scour the pubs. (Yeah, surprising for me, huh? OK, maybe not.) I had spent some time just driving around, but when I saw the Kite & Key's facade, it immediately beckoned me in. It was a warm winter day, and the open garage door with patio seating seemed perfect for a pint. And I was NOT disappointed! Kite & Key has a great variety of quality craft drafts. The clientele and staff made me feel right at home, and I quickly struck up a conversation with the mate next to me, asking him, apart from Kite & Key, what was the best pub around? I was very happy to see that I did not need to qualify or elaborate upon that question. This is a PUB, forgodssake, and these are Pub People, with an easy unspoken camaraderie that suffused the air, pint by pint. The lively and convivial conversation that followed gave me a sweeping virtual tour of the best pubs in Philly, and everyone had good points to support their case. After a couple, I left to be on my exploration. If you find yourself in Philly, please make Kite & Key a stop in your crawl. You will not regret it.

    (4)
  • Faye R.

    It's pretty average. The drinks are great and I recommend this place if you are not planning on eating anything!

    (2)
  • Adam F.

    Came for a late Sunday brunch. Close proximity to the Museums; on the same strip as Sabrinas and Rose Tattoo cafe. Good selection of beers. Lots of outdoor seating was a plus. Brunch menu looked good but ended up with the burger - cooked perfect and enjoyed the bun. It was topped with bacon and shoestring onions which was a nice touch. Got a side of chipotle mayo to give it a bit of kick. Would def come back to try the rest of the menu. Brunch drinks looked good too - they have a michclada - basically bloody mary with beer...delicious.

    (4)
  • David L.

    Fish and Chips/Steak Sandwich/Burgers. Good food and large list of beers. Great place to hang out with co-workers, or friends.

    (5)
  • K W.

    since sabrina's was crazy packed (not surprising), our brunch crew went down the street to a much less crowded kite and key. the inside of the restaurant was run of the mill (it looks like every irish pub or ~*similar concept establishment*~ in philadelphia but supposedly this place is a canadian pub?) the food was decent and definitely reasonably priced. i had coffee and a spinach-bacon-cheese omelette with home fries for a little over 10 bucks + tip. the brunch menu isn't extensive so if you're looking for a lot of choices and the ability to customize eggs/omelettes then i would recommend looking elsewhere. my fellow brunchers said their food was satisfactory. while it was great to be seated quickly and eat decent breakfast food, the service could have been better. almost every table was full in the restaurant, which definitely slowed things down and our waitress appeared to be tending to a majority of said tables. this made it difficult to get consistently good service and attention.

    (3)
  • Kristi A.

    This place only merits a 3 star review because of the chill atmosphere of the bar. If you're looking for a good, flavorful meal, go somewhere else. I came here for Saturday lunch with some out of town friends. We actually only came here because the wait for Sabrina's was deathly long and we were in an empty-bellied hungover state. The service was SLOW. The prices are somewhat high ($10 for a grilled cheese and bowl of tomato soup?!), and the food took an hour to get to our table. I think there was one waitress for the whole dining room and bar area. While she had a friendly demeanor, there was nothing she could do to redeem the misseasoned food and tortoise-like efforts of the kitchen. The menu items were theoritically delicious, but were flawed in actuality. My friend ordered the breakfast burrito special, which was nearly ruined by the surplus of cilantro... and it was served with french fries. Really? Weird side for a breakfast burrito. I got the portabello mushroom buger which I found to be delicious. My boyfriend ordered the steak sandwich and said the seasonings were horribly off for a sandwich with so much potential, but the steak was good. Another friend got the Margherita flatbread, which was okay: the sauce was very sweet and semi tangy. The french fries, which I was looking forward to most were way too crispy and plain. All in all, the atmosphere was neat, but the food and slow service were a deal breaker.

    (3)
  • Sarah B.

    The service and the beer selection is the only reason this place did not get one star. The draught list was awesome, and the server was very pleasant, but the food was AWFUL! Words cannot describe how bad it was. We first ordered hummus for an appetizer. What came out was a pile of mashed chick peas with some sort of slime on top of them acting as a cucumber garnish. The "hummus" had NO flavor or any added ingredients expect for the chick peas. I had to pile salt on for it to even have any kind of taste. For my entree I got a basic salad, how does one screw that up? It was very warm, uncomfortably warm for a salad. It was a hot summer night, and I wanted to go somewhere with a cold beer and refreshing salad. It was at least 80 degrees in the restaurant and the food was sub par. I will never be going back there ever again.

    (2)
  • Gretchen V.

    Visiting philly and this place was recommended. We were there in the evening and sat outside. Nice little restaurant. Great food, prices, and our waitress was very knowledgable on the menu. We really quizzed her. Had the pulled pork sandwich, and the caesAr salad. Both were good. My only complaint would have been that the fries were pretty mediocre.

    (4)
  • Jennifer D.

    It is a great place, and the staff is extremely patient despite the locals that were extremely rude while we were there. They are "servers", not "servants", you know what I mean? As an artist myself, I was a little ashamed of the self important jerks as they talked about how important they were loud enough that all could hear and all but knocked two patrons out of their seat to take up more room in the restaurant. That being said, the food was great, my drink was fine, and the server was attentive despite the snaps in the air beside us to get her attention. Grace under pressure is an underrated talent, and the full staff there should be commended for that talent.

    (4)
  • Sarah K.

    Loved it! Went there with 3 others on Saturday night. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea at the bar... MAN! That bartender was not messing around! That drink really packed a punch. After two of those, I was SET! Between the four of us, we shared calamari (something I don't usually like, but theirs was done very, very well -- not chewy, not scary, not gross), a margherita flatbread (yum), and pumpkin fettuccine (one of the specials that day, I think). The pumpkin fettuccine had (I think) crab and hazelnuts in it... whaaaaat! Crazy good! Our server (Julian, I think) was super nice and really helpful. My friend started to order a beer that had "pumpkin" in the name, but he warned her ahead of time that it was not a pumpkin beer, so she opted for something else. Thank you, Julian!

    (5)
  • Ian P.

    I just ate here for the first time and had a great experience! There were tons of beers available both on tap and bottled. Our waitress was friendly and very knowledgable. She recommended a delicious draft beer to me and had no problem answering any questions we posed. The burger I ordered (Kite and Key Burger) was amazing. I definitely plan to come back some day!

    (5)
  • Amanda E.

    No wait for Sunday brunch, mimosas were great, veggie burger was even better. Servers definitely could have been friendlier, but the food came out quickly and was delicious

    (4)
  • Nikkie C.

    Mussels were excellent. Very good craft beer selection. Nice ambiance. Near a parking garage so you can actually park!

    (4)
  • Beth R.

    This bar was a great addition to the museum area. It's small enough to be a nice neighborhood bar, but not divey. It has enough flatscreen tvs to attract a crowd for eagles/ phillies/ march madness, and a stellar beer list. The outside tables are a nice option, if you walk by on a sunny sunday afternoon, you'll find plenty of happy day drinking. I've been here for dinner, lunch, happy hour, to watch phillies and eagles, to have drinks with friends, and on dates. Last night I was enjoying a Victory Golden Monkey with a friend, and we happened to be sitting next to the bar's owner, who was really nice. If you live elsewhere in the city, I'd still recommend making the trek over.

    (4)
  • Tracy K.

    After drooling over their menu for months, I finally stopped in to try them for brunch. The atmosphere & crowd had me considering bumping them up to a 3rd star, but alas, it was not to be. The bloody mary was pretty good, but the food tasted assembled rather than prepared: bagged, canned, and jarred ingredients rather than fresh. They are mediocrity in gastropub's clothing and they certainly did not deliver value for the money charged. Much in the same way Chili's is not real mexican food, Kite and Key is not a gastropub.

    (2)
  • Melissa P.

    Hip Hip Hooray for Kite and Key! They have a lovely patio! I love what the owners did with the mural and the flowers... great ambience for a spring/summer's eve. The drinks flow and the service is great! Our waitress was really great.... she had lots of good bs, and was very accommodating (by that I mean she unlocked chairs and brought more over as our group expanded.) She was also very knowledgeable and loves her job. Always nice. They just switched up their menu, and I thought that the chicken/brie sandwich was a little dry. Nice concept though. The asparagus soup was delish... both in season and creamy! oh- i almost forgot- I think the location is subpar for anyone who doesn't live in Fairmount.

    (4)
  • Sean H.

    When my boss was in town from London, we took him out one night to show him what Philly had to offer. When my coworkers decided on Kite & Key, I was like, "Oh, that's kind of far north, isn't it? What about our wallets and kidneys?" Of course, I was eating my words soon after that. The area is totally fine, and the place itself was quite cozy and lively. I had some kind of blackened chicken club sandwich that was the special for the night, and it was quite delicious. Their beer selection was quite good, though I ordered one that was entirely too hoppy for my tastes and wound up giving it away. Good spot, though I'm not sure how often my non-car-owning self will be in that area.

    (4)
  • Colleen L.

    I live right around the corner, so Kite & Key is my neighborhood bar. I love the relaxed, yet classy atmosphere that it gives off as a place to hang out and have drinks on...well, any day of the week! The outdoor seating is clutch and I take advantage of it whenever possible! If you are a fan of beer (and I don't mean Coors Lite & Miller Lite), you will like the selection that they offer. I have eaten lunch here a few times - the chicken tacos are light, fresh, and delicious! I could probably eat them everyday! I have also been here for brunch a few times - really good and the mimosas are delish! Oh, and I was there after a long Sunday Funday...and had a spicy flatbread that I can't remember the name of that was really delicious and flavorful. All in all, I'd say it's a great bar - if you like smaller, "everybody knows your name" kind of places (which I do!)...and the food is definitely good! Very happy that it's right around the corner : )

    (4)
  • Rachel U.

    This was a great happen-upon brunch spot this summer. Really nice outdoor area on nice weather days, and our waitress didn't forget about us, which I find can often happen when you're sitting outside. Reasonably priced, and good menu options. Above all, however, was the pb&j french toast. Delish!

    (4)
  • Brian Y.

    Went here on the advice of a waiter at another restaurant. They have great craft beer and the bar tenders were personable and made you feel at home. I would definitely go back.

    (4)
  • Steve S.

    On our second visit we had 8 in our party. It was a Saturday night at 6pm. We had a reservation although, we did not need one. The place was only about 1/4 full during our 90 minutes there. Two of us were drinking and ordered the Yards Philly Pale Ale which our server recommended. He came back 5 minutes later to tell us they were out and so we had the Yards IPA. When we ordered another, he came back 5 minutes later and said they were out of that too, so we had the Troegs IPA. It was clear our server was poorly trained from the beginning of our visit. We had to ask for some bread, which he seemed puzzled about...but he came back with a plate of sliced baguette, but with no butter. When we asked for butter, he actually said "we don't have any" WTF! - so we asked if they had olive oil, to which he also said no, but then he quickly remembered seeing a vinegar and oil set-up and proudly brought it over. We were told that they were out of two dishes on the menu. One of our group ordered the escargots for the first course, but 10 minutes later he came back and said they were out of that too. Our server also twice reached in to grab plates that still had food on them and people were still eating - one of the dishes was the chickpea salad (there was still plenty of food on the plate, so we asked him to put it back on the table). This is my biggest annoyance in restaurants, it happens an average of 1 out of 3 of the establishments we go to. I wish more operators would train their staffs better. Here's what we ordered and the comments: 2 Grilled Cheese sandwich - average, the two kids liked them Buffalo Wings - not bad, average, decent portion Gnocchi - didn't enjoy, but she ate it Chickpea Salad - very good Grilled Romaine - very good PBBLT (pork belly, bacon, let, tom.) - Bad, bad, bad! - the bread was hard as a rock, it was completely unacceptable, although I choose to keep it to myself. It was hard to enjoy the pork belly, et al when the toasted bread cracks apart and tastes like saw dust. You would think what appears to be a signature sandwich would be prepared properly. Crepes DeBouf - Excellent Veal Tacos - Excellent 2 Logan Chicken Sandwich - not bad, average Vegetarian Burger - Excellent, above average Overall, I still like this place, but they really need to train the kitchen staff and servers better...otherwise they won't make it long term.

    (2)
  • Catherine K.

    Cool place to grab beers but I would go elsewhere for grub. The buffalo chicken pizza had way too much blue cheese dressing on it (I personally prefer blue cheese crumbles instead of thick creamy dressing) and the pulled pork sandwich was awful. As a southern raised girl, I take my pulled pork sandwiches seriously. The pulled pork was cooked entirely too long and was so mushy that it hardly resembled meat. It was just a big mushy stringy mess. The sandwich also had way too much cheese melted on it (I personally prefer pull pork sandwiches without cheese) and there was entirely too many pickled peppers on the sandwich. All in all - I would only go back here for drinks.

    (2)
  • Max B.

    Really enjoyed sitting outside on a warm, sunny day. Great draft selection, veggie burger lives up to the hype, pulled pork was more South Philly than SxSW, but the meat was juicy and flavorful and the sauteed longhots added a wonderful bite. Waitress was attentive and hostess seemed to do a friendly job of handling new arrivals. Look forward to revisiting on the next nice day...lots more to try on their menu.

    (4)
  • Paul L.

    This place is white! Everything from the walls to the plates to the people. It's whited out! Now I'm not hating, I'm just observing. I didn't really feel left out or nothing because Korea was with me along with a little bit of China and California. So all in all, I didn't really feel left out or anything but yo, all I'm gonna say is if you're looking for a good, brand-spanking, whitewash of a time. This is your jams! They are in possession of a solid selection of draft brews, which explains my overall comfort level. Surrounded by Asian nations and an Asian state, with taps in tow, one could not help but feel familiar. Prices are decent but I did expect things to be $1-2 less than what I was used to, being a NYCity Slicker and all. The waitresses were attentive but I couldn't help but notice that every time they came over to check on us, it seemed like they were American tourists wading through a sea of foreign-ness. I think one of them actually brought over chopsticks. No, I'm just kidding. That didn't happen. Sorry for the racial tint in which I've reviewed, but I just wanted to Yelp it like I saw it, and the eyes through which I've witnessed said events resulted in a good night. It's definitely a pre-game type of place or maybe even for post-game festivities, though I would imagine if I had won any sort of game, my post-game celebration would definitely not be here. So remember folks, pre- not post-, but only if you like white toast.

    (3)
  • Linz J.

    Came here today with my boyfriend before venturing into Whole Foods. We pass the place regularly, and was always curious about it. The overall look of the place certainly has a lure - it looks like a sure success. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best. My "Kite and Key" burger had the Philadelphia toasted brioche staple, which, of course, in its buttery fluffy goodness can NEVER go wrong. But, although the burger had an underlying smoky-grill flavor, it had a texture similar to a frozen patty and was otherwise bland. I asked for it to be cooked medium, and was cooked very well done, though that's no surprise because the only places in Philadelphia that ever cooks to temperature is 500 degrees, and Village Whiskey. The bleu cheese was hardly recognizable until I got a wonderful clump of stanky goodness plopped right in the center of the burger (sarcasm). It had no other ingredients other than bacon, which was the other positive thing about the burger, in that it wasn't crispy (why do people put crispy bacon? I think it throws off your bite-flow) and the amount on the burger was generous. The fries were awful. Skinny little tasteless things I'd suspect to be frozen - what's the point? Just give me a lonely burger if you're going to skimp and throw in a side of freezer origin. The boyfriend agreed. His dish, the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, apparently didn't "have much in the flavor department; lacking in BBQ sauce, and I all could taste was the long hots." Service-wise, the guy was okay. He probably wouldn't bat an eye if we spontaneously combusted. Hit a gold mine with the beer, though. Great selection, found a wonderful tasting beer, Stone Smoked Porter. We were definitely glad we satisfied our curiosities about the place, but needless to say, the desire to return certainly won't surface.

    (2)
  • Molly R.

    A classic pub, all nice and open in the summertime. It feels welcoming. And the jukebox is excellent. Something for everyone (and the group I was there with certainly had eclectic tastes). I only enjoyed drinks in the bar area, but the menu looked awesome as well. The only thing bad I can say is that I'm very embarrassed and disappointed in myself that I didn't pick up on the Ben Franklin reference in the name sooner.

    (4)
  • Douglas B.

    I randomly stumbled into this gastro-pub because it was within walking distance of the Franklin Institute Science Museum. They had excellent seating areas, and service was quick and helpful. The beer selection was definitely of higher quality then most small gastro-pubs, and the clientelle was respectful even though there was college football playing (and the desired teams were all losing.) Everyone in my party was completely happy with their food selections, which included the Veggie Burger, the Cajun Fries, the Homemade Tomato Soup, The Kite & Key Burger, the Garden Salad with Chicken, and the Garlic Chili Wings. The server was helpful, friendly, and expedient. Really not much else you can ask for from a small pub. The only issue keeping me from giving this place 5 stars was the very poor neighborhood surrounding it, not exactly the place you want to be late at night by yourself.

    (4)
  • Jessica M.

    Yup... good spot. Great for watching a game or as a stop on a Fairmount Bar crawl. Crowd does not get messy like at Urban. Good beer selection and the BEST French Fries in the city in my opinions. Thin, crispy and dusted with just the right amount of spice.

    (4)
  • Lydia H.

    Kite and Key offers a nice, unassuming place for a beer or a bite to eat. Since it's off the beaten path, it wasn't too busy on Sunday night when we went for dinner around 6. We sat up in the restaurant area, where there are about 10 tables, and there is also a bar area right by the door with a bunch of high tops and bar space. Apparently when it's not storming (as it was on Sunday night), they will open up the big windows in the front as well. I had the Franklin Burger, and the boyfriend had the chicken salad sandwich. The burger was good, and served with a heap of french fries. The chicken salad was pretty bad - it was completely dry, and was flavored way too much with lemon. They should take it off the menu it was that bad. For dessert, we tried the chocolate beignets, which were delicious. They were brought out steaming hot and served with a white cream sauce and a dark chocolate sauce. I would love to go back on a nice summer evening to sit by the windows and have a drink. Not an extensive menu, but it has a nice selection to satisfy your taste buds.

    (4)
  • Laura H.

    LOVE this place. Great for weekend brunch, lunch, or casual dinner. Food has always been good - veggie burger! Great beer list.

    (5)
  • Jeremy K.

    Nice rotating craft beer selection. Decent bar food. Good place to go for the game or to hang out with a bunch of friends. A lot of outdoor seating, so that's always nice when the nice weather arrives.

    (3)
  • Meredith K.

    I'll keep this one fairly short, but it's not going to be all that sweet. I'll start with the good: The service was excellent. Kristy, our server, was friendly, prompt, and attentive, and the food and drinks came out quickly. It was a beautiful day, so we were enjoying the outside seating area (despite the not-so-pretty view of the beer store and the dilapidated Rose Tattoo). Their beer list is fairly extensive and includes selections from such powerhouse breweries as Rogue and Founder's. Unfortunately, my grilled chicken sandwich was not up to par. The chicken was nicely blackened and was moist enough, but the Kite and Key is apparently anti-sauce. Neither my sandwich nor my friend's sliders (he got the combo: crabcake, beef, and pork) had any sauce. Who wants to eat a dry sandwich? Furthermore, I asked for honey mustard and the best they had was Dijon. Don't get me wrong, I like Dijon, just not as the primary condiment on my sandwich. Where's the aioli at, yo? They didn't have any other kind of bread besides white, either, which was kind of annoying. No options for sides besides fries, so I gave most of them to my friend... they kind of reminded me of McDonald's fries. It's a shame the food wasn't too good, especially considering the prices (which weren't cheap), because I enjoy the setup and the atmosphere inside. They just opened pretty recently, so hopefully they'll step it up a notch.

    (3)
  • Kim D.

    Nice, simple place to go to grab some lunch. I particularly enjoy the chicken sandwich here, and the fries are amazing. I've never gone here for the bar, but it seems like a good, small hangout to catch a Phillies game or something. Oh and the outdoor seating is nice, for the most part.

    (4)
  • Bryanne R.

    1 star for beer selection 1 star for atmosphere like the Dogwood Cafe I loved in JP -1 = Pumpkin creme brulee tasting like the filling of the cheap lemon cookies you buy at the dollar store. -1 = Dishes i could have whipped up if I had perused the frozen section at Trader Joes, popped those bad boys in the microwave and served them to guests. Edamame with salt. Garlic and chile wings - it was basically sweet and sour chicken from any Chinese food place. - 1 = Two adults not being able to find an entree they would want to try. We both have grown out of the picky-food stage. So we went with an arsenal of apps. Sigh. It's so close to our place too.

    (2)
  • Jing G.

    2.5-3 stars.. It's an average little bar/restaurant with the regular bar food items that aren't great but don't suck. They have an okay beer list. At least from what I got (the mussels), the portions here are pretty big. There wasn't just a scant number, but a genuine heap of mussles that I couldn't finish! Also - don't sit outside. At least during the warm season. We did and the size of mosquitos here was pretty alarming.

    (3)
  • Jill T.

    The Kite & Key is a great place for lunch if you work in the Spring Garden/Callow Hill area. There aren't many options around there so I was happy to come across Kite & Key. The food is really tasty and boy do they have a lot of beer options! Fab for happy hour after work!

    (4)
  • Brad P.

    A great bar! I didn't eat anything here, but the food looked and smelled fantastic. The bartender we had (Scotty) was informative about the beer and was a fun guy to talk too. Didn't try to but into conversations too much, but was there for a good laugh and we had a great time. Definitely a great place to grab a beer and watch a game!

    (4)
  • Barak B.

    The place was pretty bad. I ordered a steak sandwich. I got a piece if meat with bread. The meat was not cooked medium and they left out the carmelized onions and chimicurri. Gracious server but they shouldn't have charged me for the meal when they mess up that bad. You can go there for a drink if you want but don't eat there.

    (1)
  • Brian C.

    Consistent food, good beer, instead of going to Sabrina's try this place out for a change! Every time I come here i'm surprised that the food is as good as it is. It's kind of a weird location, and I think they get a lot of the overflow from Sabrina's, but I think they probably deserve a little more attention than they get. The wings are really good, as is the brunch selection... I have yet to be disappointed. I've really only been here for brunch/lunch so I have no idea what kind of crowd comes here in the evening. The only thing about this place that really bugs me is the lighting... it's dark and dreary... but not in a cool way like an english pub. During nice days they have the doors up front open, but still something isn't right. Also, the jukebox is notable - They had me at the Walkmen, which had the #1 slot. Cool.

    (4)
  • Christina P.

    I first went here for brunch during the marathon since Sabrina's had 1.5 hour wait when I called them. When I called Kite, they said they probably didn't have a wait but if they did it was short, and took my name and party size down. When I arrived, and was finally able to talk to the hostess 10 minutes later, she informed me that they do not take names over the phone and it would be a 30 minute wait. I decided to put my name down, and the wait ended up being around 40 minutes, but that was not my biggest issue. We looked at the brunch menu while we waited, which only includes about 7 or 8 items. We were finally seated outside and it took a little while for our waiter to come over. Then, some more time for him to come back and take our order. He disappeared like this for lengths of time frequently, and I can understand that he was probably very busy but he was not the friendliest person and didn't apologize once. We gave him our food and drink orders at once to save time. When we got our appetizer, we didn't have any silverware or napkins to eat it with and had to ask for some. 30 min later we got our entrees - which were egg dishes. They must have been cooking them that whole time because my friend's over easy eggs were hard and brown. The potatoes that came on the side were chopped so small they were dry and crispy. The portions were pretty small in general which I wouldn't have minded if the food was good. I had to ask three times for hot sauce, which I first asked when I ordered my food to avoid that problem. They were very busy, but there were certain things that weren't done that don't take much time. Like apologizing for the wait or asking how our food was, or being more friendly/pleasant in general. Kite has a lot of improving to do.

    (1)
  • Peter S.

    This used to be a great place for "gastropub" dining but the food, service, and beer selection have continually gotten worse. I don't plan to eat there again even though I live just up the street. The servers are no longer attentive, the kitchen is way slow, and even the once delicious burger and wings suck and are overpriced. At this point, they only seem interested in peddling booze to those douche bags at the bar. what happened K&K? You're making McCrossen's up the street look good, and that's not saying much. We just waited 25 minutes for our lunch with only four other tables occupied. The server didn't check on us once during that time. The hockey puck burgers that were finally brought out by the bartender had no lettuce or tomato and my bone dry side salad didn't have the side of dressing I ordered. When I asked for it, I was given plain olive oil. When we got the bill, the fries that come with the $11 burger cost an extra $2 (confirmed by our server). Please... very disappointing.

    (2)
  • Emily M.

    Yummy...super cute restaurant. Well, to be fair, I only went inside to use the bathroom and it was pretty crowded. My friends and I sat outside on a chilly, early Fall evening for immediate seating and it was quiet and relaxing. The food was excellent. I had the fish fry with some of the best fries ever - I'm turning into quite the connoisseur. :) Verdict: I would go back without a doubt.

    (4)
  • Prof J.

    I've been here a couple times, and I'm always impressed with the beer selection. There are lots of interesting beers to choose from, and they seem to do a good job of selecting the beers appropriately for the season. I definitely enjoyed my food (a tomato-mozzarella sandwich that was on special), and the others in my part liked theirs as well (definitely a thumbs-up vote for the mussels). A fun atmosphere. It was pretty packed on a Thursday, so I imagine it really fills out on the weekends. Some of the desserts (vanilla beignets) looked awesome, but unfortunately didn't have room!

    (4)
  • Dawn H.

    Awesome selection of beer on tap and great food.

    (4)
  • Oski B.

    Came here for Sunday brunch with a friend. The hostess was either clueless or, at the least, contradictory: "you can sit anywhere you want...but oh you can't sit there because we're expecting a party...oh, I'm about to seat a couple there...that table's not available either." Their Omelette de Jour was a BLT. WTF is a BLT omelette? I ended up ordering the Huevos Tostados which was okay, but I swear that the ham in my dish was basically sliced up deli meat from the local Wawa. Overall, a mediocre experience, but the absence of a line in comparison to Sabrina's a few stores down makes it a decent brunch alternative.

    (2)
  • Jen L.

    I didn't love it here. The food seems decent, maybe a little expensive (almost 9 bucks for eight chicken wings) and I'd like to see a little more variety. The website advertised daily/nightly specials but the 'specials' we were told about are what is already on the webiste menu. Lame. I'm not sure if EVERYONE (except us) in the restaurant ordered fish last night, or if this place always smells fishy, but it was bad. Like low tide out on the wharf.

    (2)
  • Lauren H.

    I've been here a few times, most recently last Thursday, and I've always been pleased with the experience. Being rather warm on Thursday, Kite and Key was making full use of their outdoor dining area and had opened the doors & windows at the front of the bar to create an inside/outside feel. My friend and I snagged a table right at the edge of the bar/outside seating area, so we were able to enjoy the weather AND the basketball game in a rather Spring-like fashion. We went decidedly unhealthy with our food choices and ordered both types of wings (the standard buffalo and the sweet chile garlic wings) and a basket of cajun fries. Wings were quite tasty, and though I tend to be a buffalo girl, I think the sweet chile garlic wings won the night. Beer selections is rather decent as well. Plentiful tvs and a spacious floor make this a great place to watch whatever game is on, and they can accommodate groups well. Each time I've been here, there is a fun and boisterous vibe. Great place to hang out with friends, and for the casual date night.

    (4)
  • Faye S.

    Pretty yummy calamari. Also pretty yummy duck confit, although it was served with watercress, and I didn't realize I didn't like the stuff until I had a huge mouthful of greens. Doh. Plus, for the price I paid ($14 or so), I was hoping for a bigger piece of duck and some sort of carb. I'd try this place again and get a burger. Yummm.

    (3)
  • Aisling O.

    Great Fish Tacos! Who would've known!? I moved here 2 & 1/2 years ago after spending about 5 years on the west coast. The first thing I missed was the great mix of flavors found in the fish taco. Logically, in the past 2+ years if I see a fish taco on the menu, described as the traditional baja style, cabbage, lightly fried white fish, pico de gallo, corn tortillas, lime... my mouth starts to water and I get my hopes up...but every single time I've ordered one in this city, I've been completely disappointed. Frankly, I've oft times been grossed out by what has come out of many a kitchen, claiming to be a fish taco. So, you can imagine my surprise when I had an good one, finally, just down the street from my house. I went to K&K for the first time this week to reconnect with the girlfriends...honestly we just picked it because it was a mid point for everyone. The atmosphere was pretty quiet. Not bad but not great either, with a decent beer list. This place would be pretty unremarkable if it wasn't for the food. Our hummus plate app was great, and the fish tacos did not disappoint. So, as odd as it may sound, if you are craving something remotely close to the fish tacos you get in Southern California...Kite and Key is the place.

    (3)
  • Miriam W.

    A fine place to grab a Hoegaarden and catch the game on the numerous flat screen TVs. Beers were brought promptly and we were left to our own devices until our pints neared empty at which point our waitress reappeared.

    (3)
  • Erin P.

    I went here on a lunch break with 6 other coworkers. We were able to get seated, eat our food, and enjoy each others company in an hour. I got the veggie pizza and it was tasty. It was a thin crust pizza with not too many veggies (I hate when a veggie pizza is bombarded with EVERY veggie known to man). Although I wasn't drinking I did take a peek and they have a great beer menu. The waitress was attentive and helpful when choosing what to eat. I enjoyed this place and it is just like it says - a pub. I will be visiting it again sometime soon!

    (5)
  • Erica S.

    I've only ever been here for lunchtime/daytime, so I can't comment on the late night goings-on here. The staff is always wonderful- kind and attentive and helpful. Beer refill-age happens quickly. And the food is genuinely good. Did I just say that I come here for lunch during the workday and yet know how quick beer refills are? Um. Nevermind. The fries are delicious. The outdoor/up front tables are great. And the bathrooms- some of the nicest in the city. I always make note of bathrooms. And the name- how cute is that?

    (4)
  • Wade G.

    I love the mussels at Kite and Key! Great outdoor atmosphere in the summer or cool bar to meet a friend at to chat. Food has really upgraded the last year! I really enjoy this bar and recomend it!

    (4)
  • Vivienne H.

    i love this bar, great beers. my favorite bartender is jacquelyn, she's so sweet

    (5)
  • Tom D.

    When this place first came around to my neighborhood, I went there maybe 3-4 times in the span of a couple months. It later lost its novelty and its somewhat awkward location precluded me from returning. I just went back today and had brunch there. I was not surprised that the brunch was good, I ate the eggs bennie's and someone else in my party had french toast. We were sitting around watching the Eagles play pretty much all afternoon. I was smiling from the flavorful Bloody Mary cocktails. I will probably reacquaint myself with this place for dinner or for evening drinks.

    (4)
  • Lauren Y.

    In summary, great. Plenty of outdoor seating, which I love. If for some reason you can't get a seat outdoors, there is open air seating in the main section of the bar. The gastropub food has not disappointed but then again I've only tried the mussels (YUM!) and the chicken and brie sammie (lower case yum). The $4.50 stoli drinks are what keep me coming back. And heck the place is super convenient to moi. Only downside, smokers. They don't smoke inside but the certainly smoke real close to the outdoor seats and I don't like my meals with a side of tobacco.

    (4)
  • Sarah C.

    I went in search of Fish Tacos. Based on looking at Yelp reviews all over the city, I picked this place to be very promising in delivering me good fish tacos within walking distance of my job. (I work at the Comcast Center) As promised, Kite and Key did have Fish Tacos and they are good. Not the best I have had, but they show well. For 9 bucks and change you get three fish tacos. They are not small either. Since Kite and Key uses flour tortillas instead of the traditional corn tortillas for their tacos. There was good flavor, but I am a fan of a little more spice and originality. The fish breading was also a little strange to me. I like fried fish tacos, but the breading on this fish was almost like a cornmeal breading, producing a texture that I did not care for. All in all, it was a filling lunch at a good price. But I will continue my Philly fish taco search!

    (3)
  • Maria T.

    This is a cute bar and restaurant! Our waiter was funny and attentive. The food was great! Had the mushroom burger and fries- my friend and I demolished that meal!! (she had the same item). Another friend had the Vanilla Beignets. They both had beers too. Overall location was great, the food was delish, our waiter was awesome, and the decor was adorable. Oh and the price was reasonable. Definitely check out this spot if you are looking for a quick burger or beer.

    (4)
  • Mark S.

    This is a nice neighborhood spot for me and friends. They are completely revamping their menus in April / May 2010 - so check back to see what is new. We sampled ravioli from the new menu. Portions were not filling, but quality was great. Good stop for decent food and a few drinks. It can get louder in the evenings as the bar picks up. Appetizer menu is my favorite part.

    (3)
  • Melissa A.

    I couldn't ask for a better neighborhood pub. I love their beers and their veggie burger is out of this world. The back dining area can be cramped and excessively loud; I find I have the most fun when I sit at the bar for dinner. The clientele seems to primarily be the 20 to early 30-somethings.

    (5)
  • Megan D.

    I've been to Kite & Key a few times now and I can say they have a pretty good beer selection and a decent food menu. I've been there on a Friday night when the business was fairly slow and I've been there on a Friday night when you can't get a seat and the noise level is beyond moderate. I've tried the vegetable flatbread (pretty standard) and the veggie burger (seriously delicious but comes as a double burger...I wasn't even sure how to go about eating it). Service is kind of hit or miss. Not a bad place to grab some food and a drink considering it's right in my neighborhood.

    (3)
  • Erin A.

    I give it four stars for serving an underserved hood and providing a mush needed watering hole on West Callowhill. We jsut got drinks but they were cheap, cold, good and served quick. Menu looks typical pub food. It was packed on Friday night at 10PM with a great young professional crowd. It was very loud.

    (4)
  • Cynthia H.

    Whilst I am an outside dining fan, the space is plentiful. Whilst I am a dining and drinking fan, the service is spotty, and the food mediocre....Perhaps one has better service inside, but with a large outside space, service should be just as good. Perhaps I'll stumble there again after I've eaten and already have a buzz....

    (2)
  • Kathryn S.

    First time I wished Yelp offered the "half star" because they probably deserves 3.5. I really like Kite and Key-- nice service staff, great beers and decent food, but it never really wows me. One beer currently on tap that does wow me is a Farmhouse Saison. Delish saison-styled beer. To top, they offer $1 off all drafs from 5-7p happy hour. Food is good. I reccomend eating an appetizer opposed to a full-on meal. Nachos have a unique twist: black chips topped with Mexican Chorizo sausage, chunks of avocado and Chihuahua cheese.

    (3)
  • Brett M.

    Been there twice-my second time being tonight. The first time, a group of 10+ of my friends accompanied me there on a Sunday afternoon, and the restaurant was more than accommodating. The only problem was the smell of stale beer that permeated throughout the bar; but hey, it's a bar, so what should I expect? Everyone seemed to enjoy the food except me. I had the chicken tacos which seemed kinda bland. However, I must say that their beer list is impressive.

    (3)
  • Joshua S.

    I agree that West Callowhill is in dire need of more places to hang out. There are plenty of spots popping up all over the Fairmount area, this particular portion of street is like a big concrete blank spot next to the awesomeness of Sabrinas. Kite and Key is the first (of the more I'm sure will come) decent drinking spots over there. We sat outside, which is slightly tainted by the emptiness of the rest of the neighborhood. It was nice out, though, and the service was fast, friendly, and likeable. Beers were cold and delicious, as was the wine. My girlfriend and I tend to severely judge bar food on the basis of wings and calamari. Two staples of the happy hour appetizer experience and no place of business should have any real excuse for not perfecting such traditional staples. We went with the wings for our first visit. The big complaint about them is that they are those creepy full body wings that look like fried bats. I'm a carnivore, but it just skeevs me out to break apart the joints of a chicken. And the celery was the type you would pass over if you were shopping for it. It was obviously old and poorly stored. It's mostly garnish, but.... My shrimp po'boy was pretty damn delicious, minus the overabundance of mayonnaise, and the gnocci was worth trying. I caught a glimpse of the inside on my way to the bathroom and the interior looked nice. I think once they iron out some of their shortcomings and get some company on West Callowhill to create a little street life and ambiance, Kite and Key will be a really good time.

    (3)
  • David C.

    Not a bad place...it is a pub after all... The one thing they are missing, as a "pub" is a better selection of beer. Other than that it wasnt bad... I like the outdoor seating and the limited dishes they have, they just opened earlier this summer, are good. I'd definitely go back

    (3)
  • Nina S.

    In Center Center from out of town and needed a quick bite to eat before our trip to a near by museum. A quick search on Google turned up some positive reviews on Kite and Key. The restaurant was absolutely buzzing when we entered and had a homey, comfy feel to it. The service was very friendly and patient as we asked several questions about the menu. The beer selection was varied with high quality microbrews. Unsure of which microbrew would be most pleasing to my palate I requested a small sample from the waitress. She happily obliged and I decided on a crisp, refreshing wheat beer. The food was fairly standard pub fare, but came out quick and met our expectations. Overall, I would highly recommend the kite and key for a quick bite to eat or a nice happy hour spot if around Center City.

    (4)
  • Charlie S.

    I had lunch here the other day. I ordered fish and chips at the bar with a beer based on a recommendation from a friend. I thought it was ok, but not great. I would definitely come back again to try something else for lunch. The bar is very old-school and inviting. They have some great beers on tap...beers that really are for "beer drinkers" i.e. people that don't drink Miller Lite when they want a real brew. This place seems like it would be great for drinks and rock/jazz music on a Friday night.

    (3)
  • Julianna K.

    Lots of outdoor (off the sidewalk) seating is definitely a plus. But the food was just okay, and the service was sketchy. Our server forgot to take our order, then we had to ask for utensils and plates when she brought us our appetizers. However, she was good at keeping up with our drinks, which is a good thing. The beers were delicious, in particular the vanilla bean porter I had was exceptional. And I generally don't like darker beers, but I also can't resist anything with a sweet flavor. The menu was unimpressive and I was hard pressed to find anything that was really appetizing. So I ordered a pork belly BLT. It tasted, well pretty much like a BLT with a thin pork chop on it. My bf's burger was bland, and the topping choices were limited. The best thing on the table was the huge bowl of mussels my friend got. They were tasty, even to someone not a big fan of the creepy, squiggly, multicolored mollusks, like me. Kite & Key gets 1 star for beer selection, 1 for outdoor seating, a half for service and another half for food.

    (3)
  • Jimmy M.

    Just tried this place. Decent beer selection, mostly priced $5-$6 (more for the ciders, etc). Small selection of dishes, but good food overall. It seems like it will fit in well with the neighborhood. The front doors open up to a large outdoor seating area, which is very welcome in the city in the summer months. My biggest complaint is that there was nothing on the walls to absorb the sound, and it was very loud and hard to hear the waitress and other people at our table.

    (4)
  • Lauren C.

    Love stopping at this place after a bike ride and grabbing a beer when the weather is nice. They open up the windows so you can sit at a high-top table inside and still get a breeze from outside. Veggie burger - outstanding and unique! Nice beer selection.

    (5)
  • Amanda F.

    The Kite & Key would definitely be one of my neighborhood hangouts if I still lived in the neighborhood. As it is, it's proving worth the trip when searching for a low key evening. It's a really cute little bar with a good amount of tables if you don't feel like crowding around the bar. All of the food I've gotten there has been perfectly edible, if not anything stellar (except for the sweet garlic chili chicken wings, good lord those were good!) Everything else was just all right. Not a huge fan of the fries, but that's a small quibble. They've got a nice beer list and some cool special events. We didn't even realize they were a) having a special sixtel event and b) tapping Pliny the Younger! until we walked in. At most places there would be an obnoxious crowd for that, but the space and the noise level both were very manageable. Beer prices are a BIT on the high side sometimes ($5.5 for a 13 oz pour of Allagash makes me raise my eyebrow just a bit) but the overall atmosphere, and the service (our waitress was very good about juggling our various beer orders at different times and humoring us when we weren't able to decide what to eat for a while) was worth it. All in all, it's a nice but still neighborhood-feeling bar that is perfect for a quiet but fun evening with friends.

    (4)
  • Martha N.

    I like coming here for a beer with friends, but the waitstaff is consistently inattentive and the food is bland. I went on a Friday afternoon (only because Sabrina's was closed due to electrical probs) and while the place was full, there were only two waitstaff. This means our server saw us to seat us, take our order, drop off our food and then to bring us our bill. This wouldn't have mattered except we needed some tartar sauce and lemon wedges. This leads me to our fish and chips. They were greasy and tasteless. It was a disappointing experience overall. Come here if you want a great beer, poor service and even worse food.

    (2)
  • Heather F.

    If you work near Logan Circle and are spending your lunch hour actually eating lunch, Kite and Key is a Yeah. We're talking quesadillas, salads, burgers and fried foods. Bar fare. Effective and efficient. We were in, fed and out in under an hour. The prices are reasonable and if you want to be outside, they have tables available. I've walked by a few times since and on weeknights the place is busy.

    (3)
  • Jess D.

    I've been here a couple times now, usually for happy hour and a bite to eat. The food is better than your average bar food. On my most recent visit, we went to happy hour on a Monday and the atmosphere was perfect-- not too loud and not too busy. However, our waitress was not as attentive as we would have liked. We had to ask for water a few times and my friend received her order wrong. I will definitely give this place another try when the weather gets better.

    (3)
  • Kelly G.

    Altho the waitress was super nice, it was a slow service lunch... and my food was borderline terrible... grilled veg open faced sandwich (in theory, soooo sooo good) but even the salad it came with was icky. Not a lot of veg options here. However 3 other people had excellent lunches there (ex: pulled pork). They do have a lot of TVs, all sports, if you like. So in conclusion, my food was blah & the service was sloow, but it was a cute clean cut bar, so I'd usually give 2.5 stars but.... they have the elusive exclusive chocolate brewed Yards porter on tap! So 3 stars it is.

    (3)
  • Steve M.

    Awesome Beer, Awesome Food, Awesome Service. This is my local hangout since we moved to Philadelphia.

    (5)
  • Nicholas A.

    They might have the best mussels in Philadelphia -- the thai chili mussels are GREAT. They have a good beer list -- I don't get down with beer much, but those that do seem satisfied. Go for the beer, stay for the food, and walk home because the neighborhood is GREAT!

    (4)
  • Andy C.

    This place was tons of fun. Small, intimate, and reasonably priced. Food was excellent. We had lunch and I got the steak sandwich. Tasty!

    (5)
  • Scott H.

    Cold food

    (2)
  • Jamie K.

    Great service, great food and beer. Had a variety of appetizers. Amazing burger, fries, mussels. Would definitely go again when we're in the area!

    (5)
  • Taylor H.

    Good beer selection, busy late at night, and dog friendly. Good stop on our vacation visiting friends in Philly. We did not eat here so I can't comment on the food but our friends love this place. Conveniently located near a park for the dogs.

    (4)
  • Flora T.

    One of the best veggie burgers I've eaten. You can tell they make it in-house. This is a nice neighborhood hangout.

    (4)
  • Don K.

    Just went here for the second time for brunch/lunch. It was pretty busy the last time we went but today there was plenty of open tables around lunch time. Great beer list that constantly changes. Food was excellent. I have tried both the chicken cutlet and steak sandwich. They allowed me to substitute a side salad that was very good size with tasty dressing for no extra charge. Overall a great spot to relax, have brunch/lunch, and throw down a few. Look forward to heading back soon.

    (4)
  • veronica c.

    i loved this place! had an amazing dinner of mussels in white sauce and some pizza... beer was great as well! Great service, very friendly people. Loved the atmosphere. Definitely going back soon to chill outside, now that it's getting warmer.

    (4)
  • Rachel H.

    Great beer selection. I've eaten here a few times for lunch/dinner and the food was decent, but not great for the price. It's a great location and the opening of the front windows' is awesome in the summer time - I'll totally keep going back for the beer and atmosphere.

    (3)
  • Robin S.

    I wasn't really thrilled with Kite & Key. I came here for brunch. It was a hot, muggy day in September and the ventilation was off (at least in the back of the restaurant) so not only was the air thick and hot but there were flies milling around our table. I ordered the standard breakfast (bacon, eggs, potatoes.) The potatoes were odd, they were maybe sort of like tater tots but with a strange after taste. The bacon and eggs were ok, nothing special by any stretch of the imagination. The wait was out of control. Considering we ordered nothing more complicated than a burger, it should not have taken nearly as long as it did. Of course the stifling heat didn't help. Maybe our experience was an anomaly but I would probably not go back. Two stars because our waitress was nice.

    (2)
  • Franco X.

    Yes I do like if for their beer selection, fine tv view, friendly beer servers,little above average for sandwhich, since that is only food I have had there. They must get rid of those looking bad shoe string fries and bring in some monster streak fries. Also make sure the fries are defrosted and cooked too. Also great when all doors are open and it is warm outside.

    (4)
  • Erik s.

    A pretty extensive beer list but no GUINNESS? Alright I will drink a Founders, but you lose half a star! and you lost another half star b/c your crab cake was all filler and no killer. And you lost a whole star b/c you had my hopes high when you had gravy cheese fries on your menu- yet you had the audacity to serve shoe string fries ?! But you had decent mussels.. whowhatafunk making mussel's buffalo style? You did Kite and cheers to that b/c adding blue cheese crumble and hot sauce to anything can only lead to good. Best mussels in the museum district- way better than Belgium Cafe's tasteless bowl of shelled shit, but not as tasty as Standard Tap's and Chickie and Pete's mussel and red sauce- which I could drink by the gallon. Their rendition of chili was interesting and pretty good- no beans and shredded meat. Overall a solid addition says I.

    (3)
  • Yea A.

    I was so excited when a new bar opened up right down the street from me, but that excitement fizzled the first night I spent there. Don't get me wrong -- the drinks are a good price, food is okay, but the crowd and the music make it a no-go for me. I've been numerous times b/c it's so close, and in the spring when the outdoor seating is open there have been patrons so drunk that they've come up to my table and hit on my in front of my husband. The jukebox is WAY too loud most of the time, playing crappy music, and the crowd can be very sports-bar douchey. It's a real shame, because on the nights where the jukebox isn't blaring bad music and the crowd is more chill I can see it's potential for being a great bar. I prefer Prohibition for my local pub -- bartenders are awesome, fabulous beer and bar menu and a chill location. They also have a jukebox and TVs but have figured out how to let them be in the background without overriding the ambiance.

    (1)
  • Payal P.

    Was here the night the Phillies phinally clenched the World Series! My friend and I got the last available table right in front of the tv's. It was great atmosphere and I definitely want to come back on a nice day and sit in the open-air room. Our server was super friendly and made sure we were never lacking anything. They have a great beer list and a lot of beers on tap - I tried 2 Belgium's - I remember one called Le Cheuffe which I really enjoyed. Also they have Golden Monkey is bottles, yesss! For food - decent - I got the nachos which were just ok, they used cheese whiz which I do not like and the chicken tasted spongy but they had a good avocado dip on it - it wasn't guacamole at all which is what they were trying to pass it off as...but the dip was prob the best part of the nachos. My friend enjoyed the crabcake sliders and the fries were phenomenal! Aside the nachos I'll def be back.

    (4)
  • Caroline C.

    The K&K is near my place of employment, so my coworkers and I have found ourselves there twice in the last month. We have tried both their regular and their Cajun french fries as well as the edamame. I was pleased to see that they had Magic Hat as well as the more fancy La Chouffe. Service outside is a little crazy, it was like our tables weren't assigned to one person, which meant that frequently one of the nice women would come by and ask us if we needed anything. This is good for a large group because we don't always drink at the same pace but, simultaneously, sometimes it's not that great to be checked up on so much.

    (3)
  • Andy M.

    Kite & Key is a friendly new pub without a lot of pretenses. Their beer list ranges from Yuengling to St. Bernadus, and they have a modest, but sufficient menu. So far, its a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

    (4)
  • Sarah R.

    Great beer and vibe, and the bar food is not bad either. I had the veggie burger which was surprisingly good. This is the kind of place that the girls will love to come with their boyfriend on a "laid back" date night to enjoy the open air, or to hang out with a bunch of friends and pound a few drinks.

    (4)
  • Liam K.

    Great place. Great seasonal menu. Great service. Very nice patio in summer time. great beer selection. This area needed this.

    (5)
  • Nat Z.

    fish tacos are a must. they have this cool sauce that they give you to put on it... we sat outside, which was nice, since it's pretty quiet. atmosphere outside (and in general) is pretty unpretentious. service was excellent and there was an excellent selection of beers on tap. they are a bit keen on the breading / frying thing....

    (4)
  • S. M.

    This place has an excellent beer list, and fabulous food. The dredged fries were the best I've ever had, bar none. The ambiance was casual, friendly, a very nice after work grown-up crowd. The staff was professional and friendly, also knowledgeable about their products. It's also located in a sweet residential neighborhood. I'll definitely go again on my next trip to Philly :)

    (5)
  • John D.

    What kind of restaurant dyes corn chips to make them "blue corn chips"? If you're hurting for a meal that will turn your poop a radiant blue, look no further than Kite & Key's nachos.

    (1)
  • jenny m.

    I was in town visiting staying at the nearby Embassy Suites and stumbled across this place. It was late on a Thursday and my sister & I were looking for somewhere to get some food & drinks. We turned the corner on to Calloway St and saw this place. It was really busy for 11 p.m. on a school night (good sign!) so we stopped in. My sister ordered the hummus and I got the fish tacos. I was pleasently surprised with the tacos. I was glad they didn't come lathered in cheese & sour cream, they actually had an interesting salsa verde sauce instead so they were somewhat healthy (a plus!). The hummus was pretty decent as well, up to par with some mediterranean places I've been. And I had my first Yuengling that night. Having grown up in the midwest and lived in Chicago for the past 8 years, I'd never even heard of this beer. Such a shame - it's a pretty tasty lager (I had many more over the course of the weekend!). And if I hadn't been on vacation with my parents & 7 yr old niece, I would have come back on Friday or Saturday to sit outside and drink more. I'm guessing this place gets somewhat lively on the weekends!

    (4)
  • Meems C.

    veggie burger.

    (5)
  • Dave F.

    A solid 'ol bar which has come on a lot in popularity since I first went there last year with some work people - food is your typical solid bar food fare, beer and wine are good too and it's well priced. Would go back again.

    (3)
  • Leah M.

    Good place for some food and drinks! It's a good place to watch sports and to hang out with some friends too! They're food is pretty good and the service was great. I'd recommend Kite and Key anyday!

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Kite & Key

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