Check out pics of the review here: cephood.blogspot.com/201… Zot was a one-of-a-kind place. We dropped in one night, complaining about a dinner service gone bad and were spontaneously greeted with Belgian beers and a trumpet mushroom, lobster & salsify risotto at the bar. So when we heard about Zot's unfortunate demise and the Headhouse Pub springing up in it's place, we had to stop in and see what was cooking. There have been a few stories covering this re-imagined space and they have mainly mentioned the concept of a beer-centric gastro-pub. Here's a pic of what we think the Headhouse does well...Asian inspired bar snacks. These are the porcupine shrimp, a shrimp ball chock with crunchy water chestnut & scallions and served with a creamy dipping sauce. The vermicelli poking out from the fried balls gave it the signature 'porcupine' aspect, but overall this is the kind of dish we were expecting...satisfying and delicious small plates. Alongside the shrimp, we ordered the fontina fritters. These were OK hot, but they quickly cooled into brownish doughballs that were unpleasantly greasy - Elizabeth enjoyed the accompanying cucumber slices & tomato creme fraiche dipping sauce more than the fritters themselves. Before we go further into the food menu, I will mention the beer menu. There were some great beers on the menu, however the number of hop-oriented selections were sparse...I counted only 2 of over a dozen beers on tap that could be considered 'hoppy' and 3 of the selections were decidedly in the 'fruit'/'sour' category, which creates some problems for hopheads ordering off the menu. The bottle menu was as deep as Zot's, so serious drinkers shouldn't be too worried...we eagerly drank up a bottle of Boon Gueuze that wasn't listed but proffered by the bartender when our request for gueuze lambic was placed with the waitress. However, this was the biggest disappointment of the evening...mussels. Early predictions of Headhouse were of a fear that a wide menu would lead to problems executing dishes. Mussels are kinda no-brainers in terms of a starting point, but I hate to say that these mussels were only mediocre and suffered from the pan-global concept. One bright spot? The fries. Delicious. Golden Brown. Crunchy. Bring 'em on. The 'Spanish' mussels, one of four varieties available, had chorizo...fresh Mexican style chorizo which lacked the punch of a good cured Spanish chorizo. This lackluster sausage left a broth that resembled chicken noodle soup - absent were any flavors of pimenton, paprika or the other spices normally associated with Spanish chorizo. I called this one Jewish Mother's mussels as it reminded me of a schmaltzy chicken noodle soup with mussels more so than it's namesake Spanish mussels. This oversight with ingredients, combined with so-so quality mussels ( undercooked and stringy - we sent 1/4 of the plate back because they were unopened/barely opened) leads me to believe that there is some room for improvement on this dish. To be fair, the table next to ours ordered the Asian mussels and was very pleased...more evidence than the pan-global reach of the menu may be a weakness of this kitchen. Although Elizabeth was full at this point, I wanted to be fair to the kitchen and test the final flavor profile advertised on the menu...Latin food. I ordered the pork carnitas with pineapple and cilantro. The pork itself was chopped and seasoned perfectly but overall it was a too dry. The creamy sauce didn't make up for the overall dry character of the pork. I can't help but wonder if the latest fad of Korean short rib tacos wouldn't be a better option on the menu in place of the carnitas? Stepping back from the food, the space itself was beautifully remodeled; we actually dined in the front room which, those of you that remember Zot, used to house the foozball tables. The service was very attentive. One thing I noticed was that with every beer order, the waitress was quick to offer a sample before the order was placed. I can see this being a great way to ramp casual beer drinkers up into the quality offerings on tap. Overall, I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't impressed either. It looks like the initial skepticism that I saw emerging about the kitchen may be well founded. To be fair, I saw several tables enjoying sandwiches and burgers, so there may be some better offerings towards that portion of the menu. I wish them luck and I look forward to the bar snacks, but I have some serious problems with the shotgun approach on the menu (calamari, fritters,satay,tacos,mussels, etc.). For now, this is a 'beer first' bar and I would skip it for any serious meals. Check out pics of the review here: cephood.blogspot.com/201…
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Zareen S.
Reviewing based on a dead Sunday night. My friend happens to work here and everyone else wanted to watch the Walking Dead [ not my thing] and apparently they show it every Sunday. I was starving and went for the Veggie Burger. The burger with the different veggie patty was pretty huge for$8 that came with fries, which were unbelievably delicious! The bar seemed pretty stocked but I just got a can of Yeungling, nothing exciting. Place is ok, just needs more life. Oh there was live music and for some reason i recieved a 10% discount after I checked in on Yelp with my Yelp App so yay!
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Tony M.
OMG. I don't normally write bad reviews, I believe everyone can have a different experience. BUT...we came here and listened to the "band" so a sound check for over an hour, and that was because 2 sushi rolls took over an hour to arrive. It is actually 1 hour and 15 minutes and alas, our sushi swam up to the table. Save yourself. Go somewhere else.
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Thommy S.
Amazing beer selection from all over the world- variety of food from sushi to falafel to calamari or even a burger... Starters are a great variety of delicious bites too! The spicy tuna is off the hook, Jolene recommended it and it proved worthy- will be back here for food again! You will too...
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Karen B.
this is a combination review for the bar as well as the sushi-making classes hosted there by madame saito, who owns this space as well as the restaurant next door. things to know if you enroll in a class: 1.) running late? don't fret. you'll spend the first 45 minutes sitting at the bar anyway -- nothing will be set up on time. 2.) expect to pay an arm and a leg for beers, even though the pours are not generous. today i ordered one stoudt's ipa and one troegs pils, and before tip, i dropped $17 (and the glasses were smaller than pints). the draft list is great, but what's with the NYC prices? 3.) the class itself is fun and interactive, and you make a ton of sushi. go hungry. and bring tupperware for leftovers. 4.) don't overbook yourself the day you take the class -- you will not finish on time. madame saito has quite the 'tude and kept us laughing for hours, and the fish was high quality. a good date idea. beware if you have a shellfish allergy -- she does a tempura shrimp demo, but you can skip that ingredient in your own concoctions if needed. ok, got all that? the nutshell: fun, expensive and not very punctual.
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Jill R.
I have not eaten here so I cannot speak of the food. But I had a really good experience at the bar on Saturday night. The bartender Aida was super nice and a lot of fun to hang out with. She knew the beers very well and was good with suggestions. It was a fun atmosphere with good beers. They have a lot of local art up which was really cool - and they are looking for more so contact them if you are an artist looking to show some work. I will definitely stop in again next time I am in the area.
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Jared S.
just terrible
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Zita J.
I'm going easy on this place because I didn't survey other menu items but the nachos were horrible: dry with guacamole on the bottom instead of on top of the nachos. Total let down. The decor is meh and it took forever for our food to get done then again I went on a Saturday night when it probably functions mainly as a bar.
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Liz P.
It took me a year of living around the corner before I finally wandered in but boy am I glad I did! There's something about the dark but warm feeling of the front bar that appealed to me. They had great beers on tap and the bartender was extremely personable but in a laid back, sincere sort of way, not overbearing at all. The tv's looked to be good for sport watching and there looks to be regular entertainment at night. The only thing that held me back from a 5 star review was the sushi that I got for take out. The fact that there is sushi in a bar is amazing but I found the rolls to be pretty bland. I guess the next time I go back I'll just have to try something a little more standard on the menu.
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S P.
We tried this restaurant because we had a coupon to use and to our surprise, it is operated by Japanese individuals. So we thought it was a winner! Upon arrival, the restaurant was empty with just a few people sitting for a "sushi class." We were directed to another room which was the actual "Japanese Restaurant." The servers were friendly and the sushi was very good. However, there were significant flaws. 1) The restaurant was not busy and perhaps was a sign that it is in the brink of shutting down. 2) It took forever just to get our orders, serve our food, and checkout. 3) Worst of all, upon checking out, we handed a Discover credit card. The server came back after 5 minutes stating that they don't accept Discover. We offered to use a Mastercard instead. The server then made excuses that since we were using a coupon, they are unable to take the discount off the total bill using a credit card which is, to our knowledge, completely inaccurate. So, the server insisted on us paying cash just because she saw cash while we were getting the credit card out from the wallet. We ended up paying cash for a total of $46 and to make it even more insulting, she returned $1 stating: "Here's a dollar for a discount." The total bill also included an automatic 18% gratuity which the server placed for 2 people. I think gratuity for 2 people should be left for the customers to figure out. It would be different if it was a large group. - We left infuriated and disappointed. With this kind of attitude and treatment towards customers, I am certain that this establishment will not last long.
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Natalie B.
This is a review for the sushi class offered by Madame Saito. I called a few days ago and booked a class from 1-3 PM. She explained that they take down our credit card information for the reservation, but we'll pay $30 in cash for the class. They'll charge our cards if we don't show up. It's strange that they can't just charge the card to begin with, but I was fine with it. She told me to bring a knife to cut the sushi and some tupperware for leftovers. My boyfriend and I showed up at around 1, signed in, and paid. We saw a few people go to the ATM because they weren't told they had to pay in cash. Around 1:10 or 1:15, a woman walked in with her 2 children, as well as someone from a local news station. I was surprised that there were going to be children in the class, but it wasn't a big deal. The local news station wanted to film the children making sushi. Madame Saito told her that the class would start at 2. When the news lady said that she was told that it started at 1, Madame Saito did a 180 and said, "Oh, right! Yes, 1 PM!". She told one of her employees to seat the children in the front and everyone else in the back. At around 1:20, we were finally invited to sit down in the next room. It was a long room of 3 tables, seating 8 each. The children and their parents filled about half the seats, and my boyfriend and I sat at the other end (the back). Each person had their set of sushi "tools" (rolling mat, damp cloth, bowl of water), but none of the ingredients were out yet. Madame Saito stood at one end of the long room and started teaching. I heard her short introduction just fine, but once she actually started talking about how to put the roll together, I couldn't hear or see what she was doing at all, not even when I stood up to look over the other tables. One waiter brought the ingredients out one by one. It was completely inefficient. First he gave every table but ours nori, brought out bowls of rice, and then went around and gave everyone a slice of cucumber. Why couldn't these ingredients be set out ahead of time? Madame Saito did not give our table a second glance because she was too focused on teaching the kids for the camera. At that point, I had enough. I asked for our money back because it was 1:40, and it was apparent that our table wasn't a priority. Madame Saito quickly said that we would start now and scurried off. When she came back, I asked her again for a refund, explaining that the class started late and that we really had to be done by 3 to leave for something else. She said we could be done in an hour, but why schedule a class for 2 hours if it only takes 1? She explained that the filming made us late, but when I didn't accept that, she said she didn't know they were coming. I find it hard to believe that you don't know the news is going to feature your restaurant. Finally, she tried to get me to forgive the tardiness "for the children", as if she were running some kind of charity (the children's tickets were $30 as well). It also really irritated me that she kept walking away during our conversation even though we clearly did not come to a consensus. I eventually did get my money back, and I will be watching my credit card bill very carefully. The children and filming didn't bother me. It's that she used them as excuses to blow off our table. Madame Saito did not tell me that they would be filming that day. If I had known that she was going to teach and film other people from 1-2 and that the rest of us wouldn't really start our class until nearly an hour after the scheduled time, I would've have booked a different session. I understand that having her class filmed is great exposure for her, but she shouldn't let it affect the quality of the experience. If there are too many people in the class to be able to pay attention to them all, it's as simple as standing in the middle of the room to teach, making the class smaller, or hiring an assistant. Bottom line, this was a complete waste of time and really disorganized. Madame Saito's confusion/lies/whatever left an awful impression. I did not sign up to watch other people make sushi.
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Ryan D.
Remember when this was your Saturday karaoke spot? Then you walk in and it's really terrible country? I like country, and this was horrendous. They killed the karaoke and moved to something else. Terrible and not fun. There's really no other draw.
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Khanh V.
Not sure what's up with the bad reviews, but initial experiences at HeadHouse was a positive one. I come here mainly on Saturday nights when they have free karaoke by Dr. Thunder from 9 PM to 1:30 AM. Karaoke comes with costumes for dressing up. And Dr. Thunder likes to strip half way and into his shorts and knee high socks. Bartenders were friendly, service was good. I tried a few things on the food menu and it was good as well. Overall, I like the vibe on Saturday nights for karaoke. My friends and I come out, sing together and have lots of fun. However, I had to lower down my ratings to 2 stars because of the poor customer service by the owners. I came in with Restaurant.com certificate and was turned down because the owner claimed she never signed up for it and could not honor it. She claims she would not make any money by it. Then I attempted to used Yelp 10% off and was also turned down. After a lot of talk she decided to give me the 10% off. I called Restaurant.com and was refunded. They said they will contact the restaurant to find out what is going on, but the place is under contract. *Shrug* Very recently, I came back for karaoke with people from Meetup.com and was told that there is a minimum of one drink in order to occupy the space. I told her we were going to order food and drinks anyway. (But the way we were dealt with makes us didn't want to order anything at all and just leave, but people were still on their way and we didn't want to complicate the matter by switching location). The owner said she rather not have anybody than a group of people who come and only drink water, because she would then have to pay the bartender guy when not many order drinks. I understand her point of view, but her vision is quite narrow minded and not long term at all. If people come and enjoy their time they will come back, bring friends and recommend the space. It is about getting the name out and promoting the business. But the lady is focused on losing money on water, toilet paper and etc. It is sad because the food is not bad, the space is good and karaoke on Saturday night is awesome with the crowd but management needs to take business 101.
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Thad H.
While the sushi was decent, we found the Duck Dynasty on TV, Motown hits blasting from the speakers and the mouthy South Jersey bar keep a bit inconsistent with the dinning ecstatic one would expect at the price point. The bar was ice cold, and the only other patron seemed to be the bar keep's significant other. Headhouse also has a craft beer selection you can find in many other places.
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Katrina C.
I so want to give you 4 stars. The beer list is great (though it doesn't seem to change very often). They hold roller derby events with beer specials, which is awesome. The bartender Aida is fantastic. And the sushi? It is great! It tastes good, is at good prices, and is neatly rolled and looks pretty! What is better than a place with great beer and great sushi? I was almost in heaven. Then - it took me 30 minutes to get my bill and pay. The other bartender (not Aida), was supposed to put two beers on my sister's card and the rest on mine. Seriously, it took this chick 30 MINUTES to split the check and bring us our slips to sign. It was NOT busy AT ALL. So I had to subtract a star, which is unfortunate. Hopefully I will go back and have a better experience so I can update it and add a star.
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Lauren H.
Stopped in here on a Thursday night for a late snack and to catch the end of the Celtics/Lakers game. Headhouse has not one but two generously-sized bars so we easily grabbed two barstools in the back. There were also a few high tops in the rear bar area, which I liked - made the room feel a bit more social than the front. My friend and I split a large order (a kilo to be exact) of the Belgian mussels and an order of the sweet potato fries. Both were completely serviceable, though I had a sneaking suspicion that both were mildly undercooked. However, the dipping sauce/mayo concoction that came with the fries was dangerously addictive. I ate way more fries than was healthy simply to have a vehicle for this spicy sauce. The beer list (or book rather) was extensive with good draft selections. The staff behind the bar were pleasant and attentive. There seemed to be an absence of any real design plan in the look and feel of the place. The establishment was a little sparse, even when the dinner patrons were still seated. I'd like to see the place warmed up a bit - it felt way to "clean" for a pub. But, as it's rather new, I imagine there are a few things still being worked out, so I'll give it some time and try it again.
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Sandrine F.
So technically it's still open, although it didn't appear that way when we walked in on a friday night at 7:00. The place was empty, the bartender was sitting at the bar and Madame from le Champignon de Tokio next door greeted us in. .... mmmhhh ..... we considered leaving but then again it was nice to have the place to ourselves so we stuck around. So the beer list is still here: 244 bottles but only 4 drafts (local only). If you want food, you'll have the option of a sushi menu, obviously from next door, or a typical bar food menu, think chicken wings. I enjoyed the River Horse Double Wit for $5. You definitely can't beat the beer selection, especially in that part of town. But don't expect a lively vibe. Perfect if you want to get a respite from South Street, enjoy a good beer, and focus on nice conversation with the rest of your party. Happy Hour is 4:30-6:30pm
This place is hidden and just a block away from the chaos that ensues on South Street, which I think is a good thing. Their sushi selection is delicious and affordable, plus their staff is friendly! The thing I like the most about this place, is the spacious dance floor upstairs. I can't say how their alcoholic drink selection is, since I rarely drink, but my friends aren't complaining! My only objections are finding free parking nearby is a real headache and the person who's in charge of booking events has a tendency to double book. Pros: Affordable and delicious sushi selection, friendly staff and owner, location is away from South Street, nice artwork hanging on the bottom floor and has a spacious dance floor. Cons: Parking is a hassle and double booking.
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Jon D.
Since I first heard about plans for The HeadHouse - a new gastropub on Headhouse Square - I have eagerly awaited its opening. So when I landed there on their second night of business, my hopes were high. The seafood chowder was absolutely delicious and the calamari with curry mayo was tasty and perfectly cooked (though small), but the nicoise salad was a let-down, very plain and with overcooked tuna. The flaccid sweet potato fries left me hanging too. The beer list on the other hand was fantastic. Extensive, reasonable and best of all, intuitively organized into styles. The beer list is what will keep me going back. If this place works out the opening kinks, it'll be a great mainstay of the neighborhood.
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Judy R.
I like this place. They are clearly trying. I came here for an acoustic show for my friend's roommate, so I had a great time (we hadn't seen each other in a good while). They had a great beer list, and the food selection (though I did not order any) was actually very diverse, and looked delicious. There are a few things that turned me off. The girls behind the bar were sweet, but the signs taped behind them weren't. "I get paid $2.83 an hour... PLEASE TIP!". I am a server myself, and I get paid the same amount. It is an unspoken truth that we work for tips, but I'm pretty sure most people know that (some people know, but don't care). If you ask me, it just seems kind of classless. I think guests that don't know would likely feel the same way, and that might make them less inclined to tip well anyway. If you want excellent tips, give excellent service. And know that some people won't tip you regardless, because they're big cheap jerks. It's not a matter of people not knowing how much you get paid- it's people who are rude and don't care about somebody who works their ass off to please you and give you a great experience. (/rant) Otherwise, the place could use some better ambiance and decorating. The local art is kind of cool, but there's an entire blank wall on the left side. The round tables are a tad awkward, too. I don't know, there's just too much space. I think they should add some comfy looking couches with coffee tables. The HeadHouse has potential, but it's not quite there yet.
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Karen T.
Been here twice now after reading the reviews/notices in the Inquirer. Once on Sunday for what I thought was going to be lunch and turned out to be brunch (lunch menu isn't available) and once on Saturday for lunch. Beers were different each time, and covered interesting variety. Some were not ones that I have seen in other pubs around, or if I did they weren't common. That said, while they didn't have a ton of taps, it was a nice mix of stuff I had never heard off/was going to try and things I could fall back on. Examples of things I've had were Winterhur Spring Wheat (I believe a Delaware beer) and O'Reillys Stoudt most recently. I am hoping for their sake that business picks up. Both times we went it was pretty empty in there. The bartenders could not have been nicer, attentive, friendly, but not in your face/tripping over you. Food wise, lunch was pretty good. Interesting spice on the fries that we ordered as an app; not the best fries in the city, but not too shaby. Also ordered the chicken and beef satay, which were very tasty; the beef were really good, and the chicken also had a different spice, typically they can be plain and you use the dipping sauce to increase the flavor, but that wasn't the case here. We also had the chicken schwarma, which looked like a vietnamese hoagie almost, and was also pretty good. Brunch on the other hand wasn't so hot. It may have been since it was the first time (from what it sounded with the server), but eggs weren't really cooked that well, lettuce got brown, etc. Maybe they are still developing it, but right now I would stick to lunch and dinner here. Overall, a nice change of pace from that neck of the woods (right off of headhouse on a quiet street). I will try other new places in the meantime, but I would go back again.
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K H.
So! I came here the other night to see a band that my friend was in. I first went on to HeadHouse's website to see if I could find a time for the show. There was no schedule or listing for any events except a long past sushi contest of some sort. I didn't think that was so big of a deal, I could find out the time from my friend. Upon a friend and I's arrival, we passed a sushi place (which wasn't HeadHouse but somehow is linked?) with a bunch of people sitting on the steps. We asked where HeadHouse was and they told us next door, up the stairs. So we headed in and found that the whole place was totally empty, both downstairs and upstairs (which was hard to navigate, it was a pitch black stairwell). Turns out it was the HeadHouse staff sitting outside on the steps, and none of them bothered to come in despite directing us inside. We were a bit early so we left for a while and returned closer to the show's start time. We headed back up the stairs and found ourselves in a very oddly decorated dining room/kid's art room/venue/bathroom bar. The bar itself is interesting, has a modified bathroom with the bath tub as a sink and beer taps on a pipe. That was cool. The rest of the place though, had pretty awful lighting (fluorescent lights), a ceiling that sloped steadily downwards toward the back, weird colors painted on the wall, and what appeared to be children's art work scattered on the walls of a dark corner. There were dining tables with dark table cloths as if it were some sort of Italian restaurant, and upon them crinkled neon printed paper menus that had long lived past their prime. Somehow, they serve sushi here as well. Anyhow, I was talking to some people who were there and one guy enthusiastically asked me if I was here to see the band. Yes! I was! "Right as I left my post! Come with me!" He says. Apparently there was a cover charge for the show, and he was collecting money for it, and he missed me and my friend because he was walking around the room. Cover? For a show that wasn't even posted on their website? Also, for a band that isn't being paid for the gig? This is getting quite long so I'll sum up the rest. The band and the gig following them were delayed because there was no sound man. There was no management or organization of the show whatsoever, it was on the band themselves to take care of it and do their own sound checks. The drinks menu was expensive. On the stage, which there are number spot lights shining on (a good thing), someone had the really interesting idea of putting a large mirror in the back (a terrible idea) which caused the spot lights to be reflected straight into the audience, blinding us. The bathroom door to the ladies' room was stuck and I nearly had to kick it open. The floor was wet in there, the sink had a mysterious black substance in it. The trash can lid was broken as well. Seriously. So, basically, the place doesn't seem to know what kind of restaurant/bar/venue or whatever, it is. It's staff is far too laid back, it seems like they're just a group of friends hanging out and probably were hired by knowing someone rather than for their qualifications. The prices are over ambitious for its poor decor and management. It's just really not well thought out. It's unfortunate because it's in a pretty good location, and I imagine that it has expensive rent, it just seems that whoever runs it doesn't have the eye for design or the discipline for good management.
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Kathy D.
#NAME?
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Kevin J.
Live music in this city is so badly needed. Long after grape street was forced to downsize, and Khyber and Triumph both went out of that sort of business, there are few viable options left and I am still hopeful that the landscape will innovate or at least maintain. It would be excellent to see this place make its own name despite where it is right now. The $20 minimum for credit and guaranteed 20% gratuity may be a slight turnoff to people who like to feel generously if and when buying big meals and tipping 20% or more. Some bar folk just want to have fries and a coke now and again because they already had a meal. These food/drink minimums would make sense at a crowded, hip scene to make room for paying dinner customers. However, I get easily disgusted by places that have to make up standards like this without inforcing them with a little more effort and class, like why not let the food dictate who buys it and in what quantity? As for the food, it was nothing unexpected for a place that enforces such minimum buys in order to cover fees. This tells me they either forsee a problem with split checks that may be discouraged, or that they have no confidemce anyone could want to buy the fopd if not for a little incemtive. If it were all good enough, I wouldn't need any unwelcome pressures to double up on my appetizer orders, or maybe even ask a few friends to sit with me under the drippy dark wooden roof and run up a tab as we listen to occasional open mic talent, and back bar talk that seeks to drown it out, rather than to respect it for whatever merits it was brought in for, if none other than it maybe being available for cheap, and a good outlet for getting in new customers to try a place they have never heard of because its food has no reputation of its own. In fact, the manager on duty was the one making the most noise because she had brought her own friends in and tended to them and texting on her phone primarily, instead of summary duties tending the bar and supervising. It was unclear whether she was texting for work or home but either way her focus wasn't in comllete customer satisfaction. She also seemed aloof and disappeared much, leaving a food runner to pour drinks and ring tabs, despite appearing to lack familiarity with the system. Still, I like the concept of a Philly amateur music scene and as this one has two floors, dedicated to the music, I won't root against it. I just wish the food and service could be more of an attraction here, for those who are paying a full price, 20% gratuity and all. Restauranteurs must understand that a dessert menu, coffee, entree or drink specials, bottles, and appetizers are what drives volume. Not headcounts and minimum spends. 2.5 stars... could get 3 from me if they had a dessert memu or could do away with the automatic gratuity that they assume is being earned instead of letting the work speak for itself.
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Hannah D.
I have to say that given the other yelp reviews, my expectations were low going in. Overall, the experience was pretty much what I had expected from other reviews. Headhouse is a good place for a group event, which is what we used it for, as long as you are ok with a bit slower service. The atmosphere was excellent and we got our own area. Given that there weren't many people in the restaurant part, we really had a run of the place. Pros: Great beer selection, discount for large group, fairly good food, cool ambiance, ample street parking Cons: Slow service, spacey wait staff, not very attentive (which was odd given the lack of patrons) Not sure that I would choose to come here over some of the other bars in the area, but it accommodated the group of our size easily.
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Stephen L.
The wait staff/bartenders were terrible! I was at HeadHouse on Friday night for an art show where my fiance' had a table set up in the back bar. After helping her set up, I went to the bar to order 2 beers and food. The bar was fairly crowded, but should have been more than manageable for the 3 bartenders in the back bar. After waiting for nearly 10 minutes, an unenthusiastic bartender finally took my order. He proceeded to then turn his back and stare at the order monitor for a good 3-4 minute. After another few minutes he informed me that the meal I ordered was not available, so I asked for something else. Meanwhile, he STILL did not get my beers. After another few minutes, he told me the beer I ordered was not available. Frustrated, I said that they need to update their menu and as I was about to order a different beer he simply walked away. Another bartender saw my frustration and got me a beer immediately at no charge. 45 minutes later, our meals were still not brought out. After another excruciating 10 minutes sitting at the bar, I finally got the original bartender's attention and he then informed me that he never put my meal order in. Frustrated, I walked out and got a sandwich at Wawa. Meanwhile, my fiance ordered chicken tacos.....after 30 minutes they still did not arrive. Finally they brought out fish tacos! Frustrated she took them and I refused to order anything else the entire night. The bartender was so clueless that he never came around to ask for anything else or bring us a check, so we simply walked out.
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Rebecca S.
i want to give this place four stars, but i'm giving it three. the reason you ask?? because we literally waited AN HOUR for our food. yes, we had a party of eight. but it was 5:15 on a saturday and all the other patrons were sitting at the bar drinking. our waitress told us they had a small kitchen and two cooks when we questioned it. but, the food was worth the wait. pad thai...yum. sushi...yum. fried polenta came out kinda mushy...yet great in a cheesy cream sauce so i'm not complaining. amazing beer selection (though they were out of the one my brother wanted). clean place with a cool vibe ( it was a little too dark actually). i do find it kinda odd that they have sushi, pad thai, burgers and fish tacos on the same menu.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Validated Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Music : DJ, Live Good For Dancing : Yes Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Chris B.
Check out pics of the review here: cephood.blogspot.com/201… Zot was a one-of-a-kind place. We dropped in one night, complaining about a dinner service gone bad and were spontaneously greeted with Belgian beers and a trumpet mushroom, lobster & salsify risotto at the bar. So when we heard about Zot's unfortunate demise and the Headhouse Pub springing up in it's place, we had to stop in and see what was cooking. There have been a few stories covering this re-imagined space and they have mainly mentioned the concept of a beer-centric gastro-pub. Here's a pic of what we think the Headhouse does well...Asian inspired bar snacks. These are the porcupine shrimp, a shrimp ball chock with crunchy water chestnut & scallions and served with a creamy dipping sauce. The vermicelli poking out from the fried balls gave it the signature 'porcupine' aspect, but overall this is the kind of dish we were expecting...satisfying and delicious small plates. Alongside the shrimp, we ordered the fontina fritters. These were OK hot, but they quickly cooled into brownish doughballs that were unpleasantly greasy - Elizabeth enjoyed the accompanying cucumber slices & tomato creme fraiche dipping sauce more than the fritters themselves. Before we go further into the food menu, I will mention the beer menu. There were some great beers on the menu, however the number of hop-oriented selections were sparse...I counted only 2 of over a dozen beers on tap that could be considered 'hoppy' and 3 of the selections were decidedly in the 'fruit'/'sour' category, which creates some problems for hopheads ordering off the menu. The bottle menu was as deep as Zot's, so serious drinkers shouldn't be too worried...we eagerly drank up a bottle of Boon Gueuze that wasn't listed but proffered by the bartender when our request for gueuze lambic was placed with the waitress. However, this was the biggest disappointment of the evening...mussels. Early predictions of Headhouse were of a fear that a wide menu would lead to problems executing dishes. Mussels are kinda no-brainers in terms of a starting point, but I hate to say that these mussels were only mediocre and suffered from the pan-global concept. One bright spot? The fries. Delicious. Golden Brown. Crunchy. Bring 'em on. The 'Spanish' mussels, one of four varieties available, had chorizo...fresh Mexican style chorizo which lacked the punch of a good cured Spanish chorizo. This lackluster sausage left a broth that resembled chicken noodle soup - absent were any flavors of pimenton, paprika or the other spices normally associated with Spanish chorizo. I called this one Jewish Mother's mussels as it reminded me of a schmaltzy chicken noodle soup with mussels more so than it's namesake Spanish mussels. This oversight with ingredients, combined with so-so quality mussels ( undercooked and stringy - we sent 1/4 of the plate back because they were unopened/barely opened) leads me to believe that there is some room for improvement on this dish. To be fair, the table next to ours ordered the Asian mussels and was very pleased...more evidence than the pan-global reach of the menu may be a weakness of this kitchen. Although Elizabeth was full at this point, I wanted to be fair to the kitchen and test the final flavor profile advertised on the menu...Latin food. I ordered the pork carnitas with pineapple and cilantro. The pork itself was chopped and seasoned perfectly but overall it was a too dry. The creamy sauce didn't make up for the overall dry character of the pork. I can't help but wonder if the latest fad of Korean short rib tacos wouldn't be a better option on the menu in place of the carnitas? Stepping back from the food, the space itself was beautifully remodeled; we actually dined in the front room which, those of you that remember Zot, used to house the foozball tables. The service was very attentive. One thing I noticed was that with every beer order, the waitress was quick to offer a sample before the order was placed. I can see this being a great way to ramp casual beer drinkers up into the quality offerings on tap. Overall, I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't impressed either. It looks like the initial skepticism that I saw emerging about the kitchen may be well founded. To be fair, I saw several tables enjoying sandwiches and burgers, so there may be some better offerings towards that portion of the menu. I wish them luck and I look forward to the bar snacks, but I have some serious problems with the shotgun approach on the menu (calamari, fritters,satay,tacos,mussels, etc.). For now, this is a 'beer first' bar and I would skip it for any serious meals. Check out pics of the review here: cephood.blogspot.com/201…
(2)Zareen S.
Reviewing based on a dead Sunday night. My friend happens to work here and everyone else wanted to watch the Walking Dead [ not my thing] and apparently they show it every Sunday. I was starving and went for the Veggie Burger. The burger with the different veggie patty was pretty huge for$8 that came with fries, which were unbelievably delicious! The bar seemed pretty stocked but I just got a can of Yeungling, nothing exciting. Place is ok, just needs more life. Oh there was live music and for some reason i recieved a 10% discount after I checked in on Yelp with my Yelp App so yay!
(3)Tony M.
OMG. I don't normally write bad reviews, I believe everyone can have a different experience. BUT...we came here and listened to the "band" so a sound check for over an hour, and that was because 2 sushi rolls took over an hour to arrive. It is actually 1 hour and 15 minutes and alas, our sushi swam up to the table. Save yourself. Go somewhere else.
(1)Thommy S.
Amazing beer selection from all over the world- variety of food from sushi to falafel to calamari or even a burger... Starters are a great variety of delicious bites too! The spicy tuna is off the hook, Jolene recommended it and it proved worthy- will be back here for food again! You will too...
(5)Karen B.
this is a combination review for the bar as well as the sushi-making classes hosted there by madame saito, who owns this space as well as the restaurant next door. things to know if you enroll in a class: 1.) running late? don't fret. you'll spend the first 45 minutes sitting at the bar anyway -- nothing will be set up on time. 2.) expect to pay an arm and a leg for beers, even though the pours are not generous. today i ordered one stoudt's ipa and one troegs pils, and before tip, i dropped $17 (and the glasses were smaller than pints). the draft list is great, but what's with the NYC prices? 3.) the class itself is fun and interactive, and you make a ton of sushi. go hungry. and bring tupperware for leftovers. 4.) don't overbook yourself the day you take the class -- you will not finish on time. madame saito has quite the 'tude and kept us laughing for hours, and the fish was high quality. a good date idea. beware if you have a shellfish allergy -- she does a tempura shrimp demo, but you can skip that ingredient in your own concoctions if needed. ok, got all that? the nutshell: fun, expensive and not very punctual.
(3)Jill R.
I have not eaten here so I cannot speak of the food. But I had a really good experience at the bar on Saturday night. The bartender Aida was super nice and a lot of fun to hang out with. She knew the beers very well and was good with suggestions. It was a fun atmosphere with good beers. They have a lot of local art up which was really cool - and they are looking for more so contact them if you are an artist looking to show some work. I will definitely stop in again next time I am in the area.
(4)Jared S.
just terrible
(1)Zita J.
I'm going easy on this place because I didn't survey other menu items but the nachos were horrible: dry with guacamole on the bottom instead of on top of the nachos. Total let down. The decor is meh and it took forever for our food to get done then again I went on a Saturday night when it probably functions mainly as a bar.
(3)Liz P.
It took me a year of living around the corner before I finally wandered in but boy am I glad I did! There's something about the dark but warm feeling of the front bar that appealed to me. They had great beers on tap and the bartender was extremely personable but in a laid back, sincere sort of way, not overbearing at all. The tv's looked to be good for sport watching and there looks to be regular entertainment at night. The only thing that held me back from a 5 star review was the sushi that I got for take out. The fact that there is sushi in a bar is amazing but I found the rolls to be pretty bland. I guess the next time I go back I'll just have to try something a little more standard on the menu.
(4)S P.
We tried this restaurant because we had a coupon to use and to our surprise, it is operated by Japanese individuals. So we thought it was a winner! Upon arrival, the restaurant was empty with just a few people sitting for a "sushi class." We were directed to another room which was the actual "Japanese Restaurant." The servers were friendly and the sushi was very good. However, there were significant flaws. 1) The restaurant was not busy and perhaps was a sign that it is in the brink of shutting down. 2) It took forever just to get our orders, serve our food, and checkout. 3) Worst of all, upon checking out, we handed a Discover credit card. The server came back after 5 minutes stating that they don't accept Discover. We offered to use a Mastercard instead. The server then made excuses that since we were using a coupon, they are unable to take the discount off the total bill using a credit card which is, to our knowledge, completely inaccurate. So, the server insisted on us paying cash just because she saw cash while we were getting the credit card out from the wallet. We ended up paying cash for a total of $46 and to make it even more insulting, she returned $1 stating: "Here's a dollar for a discount." The total bill also included an automatic 18% gratuity which the server placed for 2 people. I think gratuity for 2 people should be left for the customers to figure out. It would be different if it was a large group. - We left infuriated and disappointed. With this kind of attitude and treatment towards customers, I am certain that this establishment will not last long.
(1)Natalie B.
This is a review for the sushi class offered by Madame Saito. I called a few days ago and booked a class from 1-3 PM. She explained that they take down our credit card information for the reservation, but we'll pay $30 in cash for the class. They'll charge our cards if we don't show up. It's strange that they can't just charge the card to begin with, but I was fine with it. She told me to bring a knife to cut the sushi and some tupperware for leftovers. My boyfriend and I showed up at around 1, signed in, and paid. We saw a few people go to the ATM because they weren't told they had to pay in cash. Around 1:10 or 1:15, a woman walked in with her 2 children, as well as someone from a local news station. I was surprised that there were going to be children in the class, but it wasn't a big deal. The local news station wanted to film the children making sushi. Madame Saito told her that the class would start at 2. When the news lady said that she was told that it started at 1, Madame Saito did a 180 and said, "Oh, right! Yes, 1 PM!". She told one of her employees to seat the children in the front and everyone else in the back. At around 1:20, we were finally invited to sit down in the next room. It was a long room of 3 tables, seating 8 each. The children and their parents filled about half the seats, and my boyfriend and I sat at the other end (the back). Each person had their set of sushi "tools" (rolling mat, damp cloth, bowl of water), but none of the ingredients were out yet. Madame Saito stood at one end of the long room and started teaching. I heard her short introduction just fine, but once she actually started talking about how to put the roll together, I couldn't hear or see what she was doing at all, not even when I stood up to look over the other tables. One waiter brought the ingredients out one by one. It was completely inefficient. First he gave every table but ours nori, brought out bowls of rice, and then went around and gave everyone a slice of cucumber. Why couldn't these ingredients be set out ahead of time? Madame Saito did not give our table a second glance because she was too focused on teaching the kids for the camera. At that point, I had enough. I asked for our money back because it was 1:40, and it was apparent that our table wasn't a priority. Madame Saito quickly said that we would start now and scurried off. When she came back, I asked her again for a refund, explaining that the class started late and that we really had to be done by 3 to leave for something else. She said we could be done in an hour, but why schedule a class for 2 hours if it only takes 1? She explained that the filming made us late, but when I didn't accept that, she said she didn't know they were coming. I find it hard to believe that you don't know the news is going to feature your restaurant. Finally, she tried to get me to forgive the tardiness "for the children", as if she were running some kind of charity (the children's tickets were $30 as well). It also really irritated me that she kept walking away during our conversation even though we clearly did not come to a consensus. I eventually did get my money back, and I will be watching my credit card bill very carefully. The children and filming didn't bother me. It's that she used them as excuses to blow off our table. Madame Saito did not tell me that they would be filming that day. If I had known that she was going to teach and film other people from 1-2 and that the rest of us wouldn't really start our class until nearly an hour after the scheduled time, I would've have booked a different session. I understand that having her class filmed is great exposure for her, but she shouldn't let it affect the quality of the experience. If there are too many people in the class to be able to pay attention to them all, it's as simple as standing in the middle of the room to teach, making the class smaller, or hiring an assistant. Bottom line, this was a complete waste of time and really disorganized. Madame Saito's confusion/lies/whatever left an awful impression. I did not sign up to watch other people make sushi.
(1)Ryan D.
Remember when this was your Saturday karaoke spot? Then you walk in and it's really terrible country? I like country, and this was horrendous. They killed the karaoke and moved to something else. Terrible and not fun. There's really no other draw.
(1)Khanh V.
Not sure what's up with the bad reviews, but initial experiences at HeadHouse was a positive one. I come here mainly on Saturday nights when they have free karaoke by Dr. Thunder from 9 PM to 1:30 AM. Karaoke comes with costumes for dressing up. And Dr. Thunder likes to strip half way and into his shorts and knee high socks. Bartenders were friendly, service was good. I tried a few things on the food menu and it was good as well. Overall, I like the vibe on Saturday nights for karaoke. My friends and I come out, sing together and have lots of fun. However, I had to lower down my ratings to 2 stars because of the poor customer service by the owners. I came in with Restaurant.com certificate and was turned down because the owner claimed she never signed up for it and could not honor it. She claims she would not make any money by it. Then I attempted to used Yelp 10% off and was also turned down. After a lot of talk she decided to give me the 10% off. I called Restaurant.com and was refunded. They said they will contact the restaurant to find out what is going on, but the place is under contract. *Shrug* Very recently, I came back for karaoke with people from Meetup.com and was told that there is a minimum of one drink in order to occupy the space. I told her we were going to order food and drinks anyway. (But the way we were dealt with makes us didn't want to order anything at all and just leave, but people were still on their way and we didn't want to complicate the matter by switching location). The owner said she rather not have anybody than a group of people who come and only drink water, because she would then have to pay the bartender guy when not many order drinks. I understand her point of view, but her vision is quite narrow minded and not long term at all. If people come and enjoy their time they will come back, bring friends and recommend the space. It is about getting the name out and promoting the business. But the lady is focused on losing money on water, toilet paper and etc. It is sad because the food is not bad, the space is good and karaoke on Saturday night is awesome with the crowd but management needs to take business 101.
(2)Thad H.
While the sushi was decent, we found the Duck Dynasty on TV, Motown hits blasting from the speakers and the mouthy South Jersey bar keep a bit inconsistent with the dinning ecstatic one would expect at the price point. The bar was ice cold, and the only other patron seemed to be the bar keep's significant other. Headhouse also has a craft beer selection you can find in many other places.
(3)Katrina C.
I so want to give you 4 stars. The beer list is great (though it doesn't seem to change very often). They hold roller derby events with beer specials, which is awesome. The bartender Aida is fantastic. And the sushi? It is great! It tastes good, is at good prices, and is neatly rolled and looks pretty! What is better than a place with great beer and great sushi? I was almost in heaven. Then - it took me 30 minutes to get my bill and pay. The other bartender (not Aida), was supposed to put two beers on my sister's card and the rest on mine. Seriously, it took this chick 30 MINUTES to split the check and bring us our slips to sign. It was NOT busy AT ALL. So I had to subtract a star, which is unfortunate. Hopefully I will go back and have a better experience so I can update it and add a star.
(3)Lauren H.
Stopped in here on a Thursday night for a late snack and to catch the end of the Celtics/Lakers game. Headhouse has not one but two generously-sized bars so we easily grabbed two barstools in the back. There were also a few high tops in the rear bar area, which I liked - made the room feel a bit more social than the front. My friend and I split a large order (a kilo to be exact) of the Belgian mussels and an order of the sweet potato fries. Both were completely serviceable, though I had a sneaking suspicion that both were mildly undercooked. However, the dipping sauce/mayo concoction that came with the fries was dangerously addictive. I ate way more fries than was healthy simply to have a vehicle for this spicy sauce. The beer list (or book rather) was extensive with good draft selections. The staff behind the bar were pleasant and attentive. There seemed to be an absence of any real design plan in the look and feel of the place. The establishment was a little sparse, even when the dinner patrons were still seated. I'd like to see the place warmed up a bit - it felt way to "clean" for a pub. But, as it's rather new, I imagine there are a few things still being worked out, so I'll give it some time and try it again.
(2)Sandrine F.
So technically it's still open, although it didn't appear that way when we walked in on a friday night at 7:00. The place was empty, the bartender was sitting at the bar and Madame from le Champignon de Tokio next door greeted us in. .... mmmhhh ..... we considered leaving but then again it was nice to have the place to ourselves so we stuck around. So the beer list is still here: 244 bottles but only 4 drafts (local only). If you want food, you'll have the option of a sushi menu, obviously from next door, or a typical bar food menu, think chicken wings. I enjoyed the River Horse Double Wit for $5. You definitely can't beat the beer selection, especially in that part of town. But don't expect a lively vibe. Perfect if you want to get a respite from South Street, enjoy a good beer, and focus on nice conversation with the rest of your party. Happy Hour is 4:30-6:30pm
(3)René G.
This place is hidden and just a block away from the chaos that ensues on South Street, which I think is a good thing. Their sushi selection is delicious and affordable, plus their staff is friendly! The thing I like the most about this place, is the spacious dance floor upstairs. I can't say how their alcoholic drink selection is, since I rarely drink, but my friends aren't complaining! My only objections are finding free parking nearby is a real headache and the person who's in charge of booking events has a tendency to double book. Pros: Affordable and delicious sushi selection, friendly staff and owner, location is away from South Street, nice artwork hanging on the bottom floor and has a spacious dance floor. Cons: Parking is a hassle and double booking.
(3)Jon D.
Since I first heard about plans for The HeadHouse - a new gastropub on Headhouse Square - I have eagerly awaited its opening. So when I landed there on their second night of business, my hopes were high. The seafood chowder was absolutely delicious and the calamari with curry mayo was tasty and perfectly cooked (though small), but the nicoise salad was a let-down, very plain and with overcooked tuna. The flaccid sweet potato fries left me hanging too. The beer list on the other hand was fantastic. Extensive, reasonable and best of all, intuitively organized into styles. The beer list is what will keep me going back. If this place works out the opening kinks, it'll be a great mainstay of the neighborhood.
(3)Judy R.
I like this place. They are clearly trying. I came here for an acoustic show for my friend's roommate, so I had a great time (we hadn't seen each other in a good while). They had a great beer list, and the food selection (though I did not order any) was actually very diverse, and looked delicious. There are a few things that turned me off. The girls behind the bar were sweet, but the signs taped behind them weren't. "I get paid $2.83 an hour... PLEASE TIP!". I am a server myself, and I get paid the same amount. It is an unspoken truth that we work for tips, but I'm pretty sure most people know that (some people know, but don't care). If you ask me, it just seems kind of classless. I think guests that don't know would likely feel the same way, and that might make them less inclined to tip well anyway. If you want excellent tips, give excellent service. And know that some people won't tip you regardless, because they're big cheap jerks. It's not a matter of people not knowing how much you get paid- it's people who are rude and don't care about somebody who works their ass off to please you and give you a great experience. (/rant) Otherwise, the place could use some better ambiance and decorating. The local art is kind of cool, but there's an entire blank wall on the left side. The round tables are a tad awkward, too. I don't know, there's just too much space. I think they should add some comfy looking couches with coffee tables. The HeadHouse has potential, but it's not quite there yet.
(3)Karen T.
Been here twice now after reading the reviews/notices in the Inquirer. Once on Sunday for what I thought was going to be lunch and turned out to be brunch (lunch menu isn't available) and once on Saturday for lunch. Beers were different each time, and covered interesting variety. Some were not ones that I have seen in other pubs around, or if I did they weren't common. That said, while they didn't have a ton of taps, it was a nice mix of stuff I had never heard off/was going to try and things I could fall back on. Examples of things I've had were Winterhur Spring Wheat (I believe a Delaware beer) and O'Reillys Stoudt most recently. I am hoping for their sake that business picks up. Both times we went it was pretty empty in there. The bartenders could not have been nicer, attentive, friendly, but not in your face/tripping over you. Food wise, lunch was pretty good. Interesting spice on the fries that we ordered as an app; not the best fries in the city, but not too shaby. Also ordered the chicken and beef satay, which were very tasty; the beef were really good, and the chicken also had a different spice, typically they can be plain and you use the dipping sauce to increase the flavor, but that wasn't the case here. We also had the chicken schwarma, which looked like a vietnamese hoagie almost, and was also pretty good. Brunch on the other hand wasn't so hot. It may have been since it was the first time (from what it sounded with the server), but eggs weren't really cooked that well, lettuce got brown, etc. Maybe they are still developing it, but right now I would stick to lunch and dinner here. Overall, a nice change of pace from that neck of the woods (right off of headhouse on a quiet street). I will try other new places in the meantime, but I would go back again.
(3)K H.
So! I came here the other night to see a band that my friend was in. I first went on to HeadHouse's website to see if I could find a time for the show. There was no schedule or listing for any events except a long past sushi contest of some sort. I didn't think that was so big of a deal, I could find out the time from my friend. Upon a friend and I's arrival, we passed a sushi place (which wasn't HeadHouse but somehow is linked?) with a bunch of people sitting on the steps. We asked where HeadHouse was and they told us next door, up the stairs. So we headed in and found that the whole place was totally empty, both downstairs and upstairs (which was hard to navigate, it was a pitch black stairwell). Turns out it was the HeadHouse staff sitting outside on the steps, and none of them bothered to come in despite directing us inside. We were a bit early so we left for a while and returned closer to the show's start time. We headed back up the stairs and found ourselves in a very oddly decorated dining room/kid's art room/venue/bathroom bar. The bar itself is interesting, has a modified bathroom with the bath tub as a sink and beer taps on a pipe. That was cool. The rest of the place though, had pretty awful lighting (fluorescent lights), a ceiling that sloped steadily downwards toward the back, weird colors painted on the wall, and what appeared to be children's art work scattered on the walls of a dark corner. There were dining tables with dark table cloths as if it were some sort of Italian restaurant, and upon them crinkled neon printed paper menus that had long lived past their prime. Somehow, they serve sushi here as well. Anyhow, I was talking to some people who were there and one guy enthusiastically asked me if I was here to see the band. Yes! I was! "Right as I left my post! Come with me!" He says. Apparently there was a cover charge for the show, and he was collecting money for it, and he missed me and my friend because he was walking around the room. Cover? For a show that wasn't even posted on their website? Also, for a band that isn't being paid for the gig? This is getting quite long so I'll sum up the rest. The band and the gig following them were delayed because there was no sound man. There was no management or organization of the show whatsoever, it was on the band themselves to take care of it and do their own sound checks. The drinks menu was expensive. On the stage, which there are number spot lights shining on (a good thing), someone had the really interesting idea of putting a large mirror in the back (a terrible idea) which caused the spot lights to be reflected straight into the audience, blinding us. The bathroom door to the ladies' room was stuck and I nearly had to kick it open. The floor was wet in there, the sink had a mysterious black substance in it. The trash can lid was broken as well. Seriously. So, basically, the place doesn't seem to know what kind of restaurant/bar/venue or whatever, it is. It's staff is far too laid back, it seems like they're just a group of friends hanging out and probably were hired by knowing someone rather than for their qualifications. The prices are over ambitious for its poor decor and management. It's just really not well thought out. It's unfortunate because it's in a pretty good location, and I imagine that it has expensive rent, it just seems that whoever runs it doesn't have the eye for design or the discipline for good management.
(1)Kathy D.
#NAME?
(1)Kevin J.
Live music in this city is so badly needed. Long after grape street was forced to downsize, and Khyber and Triumph both went out of that sort of business, there are few viable options left and I am still hopeful that the landscape will innovate or at least maintain. It would be excellent to see this place make its own name despite where it is right now. The $20 minimum for credit and guaranteed 20% gratuity may be a slight turnoff to people who like to feel generously if and when buying big meals and tipping 20% or more. Some bar folk just want to have fries and a coke now and again because they already had a meal. These food/drink minimums would make sense at a crowded, hip scene to make room for paying dinner customers. However, I get easily disgusted by places that have to make up standards like this without inforcing them with a little more effort and class, like why not let the food dictate who buys it and in what quantity? As for the food, it was nothing unexpected for a place that enforces such minimum buys in order to cover fees. This tells me they either forsee a problem with split checks that may be discouraged, or that they have no confidemce anyone could want to buy the fopd if not for a little incemtive. If it were all good enough, I wouldn't need any unwelcome pressures to double up on my appetizer orders, or maybe even ask a few friends to sit with me under the drippy dark wooden roof and run up a tab as we listen to occasional open mic talent, and back bar talk that seeks to drown it out, rather than to respect it for whatever merits it was brought in for, if none other than it maybe being available for cheap, and a good outlet for getting in new customers to try a place they have never heard of because its food has no reputation of its own. In fact, the manager on duty was the one making the most noise because she had brought her own friends in and tended to them and texting on her phone primarily, instead of summary duties tending the bar and supervising. It was unclear whether she was texting for work or home but either way her focus wasn't in comllete customer satisfaction. She also seemed aloof and disappeared much, leaving a food runner to pour drinks and ring tabs, despite appearing to lack familiarity with the system. Still, I like the concept of a Philly amateur music scene and as this one has two floors, dedicated to the music, I won't root against it. I just wish the food and service could be more of an attraction here, for those who are paying a full price, 20% gratuity and all. Restauranteurs must understand that a dessert menu, coffee, entree or drink specials, bottles, and appetizers are what drives volume. Not headcounts and minimum spends. 2.5 stars... could get 3 from me if they had a dessert memu or could do away with the automatic gratuity that they assume is being earned instead of letting the work speak for itself.
(2)Hannah D.
I have to say that given the other yelp reviews, my expectations were low going in. Overall, the experience was pretty much what I had expected from other reviews. Headhouse is a good place for a group event, which is what we used it for, as long as you are ok with a bit slower service. The atmosphere was excellent and we got our own area. Given that there weren't many people in the restaurant part, we really had a run of the place. Pros: Great beer selection, discount for large group, fairly good food, cool ambiance, ample street parking Cons: Slow service, spacey wait staff, not very attentive (which was odd given the lack of patrons) Not sure that I would choose to come here over some of the other bars in the area, but it accommodated the group of our size easily.
(3)Stephen L.
The wait staff/bartenders were terrible! I was at HeadHouse on Friday night for an art show where my fiance' had a table set up in the back bar. After helping her set up, I went to the bar to order 2 beers and food. The bar was fairly crowded, but should have been more than manageable for the 3 bartenders in the back bar. After waiting for nearly 10 minutes, an unenthusiastic bartender finally took my order. He proceeded to then turn his back and stare at the order monitor for a good 3-4 minute. After another few minutes he informed me that the meal I ordered was not available, so I asked for something else. Meanwhile, he STILL did not get my beers. After another few minutes, he told me the beer I ordered was not available. Frustrated, I said that they need to update their menu and as I was about to order a different beer he simply walked away. Another bartender saw my frustration and got me a beer immediately at no charge. 45 minutes later, our meals were still not brought out. After another excruciating 10 minutes sitting at the bar, I finally got the original bartender's attention and he then informed me that he never put my meal order in. Frustrated, I walked out and got a sandwich at Wawa. Meanwhile, my fiance ordered chicken tacos.....after 30 minutes they still did not arrive. Finally they brought out fish tacos! Frustrated she took them and I refused to order anything else the entire night. The bartender was so clueless that he never came around to ask for anything else or bring us a check, so we simply walked out.
(1)Rebecca S.
i want to give this place four stars, but i'm giving it three. the reason you ask?? because we literally waited AN HOUR for our food. yes, we had a party of eight. but it was 5:15 on a saturday and all the other patrons were sitting at the bar drinking. our waitress told us they had a small kitchen and two cooks when we questioned it. but, the food was worth the wait. pad thai...yum. sushi...yum. fried polenta came out kinda mushy...yet great in a cheesy cream sauce so i'm not complaining. amazing beer selection (though they were out of the one my brother wanted). clean place with a cool vibe ( it was a little too dark actually). i do find it kinda odd that they have sushi, pad thai, burgers and fish tacos on the same menu.
(3)