1501 Passyunk Ave

Had the garbanzo beans and Pete's wings (server let me know the Thai chili was authentically spicy) they were delicious! Wings are crunchy but saucy and the fried garbanzos (or ci-ci's) were perfect. The setting was extremely dark, which I am not usually into, but it's a pub so they get a pass right? All in all I am gonna give them five stars, because the food and drink (bees knees) were spectacular! Thanks POPE for a great meal!

Came for an outing with coworkers. Dive bar vibes with a little more space. The nachos were delicious and our server was super friendly and engaging.

Ya'll if I could give them a higher rating I would. First, the bartender was great he knew the food so well and explained what was the best. My partner and I are vegetarian and vegan and he was patient and very knowledgeable about how the food was cooked and tasted. We have tried a lot of veg food in Philly and typically it's pretty good . But, this one was by far the best bar food. Their Reuben was fucking phenomenal. I grew up eating meat and seriously this tasted liked home . They marinate it and smoke it like they would pastrami. The combination of all the ingredients were delicious. We also ordered the veggie burger and it we good and hardy. It was made with kasha root. The outer crisp added a great texture to it.

I've been coming to this place for years and everytime i come to this place I would always order their Chesapeake Crab Fries and wings. Good selection of beers and liquors.

This is a nice dive bar in the area that knows how to do good bar food. The chicken fingers and fries and an IPA on tap was exactly what I needed on a Friday night, and they delivered. The bartender was very friendly and helpful as well.

Not bad!! Service was very friendly and reasonable wrt speed. Really enjoyed the brussels sprouts salad, which was almost like a slaw. The Thai chili wings were super salty and limey, but the buffalo wings were solid. Prices are pretty average. If you need a pub with decent beer and food, this place has got you. They also have vegan options, but I thought their vegan cheezesteak was just okay, it was kinda dry and bland. The fries that came with it were good, though! I want to try their vegan reuben next time!

Love the POPE! Best wings and nachos. Cool dark dive bar vibe. Affordable drinks. Big open windows with a tv in the back. Highly recommend!

Staff (except food servers) behaves badly, I'm talking psychotic, for no reason and from my very first visit! Who needs the hassle? I could give 1/2 dozen examples. I stopped going.

Service not just terrible, but pathological. Bouncer yelling at people who did nothing, serving some patrons promptly while keeping others waiting. My friends ordered drinks near closing time & bartender forgot one, then said sorry bar is closed! And no one in the group was drunk. I don't know what's going on at this dysfunctional bar, but I know the cops are there often, which is unsurprising. Avoid.

I'll be honest. It was pretty terrible here. This has nothing to do with them being short staffed; that was ok. But everything else was pretty awful. There were literally NO lights on, so the sun went down and then the bar got legitimately dark. It was just kind of like WTF? Then they opened the windows when it was in the low 50s, so the restaurant got VERY cold. Another wtf moment. Since they were short staffed we needed to order at the bar (ok), but when we did for an order of buffalo wings, onion rings, and a small plate of nachos, it took 35+ minutes (the bar was more than half empty). So it was a series of not great moments. On the food front, the wings were decent but too many drumsticks, to many of the onion rings burnt, and for the nachos being $15 they were a VERY small portion.

The P.O.P.E. Burger - that's all I have to say. Splendiferous, juicy, sizzling with flavor, cooked perfectly (medium-well for me) with a friendly side of fries. This burger isn't just good for a bar- it's good for an upscale restaurant where you'd pay $30 for a meal. Additionally, the bartender who got my order was so friendly (even though I was a bit indecisive on options), and the atmosphere was semi-dimly lit, great for either a relaxing day or night for grub and conversation, or for a large group of people all bouncing around from one another in conversation (cough... I may have been on a bar crawl that passed through here) My only regret is I gobbled down my burger and Two Robber's seltzer before I could get a pic. Definitely going to return!

Been there a few times, always burnt food, always bad service. Didn't even want alcohol this time, but he refused to give us water because he "didn't wanna risk" scanning my ID. Refused to serve us WATER. Girlfriend is currently On crutches and still refused to serve her water after our 20 minute walk even when I explained this. Go to literally any other bar at passyunk, the food, the drinks, the service will ALL be better. The fact that I only made this account to give them 1 stars should speak about their HORRIBLE bartender currently on staff.

I moved away from Philadelphia about 10 years ago and this is one place I sorely miss! Good vibe. Good food. And of course great beer! It's in Philadelphia for god sake!

Cool looking bar with plenty of seating. Service is not good. I sat at the near empty bar on a Tuesday night. I waited for 10 minutes, as the bartender kept walking past me and avoiding eye contact.

Solid bar. Solid food. Solid drinks. Long wait times at brunch. The kind of place you wanna bring all your friends. But probably best to just bring 3. Get a grilled Caesar, some wings, and call it healthy.

The POPE burger is always perfect, and the service is great!

So last week I was hanging out with a friend who's in training to be a priest, and when I heard about this place called "POPE" that reportedly had a great beer list and excellent vegan cheesesteaks, the set-up just seemed too good to be true! (Spoiler alert: it was.) While the name/set-up situation WAS perfect, the experience, while good, wasn't quite that. Most of the other reviews here seem to rave about the beer selection/prices, the deliciousness of the food (including the aforementioned vegan cheesesteaks), and how just darn FUN it is here. From me, you're going to hear the real deal, so if you can't handle that, stop reading now. First, beverages: the beer selection IS pretty impressive, and the prices even more so. I made my usual mistake of being adventurous and ordered a beer that was just a little more sour than I'd prefer, but the bigger problem was really that it wasn't all that cold. And on a hot night like that one, even I was craving an icy drink. But those little quibbles aside, I would definitely come back here solely on the merits of the draft list. For those more Godly among us, like my friend, they have some decent wines as well. The vegan cheesesteak, on the other hand, was a travesty. I'm going to assume that most of the people who really love the vegan cheesesteak here (a group which now includes my husband) never REALLY experienced or loved the otherworldly deliciousness of a real cheesesteak. I mean, like hot off the grill from Pat's or Geno's, dripping grease, with so much chopped steak, onions, mushrooms and melted cheese embraced within a perfect hoagie roll that it's spilling out the sides. For those of us who did experience and love that paragon of meat sandwiches, but who later became vegetarian, we understand that NO vegan cheesesteak can replicate that experience, but we still live in hope. And POPE's vegan cheesesteak, with it's cubes of seitan, it's caramelized onions, and a relatively meager smattering of melted cheese, is where this hope goes to die. So consider yourself warned. As for fun...I don't know what to tell you, POPE didn't really strike me as that remarkable compared to other pubs. Apparently there's a jukebox somewhere but I didn't bother to look for it, and maybe it's because it was relatively early for the night, but I wasn't struck by any particular liveliness or exuberance of the space. Maybe because it was the week before a 3-day weekend? It actually worked out fine because the quieter-than-expected setting better for conversation. I just wonder if I have a different definition of "fun" than everyone else here. One last thing about that sandwich - it wasn't actually that bad, it was decent-tasting enough overall. But don't kid yourself and call a sandwich like that a vegan CHEESESTEAK in the very birthplace of the phenomenon, because I've definitely had better vegan cheesesteaks in other cities.

such great food and beer wIth a staff that really doesn't meet thee criteria to keep up with a place of this caliber. The bar tenders where very simple minded when it came to hospitality and etiquette. I would go back solely for food and a pint. Other than that this two star review is only Supplementing as an outside Employee review. Bar tenders should bring out a touch more character while working for tips rather than being depressed and In a bad mood when having to run back and forth for a water that you asked them 3 times for... -_- shameful...

The burger is what got this place the high star rating (good wings plus attentive and quick service didn't hurt either). My only qualm was their moscow mule-type drink didn't come in a copper mug (always a bit jarring when it comes in a beer pint glass). But about that burger (the POPE burger) - the soft, plump bun had some flavor of its own (see pic), the patty was top-notch, and the toppings were fresh. Fries and pickle were solid as well. Would certainly go back on my next visit to Philly.

Went in to try the pope the first time one night. Went with two other girls and sat down. I knew what I wanted, so I ordered one beer and my one friend wasn't drinking the other one was still looking at the menu. The bar was not even busy. 5 minutes later without even asking what my friend wanted the bartender requested that we leave for someone who is going to order food and drinks. Really rude.

Since I've lived in the city I've been going to this place. I'm going to do 3 stars because I guess I'm just never going to stop. Food isn't that great but it's not expensive. When I first moved here I lived at 8th and Reed. This spot was a stones throw away. So believe me it's had ample opportunities to change my mind. So if you live down this way and just need a place to hang out it's cool for that. Don't make a special trip.

Had this on my list of south Philly corner bars to check out a Sixers game at. I had the Chance to check it out prior to actually going to attend a game and was slightly disappointed by a minimal menu and not very clean eating area. I had the signature wings tho and they were the best part of the experience. The bar wasn't fully stocked or extensive but the food was good and so was the service.

Came here on a Saturday evening with some friends for some drinks and some snacks. They have a nice beer selection on tap and in bottles/cans. We ordered the Pope burger, chicken nachos, an order of buffalo wings, and some drinks. The burger was cooked medium rare and was delicious. It came with their delicious special sauce and fries. Their chicken nachos are definitely one of the best nachos in south Philly and very loaded! Their wagons were on point as well! In my opinion, I would definitely order all three dishes again !!

P.O.P.E. is DOPE seewhatididthere dirty AF bathrooms Illadelphia hipsters everywhere great beer selection on tap cheap vodka sodas good place to start and end a bar crawl nuff sed

People around the area seem to really love this place. I'm new to South Philly, and I've heard about POPE (as it's referred to) from a few different people. I've been here twice and it's honestly nothing remarkable. During my most recent trip, I ordered the zucchini fritters with feta that were so unbelievably flavorless and, quite frankly, a bit disgusting, that if I weren't on a first date I totally would have sent them back. The other time I went, I had the beet salad that was okay, but the dressing and ingredients did nothing for me. One thing I must say is that this place is extremely dark. The first time I went was in the spring on a nice day and the second was on a rainy day in the summer, and every time I walked in, my eyes had to take a few minutes to adjust. This is a great place if you're looking to get away and seclude yourself from all outside light or the awareness of an outside world...which some may appreciate. I like places with natural light that are open and don't have dark shady corners where you could get lost, but maybe that's just me. I don't think I'll be back, to be honest. It's just not for me. If I'm going to spend money somewhere, it's going to be a place that I know has good food that challenges my palate and has a nice atmosphere.

On April Fools' Day, the Pub on Passayunk East announced that they would be getting four Russian River beers including the Pliny the Younger and Pliny the Elder. I was ready to love this bar for the rare surprise or hate this bar for a horribly mean joke. Luckily it was the first of the options. Not only was I able to enjoy these fabulously rare beers, I also discovered a new cool spot. Okay, so I didn't discover it since over 300 Yelpers have already reviewed the place, but I was able to add a new bar to my own list of cool places to visit. The décor was cool. The stained glass made me feel like I was in some sort of old religious establishment. The place had an overall gothic, historical feel. Aside from the four Russian River beers on tap, their beer list was superb. I'm sure the selection changes frequently, but based on what was available yesterday, I think I can safely say they have a superior selection of craft beers. The bar area got a little crowded so my husband and I sat down at a table in a back room. Soon the room began to fill with other patrons and a staff member came by to see if we wanted a menu. At that point our dinner plans were still TBD, but it only took a few seconds after seeing the description of the chicken sandwich to decide to stay. I typically don't order chicken sandwiches out, but the sundried tomato pesto, bacon, arugula and herbed goat cheese had me doing otherwise. It was like a chicken sandwich on steroids. The roll was a large butter roll with seeds. The goat cheese was so creamy and perfect. The bacon wasn't crispy but added an amazing flavor to the overall sandwich. The chicken itself was seasoned and tender. The sundried tomato pesto didn't stand out as much I hoped but the preparation of the sandwich worked as a whole. The goat cheese and bacon could have been a little more evenly distributed but at this point I think I'm just being over critical. The sandwich was great. The service was great too, especially considering how busy the place was. We originally opened a tab at the bar which they were easily able to transfer over to our table. We had everything we possibly needed in a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes it take a push to get to a different part of town. Thank you to the Plinys for taking me to POPE. It's a cool place and I would be excited to go back.

Such a cool little big bar! I am definitely glad that Marissa suggested it as the spot for the next Happy Hour Gathering. otherwise I probably would have continued to walk by it on my way to The Alley, Singing Fountain, Black N' Brew, and well you get the idea. I loved the chill room that was able to encompass are entire crew, and not just because I got to relax in a sweet rocking chair. and this bar is definitely the real deal if you're a beer aficionado.Since I was on a budget this time around I wanted to keep my drink tab pretty reasonable. but that meant I was still able to enjoy Strawberry Wheats, #9's, and my newest discovery the Vanilla Java Porter! It beat out Race Street Cafe for my pick for third best beer variety in Philly, and it doesn't involve the wait that the other spots had. Score! I have to say that people had me scared over the food that this place offered. but I tried it anyway and definitely enjoyed it. One of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I ever had. and the fries were pure addiction! Spot on service too. I don't know how many tabs are server had to keep. But she definitely kept them all in order. I'll be back!

I love the POPE! I've been here a few times and here's why I love it. It's a combo of gastropub slash dive bar, with amazing craft beer selections. They always have some rare drafts pouring, from strong Belgians, to stouts, to sours. The beer is the best. They even have great Philly beer week events. The food is also great here. I'm addicted to the Chesapeake fries, which is a massive portion of cheese fries with old bay and jumbo lump crab meat on top. Being from Maryland, I'm never satisfied with Philly's attempts to use crab meat in dishes, but POPE does a great job with this! I've had some other apps too that we're all really good, Perogies, nachos, hummus platter. Everything was great. This review is for sitting at the bar only. I have no clue how the waitress service is, because I only sit at the bar here. Every time lol. The clientele is an odd mix of locals and hipsters, but it's a totally chill and comfortable pub to have a great meal and amazing beers. Cheers!

I've been here a couple times recently, and I have to say, I'm constantly impressed. I believe this place has a solid reputation for a good reason. My first visit here was with a group - we had beers (of course) and a couple appetizers. I really enjoyed the crab fries which had real, fresh, chunks of crabmeat on top of the cheesy spicy potatoey goodness. I think the nachos hit the spot, too. My second visit was with my mom and sister, both of whom are vegetarians. After roaming down Passyunk East, we finally came to POPE and checked out the menu. Voila! There were more delicious vegetarian options on this menu than the past few menus we checked, combined! We ended up with quite a scrumptious meal. I really think POPE is one of the few places in town that genuinely makes masterpieces out of vegan-friendly items and doesn't have to outcast them to the "vegetarian" menu! The ambiance here is pretty funky; there are always plenty of hipsters at the bar, and the restroom is coated in pictures of 80's heartthrobs!

"Hey can we meet at P.O.P.E.?" "Wait, there's a place called P.O.P.E.?" Last minute plans led me to this place. You won't find a religious figure here but you'll easily indulge yourself in a killer selection of beers. Even the "Happy Hour" beers list will strike your indecisiveness. I will say the bathrooms aren't in the greatest of states.

This place is becoming a sort of hipster, divey Dirty Frank's but with a great lineup of draft beers. On my last visit, I got acquainted with a long-term So. Philly guy who was on his third or fourth stout (which he recommended highly, almost to the post of insisting that I drink his half-finished pint). I got his life story, with editorial emendations from the girlfriend. It's that kind of place, although generally the hipsters (you know who you are) stick to themselves. The kitchen puts out some very honest pub fare. I highly recommend the seitan cheesesteak, witih or without the soy cheese, that's your call.

Went here because they were vaccinated only and were turned away with our vaccine cards. We were vaccinated at Rite Aid but they did not accept our cards. This is ridiculous since we are trying to be safe and follow the public health standards

This is a great place to check out if you want to get a beer and some drinks. I recommend their burger! Having tried most of the burgers in Philadelphia, I think theirs is one of the top burgers in Philly! It can get a little bit too loud to have a conversation sometimes, but if you like bustling noisy bars, this is the place to go!

Aside from the huge beer list and good neighborhood atmosphere, the POPE is highly underrated for their food. I went during brunch and got the grilled Caesar salad, which was absolutely delicious! I've never had grilled lettuce, but it was shockingly good and didn't taste overly 'warm' and wilted. The service was fast and our waitress was very attentive. Although they're known for their beer, don't sleep on their menu.

Cute cozy bar that has good priced drinks and cocktails. I was here around midnight and it was busy but not crazy. Very good for conversation, relax and have a few drinks with friends. Seems like a very homey philly bar. I had the wheat beer on draft it was delicious. Our server was efficient and friendly. Good atmosphere

It's a slow Wednesday and me and my friend sit down at a window seat and wait there for 10-15 minutes straight just looking dumb because no one would bring us a menu. Meanwhile we see all the workers just standing in one spot doing nothing. Bad experience, seems like they just don't care.

Great nachos and amazing fries. Friendly peeps. Inside is pretty dark. Happy hour is 4-6pm and they have a ton of beers on draft ! Check em out

We came here on a Sunday for brunch. The place was almost empty, so we didn't have to wait for a table. I got pierogies which were probably frozen but all good! It was just what I wanted. I imagine I will be back but probably for drinks instead of food.

Love POPE's! Since we moved to Philly a few months ago, we've probably stopped by with or without our old dog at least once a week. Love their (vegan) cheesesteak, cheap drinks/prices overall, and very friendly waitstaff. We also appreciate the less-fancy ambiance than other places you'll find on Passyunk. Great drinks, staff, prices, and plant-powered food options. And they always bring out a bowl of water for our 16-year old pup.

This is definitely a go to neighborhood spot. It's great for brunch ($5 drinks), snow day lunches, or a late night drink. The food is almost surprisingly delicious. I love the grilled cheese and tomato soup and pirogies in particular, though the brussel sprout salad and nachos are also amazing! They also have vegan cheese for nachos which is great if you swing that way. The bartenders are very friendly, and the back room is nice if you don't fit at the main bar.

POPE sure treats the beer-lovin veggies right! Intrigued by their ginormous & super-extensive list of beers, combined w/ the fact there was good old comfort food on the menu w/ LOTS of veggie options, this veggie & my carnivore buddies decided that Pub on Passyunk East couldn't be missed Pints of Young's Double Chocolate Stout all around - OMG this was the best stout ever & I immediately went to BevMo the next weekend to get lots for my fridge! And what goes better w/ stout? Why burgers, of course! Veggie Burger - homemade veggie burger (props!) made from bulgar & slivers of carrot & celery - very interesting texture - had a nice crunchy outside & soft crumbly inside - the burger was really like a big falafel (w/out the chick peas). Def yummy! Both buddies' meaty burgers were likewise inhaled & deemed pub-worthy. And they have very high Pub standards - having come from London & Berlin respectively - so their nod of approval meant a big score for sure Fries were soft & crunchy all at the same time & paired so nicely w/ the dipping sauce they provided Portions are huge but after running around all day, we had no problems being in the Clean Plate Club Had it not been such a nice warm evening outside, we would have liked to indulge in their dark, inviting inside.....next time for sure! Locals Tip: After being corrected by our cab driver, we now know it's pronounced "Passy (like sassy) Own"....the K is silent :-)

Did not enjoy this place. It was hot. It was cramped. It was hipster nation. The bartenders were dicks. My boyfriend tried to order a drink and the guy looked exasperated, gave him the "one minute" finger and then never returned to him even though he served everyone else we were with. The other bartender looked like he was picking and choosing who he felt like serving. The bouncer was awesome. We had good conversations with him. He was a normal, intelligent, friendly human and not a prick like most bouncers. They didn't have my drink of choice so I sat without a drink until we could move on to the next bar. There is a newspaper stand right by the door that is difficult to see in the dark. I kept whacking into it. It seems unnecessary. I can't imagine how many people read those papers at this location and if they do, surely there must be a better setup for the stand so it isn't a safety hazard. We didn't order food but we're told that it's good. They are open 11 am until 2 am every day. I don't recommend this place and will not return.

Yes, still a decent happy hour but for some reason POPE has increased their prices while decreasing the portions sizes. It's pub grub, not French cuisine. While they may have one of the best nacho appetizers around, I go less often than I used to as the food (same ol' pub grub) is not quite worth the price.

A cool dive bar/pub with great local vibes and good food/drinks, including a decent beer on draft menu. We were just passing through Passyunk but it seemed like one of those dependable neighborhood pubs with a good local following. Bathrooms were pretty gross though, but it is a pretty dive-y place (while still being sort of a gastropub too!).

Randomly my friend and I picked this place last night. Pope themed bar with tons of beers that I have never seen before. They had money from around the world hanging around the bar. This place looked small at first but wraps around to 3 other small eating area. Pretty cool place. They also offer wifi. Parking is crazy around here. Food: Crab Fries - fries were a bit burnt for me but still very good with all the gooey cheese and real lump crab meat. Now that is the real deal when it comes to crab fries. The sauce that accompanied the fries were perfect. I really enjoyed it. Fried Zucchini Balls - These were a different flavor in all. A mix of shredded zucchini with Parmesan cheese and some other stuff. The sauce was a cool flavor of what I thought tasted like cucumber and hummus. Very unique flavor. I also liked this. The beers from the tap were well chilled and poured fully. The shots are strong. Both John and John were very hospitable. Very nice bartenders. In the end I asked for a glass of water. Drank it and they refilled it as I drank. This tells me they are very attentive. Great bar, great atmosphere. I even saw Pope France's there and Pope John Paul blessing us with good drinks and a good time. Lol. I'll definitely be back. Gotta try the tomato soup.

Went here on a recommendation from a friend, who said the POPE burger is one of the best in the city. I wasn't expecting it to meet these lofty expectations, but it did! Really juicy, well seasoned, and the subtle acidity from the fried green tomato sets this one apart. Drink menu was solid, and the place was as relaxed and come-as-you-are as you could want after work. I'll definitely be back.

Cool atmosphere here and incredible beer selection, they actually had Founders KBS on draft, which being from Michigan I never thought I'd see out here. Service was also pretty great too, rare to have a server at a bar bring you waters right away without having to ask. Didn't end up trying any of the food, so can't comment on that, though the menu looked good.

This place has a great ambiance and beer selection, but the bartenders are generally always terrible. They will make you wait a long time as they talk to their friends, and mixed drinks are super weak. That being said, Brunch was pretty good, it gets crowded at night, but thats because complaints aside, its pretty cool, just annoying.

I promised my friend that I was not going to write a review about this place. He is afraid that I am going to attract all the Jersey folks over and ruin what we like about this place. I like drinking in all type of environments. It all depends on the mood. This place satisfy my dive bar fix. Booze, and burgers is all that I need to say. I have been to the POPE on two occasions now. The beer is good and the burgers...well the burgers are some of the best I have had in the city of Philadelphia. Some of the bars in the city serve their burgers with so many items you can't even taste the meat, or the ingredients don't complement each other. That is not the case at POPE. Fried green tomato, herb mayo, grilled onions is a good combination without masking the flavor of the meat. This place screams afternoon drinking spot. The kind of place where you start at 4 and leave at 10:00.