COCKATOO

Hosted a work pride event at Cockatoo on their second floor and it was better than I imagined!!! We ordered a taco bar and empanadas for about 30 people and the food was absolutely delicious. Bartender Tyler was awesome and did a phenomenal job catering to all my thirsty colleagues. The music selection was perfect. Akshay and Ram - thank you boys so much for your hospitality. This is my second time planning an event at your space and you guys have never let me down. Can't wait to work again with you boys soon!!! Much love!!

Ate here during restaurant week so had multiple options. Both food and service were fantastic: Burrata board was to die for, Shishito peppers perfectly cooked with salt and garlic, loaded shrimp cocktail with amazing spicy sauce, tasty Spanish rice with seafood , and wonderful seared Red Snapper! That’s before dessert- Blueberry Almond tart topped it off. Can’t wait to come back!

Went for the first time yesterday for a drag brunch. My friends were visiting me for their bday weekend and we were looking for fun things to do. Had a blast. Food and drinks were great. The Owner was super nice. He helped my friends and I with change to tip the performers. The performers were great. Very engaging with the crowd and turned it up, despite a smaller audience in the beginning. I got a chance to participate in a catwalk competition. I lost lol but the crowd was great. More people arrived and the energy only got better. It was a dope vibe. Video posted below 🤣

Drag brunch was SO much fun! Performers were amazing, drinks were great and worth the price, and the atmosphere was amazing. Just had drinks so can’t speak to the food but drinks were great. We sat at the tables on the sidewalk and it was incredible because it was a beautiful day and the perfect view of the queens’ performances. Highly recommend!!

Saturday drag brunch was phenomenal! Amazing talented queens matched with delicious food. Nick our bartender is an absolute delight and makes a killer espresso martini.

This is a nice place. It's apparently a youngish crowd. Trivia night and sometimes Karaoke. The non-alcoholic drinks are a bit pricey at $6 per. Be ready to spend some money. Other than that it's okay.

Fabulous food and delightful service! Met a friend for lunch and we immensely enjoyed all aspects of this beautifully decorated and light-hearted restaurant! I would like to say that all the dishes we ordered from the smoked salmon tostados to the green beans were superb. Highly recommend this joint and going to bring the hubby next time for drag brunch.

Got here early for the Super Bowl and this place is perfect ! Excellent views with the windows. The food is delicious and the drinks are substantial.

We had a lot of fun in this gayborhood gem. Being the grandmas that we were, we came early to have light eats and drinks before walking around more. The bartender Courtney was super friendly and answered all of our questions. I enjoyed the pear mule with rum which was delicious. I didn't catch the owner's or manager's name who helped us with food, but he was so sweet to adjust the spice when we discovered things might have been spicier overall more than we could handle. The green beans are seemingly the spiciest item on their food menu. I also tried the shrimp cocktail with fresh chips and yucca fries. Once adjusted, everything tasted delicious. We will definitely come back to bop around the bar and hang when in the area.

The location is chefs kiss. The front opening doors and open space makes this place feel so large. It's def looks much smaller from the outside / walking by butttt the space is soooo large and spacious. The bar top is definitely made for entertainment and brunch shows but even a happy hour this place is pretty nice. They are new and shiny and I'm a big fan. The decor and freshness of this establishment is refreshing. On top of that they are people of color owned. The owner was very nice and accommodating for my misc cocktail request even when they didn't have what I wanted. They def need to level up their michelada game since the chef is latinX so I expected much more.

Nick was absolutely an amazing bartender and made my first time at Cockatoo on Sunday, January 28th so memorable with their recommendations from the cocktails and delicious empanadas. I highly recommend this bar! It's reasonably priced, as well as their two hour bottomless mimosas. They also have drag karaoke with the amazing host Yari on Sundays as well that I recommend.

My friend and I went for drinks on Thursday night and really enjoyed the atmosphere of Cockatoo. I was hungry so I order the chicken empanadas and the Yucca fries, the food was fresh and delicious, and the best part was our bartender Josh who made strawberry lemonade martinis. We were delighted with the service and their products. Definitely coming back!

Second time at Cockatoo for an event. I can say that the staff here are kind, nice atmosphere and food is delicious. I love that the restaurant has two floors. Upstairs, the roof can open; that's cool (you're inside but outside too lol). Also, there's outside dining. This particular Sunday evening, it was extremely hot and Cockatoo had the roof sealed. Understandable. I tried their nachos, yucca fries and had a few cocktails. Everything was of quality and their pricing is definitely reasonable than some places. Right now, a lot of restaurants are struggling with staffing (since the pandemic) and that might've been the case here. Some of the options for food were not available. Wanted to try the deviled egg with shrimp; again from the last time I was here but it was unavailable. Good times! I enjoy it here!

It's Bollywood night at this newish bar! Two floors, with the top floor a partially outdoor experience of open windows and sliding ceiling to reveal a mural and outside or the reverse to protect any young congregants from weather most foul. This is a posh, youthful place where friends hang out. A fine addition to the older bars.

Amazing food The yucca fries empanada and tofu was excellent 5 star ratings The owners Sriram and his partner were very friendly The cocktail drinks were also good

Keeping this simple.... Cute place... Rudest bartender and barback I've ever encountered. We reluctantly ordered a drink from the bartender who didn't speak one word to us and rolled their eyes when we ordered. Then the barback was super rude to us so we left... Hope you find some folks that are at the bare minimum friendly. These negative reviews are going to keep rolling in if you don't.

Great..safe..pretty atmosphere.. Stepped in for a quick drink.. Bartender was a doll and that HOSTESS w/the platinum hair..A-1!!! Came in from outta town n was warmly greeted n serviced!!!

Nice spot with a good vibe inside. Happy hour specials pretty good and the food is as well. Very tasty things to choose from. There is an upstairs area too.

I keep wanting to support this spot, but after a number of visits, I remain underwhelmed. The drinks are always weak, and the bartenders--over a year-plus of visits--have repeatedly done a poor job of making standard cocktails like old fashioneds and Manhattans. There used to be a few tasty appetizers on the menu, but there appeared to be no kitchen service during my most recent visits. With such a great location, I really wish Cocatoo delivered a better experience. I'd easily become a regular, rather than spending money elsewhere after 1 round of disappointing drinks and underwhelming (not necessarily bad, but underwhelming) service .

There's a reason this place is usually empty. I keep wanting to give this place a try but ultimately, I won't and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Namely, the service is downright rude. There are many other gay bars with friendly bartenders, this place isn't one of them. It saddens me because I know this is a POC-owned bar but the people they've hired are horrendous, inattentive, and mean. We literally got chased down the street by a bartender who was confused about us not leaving a tip for the utter lack of service we received. The absolute sense of entitlement this man had was unbelievable and truly unhinged. Why do you think you deserve a tip when you literally checked on everyone else but us? Why do you think you deserve a tip when you let my friend sit there for ten minutes before serving him? Why do you think you deserve a tip when you were completely rude and not helpful when I was trying to order a drink? Why do you think you deserve a tip when you were dancing and smiling with other patrons and when you turned to us, your entire demeanor made us feel like shit? This review is mainly based on that one bartender. I apologize to the owners, it's nothing on the establishment itself but when your frontline has inhospitable servers it makes for a horrible experience - an experience that I do not want to have again so I will never return. To top it off, we met a bartender at another local gay bar who used to work here and confirmed and validated everything we experienced. I will spend my money elsewhere - where my friends and I are treated kindly, made to feel welcomed and like we are wanted there.

came to Cockatoo to see a drag show, which turned out to be one of the best I'd seen in a long time.  I enjoyed every second of it.  The outside dining experience was fantastic, and the price was extremely reasonable considering the quality.  The meal and cocktails were exceptional, as was the service.  I'll be back in a few days.

Espresso martini and a cosmo...both horrid, no flavor and no quality. Both drinks were on their special drink menu. Nice atmosphere but come on...give your signature drinks some quality.

A great addition to the Philadelphia bar scene. Spacious and modern, Cockatoo is perfect for unwinding in the afternoon or evening. The friendly staff, tasty food and extensive drinks menu just add to the ambiance. I have visited a number of times already and the experience has been consistently good. The location is also fantastic for people watching while sitting alfresco in these Covid times. Thanks to the staff for making it a safe place to visit! I love the chandeliers inside and the butterfly mural outside, festive touches!

Cute, new (since COVID) gay bar in the gayborhood. The owner and staff are super friendly and welcoming, and I love that the huge windows slide open for an indoor/outdoor vibe.

What a great bar to be able to sit and talk with friends or a date. The owner, Rom, was very friendly and happy to help us non locals as we set out to explore the gay nightlife. Funny thing is we always ended up back at Cockatoo. Great ambiance. Amazing upstairs with an open roof! Has great potential as they build their brand. Highly recommend if you are visiting or a local!! Thanks for a great experience, Cockatoo Staff!!

A great, welcoming space in Center City. The owners are so friendly and welcome everyone into the gorgeously decorated bar. The frozen cocktails are always great. I wish the beer menu rotated more but it isn't going to stop me from grabbing a delicious cosmo with my friends.

TWO FLOORS!!! This place has it all. Great cocktails, scenery, location!!! Center city, great drinks, and Notoriety? A well known place with great events is all you need. Come here ONCE and you'll know why. Center of the gayborhood but LESBIAN! You're in luck. Host ANY party here and you'll be satisfied. I sure was!

Nice spot to meet friends in a comfortable atmosphere. The staff is wonderful and the food is delicious.

Food is good and atmosphere is nice and clean. I'd definitely stick to beer or wine as bartender had NO clue what a cocktail is. Drink sizes are super small.

The food was delicious, especially the pinchon, so juicy and flavorful. The sliders were excellent too. And the owner was so nice!

We tried Cockatoo tonight for a friend's birthday. We wanted to find somewhere new that would accommodate a dairy allergy. We could not have had a better experience! The owner, Ram, was so attentive and answered all of our questions about the menu. For my friend who didn't want to drink, he made her a personalized mocktail that she loved. We ordered maybe five or six tapas and pinchos to share and every single thing we ate was delicious. I particularly loved the chicken pincho with guava and the Spanish rice was awesome. They made sure everything was dairy free and the substitutions were fantastic. My fiancé and my friend both had the blueberry almond tart for dessert and both raved about it. I had the guava cream cheese pastry and loved it so much, I ordered a second one to go. Ram also gave us a tour of the upstairs area with the retractable roof - we're definitely planning to come back for a drag brunch or tea, particularly when the roof is open. This was one of the best new restaurant experiences I've had in a long time.

Horrible customer service. Food is terrible. Was provoked by service staff after explaining I am not paying for the mushed rice and beans that is Served at a drag brunch. The server told me to leave and followed me to restroom. I was harassed after telling them there food was garbage. It was shameful and the worse customer service(none) I have ever gotten. They need to be shutdown forever due to way my compliant about the food was handled. I complained about horrible food, they then kicked me out as a result. The drag queen then tries to explain the Service industry to me as I am a profesional chef of over 20 years. This was the most insulting, pretentious., atrocious experience is have ever had.

Gay, Fun, Great atmosphere, beautiful bar, excellent skewers ( I had the tofu and steak.) apparently they have a men's burlesque show on the weekend Sunday that cost $20 upstairs but from the sounds downstairs it sounds like a great time. I highly recommend checking this place out in the Gayborhood.

Visited this past fall for the first time. My friend and i were very pleased with our experience. We got to personally meet the owners, and they gave us a brief background on how they had just got up and running with the establishment. Two totally awesome guys! Otherwise, food and drinks are great, averagely priced for Philly. I hope this place has the opportunity to thrive once bars and clubs get back up on their feet. Will definitely be back without question!

A group of friends came here on Friday for their DJ and drag event to support one of our friends. When we arrived, the man working the front door (who I'm being told is the owner) was incredibly rude. He also was holding a rope to block people from going in? So bizarre. He told us we were not allowed to go upstairs as "it's so packed no one can move up there". And that "well he also brought 70 of his other friends so that's why it's so packed". We then were instructed to go stand in the back corner of the first floor bar. We stood over there for a while and watched many people come down the stairs. So naturally we asked if we could go up as more than 5 people had come down and our friend was performing. Once again we were very rudely told to go stand where we were "because it is still way too packed". We waited and saw another 5-6 people come down and again asked the guy if we could go up. Finally he said sure but not without telling us that we would be not be able to move up there. As we were approaching the stairs, there was an individual who again YELLED over our heads to the guy at the door asking if we really are allowed up. We got upstairs and let me tell you, there was maybe 30% of max capacity up there? The dance floor had about 15 people. It's especially absurd since the only reason we were there was to support our friends performing. I can't believe the amount of disrespect we were shown our first time there. Definitely not a good look for this new restaurant. Only redeeming qualities here are that this place seems to be more inclusive to women which some places in the gayborhood are not and the one bartender, Tirrell, was absolutely wonderful.

Never had I experienced such lack of human decency while be harassed inside a public restroom from a staff member at Cockatoo. As a trans person I thought I could find comfort inside an establishment that claims to be a destination for the queer and ally community. Little did I know that was incredibly far from the truth. First time here I brought few of my coworkers and one needed to use the restroom therefore we walked together. This is a common practice within most friend groups to ensure safety. As we were entering SEPARATE STALLS the man working the front door (who told me he was the owner) followed us into the restroom and yelled at us that we can't use the same stall which wasn't what we were doing. Mind you it was a busy Friday night and he followed us from the front of the building to the very back to do such. He already established a narrative influenced by his own prejudices. When you see two people walking to a multi-stall restroom why do you assume they're going to share one? I felt profiled and my integrity was questioned for simply existing. If you were that insecure of your restroom why not hire a washroom attendant? As a trans person public bathrooms are already a nightmare and having a man follow me into one validates that fear. Real shame because the bartenders were outstanding.