Kite & Key

My first visit. Metered street parking. Friendly, attentive staff. Chicken and Vegetable soup was a nice treat on this chilly afternoon. Draft and craft beer. Happy hour specials, tables and bar seating. Short walk to the Art Museum and Philadelphia Public Library.

Known the owner, he works really hard to make sure the bar is well maintained and has a nice friendly vibe. Food here is great and the alcohol selection is nice too. Honestly a great space, been coming here over 2 years now because I live nearby. Whether it’s watching the Eagles game or playing darts, I always have a great time!

Kite & Key has been a neighborhood staple for a while! I hadn’t visited in several years! The menu offers many options, but I see the favs items were still available (fish and chips) and they were tasty! The service was great considering how crowded it was (Rocky Race) happened on day I visited and our server explained what items were sold out and made recommendations! It was a bit loud overall, but it kept it lively and fun! The one note is they need to improve on the cocktails served-that was a miss with two drinks ordered (raspberry mule and whiskey sour)!

Very nice spot! We stopped by for a late lunch and had a chicken sandwich special, as well as a crab cake. The crab cake was phenomenal, we weren't expecting it to be that good! The chicken sandwiches were very good as well, freshly battered and fried perfectly. The staff were all very friendly!

The atmosphere was good . In my opinion everything was good but the food kind of smelled weird . My chicken was way too dry . We also didn’t get any kind of napkins or slat and pepper . Personally I won’t recommend to visit it . But I know that some people like this place, I think it’s depends on the person.

I’ve loved this place for years. It always just felt comfortable. Even when I lived in other parts of the city I would occasionally stop in for a drink or bite to eat. It is very versatile. Perfect for a happy hour, a date or even a place to take the family out to for a late lunch. The place still doesn’t disappoint

Kite & Key is hands down my favorite bar in Philly. I’ve been coming here for the past year and saying goodbye is honestly the hardest part about leaving this city. Every single person who works here is incredible, welcoming, fun, and genuinely kind. They made me feel like family from the beginning. This place became more than just a spot to grab a drink. It’s where I built real friendships, shared laughs, and made memories I’ll never forget. Kite & Key was the heart of my Philly experience and I’m going to miss it more than I can put into words. If you’re in town, don’t sleep on this place. It’s everything a neighborhood bar should be. Thank you Kite & Key for being the best part of my time in this city. Eric

Cute little bar with delicious fish and chips. I love their beer selection here. It’s hard to find a place with dark beer that isn’t just Guinness and only during cold months, but they have that here. At least one dark beer that isn’t a Guinness any time I’ve been here, and they have other beer options that aren’t only IPAs, which I also appreciate.

The crab cakes are the best in the city. The deviled eggs were also great. My wife had a chicken salad which she said was delicious.

Great neighborhood place. So welcomed by Jim(the owner) Food was great and the service was great. Stop you won't be sorry!

Your average bar with average drinks and food. 2 stars because I PAID for a song to be played on TouchTunes and they immediately skipped my song. Don't have a jukebox if you don't want patrons picking the music! So frustrating! Likely won't be returning- nothing special about this place and there a ton of other bars that offer the same type of thing.

Kite & Key has been a neighborhood staple for a while! I hadn't visited in several years! The menu offers many options, but I see the favs items were still available (fish and chips) and they were tasty! The service was great considering how crowded it was (Rocky Race) happened on day I visited and our server explained what items were sold out and made recommendations! It was a bit loud overall, but it kept it lively and fun! The one note is they need to improve on the cocktails served-that was a miss with two drinks ordered (raspberry mule and whiskey sour)!

Neighborhood dive bar. Good service by Rachel. Stopped by to grab a quick bite and a drink! Sat in the bar area. Got the "Philly Special" cocktail. It's pretty much a mule. It was decent. Got the margherita pizza. It was very basic and tasteless. Had more sauce than cheese. Won't recommend. Luckily, I wasn't starving. They have weekly specials - happy hour and "Wine Down Wednesday." Chill place to grab a drink but won't come back for food!

Small menu, large portions! Personally, I like smaller menus- I find large ones often overwhelm me. I ordered one of their specials of the night- a fajita salad. It came with a very generous portion of chicken, which was cooked to perfection!

This place is conveniently located in Fairmount. Ended up going to the bar with a friend a couple nights ago. We shared a veggie quesadilla and got two different drinks. They have a darts game near the bar which was pretty fun to play. The crowd seemed like locals but it was cool that it was pretty empty for a weekday night (the place closed at 2am for a weeknight which is pretty nuts). Service was quick and the bartender was very attentive. The veggie quesadilla was pretty delicious and had a good amount of content ranging from corn to spinach. I would have preferred spinach wrap style but unfortunately they had only whole white wrap style. The drinks are strong yet very good. I highly recommend the Philly Special (Raspberry Vodka, Fresh Lime, Fresh Raspberry, Ginger Beer). I really liked how the Philly Special is also serviced in a copper mug (made me feel like I was drinking a Moscow mule instead).

Met a friend here for a cocktail. Loved that they have both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat so we were indoors but on the edge of being outdoors. Had a great neighborhood vibe. Looks better than the photos. It was late but the place still had people. Got a dirty martini. It was perfect. Would return!

Our party thought the food was good, but not great. Except for the French toast, the portion sizes were small, especially given what you pay. I'd give the food 3 stars out of 5. However, our server was extremely friendly and came to check on us multiple times throughout the meal. He was funny and prompt to help us with the check as well. He earned Kite & Key another star for our visit.

I was in the neighborhood with some coworkers the other day and decided to go here for lunch. Been here before over the years as I used to live up the street. Standard bar vibe with the darker lighting inside and wood furniture. Able to easily sit since it was the middle of the day. Staff was generally friendly and waitress had good timing for bringing food & seeing how we were doing. I got the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries instead of regular fries and it was pretty good. My coworkers also liked their food too. Would go here again for some food & drinks, and would want to check out the outdoor seating area they now have.

Walked into a close to empty bar. Was clean and tidy and not too divey. Drinks were basic and ok. Didn't eat the food but heard it was okay. Founders breakfast stout was average. Moscow mule was tasty.

From beginning to end enriching was superb! Service, menu, ambiance, food! I'll definitely be returning & I can't wait to try more items from the menu!

I always enjoy the food at Kite and Key. It's a great place to go and last week I ordered the crab cake with hollandaise sauce. It was filled with lump crabmeat and was, honestly, the best crab cake I've ever eaten. The service is always excellent and at this time of year it was wonderful to eat outside! Inside is always fun to be surrounded by happy patrons enjoying themselves.

Great regular neighborhood spot. Bar is great for happy hour and an Eagles game. Fried pickles are spot on and the wings are solid.

Five gorgeous beautiful stunning stars for the best veggie burger I've had in a minute...maybe ever! Did some shopping and was walking home in need of some eats. Saw Kite and Key and decided to give it a shot. Super cute outdoor seating for the warmer months and a bar area that opens up right into the sidewalk. This is a neighborhood spot that was pretty dead dinner-wise on the Saturday I was posted up at the bar, but likely gets a little more rowdy later at night. The veggie burger is fantastic. Deep fried cabbage, mushrooms and carrots with a delish horseradish aioli and covered in sprouts. I devoured all of it in like 9 minutes alongside a tasty glass of sauv blanc. The bartender told me the veggie burger has been on the menu since Kite and Key opened on Callowhill in 2008 and it is easy to see why. Such a good staple. I don't think I'll ever eat anything else here (veggie burger for life) but I look forward to trying more of their cocktails and posting up at the bar whenever I need a good neighborhood vibe. Thanks for a great night!

Local loud bar. Friendly customers and staff. Pretzel bites were really good but what I liked even more was the dipping sauces they came with. YUM! The chicken sandwich was fine. Three or four TVs with different college basketball games Friday night. At 7 places had calmed down (less noisy and less crowded). Go on over and sit at the bar!

Had a great dinner tonight. Lively atmosphere, awesome service and fabulous food. I had the chicken chorizo soup and grilled shrimp - so good. What a great member of the Phila Gastropub scene. Our server was attentive and helpful. Definitely going back!

Really nice spot Excellent beer selection Food is very good Service is very attentive as well

Awesome food and loooove their margarita! Service is always splendid. Try all their chicken wing dishes!

Stopped in for a drink and bite, not expecting much and was SURPRISED and happy to see a new menu! New chef on board hits all the boxes for a gasto pub, with specials. Great update for local pub food and we have been back again. Recommend the French dip with sharp cheddar and horseradish sauce, SO GOOD! portobello sandwich, and the Ravioli special was great! Beautiful evening, great outdoor seating and great service! Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu!

The food and service was great!!! The Kite always has a good food daily and fantastic beers on tap!! The bartenders and chef are on point!! Can't wait to go back with more friends!! Good vibes!!

Service staff were very friendly and atmosphere was nice. Food was terrible. Barely edible. Canned chicken salad and just off overall. Wish it was just solid bar food but defiantly lacking. It's a shame because location to museums was good and staff was very nice.

We came here for a party that utilized the outdoor space. Dogs were allowed so that is a nice bonus. The food was not very good. It wasn't awful but it's not worth recommending. Our server was fantastic though. I was a bit apprehensive as often in these situations it can take a bit to get a drink when there is a large number of people and only a single server. I'll often prefer to just order direct from the bar and pay as I go but that was not necessary because everything was super fast. They even accommodated individual bills which our server kept track of by name and our bill came out without a hitch

Order the Kite & Key Burger as it is the best burger!!! ! Great fries!! EAT HERE NOW!!

Been here a couple times. Chill lowkey bar. Stopped in today for lunch and got the signature burger and fries. It was pretty average. A little burnt and yet still pink in the middle. Food is pretty mid. Bartender is super nice and the drinks are good. I'd stop in for some wings and a drink but I probably wouldn't go there just for the food

Kite & Key was so fun! I only had fries and drink, and the fries were fine, nothing to write home about. The martinis... FABULOUS! And this comes from a picky martini drinker. I'm just stating fact. I had one of their hard ciders whose name I cannot even recall but it was tasty and on tap. I merely told the server what I liked and he brought out something that suited me to a tee. And isn't that all we want from our server... perfection?! He was such a lovely, kind, fast and wickedly funny man that I believe we tipped 35%. Well worth it. And we were happy. We were recommended this place by a nice guy that worked at The Barnes and he was right. Sorry I can't help out with a food rec, but I would definitely give it a try. If I didn't live in Cali I'd mos def come by often. It seems to be a cool neighborhood hang out, with a comfy vibe.

I've been to Kite & Key on several occasions pre-COVID and once post. The quality of the food has not changed nor as the great service. They've done a great job converting the outside to an enjoyable place to eat and watch a game during the COVID season. My last visit found me enjoying the fried chicken sandwich with a group of 4 outdoors. The sandwich was tasty and came with nice pile of fries. I did get a little food envy seeing the Fish & Chips, but with COVID in line there was no sampling. Previously visits was mostly focused on bar type food such as chicken tenders and Quesadilla, which paired well with the numerous beers they have on tap. To round out brunch, they had a decent bloody mary. It loses a bit needed to be packaged for takeaway, but I will still recommend it. I'm hopeful that Kite & Key stays around post-COVID. It is a great place and one I will check out anytime I'm in the area. Check them out!

Went to this spot for lunch and they did not disappoint. Service was thoughtful and quick (very appreciated), but the major reason for this review is the veggie burger. Crummy veggie burgers are easy to find and I prefer a vegetable patty to a meat sub such as Impossible. This one has texture and variety. The fries remind me of McDonalds in terms of texture and style of cut, which was nice. Long as my fries aren't soggy, I'm pretty pleased. Good-sized patio for this upcoming Spring too.

Great spot to stop by for good food and of course drinks too. The servers are always friendly and attentive. Today for the first time used Kite and Key to cater a luncheon for 40. Jim and the chef Paul were so easy to work with and helpful in putting together a delicious menu. They out did themselves with plenty of yummy food at a great reasonable price. Thank you Jim and Paul. Make sure you put Kite and Key on your list of places to go.

While wandering around near the Philly museum of art, you end up needing to nosh after seeing all the things! We wanted food, and fast, but no fast food, so we smacked the ole yelp button and blammo! Food! Kite & Key is a relatively decent size pub with old school pub charm and feels. Plenty of seating to eat, also plenty of bar to drink at! A smallish crowd of folks enjoying beverages, and perfect timing for us to get some grub! Their menu is not enormous, but they seem to make everything there with a focus on fun and well rounded modern fare. Their cheesesteak spring rolls are not to be missed, but in our case, missed being the subject of a photo (oops)! They were a great take on a spring roll made with an homage to the Philly cheesesteak! The honey fried chicken sandwich was decent, my only qualm would be the piece of chicken was dwarfed by the roll. The Korean chicken tacos were outstanding, a great mash up of ideas and flavors!

waiter was clearly as high as a balloon and didn't get me a sugar pack for lIke 20 minute, we asked four times! food was okay

We just came here to meet up for drinks, but served us very well! Service is prompt, the beer selection is good, and the outdoor seating has a TV available for sports or whatever you're looking for.

Pretty great place near Fairmount Park. They offer brunch at reasonable prices. Wait staff is friendly and helpful. Decor is dark like a British pub. It was a little loud inside, but you have to expect that with sports bars. All in all, a great place to eat!

Kite & Key is a solid neighborhood bar. I have been a few times and even when I walk by it is crowded. It seems like a very popular happy hour spot for the Callowhill area. The food I've had is pretty good, nothing special. I wouldn't really go for the food but if you're looking for a drink and a bite to eat this is a great place. I especially like that the front opens when the weather is nice and they have a good amount of outside seating. They also have an excellent beer selection with many choices on draft at a reasonable price. Food wise, I enjoy the veggie burger. It is the best thing I've tried here. I have also tried a few other items including the fried pickles which I thought were very average.

What a find !!! Very good food - we did apps and it was all very good !! Spring rolls very good and the chicken tenders excellent Staff attentive and fast service Good vibe - will be back !

Met up here with a friend for dinner and drinks. The veggie burger here was highly recommended and as a vegetarian it was one of my only options. I thought the burger was good but not as amazing as the reviews made it out to be. It could've used some more flavor/condiments but wasn't bad, I've had better. I enjoyed the outside seating area, it was cute.

Wonderful service and great food! The house made blueberry muffin ice cream was amazingly spot on and so good.

Kite and Key is a cute bar for brunch - although I suspect most people came here because they were in a similar situation as us where Sabrina's Cafe (down the street) had too long of a wait. The place has outdoor seating to accommodate the great weather, but it is a bit of a squeeze. They also have. a weekend brunch menu which allows for some great ambiance with friends and on dates. Food-wise, the breakfast sandwich was quite delicious. Served with home fries, the dish allows for pork roll (Taylor ham), sausage, or bacon - the pork roll was a bit burnt, but otherwise extremely tasty. The breakfast burrito is a bit bland and dry for my liking, but nonetheless still okay. The shrimp creole is really good and would highly recommend it. My friend who got it devoured the whole thing in minutes! Finally, the chicken fingers and fries were good, but the chicken fingers seemed a bit overcooked. As with the waiting staff, it seems the kitchen staff is a bit understaffed. Our server was extremely friendly and responsive. The mimosas come in pretty large glasses - about a wine glass worth's instead of a champagne flute. All in all, it's a fun place on a nice day without a wait, and I enjoyed the vibe a lot!

Ambiance was comforting, service was top notch and the food was flavorful and filling! I will definitely return and recommend this place!

Bar itself wasn't too busy, pretty likely at times. Had a great time there with drinks with friends. Not sure what happened but the whole group we went out with ended up with upset stomachs and diarrhea for several days.

This was a nice little spot to stop for lunch when our first choice had over an hour wait. Inside is very much pub vibes and they have a cute outdoor area which is what we opted for. The food was pretty good, nothing to write home about but no issues either, my favorite thing we got was the fried pickles. Overall this place could use some work, it's very understaffed and therefore the service is a little spotty but everyone who works there is very kind and apologetic about it. The patio could probably use a little sprucing up as well but again not really an issue. I would probably come back here again if I'm in the area for whatever reason!

This might be the worst food in Philly. This bar is the type of place that Gordon Ramsey needs to come to on Kitchen Nightmares. The good: Not busy so we got seated Reasonable beer selection The bad: Service was atrocious. Wait staff was clueless and very behind. What should have been a quick meal was a long drawn out process in which we had to ask for everything along the way. Drinks, food, silverware, check. The horrible: The food was downright disgusting. Hot beef sandwich was maybe the worst thing I've ever put in my mouth. Bread was stale, beef was cold (and looked/tasted like it was cooked at 20,000° for 6 hours). Fries were soggy and greasy. Not a good combo. Good shape tho - they have potential. The pear salad was okay... far too much oil and not much flavor. Like eating lettuce soup.

We were on our way to the Franklin Institute and stopped by because it was near and everyone in the group found something they liked on the menu. We came in around 12:30pm on a Saturday and we were seated right away. The weather was comfortable and they had the front windows open to let the breeze in. I ordered the Vegetable Quesadilla + Chicken for an additional $3. My boyfriend ordered the Carnitas Flatbread. We both enjoyed our meals very much that we forgot to share with each other until we were almost finished. Our food came out hot which we appreciated and made our meals that much more appetizing. I loved the spinach and mushrooms in the quesadilla, which put a unique twist to it. From what our server mentioned, the Carnitas Flatbread has varying degrees of spiciness depending who made it. My boyfriend said his flatbread had a kick to it, but it wasn't anything crazy.

I think this place is better known for being a bar with outside seating rather than a food spot. With that said, don't go for liquor and order a margarita like I did. The mix was absolutely terrible and worse than what you get at a cheap liquor store. Then comes the food.....the kite and key burger was extremely dry and they barely give you any fries. Usually a place will overload the fries..right?! Cheesesteak egg roll was average, nothing to write home about. Only reason I didn't give this review a 1 is because the staff was friendly, service was good, and outdoor seating was a perk. Otherwise, not a place we are going back to.

I went to the place and order a beer and a roas beef sandwich. The sandwich had steamed beef that tasted to nothing. In other words it was the worst sandwich in my life. The bartender was nice to the point that I recommended to him to check a place on Broad street run by Chinese people which has awesome sandwiches and taste great. Yes for Kite and Key to make those would be one to two dollars more expensive and would require some actual work from people in the kitchen but it would be something to many would go back for. Instead they got me who would never go back to the place. I was there last one year ago and the food was much better so I wonder what happened to the place. Today is a Saturday night and not even ten people were there. Now I know why. Please do not go there ever!

Cute little place and busy, hostess and wait staff were polite. Two stars because I ordered the mushroom dip which listed every kind of mushroom, onions, cheese and roll on the menu but NOT the horseradish spread liberally on the roll. The horseradish is all I tasted. :( Waiter offered to bring me more "dip"? Not a different roll or to remake the sandwich. He said he'd pass along the info that the horseradish isn't listed on the menu and charged me full price.

This is a cute spot if you live by the fairmont area! There is a cute indoor and outdoor section that has a great selection of beers and reasonably priced bar foods. To start, we got the fried mozzarella because the waitress had told us they had just sold out of the calamari. They weren't anything to write home about as they came in an odd portion size without enough sauce. Our waitress recommended the veggie burger for dinner. I have never tried a veggie burger before, but because it was rated so highly, I decided to try it. I did enjoy it, the patty was very flavorful and crispy. The bun was so big and there was so much on top of the burger that the bites got overwhelming. The wings were pretty tiny and not as meaty as some other bars in the city but the sauce was great! Overall, this place is a smaller nice quick dinner spot if your looking for a beer, TV, and average bar food!

Walking back to the car after the Philly Half Marathon we came across this bar. We didn't think it was open since we didn't see anyone inside, and it was only 9:45am. Walked in anyway and grabbed a table. Within an hour, it was standing room only inside and every seat was taken outside with runners. Despite the crowd, the service was quick and friendly, beer selection was varied and plentiful, and the food was great. They handled the influx of people well and the vibe was great. I'll be back for sure to check out the place during a "normal" day/evening. Great find.

Typical small bar/pub, with excellent food. Stopped in for a burger and fries, while my wife went for soup and salad. Service was attentive without hovering.