World Cafe Live

Visited this venue last night 4/25 to see Matt Hansen and Steinza. Everything was amazing! Staff were all so nice and helpful throughout the night. Matt Hansens show was awesome to see and so much better then I anticipated. I highly recommend eating the food at the venue as well, I got the duck cheesesteak, which was the best duck I have ever had. Overall I will definitely be going back if someone else that I follow does a show there. Great place 👌

We love World Cafe. Saw another great show with Lez Zeppelin. They killed it. Jon Smith's Voyages opened and they were a great match and would see them again too. Chairs are alittle uncomfortable, Lez played for about 2.5 hrs nonstop! Well be looking for other shows!

I came here for the Voices In Power “OG” spoken word event and had the time of my life! The energy of the place was so amazing and truly unforgettable! wow .. the venue is beautiful and I hope to come back for more events like this :)

Highly recommend this venue and the food. All four of us ordered the duck cheesesteak and no one was disappointed! We stayed for the jazz performance and jam session 2/12/25. One of the teens in our group commented that he was impressed with the range of talent among those who played, and wants to come back next month! We also polished off a beet salad and some desserts. We easily found street parking right in front (arrived before 7pm). Great experience which I am telling my friends about.

Intimate nice place. Clean as well. Good sound system And without a doubt don’t skip trying the duck cheesteak. It’s insanely good. I’m a foodie and I promise. Try it.

Great spot with easy access and tons of live music! We were lucky enough to catch a last minute acoustic show from some of our fave players. Absolutely recommended!

Well known and recognized venue with WXPN affiliation Multiple performance spaces, bar and food available as well. Parking in public garage is around the corner. Friendly staff.

I went to this venue for the first time - I don't live in Philly - and it was absolutely awesome! I had no trouble finding parking which was awesome because I am disabled and have trouble walking long distances. The other bonus to me on that topic was that the venue put chairs in the standing room GA section for folks with disabilities and I was able to really enjoy the show without being in pain halfway through. It was the best surprise ever! The space is excellent and a great size. The staff was all amazing as well! Everyone was so polite and friendly and went out of their way to help with anything they could. Definitely an above and beyond staff there. I also ate at the restaurant upstairs before going down to my concert. The Duck Cheesesteak is a huge winner in my book! I hope to catch another show here the next time I'm down in Philly!

World Cafe Live is a multifaceted music and event venue. On any given night there is an array of performances and people coming and going, which adds to the excitement. This night, my party and I were in the lounge for a jazz show. All of the staff and servers were pleasant and helpful. Especially when trying to get a table closer to the stage. The chicken tinga nachos and broccoli fritters were delicious (and therefore not pictured, they went fast)! For drinks, the Mandarin sidecar was good but the smokey pineapple martini was better! I would not recommend the espresso martini here. Finally, I tried the duck cheesesteak which was good. Messy, but good. There are other food options if you're looking for a knife and fork situation. Street parking is abundant depending on when you arrive. Overall a solid venue.

This is my 2nd time dining here and seeing a show downstairs afterwards. The food and service is wonderful, the eggplant fries and catfish and grits are my favorite. They do get busy so if you're dining before a show book reservations 2 hours prior. They have wonderful shows, I've only seen groups that do tributes to famous performers, they are very good. However, there are other events. This tribute to 30 years of the "My Life" album of Mary J Blige was excellent. I love the easy parking outside using the MeterUp app and the facilities are nice and clean. Great venue I recommend if you like a nice evening in the city.

My family and friends had the opportunity to have dinner at World Cafe Live on Friday the January 14th. The food was delicious Four of us had the catfish and grits, others in the group had the angus burger, salmon and salad. All the entrees were delicious . The service was amazing, timely and very professional. We experience good musical entertainment as well.

I have been to this venue before, having attended the Book of Love concert in 2016, and more recently, Wild Nothing. I didn't try the food though. In addition to the fantastic acoustics and top-notch service, the venue also boasts an impressive atmosphere that sets the mood for a memorable concert experience. The lighting design and stage are expertly crafted, enhancing the overall visual appeal of the performances. The staff is friendly and attentive, ensuring that attendees have a comfortable and enjoyable time. Pretty close to the 30th Street Train Station too!

My wife and I attended a Jazz show. The venue is awesome. Multiple locations for different performances. The food was delicious. The service was mediocre. There weren't many diners, yet out waitress was often MIA. I had to remind her a few times about the drinks we ordered. Overall it was a pleasant experience. We will definitely visit again.

Definitely a night worth remembering! Hoping to return soon for live music and great vibes.

EXPERIENCE My friends and I went to go see the Depths of Wikipedia Live, and it was a blast. The venue was full, and the crowd was lively and engaging. We were seated by an usher after scanning our tickets at the front and were seated at tables alongside other guests. The speakers weren't blaring as with other venues I've attended, and the atmosphere was just full of fun. DRINKS A range of drinks-- both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were available for purchase before and throughout the show. I ordered the spiked peach tea, and it was the perfect balance of sweet and fruity, though it was on the pricier side for the amount given. SERVICE The staff was kind and patient and very on top of the orders, considering the ratio of guests to staff. However, the waitress lost my friend's credit card when ringing up his bill, so that was an unfortunate incident. PARKING / TRANSPORTATION Street parking is available at a limited capacity. The venue is a 5-minute walk from 30th Street Station, which might be the preferred method of transportation.

Had my wedding reception here Love the lounge especially - great music, people and fun.

The food was grest and the String Queens performance was awesome. Will be checking for other acts in the future

World Café live is still the best place to see a concert. Downstairs is a wonderful small intimate venue, with a balcony with comfortable couches. The sound quality is impeccable. I recently went to see Judith Hill. There was no food service during the show, which is very odd. You have to get food upstairs first. But the food is very good upstairs. I had a duck cheesesteak, which was a delicious sandwich that I haven't seen on any other restaurant menu. I started off with a tasty shrimp cocktail appetizer. I also tried the wings, which were just average. My drink was OK. They really need to bring back food service during the show. I would have at least had dessert and maybe another drink if I was eating downstairs.

I came for a concert in the smaller venue upstairs called the lounge to see The Amours. It was an excellent show. The sound is always right. The curry chicken wrap is delicious!

The food at world cafe is amazing!! The duck cheese steak is to die for, the loaded fries are amazing, the catfish and grits and filling and delicious, the drinks are amazing and the staff is some of the best staff you could ever meet! I completely recommend going there for a bite or even just a moment to enjoy some great music and good vibes!

As the musical landscape in Philly changes World Cafe has been a staple for hosting the singer/song writer genre of musicians. Great venue affordable handful of draft beer and cider on tap and great visibility from almost anywhere in the venue.

Small upstairs venue. Was ok overall, crowded, bar service was efficient and friendly. Poor overworked bar tender was handling a concert crowd by herself and did an excellent job. Eclectic and well prepared food menu, diners seemed very pleased with their selections. Probably would return if musical act was someone I really wanted to see and I had a reserved table seat.

Me and my friends arrived extra early to see our favorite artist Alana Springsteen perform and usually venues never let you inside early but not only did they let us come out of the cold to wait for the show inside the nice employee Sophia gave us chairs to sit in as well!!! Amazing staff all over super friendly and welcoming! Never have I been to a venue so nice.

I go in to the venue. World Cafe Live is a classy venue with an upstairs cafe area and a downstairs seated audience setting. There's no food menu available on this night sadly. Maybe because they aren't expecting too many people and/or maybe because it's hard to find help. With the hot drinks, there was only a hot toddy available. No cocoa or coffee or either with alcohol available. It was a bitter cold day outside on 1/15/22 at about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. The bartender was super friendly and nice. A friend wanting me to come support him real bad at this- so I did. I've probably been to about 7 of these now, and for me, it starts to get a bit old. Of course, I still try to sign up to make myself a half-fool on the stage only to get my song cut off early as just about everyone else's songs get cut off. If you're a Philly local or want to do something different or off-the-wall, Skeletor Karaoke is it! You don't even have to sing to attend. Just show up and experience the madness that was once a staple to the Trocadero- a former independent concert venue in Philadelphia Chinatown!

Went to see Voices in Power on a Saturday night. The location is solid in University City. The venue itself is very modern, intimate but spacious as well. There are parking garages near by and street parking is available at times. Supporting staff was very friendly and inviting. We got shown to our seats very quickly. The layout is great and you are able to get a good visual of the stage anywhere. They only allow food in certain areas. But there was a full bar with really well crafted cocktails. Bartenders also had great personalities! Overall, this was a great experience, looking forward to other events here!

Late post and here goes. I came here for a concert and I had such a blast! I had no idea what to expect when I walked in but when the music started pumping and crowd began to rock and sway, I knew that I was in for a great night. The atmosphere fit the description, it was LIVE! We ordered seared tuna and coconut crab small plates. While the portions were indeed small, the flavors were excellent. My server noticed that I lost one of my crab appetizer crackers to the floor (a patron knocked it over when walking by :-( ) and she brought me over a few extra crackers for a replacement. I appreciated that small gesture considering that she did not have to and it was quite a packed ad busy house. Overall, I look forward to returning to this venue for another show. The atmosphere was awesome! I will however, eat before I arrive. The portions were not very filling.

Of all the places I've attended live music shows around the country I have to say this place is in the top three if not the best. This was our first time here and we came to see Samantha Fish perform (she's amazing but I'll save that for another review). There's an upstairs and a downstairs. Upstairs is a restaurant, bar, and small stage while downstairs is a bar and larger stage with a large floor and a mezzanine. I'll break WCL down in 5 categories: STAFF- The staff is super friendly and all smiles. This includes the will call desk which is also fast and efficient, the ticket scanner, the general staff, and the bartenders. ACOUSTICS- The sound was impressive as most places this size it can be difficult to clearly hear vocals World Cafe Live has nailed this category. We moved a few times during the show and the sound was near perfect everywhere we went. CROWD- I'm sure the crowd varies depending on the performance but when we were there it was a mix of young and old with ample facilities for folks that require ADA accessibility. The crowd at our show was super friendly. PARKING- free! Yep. Parking at the lot below is free after 5:30pm but we decided to park right in front of the door and pay $2.40 for the meter through the parking app. The signs state 12 hour parking but the app only allows for 2 hours but that's ok since the meters are only enforced until 8PM SPACE - the space was really, really nice and so clean. It felt like it was just built. More importantly there was plenty of room to walk around and seats at the bar upstairs were ample before the main act came on. You can wander around the entire place after entry but you'll need a bracelet provided after ticket validation to enter and exit the main show downstairs. FOOD & DRINK - we only had the eggplant fries (which were awesome) since we went to happy hour at Walnut Street Cafe next door but we will probably just dine at WCL next time. the restaurant opens a few hours before a show and you need a reservation. However, you can order food and drinks at the bar upstairs and they will put it in a takeout container for you to bring down to the show. Also, the drinks are free poured, served in actual glasses (not plastic party cups like other venues) and you're free to walk around the place with them. Additionally, the prices were reasonable! I mean really reasonable not venue reasonable but comparable to what you would spend anywhere for casual dining. Overall, WCL deserves a solid 5 stars because they know how to do it right and I can't wait to catch another show here.

I've been here a few times over the years (a fundraiser and two shows). It's a nice place. Always clean and the events are run well. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Had a great experience, the place was clean and not over crowded! Rising Appalachia was amazing as usual!!

Events are good, drinks are terrible pre-made and watered down and over priced! Crowd is super blah, if you're basic and uncultured its fine, if you're an arty person its seriously lacking.

Still Love World Cafe Live! I attended a show in the downstairs space and the acoustics are still fantastic! The service from the staff has remained consistently good! I always feel confident when I purchase tickets for a show because I know it will be a great experience!

What a great venue! sound was great, it felt like there was enough room, and food at the lounge was pretty tasty. My only complaint is getting a drink during the show- so many people sitting at the bar and there's not really anywhere to go and order without feeling in the way.

This place is so much fun. A truly eclectic vibe, and a great space for music lovers. Everyone who works here is overall friendly in nature. Great service. The crowd is very mixed and inclusive. Venue is clean and well spaced. Food options were good. It's a nice time! Check it out if you're in the area, and you're into supporting the music scene!

Returned to the World Cafe for a show Saturday. The WCL needs to update the website as there is no food served in the large concert hall for concerts and shows. We were able to get a table upstairs. At 645 the place was about 75% full. The waiter was able to take our order in a timely manner. I ordered the meat free meatloaf with rice carrots and cilantro. The meatloaf was really good. My only disappointment was there no cilantro which would have improved the dish. My husband ordered a burger. He enjoyed it. There was a floor manager who asked how we were doing and I appreciated that. The waiter did not return. We would have liked to order another drink.

So my husband and I hosted one of our business events here this summer. Spent about $20,000 and had about 300 attendees. It was a very successful event that we were considering hosting here again next summer. We enjoyed the food and overall it seemed to be a nice place. Fast forward to today we decided to make reservations for our date night. We had appetizers, dinner, and dessert. While waiting on our waiter to come back so we could get our check a lady approached us at our table asking if we were staying for the show. I realized she was one of the employees that was at the door when we came in, We said no and she was like yeah because I was gonna tell you you have to buy tickets or we would kinda have to kick you out. I was actually appalled because ummm eww! That's how you approach your patrons. Wouldn't it be more tactful to approach their waiter and get updated on if they were waiting on their check or paid already then let the waiter take it from there to just update the patron. This was extremely tacky, weird and unnecessary. We can't leave with out paying the check and we can't get the check with out being given it from the waiter so therefore there was no reason to interrupt our positive vibe with such negative foolishness. This really left a bad taste in our mouth.

Caught the Slackers here in the Lounge. Great venue, good food (duck cheesesteak, what?!), stellar drink selection. Andrew (our waiter) was TOP NOTCH and on point. Loved it.

My husband and I attended the Soulful Valentines Day here. It was by far one of our best experiences. We've lived in the city our entire lives and only just visited this establishment and it did not disappoint. The artist Jay Turner and Side by Sol was amazing. And the food....... I would return for the food alone. It was a great experience. I look forward to attending another live show in the lounge. It's a nice intimate space for a date night or a chill night out with friends.

A great place to see music, have a drink and get some food. The menu has a limited number of items. I recommend the catfish and grits and the broccoli fritters. The beer selection was very good, including a good number of non-alcoholic brews (I was designated driver.).

We unfortunately were rescheduled for " The Muppets Live " But we did have the opportunity to see it in April 2022. It was really nice. There was excitement and more adults than children. Our server was really nice and they were very Patient they were amazing for dealing with our table THE SHOW OMG The show was really great and everyone was singing along with the muppets lol. There was so much talent in that stage it's unbelievable

Teagan is an AMAZING waitress who handled an impressive number of tables the night I was there! I ordered the jambalaya pasta special on their recommendation that it was not on the regular menu and it was good.

World Cafe Live is an awesome music venue located in University City. The sound quality is excellent and the artists who play here are all unique. Because of their partnership with the radio station WXPN, the musical acts are held to a certain caliber and perhaps not as well known to the masses. All shows are general admission and buying tickets in person will save you in fees although their tickets seem to be fairly reasonably priced, comparatively speaking. If you're an XPN member for around $4-$6 a month you'll save even more on tickets! I've attended many shows here upstairs which is longer, more narrow space, and where they hold the radio station's weekly 'Free at Noon' broadcast. If you're not familiar with this, they offer a limited number of FREE tickets to various performances that are broadcasted live from the venue almost every Friday at noon. Tickets are available on the website. These shows are awesome and again....FREE! I've also attended many shows and kids' dancing events downstairs which is a much larger space with a wide stage, a handicap accessible section, a balcony, and has a large bar at the back. Tasty bites, pretty great brews (bottles and drafts) and cocktails are available during shows. More reasonably priced than most bigger name venues too. Although this space is larger than upstairs it's still very intimate and a truly great place to see a show! Shorter folks get there early for a spot upfront. Many neat murals line in the walls in this more artsy venue. Overall the space including the restrooms are very clean and very well maintained. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Lot parking prices are remarkably lower than most in the city, but I personally usually Uber it here. WCL is also easy to get to via public transportation. They also host wedding, Bat/Bar-Mitzvahs and other events here, but the cost is pretty pricey. If you have a chance to see a show here...GO! It's a refreshing music scene experience.

Took my sister and step dad here to see Echosmith. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by the venue. It's a small, intimate establishment with easy to access street parking. Perfect considering how cold it is outside. Once inside and down a few flights of stairs is the main venue area. Complete with a bar and convenient seating, it's a great place to see your favorite bands in a comfortable setting that really ensures you're close to the action anywhere in the room. Food selection is good and prices are reasonable. I'd gladly come back to see another performance here!

Awesome venue! I went early to grab a seat at the bar for some dinner and drinks before the show. The bartender was fabulous and the food was great! The venue was intimate and beautiful! It felt like a really special evening.

Probably the most unassuming venue with a really good menu. They only had one server that night and we couldn't tell due to him being so efficient. Whether you're catching or show or just wants some great food, this is an awesome place to go

So I've only been there once before and for a wedding, so when I got a ticket to see a band and was very surprised when you could have dinner and watch the band. So I ordered a steak ( which was amazon) see pic. We were having some beers. The problem was our server. She was actually training a girl ( who was spot on). We couldn't get drink refills. Two times I got up to find the waitress. Two times I went to the bar and bought beers. It was ridiculous. So if I had good service. It would have been a 5 star. But for a $100 food and drink bill ( after getting a couple rounds from the bar) she would have been tipped on $150 if she just did her job.

I love this place. I always have a great time. They always bring excellent musicians. Ambiance is lovely.

In one word, AMAZING. World Cafe Live was great. I would recommend getting a reservation because you get your food faster then other people when you get one.

One of Philly's smaller concert venues. There's the smaller upstairs stage and then downstairs stage for bigger crowds. Will call for picking up your tickets is super easy and quick. I love that the place is CLEAN. Maybe I'm getting old, BUT sticky floors and leftover weed smell at venue just isn't my jam (hah...). Staff is super friendly and helpful, bartenders are friendly and they host great artists. Definitely a good place to catch a gig!

My 1st time at this place and the atmosphere was great. All the artists receive a lot of love from the audience. The drinks could have been stronger. The food was so good, I order fish and grits. Although my 1st order, the fish was not completely done, but the manager was great with his response and getting my food perfect. The staff was great from the security to the host. A great place!!!!

Three stars for the food and cocktails. As a music venue the World Cafe Live is excellent. The seafaring is comfortable and the sound is good. The food options are limited and average. The "upsell" eggplant fries are a good choice. The cocktails are inconsistent.

WCL is a great venue for live music. It's a seated and standing room venue with a smaller lounge upstairs where they sometimes have free shows and events, and a larger music hall downstairs with ticketed events. Check their website for show listings. I recently saw Maggie Rose in concert at the music hall and it's an intimate venue with good sight lines everywhere and good acoustics. Ticket prices are reasonable. Please note that as of 9/29/21, WCL is not selling food during shows, so plan to eat before or after the show. They are selling drinks however. One of the best music venues in Philly.

Very cute venue. I came here to see Simply Three and had such a blast. We were at the upstairs portion. Host was extremely nice and seated us right away (and without reservations too), service was fast, and my dessert was pretty good (I had the chocolate lava cake - moist and rich). I loved the close intimate vibe the upstairs gave. It was small, but not too small. The sound quality seemed great. Can't wait to see what other bands come through here. I will certainly check it out again.

Not a pleasant experience. I went for a show in the Downstairs Live "Cafe." Bar reeked of vomit, and it wasn't even 8:30pm, at the beginning of a show. Another patron remarked on the smell, unprompted. There was an advertised food menu that seemed very appetizing and catered to vegetarians, vegans; and gluten-free people, but when I tried to order I was informed the kitchen closed at 9:15pm (no where was this posted). It was only 9:01pm when I tried to order. Unacceptable. Also, what kitchen closes at 9:15pm on a Saturday night with two live concerts happening? Bar staff was rude both in my experience to order drinks (the woman was curt and dismissive of me) and in trying to order food (a different woman- she was dismissive and unhelpful. She shrugged her shoulders and said oh well). The photo of the beer was the only pleasant thing, the success of which cannot be attributed to this business. Beer was overpriced. The lighting for the rock show was terrible. I was constantly blinded. Other members of the audience quickly looked away from the sporadic, unnecessary blinding lights. What is this lights guy doing?? I was excited for this show beforehand, but all of the above resulted in quite an unpleasant experience. I will not be returning.

I've been back to the World Café Live a few times since my last review and really need to reevaluate my stance. Of course your experience will have something to do with the concert you are seeing. During my visit a year ago the acoustics sucked and that impacted my experience. The acoustics were fantastic and I loved every moment of the Ben Folds show I saw yesterday; no doubt that played a role in my experience. It's hard to give a 5 star review to a place where your experiences can vary so greatly. However, looking at the venue as a whole, I think they are 5 star worthy. Here's why: 1) The venue is intimate. Both the upstairs and downstairs stages will put you right up with the action. 2) The ticket prices are reasonable- especially compared with some of the competitive venues in Philly. 3) The beer selection is killer. I know that's not why you go to a concert, but it's totally a plus. If the Susquehanna Bank Center served Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA, maybe I'd go back more. (Nah, who are we fooling.) 4) The venue is easily accessible by public transportation, plus the parking options are pretty decent. I found street parking near the venue for $2.50 for the whole evening. 5) The artists are wicked talented. Of course this is always varying, but I feel they pull in top notch artists. They might not always be the most mainstream or well-known, but don't ever doubt that you'll see a good show. 6) There are dining options at most times. The upstairs area is a restaurant that is on Opentable, has happy hour and live music. In the downstairs area, you are able to order food during most shows. I haven't tried the food, but I feel it's much better than a stadium style hotdog. Keeping in mind that each experience will be different, I will take the positives this venue has to offer, and will look forward to seeing shows at the World Café Live.

I came here for a charity concert and was pleasantly surprised by the amicable staff, on-stage lighting and sound effects. We didn't try out any of the cocktails or attempted to drive here, but it was a very beautiful walk in the evening to get here. I recommend checking it out!

Notes: This review is only for the upstairs space only and it's worth noting that I'm not much of a local venue show person, so proceed with caution. World Cafe Live offers an intriguing Happy Hour in an odd location (31st and Walnut) for those looking to grab a bite before a show or even on their commute home. However, I was surprised by the food, the (somewhat local*) beer and the experience. I don't think I'll seek out a return, but I wouldn't rule it out either. My experience was meeting an old (and older) co-worker and his wife for a show. Specifically because his son was performing and my ex-coworker (from Jersey) wanted to grab a beer while he was in the City. I was in the area for some other business that didn't end until about 5:30 and the show was at 7, so I decided that with a Happy Hour special, I'd just come in early. I was pleasantly surprised! Pros: I noted on here that a number of reviews that the service was suspect. I did not find a problem. My bartender was attentive and friendly, refilling my beer and water as needed and moving quickly with orders and food service. The food was surprisingly stellar. Since I needed dinner, I ventured off the simplistic happy hour menu and went for a Curry Chicken Sandwich and fries. It was terrific. The Curry chicken was a flavorful yellow curry, that had just the right amount of sauciness to be moist without turning into a mess. And the naan bread/roll it was served on was soft and warm and 100% enjoyable. I can't imagine they bake it on premises, but whatever they do is terrific for me. I would eat again! The fries were about average. The seating and arrangements were comfortable and welcoming. I did not have trouble finding a seat and getting a decent view or hearing the show. During the show, I found the experience to be comfortable with an appropriate sound level without being overpoweringly loud and annoying. I'd return here again for a show I am interested in. Cons: Prices were somewhere between a normal bar/restaurant price and venue price. I don't think that's really a con, but if you're here for a bar experience (uh, weird), it's a little pricey. But if you're here for a show, it's not too bad. The Happy Hour was competitive to the area though. There was a weird hitch in my bill where one of my beers wasn't priced from the happy hour, but another beer was missing. I assume this was intentional, so all-in-all, fair overall. Service seemed to go down a bit during the shows - I'm not sure if it was hard to flag folks down, hard to communicate or they simply stop serving during sets, but my beers started running dry once the music started and the bartender was harder to grab (one serving many in that case). Other notes: The crowds were a very odd mix of older folks, scene folks and, I guess, people like me. Again, that's probably not a con. Most (all) of the local beers* were Goose Island, which is not local in the sense that they're a Chicago based brewery, but local in the sense that they have a second taphouse/brewery in Fishtown (or No Libs, I forget) and thus brew local-only beers there (such as a few for the Phillies and one, the WCL Ale or something, for WCL). It's worth noting that the beers, especially the WCL special, was quite good. Conclusion: WCL is a fine place for a happy hour (if you're in the area) or to see a more intimate show. The prices are competitive if a mix between venue and bar. The Curry Chicken sandwich was a surprisingly good meal. I would return if the opportunity presented itself.

Overall I'm going to have to drop World Cafe down a few notches. While I still get an uncanny amount of enjoyment out of it, and look forward to seeing Chairlift play Free At Noon on Friday, overall I just find the flow between upstairs and down to be a little too inconsistent. It definitely brings in a good share of touring bands, and it has a good amount of love for the locals. But I just feel that there are times where it doesn't bring in enough diversity with what it brings in, touring or otherwise. And when you think about it for a place called "World Cafe", there isn't a whole lot of world music going on inside it on a monthly basis. When a touring band plays downstairs ticket prices can border on the astronomical sometimes. Seeing a band like Devotchka there ran $35-40, and that's without the $4-9 processing fee (only $1 if you pay in cash at the box office), or the $10 minimum for food that you have to purchase for reserved seats. And when you look at it sitting at a dinner table towards the front of the stage can kind of suck when your trying to get into the vibe of a show! and the fact that they don't run World Cafe's awesome happy hour deal downstairs more than blows! Monica summed up upstairs perfectly. The shows would be tolerable to get into if it wasn't talk city when the majority of the bands played. And the fact that the sound just isn't as good as it is downstairs doesn't help. But as said above, many flaws up and down all around aside, World Cafe Live can still be a great and unique spot to go for music in Philadelphia. Or for just eggplant fries and a beer during happy hour. And maybe I'll see you at the free show on Friday (if you can manage to swing it at noon)!