Knock

Doesn't Recommend

msfrenchfry

Joined 7 years ago

Horrific experience. Ohh KnocK, where to even begin....It's restaurant week= a given 'hit or miss' experience! Tonight does NOT even come close to what is acceptable in my opinion.

Lured by the tempting menu, my friend and I decided to stop in, to sample the fare. Our eagerness for great food and light-hearted conversation were quickly turned into a surreal and upsetting evening.

Our bus boy poured our water and informed us that 'Philip' will be by to take our order. Philip was very icy as he skipped the formalities and sauntered over to take our order. We started with the Heirloom tomato salad, he plopped two pieces of hard sourdough rolls on our bread plates with some sort of whipped butter (I couldn't be sure, as he turned on his heel and disappeared before we could ask what it was) After a few minutes, he reappeared with our starter course, at first glance I could tell the tomatoes were not fresh, against my better judgment, I took a little taste, Blech!! As Philip coolly floated by our table, we debated whether to send the food back, we didn't want to be 'THOSE PEOPLE' but this is simply unacceptable! He didn't seem to care that neither of us touched our plate and stopped eating all together. We finally decided to flag him down and informed him that the tomatoes were a little suspect requested some new slices. He quickly swept up the plates and asked us if we wanted to get something else because 'We obviously find something wrong with the tomatoes' Wait for it....EYE ROLL?! Really?! Not only did he express his disdain, that we pointed out that the food was subpar and inedible, but apparently we were really getting on his nerves now too!! GULP, we were the first reservation of the night, and he's already in a huffy mood, what will the night bring?! Back to the kitchen he went, and out came some wedge salads, drenched in blue cheese dressing, which actually wasn't half bad, however the host soon brushed past our table and cooed to Philip 'let's scale back on those portions'. I was shocked at how rude and unprofessional the staff seemed to be, the reviews rave about how friendly the staff were!

Onto the battered asparagus fries, crispy on the outside and soggy on the inside, however the flavor was nice and the aioli sauce was a nice compliment. My friend's fried mozzarella was very bland, but the pesto and marinara sauce was tasty. The crab cake entree was rather luke warm and salty, it was a bit soggy and could have been cooked a little longer, but the portion size was nice. The dessert was nothing to write home about, pretty to look at, but just meh and was sitting in the fridge a tad too long.

My empty glass of Pinot sadly sat on the table all night.

As the night wore on, a nice mix of people came in, Philip seemed to be a little less bent on being rude to us, but still very reluctant to come to our table.

I can normally balance out the rating with the food to service ratio, however, tonight was unbelievably disappointing in every way! I have generally revisit many of the eateries I’ve sampled during RW, but I would not bring myself to come back for FREE drinks, obviously Knock doesn't care, as they took my $35 and sent me on my way, lesson learned. But I wanted everyone to know that they were beyond rude and the food was completely unappealing.

RW is suppose to 'highlight' a restaurant's potential, but dear KNOCK, please consider taking your name off the participating restaurant list, if you feel that being part of RW is a hassle and not profitable enough that tonight was the kind of food and service that was presented, it's a disservice to the industry!

I have to SERIOUSLY disagree with the glowing reviews here, is it possible that we were at the wrong restaurant?!. Maybe if I stick to the liquid diet + karaoke, I wouldn't have been so twisted.

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The Tazman 1972

Joined 4 years ago

Excellent Dining Experience. This is a gay friendly establishment and the management and staff goe above and beyond any dining expectations that one would expect. My partner and I have dined here many time over the past couple of years and each time has been a delight and just gets better. The service, food and atmosphere are outstanding. The chef is always updating the menu with new items to sample. This is one of the top resturants in Philadelphia. Perfect for any date night.

After dinner, you can sit at the bar for an after dinner drink while being sarenaded by the piano player. Very classy establishment too. Two Thumpbs Up!!!!

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portorro

Joined 3 years ago

ATMOSPHERE. GREAT PLACE TO GO FOR GOOD FOOD AND ATMOSPHERE. FRIENDLY STAFF

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ernestsean

Joined 5 years ago

Very nice. We went there for the first time with friends from out of town, It could not have been any nicer, the drinks, the food and the staff were just wonderful ,We plan on going agian with other friends.

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Daniella1848

Joined 5 years ago

Great bar, excellent service, nice atmosphere where everybody knows your name - it's the Gay "Cheers". What could be bad about having the door opened for you, being greeted by Woody or his other host, being escorted to a seat at the bar, getting great bar service, and having friendly chats with your neighbors? I simply love Knock! The service is outstanding. The bartenders are attentive, friendly and pour excellent drinks - which is challenging, given how busy Knock can be. The bar decor is lovely and the restrooms are clean.

I've not eaten a full meal at Knock, though I've had the lobster flatbread at the bar, which is incredible.

Knock is a gem. Other bar/restaurants could learn a lot from them.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A dark and woody treatment does wonders for this newbie corner bistro serving an ambitious New American menu.. In Short
From Spain to Thailand and back, this busy corner has seen many concepts come in go. The most recent seems to knock it out of the park with an extensive redo that focuses inward with dark paneling and a clubby feel. Cuisine is creative New American and entrees include venison and crab surf 'n' turf, pasta with poached lobster and tea-smoked duck breast. Those with traditional palettes will find classics such as yellow-tail tuna and New Yorkstrip steak.