10/14/08

Good food, good beer selection, slow service

by bigtroubleinlittlechina

Yes, the service at the Abbaye is slow. My advice is go for lunch or a time when it's not packed. Definitely go for the cheese steak or seitan cheese steak. I had the mussels and they weren't anything special. I agree with a previous reviewer that the food at times is so-so, so stick with the simple stuff and you'll do fine. They have a good beer selection and the people that work there are generally nice and nerdy cool.

• Pros: decent beers, rich food, malt vinegar for fries
• Cons: sticky tables, slow service

07/04/08

The Abbaye...Good Food...Bad Service

by missmarshall

Okay, I like the food, but really the service is the worst. Only go if you really have hours to waste waiting for drinks, food, silverware...etc. Also Chris the bartender is quite condescending if you ask him a question about anything he will answer you in a snotty manner like it is totally a waste of his time to have to deal with idiots like you.

05/29/08

awesome beer selection, great sandwiches

by vcx82

I love the Abbaye. It's one of my favorite spots in Philly. The beer selection is top notch, and almost all pints are only 5 bucks (not cheap, but you get a lot of value for your buck - it's a cheap price for Guiness). I haven't had the fancier foods on the menu, but the burger and the chicken sandwich (mmmm, bacon) are top-notch.

Service is always strong, except the one time the server brought me a plate of chicken tenders when I ordered the chicken sandwich. That was strange. Go for Quizzo on Thursday nights!

• Pros: good beer selection, good sanwiches
• Cons: they thought I orderd off the kids' menu?

12/06/07

Good beer, good food, and I had pumpkin pie...mmmm.

by peachacid

My boyfriend, friend, and I went here randomly one night. They had a concert to go to at the Electric Factory so we met for dinner beforehand. I knew there were places around NoLib and we happened upon the Abbaye. It wasn't crowded at 6 or so on a Friday night, which was GREAT. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered pumpkin pie and a beer. My boyfriend ordered soup and the seitan cheese steak, and my friend ordered soup and a chicken sandwich. The drinks were brought promptly, the food came soon after, and the pie was a little bit later -- which was okay because the waiter informed me it was on its way. The waiter did seem to be the ONLY one there, and place filled up after we were there for a while. When we had eaten our fill (of the delicious food, according to the BF and BFF...oh and the pie was good, too), it was within just enough time to make the concert. I found the waiter, asked for the check, and it was delivered soon after.

• Pros: beer, not too crowded, good food
• Cons: need more waiters!

Belgian-style bistro's winning recipe is born of great beer on tap--and on the menu.

by Contributor

In Short
NoLib folks have warmed to the laid-back character of this amiable corner bistro, which used to be the uppity Palette. Wings are served with smoky Chimay sauce; satisfying beer chili is a spicy, robust blend of kidney beans, chickpeas and plump meatballs. Fish-and-chips (with beer-battered cod) is a good bet, but the prize goes to the vegan shepherd's pie, a blend of veggies and mashed potatoes over sauteed spinach.

07/19/06

Great beer selection and moderately priced food!

by rigelh

We came in after work one night not knowing what to expect. There were about 8 different Belgian style beers on draft. Between the 2 of us, we tried most of them and we were very happy! The food was well priced and tasty. We had crabcakes, chicken curry, mac and cheese and frites. All very yummy! The atmosphere is very much like the other bars in the area (Standard Tap), a little smoky, but not too bad. Highly recommend giving it a try! Our total bill for all the food and beer was only $60...can't beat it!

• Pros: Price, beer selection, great food
• Cons: A bit smoky, but not worse than similar places

07/04/06

Great local bar - good brews, food can be inconsistent

by catoufc

I live nearby and practically live at the Abbaye, you can almost always find a spot at the bar unless you go there super late night on Fridays and/or Saturdays. They have a great selection of beers - on tap and elsewhere. I'd suggest to sit at the bar where you get better service than at the tables (Meeghan is great!) The table service isn't always reliable -- depending on who is working and how busy the place is... Sat. liquid brunch is delicious as is Sunday... Weekly menu can be inconsistent -- the food used to be better- that I agree - (I personally prefer N3rd's food). The fries are constantly delicious, as well, as their weekly specials -

• Pros: great local bar, good music, good beverage selection
• Cons: inattentive table service, menu food items inconsistent

11/07/04

Somethings Changed

by phillyboi

I don't know what happened to this place.

The food used to be very good, but now it's just inconsistent. I used to come here regularly, but now I only come maybe once a month and I might stop all together.

The beer selection is still good and the bartenders and servers are nice, but if you order food be prepared for it to suck.

• Pros: Nice Atmosphere, Good Service

11/07/03

a+

by hak

I've been to the Abbaye several times and have loved the friendly service, great beer and good food. The crabcakes are perfect and the fries to die for. This place would get my vote for the friendliest bartenders in town!

• Pros: BEER, Not too smoky, great price

07/11/03

Too bad

by jane_nolastname

I've tried this place three times. My first experience was fairly positive, but my and my friends food has sucked my last two times here.

The place is nice and the beer selection is great, but the food is just too hit an miss for me to get excitied about.

• Pros: Good service, Nice atmosphere
• Cons: hit&miss food