Grubhouse

A local Philadelphian Unilocaler provided me with the 411 on all that’s good in the downtown Philadelphia area and it’s surroundings. One of her suggestions guided me here to Grubhouse.
We arrived right before noon on a weekday and found parking to be a bit of a challenge, but eventually found a space directly across the street. We were the only patrons and within a short time three other patrons walked in. Grubhouse has the look of an old timey type diner with a flick of modern and an inviting environment. Even before being seated, I already had my mind set on ordering the Baconcakes after being enticed by all the Unilocal reviews.
Our waitress was pleasant and took our orders swiftly. A short time after our breakfast beverages were served our orders arrived. My thin, crisped edge, moist pancakes were redundant in bacon; griddled in bacon fat, with large pieces of bacon infused within the pancakes and then bacon strips served atop the Baconcakes and then lightly dusted with powdered sugar… wow! And there you have Baconcakes, a bacon lovers bacon overload… absolutely mmm, mmm, good!
Aside from the wonderful Baconcakes Grubhouse’s menu has other interesting options. For instance, the bacon wrapped jalapeño tater tots, Salted Caramel French Toast or Pancakes, Breakfast Egg Rolls, Grubhouse Big Philly Omelete, and some vegan items to name a few. I really wanted to take advantage and order the bacon wrapped tater tots which were free with the Unilocal check-​in, but that would’ve had me on the verge of bacon gluttony, so I forcefully refrained.
I considered this my off the beaten path find as its not in the touristy downtown area of Philly. If in Philly and you have the time, I suggest you check out Grubhouse as its menu has a bit of a creative flare not similar to your regular diner fare. An additional bonus in taken this short excursion to this side of Philly is that there’s a cheesesteak spot directly across the street, a perfect combination win.
I have to end this review by saying, thank you Sari M. for your guidance!

Came down to South Philly for breakfast on a sleepy Sunday morning in June 2016. When we walked in, we noted that it’s a true neighborhood diner sort of place — maybe 8 tables, a bunch of seats at the bar, a TV, a bunch of sleepy looking people drinking coffee and eating giant plates of food (good sign #1).
In response to us asking if they would serve us a Cubano during breakfast hours, the waitress told us, «Honey, we don’t give a f***, we’ll serve you whatever, whenever» (good sign #2).
This is generally a statement that paves the way to my happy food place. The food, when it arrived, did not disappoint. I got the special meatloaf on brioche with muenster and a pork roll, while my partner got the aforementioned Cubano (ham, banana mayo, fried pepper, pulled pork). We also split the bacon wrapped tater tots with fried jalapeño.
All good things. All delicious. About 34 bucks total for all that. Will be back with more friends in tow — there was a deep fried burrito on the specials menu that needs to be experienced, as well as the bacon pancakes and many, many other things.

Breakfast was fantastic! We were able to do some menu origami and have both breakfast and lunch stuff. First, the bacon wrapped jalapeño tater tots are out of this world. I had the the grande wet breakfast burrito — loved the gravy and the chorizo! My husband had the disco chicken biscuit and that was great also. We definitely recommend this spot!!!

We have driven past here a zillion times and had no idea just what to expect. We were so pleasantly surprised!
We came here for a late lunch and walked into the small corner shop which had totally laid back 50’s diner vibe complete with a long counter, classic round bar stools, specials written on chalkboards and food served in those red plastic baskets. Diggin’ it.
Just coming back from Memphis & Nashville, this was a perfect stop to give me all of those southern, home-​cooked, comfort food feels I was craving. With items on the menu such as Memphis dogs, chicken and waffles, hush puppies, biscuits and gravy and get this… The Elvis Melt! Hello, South Philly meets southern! Awesome!
Classic breakfast items as simple as eggs two ways with toast, to omelettes and veggie burritos are available as well as some «trendier» items such as breakfast egg rolls and salted caramel French toast too.
TONS of vegan items as well! Vegan grilled cheese! Yeah baby!
We split the sampler which included hush puppies, bacon wrapped jalapeño tots, and fried pickles served with BBQ sauce and some kind of sweet cream. The hush puppies were TO DIE FOR and the bacon wrapped jalapeño tots were the sole reason for my husband’s visit. The pickles weren’t my favorite pickles I’ve had. A tad dry.
I ordered the Elvis Melt sans bacon and let me tell you, it was better than the one I had in the oldest diner in Memphis where Elvis used to eat his!!! It’s was bananas! Yes, pun intended. A must try! I could barely finish a half it was so thick, dense and stuffed with deliciousness.
Kids had the grilled cheese which was on nice thick bread and oozing with melty goodness. We ordered the free tots that came with the check in too. Very, very good! They have a seasoning that is perhaps a tad spicy for kiddos.
Hubs got the breakfast egg rolls and liked them a lot. No skimping on meats and eggs there.
They are BYOB so bring the champs and enjoy your mimosas.
We were all every satisfied and would recommend this no frills, breakfast spot. But keep in mind that’s what it is, no frills. If you’re looking for «brunching» with girlfriends at a fancy place, this isn’t it. It’s very casual and a nice change from the other scene.
We came on a Sunday around 1pm, parked right out front and had no wait at all. Perfect.

Ordered chicken and waffles today, received some disgusting mystery meat on top of a soggy waffle. Didn’t even provide syrup. Order went straight into the garbage and the restaurant refused to refund me for this vomit inducing «food.»
See the picture I posted for proof.

The baconcakes and chili (beef or vegetarian) are surefire winners. They’re willing to experiment with flavors and go outside the box with some of the typical diner fare (try the Disco Biscuit, when it’s availabe). Rotating specials keep the menu fresh, and the imaginative desserts in the case always make for a good take-​home treat. With the only true caveat being their limited hours and location, it doesn’t take away from what keeps me coming back: the comforting food and relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Delicious pancakes! The bourbon vanilla whip cream is amazing. I wish we discovered this place sooner. Can’t wait to try more!

I just had a first time experience here at the grub house We were looking for something on the way to the airport from downtown and this hit the mark. I’m really glad we tried it out because it was superb. There is absolutely nothing fancy or nicely designed about it. It is casual, easy, a bit disheveled, but clean, neat, friendly, and delicious. You are in one of the old Philadelphia neighborhoods that could probably use a lot of sprucing up. But that is Philadelphia and you just get used to it. It definitely doesn’t feel like the safest neighborhood. But I can’t blame the restaurant for that, being lazy people who just don’t care about their neighborhood. I digress but that is another whole issue wrong with America! Take pride! Back to the restaurant. There are two really nice ladies behind the counter when we walked in and they were super friendly and very accommodating. We stopped in for breakfast. The menu is really creative and interesting. The food was a lot of fun. There were three adults and three children at the table. I saw various foods and everything looked great. And The Taste was spot-​on with all of it as well. We ended up having the breakfast egg rolls which I’ve never heard of and would definitely order again, the waffles and chicken, the wet sausage burrito, and a variety of pancakes with Oreos, peanut butter sauce, chocolate chips, and cinnamon chips. If that does not satisfy your taste buds I have no idea what would! The service was organized, and fast. The server was friendly and comfortable in her place. There is a counter with bar seats and also tables with seating but it is not big at all. The bathroom is clean and neat which is always important to me. Juices were served in old mason jars which is always cute. The cost of everything is under ten bucks an entrée and some much less. It is definitely a spot to visit if you’re worried about a budget. I look forward to my next time in.

Place is great! Been here a handful of times so far, and the service and food are on point. Get the pulled chicken and waffles, or you’re doing it wrong.

Just got eggs toast and has browns, but i do like the inventive way they bring out the potatoes. Very small inside, so even though I came on a Thursday morning, I had to sit at the counter. Worth coming to try though!

Best kept breakfast secret in Philly. Happy to let everyone else clamor and wait to get into Sabrina’s or Green Eggs … I will comfortably ease into my weekend mornings here in South Philly. Food is amazing… creative, delicious, good portions… great prices. They have counter service which I love… reminds me of my childhood. They also have four top tables. And the staff is super pleasant and friendly. If you made it this far into my review you should be getting yourself together (no need to get fancy) and heading down to The Grubhouse for some pancakes and eggs.

It’s breaking my heart to give them a bad review. Everyone is so nice but my last experience here was AWFUL, the food was inedible. The bacon was obviously burnt (why would they send burnt bacon out of the kitchen) and the french toast was undercooked. It’s sad to see a restaurant with great potential heading in this direction.

After all these years I’m still a fan. There has been some changes to the menu, for the better. I love the I live nearby because every time I want a sweet, savory or both type of food I always know where to go.
The pork roll eggroll is absolutely the most delicious and divine design this establishment has ever created. Don’t get me started on the weekly bacon specialty specials that changes, my mind is blown. From thick cut maple, beer braised and so many others, they do bacon right, the way it should be done.
Keep up with the good work, I’ll continue to be a customer and I always look forward to dining here.

We were in Philly for just a few days to enjoy the Army-​Navy Game and the Eagles-​Bills game. I love to patronize small businesses, and holes-​in-​the-​wall like this are my favorite, so I used my Unilocal app to find a breakfast spot. Unilocalers led me to Grubhouse! The staff was kind and helpful. The food was outstanding! My breakfast egg rolls were, in a word, awesome. Hubby’s french toast was impeccable. It’s a small place, and meals are made to order, so it definitely wasn’t «fast food», but the wait was tolerable. They were playing Frank Sinatra music the whole time we were there, as it was Old Blue Eyes’ birthday.
This is a special spot, and I’m so glad I found it, I’m still thinking about those egg rolls almost a week later. Unique and delicious. Wish it wasn’t 3000 miles from home…

Had to make an update after my last visit. Since my friend’s and I had such a great time the first time I went, I took my girlfriend there. It was as if the place took a complete 180. The service from the same waitress was completely different, she was almost just not there mentally. While my girlfriend was ordering she said something like «my boyfriend loved it here so much when he came a couple weeks ago, that he decided to bring me here to try it». Absolutely no response.
Both of our meals came with sausage gravy and it was just a watered down tasteless roux. The bacon wrapped jalepeno tater tots were pretty great though. I’m guessing maybe the restaurant was just having a really off day last weekend. There are still things on the menu I want to try, but I don’t know if I’ll be back to try them.

My boyfriend and our friends came here recently and loved it – and raved about it, so I was very excited to check it out! Sadly, it didn’t measure up.
There were never more than 3 tables at once (including us) and one delivery order.
We got coffee, oj, a breakfast burrito «wet» and an eagles breakfast burrito special (with bacon mac & cheese) and bacon wrapped jalapeño tots. The coffee tasted old, the gravy on my burrito was watery-​thin and not at all flavorful, no amount of salt/​pepper could remedy it. It came with a salsa verde so I decided to try that – it tasted like lemon juice and vinegar. Zero spice, not at all flavorful. Neither of us finished even half of our burritos. She assumed we were full and asked if we needed boxes. We just went with it because she was not at all approachable and it seemed any issue wouldn’t be well received. The waitress, who I believe to be the owner, was short and rude, not only to me/​us, but to other patrons. I’m told this is very different than the last time when my friends were here, but based upon how things went today, and given the sketchy location, I see no reason to return.
The only thing of merit for me on this visit were the tots.

I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could. The service was 3 stars, the food (I ordered a Vegan Burrito) was 4 stars. Had the service been slightly better — I might put this on my list of go to places, but I had to ask whether or not I should wait to be seated or seat myself, ask for a menu, ask for my check, etc.
Again, food was good in a creative sorta way.

BYOB! it may look like a sketchy area but the restaurant itself has an old school small town local diner vibe. the wait was really long but well worth it. The food tastes way better than it looks. And the portions are very fair. We all rolled out of here very satisfied and the bill came out to around 10 $ each for one breakfast plate and OJ.

Was a little hesitant to try this place because it was located in a sketchy area but decided to give it a try based on the great Unilocal reviews it’s received. This place was great. Very friendly service & pretty good breakfast food. Had the salted caramel French toast and a side of eggs. The French toast was the biggest I’ve ever had and filled me up quick.

Was never actually inside here. But love it for their delivery. Even though it’s a $ 15 minimum they’re a great choice as they’re polite, fast, and of course the food is yummy. Veggie burger has a lot of texture it’s not your average bean patty. It holds together well and with lettuce tomato and cheese its that great American staple food we all love. Fries naturally get a little soggy during delivery but still tasty! They do breakfast too.
It’s a top choice when you just want to be hungover and munchin while watching Netflix marathons.

Friendly, check. Affordable, double check. Superhumanly fast in the kitchen, triple check. Hangover cures aplenty, quadruple check. Delicious, quintuple check.
Five checks, five stars.

In a corner of the city very few venture to, this place surpasses the masses of other breakfast/​brunch spots throughout the city. Having been here often over the past months I can honestly say it has become a favorite among my friends and anyone we’ve shared it with. Every menu item is delicious in its own right. The prices are more than reasonable. AND to top it all off, it’s BYOB! Seriously I’m sitting here right now drinking a Bloody Mary.
Do it. You won’t regret it.

Last Saturday morning, on a cold winter day with snow in the imminent forecast I ventured into Philly for brunch with friends. Only good company and good food can get me out of my house and into the cold. Luckily Grubhouse lived up to my expectations.
Overall everyone was happy with their food choices. There is something for everyone from Salted Caramel French Toast to Breakfast Burritos. The table ordered a side of tator tots to share and they were delicious although a little too salty for my taste. I was boring and just ordered 2 eggs with a side of potatoes and toast but my meal was satisfying.
Grubhouse is a BYO. Our table ordered two pitchers of orange juice and we had a few bottles of champagne/​prosecco to make many, many mimosas. It’s easy to say that the drinks were flowing on this Saturday morning.
The main reason my friends and I came to Grubhouse for brunch versus other popular brunch places in the city is because Grubhouse was the only location to take reservations. When going out with a group you don’t want to wait an hour or two in the cold for a table. Easy decision.
Parking is available on side streets or even in the shopping center across the street.
Minus 1 star for the fact that there was (what felt like) no heat in the restaurant. On a cold, winter day heat is pretty much a must. Even our waitress was wearing a snow hat as she worked.

A fun take on comfort food and breakfast. My friends and I met up here for breakfast, and the first thing that I noticed (besides how small the establishment was) is the specials and drawings that are all over the chalkboard painted walls. Double chocolate Nutella biscotti? Yes please! Salted caramel French toast? Oui, oui!
My husband got the breakfast burrito (which can also have sausage gravy over it or chorizo inside if you’d like), and it was fabulous, flavorful, and filling. 2 of my other friends got the bacon cakes and the chicken and waffles– also excellent. The tater tots are so good (as are the bacon tots), although a little salty. Many of the menu items are normal breakfast food with a comfort food/​Southern touch or with a foodie add-​on, and the results are great.
This place has fun character– the OJ is served in cute mason jar mugs. Our waitress was great– funny, fast, and attentive.
Luckily, I don’t live close enough to go here too often (or else I would probably have a heart attack), but all of my friends and I definitely agreed that we will be back— and soon.

As I awaken from my food induced coma, I now realize why this is called the «Grubhouse» ! You’re gonna get fed like a champ. Simply amazing, AMAZING I say.
Seriously this place should be on everyone’s to do list. A «Bucket List» basically to experience probably the greatest fulfilling meal, with money left over. Fellow Unilocaler and friend Jason K. and I decided to get breakfast, and why not grub at the Grubhouse. Now before I dive into this like a fat kid to a cupcake. I just want to say this as I scream to the food gods in my George Takei voice… OH MY !
So lets dive into this and lets see if I can make your mouth water the way ours did. We decided to get 2 dishes, 1 being the Breakfast Burrito, 2^nd being Bacon Pancakes, yes I said Bacon Pancakes!
The burrito grande is stuffed with chorizo, onions, peppers, eggs, black beans, sour cream, hot sauce and cheddar. This is a must order, a must I tell you that is simply phenomenal. The other was the grubhouse bacon pancakes. Picture this 3 ginormous fluffy pancakes with bacon cooked inside. Yes your read that correctly, cooked inside chopped up with the syrup mixed with it was AMAZING! Plus they top with 2 strips of bacon for good measure.
With this feast in front of us with our coffee that was fresh and not watered down made for an amazing meal. The price for all of this with out the tip mind you, now get ready $ 18.50. Plate fillers, basically a food coma waiting to happen all for that crazy amount.
The service was on point, friendly service actually where Gale (fellow Unilocaler) was doing her thing. Gale made sure we were fully accommodated, from coffees to great conversations being had. Not only is it a plus to see Gale, she also makes an unbelievable cheesecake, a white chocolate one to be exact.
I highly recommend this spot for everyone, from the service down to the amazing food to be devoured. Grubhouse, you guys are a winner in my book.

My boyfriend and I love discovering new places and Grubhouse was a perfect find. We went early one Sunday morning and were happy to find a fun, comfortable, and laid back atmosphere in which to dine. The walls were covered in classic movie pictures and chalkboard paint, which was used to announce specials and various menu options.
Our server, who was also the baker, was an absolute delights and really helped us get the lay of the land with some helpful suggestions. We ordered their combo special and a breakfast burrito with a side of their sausage gravy.
The food was great and what really stood out was the fact they offered diner prices for food that was creative and different. We would have spent twice as much at Green Eggs for the same great meal. I’m so happy we found this place and we will certainly be back.

In honour of my newly-​won Duchess title, I thought it would be a good time to post a review update.
I love this place. It is the breakfast spot everyone needs to have in their rotation — a place where you can go by yourself on any given morning, belly up to the bar, and have a fantastic, affordable breakfast while chatting with friendly regulars and the lovely staff. I come here by myself all the time, and often find myself making excuses to go get something done with my car at Pep Boys and then come over here to wait.
People who say it’s hard to find parking in this neighbourhood… don’t know how to park. There is ALWAYS parking within 1 block of their doorstep. Also, do you see that massive parking lot for Pep Boys right across the street? Yeah, you can park there too. Even without that resource, there’s plenty of legit street parking nearby.
I almost always get either an omelet or a breakfast sandwich, and they are both pinnacles of culinary perfection. Nothing cures a hangover like one of their breakfast sandwiches. I usually double-​down on the carbs and order a side of home fries with the sandwich, because this place does home fries right. Well-​seasoned, GRIDDLED shredded potatoes. None of that deep-​fried potato chunk business. Those are not home fries. The tater tots are also a good look — they are seasoned with some kind of magical blend and they are super addictive.
Aside from the breakfast stalwarts, they have more creative items like bacon-​stuffed pancakes and salted caramel french toast, plus specials that will knock your socks off with flavour and originality. This past weekend I shared that caramel french toast and an eggs benedict special that was supposed to come with red miso ham, but they had run out of the ham, so they let us sub in curried pork from another special. Holy cow, it was delicious. Perfect hollandaise sauce and the eggs were expertly poached. The french toast was out of this world, I only wish it had more of that delicious bourbon whipped cream. The salt really came through with the caramel and it was awesome.
I could seriously go on for days about how much I love I have for Grubhouse. There’s rarely, if ever, a wait for a table, but if there is and you spy a spot at the bar, don’t be shy! Those are the best seats in the house. The baked goods are all fabulous and made from scratch by the stunningly fabulous Susan, resident server extraordinaire. Don’t leave without picking out something for later, you won’t regret it. Coffee, both hot and iced, is always delicious and your bill will feel criminally inexpensive. Go out of your way to support the little guy and you won’t regret it!

The ham and swiss with strawberry fennel jam and crispy onion mustard is a must. It’s pretty much grilled cheese with a bunch of deliciousness. I could have gone for plates of those!
The chicken and waffles were pretty good. you can tell the chicken was freshly breaded and not frozen and cheap. However, they could have put more gravy.
The short stack pancakes with coconut syrup was also really good, except not enough syrup :(

I haven’t stopped thinking about the breakfast burrito with sausage gravy I had at Grubhouse a few weekends ago. That’s a pretty good sign that there is something awesome going on in deep Southwest Philly.
When a large group takes over an entire restaurant all at the same time, the potential for disaster is high. I was super impressed by how well the small staff handled the rush. My water glass was never empty for long and coffee refills were plentiful. Our table was one of the first to receive food, which was obviously awesome. Things did slow down a bit for some of the tables farther back but everyone’s patience was rewarded with big plates of delicious looking food.
In short, Grubhouse is a super cute breakfast and lunch nook with a very solid menu. Really looking forward to my next meal there.