Come and join me on a trip to some of the best places and hidden gems throughout the Delco and Philadelphia areas to find great food and craft beers without breaking the bank.
March 23rd 2019:
Allow me to introduce myself; I am known as Captain Frogger and I will be your host this evening as we start our journey in Primos, PA at a local place I recently rediscovered. JT Brewski’s Bar & Grill, located at 510 South Oak Avenue deserves to be given the award for most improved neighborhood bar and grill. They opened back in 2011, and recently did a major renovation and change in staff and ownership. I had been there once or twice awhile back, and honestly was never too impressed. It was dark and extremely smoky, the food was nothing to brag about, and they had a pretty standard selection of beers available on tap at the time. My first impression of them was of a basic blue collar, local bar in Delco. It was located right across from the train station and next to a Wawa convenience store. They were a fine place to stop for a beer after work, but that was about it.
But as I said earlier; they have updated their menu and craft beer selection, added an additional, semi – enclosed area outside to accommodate the smokers, and created a place with an upbeat atmosphere that now allows for a more diverse customer base while still being in an affordable price range. The bar is clean and well maintained; the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and as expected, the crowd and clientele varies depending on the time of day you visit. Their Kitchen is open from 11am-11pm, with an extensive menu and various daily food specials available.
The main building is fairly large inside; you have a centralized bar which is fully stocked with both basic and top shelf alcohols, and about 6 draft beer taps. A selection of bottled craft beers and domestics are also available. 10 large screen TV’s are placed around the bar showing a variety of sporting events; a digital Touch Tunes jukebox is available, and I have seen local music on Fridays and DJ’s on Saturday nights. They have a dining area next to the main bar with table seating available, as well as a secondary bar and seating area off to one side that you can rent for special events. Unlike many neighborhood bars, there are no pool tables, but they do offer darts and a touchscreen game machine for additional entertainment.
THE MAIN COURSE:
So this Saturday I met up with a very close friend of mine and decided to give JT Brewski’s another try as the first stop on my new culinary adventure. Jeannie isn’t too familiar with the area, so I wanted to have a chance to introduce her to something different than what she is normally used to. She will be accompanying me in the future to some of my destinations, so I will be including her input as well in some of my reviews.
The Basic Criteria in my reviews of any of the places I visit is pretty simple: Atmosphere, Menu, Beer Selection (Craft & Domestic), and Value/Price. Each area is given a Ranking of 1 – 5 Stars. An Overall Rating based on these rankings will be given, and the best places will receive the highly coveted “Frog Of Approval” Designation.
Beer Selection
6 Draft choices and some bottled selections ; Rotating Craft Beers and standard Domestics available, 100+ Takeout Beer Selections available
Ranking: 3 of 5 Stars – Decent Craft Beer options, I would have preferred 1 or 2 other choices, but this does vary any given day what is available.
My Pick:
312 Urban Wheat Ale – Goose Island Beer Company
American Pale Wheat Ale – 4.2% ABV – 18 IBU
Light, Clean & Smooth, the Cascade Hops give a slight bite to contrast the slightly sweet flavor. I would rate this a solid 4 out of 5 stars. This is a nice Wheat Ale to pair with a variety of meals, that won’t overpower the main course.
Menu:
Ranking: 5 of 5 Stars – Excellent Menu, Diverse Options, Rotating Daily Specials (including some exotic options – the day we went; Alligator tail was offered, but unfortunately it was sold out before we arrived.) Quality and Care in preparation, Decent sized portions.
BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Flatbread
A thick and crispy flatbread topped with large chunks of grilled chicken, smothered in a spicy barbecue sauce and Monterey Jack cheese. A generous amount of bacon and pineapple cubes make this a pretty impressive selection on their menu.
The Breakdown
While there were many interesting choices on the menu, this one did jump out as slightly more unusual to me. I often lean towards something like a pub burger or pulled pork sandwich on my first or second visit to a location, for a few reasons. Not only do I enjoy them both pretty equally, I have found it is a simple way for me to judge how I feel about the food. Something pretty basic like this can give me an initial impression of their offerings; showing me quality in preparation, diversity in toppings, and value for my dollar. So this has become a kind of go-to that I use to form my first impression of a place.
The Flatbread dough itself was crispy and thick enough to provide a sturdy foundation for the toppings. Large enough to be considered a meal, but could be shared as an appetizer as well.
For toppings; you are given hearty chunks of grilled, white meat chicken and a generous amount of bacon and Monterey Jack cheese. The pineapple could have been cut slightly smaller, and spread more evenly, but a minor consideration. The whole thing is then smothered in barbecue sauce, which is where the dish really begins to shine. What makes this particular Flatbread stand out is really due to the contrast in flavors it offers. The barbecue sauce is rich and tangy, with just enough heat to be noticed. The pineapple is juicy and sweet, and balances perfectly with the spicy sauce. Sweet,savory and crispy, this is something I would definitely order in the future.
I also ordered a serving of Waffle Fries on the side to accompany my meal. They give you a large portion of fries, which I feel are most likely brought in pre-made and frozen. Today they were a tad overdone, but I have enjoyed them the last time I was here when they re-opened. Total Cost for the meal was about $12
Prime Rib Sandwich
So Jeannie went with one of the Daily Specials posted on the chalk board behind the Bar. The Prime Rib Sandwich is exactly what it sounds like. Slow roasted Prime Rib, caramelized onions, sweet red peppers, spicy Horsey sauce and Provolone Cheese on a toasted long roll and accompanied by an Au Jus. Served with house made chips for just $9.99
The Breakdown
The Prime Rib is Slow roasted so it is extremely tender and flavorful, and you are given an Au Jus as well. Sweet, Red peppers and caramelized onions are a nice touch, while the melted Provolone cheese and spicy Horsey Sauce is a traditional choice. Served on a nicely toasted long roll it makes a great lunch special. Now regular fries were substituted for the House Made Chips with no explanation; but again a minor consideration. Jeannie was not disappointed with her selection in the least. Total Cost for the meal was $9.99
Atmosphere:
Ranking: 5 of 5 Stars (For Afternoon Lunch)
Jeannie and I were here for lunch around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon. The bar had a handful of locals; and a pretty subdued vibe so it was the perfect time to be able to enjoy a meal and conversation without many distractions. As you get closer to Happy Hour and early evening the younger crowd starts to show up, but overall still a pleasant atmosphere for a neighborhood pub. It does tend to get crowded later or if there are major sporting events that day.
Value/Cost:
Ranking: 5 of 5 Stars
Cost is Mid-Range for food, with generous sized portions, quality ingredients and pride in preparation. Great Value, especially if you can take advantage of the Daily Specials. Jeannie and I got our Meals for about $20 between us.
Drink prices for Craft Beer Drafts and Bottles are standard, and again they offer Specials for Happy Hour and during Sporting Events on Domestic Beers.
The Verdict:
JT Brewski’s Bar & Grill offers good food, a great atmosphere, and great value for your money. I would recommend them highly to anyone looking for a great neighborhood pub in Delco.
They are given my “Frog of Approval” rating without question
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