The Bishop’s Collar

An «Irish» neigborhood bar, The Bishop’s Collar is a serviceable location to grab a beer on your way somewhere else.
If you’ve perused my other reviews, you know I have a bias for Irish bars — I’m not sure if it’s the ambiance or just prejudice, but the Guinness always seems to taste better. Needless to say, I was predisposed to like The Bishop’s Collar when I arrived there on a Saturday night after 9pm. It’s a small narrow establishment, with a long bar along the right wall and tables in the back, and the place was packed. They pour a good Guinness here and the prices are reasonable. However, unlike other Irish bars, they don’t have some of the favorites on tap, such as Harp, Bass or Magners, so don’t expect any Black & Tans or Half & Halfs. In fact, most of the beer they have on tap aren’t really Irish at all, which is a little disappointing as the bar advertises itself as Irish. I’m a stickler for that sort of thing, so if you’re just looking for a good draft list and a deep bottle list, you probably won’t be as disappointed. Unlike the other reviewers, we had no problem with service, never having to flag down the bartender and I don’t think I saw the bottom of my glass the whole night.
Overall, it’s barely an Irish bar and more of just a standard neighborhood bar. I’d like to see more of an Irish spin on the draft list other than Guinness. If they do that, this would easily be a four star establishment.

Great casual spot for a good beer and decent bar food. I’ve been here a few times and always have a great seasonal selection to choose at an average price. The bar area can get packed but if you can grab a table in or outside, you’re in for a good time. Servers have always been a little on the eh side, but I don’t expect much more from a corner bar.
I usually end up getting a couple appetizers with people here, and they’re always good, but not great. I’ve enjoyed a few of their salads which are good too. Prices are average-​low, so this is a great spot for a low-​key night with friends.

My wife and I hit this place about twice a month beings we live a distance away. The bartenders are super friendly and accomodating. The chicken burrito is my favorite menu item and is always perfect. I highly recommend this spot for a fun night on the town.

Awesome beers. Cool atmosphere. Great place to stop and get a quick bite, but the food isn’t too impressive. Not bad, but not great.
Don’t get the spring rolls, but the fries are BANGIN.

Possibly the worst server experience I have ever had. After 10 minutes of trying to find someone to see where we can sit, we were seated and the guy asked if we were going eat and gave us menus and left. 25 minutes later he came back and asked what we wanted. My wife asked for two items and they were out of both. Turns out they were out of almost everything on the brunch menu. It would have been nice to have been told that before we sat. We did not eat or drink here as there was no food to eat.

Oooh, so disappointed. Live in the neighborhood and been wanting to try. Too noisy. Service was abysmal. The veggie burger was meh and the fries worse than meh. Avoid.

Living in the suburbs, it’s very quick to get into the city through Fairmount. Stopping at The Bishop’s Collar on our way into the city, for a nightcap on the way home, or as the destination itself, is always a good time. Great people, fast service, good food, and fun times. The only problem I’ve had there is trying to leave — the place sucks you in!

We stopped in for a quick drink while walking around the city. The bartenders were very friendly and attentive. They had outside seating and the doors wide open on a beautiful summer day. I’d say the bar was about half full with presumably local regulars. It was a decent atmosphere and the beers were reasonably priced (~$ 6 for a craft draft).

I was visiting Philly with a couple of friends and they took us here. It was a beautiful day to sit outside, and we enjoyed a leisurely meal. There are no frills here– I ordered a spinach salad with goat cheese, red onion and balsamic and that’s precisely what I got. Two others with us got burgers and they looked good. I tried their fries, and they were tasty. The beer selection was pretty good, and the location led to some good people watching. I’m sure it’s nice to have in the neighborhood and sitting outside was a huge plus. 3.5 stars from me.

Great place to get a beer and the burgers were excellent. Hope to go back and visit when I’m in Philly.

Great food, beer, service! The employees are friendly and will remember your drink order for next time! Best neighborhood bar!

Love it here. Great neighborhood bar. The service is great and there’s always a good beer selection. Some of my favorite things to order are the veggie wrap and cheese fries. Good place for brunch as well– they open at 10am which is fantastic!

Great service. They were recommended by our big bus tour guide. What a great recommendation. Food came out in a timely manner. Chicken fingers were hand breaded and so good cooked just right. Also had the roast beef with provolone and horseradish sauce. Aujus was a lil weak but still good. Would come here again.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR FAIRMOUNT FOOD CRAWL ONLY
SPOT 4
If ever there was a cop out for porky goodness during an event featuring porky goodness, then this was it. Food — Conshy Dog /​Beverage — Lemonade with Titos.
Grilled hotdog, topped with caramelized onions and bacon. Dubbed the ‘Conshy Dog’ it was something I’d seek out at a ball game or carnival food stand. While the hot dog was cooked perfectly, and tasted awesome with my slathering of mustard, it was disappointment that was the only thing I tasted after scarfing it down.
The lemonade must have been keeping the tito’s bottle cool because there wasn’t even a viable hint of vodka in the drink. The staff did keep the line moving and people overall seemed to enjoy what they purchased (although many, the Mrs. including, had the same frame of mind in a let down food item.)

The bartenders here make this place awesome! All too often I go into a little hidden gem where the are is inviting and the bartenders are rude. NOT the case here! During our finals week burger and beer celebration we really enjoyed ourselves!

We really like this neighborhood bar/​restaurant. It’s small and can definitely get crowded. Has a nice selection of draft beers that they rotate regularly. We have eaten there twice now, once for brunch and another late night snack. Brunch food was great — a breakfast burrito and breakfast burger. Both solid choices. We had the steak sandwich for an evening snack and it was a bit over cooked (I asked for medium rare and it came well) and also the bread was pretty chewy. Almost tasted like it was microwaved to get heated up. Wouldn’t get that again. Overall, we enjoy this little pub for the drinks and good vibe. Drink it.

I’ve been here severAl times and have nothing bad to say. The staff is friendly, unpretentious, and willing to walk you through the beer menu if you’re unsure about your selection. Located in Fairmount — my hood — it’s a great place to stop for beers and some wings. Check it out next time you’re in the area.
Happy drinking and eating Philly

This is a solid choice for an affordable dinner in (and on) Fairmount. As many others have said: it’s also quite cramped.
My first acquaintance with BC was in September during the neighborhood’s bar crawl. When we reached the bar, they were out of samples so we decided to walk in to use their facilities. As I headed past their specials sign, either someone knocked into it (not I) or it fell on its own. Either way, it hurt like a curseword, and left a HUGE bruise on the back of my leg. I wasn’t too happy, but still wanted to come back.
Attempted to visit another night last month, but one glance inside and it looked like a squishfest was going on. No thank you! Not my scene. We kept moving.
Last night’s visit was finally successful at something other than attaining a new bruise. It was nice and warm inside after a chilly walk, and the specials sign stayed upright as I passed by. Awesome!
We opted to sit at the end of the row (closest to the bathroom) since I’ve started a new exercise activity recently and am having trouble, um, sitting at the moment. I personally wouldn’t recommend choosing that table unless you had to, as it’s a high-​traffic spot and also… the bathroom. Unless you like sitting near bathrooms. Then go for it!
Our server was really nice and helpful when I asked for direction regarding three different beers from the bottled list that I hadn’t heard of before. She steered me to the Éphémère from Quebec, which was a great seasonal choice.
For dinner, I chose the chicken salad sandwich and asked for it on a long roll instead of sourdough. I didn’t taste any of the bacon in it, and wasn’t expecting it to be overpowered by onions and mayo, but the chicken did taste fresh. Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite at all, but considering how cheap their prices are (my beer was $ 7; my sandwich was $ 8), I wouldn’t be against making a return visit to try another sandwich. I just think I’ll plan that visit for a lower traffic time knowing the size of the place!

This kind of turned out to be a disaster. I showed up with a small group for a Sunday evening diner. The place was busy from an art festival that just finished, but we were able to find table quickly. The crowd was a mix of people from early 20s to 40s. They had a good beer selection along and a short menu composed of new American sandwiches and salads. The crowd makes it loud but not deafening.
We were famished and quickly ordered appetizers and entrees. 3 of the 4 entrees came out wrong. They’d run out of hummus, and the server forgot to mention it. So, they just brought the veggie wrap out without it. I got the wrong fries. My friend asked for a sandwich without cheese, but it came out with cheese anyway and had to be remade. Nothing came out hot. The appetizers came out AFTER we’d finished eating the entrees. We just had it boxed up so we could get the heck out of there. We actually had to ask them to take the apps off the bill. You’d think that’s not something I’d have to ask for after all that, but here we are.
Bishop’s Collar is in a prime spot on Fairmount. Too bad they’re squandering the opportunity. Can’t justify going back

A solid bar in the heart of the Art Museum district of Philadelphia, the Bishop’s Collar is worthy of a (or multiple) visits. They have a handful of beers on tap and a deeper selection of bottles. Prices on the various beers are in line with the area and can seem a bit high when compared with their food… I think I paid a dollar more for my dinner than my bottle! However, you shouldn’t let that deter you from finding the right beer to pair with your meal. Regarding the food, the portions are generous and priced to move. The food quality is slightly better than your typical bar fare and most options come with either a small salad or fries (with or without old bay).
Really, the only thing holding the Collar back is its size. It is small and comes off cramped, even if you manage to get a table. I like a homey feeling in a bar, but am not a fan of always being pushed in a corner. Obviously, it is a good sign when the place is always packed, but that can hurt the experience a bit. If you manage to find a time when it isn’t crazy, let me know, as I’d really enjoy this place a lot more with a little breathing room.