Belgian Bar Crawl

[Tim Dolan]

Alright I'm trying to plan a Belgian bar crawl for some of my friends, and I think I've settled on the following places: Monk's, Ludwig's, Eulogy, and maybe Beneluxx. This will let us work our way across town in a fairly linear path and we'll wind up in Old City if anybody wants to go anywhere else by the time we're done. No hard and fast rules for this trip, we just want to keep it fairly simple, have a few beers at each place and have a good time. Beneluxx seems like an obvious place to finish because of the tasting room aspect, but I haven't been there and wonder if they'd be able to accommodate anywhere from 8 to 14 people who will probably be lit up by the time they get there. Is that place more of a bar or restaurant? I'd like to keep the trip more bar-oriented. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

[marinade]

Alright I'm trying to plan a Belgian bar crawl for some of my friends, and I think I've settled on the following places: Monk's, Ludwig's, Eulogy, and maybe Beneluxx.  This will let us work our way across town in a fairly linear path and we'll wind up in Old City if anybody wants to go anywhere else by the time we're done. No hard and fast rules for this trip, we just want to keep it fairly simple, have a few beers at each place and have a good time. Beneluxx seems like an obvious place to finish because of the tasting room aspect, but I haven't been there and wonder if they'd be able to accommodate anywhere from 8 to 14 people who will probably be lit up by the time they get there. Is that place more of a bar or restaurant?  I'd like to keep the trip more bar-oriented.  Any and all suggestions are welcome.

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ZOT @ Front & Lombard

[Rich Pawlak]

Well, Ludwig's aint even a little Belgian enough.

I would map a crawl like this:

Zot, Front & Lombard

Eulogy, 2nd & Chestnut

Bennelux, 3rd and Market

Monk's , 16th and Spruce

Bridgid's, 24th & Meredith

Belgian Cafe, 20th and Green

The first three stops can be done on foot, with a cab or two to Monk's, and then a cab or two to Bridgid's, from which the last stop can be achieved on foot. This tour covers all the major players who carry the broadest variety of Belgian brews, and, most importantly, offer substantial food to counter the large alcohol consumption. Believe me, I know a few things about that balancing act.

Edited November 9, 2007 by Rich Pawlak (log)

[SouthPhillyFoodie]

Rich - that is a stellar list!!!

I haven't been to Belux yet either...is the list different than Eulogy?

If you wanted to add a No Lib bar, I would suggest:

Abbaye

637 N. Third St.

and at Beligan Cafe - a must are the Vegan Chicken wings. Chef Evan is a kickass vegan chef, although he is a meat eater

[Tim Dolan]

Well, Ludwig's aint even a little Belgian enough.

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Well, truth be told, the real reason for the bar crawl is because most people will be going to Ocktoberfest next year, which is why Ludwig's is part of the equation. But since there is no shortage of quality Belgian places around, I figured we'd mix them in as well. More importantly, the trip is to get the majority of the Miller Lite addicts I'll be traveling with to get introduced to some real beer.

[Buckethead]

What day of the week were you planning on doing this? A group of 8-14 people is a lot for a place like Monk's or Eulogy, you will have a very hard time getting seated in a timely manner at either place on a weekend. I haven't been to Beneluxx yet, but if they haven't expanded the space from when it was SoMa I think you'd have the same problem there. I'm not a big fan of the food at Zot, but they have a decent-sized space there and the beers are good, you may want to include them simply because you're more likely to be able to get in there.

[Tim Dolan]

What day of the week were you planning on doing this? A group of 8-14 people is a lot for a place like Monk's or Eulogy, you will have a very hard time getting seated in a timely manner at either place on a weekend. I haven't been to Beneluxx yet, but if they haven't expanded the space from when it was SoMa I think you'd have the same problem there. I'm not a big fan of the food at Zot, but they have a decent-sized space there and the beers are good, you may want to include them simply because you're more likely to be able to get in there.

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I haven't been to Zot, but I knew I'd have a problem with Monk's and Eulogy, and I figured it would be the same story with Beneluxx. However, as long as there's room to stand and drink, we'll be fine.

[Rich Pawlak]

I would NEVER consider even an informal pub crawl without contacting the bars in advance, and asking them to acccomodate you. It's just good manners, and you will find that most places will be more than accomodating with some notice.

And Abbaye isnt at all Belgian either; the name is misleading. And the quality of food is not even close to that of the other places.

[SouthPhillyFoodie]

Went by Beluxx last night for a tryout...

FYI, for the tour, they are closed on Sunday and Monday