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Business & Tech

Brickhouse Tavern and Tap

This is a man's world.

The typical man likes beer. And sports. And sandwiches. Add a few friendly girls to the mix, and the average guy is pretty content. 

The Brickhouse Tavern and Tap is giving these stereotypes the hard sell, its website asserting its mission of “Dispensing Happiness to the Common Man,” and if the constantly full parking lot is any indication, it has a solid target audience in the men of Willow Grove.    

I am not a man. I prefer wine over beer, and like The Bachelor better than basketball.  But I do like sandwiches, so my husband and I agreed to meet my sister and her boyfriend at the Brickhouse on a rare night out without the kids.

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Right off the bat, the clichés abounded. The waitresses wear short jean shorts and black cropped tops that ride up when they reach to pour a beer from the taps, located conveniently three feet above the bar. When the server takes your order, she cozies up at the table with you. 

There is no shortage of double entrendres on the menu, which along with “Sweet and Spicy Tails,” “Submissive Potato Soup,” and a few others I am uncomfortable repeating, also boasts an extensive beer list, including imports, domestics, 40-ounce bottles, half or full towers (“beer bongs”), and creative beer-based mixed drinks. 

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The long back wall reads “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time. Booyah!” Among the many flat screen televisions, there are other phrases stenciled on the walls, mostly related to drinking and revelry.

Despite the crowd at 8 p.m. on a Friday, we were seated right away, and sat in the dining area among mostly young patrons.  

There were a few families in our section, though, and strangely enough, one group of six middle-aged men toting a sleeping baby in a carseat. 

Our babies were home safe in their beds.

Time to order drinks! Sam Adams ($4.50) and Bass ($6) for the guys, and pinot grigio ($7) for the ladies.  By the time we got around to the second round, they were out of wine glasses and the waitress brought the wine to me in a large Stella Artois glass.  She suggested I pour the wine into my previously used glass, which was still sitting empty on the table.  I actually received a more generous pour than I would have in a normal wine glass, but it was a little too casual for my liking. 

To start, we ordered the made-in-house deviled eggs ($3.99). They had a pleasing jalapeño kick inside the creamy center, with a singular smoky crunch of bacon. 

The battered calamari ($7.99) was tossed with hot pepper chips. The basket contained mostly rings, but there were a few fun tentacles. The larger the ring, the more tender the meat, but the spicy marinara tasted great on all of it.

The onion soup ($4.99) wasn’t very hot, and it was a salt bomb. The thick layer of cheese melted on top was rubbery and hard to penetrate.  It is called “No Lovin’ Onion Soup,” suggesting that perhaps it is best eaten when your girlfriend is out of town. This is an accurate moniker, but the reasons we weren’t lovin’ it had nothing to do with the freshness of our breath. 

My sister’s entrée, the Bad Boy Chopped Salad ($9.99), on the other hand, was not accurately named. It wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was pretty good. Lettuce, egg, bacon, croutons, tomato wedges, red onion and added grilled chicken made for a colorful bowl. The blue cheese crumbles melted into the balsamic vinaigrette and glazed the salad with tangy, earthy goodness.

The Big Boy Prime Rib Sandwich ($12.99) was rare, which I liked, but it was too bloody for my sister’s boyfriend. The sandwich was slathered generously with melted cheese, topped with thin onion straws, and served with fries. The side bowl of savory sauce had a delicious meaty flavor that truly infused into the roll and meat, rather than just moistening it, when used for dipping.

My husband ordered the Hooked Up Big Fish Sandwich ($12.49). The blackened Mahi Mahi fillet was so intensely seasoned, it tasted like you were licking charcoal. The fish’s delicate flavor was completely overwhelmed, and my husband reported that he still had a charred taste in his mouth several hours later.

My Kobe burger ($13.99), highlighted on the menu by a graphic of a luscious lipstick imprint, was topped with Brie, grilled tomato slices and balsamic caramelized onions. While the Brie and grilled tomatoes were too subtle to hold up to the beefy intensity of the burger, the onions were a wonderful addition.  

For dessert, I ordered the "Double D" cupcake, but it took some effort to do so with a straight face. Our choices were chocolate and carrot cake, and we chose chocolate ($3.99). The rich chocolate cake was topped with whipped chocolate icing and chocolate shavings. We all had a few bites, but were too full to finish it.

We stayed at the bar for a drink before heading home. On a Friday night around 10 p.m., the bar stools were all in use, as were the tables surrounded by loveseats instead of chairs. It was a little cold, but there were plenty of people hanging out front by the fire pit.

With the smoking ban forcing those wanting a cigarette to shiver outside in cooler months, Brickhouse gives its patrons warmth, if not shelter. 

It seems as if Brickhouse Tavern and Tap has the basic needs of men fulfilled. 

  • Extensive beer list?
Check. 
  • Large screen televisions? 

Check. 

  • Scantily clad women at your beck and call? 

Check. 

  • Sandwiches full of meat? 

Check. 

Girl friendly?  Maybe not as much. 

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Brickhouse Tavern and Tap receives 3 out of 5 Whisks if you are part of their target market, and enjoy rare roast beef and beer.

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Second Helping of Information:

Location – 2402 Easton Road, Willow Grove

Hours – Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Phone – 215-675-5767

Website – brickhousetavernandtap.com

Reservations – Not available

On the Kids Menu – No kids menu, no high chairs available, no changing table

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