I went here for an event last night and it was a terrible experience. I spent an hour waiting in a port controlled crowd to get in. Bouncers kept yelling at everyone to get in line and back up, but those who went to the side still got in before me. When I got in, I had already missed half the event. They then required that everyone check coats which led to another thirty minute line. Overall this venue is horrible and I would not go back. read more

Dirty. Bad cover. No place to sit. Bad music. Rude staff. High prices. Very dirty bathroom. Could not wait to get out!!! Dirty!!! Fility!!! Disgusting!!! read more

Rude staff. Tried to charge for everything and to sit at a table when no one was even in the club. Tried to give me a hard time for ordering a glass of water. Never again. Sorry not sorry. read more

I would give this less than 1 star but unfortunately that's not an option. I went here last night around 11ish, and I get to the door and the woman says the cover is 20. The bouncer who is checking Ids says "no it's 10" but she proceeded to take our 20$. When my friend asked for her change back, the woman acted as if she didn't want to return her money. We go inside and the atmosphere looks nice and seems cool. We are met by a waiter and we say we want a table for 3. He proceeds to tell me that there are no more tables and that we can go to the bar. At this point the bar is full as well. This place just wants to take your money. Why would you allow people to enter your establishment when you know that there is no room for them to sit and enjoy their hookah? Why would you not give your customers the respect and ability to decide if they want to pay the money to get in? The woman didn't know how much the cover was and there was nowhere to sit. I asked the waiter if we could get our money back since we literally just walked in and he said no. Completely unprofessional. It's ridiculous. He had the nerve to say I was speaking to him in a manner that was not respectful. Which is false. I simply questioned the establishments "rules and regulations". It seemed as if he was offended that I had an issue with how the place was ran. The one table that was open the woman said that we had to spend a minimum of 500$. I've been to a lot of upscale places and a place like this is not worth spending 500$ which is supposedly their"VIP" section. I will not be going back and I wish other customers luck when trying this place out. read more

Hmm... I'll give a combined review here since I know they are connected. While the food on the Barra side is good (best pizza I've had in a while), the overall experience was horrible (outside of one gracious bartender). Note that if you are on the BSide side.. they may charge you a "service charge" which they don't charge you on the Barra side. Their explanation was that it was the "nightlife" side. Not sure how that equates to an extra charge. The bartender on the BSide is about the rudest thing Ive encountered in a while. Oh and they impose their $25 card minimum whenever they feel like it (mine was imposed after already spending a legitimate amount of money there. Not sure they how they are going to survive when there are so many other great options in Philly.. but I wish them the best because I won't be back. read more

Music too loud, beer warm, served cold coffee, and incompetent staff. Save yourself and go to Ariana down the street.

WORST. PLACE. EVER. Minimum $300 tab for a party over 6 people, which wasn't really an issue, BUT it's based on table size, not actual size of party itself AND there's a cover that doesn't go towards that minimum. The music is so loud, it's hard to hear the person sitting next to you and it's all about bitches and the n-word. After waiting 30 minutes for two orders of wings, I complained to the manager and the waitress claimed she didn't hear my order, yet 1. She repeated it back to me at time of order 2. She brought the drink I ordered with the food 3. EVERYONE AT MY TABLE HEARD ME ORDER, even over the loud ass music. Oh yeah, there's also a mandatory 20% "service charge" which is their code for tip. If you're thinking of going here, DON'T. I'd give it negative stars if I could. read more

An absolute rip-off for anyone who is used to reasonably quality hookah bar. Time/Setting? Friday night at 11:30 p.m. To even enter? $10 per person #whochargesacoverforahookahbar?. This late at night, that high a cover, and a completely empty dance floor? No sir. A glass of iced water to ponder the drinks we'd order (since there was no menu, even though we were seated)? $3 for a bottle of water. After arguing with the sleazy, gelled-hair manager (one of several arguments we had that night), we were able to secure some glasses of water. The "waitress" barely ever came thereafter. The refill coals for the hookah barely ever came either--indeed, we had to chase the manager and waitresses around the bar to regularly get new coals. You could understand our surprise, then, when we were charged a $17 service charge as an ADDITION to our bill. The manager's excuse? "This is the hottest spot in the city." Who really believes that? Again, a complete rip-off. And I refuse to believe that this is the best hookah club--or any night-life establishment for that matter--Philly has to offer. Hookah is great--don't let this place ruin the experience for you. read more

I was not impressed with this location. I was referred by the lady at the hotel. She said it was chill and a good vibe. When we got to the spot it was $10 for ladies and $15 for guys at door. Once we paid the cover ($50) and enterrd, the lady at the door informed us that we could stand at the bar (no seating available) or we could sit at table for $150 min tab. Tables had a min $ amount based on size of table, not size of your party (or maybe both, I am not really sure.) We were also informed that if we started a tab at the bar and decided to move to a table, our previous tab would not count toward table minimum. I felt it was a little disingenuous not to inform us of the charge to sit, in addition to cover, until after we already paid to go in, but We decided to go with a table for 4 (min tab $150) because we felt we would most likely spend that amount. At this point we should have left but once you spend $50, you feel committed. The spot: The location was small and not very nice. It was one narrow room (like the small reggae spot you might go to) There was a DJ (the Star is for the DJ, if it wasn't for him, I d give this place 0 stars) and the music was pretty good and loud but no dance floor. The tables were lined up like you might see at a mall or a church basement. the ambiance was not very nice. Okay, so I like a small spot with good music so this alone would not make me rate it one star, however bottle service/ table minimums are HIGHLY unnecessary in such a "chill" location. The Crowd: I felt the crowd was on the slightly younger side (I am 38, if that helps.) I am not from Philly but I thought it was a good looking crowd. Seemed fairly progressive (with style anyway) The crowd was not dancing. Everyone seemed super chill...almost zoned out. There also was not a lot of cross mingling. So maybe its a spot where you brining your own party (which is cool, but then the music needs to be a bit softer so you can converse if your not dancing.) Nobody was really dancing or talking. just chilling. Is that bad? you decide. I was okay with that, too... The Service: If I could give this place a negative star, I would. My friends ordered a pricey bottle of wine that took forever to come to the table. I think they literally went and bought it from a bodega and came back and charged a redic amount for a cheap gas station type bottle of wine. The drinks were watered down. This is the type of place where I wouldn't be surprised if you order top shelf and really get bottom (but I cant verify that so that is just a speculation.) The servers are very nice but limited in autonomy to make customer service decisions. My girlfriend asked for a glass of water and they said they would have to charge her!! She finally convinced him to put the water in her used wine glass. At one point we realized that there was a second side to the B-Side. It seemed a bit quieter so we could have a conversation. The club was not full. We asked if we could please move to the other side. We were informed that we could go stand over there but there were no 4 people table available and that we would need to start a NEW tab for 300 to sit in a bigger table. our tab was already around 300 btw. When we explained to the lady that we were not even given a choice she really didn't care and was unwilling to accommodate us. They treated us horribly. The made comments that people have walked out on big tabs so they needed our cards right away and added the Tip (again I am fine with that but I'd like good service if you are going to presume you deserve a tip.) It really made me feel like a second class citizen yet I am paying good money,I was just taken aback. Considering the woman making the decisions was not black and everyone paying was. I found her to be presumptuous and her treatment to her clientele was super appalling. Like we don't have standards. $$$ - It is pricey for what you get....totally not worth it The food looked gross and cheap, but I didn't order so I will not speak to the food. I did wonder why anyone in their right mind would come back. I travel for work and am always looking for good locations in varies cities but I wont be back ever. Next time I will be checking out Ariana. read more

I loved this place!! Nice vibes... seemed like a 30's crowd. The food was just ok and I wish the Dj would play more old skool stuff. I enjoyed myself and I will be back. After 10 you can hookah at the restaurant next door as well. When I went over there the music was better. I'll sit there the next time. read more

I have been to Barra (B side hookah) a couple times. The first few times I got treated "like a prince". This is a front if you are trying to go here on a random Thursday night... (maybe any night) I tried going here literally 2 hours ago and my friends and i showed our Id's to get in... as we were approaching the bar a bouncer came to us and said there was a cover to get in... He told us we had to go outside... In order to get back in we had to pay a cover.... There are numerous places in the city that offer better hookahs and a better atmosphere... Particularly Byblos on 18th and Samson. The staff at Byblos is much friendlier and willing to cater to your needs... The next time I want a good, quality hookah I will spend the extra money for a cab to travel to center city. read more

You pay $10 to get in... it's a $25 minimum on cards for drinks... they have an atm. They don't accept any cards with chips. You can STAND at the bar and smoke hookah, they literally have no chairs. If you wanna sit at a table you must spend at least $70 for 2 people and $150 for 4 people. They won't change your coals for you and the bartender is super rude read more

Cool place to smoke hookah, dance and party. They have cool DJs! 18 to get in the club, 21 to drink. Good experience!

My friends and I went here last night. The music was great: played all of the top hiphop and rap songs, which is really hard to find in center city bars. Hookah was very strong and was reasonably priced. Lots of people of color which is often hard to find in a center city bar. Wish I would've found this place earlier while in college. Only bad thing was the drink prices but if you come a lil turnt, you're all good. read more

This place would be so awesome if they took credit cards with chips! Customer service is great! But what credit card doesn't have a chip these days??? Better bring cash! If you do music, drinks and customer service is great! read more

After being treated badly, I won't be returning to this establishment. Been here a number of times, and previously had attentive service, good hookah, good drink selection. Not true anymore. I suspect management has changed recently, because I suggested my friends and I go here for hookah and drinks. We entered around 8 PM, and at the door they asked for ID and a $5 cover. Understandable, they've got to pay the bouncer's wage on a weekend night. Inside was relatively empty, but it was after only 8PM. However, once we paid the cover, we were immediately told that while many tables were unoccupied, we couldn't be seated for a long while - no timeline given. We were told we could go to Barra, the restaurant section and get food while we waited. Once in Barra, a friendly waitress attempted to seat us, but the same rude hostess quickly appeared to inform us all the empty tables were also reserved. OK, not our night, we'll get a reservation next time. We politely asked for our cover back. The hostess informed us that no refunds were allowed. They misrepresented their services, and wouldn't return $5. After arguing over the paltry sum for several minutes, we decided it wasn't worth ruining our night. It's a shame, but I won't be patronizing this establishment again. I felt embarrassed, degraded, and it ruined my night anyway. read more

Good location. I appreciate the music that was being played (urban). It was a bit chilly when I went, and I happened to be sitting by the door at the bar, so the blast of wind of quite annoying. I think that the drinks are a little on the pricey side, if I return, I will be arriving tipsy. the hookah was gross. I believe it was the hose. It was old, or just something was wrong with it. When we pulled it, it left black ashes in our mouths. It took us FOREVER to get the hookah person's attention, and when we did we were brought another faulty hose. By that time I was just over it. It is decorated very nicely from what I saw. I will admit I did not get up and explore due to not wanting to lose my seat. read more

Ok so for looks and atmosphere this place gets 5 stars. Food I can not speak on being did not order any, but drinks OH BOY BE READY. Order 2 Captain & Cokes and the total was $21.50. I'm sorry but for $10.75 these things better be savage-like. Instead you get a semi-talk skinny (probably 8oz-10oz) glass filled to the brim with ice and a dash of Captain with a glass of Coke on ice. I was appalled and literally couldn't believe they at least weren't double-shot strong for that price. Lost me on first touch with that outrageous 2 drink bill. Plenty of cheaper options. But I'll say the left side of the building is awesome and super dim lit with some pretty cool dance lighting and hip-hop / urban beats playing. read more

B Side is a really fun place to listen to the latest hiphop and RnB and enjoy hookah. The staff is very attentive. The prices are fair and the food is delicious! it's in a great location and parking is easy to find. read more

When myself and 2 of my guests arrived around 12am we were the only people there because 2 hours prior a day party had ended. We were nicely welcomed by Roxxy who had explained the emptiness, nonetheless we decided to stay. My guests ordered a hookah and I inquired about drinks specials and was told because it was after midnight their weren't any. You would think by inquiring about drink specials that would be an automatic indication that the customer wasn't looking to spend to much money, I guess due to Roxxy's lack of attention this was not an indication to her. I also conveyed that for the mixed drinks a regular House was fine. After my guests ordered 6 mixed drinks total with vodkas and pineapple and one hookah we received a bill for $102.00. Please keep in mind that we are at a venue with less then 10 people in attendance. I was extremely upset but after many years in customer service, I kept my composure. I requested to speak to our waitress ROXXY to better understand how any of the messages I communicated suggested I wanted one of the most expensive selections in the mixed drink? To my surprise I received one of the most inconsiderate, lack of training and disappointing replies, Roxxy's response was " I don't know anything about liquor I just selected the first option I saw in the computer" I was in complete disbelief as to why she would not speak with me prior to making this decision on her own or why she didn't better examine the options in her place of employment's computer! She clearly thought this response was sufficient. Not only was it incorrect but it shows she knows nothing about listening to her customers. Management did try to assist me by lowering my bill to $70 but I have to say this was beyond unacceptable for an establishment. I have no intentions on returning and I highly suggest Roxxy get more training because her next customer may not be as respectable and controlled as I am. read more

Worst bar I've ever been to. 11 dollars for a vodka soda the size of a shot glass. Everyone there is insanely rude, and they are cheap as hell. They charged $4 for a water, when people were in need of one. Horrible layout, unkind people, would not recommend unless you're looking to have the worst time. read more

Went there on a Friday night. The appearance is OK. The waitress was welcoming and was always there when we needed her. But, the atmosphere is what made it 2 stars. The music is VERY loud and the quality of sound is bad. Hookah was not the worst I've ever had, but too far from being good. Paid cover charge $10 for girls $15 guys (bring cash). There is also a minimum of $50 for 2 people. Drinks were OK. Food was whatever. Will not come back. read more

Horrible customer service!!! Ripped out of $40 entry fee because I was at the wrong address for a birthday dinner with gift in my hand.... They took my money I literally walked in and said to myself this is the wrong place the owner advised "No refunds" Less than 2 minutes Wow this is Center City Bye B Side no class will not last! Bside motto "by any means necessary" to rip people off. I will definitely spread the word about this poor service try Infusion Hookah Lounge 2nd and Market!! read more

I went here on a Friday night with a couple of friends and sat at the bar. I had two drinks and asked for a glass of water. The bartender just gave me bottle water and attempted to charge me. When I asked for ice water I was told they do not give water! That's nuts. Their excuse was because people come in and only have water. Even though I was a paying customer. Then to top it off when I got the bill I noticed a "service charge" of 20%. Apparently they sneak in a gratuity on very check. And it was sneaky, it didn't say gratuity. Bad business practices. I will never go back. read more

Good vibe and music for an urban crowd... Drinks a bit pricey. Service at the bar was fast and consistent.

I had to go out to Philly for a work conference and found out about this place on Yelp. Absolutely great staff all around (especially the bartenders) and great quality hookah. If I ever find myself back in Philly, I'll be sure stop by for a round 2. Keep up the great work! read more

Gotta say, "we love it here!" Management and staff are truly friendly, good people. Good drinks, great prices, and a cool crowd! We will keep comming back. read more

Went to this place on 10/18/13 (a friday) around 1030pm to try something different for my birthday. Hookah was good, music was cool, bartender was nice and the atmosphere was fun. We sat at the bar which wasnt too packed and not too empty either, just enough to be sociable. Worth Mentioning: the bathroom doors are pretty cool too! I enjoyed my time here but the only things that kept me from a perfect 5 star rating were the Service charge when there was only 3 people our group (I could understand it if I had a large party, like 5-6+) and the website hadnt been updated, it says on friday nights its $4 Martinis and my martinis were $10. Other than that, nice place. I might go again. read more

I came in last night and immediately left after refusing to take my light jacket off in 30 degree weather ( which i wouldve had to pay for to hold). On top of that I have Type 2 Stage 5 lipedema which is an incurable abnormal fat disorder so removing my jacket wouldve make me feel uncomfortable. I asked if they could make an exception and I was denied. This was my first time there so i was unaware of the no refund policy. While i was waiting to speak to someone, a security guard very disrespectfully said." I dont know what yall are doing but imma need you to step to the side". My friend replied , "we're waiting to speak to someone about a refund". The security guard said" No refunds". I asked if i could speak to a manager several times to which the man consistently replied " no refunds". He continued to ignore my question and when i then asked for a supervisor twice he didnt reply and then the third time stated that he was in fact the supervisor and pointed to a no refund sign which was only visible from the line. I said to him, "how would I see the sign if it was only visible from the line that you weren't allowing me to stand in?". He replied, "Okay , you didnt have to get smart". His response including his initial approach was completely disrespectful and out of line. Your an employee. Conduct yourself as such. On my way out of the club he continued to speak indirectly to me by saying "Yeah You aint have to get smart". While leaving the location my friend proceeded to tell me she had gone upstairs and seen several people in hoodies on the dancefloor and sitting down. But it was against policy for me to keep my jacket? My entire experience was unpleasant. The staff was ghetto, ratchet, unprofessional, unaccommodating and inflexible. Customers are what lines the business's pockets, they should be treated with respect. You wont catch me here again. read more

This place is amazing! My friends and I came from North Jersey and wanted some good food and hookah, and that's exactly what we got! The service was amazing! Everyone was so nice! Definitely a go-to place in Philly! read more

Nice hookah, great middle eastern food and Drew is a very professional and friendly server. Music could be loud sometimes but overall great experience. read more

Love this place. Best hookah around. Music is good they have the best Djs, Staff is really nice and food is amazing.

I'd give this place zero stars if I could. I went for a date party and it was filthy and the entire women's bathroom was flooded about 2 inches when we got there and the workers told everyone to not flush the toilets. The $14 drink (yes, FOURTEEN DOLLARS) I ordered came in the smallest cup and tasted absolutely horrible. The staff was mean and not welcoming at all. Overall a huge disappointment read more

So I live about an hour and a half away in bucks county. I came to Bside for the first time in April of 2014. I've gone to hookah bars and lounges all around bucks and montco since then, never quite being as happy with the experience. I came back to the city a few days ago and planned to stay for the better part of a week and made my grand return to Bside. What a decision that was!! The drinks are almost as delicious as the hookah :-) everybody here, from the owner himself to the bartenders, the people at the door, the security, the wait staff, the couple other people walking around in charge, and even the dude changing the coals and the guy waiting to pump soap in my hand in the bathroom... The staff at Bside are all here to guarantee and enable my superior experience :-) I can't stay away!!! And if that wasn't enough, the other customers are awesome as well. I've met new interesting people to talk to and chill with for the past couple nights in a row. And what makes it better, I came back yesterday, and it's like I'm a part of the Bside family... This wonderful establishment, that I'm about to program in my cellphone under the name "Paradise" has made a very significant life decision for me. I'm starting to look at places tomorrow, and moving to this city, so that I can come to "Paradise" whenever I want to. :-) Love to everyone at Bside, be seeing you soon... Fondly, the other Nick ;-) read more

definitely don't go on fridays (the day for 18+). No one was there, the music was garbage, and not a single person was on the dance floor. Ordered a jack and coke and it was literally disgusting didn't even taste like coke. read more

Outrageously expensive for no reason. $20 cover, any drink you get is minimum $10 with a tip INCLUDED. Was was empty all night and hosted mostly unsavoury characters. DJ played some good music, but he was pretty terrible all around. The music would stop randomly or he would play the same song twice within a span of 5 mins. Waste of time and money. read more

Our waitress rocked. She was helpful, attentive, and friendly. The hookah was good (Blue Mist). We also grabbed an order of baba ghanoush which was okay. The music was pretty solid too. The bathroom doors were also really cool - they are clear until you lock them, at which point they become cloudy. read more

Great service. Very friendly and quick. Decent food and good flavors for hookah. Great place to relax and waste some time.

$20 cover. $5 mandatory coat check if you want to go upstairs (hip hop) or downstairs (Latin music) but free to sit on the main floor in the restaurant. I had a really small fitting faux leather jacket. Sat in the restaurant area with some friends for about an hour & got a drink or two from the bar. We later went upstairs. I paid the $5 cost check only to see tons of people w. Their jackets on. Found out my friend got a table for us & asked if I could have the $20 returned considering she was paying a large amount of $ for the section upstairs. Denied. Also, Normally $5 isn't a huge deal for a coat check but after walking upstairs I noticed tons of other ppl skipped the "mandatory coat check". Fast forward: the group is upstairs, bottles & hookah ordered. The DJ was TERRIBLEEEEE! It was as if he played music that he & his small entourage liked and didn't give a crap about the crowd. Club had a decent amount of ppl in it. No one on the dance floor & he continued to play Jersey house music. Okay. We get it. The DJ was from Jersey... but as a DJ aren't you supposed to play music to that pleases the crowd?? We requested some songs in hopes to have him switch gears. He played 2 songs, each for about 30 secs & then went back to the he was playing before. I'll end on a positive note. He acknowledged all of the birthday girls that were in attendance & had somewhat of a twerking contest on stage so I guess that was plus if you're a guy. Overall I felt like it was a waste of $ and time. read more

Ummm what happened to this place? When this hookah spot first opened, it was so much fun. There was music going, bar seating and just an overall great atmosphere. Now...there are no bar seats, so if you want to sit down to enjoy your hookah, you have to spend at minimum $100...WHAT. This is a hookah bar in philly....I guess they forget who and where they are. They charge $10 at door and I dont know why because there's NO ONE in there. Let these Yelp reviews be of service to you, change it up because you're loosing me and a bunch of customer. Back to BYBLOS I go. read more