A typical college pub - food is good, beer selection not bad, service, while perhaps not as ideally attentive as I'd like, was acceptable. For the late-night, after-concert need for sustenance, particularly involving some fermented grains - this is your place in this neighborhood. read more

I discovered this place when I moved to university city during covid. They go above and beyond with covid safety measures and their food has been nothing short of spectacular. Super lucky to have them in my neighborhood! I recommend going when they have live music. read more

First time visiting the New Deck Tavern. Great pub with delicious food and wonderful service. Brian was terrific. A must for anyone looking for a nice Irish pub atmosphere. Will definitely be back! read more

Went on Friday to hear some Irish music. Turned out to be so much more! The entertainment, the food, the service were all top notch! Did I mention it's the best Guinness I've had anywhere local?! New Deck is a must visit whether you're visiting colleges in University City or just looking for a traditional, authentic Irish Pub. read more

I frequently dine in at the New Deck and never am disappointed by the attentive + accommodating staff, welcoming atmosphere & great food. Recommend to all of my family & friends! read more

Love the New Deck Tavern!!! The BEST IRISH Pub in University City!!! Delicious food served by friendly staff, my favorite sandwich is the New Deck Chicken!!! New Deck has a great beer selection Hopefully you are lucky to be there when our favorite bartender is working, Sharon. She is the best there is and always ready to serve you your favorite beer with a warm Irish welcome!! read more

Hotel and driver recommended this place as a place that would certainly be open. Advertised hours are until 0200. We show up at midnight and the doors are locked. People inside staring at us trying to open doors. Hours everywhere on multiple websites say open until 0200. Nope. Closed. Bad business and that's how you lose customers. Told hotel of inconsistencies. Guess they'll stop telling people to go there. read more

The New Deck Tavern is bar none THE best Irish Pub in the Philadelphia area! The staff from Erin to the bartenders Sharon and Colin just to name a few...always provide the best service and make you feel right at home with a joke and a smile! Not to mention the best Guiness in the city. A visit to the New Deck is a must! and did I mention the Fish and Chips?? Do yourself a favor and stop by for a pint read more

Went last Sunday to watch the Eagles. Great atmosphere and Brian was awesome behind the bar. Cheesesteak Eggrolls and Buffalo Chicken wrap are the perfect lunch during the game! read more

Cool atmosphere - super bar with local pours and several tv's to watch games. Classic city pub, recommend. Good good s well! read more

New Deck Tavern - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Terrible Service. My company and I had an office outing at this tavern for lunch. They served us our food almost an hour after we arrived. The party room which they seated us was extremely small and tight. The stools in the party room were very tall but the seat was so small and uncomfortable. The tables were Not clean and sticky. All that was bad but the THE MAIN REASON I decided to take the time to write a post about this restaurant was because of what happened after we finished eating. It was a group of 20+ people and the bill came out to around $260. A majority of us paid cash, and only three of us paid credit. The lady handling our bill took the cash and charged us three $17/each for our portion of the dinner. I went the following day to look at my credit card statement to find that the lady had charged me $17 and $260 for the whole bill. I immediately thought that this was suspicious because 1) She ran my two co-workers cards in front of us 2) She took my card to be back of the tavern to run my card (idk why either) 3) The credit card company said it was ran twice. Why would you run a credit card twice when I only signed one slip for $17?? I went there that same day (FRIDAY) to tell them how they had charged me $260 for some reason. However they asked that I come in another day because "Their manager wasn't there" Why they didn't have a manager there on a Friday is confusing as well. The manager didn't show up till TUESDAY. Meanwhile I have this charge still sitting on my credit card. I go there Today to get it fixed and they tell me okay they will get it fixed with the credit card company. No apology. No remorse. No sense of sympathy. The bartender just looked at me like "Yeah shit happens" After leaving the store AGAIN, I call the credit card company for them to tell me that the restaurant changed the charge from $260 to $50...... Now I'm even more confused because that is a completely random number. I called the manager immediately after getting off the phone with the credit card company and told again that her restaurant is trying to bill me incorrectly. She was not letting me finish my story and trying to talk over me the whole time I was on the phone with her. Now I am STILL waiting for them to fix my statement. Meanwhile I have still received no apology form the restaurant, No type of reimbursement for wasting my time driving over there again and calling the credit card company and manager. I WILL NEVER visit this location again. And I will make sure to inform everyone about this establishment. I would never trust these people. The lady who ran my credit card twice for $17 and $260 was definitely trying to scheme. She was gonna charge the whole bill on the card and collect the cash that was given to her. read more

It's a college dive bar that serves cheap food. Worst service I have ever experienced. The waitress never cleared any of the dirty dishes off our table, and she yelled at us because she thought someone had stollen our check - which was under all the dirty dishes. Management should provide training to the wait staff before putting them in front of customers. read more

Great outdoor deck on Penn campus for Saturday pregame lunch. My wife really liked the spicy chicken curry with vegetables. My turkey stuffing cranberry on bun with mashed potatoes was also surprisingly good. had several beer on special price was very much appreciated. We saw several parents dining with their college age kids and many groups of Lehigh fans also enjoying the afternoon read more

See all

What a great surprise. First time in Philadelphia so I figured Philly Cheesesteak but not so much. Walked in the door and was immediately greeted but a bunch of college age employees that were over the top nice and a pleasant surprise. The inside is a typical sports bar themed place so I was expecting sports bar quality food. I opted for the Mountain salad and couldn't have been more than pleased with the quality of food. More than a sports bar. I was surprised to see the employees singing to the music and appeared to truly like their jobs...a breath of fresh air for sure. Food was a little more than expensive than a sports bar should ask but the quality was worth the extra couple of bucks. Nicely done New Deck. read more

Great location, great room, great food, great service. We found New Deck Tavern because it was open late - kitchen was open til 1:00am. I had the Shepherd's Pie... which was pretty good, not great - but I'd order it again. Friend had the Reuben, which was amazing. We had the Irish Bread Pudding for dessert, and that alone would bring me back. Server was delightful. Music - while a bit loud - was a nice touch. The room was also a star. Lots of great Irish paraphernalia to look at. read more

Found this place with my wife while we were taking a break from visiting family at the Hospital at Penn. Only about 2 blocks from the hospital, so it's in a great location if your visiting the Penn campus, or happen to work or go to school in University City. Initial service was pretty good, but as the meal went on, the service ceased. Had to track down the waiter to get the bill, and the place was not very busy at all since it was around 3:00 on a week day. The food was quite average. I got a fairly tasteless crispy chicken club sandwich on some day old bread, and my wife got the quesadilla, which she said was just OK. Great location for drinks and happy hour I'm sure, but the food was a bit lacking. read more

Where to begin? Clean! Comfy! Staff is friendly and engaging with the perfect blend of professionalism and sarcasm ( which I love). Nachos-- fabulous. Every "chip" is loaded. Was plenty for 3 or 4 for an app to share. Ceasar w grilled chicken- hit the spot. If you like bourbon, have Colin make a Manhattan. Jeremy loves to tell tales if his fishing excursions (not really but he fakes his way through it), Brian has great stories of his large family. Obviously, we made a home here while staying at a nearby hotel during our dads hospital stay at UPenn. The Folks at New Deck were a joy to spend time with and the food was great. read more

I'm sorry dog I had to rank this place so low but it stinks for food. And there are so many places around that offer way better grub, ya feelin me. They got some nice beer specials if you just lookin for that ish. Or if you into quizzo aiight then you can try this place out i guess. But the menu is all over the place dog. I mean is it suppose to be a Irish Gastropub or a mexican joint? So much random nonsense on the menu and its huge can't be no gastropub dog with a menu like that. Aiight Mad4Mex is down the street but come on man kick it old school and bring back them real deal Irish Menu dishes man, feelin me. There might be 4 so called Irish Pub listings on the entire menu. Instead the ish is filled with quesadillas, cheese steaks, bbq chicken, supreme nachos, fajitas, cajun chicken, chicken parm, and all sorts of weird ish. They need to throw that menu out and do a completely new updated one, ya feelin me I speakin the truth dog. Menu looks like a late night diner or a TGIF menu not a so called Irish Pub especially if it wants to be labeled gastro. Can't be servin chicken parm and fajitas what is that nonsense. I give it 2 stars just cause of alcohol specials. read more

New Deck Tavern - outside dog so not a irish pub ya feelin me - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Recently came here for lunch on a Sunday. While the service was quick and friendly, the food was just okay. I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap. The menu said the chicken was dipped in hot sauce and the wrap came with bleu cheese. Well, my wrap came and the only somewhat spicy part of the wrap was the peppers. No taste of hot sauce whatsoever. And the bleu cheese? Guess they forgot that too. The wrap was good but definitely not what I thought I was ordering. read more

Ehhh. But let's do the math together. My two lovely daughters and I had lunch here and sat outside at a table in the shade. One star! We ordered chicken fingers and a club sandwich, both of which included honey mustard (a family favorite, plus I'm Southern, so the stuff runs through my veins). And the fries were crunchy and tasty. One more star! The food was pretty good, and they had the new Flying Fish Summer Brew. What comes next, boys and girls? That's right: one additional star. But the service...as I said earlier...ehhh. Dude was nice enough but he kept disappearing for extended stretches of time, drinks weren't refilled and he took a long time to bring the check. So long that I thought summer vacation might be over already. So it's one, two, three stars for New Deck Tavern! Isn't math fun? read more

Last night, my mom and I chose New Deck as the meeting place for drinks and a bite after her conference nearby. The menu was exactly what we were looking for; a decent happy hour and a few small plates. I had French onion soup and we shared a Mediterranean plate and some chicken fingers. The beers were super fresh and delicious; Guinness for Mom and Harp for me. New Deck has a nice pub environment and it was clean and pretty bustling considering the Monday night. However, New Deck has a problem, and it's pretty clearly outlined in other recent reviews. It's the service. We sat at the bar and the bartender was surlier than Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey, and not in an endearing way. An Irish accent only gets you so far. It was very hard to get this bartender's attention on multiple occasions, and we actually felt like we were bothering him when we needed something. This is the guy you stick behind the bar on a college campus? New Deck filled all of our requirements for a night out except for the good service part. We'll be choosing another destination next time. read more

Came here after a last-minute trip to the hospital for Steve's dad. His brother-in-law was already there with a bunch of 8-year-olds, holding a table for us. We had rushed out the door so I didn't have my ID. Bouncer won't let me in. Why not? It's 8:01 p.m., and after 8:00 they don't let anyone under 21 in without a parent. NOTE: I don't look like I'm under 21. I'm NOT under 21. I'm not trying to sneak into the stupid bar, I just don't have my ID. We explain to the bouncer that we are joining, literally, a group of 8-year-olds at a table in the back and that I won't be drinking. He still won't let me in. He actually says to Steve, "Unless you're her PARENT, she can't come in." Which, again, would be relevant if I were actually under 21, or if we weren't about to sit down for FOOD (not drinks) with a bunch of CHILDREN who arrived at 7:59 p.m. and thus were allowed in. We finally managed to slip in when he took a break and another bouncer seemed to understand that the situation was absolutely RIDICULOUS, although he still made me promise I wouldn't try to order a drink. OMG! I wasn't trying to scam them into serving alcohol to a minor... since I'm not a minor. I just wanted to eat. The whole thing was just irritating, and the food did nothing for me. Maybe if I were still in college I would enjoy drinking at a place like this, which is why I gave them the extra star. read more

Here is everything you need to know about the people who run New Deck: On St. Patrick's Day, they had NO drink specials and charged $5 for a pint of Guinness. Another time, they tried to charge us a $2 cover to eat dinner. We ate somewhere else that night, obviously. Also, their "bouncer" is completely psycho. Note to bouncer: This is a college bar. Penn is not a state school. You know what that means? People come here from out of state! Stop acting like "California" and "Ohio" are fake states that don't grant driver's licenses and let me have a damn drink already. read more

I'm not impressed. Although New Deck oozes pub warmth on a cold winter day, I'd pop in for a drink, not lunch. While my food was OK - I had the french onion soup and split the portabello sandwich - I've had the same dishes much tastier in other locations. Including my own kitchen. The soup was warm but underwhelming, the portabello seemed to have been left out of the marinating process and only dresses with a dash of balsamic, the fries had been obviously friend in old oil. Add to the blah food the fact that my dining companion and I both found hairs in our food (to be fair, I have a lot of hair, and the particularly long one could have been mine) and there were little unappetizing gnats buzzing around the table. Our waitress also rushed the crap out of us. She tried to take our drink order before we even had our jackets off, and tried to make me order while my partner was still in the restroom blowing his wind-battered nose. Bad waitress! She did, however, bring two dill pickles, as requested. The only thing saving the New Deck from a one-star review is beer, and the fact that I know they have a pretty rowdly, rambunctious, and often grad-school-difficult quizzo night, which is pretty fun if you get there early enough to grab an upstairs table. In summary, just because you're a college bar doesn't been you can coast by with insulting service and ho-hum food. Step it up! read more

Mostly good food--definitely go for the more English/Irish dishes since they are way better than anything else. Go tinker fries! Great selection of beers on tap--Boddington's (my fav), Guiness, Harp, and even CandyBEER(Strong Bow). Try the black velvet (guiness and Strong Bow layered). So yum. And remember Guiness has only 90 calories per pint! Quizzo on Tuesday, they have happy hour pint special, too (at least they used to). Definitely a college crowd (both students and profs). P.s. They have peanuts and you can throw the shells on the floor. read more

I almost feel guilty giving this bar a 3 since I come here every week and even know some of the staff. But hey honesty is honesty. $3.50 a Yuengling is a solid price and they have a good collection of beer on tap (high five for Lagunitas), but there's nothing that sets it apart from any other bar down the street. If I weren't a regular I also don't think the service would be as good either. The food is mediocre and relatively expensive for bar food. Quizo is fun on Wednesdays; I'm usually there but I still haven't won. Tuesdays I hear they have karaoke. All that being said, I still love this bar with all my heart because every time I come here I have a good time. read more

This place was terrrible. Granted the boyf and I went here because we were extremely bored and wanted to play quizzo. It was packed full of the likes of people who looked like they probably are entitled to a legacy at a frat / sorority house-- not particularly my scene at all. The food was terrible, soggiest fries I've had in Philadelphia yet. I'm just going to end the review here because the only nice thing I can say about this place is that their bathroom was very clean. read more

Cool spot for bar trivia, burners, and beers TV set up kinda blows - live music is super loud pending your spot Overall i really enjoyed this place but would like to see improvement with the tvs & increase staff to alleviate work on servers read more

What to say about New Deck? I may have been here more than anywhere else in Philly, but I don't have that much to say recently. It's one of those ubiquitous Philly Irish pubs. It's right in University City. It does Quizzo twice a week. I don't drink beer, but people seem to appreciate what they have on tap, and they make a decent frozen mudslide (I've had my share of sips from other people's drinks... tend to be the D.D.) One useful thing for me is that New Deck can go on my chicken quesadilla ranking list. It ranks... decent. Seriously. It comes with the sour cream, which makes me happy. It also comes with a sliced pepper (though I thought it was an olive), with each slice individually hand-placed on each triangular quesadilla segment. This gives me the opportunity to individually hand remove each slice and reconstruct the pepper. The dish is totally acceptable. I also sometimes get the rather adequate burger. This place can get crowded on weekends, and is often filled with undergrads, which... well, I'll let you who you are decide the appeal of that. Service is mixed. Sometimes, fine, but recently... ok, shaved-head guy from Penn State... I understand you were into the Flyer's game. But forgetting our appetizer, never checking on our meals, and seeming baffled by our request for silverware... this is not the way to earn a good tip. Also, I'm confused about your practice of clearing the table by removing one plate, disappearing for 10 minutes at a time, coming back to pick up and then put down plates, finally removing another one, and repeat... we really would have just liked the check. Another quirk... Baileys was on the menu. I often enjoy a little Bailey's or Bailey's & milk on ice at home, so I figured I'd order it. I was brought a shot glass of Bailey's with an ice cube in it. Um... shots are nice and all that, but usually when something is placed on the drink menu, it is assumed it is an actual, you know, drink. Enough random kvetching I suppose. Probably just because I've been here a lot. It's laid back, serves food late, and I love having an activity at a bar. You want a place to meet friends and grab a bite and a drink at night in University City, this is on the top of my list of places to go. read more

Man, I hate to update my first ROTD, but after going back to New Deck for some post exam burgers and beers, it must be done. I realize my first mistake was not beginning the food portion of the program on a heavily intoxicated stomach, but still... my burger the last time I went. So bad. So so bad. So so very bad. Patty like a hockey puck. Bun like a cardboard pouf. One of my dining companions commented that her burger may have been the worst burger she'd ever gotten. Not good, New Deck, not good. I know the food is sort of just a tool to sop up the booze, but still. I need to want to eat the food at least a little if it's going to do its job. Note to the kitchen: time for a new beef supplier and/or a new grill person. read more

Most people go to New Deck to drink; I go to New Deck to eat. They have some of the best burgers I have tasted in my life, and I don't even like hamburgers that much. The bacon cheeseburger is a favorite. Another plus, their fries are perfect. I hate when fries are either not crispy at all or are crispy but meaty on the inside. New Deck has perfected the art of fry making. When school is in session, New Deck is always crowded with University of Pennsylvania students, so if you don't like the preppy atmosphere, you might not want to go during the busy times. But I have no complaints so far! read more

This place is not bad for a casual day/night of drinking. New Deck was the first place I went after I turned 21 (so many years ago), and their deals were pretty good - $2 pints and half-price apps, I think it was. The deals have since switched up a bit but I still like coming here. I was here yesterday for the game (go Eagles!) and I had a pretty good experience. Our server made sure to seat us where we could get a good view of the screen. The gameday specials are really good - $2 Miller Lite during Sunday NFL games, $2 Bud/Bud Light and wings specials during Eagles games. They also have Phillies specials. The food we ordered was just alright - curry fries (good flavor, not so good texture), wings (eh), and my friend had the baked potato soup which I've always been a fan of. In the past, I've ordered the chicken parm and it wasn't that great; marinara sauce was pretty watery. I'm still a fan of this place even if the food isn't outstanding. The drink specials are usually really good and it's a great place to just hang out with your buddies. read more

This is a solid place for happy hour. Beers are cheap, and of course there are the awesome fries. You'd be a fool NOT to get them during happy hour! Awesome fries = cheesy, bacony goodness. They do a good job with them. The rest of the apps are OK too, but don't compare. The veggie spring rolls are just alright... the sauce is pretty sweet. But for the price - 4 apps cost less than $20 during happy hour. I also like that this place doesn't have an overwhelming undergrad feel. I would give this place 4 stars especially given their awesome fries, but I haven't always had the best service here. I'm not sure if the servers get overwhelmed during happy hour or something. Either way, I'll probably take my chances and be back again because cheap awesome fries are just...well, awesome. read more

This was my watering hole of choice while in college. Enjoy the complimentary roasted peanuts while you sip a guiness. The menu is pretty decent as well, but very potato heavy. I wonder why? Potatos are not native to Ireland or Europe, fyi. But yeah good grubs, nice clean pub atmosphere. HALF PRICE FOOD AFTER 11!!!!! read more

New Deck remained a UCity staple for me until my final Philly days. The place is always dependable for a good burger, fries and draft beer. Plus those peanuts you get while waiting for a table--delicious, although it does turn New Deck into a peanut allergy sufferer's nightmare come to life. Decor is a tavern, and ambiance is fitting. Noisy, busy, dim and almost intimate. Claims to be the home of Quizzo (here, every Monday and Wednesday night at 10pm), but I'm sure there's controversy about this. It's always fun, but don't expect to ever win. Not only are there those high school quiz bowl nerds that come here to relive their "glory" days, but with iPhones sprouting like alfalfa sprouts, cheaters abound. Come to New Deck to spend happy hour and eat good burgers with friends, especially if you're in the University City area. read more

I have been here a bunch of times but mostly just for quizzos and an occasional happy hour now and then. This apparently is the birthplace of the quizzo in phila, and plays mostly to packed crowds on Monday and Wednesday nights at 10pm. There is a buy-in of a dollar per person, but don't fret too much about that cos the quiz is pretty swanky with 4 rounds with a picture round. This place does get crowded during quizzo hours so try and get there a bit early. They also have Happy hours and half off meals after 11 pm which might help drown the misery of your defeat. Food is below par at best but the service ain't bad,so i suggest that u rather grab some free roasted peanuts at the entrance and enjoy some black and tans to leave as a happy camper. So riddle me this , riddle me that , if u are not afraid of big black bat ... drop by sometime and scratch ur brains over some pints of beer. cheers read more

This is a good middle-of-the-road place that nobody will say they hate going to when you have to bring a bunch of people out. The food is adequate but nothing to write home about...unless you suck at writing home- "Dear Mom, I had an unexceptional sandwich at New Deck. Love, Your Son." read more

Pricing isn't bad, food is average. Staff is borderline abrasive, rude and unhelpful. The guy manning the front door (checks IDs and sometimes manage seating) does a good job of consistently making it a sour experience. Whether it's his abrasive comments, general unwillingness to help, or his constant scowl, I question why I come here each time. He seems generally disinterested in providing any level of customer service. They have live bands on Friday nights, bands are decent and very accomodating. However they are turned up loud enough for the whole tavern to hear them and yet the wait staff will put you right next to their speakers so that you can't even hear yourself think. Servers generally are nice but I have come across some that were not happy serving large groups. Location is great and it seems that they get enough foot traffic in the area that bad reviews don't do much to change things which is sad because there is so much potential. Food is very average but that's easily fixable. Attitudes and etiquette are hard to change if there isn't a demand for it. If you want to feel like a paying customer...I would avoid this place until they fix things with their wait staff. read more

By special request - here's my review. Standard Irish pub with solid food, great for a quick hiatus from Penn. It's never too busy and service is never lagging, it's just a good place all around. I've had their turkey burger several times here because it's thick, flavorful and nicely zesty. Their french fries are excellent - they rival BK fries in my book. Although I haven't ordered non-lunch fare here, their entrees look well prepared and plentiful. This is also very close to my "workplace" so it's a great place to lunch with "colleagues" and "higher ups." It's so close to the "workplace" that if the "higher up" you are lunching with turns out to be an awkward mess, you don't have to walk very far with them back to the "workplace". P.S. Don't go here on the weekend - probably worst service EVER. But because I enjoy the weekdays, I'm leaving the stars as is. read more

I've been here for lunch, dinner, and drinking, and all three are great. New Deck can get very busy during the school year, but when Penn is out it's nice and cozy, and easy to find a table for dinner or a seat at the bar. Certain nights are better than others, especially if you don't like loud music or Karaoke. The food is a little more than some other restaurants in the area but that's ok because it's good and the place is nice. If you order your food after 11PM when it is all half-off you will save lots. They have a good complete bar, with friendly and well-informed bartenders. The waitresses (It's probably not an accident that the wait staff is composed almost entirely of attractive females) aren't always quite as knowledgeable, one of them took a while to realize the "Chocolate martini" was in fact right on the menu, and another one didn't know that a "Slow, comfortable screw" was a drink, leading to much awkwardness when my friend requested one. But other than that they're pretty fast, and friendly. There are several bars in the area but New Deck is definitely the best one. read more