My husband and I went to The Social for the first time Saturday. It was about 2:30 pm. Place wasn't crowded, several people around the bar and a couple of tables with couples. Ambiance was nice enough and the music playing was a fantastic mix of classic rock. We both started with soup. My husband with the gumbo with cornbread and me with a daily special mushroom and brisket soup. Both were wonderful. The cornbread is off the hook and the gumbo was so flavorful with a really nice kick. Entrees were the pistachio crusted chicken for my husband. Crispy on the outside, juicy inside with crabmeat on top, served with garlicky mashed potatoes and some veggies. I had the shrimp and grits which is a go to item for me and they out did themselves. Shrimp was perfectly cooked and the grits were delicious with Tasso ham; just the right bite with some spice. Service was pleasant if a little slow but the food and music more than made up for it. Overall a great experience. We will definitely be back!! read more

The Social Downingtown - Pistachio Fried Chicken and shrimp and grits. - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

We used to love the Social but it has gone significantly downhill. Wanting to give it one last chance we ordered takeout early on a Saturday evening. The hostess was kind and she took the order, read it back and said it would be ready in 15 minutes. My husband ran to grab it, said it was quite still but the food was ready when he got there, that's where the good of the experience ends. My husband ordered a burger and fries, but the burger only had the bottom half of the bun. I ordered the south by south west chicken on a salad. The chicken was pure rubber and he single worst textured chicken I had ever had. I've had this dish here before and it has been excellent so this was a real letdown. They also didn't include the toppings for the south by south west is it was just a chicken breast on a salad. We also ordered a side of fries for our kids which we just absent from the order. Checking the receipt all the ordered items were detailed correctly so it seems the kitchen has lost some of its attention to detail. It's very unlikely we will visit this establishment again unfortunately. read more

We used to love this place, but it went downhill. Not sure if there's new ownership or management, but there's no customer service. The food is mediocre at best. Service is slow. The west Chester location is still really good! So, go there if you're wanting your usual social experience. read more

We stopped in here after many a drive by. We are always on the hunt for a good chicken and waffles and here we found a tasty one. The chicken was nicely crispy and moist and it appeared to be two boneless thigh pieces. The waffle was thin and light and eggy almost like a brioche dough. The syrup was a cholula maple which was all over. I would have preferred a side of it to put it exactly where I wanted it. I say that because there was also a side of potatoes and two slices of bacon on the plate, both which were good but didn't bring anything to the plate. I would have preferred a bit more waffle and maybe a bacon crumble. My dining partner ordered the Nashville hot chicken sandwich which was absent of any heat. It was well prepared, just not what was ordered. Service was pleasant and efficient. read more

The Social Downingtown - Beer list - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

See all

We came in on a Sunday to meet friends and were quickly reminded how bad service can ruin an experience. The bartender, Lily, was consistently unprofessional. Our friends already had drinks when we sat down. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty, it took over a minute to be acknowledged so we could order. After our friends ordered food, Lily returned about five minutes later and took our order, which we assumed would come out with theirs. Their food arrived almost immediately. Lily checked on them and walked away. Five minutes later, she returned and asked if we wanted to order, then told us, "No you didn't," when we explained we already had. Our friends confirmed that we did. After waiting another ten minutes--with empty drinks and no food while she chatted with another table--we walked over to cancel our order and leave. Her response was rude and dismissive, with no apology or accountability. This has happened on previous visits as well. We won't be back, and I suggest spending your money somewhere customers are treated with basic respect. read more

Downingtown has see a real advancement in top rated restaurants. The Social is a shingling star - Cajun inspired dishes..from their blackened scallops to Pistachio-crusted fried chicken that you can cut with a fork. Their jambalaya is Bourbon Street worthy. Great staff and relaxed decor. You will not be disappointed! read more

Food was great, but the Bartender was inattentive and just ignored us on several occasions. Maybe she was having a bad night but it was a real turnoff and made for a bad experience. read more

Have been hearing how great this place is for a while, and here we are... My entree was the Shrimp & Grits with a Fried Green Tomato. The shrimp were well cooked, if not a bit over. The grits were just okay. The tomato begged for more. My companion had the Salmon Imperial with mashed potatoes. The mashed were tremendous, creamy but yet with some texture from the skins, and well seasoned. She devoured the salmon and crabcakes that was on top. A friend had a cheddar burger and while I don't much trust his foodie cred, he raved about it. And his fries were incredible (for fries). His companion had a salad with pistachio crusted chicken. That's all I'll say about that... The place had sort of a sports bar vibe with a long meandering bar and an outside patio they call a beer garden. The night we were there they had an ongoing trivia game and it was fun. All in all a pleasant evening and decent food, and excellent service, but it didn't live up to the hype. As usual, I'll revisit to validate my review. read more

Food was great. Service was terrible. We went tonight to celebrate a friend's birthday. When we ordered at the bar we were instantly questioned "are you at the bar?" I mean, we were literally sitting at the bar eating and drinking. I felt very attacked. We were literally sitting there ordering food snd drinks at the bar made to feel like we didn't belong. Definitely not the way we wanted to start our birthday celebration. read more

Went here with my girlfriend for a little celebration as she has been here before. So glad we did go! It's a very chill setting for sure. Dimmer lighting which is actually pretty nice! Great food, drinks and service! Definitely trying to go back. Their crab fries are a must ! It does get pretty busy here depending on the day and time you go so keep that in mind. read more

We came at 1 pm (Sunday), not a lot of people. Atmosphere was nice. Service was great. I got the chicken & waffles (it came with mashed potatoes & bacon). It was so delicious, savory, sweet, and flavorful! Portions were plentiful. 10/10. My partner got the New Orleans hot chicken sandwich. He said it was pretty good, but it's not hot at all and the chicken didn't have too much flavor. Everything else was flavorful & portions were plentiful (2 chicken breasts in the sandwich). 7.5/10. Highly recommend! :) read more

My husband and I have eaten here a couple of times and we both liked the food. The problem is the ambience. Both times we visited the whole indoor seating area reeked of disinfectant. Smell is closely tied to taste so it's bizarre that a restaurant would allow such a strong non-food odor to pervade its dining area. I saw an earlier review that mentioned this smell too. There is an outdoor eating area that is good for when it's warm, but that area is very bare bones. It's not an appealing space. But it was hard to enjoy my meal in the main dining room when it smelled like a janitorial supply closet. read more

Called from 20 minutes away at 9:15 to check how long they serve food. They said till 10:00 p.m. and told us to come in. We got there and exactly 20 minutes and when we did they clean their kitchen was already cleaned and wouldn't even serve us soup read more

Really good food! Everything we had was great. Highly recommend the goat cheese stuffed wings and the pistachio fried chicken entree. Great fries! Such a cute and cozy place. The staff is very friendly. If you haven't been, check it out! read more

Food was very good,service was excellent. They did not rush us at all , My grandchildren took me there for brunch,we had a great time. read more

We love The Social in West Chester so we assumed the Downingtown location would be very similar if not the same. We were very disappointed. When you walk in, the smell is overwhelming. It's the bathroom air freshener/chemicals leaking into the dining area. The bathroom itself was very dirty and again smelled very strongly of air freshener chemicals. The walls next to our table were dirty. The food was bland. The wings and spicy chicken sandwich had no flavor. The blue cheese had an one inch film on it that was either an expired product or foreign material that did not belong. The quesadilla was fine. The kids meals were also fine. Overall, disappointing. read more

I have been to The Social a number of times and always been wowed. When my daughter recently took me there for my birthday lunch, I was a little underwhelmed. As usual, the appetizer was great. Dessert, bread pudding, was very good. But the entrees - the chicken and waffles, and meatloaf - did not have the quality and pizzazz I have come to expect from The Social. They couldn't have been prepared by the same person as earlier visits, and the presentation was not special. Did the restaurant change hands? The chicken was edible but somewhat dry. The meatloaf had an unexpectedly spongy texture. I hope this was a one-off and I will go again to give it another try. But I just can't give 5 stars. For now, a 4, because the appetizer met my expectations. read more

The Social Downingtown - Chicken and waffles, Meatloaf. - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Pistachio crusted chicken with raspberry cream sauce was fantastic. And the pierogies in cajun butter is one of the best things I have ever eaten in my 54 yr old life -- handmade, tender, yum. read more

A nice relaxing night out at a local spot. The food is always very good and the atmosphere is laid back, but not boring. We have been here several times and the service has always been good. read more

Great food , and fast service ! Friendly staff as well. Was a little loud at times but other than that a great time.

Waiter was excellent! Had blackened scallops for appetizer for two and was delicious. Ordered entree pistachio fried chicken with crab on top, mashed potatoes and broccoli and zucchini vegetables. Large portion 2 breast, plenty to take home. Friend had ribs, cornbread and coleslaw, said it was good and again very large portion. Was a quiet Sunday evening and we had 6pm reservation. Will go back again for sure! read more

I rarely give 5 stars to a place where I've only visited once. The Social had to be the exception. Easy to find on the main road through Downtington with plenty of parking. We started with generous pours of wine and beer. I'd seen the scallops and mashed potatoes online, so knew I would try that. Donna went with the jambalaya salad. Both were stellar. I eat scallops a lot and I've never had better. We admire menus that go beyond "Chicken this and shrimp that." Jambalya salad filled that bill just fine. I have been ordered to steal their recipe and make that at home. We split the giant bowl of Bananas Foster, and it was perfect for 2. Service was great. Ambience was easygoing. Nothing not to love here. Except that it is 125 miles from our house. read more

See all

Very very good food. Extremely happy that we found this place. Cool ambience, good food, good drinks. We had the Citrus Crush. The food suits multiple dietary preferences and the server Ty was friendly and fast. We went right at open and will definitely be back read more

The Social Downingtown - Pork Roll Taco - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

See all

Great food and service. Always able to grab a table or seat at the bar without a wait.

Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. The wings, the pierogies the salad. Looking forward to going back

This place is absolutely excellent! We had the nachos and the pistachio crusted chicken tenders. Both were out of this world, and they make this raspberry cream sauce to go with the chicken tenders that was perfect. Also a really nice selection of drinks. Drinks are extra pricey, that's the one down side. But overall, very very good read more

The Social Downingtown - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Not usually a reviewer, but had a pretty poor experience tonight and wanted to share. I've been in the restuarant industry as a server, bartender, manager, so I get it, but our service and food was terrible tonight. The waiter (A larger guy with glasses, i think the check said "Big Ty B", but he never really said so i dont know) was extremely inattentive and forgetful. I ordered the simplest burger, medium with cheese and bacon. Came out with no cheese of all things, so i sent it back because that's gross. He took it away and brought it back like 5 minutes later (felt like a while) and all they did was blow torch some cheese on top. So now the fries were cold, and the inside of the burger was super well done, because, it was the same plate that traveled around the restaurant and back. My girlfriends mashed potatoes were also cold from the minute they were brought out. She didnt complain, and i just ate what was a gross dry burger with cold fries because i was hungry. Dessert comes around, and its actually the only reason we came. So we say, hey we're "ABSOLUTELY" interested in dessert. My dad pretty much yelled it. I say this because it's pretty obvious and memorable the way he said it. So we wait, and wait, and then he just brings us the check out of nowhere. So we have to be like "whoa dude we want dessert and esspresso martinis". Which he then grabs a menu for us to look at and leaves for another 10 minutes. He continues to do this all night, walks away when we need a box or something and we have to ask twice. My dad loved the bread pudding last time he was here and wanted it again tonight. Well he orders a side of ice cream because it goes with the hot bread pudding well, and they're out of ice cream. Seems like an easy thing to stock up on before the night starts, but sure. Then both bread puddings we ordered were extremely cold. Like neither had been heated up at all and were tossed on the plate from the fridge. My mom and girlfriend got ESPRESSO martinis. Which they noticed tasted just like coffee when they got them, and low and behold the check said coffee vodka martini, which is not what they ordered. So finally we're annoyed and done with everything so we're just waiting for the check, and he walks by multiple times looking at us sitting there and saying nothing. So i basically had to yell after him "can we get the check". All this to say we felt like an afterthought for this dude the whole night, which is weird because a $164 check is pretty high, we had drinks apps desserts the whole 9. And half the food was cold for us too! Didnt offer any sort of comp or anything for the burger, just acted like nothing happened. And the bread pudding was trash this time straight frozen. You gotta get rid of that server and some of those guys in the kitchen. That was an awful experience and we for sure wont be back. Theres like 30 other really good food places in downingtown, you could pick any one of them and you'll have a much better experience than this place. Picture of the bread pudding just to prove this happened or something read more

The Social Downingtown - Ice cold bread pudding. Looks good, wasnt that appetizing. - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Have been here twice while in town. Was so good night #1 and had to come back night #2 with friends! AMAZING food!!! The seafood jambalaya pasta, Cajun perogies, pistachio chicken, and mahi all had complex yet perfect flavor blends. Portions are generous. This one is a can't miss. A bit loud in the open dining space, but worth it. read more

Placed an order with the server along with my daughters order, and my food never came. And when I mentioned it, no one offered to quickly make something, take anything off of my bill, very non chalant about completely ignoring the fact that I told the server my order and didn't get any food. read more

I had one of the best appetizers in my entire life here. It was the goat cheese infused bacon wrapped wings. They were huge and tasty, with some tangy sauce. Coming from someone who both a wing and goat cheese fanatic, those were among my favorites. My wife got the loaded nachos which were good and a massive portion. It was great catching up with an old friend here. The only downfall is that it was quite pricey. But other than that, I look forward to returning. read more

The Social Downingtown - Goat cheese infused bacon wrapped wings - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

See all

this was our second visit and our second choice for the night, but due to staffing shortages we opted to not stay. the bartender was very upfront about staffing noting that the menu was relegated to the fryer and the grill. The menu is much more varied and has several dishes that were not available. so we opted to leave and come back another time. we moved on to the station taproom. read more

Staff very efficient and informative. Food well done, tasty and varied. We will be back again.

Delicious, fresh, and tasty food! We had the All American Burger, and the Blackened Salmon. Will definitely be back to try other dishes! Service was great as well. read more

The Social Downingtown - All American Burger - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

See all

We just ate here for dinner and the food and service was phenomenal! We got the nola fries as an appetizer which was a very large portion. For our main courses we got the pistachio fried chicken and the chicken and waffles. Both very good and big portions as well! Highly recommend this place read more

The Social Downingtown - Nola fries - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

See all

Cute place, great cocktails. Unhappy with parking until I realized there was a a patio and extra parking in the back. read more

The Social Downingtown - Outside patio behind the building - Southern Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

This place is an anomaly. It has a great bar area, but no one sits there. If they did, they'd have a very unimpressive experience. The food here is good, and pretty consistent. The service is what holds this place back. No personality, no interaction, it just feels so sterile. I've been here quite a few times and I do think the kitchen is sending out good food, but if you're looking to hang and have a good time The Social misses constantly. read more

Great food (except desserts) but smaller menu than the West Chester location. Service was very slow. Took too long to take a drink order, had to ask for additional drinks during dinner. Had to flag down someone find our waiter to get our check. read more

We had high hopes for this place, and the menu looks great. However, we went and were seated after a 30 minute wait, and then after we were seated the waiter didn't get to us for 25 minutes. During our wait the receptionists took pity on us and actually came over to welcome us and get us started with water and explained that our waiter was kind of chatty. Our waiter (maybe there was only him) just seemed terribly disorganized. When he did show up he kind of stressed us out. The apologies seemed hollow and rushed. The food was OK. I ordered a salad and jambalaya and they were good. My wife ordered a crab cake sandwich. She wouldn't order it again....I think their recipe is too fussy. Anyway, we were at our table for 90 minutes before we got our check. Will we try again? One-more-time. There are other places in town that do a better job of making our time and money worth while and for us to feel we did something fun/special on a Saturday night. This place totally missed the mark. The place has huge potential. I hope the folks who lead this place get a handle on it and make it a success. read more

Parking was a little tricky, they have spots in front but it was easier to park in back but then had to walk around to the front. The decor inside was modern and clean. They were lacking a host stand, something they should add asap, it created confusion on where to go and it seemed people picking up takeout had the same issue. Food and server were excellent. Not too many places in the area have authentic New Orleans style creole food but this place hit the mark with its Gumbo, Jambalaya and Po Boy options. We would return for all these items! read more

See all

We fully enjoyed our experience at The Social Downingtown. Nice environment for couples, friends and families. The service was friendly and efficient. They all seem to help each other out which helps you feel like you are not forgotten. The meal was the real story though. We ordered the pirogies and garlic hummus for appetizers. The hummus had whole pieces of roasted garlic with plenty of things to dip in it. It was the perfect amount for the veggies and bread and chips. The pirogies were AMAZING! So flavorful. I would definitely recommend this appetizer. The main course did not disappoint. We ordered the crawfish jambalaya and the blackened salmon. Both were so full of flavor. The salmon was perfectly cooked. We will definitely return! read more