I've heard the World Café Live broadcasts on NPR, and I enjoyed my visit to see a band in the spacious downstairs area during my visit to Philadelphia. Bought my ticket upon arrival and the acoustic room on entrance level seemed nice and intimate. The guy sounded great too. The downstairs area is a nice size room for an Almost Famous up and coming band, and the sound is amazing. I saw Ohioans "Red Wanting Blue" there, and fans of the band got an intimate show while still having the capability of a big room sound. Good selection of craft and local brews, and it was nice to meet the band outside the room after the show. read more

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One of Philly's smaller concert venues. There's the smaller upstairs stage and then downstairs stage for bigger crowds. Will call for picking up your tickets is super easy and quick. I love that the place is CLEAN. Maybe I'm getting old, BUT sticky floors and leftover weed smell at venue just isn't my jam (hah...). Staff is super friendly and helpful, bartenders are friendly and they host great artists. Definitely a good place to catch a gig! read more

World Cafe Live - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What a fun, relaxed venue! I was here on Sunday night for the Matt Wertz/Elenowen show -- spurred by a last minute invite by my cousin who is Matt Wertz-obsessed -- and had a blast. In the past, every show I've been to has been a squish-fest of sweaty bodies and loud, screaming music. This was a nice change of pace. (Though, I must admit, I sure do love those squish-fests.) Anyway - I didn't try the food, so I can't vouch for that, but the bar looked comfortable, the bathrooms were clean enough, and the parking situation was a-okay. Ticket prices were also reasonable, and nabbing a spot in the front row was a huge plus. It was definitely worth it to stay up past my workweek bedtime to spend a few hours here! read more

World Cafe Live - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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My husband and I attended the Soulful Valentines Day here. It was by far one of our best experiences. We've lived in the city our entire lives and only just visited this establishment and it did not disappoint. The artist Jay Turner and Side by Sol was amazing. And the food....... I would return for the food alone. It was a great experience. I look forward to attending another live show in the lounge. It's a nice intimate space for a date night or a chill night out with friends. read more

Three stars for the food and cocktails. As a music venue the World Cafe Live is excellent. The seafaring is comfortable and the sound is good. The food options are limited and average. The "upsell" eggplant fries are a good choice. The cocktails are inconsistent. read more

Very cute venue. I came here to see Simply Three and had such a blast. We were at the upstairs portion. Host was extremely nice and seated us right away (and without reservations too), service was fast, and my dessert was pretty good (I had the chocolate lava cake - moist and rich). I loved the close intimate vibe the upstairs gave. It was small, but not too small. The sound quality seemed great. Can't wait to see what other bands come through here. I will certainly check it out again. read more

World Cafe Live is an awesome music venue located in University City. The sound quality is excellent and the artists who play here are all unique. Because of their partnership with the radio station WXPN, the musical acts are held to a certain caliber and perhaps not as well known to the masses. All shows are general admission and buying tickets in person will save you in fees although their tickets seem to be fairly reasonably priced, comparatively speaking. If you're an XPN member for around $4-$6 a month you'll save even more on tickets! I've attended many shows here upstairs which is longer, more narrow space, and where they hold the radio station's weekly 'Free at Noon' broadcast. If you're not familiar with this, they offer a limited number of FREE tickets to various performances that are broadcasted live from the venue almost every Friday at noon. Tickets are available on the website. These shows are awesome and again....FREE! I've also attended many shows and kids' dancing events downstairs which is a much larger space with a wide stage, a handicap accessible section, a balcony, and has a large bar at the back. Tasty bites, pretty great brews (bottles and drafts) and cocktails are available during shows. More reasonably priced than most bigger name venues too. Although this space is larger than upstairs it's still very intimate and a truly great place to see a show! Shorter folks get there early for a spot upfront. Many neat murals line in the walls in this more artsy venue. Overall the space including the restrooms are very clean and very well maintained. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Lot parking prices are remarkably lower than most in the city, but I personally usually Uber it here. WCL is also easy to get to via public transportation. They also host wedding, Bat/Bar-Mitzvahs and other events here, but the cost is pretty pricey. If you have a chance to see a show here...GO! It's a refreshing music scene experience. read more

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Not a pleasant experience. I went for a show in the Downstairs Live "Cafe." Bar reeked of vomit, and it wasn't even 8:30pm, at the beginning of a show. Another patron remarked on the smell, unprompted. There was an advertised food menu that seemed very appetizing and catered to vegetarians, vegans; and gluten-free people, but when I tried to order I was informed the kitchen closed at 9:15pm (no where was this posted). It was only 9:01pm when I tried to order. Unacceptable. Also, what kitchen closes at 9:15pm on a Saturday night with two live concerts happening? Bar staff was rude both in my experience to order drinks (the woman was curt and dismissive of me) and in trying to order food (a different woman- she was dismissive and unhelpful. She shrugged her shoulders and said oh well). The photo of the beer was the only pleasant thing, the success of which cannot be attributed to this business. Beer was overpriced. The lighting for the rock show was terrible. I was constantly blinded. Other members of the audience quickly looked away from the sporadic, unnecessary blinding lights. What is this lights guy doing?? I was excited for this show beforehand, but all of the above resulted in quite an unpleasant experience. I will not be returning. read more

World Cafe Live - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Teagan is an AMAZING waitress who handled an impressive number of tables the night I was there! I ordered the jambalaya pasta special on their recommendation that it was not on the regular menu and it was good. read more

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Awesome venue! I went early to grab a seat at the bar for some dinner and drinks before the show. The bartender was fabulous and the food was great! The venue was intimate and beautiful! It felt like a really special evening. read more

Probably the most unassuming venue with a really good menu. They only had one server that night and we couldn't tell due to him being so efficient. Whether you're catching or show or just wants some great food, this is an awesome place to go read more

I love this place. I always have a great time. They always bring excellent musicians. Ambiance is lovely.

What a great venue! sound was great, it felt like there was enough room, and food at the lounge was pretty tasty. My only complaint is getting a drink during the show- so many people sitting at the bar and there's not really anywhere to go and order without feeling in the way. read more

World Cafe Live - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Notes: This review is only for the upstairs space only and it's worth noting that I'm not much of a local venue show person, so proceed with caution. World Cafe Live offers an intriguing Happy Hour in an odd location (31st and Walnut) for those looking to grab a bite before a show or even on their commute home. However, I was surprised by the food, the (somewhat local*) beer and the experience. I don't think I'll seek out a return, but I wouldn't rule it out either. My experience was meeting an old (and older) co-worker and his wife for a show. Specifically because his son was performing and my ex-coworker (from Jersey) wanted to grab a beer while he was in the City. I was in the area for some other business that didn't end until about 5:30 and the show was at 7, so I decided that with a Happy Hour special, I'd just come in early. I was pleasantly surprised! Pros: I noted on here that a number of reviews that the service was suspect. I did not find a problem. My bartender was attentive and friendly, refilling my beer and water as needed and moving quickly with orders and food service. The food was surprisingly stellar. Since I needed dinner, I ventured off the simplistic happy hour menu and went for a Curry Chicken Sandwich and fries. It was terrific. The Curry chicken was a flavorful yellow curry, that had just the right amount of sauciness to be moist without turning into a mess. And the naan bread/roll it was served on was soft and warm and 100% enjoyable. I can't imagine they bake it on premises, but whatever they do is terrific for me. I would eat again! The fries were about average. The seating and arrangements were comfortable and welcoming. I did not have trouble finding a seat and getting a decent view or hearing the show. During the show, I found the experience to be comfortable with an appropriate sound level without being overpoweringly loud and annoying. I'd return here again for a show I am interested in. Cons: Prices were somewhere between a normal bar/restaurant price and venue price. I don't think that's really a con, but if you're here for a bar experience (uh, weird), it's a little pricey. But if you're here for a show, it's not too bad. The Happy Hour was competitive to the area though. There was a weird hitch in my bill where one of my beers wasn't priced from the happy hour, but another beer was missing. I assume this was intentional, so all-in-all, fair overall. Service seemed to go down a bit during the shows - I'm not sure if it was hard to flag folks down, hard to communicate or they simply stop serving during sets, but my beers started running dry once the music started and the bartender was harder to grab (one serving many in that case). Other notes: The crowds were a very odd mix of older folks, scene folks and, I guess, people like me. Again, that's probably not a con. Most (all) of the local beers* were Goose Island, which is not local in the sense that they're a Chicago based brewery, but local in the sense that they have a second taphouse/brewery in Fishtown (or No Libs, I forget) and thus brew local-only beers there (such as a few for the Phillies and one, the WCL Ale or something, for WCL). It's worth noting that the beers, especially the WCL special, was quite good. Conclusion: WCL is a fine place for a happy hour (if you're in the area) or to see a more intimate show. The prices are competitive if a mix between venue and bar. The Curry Chicken sandwich was a surprisingly good meal. I would return if the opportunity presented itself. read more

So my husband and I hosted one of our business events here this summer. Spent about $20,000 and had about 300 attendees. It was a very successful event that we were considering hosting here again next summer. We enjoyed the food and overall it seemed to be a nice place. Fast forward to today we decided to make reservations for our date night. We had appetizers, dinner, and dessert. While waiting on our waiter to come back so we could get our check a lady approached us at our table asking if we were staying for the show. I realized she was one of the employees that was at the door when we came in, We said no and she was like yeah because I was gonna tell you you have to buy tickets or we would kinda have to kick you out. I was actually appalled because ummm eww! That's how you approach your patrons. Wouldn't it be more tactful to approach their waiter and get updated on if they were waiting on their check or paid already then let the waiter take it from there to just update the patron. This was extremely tacky, weird and unnecessary. We can't leave with out paying the check and we can't get the check with out being given it from the waiter so therefore there was no reason to interrupt our positive vibe with such negative foolishness. This really left a bad taste in our mouth. read more

I was here for a concert last week, and it's a cool little spot. Smaller venues are always nice, although they do usually mean (including here) a whole bunch of people packed in a squirming together like zombies toward the stage. Everything was really organized, and we were able to order take out from upstairs and bring it down (the pulled pork took less than ten minutes total). I'd definitely come back for another show but try to get the balcony! read more

In one word, AMAZING. World Cafe Live was great. I would recommend getting a reservation because you get your food faster then other people when you get one. read more

I'll give the band 5 stars. Went to the Bowie tribute. All good. My advice to you is, don't go hungry. My 3rd time there. I witnessed people waste chicken. Last trip, couldn't even get decent french fries. They were fried 2x's and came to the table cold. My friend ordered a cocktail. It was overwhelmingly ginger...$11.00. So, save your $$. Eat before you go. read more

I've been back to the World Café Live a few times since my last review and really need to reevaluate my stance. Of course your experience will have something to do with the concert you are seeing. During my visit a year ago the acoustics sucked and that impacted my experience. The acoustics were fantastic and I loved every moment of the Ben Folds show I saw yesterday; no doubt that played a role in my experience. It's hard to give a 5 star review to a place where your experiences can vary so greatly. However, looking at the venue as a whole, I think they are 5 star worthy. Here's why: 1) The venue is intimate. Both the upstairs and downstairs stages will put you right up with the action. 2) The ticket prices are reasonable- especially compared with some of the competitive venues in Philly. 3) The beer selection is killer. I know that's not why you go to a concert, but it's totally a plus. If the Susquehanna Bank Center served Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA, maybe I'd go back more. (Nah, who are we fooling.) 4) The venue is easily accessible by public transportation, plus the parking options are pretty decent. I found street parking near the venue for $2.50 for the whole evening. 5) The artists are wicked talented. Of course this is always varying, but I feel they pull in top notch artists. They might not always be the most mainstream or well-known, but don't ever doubt that you'll see a good show. 6) There are dining options at most times. The upstairs area is a restaurant that is on Opentable, has happy hour and live music. In the downstairs area, you are able to order food during most shows. I haven't tried the food, but I feel it's much better than a stadium style hotdog. Keeping in mind that each experience will be different, I will take the positives this venue has to offer, and will look forward to seeing shows at the World Café Live. read more

I've caught a couple of shows here (Rachael Yamagata and, holy crap, Martin Sexton), as well as an open mic here or there. Also, story slams! First Person Arts regularly runs story slams here that range from hilarious to thought-provoking, hitting every medium in between. So, it's obvious then that I can say, with complete certainty, that I really like this place. Both the upstairs and the downstairs can be configured in various ways to comfortably accommodate smaller, intimate crowds to larger more boisterous ones. Also, the place just looks nice. They even have coat racks - beware though, it's run totally on the honor system. I've never had anything stolen, but it might be a good idea to hold onto your wallet, keys and phone. The food I've had has been satisfying - nothing to write home about, but then, how can I really focus on that when I have a beer in hand and kickass gigs to watch? The bottle and draft list are respectable, as well as the cocktails. Prices are run of the mill for any joint in Philly. This is a great thing if you think about it - if you tried to get any respectable drink at a larger concert venue, you'd pay at least double. Thanks, World Cafe, for keepin' it real. This place is perfect for dates, plain old hanging out, and drankin'. That makes it one of my top spots in Philly. Again, can't believe I hadn't reviewed it until now. Pro-tip: Check out some of their less headliney events, like their story slam and open mics. Some really great things pass through this place that can otherwise go unnoticed. Throw a dart at the calendar and I can almost guarantee that you won't be disappointed in what you end up with. read more

I had a show I was dying to see (Robert Schwartzman) at World Cafe Live, but the venue itself was really bizarre. I purchased tickets for the show online through the World Cafe Live website, and there was a weird $2 processing fee which I found unnecessary. Anyway, I entered the venue, gave my printed out ticket to the staff, and proceeded to wait for about 15 minutes while they verified that everything was okay with it, even though I was the only one in line, and it was a real ticket. Weird. My show was in the Upstairs Live section. I was given a seat, which I was not expecting... I wasn't aware you had to order food in order to watch a show here. So I sat at my table alone and my waiter came over to take my order. I felt bad saying I didn't want to order anything, so I ordered eggplant fries, which sounded interesting enough, even though I was incredibly full. My show's starting time got pushed back from 8pm to 9pm, so I had to awkwardly just sit there for an hour, alone. The eggplant fries came, and they were decent--but they were incredibly oily to the point where the oil started, like, making them soggy, so I wasn't able to finish them. I'm disappointed I had to spend $7 on top of my ticket price and processing fee. There was also a full bar with great options, but would have felt bad spending even MORE money on top of everything else. The show itself was great! ...well, only after I decided to move from my awkwardly placed table and go stand up by the stage. Very few people were doing this, so I felt incredibly uncomfortable rocking out to the music by myself, but hey, that's why I came to the show. Everyone else just sat at their tables and bopped their heads to the music--it was very high culture for such an organic rock show, but oh well, I suppose... The one major benefit of World Cafe Live is that the venue is so small that it's totally possible to meet and hang out with the artists after the show--which I luckily got to do! Still, though, overall, the venue is really strangely set up to me and the food I had was mediocre... I'll likely be back if there's ever another show here I'm dying to check out, but I don't think I will be back otherwise. read more

World Cafe Live - Eggplant Fries - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Always happy to support local Art. Supporting anything which you value is Always a good idea. In the case of Art, however, and local Art even more particularly, consistent patronage is required. Noticed I used the word required. It isn't 'suggested', or 'helpful'...it is mandatory. And since I do not own a venue to share with artists, I elect to support the community by frequenting their shows. I've enjoyed shows both 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. The national acts are tremendous, but I also love seeing what homegrown talent we have. At only $10-15 a show (upstairs), one can afford to just go on a whim. Even the shows I didn't particularly care for, left my cohorts and I with a conversation. Ari Hoenig was a real standout, playing a set with a trio that was on a very different level. Kudos. I must critique the sound and staff. First, the objective of sound reinforcement should not be: let's see how loud we can get before it starts to feedback, and then come down a half-click. In an intimate venue like the upstairs, why not adopt this mantra: use as little sound reinforcement as necessary; stage = most of the sound, out front = only to fill in blanks. There is no reason a singer-sonwriter should be deafening. The staff is very good at being apathetic. I always feel like I am a great annoyance when I order a beverage...as if I am really putting the person (who is working in a bar) right out. The eye rolls when I politely order a pint scream, "really dude? you are so lame with your dress shirt, and I'm really an artist, so get your pint yourself aweful-sauce." I don't appreciate that, but... I gladly put up with it, and will award 4 stars for what the venue is, and does. Maybe someone will be nice to me if I wear skinny jeans??? read more

I truly enjoyed my experience at live at the world Café. The doors opened at 6:30 for an 8 o'clock show. We had sold out tickets that were standing room only so we wanted to get there early to secure a spot at the bar which we were pleasantly surprised to be the only ones with that thought. My husband and I shared a perfectly cooked perfectly fine burger with addictive eggplant fries and a plate of jumbo chicken wings. This was not rocket science but, everything was perfectly enjoyable. Their specialty item on the menu was a hot plate of eggplant "fries", I get it I truly enjoyed them... Maybe because I've been dieting and would never let my self eat such a thing, or maybe because they're just plain ridiculously good. Either way I would order them again. Drinks!! I jumped a step above the house wine to a Chardonnay that was dynamic... I don't remember the name but had three glasses of a typical slightly stingy Bar pour. I Did not know the price until the end of the meal and evening. We drank comfortably, ate enough and the bill was under $90. The bartenders and servers had their hands full but served The customers with grace and poise. Live the world café downstairs is a wonderful venue for an intimate night of great music. Even if I don't know the musician next time I might come back just for the ambience and the overall experience of Live music. Tonight we saw Ricky Lee Jones and it was special and The prices were pretty darn good plus there's not a bad seat in the house. read more

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What a great venue! I went there last night for the first time to see Manic Street Preachers and aside from the band being amazing, I have to give a lot of credit to the venue itself for my overall great experience. First of all, parking was free. How cool is that? There's a lot of construction going on in the area, so I was very thankful for the free lot because I think parking would have been hard to come by otherwise. I believe there are a few lots that are free for WCL guests, but we parked in Lot 1 -- at 3201 Walnut -- which is free after 5:30. We had dinner before the show in the cafe upstairs. It was very cool. There was an interesting band playing, the food was good, the staff was polite, and they had some decent happy hour specials. Pretty awesome. When we got downstairs for the show, we were seated at our own private table (we had bought tickets for a table, which were the same price as GA). You're supposed to spend $20 on drinks/food when you have a table seat, but they weren't pushy about it. We actually did spend that amount since we ate upstairs beforehand (which counts), but our waitress didn't know that because we didn't even bother showing her the receipt since she wasn't trying to push food or drinks on us. Some of us stayed at the table during the show and some of us went into the General Admission area...it's cool that they let you do that. The way the venue is set up, you can really see from wherever you are, which was a major plus for me since I'm short and normally have a hard time seeing. It was definitely a venue unlike any other I've ever been to and I will definitely be keeping an eye on their concert calendar from now on. read more

World Cafe Live - Eye level view from table 408 - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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WCL is a great venue for live music. It's a seated and standing room venue with a smaller lounge upstairs where they sometimes have free shows and events, and a larger music hall downstairs with ticketed events. Check their website for show listings. I recently saw Maggie Rose in concert at the music hall and it's an intimate venue with good sight lines everywhere and good acoustics. Ticket prices are reasonable. Please note that as of 9/29/21, WCL is not selling food during shows, so plan to eat before or after the show. They are selling drinks however. One of the best music venues in Philly. read more

World Cafe Live - Maggie Rose - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I went here for the craft beer and grilled cheese tasting on April 18th. We were in the downstairs section. There were tables for 4 or 6 set up throughout the space. The cheeses on the sandwiches were: gruyere, marbier, roquefort, ibores, and boucheron. The beers were: Weyerbacher Blanche, Brewdog 5am Saint, Boulder Beer Hazed and Infused, Mission Brewey Shipwrecked, and Caldera Ginger Beer. I'm not a huge blue cheese fan, but everything was really good, and the portions of food and beer were decently sized for a tasting like this. The waiters did a great job with the timing between courses, and although the sandwiches weren't hot they were warm, which was reasonable given the size of the group. A band called Earthtone started playing during the second course. They were really good, but a little loud for dinner music. Shout out to the team at Phillytapfinder.com who sat at my table! read more

Went to an awesome blues concert here & it was rockin' the house! I think it's so cool that not only do we have a great concert venue in a convenient central location in World Cafe Live, but they have some amazing musicians playing here -- often for free! I was also here for a StorySlam on the ground floor (upstairs) & it seemed confusing & disorganized with inadequate seating. We still had a great time, but World Cafe Live should just figure out their seating issue there. read more

It's not about the food here. Went twice in last week. First time had the Harvest salad which was fine except it was billed as having arugula and had baby spinach instead. I avoid raw spinach because of all this the incidents of E. coli contamination over years. Second time I had the Angus burger. When I told the server he hadn't asked me how I wanted it cooked, he said their default was Medium/medium-well. It came well done. It was okay with ketchup on it. read more

Great for music. Maybe drinks. Not for food. Came here for a company holiday party for the Rising Stars of Philadelphia show. We had reserved all the tables on the side of the venue and I was fairly excited because it was my first time seeing a live show at World Café Live. The menu isn't too expansive but has a little bit of everything. Against my best judgment, I decided to go with the Sea Scallop because it had been a while since I've had them. As soon as we placed our order, the pre-set appetizers started pouring in. The selection was your average fare: hummus and veggies, baked brie, chicken quesadilla, and chips and salsa. Everything as a-ok. Nothing tasted bad but nothing stood out either. With those prices, I'm glad everything was on the boss' tab. Finally the entress came out and to be quite honest I was a little underwhelmed. My three scallops were served on a bed of bean and spinach ragout, which was a weird combination to begin with, but it tasted even weirder. The scallops were overcooked and way too salty. My other friends that also ordered it agreed. Additionally, the ragout was just wrong. The flavors didn't mesh well together and the textures were off. Overall, not a good choice; should've trusted my instincts. On a huge plus side, the show was incredible. The show variety was great, featuring everything from an acoustic duo to a blind pianist to a rapper. The music definitely helped the food go down and I was glad to have been able to hear those artists perform. As a final note: this rating is strictly based off the music components of the venue. Food, while still a factor, is not the primary function of the place and I felt it'd be unfair to give it a bad rating when the performance was amazing (did I mention tickets for that show were free?). Pros: the music Cons: the food Dishes to try: just order a drink and listen read more

World Cafe Live - sea scallops with white bean and spinach ragout - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cool place to catch a set. I was here for the opening of a new band. Drinks and food are okay for a venue that is primarily music driven. Lots of tall boy seating and plenty of standing room. There is a parking garage nearby but I found street parking out front on the bridge. read more

WCL is a pretty tiny venue, so that makes for a good view of whoever you're seeing. The downside of it being so small is that it gets hot quickly and for shows with a big draw they don't generally have seating. When the upstairs is open for food, it's pretty decent. However, last night there was an event upstairs and everything was blocked off. They also didn't have *any* organization for where the Will Call area was. Usually it's upstairs but due to the event they moved it downstairs, and it was clear that they had no idea what they were doing. The line took forever and they literally moved from one place to another while people were waiting for their tickets. It was just very unorganized. If possible, I recommend getting tickets for the mezzanine. The acoustics and views are the best from up there, and they usually have more tables and chairs up there. read more

Went to WLC on a whim and found it to be priced reasonably well! The performance was on time, we were met with great service and sat down to eat. Only short fall was that my burger was very pink/ almost completely pink when i asked for it to be well done. My partner had the same experience. Overall great time. Clean fun. Good drinks. read more

World Cafe Live - Uh huh her performing! - Music Venues Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I do not go there nearly enough. Have seen many bands there, and just before they've blown up - namely, "The Heavy." Crowds are a nice mix of people. Professionals, students, hipsters and tourists. Music is always great, big or small. Good burgers. Awesome staff. Great vibe. University City is becoming a cooler and cooler place to roam about. read more

This venue is spacious and serves excellent food. I give compliments to Laura, who books the music, for providing a diverse calendar of events. I've always enjoyed the shows I see there. It's hard to get even a water at the bar because they seemed to be understaffed, but that could have been situational. read more

I'm still a huge fan of this venue and appreciate that there is a great place to enjoy a place to listen to new or well-known artists with intimate settings. I love that the food menu is usually more than just bar bites. Simply put, I've never had a bad time. read more

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My 1st time at this place and the atmosphere was great. All the artists receive a lot of love from the audience. The drinks could have been stronger. The food was so good, I order fish and grits. Although my 1st order, the fish was not completely done, but the manager was great with his response and getting my food perfect. The staff was great from the security to the host. A great place!!!! read more

I've only been here for Jazz and a few company-related events. There's some food, but I've never arrived early enough to want to eat here, and haven't ever had to order food, only drinks. Mostly here due to the music, Jazz bands to indie rock and local artists, and it was quite interesting to check out the decor (modern renovation from a really old set of offices back in 2003 or thereabouts). read more

I've always wanted to go to a live music cafe, and World Cafe Live definitely delivered. Firstly, the people at the front desk and will call are so nice and friendly! Upstairs: The shows I've seen here have been great. Seating is limited, but there's usually just enough -- you just won't know where you'll be seated. So if you want to have an amazing view, then I would suggest getting here early to on time. The atmosphere is great, and this is one of the only venues in Philly that I'd sit down to see a concert for! I really appreciate the affordable prices that allow for spontaneous dinners and concerts. The service is rude, pushy, and inattentive, but I'm usually there to watch the shows. That being said, the chicken quesadillas are pretty good though! And quite large! Downstairs: I saw a not-as-popular show here, so the layout was a bit awkward as it looks more like a concert venue than upstairs. I hadn't eaten dinner, so I sat near the bar and watched from afar. Between the bar and the stage is a pretty large standing room pit, which seemed empty when I went but can definitely hold a decent number of people for a more popular show. I personally prefer the upstairs vibe more. read more

Went to a show here with my in-laws on a week night expecting to have a meh time and we all had a blast! The band itself was great, but I also appreciated the lighting and atmospherics in the venue that really enhanced the show. We had seats in the front row so we were very close to the band. The venue is intimate and when the show was winding down, the lead singer jumped off the stage and into the crowd and greeted nearly every person individually. The food was good and service was fast. Will definitely come back in the future for more shows! read more

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The only reason this isn't a one star rating is because the food was absolutely delicious. I'm an avid concert-goer and I visit cities often just to attend a concert. Nowhere is perfect and I don't expect perfection, but World Cafe Live is by far the WORST venue I've ever been to. I called to make reservations and buy tickets months before the event was taking place. I was confused about whether I needed a dinner reservation and a ticket. The woman I spoke to said I ONLY needed a dinner reservation and that everyone without a reservation would stand behind the dinner tables to watch the concert. I asked if I needed a ticket multiple times because it was odd that she said I didn't need one. I arrive at WCL and the manager rudely tells me that of course I have to purchase tickets as it clearly says on their website. She never apologized for the incompetence of whomever I spoke to on the phone. I work in customer service and that's the first thing you do. The next step would be to find out who gave the customer the incorrect information and make sure it doesn't happen again. She never asked for any information other than my credit card to buy tickets. Then throughout dinner, we were hardly checked on and the waitress forgot multiple parts of our order after saying she would go get them. Before we were seated at our table, we were given wristbands to verify that we are of drinking age (which happens at many places and cuts down time for the wait staff checking IDs). Apparently the wristbands don't matter because a MINOR was being served alcohol and she was very visibly drunk. She is a celebrity but that shouldn't matter when following the law. I'm not sure how they've stayed open with their untrained staff and rude managers. I hope no one else has this kind of experience. read more