Whereeee, oh where, in the City of Philadelphia can you go to grab a marg and a slew of vegan-friendly options to sate your need for after-work tacos?
Bar Bombón – 133 South 18th Street is your destination.
Nicole Marquis (HipCityVeg, Charlie was a sinner.) opened this cute little corner street space August 2015, and the reviews that first came in weren’t hot. Jason Sheehan went so far as to call the faux-meat items on the menu “A missed opportunity at least, laziness at worst,” speaking of the inability to fully embrace vegetables in the way V Street/Vedge does. But the lazy, relaxed vibe of the experience is part of what makes it such a great choice for happy hour.
I typically like to give new restaurants at least a week or two of lead time before stepping on the premises, so that the staff can get all kinks ironed out. But with Bar Bombón, reviews like that convinced me to extend the wait. Now, I totally regret that it took me so long to pop in!
If made-to-order, plant-based dishes and post-work cocktails are your thing, read on to hear the pros and cons (in our humble opinion) of this spot!
Pro: My lady friend and I grabbed a cute table right outside the open window, which essentially felt like we were both in and outside of the bar. I liked how lowkey the space felt, though it still had a hip vibe (it’s the sister to HipCityVeg, after all).
Con: The tables themselves were kind of cheap looking and feeling. My second margarita arrived overflowing (not a bad problem to have, normally), but because the open style of those patio tables, it wound up dripping at my feet through the surface until I chugged enough tequila to stop the leakage.
Pro: The margaritas did not disappoint. My rec is the Smoked Prickly Pear (El Jimador Blanco, Del Maguey Vida, Combier, prickly pear, lime), which is a crazy hot pink color! Important to note: They do serve pitchers. And were advised against sharing one between the two of us if we were planning to drive home.
Pro: The food was delish, and absolutely perfect for a happy hour dinner occasion. We had plenty to eat just sharing the brussel sprouts (curried tempeh, avocado frita, smoked onions, and mango mustard) and buffalo cauliflower tacos (refried black beans, avocado, green goddess dressing, and mirepoix). They come with two each, and are actually two-handed tacos; not like those delicious but bite-sized ones you might find at Lolita or El Vez.
If I were hungrier, I definitely would have tried the pinchos appetizer(tequila seitan skewers, baby eggplant, summer squash, red chimichurri), and tostada entree (grilled maitake mushrooms, canela roasted beets, avocado, and grapefruit xni pec).
Con: Our only real complaint was our waitress, who we continually joked must have “hated us!” for doing what friends who haven’t seen each other for a while do – gab for minutes on end without so much as looking at the menu. I’m used to apologizing a million times to waitresses who laugh and smile and continue to check in dutifully at, say, any Stephen Starr restaurant. But this chick was toootally not amused and gave us the cold shoulder to the best of her ability.
But maybe it was just her disposition, or maybe she was just having an off day. Either way, we can’t say the same for the whole staff. Before I arrived, my friend hit it off super well with the hostess, who we spent some time chatting with at our table!
Pro: Because we felt bad, we wound up ordering dessert while we continued talking. And I gotta say, that tres leches cake? Was hands down the best part of the meal! It was actually sublime, and I feel like I would go back just for that and a glass of wine after dinner or a date night.
For Broke Girls, Bar Bombón is an affordable option in Center City. The salads and platos are priced between $10-14, and tacos are $14 for two, and cocktails are around $9-14 each. You can easily come in here and just get a plate of tacos and a beverage, and have that be enough!
Bar Bombón
133 S 18th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Happy Hour M-F 4-7pm
Have a happy hour spot you want us to check out and review? Connect with us on social media, or email brokegirlsgoout(at)gmail(dot)com.
Image c/o Bar Bombón’s website
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