Good Dog Bar and Restaurant - Philadelphia, PA

I started off my meal with the smutty-nosed pumpkin ale.  It was autumn in Philadelphia and the seasonal ale seemed appropriate.  As I lifted the glass, there was definitely a pumpkin spice scent present in the aroma but, it was not overdone in the taste, which I was initially afraid of.  It had a somewhat heavy consistency like a wheat or stout.  Sometimes seasonal beers quickly lose their novelty.  That wasn't the case here.  I found this beer actually growing on me.

Good dog is an old-time bar. I should probably be ashamed to say that I felt at home here because it reminded me of a lot of bars in New York where I had a lot of fun during my misspent youth.  There were lots of black and white photos of dogs all over the bar's walls.  There is no doubt a story behind the dog theme.

The bar tender was a 20ish tough dude probably not afraid of tossing drunks out into the Philadelphia streets. But, being more than twice his age, I don't think that he knew how to address me. The two guys immediately before me were "Bub" and "Boss" but, I was "Sir." I'm not called sir a lot north of Mason-Dixon.  I was definitely bringing the average age of the room up.

I ordered the duck pot pie. The waitress said that this was what Guy Fieri had ordered.  So, how could I say no to that.  I don't think that I'd ever had duck that I can remember. I expected it to be gamy but, it really wasn't.  The duck was really savory but I had to look for it.  The pastry seemed much more dominant. The pastry was nice and light and flavorful like a butter croissant. The duck meat was very tender and the taste was distinctive.  It is now my baseline for what I think duck tastes like. It was present but in the background like the way sausage might be a secondary flavor on a sausage pizza.

It came with a little spinach salad on the side of the plate that was surprisingly good also.  The pot pie was so savory and filling that you really needed the crunchy, leafy contrast.


I liked the Good Dog Bar.  I'd rate it a solid 9.  I'd like to explore their menu some more and might be back again.


Good Dog Bar and Restaurant
224 S 15th St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 985-9600
http://www.gooddogbar.com/