#63 Manny Brown's - Sam's synopsis

Manny Brown's is another anomaly on this part of South Street. It seems like it should be a bro-y bar overrun with your New Jersey weekend warriors, but it wasn't. I guess going on a Monday evening might have contributed to that, but the overall atmosphere of the bar was very laid-back and friendly. The staff was nice, there were some obvious regulars getting their post-work fix, and the windows were open to the street, making it perfect for people watching and weather enjoying.

Sandya and I arrived for a pre-quizzo dinner and managed to get there in time for happy hour. I ordered probably the only beer on the list that wasn't on special for happy hour, but y'know, gotta get those badges on Untappd. The draft list was a nice mix of local breweries and some around-the-US winners - I started with an Allagash Curieux and my second beer was the Chillwave DIPA from Great Lakes. All in all, very pleased with the draft and bottle selection, and the price for beer was among the lowest I've seen at bars in awhile. Definitely a major plus for this place.

They had french onion soup on the menu, so I had to order it as an "appetizer." For the main meal, I went with a chicken caesar wrap (fries replaced with salad this time around), something I haven't ordered in a long time but was really craving for some reason. Actually, this is not unlike the meals I would eat every Sunday in high school when I worked at a local restaurant - a restaurant that ended up becoming terrible for many reasons, but still had the best french onion soup I've ever tasted.While we were sitting around waiting for our food, we noticed that the restaurant space is a lot bigger than we thought and that they hosted quizzo on Wednesdays. Sandya and I agreed that Manny Brown's reminded us a lot of Tangier in a good way, and seeing that they had quizzo brought a little pang to our hearts. If only they had it on our usual Monday nights, it would be perfect...

Anyways, our food arrived promptly and the correct temperature. The french onion soup, while still not beating my old pal at the Beehive, had a very savory broth and a nice balance of cheese, bread and onions. The wrap had the proper ratio of dressing to filling and was also full of fresh ingredients. The side salad had non-crappy romaine and a nice mix of vegetables - I always appreciate it when places use chopped tomatoes instead of cherry/grape tomatoes in their side salads. I ordered caesar dressing, because when the waitress asked me what kind I wanted I thought she was referring to the dressing in the wrap, which was fine; but in reality I would have preferred some variety. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at the pricing of the menu - lots of great dishes for cheap prices.

Overall, I would definitely return to Manny Brown's. They have a great beer list, lots more food I want to try, awesome prices and a great atmosphere. Who knows, maybe we will venture out on a Wednesday and check out the quizzo scene.

Manny Brown's
512 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 627-7427