South Philly isn’t widely known as a haven for beer geeks. Royal Tavern and the Dive Bar aren’t really South enough, Devil’s Den still has some food issues to work out, and although SPTR has made quite a name by stocking a great bottle stock and an always-changing draft lineup, their recent kitchen kerfuffle has left quite a few people (myself included) turned off from their over-priced and under-optioned food menu. ("You want FRIES with that? What do you think this is? A f***ing McDonalds?!")
Enter The Station. PBC met at the Station on Thursday, and although rocky, it has the makings for a great competitor to SPTR. The chef, Joe, has transitioned from Caribou in CC to the first kitchen staff at Devil’s Den. After leaving there, he and a partner, Lou, now run the Station. It's pretty easy to tell that the Station is still a work in progress. The menu they’re running right now is going to change very shortly, and we’ve been told to expect frequent changes as the months go by.
As far as beers go, the Station has a ways to go before they’ll start drawing away SPTR regulars. I was a little surprised at the lack of local selection. Giving us two or three of the more main-stream local brews is great, but I’d like to see some daring on the line-up. Yeah, Prima Pils is great and the O’Reilly Stout is a consistent dessert-replacement, but I’d like to see one or two high-octane locals throw in. Maybe the Weyerbacher Blasphemy or Victory’s Golden Monkey—something with a little punch and a lot of flavor to go with the meatier entrees. And there’s really no need to carry bottles like the Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale (sort of a kolsch-y metallic letdown, considering the distance it needs to travel to get here) when a much more interesting version can be had from Victory or even Nodding Head.
The food is where these guys can really distance themselves from Tap Room, given the latter’s newfound reliance on exotic (and pricey) game meats. No, I don’t need a $15 chunk of lion to enjoy my beers—the sweet potato fries at the Station take a huge chunk out of your hunger and give your stomach some much needed padding. They’re coated in a caramel glaze that negates the need for additional condiments. The serving size may even be a little too big for one or two people to enjoy before they get cold—I would think that offering a half serving under the $5 mark may entice many people who just stop in for a beer to give them a shot.
A few of us waited the extra hour for the pork to roast to get the shredded pork sandwich. If you get it, order extra peppers on the side and then throw them on top. Make sure you have plenty of beer and napkins on hand, because this will unclog even the most stubborn sweat glands. It’s definitely worth it, and remember—it also comes with a huge side of the sweet potato fries (so if you’ve already eaten a whole plate of them, you might want to switch it out with something else).
All in all, I’ll be adding the Station to my bar routine because I’m interested to see which direction it will go. I’d love to see it take on the Tap Room in terms of beer selection, but if it doesn’t, it’s still a far cry better than what was there. For now, this is definitely the place to go if you think Tap Room’s selection is too snobby and elitist.