Bridgid's

726 N. 24th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130

Location: Fairmount Park/Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA

Phone: (215) 232-3232

Click Here for Map/Directions

Overall Rating (1 to 10): 8

What I’d Do To Improve the Place:

The bar area gets a bit tight when the crowd rolls in. The bar takes up about 2/3 of the room. I'd push it back a few feet to give the SRO crowd room to breathe.

Bridgid's is a small Belgium Pub located in the Fairmount area of Philadelphia. The bar at Bridgid's shares its real estate with a dinning room. The dining room can seat about 30 people; while the bar can seat about 20.

The bar entrance at Bridgid's is on 24th Street. The bar, shaped like the letter "G", is on your right. Straight ahead is a very small thoroughfare between the wall and the bar leading to the bathroom and dining room area.

The bar has 5 beer's on tap: Corsendonk Monk Brown Ale, Kwak (thumbs up), Yards and 2 taps that are on rotation. The Yard's tap is actually suspended from the ceiling at the center of the bar, most probably to accommodate filling a yard's worth of beer. Bridgid's also offers bottled beers like Chimay Blue Cap, Flying Fish (from Cherry Hill, NJ) Honey Brown and about 30 other bottled choices.

There are no two ways about it. Bridgid's is a tight squeeze. If all seats at the bar are taken, there is not much room to stand around. If you are unlucky enough to be standing while you drink your pint, you'll have to lean in in order to let someone pass. The wooden bar occupies about two-thirds of the bar area. If only the bar were brought in a little closer, you'd have more standing room.

Belgium related bric-a-brac is posted around the place. Whether it's pictures, beer, maps, flags or beer coasters (behind glass), Bridgid's theme is definitely Belgian. The crowd and bar keeps are a nice friendly bunch. You'll find a mix of couples, blokes and a few skirts bellied up to the bar. The age range is early 20's to 40 year olds; all ages sharing the common love of Belgian beer.

If you've never had it, Belgian beer has it's own distinctive flavor, much different from American, British or Irish brews. Belgian beers are famous for having a sweet, fruity taste mixed with carbonation. A true Belgian beer is never served in a mug or pint glass. The preferred glassware to experience a Belgian brew is in a goblet (wide mouth glass with a stem). So don't be alarmed when Bridgid's serves your brew up in a goblet, they're doing you a favor.

Another nice attribute of Bridgid's is it's proximity to a number of other bar's in the Fairmount area. The Bishop's Collar, London, Rembrandt's and Jacks Firehouse are all within 2 blocks of this Belgian jem. A parking lot was built in Feb 2000 at the corner of 23rd and Fairmount Aves. It's going to run you about $5 for the night and it's only about 2 blocks from Bridgids. So what are you waiting for, get out there and try some Belgian beer.

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