Poor Henry's

Ack! Another one bites the dust. We're sad to report that Poor Henry's has declared bankruptcy and is no longer in business. We'll leave this review up here as a reminder to what was and what might have been. We'll keep you up-to-date if a new owner takes over the place, but as for now Poor Henry's is a memory.

Poor Henry's has literally risen from the remains of the old Ortlieb's Brewery like a Phoenix rising out of Arizona (quoting Frank Costanza). The "Henry" that the namesake this bar refers to is Henry Ortlieb. He's referred to as "poor" because back in the late eighties/early nineties, the Ortlieb's name and brewing process was sold to a brewery down in Baltimore and the new owners of the name are unwilling to sell the "Ortlieb's" name back to the family. At the Poor Henry's site, in Northern Liberties, the Ortlieb family is back in the business of brewing and bottling beer for both their own brews sold in house, but for other local brand name beers, like Dock Street.

Unfortunately, when the picture was taken above, the pub was closed and that garage door that is cracked open, is normally wide open revealing a nice inviting entrance. Once you're through the garage door, you enter a single large room that encompasses the entire bar.

The right hand wall is comprised mainly of windows that reveal the numerous beer kettles that are used to make the beer served at Poor Henry's. These kettles stand about 12 feet high and are a nice backdrop to the bar and dining area. Poor Henry's bar can easily accommodate 30 patrons.

The dining area is fairly large for a bar in this part of the city. About half of the dining area is located behind the windows pictured above (the windows directly below the "Bottling House" sign in the above picture). The other half of the dining area is located towards the back of the establishment, on the back-end of the beer kettle area. The tables and chairs that make up the dining are butcher block style. Some of the chairs (that accompany the tables) around the bar are ornately decorated and weigh close to a ton! The only problem with the dining area is that it was difficult getting fast service. We even had a hard time getting someone to service the table. But the food was excellent once it came and it tasted even better with a cold brew in hand.

Since everything is brewed on site, you're at the mercy of the brewmaster's whim when you visit Poor Henry's. But rest assured that there will most likely be 15 different types of brews to choose from. On my last visit, I had my glass filled with a great Heffe-Weissen numerous times.

Directly across the street from Poor Henry's is there own private, fenced in parking lot. During the weekend nights there is valet parking available. Get to Poor Henry's early to take advantage of the lot.

This place is an oasis nestled deep in the Northern Liberties area of Philadelphia. Be well advised to click the directions link above, so that you don't get lost and wind up in an undesirable neighborhood. Aside from that, Poor Henry's is a great addition to the Philly Pub scene and you won't be disappointed if you stop by and sample some of the home brewed goodness.

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