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| - Okay, so I'll start off by saying... I USED to love this place. When I was with-child, their sandwiches and hash browns woke me up at night. On the corner of 5th and Scottsdale, the joint was uber cool (with extra umlaut for extra coolness). The vibe was hip and friendly. This used to be a 5 star joint.
WHAT HAPPENED? We knew they were moving to Craftsman Court. We were expecting something great. But it was just the opposite. Ah, man.. what a significant disaster. Biggest disappointment so far this year!
The outside windows were dark. It was hard to tell if the place was even open. We entered to an awkward and misplaced drum kit. There was no clear indication of what to do. Is this counter service? It's hard to tell. We ended up ordering at what appeared to be a bar? Or a counter? Or something else?
Half of the space is decorated with Philly jazz posters, dark wood, a high brow style bar, and a coffee machine. The other half had a general hippie feel. The space was split by a red billiards table smack in the middle. I tell you, this place has a real personality disorder. AND the place was FILTHY.
I almost immediately regretted stepping foot in the space. It was dirty! Was that construction dust all over the floors and tables? Should we be eating here? Reluctantly I ordered the 1/2 sandwich lunch special. After a good 25 minutes I inquired about getting our food to-go and was promptly responded to with a good dose of stink-eye from DJ slash cashier. What a mess!
With the new store, Philadelphia Sandwich Co. missed some of the key concepts critical to staying alive in the restaurant biz, including basic layout and flow. The lunch crowd was nonexistent on a Wednesday afternoon with only 3 other diners. One gentleman came in and promptly turned around to leave. I have to say, I'm a bit concerned with their product turnover... with that little traffic at a normally busy time, the food can't stay fresh for long.
The vibe, up all night like a dirty pancake.. and not in a good way. The space, filthy... and not in a sexy way. The food, now tainted. I hope the after 2am crowd can turn a blind eye and save this joint. I know my out-all-night noshes would rather be at the Awful House than here.
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