Bru: An indoor beer garden in Center City
Teddy Sourias of Finn McCool's is about a month from opening.
Bru: An indoor beer garden in Center City
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Picture this: an indoor German-style beer garden in the heart of Center City - with computerized beer-tap system on the wall, oversize garage door to bring the outdoors in, and a spot to plug in a laptop or iPad.
That's all coming in March at 1318 Chestnut St. when Bru opens.
Teddy Sourias, who owns the Finn McCool's Pub and Prime Lounge at 12th and Sansom Streets, has been putting Bru together for the last year in the former Mitchell & Ness retail shop, a double-wide storefront on a (for now) fairly quiet stretch of Chestnut Street between Juniper and 13th Streets.
Bru will have two entrances - one through the front on Chestnut and the other on Drury Street in the rear. Bru backs up to the front of McGillin's Olde Ale House, the city's oldest bar.
German-style menu - and, sorry: no burgers or cheesesteaks. Sourias says you can get those anywhere.
The draft wall will be run off of iPads. Six beers will be self-service; you buy a "brew card" and swipe to select what and how much you want. A nearby bar, whose taps will be carved into the side of a tree and suspended from the ceiling - will have 32 drafts of which 15 will be locals.
The TV soccer focus will mean lots of 7 a.m. openings.
- Well, that block has actually been anchored by Macy's all along, but I take your point. But there are new restaurants on that block and nice home decor stores and (shudder) Olive Garden (shudder). This will be a good addition, especially since there's a hot new hotel coming to the same block.
— Tatt2 
Comment removed.- Figures, from a dope who posts the same comment twice.
— Cardinal Fang - Ha! Someone who wants to "FixThisCityPlease" can't even acknowledge the addition of a good new venue. Has to complain about how he'll order his Miller Light.
We have to fix it his way, right down to the ordering process. Yeah, that's the spirit!— Tatt2 - nice. teddy's a great guy. glad to hear he's doing well enough to open another place.— The Boston Strangler
- this sounds great! this part of chestnut street is a near deadzone in dire need of something like this— the lopez!
- I will have to venture down to the big bad city to check this out.....sounds very interesting......love German beer and food!!!— BigAfromBucks
- The PLCB will allow "self-service beer"!?? remember the wine kiosks and how tough it was to get a bottle of wine.— BarTaste.com
- Excited to give this place a shot. Love the early morning openings for soccer, too. I was just out to dinner last week at Tashan and the waiter brought us the drink menu on an ipad. It was NOT worth the hassle of trying to navigate through all of the menus/options. Stick to regular menus!— tboneee
- Ever notice that after Steven Starr places a restaurant in a drab neighborhood that everything around it gets better within 5 years...13th and Chestnut was a dump 15 years ago..now it's the rage and for all of those yuppies out there,enjoy it because when you finally get married and move out to delco,squeeze out a few babies...you are going to miss it!! Speaking from experience of course.— Ty Webb Delco
- i have never seen so much negativity. i live in FL half the year and we
are much happier here. enjoy philly. its a great city.— bertlurie - if this place has two entrances how does one exit?— 2doorrestaurantclub
