April 12, 2017
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Rybrew, a sandwich shop on the south side of Girard Avenue near 28th Street, has become a neighborhood staple with fresh, serving made-to-order sandwiches and more than 250 craft beers.
If you're heading down to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the 2017 NFL draft this year from April 27-29, there will be plenty to do. But all that football fun will likely make you tired and hungry.
If you're a fan from another city (Welcome! Except you, you and you), you might not know where to get your coffee, grub and drink fix.
Surrounding the Parkway are a number of neighborhood cafes, restaurants and bars where you can break off from the draft action and recharge your batteries.
Here's an insider's guide to eating and drinking around the event (followed by a map showing the proximity of these locations to the NFL draft stage and NFL Draft Experience activities):
• HubBub Coffee — 1717 Arch St. — Located at the top of the Parkway, this place makes a mean cold brew to cool off with. Snacks and pastries are also served.
• Brown Street Coffee & Banhery — 2545 Brown St. — You can grab a coffee and a Vietnamese sandwich here, with vegan options for the health-conscious football fan.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters — 1414 S. Penn Square — Probably the most well-known coffee brand in the city. Grab one of their draft lattes at the City Hall location and mosey down the Parkway to the draft festivities.
• OCF Coffee House — 2100 Fairmount Ave. — If you're looking to break off from the draft craziness for a bit, walk north to Fairmount Avenue and get your coffee fix here before checking out the neighborhood.
Fairmount's OCF Coffeehouse offers a spacious interior with great food, strong coffee and tons of seating. It's located directly across from Eastern State Penitentiary.
• Sabrina's Cafe & Spencer's Too — 1804 Callowhill St. — If you plan to eat at Sabrina's, be prepared to wait for a table at the celebrated brunch spot, especially if you're staying for Saturday. This place gets packed.
• Lazos Pizza & Grill — 873 N. 26th St. — Trust me on this one. There are plenty of pizza options in the area — Pizzeria Vetri, City View, Luigi's — but walk the extra few blocks to Lazos. They have giant slices for $3, and their cheesesteaks are the type of authentic, corner shop sandwiches you won't get at tourist traps like Geno's.
• Zorba's Tavern — 2230 Fairmount Ave. — This neighborhood staple serves authentic Greek food. It's the type of place you would pass without noticing it's even a restaurant, as it's huddled between row homes and the neighborhood chiropractor.
• Hickory Lane — 2025 Fairmount Ave. — Look at this brunch menu and tell me your mouth isn't watering.
• The Belgian Cafe — 601. N. 21st St. — This place is known for its mussels. The burgers and fries are solid. It also has a wide variety of imported bottled beers.
The Belgian Cafe at 21st and Green is unarguably “the” neighborhood beer bar with more than 150 options on hand. The Belgian offers hearty fare with a handful of vegetarian takes on traditional bar food – like these Veggie Wings and the Marinated Portobello Reuben.
• Umai Umai — 533 N. 22nd St. — This is not your average sushi place. Located a stone's throw away from Eakins Oval.
• Con Murphy's Irish Pub — 1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway — It is what it is: a traditional Irish pub. It's not the most exciting option for a night out after the draft, but it's an easier pick if you don't feel like venturing into the neighborhoods. Plus, there are plenty of TVs.
• London Bar & Grill — 2301 Fairmount Ave. — Part French cuisine, part sports bar, London has a beer you can literally only get there: The Stoudt's Willie Sutton Amber Lager, named after the infamous criminal who was held at nearby Eastern State Penitentiary.
• Kite & Key — 1836 Callowhill St. — If craft beer is your thing, this is the place. So. Many. Options. They also have a sweet beer garden.
• The Green Room — 1940 Green St. — They have two pool tables, a few TVs and a basement with a beer pong table. It's a sports bar without the typical sports bar crowd.
• Era — 2743 Poplar St. — Looking for a real Philly dive? Era's got cheap specials, neighborhood regulars and some incredible Ethiopian drunk food.
