With Philadelphia moving into different colored phases—the first steps to reopening after the pandemic hit—many food and drink establishments have taken that downtime to revamp their look, menu and offerings. Take Drury Beer Garden for instance, the newly re-done venue is sitting where the former contemporary Greek hotpot Opa stood, but those who did frequent the Center City eatery can expect to see some exciting changes.
Drury offers both outdoor and indoor seating (when it’s allowed of course) and will feature a global street-food inspired menu. However, Opa is not completely gone, the Mediterranean-fared establishment will be part of the building’s ‘Phase II’ and will open back up to the public on the second floor in 2021.
For now, though, Philadelphians can head to Drury Beer Garden to get their eclectic food and spirits fix.
According to a release, the colorful and energetic space was re-designed by co-owners and siblings Vasiliki and George Tsiouris, with help from George’s wife, Annette. Notable design features include two murals by Philadelphia artist, Paul Santoleri, a lush green canopy wall, a concert-poster collage, seven TVs, a vintage coke machine that doubles as a backdoor and a metal-wrapped bar.
The edible offerings will be just as unique as the atmosphere. Cocktail-wise, the stand-out is the “All About the Benjamins Baby.” The whiskey drink features Jim Beam Black, orange-cherry, bitters and an edible hundred dollar bill to top it all off. Another stand-out addition on the libation end is the Purple Haze Froze boasting froze, citrus vodka and blackberry with an optional add-on of CBD drops available as well.
Other cocktail options include the Cool as a Cucumber (made with cucumber vodka, lemon and dill—note that this particular drink used to be called “Antho” at Opa, the garnish and name are different now), the Mango Tango Margarita (made with tequila, mango and lime), the Ginning From Ear to Ear (made with gin, elderflower, honey and rosemary), the Watermelon Spritz (made with watermelon vodka and puree, mint, basil and cava), and the Lime-Ging Mojito (made with rum, mint, lime and ginger.)
For those who want to skip the alcohol, but still get all the flavor, Drury will also be serving up the Fauxito (made with mint, lime and ginger) and the Berry Tasty (made with strawberry, pink peppercorns, basil and lemon) as mocktails.
On the food-front, Philadelphians also have plenty of options. The new Beer Garden will be serving up a variety of salads including their Watermelon (made with mango, goat cheese, arugula, mint and balsamic vinaigrette), Cobb (made with grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, romaine, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and lemon vinaigrette) and Wedge (made with iceberg lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, croutons, parmesan and ranch dressing). On the starter’s front, the new hotspot will be offering octopus ceviche, chicken skewers, chicken tacos and a variety of strombolis (think Italian, cheese and cheesesteak) as an ode and a throw-back to a pizza shop that was co-owned George Tsiouris’ and his first business for 10 years in West Chester.
Drury Garden will also be featuring a Craftsman Row Saloon Pop-up as a sweet treat for guests. The hotspot is also co-owned by George and Vasiliki will be serving up their famous Milkshakes and Milkwichs including the Brotherly Love (a milkshake made with Bassett’s vanilla ice cream, Hershey’s chocolate, peanut chews, a tasty cake cupcake and kandy kake, peanut butter and an Amish pretzel stick), the Beercycle (a milkshake made specifically for the Drury Beer Garden featuring a hazy IPA, Bassett’s vanilla ice cream, tang, sugared orange and candied hops), the Cookie Monster (a milkwich made with house-made chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Chips Ahoy! cereal and Hershey’s chocolate chips) and the ALL that and a bag of chips (a milkwich made with house-made sugar cookies, vanilla ice cream, Reese’s pieces, Hershey’s chocolate chips and potato chips).
Drury Beer Garden (601 Walnut St.) is open now, and hours of operation will run Monday through Friday from 3-10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.
