Picnic

Food was amazing tasty and light. Service was great and server was attentive. Cost of dinner was fair. Ambiance was one of a kind. I love the fact you can order and pay from your phone it logistically makes the most sense. Why? 1. You don't have to wait to put in your order or additional drink orders.2. Your order will not be wrong.3. Server has more time to check on you and bring your drinks and food out quicker.4. When I am ready to leave I can get up and leave and pay in the car if I wanted.5. Splitting checks is very easy.6. People cannot dine and dash. This should be how every restaurant operates. Anyone who thinks this makes tipping less valuable is a cheap skate. Anyone who thinks this place is too expensive should stick to Boston market.

I will be honest: the reviews for this new spot made me nervous. But after reading several of the negative ones, I saw a common theme. People don't seem to like how the service inherently functions, but are happy with the food. So I gave Picnic a shot.Listen, I also mourned covid expediting the death of the paper menu. There is something about perusing a physical list of food and beverages that feels good. I get it. We are on our phones enough as it is.But Picnic has made this opinionated choice for a reason. Take a look at their inspiration: Bacchanal in New Orleans. First and foremost, Bacchanal is a wine shop. A place you shop for not only wine, but cheese and charcuterie that they will plate and bring out to you. It is a vibe. It is upscale casual, just like Picnic, in the way that actual picnics are. Haven't we all gone to check out at Whole Foods with a basket full of cheese and cried at the total at the end of our receipts?Walking in to Picnic is overwhelming at first. When you move into the main dining room, everything opens up into high ceilings and the space is stunning. So I get it, I get why people are coming here and feeling flabbergasted by the ordering system and free-flowing kitchen after walking into a restaurant that looks like it does. But if you look at the casual design of the tables and listen to the buzz of conversation and think about what a picnic actually is, it all fits. It's aesthetic, but it's simple.Let's move on to my actual experience. I went with my partner and our friends and we immediately got to work checking out the menu. Our server came over promptly and offered the option to order with her, but as indecisive millennials we were excited to have the QR code.Ordering was a breeze and everything came out fast. It was awesome being able to fire off a drink order whenever we wanted. I started with a margarita that was wonderfully strong and ended with wine, which was delicious.As a table, we got oysters, grilled shrimp, cheese and meat, bread, the chicken sandwich, fries, and, of course, the rotisserie chicken. Every single thing was amazing, but the standouts were the shrimp, rotisserie chicken, fries, and all of their delightful sauces.Because of the format, we were less focused on having our order ready to go and simply added things when we felt called to. Every server we interacted with was kind, attentive, and made sure to ask if we needed anything else. We felt independent and in control of our experience, while still receiving excellent hospitality. It was the perfect balance.I know, this is a long review. But I have been hearing negative chatter around this spot that I truly don't feel it deserves. With how new they are and how different the concept is, I expected people to have a little more grace. And most importantly, the food is unreal, and I would order it by carrier pigeon if that's what they required.Give Picnic a shot, and open your mind to something you may have never experienced before.

This place is a hit. Every dish - from the NJ oysters to the watermelon salad, chicken sandwich, sausage raclette through to dessert - was excellent. Dishes come out as they are ready. Service was friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. Ambiance was also on the mark: spacious eating area with a high vaulted ceiling in a historic building that was once part of a brewery. Plenty of natural light. I especially appreciate how you have the option to pick up a bottle of wine at their bottle shop, which you enter through to get to the dining area, but there's also by-the-glass options. It's a perfect blend of a traditional restaurant dining and a food hall vibe. There's no pressure to leave once you've finished eating. Very kid friendly too!

One of my close friends was really excited about this opening so we gave it a try on the soft opening night. We were a party of 4 including my little one. We were originally under the impression that we could not make a reservation for the soft opening but the restaurant allowed it slightly before the opening so we unfortunately were on the waitlist for 3 hours but we entertained ourselves down the street until our table was ready. The setup was awesome, you can purchase a bottle of wine as you enter to bring with you to your table just like a picnic. Cool concept. The restaurant was very open with many tables. The food options were good but price and the sauce options elevated the experience. Would go back every now and then but again, cool concept.

I want to say that I've heard good reviews on this place. I came in with an open mind but I still have mixed reviews.The atmosphere is absolutely stunning. They did a phenomenal job on the restoration of the old brewery. The drinks were delicious and I loved the wine shop out front. The food was nothing outstanding. Really loved the bread/butter, fluke, the shrimp and the sausage racellete. The rotisserie chicken is what they're known for - it was good nothing I'll dream about. I'm assuming they will change menu seasonally. Now the negatives - if you're spending $100 a person on dinner (which it is a little expensive for what it is) I would prefer not to order from a QR code. It screams too covid times. I understand that they're trying something new but QR code doesn't match the beautiful atmosphere they created.Also, the food came out way too fast - we were shoveling food down to keep up with the fast paced. We asked to have courses slow down to enjoy. I recommend that or order a few things at a time. Overall, they Designed it to be a special night out with the vibe of a picnic. I get it but it can be elevated picnic still with a few tweaks. Would have given 3.5 / 5 if yelp allowed but decided to round up for the atmosphere alone.

Picnic just opened up a block from my home and we've been very excited about it for a long time. What a brilliant concept. If you're in the business of designing restaurants and concepts, this place is simply a work of art. The concept is kinda like fancy picnic food- little glasses of wine, little baguettes, cheese, oysters, salami, and roasted chicken. As a work of capitalism, the margins in this place must be outstanding. But it's what they have done in refurbishing a long derelict (130 years old at least) brewery building that elevates this place. You feel this space. It seems huge but it really isn't. We watched them from our house as they carefully refurbished the old brewery smokestack and put a roof on the building. It is the ultimate work of historic preservation and overnight has elevated Martha Street into probably the hippest restaurant street in Philadelphia if not in all of America.

After almost 3 years in the works, Picnic is a great addition to the area. Nothing feels better than repurposing the old Weisbrod & Hess Brewery (1882-1939). Al Lucas, Greg Root and their team have done an amazing job of putting their vision into a beautiful reality. Casual "picnic" atmosphere with elegance and class. A beautiful space. Open, comfortable, rustic and welcoming. Great wine selections in the wine store. Many bottles in the $50 plus range. Small cocktail menu, small plates and shares. I was alone, so I was able to snag a position at the bar (wish they had barstools, but I'm sure there's a reason). I ordered a Boulevardier which was delicious and very well presented. I also ordered an assortment of oysters: Psychedelicates, VA, Cape May Salts, NJ, Montauk Pearls, NY, Maine Isle, ME and Black Magic, PEI. They were accompanied by nice accoutrements. Delicious. This was the first day. I felt they did a great job of making sure it worked out well today. As with many other establishments, I'm sure there's a lot of adjustments needed. I'm very confident Al and Greg will do everything needed to improve. Just like their other holdings: Suraya, Kalaya, Beddia, Condesa, R&D Cocktail Bar and El Techo. No reservations needed. The staff does their best to seat you efficiently. This will smooth out in time. I have nothing but good graces for Picnic. They will do really well. I'm looking forward to coming back really soon to enjoy additional menu items with a nice bottle of wine.

Wow, so the first reviewer who left a one star review? That was really not necessary. Opening night for a very hyped place is bound to have hiccups, and my group of five had a similar experience (came at 5pm, waited in line, were told to come back another time or put our names down for later), so we opted to put our names down and idled away the time at nearby Martha and Philadelphia Brewing Co. Yes, we ended up waiting 3.5 hours for a table (we were seated at around 8:30 and ended our meal at around 10:30), but again--super hyped place on opening night, and it's the night before the 4th of July so lots of people can leave work a little early, yeah? The employees managing the line were very apologetic but they had to do what they had to do, and ultimately, we had a great time, thanks to the gorgeous ambiance and very attentive service (shout out to our server Jacob!).The food exceeded expectations. My group has all eaten at Beddia, Suraya, and Kalaya, the predecessors of this place, and I dare say we like picnic equally or possibly even better, thanks to its casual atmosphere, reasonable prices, and friendly service. Plus, there's actually parking in East Kensington, unlike in Fishtown. We snagged a bottle of chilled red from the wine area on the way in and were given a bucket of ice to keep it cool. Seemed from first glance that most bottles were around $50-70, but I didn't go looking to see if there were cheaper or pricier bottles (I'm sure there were). They also had a bar with cocktails and non-alcoholic options, including a $10 or $12 glass of N/A pinot noir that I thoroughly enjoyed. I once had a N/A chardonnay and it tasted like grape juice. This N/A pinot straight up had the right mouth feel, with tannins and all!The prices are reasonable, given the very high quality of the food. We ordered a half baguette with cultured butter and anchovies, charred summer beans, a whole rotisserie chicken, smoked salmon sandwich, grilled oysters, and an Italian sausage with raclette that I am just now realizing never came--hopefully we weren't charged for it. The bread came first with a generous cup of butter. The bread was crusty and soft, with delicious subtle flavors that blended wonderfully with the creamy butter and salty anchovies. Next came the grilled oysters, which were so tender and covered in a tangy, spicy sauce. No picture of those because they were devoured. The charred summer beans were wonderfully smokey and citrusy, the perfect summer garden dish, and while I could not eat the smoked salmon sandwich, I'm told by my group that it was delicious, and it looked very good. The biggest snafu was that the chicken took an extremely long time to come out, but we were lucky to be one of the last tables to snag one because they eventually ran out! And they ended up giving us free dessert because of the wait. But the chicken was well worth it. Crisp outside yet impossibly juicy and tender on the inside, with four delightful sauces that we all dipped in equally (though I was partial to the chili oil and my husband loved the peruvian salsa verde). My husband declared it some of the best chicken he's ever had. I thought it was a bit too salty but otherwise would agree. And the desserts--the chocolate cake with candied pecans and caramel, and yogurt soft serve with olive oil--were not too sweet, rich yet not too decadent, complex and oh so pleasing. The perfect way to end the meal.So yes, the wait to get in was long, they might've forgotten our Italian sausage, and the chicken took forever to come to our table, but we had a lovely time and would definitely come back. I'm sure they'll have learned a lot from opening night and will iron things out as they go.

Honestly, not understanding the negative reviews. I absolutely loved my experience. Yes, the service is a little unconventional. However, we had a reservation for a Sunday night and were seated within 10 minutes of our reservation time. The space is a beautiful open concept, but I heard a couple people complaining about being able to hear one another. We ordered 8 oysters, the fluke crudo, charred summer beans, half chicken with chili oil, peruvian salsa verde, chicken jus, and the pickled pepper sauce. Everything was delicious and we look forward to trying the grilled oysters next time as well!

Arrived around 6:30pm with no reservation on a Wednesday for a party of 4. Was quoted an hour and I was like cool, we will hang at the bar and wait. I was able to try a glass of their skin contact wine which actually reminded me of communion wine (not bad, easy to drink). It was fun for an hour cause I was with good company but then the table was not ready at the quoted time so me and my party started to get a little hangry. I wish we could have ordered fries or cheese or something at the bar. The space is beautiful and chill but we were getting a little stir crazy. We kept staring at the art and we couldn't tell if they were framed TV's or really weirdly lit paintings. The ceilings are like a million feet tall so it gives the illusion of a huge space but honestly, it probably has just around the same seating as Martha. About 25 minutes after the quoted time they finally seated us.Their are waiters but we had been staring at the menu for too long so we quickly put our order in before the waiter arrived. There are QR codes on the table so you can put in your order on your own. When the waiter arrived, they served us water and asked about allergies. She said she was going to take our order by hand but she ended up just checking on our order that we had placed. Food came out really quick. I ended up ordering a coors, the summer bean salad, the mushroom burger and fries. I was so ready to hate this place after the long wait time but damn. The food is that good. I'm not saying it was worth the wait but I left satisfied. The mushroom burger was a standout. It is served vegetarian and can be modified for vegan. This mushroom burger was put together with thought and is not just a mushroom cap on a bun. It was stellar and felt meaty. I will definitely be back to get this burger even though it is one of the few things on the menu that is vegetarian. I was very pleased. The fries were salted well and were really good. They had some thickness to them for crunch. I really enjoyed them. The summer bean salad was more like green beans which I didn't expect. The sauce was lovely and a little smokey. I am a vegetarian but my friends did get the rotisserie chicken and they loved it. They were saying that the wait was worth it. I will definitely be back because I live so close to this place. Definitely get a reservation because they do not have a good grip on wait times. I would take my parents here but it's also good for a chill friends dinner. Glad that they are in the neighborhood.