Bar serving small plates plus cocktails and bottled beers - may have an age requirement, check ahead. Host happy hour weekdays. Kitchen open til 1am. Sister business to HipCityVeg. Main menu isn't available past 11pm on weekdays and 12am on weekends. Then a late night menu is available until 1am. There is an age requirement to sit at the bar but not at the tables. Open Mon-Thu 4:00pm-11:00pm, Fri-Sat 4:00pm-2:00am, Sun 4:00pm-11:00pm.
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131 S 13th St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 19107
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- Outdoor seating
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Last update on 03 Sep 2023 by laufruits
Update business info -
Added by eravencroft on 09 May 2014
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176 Reviews
First Review by s1ave4sing1n
snsindc
Points +20
Great indulgence after Penn Relays - Edit
My go I typically eat from this spot after a long day watching track at Penn Relays. I'm not big on fried food but, it is a great indulgence. I've only ever gotten delivery.
Read moreMy go tos are: caramelized eggplant bao buns and the oyster mushroom calamari.
Guest
gpanda1992
Points +34
Vegan Cocktail Restaurant - Edit
Charlie Was a Sinner had a carnivore contemplating switching to the plant life!
Read moreWent with my best friend and her partner (both are not vegan)…we all devoured EVERY SINGLE plate. We ordered the Croquettes, Wild Mushroom Pate (order extra bread), Korean Style Tofu, Mama’s Meatballs, Lamb, Parrpadelle, & Lamb Kofta. I wish I was someone who took photos to share, but I was engulfed in the moments of enjoying some of the best vegan food and cocktails I’ve had with my friends.
I genuinely can’t put into words how delicious everything we had here was outside of my opening statement. I look forward to going back to try all the other things. Maybe I’ll remember to take pics and post another review!
Pros: Variety of cuisine (something for everyone), Creative & delicious cocktail menu, Atmosphere is classy, dim, & intimate
Guest
mrc
Points +103
Charlie had great taste. - Edit
Fun speakeasy vibes, great cocktails, and really good food.
Read moreOverall the food was really good, but leaned heavily towards greasy fried pub food (it's a bar first after all...)
Would absolutely go back, in moderation.
Guest
bradmer12
Points +86
Great atmosphere - Edit
I love the look of this place. It's like a little speakeasy. The food is pretty good, but the dishes are hit or miss. When I stray from my usual order, I tend to be disappointed.
Read moreGuest
Claudiak11
Points +449
Oh my god - Edit
This place is amazing! Please go check it out. Stumbled upon this gem late at night (kitchen closes at 11) and was blown away by their fully-vegan menu with top tier cocktails. Lovely!
Read morePros: All vegan, Fantastic service, Cool vibes
Guest
LaurenC
Points +316
Pretty good for late night food - Edit
Finally gave it a try on our last trip. I think this place is a little hyped up, but it’s great to have good options for late night eating. Very pricey for bar food; I think you’re more likely to be impressed if you’re drinking alcohol.
Read moreFried tofu and bao were delicious (noodles undercooked though), mocktails were very good, other dishes we tried were decent but already forgotten.
Pros: Late night food, Good variety on menu, Great people watching outside
Cons: Pricey, Service can be slow and uneven when it’s busy
Guest
theil
Points +161
Phenomenal vibes - Edit
Stopped in for drinks and a bite before a show. Camembert from the Mediterranean platter is some of the best plant based cheese I’ve ever had. I will be returning to try even more!
Read moreGuest
iaf186!
Points +68
Ambiance & Luxury - Edit
Charlie was a sinner capped off an already amazing day with amazing vegan small plates. Ordered the oyster mushrooms, bao buns, spring rolls, meatballs and chocolate cake (pictured). Not a single bad word to say
Read moreGuest
MidCenturyFox
Points +15
SO GOOD!!!! - Edit
What a fun and delicious place! It's kinda small and cozy, low lights, candles, good (loudish) rock/indie/mid-Y2K music playing when I came, all good! Has a bar feel and a big bar but also good food selection. My waitress (Aubrey) has been amazing- even recommended this app!
Read moreI had the Korean crispy tofu and bao buns- both SERIOUSLY different and to die for! I am absolutely coming back whenever I am in Philadelphia!
Guest
RyanFC
Points +60
Great food - Edit
Visiting Philly on vacation, this was a great find. Small plates for sharing. We tried 5-6 plates. All were wonderful. Atmosphere was dark but cozy and pleasant. Staff was helpful describing the dishes.
Read moreGuest
jdhehshushs
Points +81
A bit of a let down - Edit
Charlie Was a Sinner regularly gets extremely high praise, so we were excited to check it out! Unfortunately we didn’t really like any of the items we got (and we tried most of the menu!). We found the food quite disappointing, and the menu is pretty haphazard with a mix of cuisines that we didn’t think went together very well at all… which is weird considering they recommend two to three dishes per person. I could see it being better if you primarily went for drinks and only got one thing (or maaaybe two if you thought the two things would really mesh). Some of the drinks were quite good, but others were disappointing. Overall not the best experience, and I’m a little bummed about it because everybody raves about this place, and I feel like I’m missing something!
Read morePros: Some drinks were good!
Cons: Food not very good, Expensive , Menu not cohesive
Guest
PrestigiousPeach
Points +55
Great spot for date or drinks - Edit
Been going here for years. I like the seasonal menu that they offer. I don't personally drink but I enjoy their mocktails. The Blackberry Ginger and Midnight Sun are my favorites. And the potato croquettes are to die for!
Read morePros: Ambience, Friendly staff
Cons: Parking
Guest
annies755
Points +662
Such a vibe - Edit
Loved the ambiance of the dimly lit restaurant with nothing but candlelight. The food was even better. It was just hard getting good food shots, lol. Service was amazing, drinks were good, highly recommend the mamas meatballs, potato croquettes and the Korean spicy tofu.
Read moreGuest
Keyz2026
Points +3993
Sinner - Edit
The Oyster Mushrooms were so so delicious!!! The zucchini sliders were amazingly delicious as well.
Read morePros: Atmosphere , Customer service , Food
Guest
greran2
Points +157
Great tapas style restaurant - Edit
Cozy and cute. Tapas style menu with lots of variety. Would definitely return when in Philadelphia
Read morePros: Variety , Cozy
Cons: A bit pricey, but worth it
Guest
irise102
Points +926
Delicious plant based dinner!! - Edit
We loved the fact that the restaurant was 100% plant based and that there was a large variety of foods offered on the menu.
Read moreWe ordered a majority of the dishes for our group to share. The potato croquettes and the house fries were yummy. The aioli that came with the fries was really good. The dip for the croquettes was a bit spicy as were some of the other items on the menu.
The Korean style crispy tofu was so hot that the person in our group that loves spicey food could not even enjoy it. However, we had plenty of other dishes that were delicious. My favorites were the sliders with the little gerkins pickle on top and the caramelized eggplant bao buns. The eggplant bao bun dish was really different and had so much flavor. I also liked the brassica salad with falafel. And the “lamb” kofta did not look so appetizing, but it was really delicious.
The avocado toast was just okay and the oyster mushroom calamari just tasted fried - it lacked flavor and could have used a dipping sauce.
We tried the whiskey bread pudding and the molten chocolate cake. The bread pudding had such an off putting taste that we could not enjoy it. The waiter removed it from our bill without our need to ask. Speaking of service - it was really good. The waiter was attentive as were the bus boys who removed our many empty plates and refilled our bottles of mint water.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-02
Pros: Delicious food!, Great service!
Cons: Too dark inside. Need flashlight to read menu.
Guest
MatthewStein
Points +90
Totally fine, nothing more - Edit
Snazzy atmosphere, aesthetic menu, solid drinks, slightly above average and not particularly creative food. Our pasta was unevenly cooked and underseasoned but had potential. The meatballs were tasty but processed crap, with a delicious ricotta that wasn't any further elevated from the Isa Chandra recipe I regularly make at home. I'd give this a 4 normally, but IMO their expectation setting sets them up for failure.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-19
Guest
scottlovesanimals
Points +605
One of the best vegan spots in the world - Edit
From the candlelit ambiance to the fantastic dishes and cocktails, this is a true gem. The Mediterranean platter is a must and the meatballs were one of my favorite vegan dishes I’ve had at a restaurant. The cocktails are top notch as well. Can’t recommend enough.
Read moreGuest
GaiaGoldman
Points +56
Enjoyable but somewhat disappointing - Edit
Great ambiance. We are longtime vegans and were stoked to try it. Disappointed to find out their sliders and lamb were both Beyond Meat-based and their cheese is Maverick brand - so not home made. It’s a clever take on bar food (half the plate on two dishes was greasy chips). We expected a more creative menu. Also, we had reservations at 7 PM, made weeks in advance, and they didn’t have our table ready until 7:25.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-03-04
Guest
p.wobble
Points +30
Great “tapas style” vegan option - Edit
This is a great place to grab small plates and drinks. My wife and I had the croquettes, fried kimchi tofu, charred shishito peppers, calamari fried oyster mushrooms and the bread pudding. Almost dish was solid (8/10) but we would have preferred a dipping sauce with the fried mushrooms. Even still, the dishes were amazing and the vibes were cute as [censored].
Read moreThe drinks weren’t as great. For the price, I’d forgo the cocktails (unless you really want to experiment), and just stick with the food. Frankly, the drinks are overpriced and just OKAY. 5/10.
In the future, we’ll order a ton of dishes and likely stick to beer and wine.
Guest
TheTofuTyrant
Points +2135
One of the best restaurants ever - Edit
I don’t even know where to begin. This is some of the best food I’ve ever had, and the atmosphere is cozy and romantic. I would recommend this place to absolutely everyone.
Read morePros: All vegan , Delicious , Great atmosphere
Guest
Lynnspiration
Points +265
I loved it - Edit
I loved the variety of different dishes and creative drinks. Went with a colleague who did not even realize it was vegan. We ordered numerous dishes and all were excellent.
Read moreGuest
meredithparker
Points +91
Nothing special - Edit
This place is a bar with food. It is not a restaurant.
Read moreThis place is cramped and extremely loud. It is impossible to have a conversation without screaming at the other people. It's also dark and extremely hot. If they want to make you feel like you're in hell, they achieved that but I don't know why that'd be a good thing.
The food is okay but nothing special. The potato croquettes are probably the best thing on their menu and they're basically hash browns. The food is not worth the pricing.
Also, if you go with more than 1 person, they force you to have even smaller plates and pick your "tasting menu" ahead of time. We made a reservation and they had us waiting for another 15 minutes past our reservation time because they didn't have the tables ready. It took 2 hours for them to serve us those small plates.
The water is served at the table with mint shoved inside the bottles but it doesn't actually flavor the water. So you get less water because the mint takes up so much room in the glass (which is definitely smaller than 750ml). On top of that, getting the servers to refill the water is literally hell. The restaurant is so dark, they don't notice when the carafe or your glass is empty.
The drinks were okay but again, nothing special. This place is not worth the hype. Not recommended. I would not go back. Be warned: this is a bar with overpriced nibbles. This is NOT a restaurant.
Updated from previous review on 2023-12-29
Pros: Drinks, Potato croquettes
Cons: Extremely loud, Cramped and hot, Menu is overpriced bar food
Guest
angelina242
Points +133
Not what I was expecting - Edit
The food was amazing and gorgeous and the waiters/waitresses were great but it was small, loud and hot. We went for a date night type thing and it was definitely just a bar with fancy food. Music was loud and everyone was screaming. The tables were about foot away from each other and the tables were just kinda small to have multiple dishes on. We were kissing elbows with people on both sides of us. And I don’t know what was going on with the heat but it was insanely hot in there we ate quick as we could then left bc we were both sweating.
Read moreGuest
whitneyellen
Points +397
Intimate, pricy small plates - Edit
This is a small place with a menu of expensive small plates. I'm into that, but it's not everybody's thing. Would be a good date night spot. Everything I tried was delicious, but it's not something I'd do often, was more of a date night traveling special treat than anything else. We tried the mushroom calamari, meatballs, and potato croquettes.
Read morePros: Intimate, Variety of veg forward dishes
Cons: Expensive, Small and loud
Guest
WHA
Points +1588
⭐️⭐️ - Edit
Not for me. Sorry. Started off on the wrong foot because this place is so cramped that people frequently bump into you just walking to/from their tables. Cramped and loud. Cocktails seemed like a bigger focal point than the food so I’m probably just not the target audience. Cramped, loud, dark, $16 cocktails is a specific date night aesthetic and I just wasn’t feeling it. The food I tried wasn’t worth the price for me. The potato croquettes ppl are raving about just taste like hash browns. 🤷🏻♀️
Read moreGuest
CRW
Points +655
Nothing else like it - Edit
We’ve been here twice when visiting Philly and there is nothing else like it that I’ve experienced in plant-based eating. It has amazing tapas, cocktails/mocktails, and energy. You probably want to make reservations if you have more than 2 people. Service is excellent and every bite we’ve had we’ve loved. My favorites are the Mediterranean Board (but if you don’t want to go that large at least get an order of the ricotta,) shishito peppers, fries, and the cauliflower. We also really liked the Bao Buns. The bread pudding is delicious but very strong with whisky and espresso flavors. We get the zero proof drinks and I adored the “No Regrets”
Read moreGuest
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