World Cafe Live Reviews

We had never been to the World Cafe, now we can't wait to go back. We went to watch the artist, Rumor and was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful atmosphere and food. This venue is like watching an artist "unplugged" very intimate. We sat in the Balcony and had a wonderful meal and sat back on the couch and watch Rumor with a great view. After the show we went upstairs to watch a couple of local artist duke it out onstage in an American Idol type sing off. It really was a wonderful night out. It was an easy ride from the burbs, parking close by and a wonderful evening.

I recently went to the World Cafe live for the first time to watch a Laurie Anderson concert.. I had heard good things about this place as an intimate venue. But there is one extremely glaring problem with watching a show here. They serve food and drink before and during the entire show, and since the place is so small, there is a constant, loud, annoying rattling of dishes and glasses coming from behind the seating area. And even worse, the view of the stage is constantly being blocked by the incessant passing by of the waitstaff. If they would serve food only before and not during a show, there would be no problem. But an otherwise excellent show was spoiled for me by the neverending interruptions.

May be a bit out of the way, but this is a good quiet place to get a quick lunch and have a business conversation

This was my first visit to World Cafe Live and I would go back in a heartbeat! I saw a show with friends downstairs and we got appetizers before the show. Fantastic black bean hummus. The prices were very good, the drinks were made like the bartender meant it, and it was a fantastic show! No worries about parking, if there's not a place on the street, there's a lot around the corner.

I want to give WCL more stars, because it’s just about the best place in town for live, diverse, affordable music. So run, don’t walk, if you want to hear fine music in a fine setting and choose from a decent, sometimes even interesting, selection of beers on tap and in bottles. Just don’t eat there! The menu offers standard pub-type fare -- burgers, salads, some simple entrees, sandwiches, nachos, hummus plate, etc. But the kitchen misses. Our medium burgers were closer to well-done and almost cold, the fries were lukewarm, and the tomato was tasteless. The prosciutto sandwich was bland. The duck confit was okay, but came in a soup bowl, so the miss on presentation, too. And the service - just awful. Pleasant waitress, but we sat for 10 minutes before she finally came to take our drink order, and for most of the hour we dined upstairs she was the only server on the floor, on a pretty busy night. We ordered a second round of beers mid-way through our meal, but they didn’t show up for another 10, maybe 15, minutes, by which time we had to close out our check and head downstairs for music. “You can take the beers with you,” the server said, but, come on, walk down two flights of stairs with full beer glasses in hand? Stick to downstairs for the music, a good beer or two, and maybe an app. For a meal, eat elsewhere before or after your show. Prices good on the menu.

We were here for Penn's Science Cafe. After the program, we decided to stay for dinner. I was almost ready to leave when a server finally appeared. After that, it was all great service and very tasty food. I had been here when it first opened and the food was meh. This time my husband and I shared two entrees: the BLT, which was dressed with pesto and avocado on naan bread, was delicious. The flatbread, topped with chicken apple sausage, smoked gouda, roasted peppers, mushrooms and arugula, was delightful. We'll definitely be back!

Great entertainment

I've been here twice now to meet friends for happy hour and for concerts and I always look forward to it. This is one of those instances when you "can't just a book by its cover" because the inside is Gorgeous!!! The bars and staff are so much fun, clean and friendly. The food - OH my goodness, I luv it!!!!

Probably the worst service I have ever experienced. The staff treated our group horribly, by talking down to many guests. I would never recommend any group to host your event here unless you want bad food or want your guests treated poorly. Honestly, I cannot believe this venue still operates with such awful employees

I love live music and local Philadelphia concert venues. But World Cafe Live has the worst food and beverage service of any music venue I have attended in the city. We went to a concert there on a Saturday night and waited over 20 minutes for a waitress after being seated. We then had to ask TWICE for a waitress to come over and take our order. needless to say, the drinks and food were very late arrivind and our waitress disappreared after the initial order. This ruined our enjoyment of the concert and we vowed not to return.

We had never been to the World Cafe, didn't even know it existed until we wanted to see a new artist, Rumor. She was playing at the World Cafe so we bought tickets and to our surprise had a wonderful night of not only great music but a fabulous dinner as well. We sat in the balcony, which allowed us to have a wonderful view of the stage and to sit back an relax on the couch as we watch Rumor perform. It was a Tuesday night, and in the Upstairs Cafe they had local artist playing which is where we finished of the evening with a night cap. Great evening, easy drive, easy parking and great food and music. This is a wonderful venue for group outings and parties as well.

We had the great pleasure of seeing Carrie Rodriguez and her band perform here (Downstairs) on August 7, 2009. After finding the FREE parking lot about two blocks down Walnut street, we arrived an hour before the opening act, so that we could consume the $10 per person minimum in food/drink before the music started. That certainly wasn't a problem, as I don't think we saw even an appetizer on the menu for under $10. Our server (Kim) was attentive and efficient, without being overbearing (A big plus these days!). We settled on one of their burgers and a chicken sandwich (each with our choice of fries or a salad), and a couple of Diet Cokes. I guess $32 for two isn't bad for "city" prices. Interestingly, they also offered sweet potato fries and eggplant fries (for a $2 upcharge), but we chose to pass on them. The University Security presence during our walk back helped us feel safe during our walk back to the parking lot, eventhough it was late at night. Bottom line - The music was great (Carrie's always fantastic), but we probably would have eaten somewhere else if it hadn't been a requirement for reserved seating. I wouldn't hesitate to return.

This is a great place for live music in an intimate setting. They have great food as well.

I've enjoyed just about 30 concerts at World Cafe Live since 2005. I have seen artists perform upstairs as well as downstairs. Just note that at some of the upstairs shows some people are there to socialize with each other rather than take in the show; the background conversations can compete with performances. Just sit closer to the stage; it can be a very intimate setting. The menu changes regularly and is somewhat limited, but the food has improved over the years and is very good; the eggplant fries are always excellent and addictive! This evening I had a roasted artichoke sandwich served on naan bread with fresh greens. The sandwich was delicious and served with a side of those amazing eggplant fries. There is always a nice vibe in the room for concerts upstairs or downstairs. The artists and the audience appreciate the live music performed by musicians who actually enjoy performing and appreciate the folks who paid to see them. Tonight I saw Danielia Cotton who always puts on a great show---and that voice--truly a gifted woman. Her show was downstairs and we sat in the mezzanine. A bit more expensive, but a great eating spot and an unobstructed view (but there relly are no bad sets in the house. I've developed a preference for seeing shows in smaller theater/club venues and World Cafe Live is my favorite. Looking forward to returning soon!

solid, not earth shattering, but it is good food and a nice variety.

My wife and I recently spent a weekend in Philadelphia. One of the highlights of the trip was dinner and a concert at the World Live Cafe. It was an incredible experience. The group headlining the program that evening was a group from Austin, Texas called The Band of Heathens. Everything about the evening was wonderful, with one exception. The food was great and was very reasonably priced. The concert tickets, dinner for two with drinks and a tip, came to just over $100.00. The sound and the setting were perfect. The one exception to an otherwise perfect evening was the absence of parking. The only thing available was curbside with the closest spot over 2 blocks away The area was close to the University of Pennsylvania and was well lit; unfortunately the street signs and the ticket kiosk were rather confusing and ended up costing me $35.00 for being just inside a "pickup" zone. All in all l would give high marks to the World Live Cafe for putting together a delightful program at an affordable price. I would not hesitate to go back or recommend it to anyone looking for a nice affordable evening,

Good food and music. My 13 year old is a budding musician and this was a great place to bing her. It's difficult to find a venue for dinner and music that isn't 21 and over. This place was perfect. Made reservations online and also bought tickets for the show online. Made things easy already having a table before the show began. Would come back again.

If you are anywhere in the Phila, (now also Wilmington Del) area, always keep an eye on the upstairs and downstairs entertainment schedule. This is our favorite location to see the folk or rock groups that we like (ones who are still affordable for a medium size venue). You will see folks who are featured on TV, Grammy winners of many categories. We mostly go for acts like Tom Rush, Chris Smither (and other folkies) so we can get close; but also for fun bands like Chuck Prophet, Hooray for the Riff Raff, Strand of Trees... new and oldies. I recommend that you become a member of WXPN radio (xpn.org); this supports this wonderful music and venue... AND GIVES YOU DISCOUNTS TOO!!! Bar food is available and is OK (wine list by the glass is well selected for my tastes), but also nearby to Univ of PA campus restaurants like Fat Ham and St. Declans down the street... a nice convenience for other options!

This is hands down one of the best music venues in the city. Downstairs acoustics are very good & I find the staff there to be very friendly and warm. Plus they have a great line-up of acts spanning a wide range of musical genres. As is apparent from looking at reviews the only inconsistency here is the food. Well. We went again this past Friday evening & there was a new menu in place. I have to say while it's not an overly adventurous menu; the bar/gastropub items they did offer were done well. The burger, sweet potato fries, sesame ginger chicken wings, veggie burger and hummus plate were all sampled & there wasn't a clunker among them. The only other difference seemed to be more use of plastic cups for water etc. As others have said, you really do go to World Cafe to hear the talent. There seems to be no guarantee what the food will be like when you get there.

We've been the World Cafe Live twice now, once in July 2010 and again in Sept 2011. For music, the venue is terrific! Last year we planned to have dinner there before the show. The food was pretty terrible. This year, we had dinner elsewhere and just had light fare (Caesar salad & maryland crab dip with warm pitas) and it was A LOT better. The Caesar was excellent. The crab dip wasn't bad either. One word of warning. If you go with the first row of reserved seats (according to their floor plan) you'll be at the floor level. We didn't understand this at first, because it's absolutely ridiculous. But, you will be paying for reserved seats (these are standard height stackable chairs) while all of the "Standing Room Only" people stand directly in front of you. For the 2010 show it was a real problem since they were completely blocking your the show from view so the reserved people had to go stand in standing room to see anything. It would make sense that those seats should be raised (or the standing room area should be sunken) so that you could see the show above the standing room crowd. For 2011 they seemed to improve it a little by eliminating the side tables so people could spread out closer to the stage. The reserved seat people seemed to be able to see and the standing room weren't packed together so tightly. If they switched the reserved tables to bar height, it would probably solve the problem entirely. Maybe next year?

It's a great concert venue (upstairs or downstairs), but this review is for a rtestaurant, not a concert venue. We've been to WCL several times over the years, and have never liked the food. I know people who work there (not on the restaurant side), and though they could eat for almost free, chose not to eat there. This was a chef or two ago. The current chef's food is better, though still not great. The menu is now less ambitious than in the past, concentrating more on what are essentially fancier versions of bar food. Not bad overall, and the prices are a bit more reasonable than before. What really wrecks the place is the poor service. We were upstairs at a sold-out show (most are), and there were three servers on duty for a restaurant that seats about 100. This has always been our experience. They really need more servers. It was almost impossible to get anything after the order was delivered, unless you were part of a large party. The large parties were getting constant attention, while tables for 2 and 4 went without.

Attended a concert downstairs Oct. 22. We arrived as doors opened so had time to grab some drinks and a bite to eat. Service was ok, could have been a bit faster. Looked as if there were only 3 servers and ours was also making drinks behind the bar. Not sure if this is normal or they were just shorthanded. Got a few apps which were good. Wings and a shrimp dish. Glad we didnt order a meal or would have missed beginning of show. Make a reservation if planning to eat there. The concert was very good! Was standing room only. A decent bar in the back and the bartenders were quick considering it was packed. The sound is great. Would return for another show.

This is a tricky one....design and music is great... food is very good although a limited menu. Service is prolly the worst I have witnessed on several occations. wow...it's bad.

This is a great venue for music; have seen many shows there. But the food is really terrible, just awful. They can't even get simple things right, like apple pie... it was inedible. So go for a great show, but have dinner at one of the great restaurants Philly has to offer!

nice place for small food and live music.

This venue is great for dinner before a concert there, which we did. We shared the Broccoli fritters as an appetizer and they were very good. The special Blood Orange Margarita was very good and definitely not watered down. I had Catfish with a Creole sauce and 3 large shrimp served over creamy grits. It was delicious. We shared a decadent Chocolate Torte with Whipped cream and fresh berries. Oh so good! Then we headed downstairs for the concert, Berue Review. They have been popular favorites in Philly for years. We weren't impressed, but they are interesting and had a large cult following there. They were supposed to do a 2nd set, which they did, but we waited 45 minutes then left. As we were walking up the stairs, they returned, but we left.. Typically, there are very good concerts with pretty standing room for most and only select seating, if reserved in advance or for handicapped individuals.

We went to see Mary Fahl perform at the World Cafe Live downstairs. The venue was pleasant and cozy enough to have an intimate feel of a small club. The food was average and the service decent. Mary delivered an excellent performance.

Had a terrific dinner there while waiting for the show to go on. the pastrami, while a little too fatty, was very good and the eggplant fries were terrific. Excellent service and the ability to watch and listen to two groups made this an exceptional evening. Would absolutely do again.

Outstanding sound system, air conditioned, great views from every part of the venue, with a raised bar at the back, and even a balcony. I have seen more shows here than at any venue I have ever been to, and if you are ever on the fence about a gig at World Café, just go!

World Cafe Live is a terrific performance space to see world class musicians in an intimate setting. We've been here many times, most recently for Alejandro Escovedo and the Minus 5. Consistently good sound, convenient bar and table service, and plenty of food options as well. Tip: the location is not one where you'll easily find a cab after your night is done, so it's best to plan ahead with Uber or similar ride sharing services.

You can see live music just about every evening of the week here. The food is passable, but will take it for $5 draft beers and a broad spectrum of artists. Plus once a month themoth.org hosts a story slam which is at times poignant and at other times split your sides laughing. Fun fun.

This is a review of UPSTAIRS at World Cafe Live. We were there to see a particular performance ay 9pm so made reservations for 7:30 - always good idea as you get best seats. Food was nearly all apps and sandwiches which were good and huge portion of fries came with sandwiches (or you can have salad). There is music most nights upstairs and there are various "admissions" from $13 up. So you can't eat without paying that during a show. If not going to see a particular performer, it's best to verify start time so you are done by then or the ticket price will be added to your meal. But they do have great shows there. The big DOWNSTAIRS room is for major shows and they serve there too. BTW, meter parking is $1.00/hour until 8pm and then free.

The place was empty so that was certainly not the reason our meal took 30 minutes after our appetizers to get to us...and then they were not hot. To start, I had the beet appetizer with a whipped honey goat cheese and it was awesome. My husband had the ahi tuna tacos and they were very tasty. For our meals, we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and a fish sandwich. Heaven knows why it took so long. My grilled cheese had sun dried tomatoes and spinach and provolone. Well, the provolone totally got lost...partially because there was not enough of it and partially because the flavor could not stand up to the sun dried tomatoes. Maybe it needs to be mixed with some sharp cheddar or something. The cajun fish sandwich had a good taste but they were very skimpy on the fish. Now, that being said, their prices are very reasonable...maybe they need to up the prices a bit and use more ingredients. The sweet potato tart we had for dessert was just ok...it was hot, almost too hot and it melted the very small portion of ice cream that came with it too quickly. And I know it is a music venue, first and foremost, but hearing a very loud sound check all through dinner, I could have done without that.

Great food, atmosphere and music

Came here for a concert (duh!) and were quite pleased with the food as well! We arrived in the city a bit late and hoped to catch dinner at the venue before the show. We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of choices, the speed of service and the quality of the food. Add to this the quality of the sound and the whole night was a great success. Highly recommended.

Just had drinks but I enjoyed the show.

My first time to this venue to dine and hear music. The acoustics and the group we went to hear were incredible. The small-ish room (upstairs) made this a very fun and intimate place to hear a great band. The happy hr. ($8.00 for a pitcher of Yuengling) and $6 glasses of wine are a good deal. I milked the beer for most of the next 2 hrs. So, about $2.00 per beer at that price. Wine choices are not great. Just have to get there before 6 p.m. Even 5 min. will work. The service from the hostess (awesome hair) to our waitress (who I believe was managing the whole room!! Great job!) and bus-guy server - were absolutely terrific. Could not have been warmer or more genuine folk. The food is a slight notch above pub food. Our shredded pork sandwich with coleslaw was a 3.5. The petite filet was a 3. Fries were a 2.5 for both sweet potato and real potato. Did not try the eggplant fries (??). So a really great find for a nice and not too expensive night out. Some nights they have no charge music. So for quality music at a great venue this is a full on 5 star locale. And a gem that its in PHL. Go here now!!

Last weekend I went to see a terrific Brazilian jazz group (Minas) at this venue. The room was full. My friend and I had made reservations for dinner. Much to our chagrin, we waited almost 30 minutes to get waited on (and that was after stopping a bus girl and asking her to send us a server), so my friend went to the bar to get us a drink. Finally, the server showed up. (We hardly noticed any servers on duty for the night) The food was fair, my Caesar salad was skimpy as all get out and my sweet potato fries a bit greasy. If you go for the music you will be pleased, but skip the food.

I've seen a few bands here over the years, and it's a great way to see bands you like. Nice and intimate, mature crowd just looking to have a good time. Heartily recommend this place. We even went on a night when it was an "all ages night" with my 2 daughters who are both under 21, and it was a really pleasant night.

Venturing out for a day in Philly over the weekend of the Hercules storm, we found the first three attractions on our agenda closed due to snow emergency. Checking our phones, we found the FREE Friday noon concert still on. As newbies, we asked how this works... We could get lunch, but not til 11:30, so we found a great Irish pub just up the street. The concert is downstairs, a cozy venue with drinks only, seating, space for dancing and an appreciative audience of a mellow mix of ages.

Went to the Restaurant for bite before a Red Carpet Event. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Bar looked calming. We were quickly ushered to our table and service was quick in the begging. A very nice menu. Food came out promptly. Daily Happy Hour Specials. Our Server was Kind, Courteous and Friendly. The Food was Very Good. I had the Duck Con fit, my friend had the Seared Scallops. The Hummus Platter was a good appetizer, however the Fried Eggplant Sticks were soggy, but still good after the first crispy layer. The only problem I had, was that fact there were 2 servers to a whole restaurant. I mean they were running. I was late for the event (downstairs) due to the manager being tied up elsewhere. I was using a Restaurant.Com Certificate. Other than that, I would definitely go back again. It's a Really Nice Venue!

We attended the Dave Barnes concert in the downstairs venue where we had reserved seats. The show started at 8:00, but we got there early to get something to eat. We were approached quickly by our server, who was attentive all night. We ordered drinks - draft beer for me and a signature cocktail for her - which arrived quickly. The beer might have been from the bottom of the keg, because it had that flat look associated with the end of a keg, but it tasted fine. I decided to have the house salad and to add the sesame chili tofu. As a vegetarian, I was happy to see a handful of items that I would eat without having to make a special request of the kitchen. The salad was large, with a good portion of veggies, crisp greens, and a good amount of the marinated tofu. We thoroughly enjoyed the venue, and the food was definitely good enough to eat there anytime we catch a show. We will definitely return. The price on the beverages was a bit high for my taste, but nothing like NYC.

Awesome venue for the music... but the food... terrible hummus with dry pita bread, over-fried (to the point they were black) eggplant fries... can do better.

Haven't eaten there...but atmosphere is great

Took friends to see a band last night & figured we'd eat dinner there before the show. Had a 6:30 reservation & at 8 o'clock we had to cancel our order so as not to miss our show! I was embarrassed that I talked our friends into eating here, furious and starving! The server had the manager come out to speak with us and all he said was, "Sorry. It's just that everyone came in at once." It wasn't crowded! There were empty tables all over! Everyone came in at once?!? This is one of the best small venues in the city to see a concert, but will never attempt to eat here again!

Great spot for live music! We got tickets for a Beatles music night fundraiser (downstairs) for the Children's hospital and it was a lot of fun! Lots of room to dance and great service for drinks. Though we had a bite to eat, we recommend eating elsewhere. There was merchandise if you want to pick up a t-shirt on your way out.

We decided to eat here to guarantee a table for the 8pm performance we were attending. The menu was fine for bar/pub food. My son had a burger and we had pulled pork which both were good. We had eggplant fries and they too were good. We went on a Mardi Gras night and the band was quite a spectacle: loud and boisterous. The crowd was having a good time...older folks and college students and everyone in between. If I lived in the area, I imagine I would go often for live music.

I loved the concert I attended in the upstairs venue. Vertical Current & Mad Satta were the performers. The food however was poor and the service was slow and minimal. I ordered the Fried Chicken. I was expecting a nice breast, maybe a leg. It was basically chicken wings with no seasoning. It came served in a basket with some sweet potato fries with syrup drizzled on them and cabbage. My girlfriend ordered the burger cooked medium. It came out cooked well and tasted like a run of the mill burger. No different than anything you would get at a 24 hour Philly diner. If you're gonna eat here do it during happy hour so you don't feel like you're getting ripped off. Great concert, though!

great shows, good bar.

Great venue for the right bands. Food is good enough

Great staff awesome venue!

Upstairs and downstairs venues all with good viewing. The food is terrific esp the eggplant fries. This is a lively place and while you share tables the crowd is always nice. They often have special events such as a brew tour and trolley tour of the great murals in Philly.

Still feels like aa secret place as I can usually get a seat as soon as I walk in. And the food is great.

Great music. Average food.

Went to see WaveRadio upstairs and it was a great show. Service was good but the food was only ok. Fries were cold & old. Burger was ok. Pretzel app was very good. Your experience here will be positive - but not necessarily because of the food.

We were really impressed with this place, especially the menu, which featured so many items that we were unable to choose. Nothing out of the ordinary on that menu, mind you, but everything our party of 7 ordered was delicious. Servers are super-friendly, and the entertainment is always good. The last time we were there, there were 5 acts, including a folk singer, a rap group, a 10-year-old with a guitar, a sort of rockabilly group, and a goth group. Pretty eclectic stuff.

We come here a few times a year for my daughters singing recital. The drinks are way over priced, even in the city. The food is very basic frozen food. Really the whole experience is like a stadium experience where you pay $5 for a Coors Light and eat poorly cook French Fry's . On top this the bar tender was miserable. If I could NOT come here again that would be great. Unfortunately I think we'll be back because I don't see the music studio moving the event.

Eggplant fries!

A convenient place to get a quick bite before enjoying the almost nightly array of entainment poerformances. Very basic menu with a few starters, mains and desserets. Jumbo shrimp are really JUMBO. Burger and poulled pork most common mains. Lava cake is a fantastic dessert. Service very friendly and fast.

We and another couple went to see Dana Fuchs at World Cafe Live and decided to eat at the "upstairs" restaurant (the is one downstairs in the big music venue which had a similar menu). We ordered: ahi tuna, the french dip; tilapia tacos and the quinoa salad. All were good size and everyone liked what they ordered. I had the ahi and it was excellent, with VERY fresh wasabi! I would eat here again even if not attending a show. The music venue downstairs is two leveled (we were in the mezzanine) with very good acoustics and a wait staff that keeps you happy.

Frankly food is an afterthought at this an venue. The staff is wonderful and attentive the food is average.

Dinner at Cafe prior to show: Excellent and Reasonable. Excellent service. Attended Bria Skonberg performance at Lower Level Theater. First Row seats: Fantastic !. Sound quality very good. All personnel, polite and helpful. Also, plenty of on-street parking. Bria Skonberg - NONE BETTER !