Dock Street FIshtown is Opening April 4th at 4pm!
Dock Street Fishtown, the newest location from Dock Street Brewery, is set to open Tuesday, April 4th at 1229 N. Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood!
“We want Dock Street Fishtown to be a go-to stop on every friend group and couple’s Fishtown outing,” explains Renata Vesey (Certo-Ware), Dock Street Creative Director. “Join us before or after dinner at one of the world-renowned restaurants within a few blocks of us, swing by for beers, cocktails and light bites after work as you exit the El, just a hundred feet away, or come by with a date or a pal for an intimate, easygoing outing.”
Nestled on the ground floor of the brand new, 11-unit building El Rose, Dock Street Fishtown is really unique from our other locations. It is small but mighty, immaculately built by Philly-based green builders Subversive Building, owned by Sasha Certo-Ware, and thoughtfully, precisely designed by architect Mark Wieand, with interior design by Renata Vesey. All are part of the Dock Street’s ownership family along with owner and president Rosemarie Certo at the company’s helm. Also heading up the expansion on Dock Street's Executive Team are Head Brewer Mark Russell, Executive General Manager Jackie O'Hare, and Head Chef PJ Freeman in charge of the menu.
The result is a beautiful, cozy yet high performance, high efficiency, all-electric taproom full of natural light, restored lumber and architectural accents salvaged from Philadelphia homes and businesses, plus plenty of cheeky design elements.
The intimate taproom and cocktail bar has seating for 30 guests at custom built cafe tables topped with naturally purple-tinged Mount Blanc marble and a spacious concrete-topped bar accented with green tiles to match the bar’s backsplash. The design concept of the taproom leans into the brand’s nautical roots, with a life aquatic-themed gallery wall featuring sailors, surfers, water deities and everything in between. The pendant lights above the bar hint at bubbles, and the colors of the banquette and backsplash reference a deep green seascape. A bright pink, custom-made “It’s All in Your Head” neon sign ties it all back to our classic Dock Street aesthetic - it’s been our slogan since 1985. You’ll find the same neon at our locations past, present and future. Grab a selfie in the antique mirror in the washroom of the gender-neutral bathrooms, which has its own playful surprise (think: Benjamin Franklin) and includes a quote in penny tiles on the floor - “Haste makes waste.” For a brand like Dock Street which was one of the first craft breweries in the country, we have stayed slow and steady in our growth, so the expression really rings true.
Back to the bar - eight taps feature a rotating selection of Dock Street’s award-winning brews, with an additional four lines for wine and cider. The current line up includes staples such as Dock Street Rye IPA and Dock Street Bohemian Pilsner, and moody seasonals like Dock Street Prince Myshkin and Dock Street Citrahood.
In addition to draught beer and draught wine, and an incredible, themed cocktail menu which rounds it out. The current theme is the Nineties, with cheekily named cocktails like “The Freshmaker” and “It’s a Chopper, Baby!”, all featuring local spirits, including Dock Street Spirit’s Vicio Mezcal plus mocktails like “You’re a Virgin who Can’t Drive.”
There is plenty of beer to go, too - two “ludicrously capacious” coolers stay stocked to the brim with a wide variety of up to a dozen of our beers in 16oz cans. We encourage everyone to purchase a four-pack or a case of the beers they enjoyed on tap to enjoy at home or at their next destination, or just pop in on your way home from the El to grab some brews for the night.
We’re not leaving you hanging on the food front! With only about 1000 square feet of space to build, we don’t have room for a full kitchen, let alone a wood-burning pizza oven like our main flagship location Dock Street South. At Fishtown, we’re serving up a concise but satisfying menu of Mediterranean small plates including snacks, dips, and piadine, our spin on the OG Italian street food sandwich staple. Food is expertly prepped at Dock Street South by our amazing Head Chef PJ Freeman, a Dock Street veteran who has been with us for more than a decade, and is delivered fresh daily, allowing us to maximize our expansive kitchen at South while providing delicious fare in our much smaller space at Fishtown. You’ll find plenty of tie-ins on the menu, from the house-made wood-fired pita to the beer glaze for the roasted nuts, made with Dock Street Rye IPA. It’s a truly immersive experience that encompasses both our locations and really extends Dock Street into Fishtown in every sense, rather than being a separate entity.
There are tie-ins all around, in fact. “Dock Street South is the new blueprint in terms of our brand identity going forward, but I really think Dock Street Fishtown is the ‘Rosetta Stone’ location - it really is an amalgamation of everything we’ve represented and a bit of where we’re headed, as well. It’s all here, in the quality of the beer and cocktails, in the symbolism buried within the design, and in the tightness of the concept. We’re entering a really dynamic, fruitful era in our company’s nearly four-decade history.”
And the choice of a new neighborhood to grow in really reflects who we are and where we want to be, in addition to our beloved headquarters in Point Breeze.
“Fishtown is a neighborhood known for its culinary landmarks, brimming creativity, and unique Philadelphia culture,” says Sasha Certo-Ware. “Dock Street is no stranger to Fishtown and Northern Liberties. We've been proudly flowing through neighborhood draft lines for the past two decades, and we are incredibly proud and excited to now call Front Street home.”
