Philadelphia Edition: Barclay Prime

Barclay Prime: Cocktails

We took an impromptu trip to Philadelphia this weekend and The Mr had us make a b-line for Barclay Prime. I had completely forgotten about it, but he saw their Philly Cheesesteak featured on a TV Show at some point and it had seared itself into his memory. We had a late-ish breakfast and therefore skipped lunch so we arrived 30 minutes before they opened for the evening. We headed down the block to have some cocktails and oysters at Devon Seafood Grille while we patiently waited for 5 o'clock to hit. Finally, it was time and we eagerly headed back to Barclay Prime.

We were led into the dining room which was a really fun mix of super modern yet also retro 60s library glam. We ordered a couple of cocktails and then our server brought us some popovers. This was The Mr's first time having popovers and while I had had popovers before, they were nothing like this. They were pure magic which made it hard to say no to a second round, but we had to in order to save room for the epic cheesesteak to come.

Barclay Prime: Popovers

We put in our order for the fanciest cheesesteak we will ever eat in our entire lives: wagyu ribeye, foie gras, truffled cheese whiz on a fresh baked sesame roll. It's so fancy that it's served with a 1/2 bottle of Perrier – Jouët “Grand Brut” champagne. This was a big YOLO moment for us.

Barclay Prime Cheesesteak

We needed a side which would pair well as a fancy snack food and found the house made tater tots to be the perfect accompaniment. They were little pillows of whipped potatoes cooked until GBD (golden, brown, & delicious).

Barclay Prime: Tater Tots

By the end of our meal, we were so stuffed that we barely had room for the complimentary bites of hazelnut, chocolate deliciousness that came our way at the end.

Barclay Prime: Petit fours

Although a bit of an extravagance, Barclay Prime is one of those restaurants that really gives you an experience. Our server was a complete PRO - the perfect mix of attentiveness while also giving us plenty of space to enjoy our fantastic meal.