Phillies of Shawlands in Glasgow City

I really don't understand where all these good reviews are coming from, I really don't. If you come in at a certain time of night, Phillies has a policy of making sure you are seated before you can order a drink. I don't understand this, but I can certainly provide some educated guesses based on the people who work here and the clientele who frequent it. One theory is that they want to keep single men who they think are looking to talk to women out – this place is woke to the nth degree so that would make absolute sense. So they order you to sit at the bar away from anyone else you might be able to strike up a conversation with, male or female. Another theory I have is that they're still trying to practice a form of 'social distancing', by which they don't want people who aren't in the same 'bubble' coming too close to each other, but that's a long shot, although I wouldn't discount that having something to do with it as well. I've never entered a pub before and heard the words uttered by a bouncer 'are you OK'. I left the house at 9pm tonight and it is now half 12. I've only had the time to tank 4 beers so clearly I am OK. That's the language of so-called 'safety' I'm very uncomfortable with. I am writing this review as I sit here and am as sober as a judge, I hope that my relatively good eloquence cements that point. As I came in, I was again told (I've been in before with a friend) that I need to take a seat and was ordered to take a seat at the bar. What is this? Apartheid? I ask that question in all honesty. The barmaid was at least off the ball enough for me to have to remind her that I haven't yet paid for my drink, but still. This is discriminatory, if not downright scary. I remember that The Shed, before it closed, also had a policy of not allowing single men to enter but this goes a step further. Then I witnessed a guy trying to push past the bouncer to get in and the staff seemed to just laugh it off as some reprobate trying to enter their circle. This really is the lowest of the low. The level of control over where somebody should sit, how bad they are feeling, and their 'fitness' to be in a local bar is getting beyond ridiculous. This is gentrification 2.0. What next? Wearing a badge saying that you are a 'safe' person? Absolutely bizarre. 1984-esque nonsense. I will never be back. This bar is the most unsettling one I've ever visited. I will quietly finish my pint and never be back again. Gobsmacked. On the whole, an Orwellian pub with incompetent and inattentive staff (but on the ball about where you are sitting), and a clientele who are all of the same demographic and narrow-minded worldview. Wow. Is this what they call a 'safe space'? I would feel a hell of a lot safer in downtown Mexico City.

Vey limited menu. Our meat eaters enjoyed what they had, our vegetarians struggled to find much that they liked. The mushroom burgers deserve special mention, because they were pretty awful. Honestly, two giant fat mushrooms do not make a good burger. Beers are normally good but a couple of taps were off. Service is slow, even on a quiet night, and we didn’t appreciate being shouted at by the bar server when we inadvertently walked past the “Please wait to be seated” sign. Also, as a venue it is just too big - it’s never going to be a nice place to hang out.

Good service but food pretty woeful, especially for the price it definitely doesnt live up to expectations.

Late-evening impromptu dining. Good food and atmosphere. The Mapo Pork Loaded fries were notable! Recommend! Ok cocktails. Fairly priced, good portions. I’d return.

Fun bar in the Southside, the only place I know I can get a pint of Jubel without trekking into town. Cocktails are super yummy and always up for a visit when there’s a vinyl fair on. Love that there’s no TVs, gives a nice break from the norm (and an escape on football days). Only downside for me is that the food menu changed, used to be a big fan of the Bao Buns and more casual approach to food. Yet to try the current menu so perhaps that will change my perspective.

We had a great night out with gorgeous food and drinks. Charlie was great and looked after us all night :)

The new Five at Phillies menu is great! Plenty of veggie and vegan options. The hispi cabbage was the runaway favourite for us. The sweetcorn fritter burger was also great. I also loved the drinks selection!

Bad hygiene here. I got food poisoning from a chicken burger.

Friendly service and good value pints

Food was excellent one of the best burgers I have tasted. Service excellent had Glastonbury on the big screen.

Nice quiet cuppa coffee outside with great fries and dog friendly. Have been a few years back but still just as great! Staff were super friendly and helpful.

We really enjoyed the Bloody Mary's ... the mapo tofu loaded fries, Caesar salad and corn burger were dire. Flavourless, unexciting, expensive pub food. The burger tasted off/sour, the tofu loaded fries were a sad sight to behold as well as the mushrooms in it giving a sore stomach afterwards and the Caesar was mostly mayo. Will defo not be back again... The staff were nice enough but never asked if we enjoyed our meal and it seemed they were also embarrassed by the quality of the food being served.

The staff were wonderful and really helpful. Even accommodated or surprise pint request which was great. It was amazing to see a place like this in Glasgow a must go in the southside

Food nice. Drinks fab and very reasonably priced. Best thing was staff. All very friendly! Kept up regular table service and made sure we had drinks despite it being super busy! They were fantastic! Will definitely be back!

Lovely beers on offer. Top service too

The food was so good. Had some great drinks as well.

Great local bar, I’ve been a few times now and enjoyed each visit. Some lovely food, pretty much everything I’ve had has been good like the Korean fried chicken, but the kimchi mac and cheese balls are to die for (I just wish they were a bigger portion!). Good selection of drinks, although some are on the pricey side.

Phillies is always great for a drink and some food, cosy atmosphere and good tunes.

Decent keg beer selection, though it seems there's been a pivot over recent months away from session IPAs towards stronger and fruitier beers sold by the schooner. The food could be described as "elevated" pub grub - but at restaurant prices. The atmosphere is always lively though this is not a place for a quiet chat in the evenings. There's always a slightly chaotic energy to the (very friendly and chatty) service once it gets busy, which adds to the atmosphere, and they insist on table service, so a wait for your drinks and the odd forgotten order are sadly not uncommon.

Good drink selection and the menu updates quite regularly. Great service

Great local venue,food great, service very good

Great selection of cocktails and lovely, warm atmosphere - we'll definitely be back!

Nice bar real shame they have such a big bar with table service but the service was good

Great local spot for food and drinks. Made it to both Oktoberfest and pub quiz recently and the atmosphere at both were brilliant. Good selection of draught beers and food is great and reasonably priced.

Tasty food, loud fun atmosphere for drinks, and fast service.

Good choice of beer and great food. The Bao buns are amazing.

Really lovely space, good selection of beers and an interesting menu. Pub food but with more thought. Dog friendly, low key music and pleasent service.

The Japanese fried chicken and corn ribs are beyond good. Seriously worthy of a try. Great cocktails, huge beer selection, lovely wine, great music, always great staff. Love it.

Totally buzzing atmosphere and tasty cocktails. A must when in Shawlands.

Bit on the loud side but it was a Saturday evening, I've just got old 😉 staff were absolutely fantastic, best in the local area for sure! Service was swift!

Amazing bar with great food, drinks and atmosphere. Can't recommend highly enough !

Nice food, reasonable prices, lovely staff. Perfect!

Best nightlife so far in shawlands for me, buzzin wee place with a DJ at nights

Great bar and restaurant. Staff are all very friendly and welcoming especially Louise. Good range of beers and wines and great atmosphere and great music.

Not a great experience overall. Food wasn't great, service was very slow (it wasn't very busy) and there were lots of dirty glasses all over the bar area.

The staff were genuinely lovely on my first visit, cheerful and charming and helpful. Really made for a great vibe. The beer is decent too.

Great food and drinks. Usually quite quiet but the service can be slow at times.

It's another gentrified gastropub. Young & wealthy crowd, faddish decor, cool location, quirky side-business in the corner punting artisanal merchandise (similar to the late "Abandon Ship" in Mitchell St). This is fairly standard for Shawlands. The Phillies is probably a great laugh on event nights, and clearly a cool place to work. But the prices, cuisine choice, and branding of the business seemed to suggest something with more passion than an in-and-out student pub. It is a bar foremost, and a bad choice for a meal. With bare plating and shy portions, it was relatively overpriced - ~£15 for a main (and £4 for a Tennent's). They serve Westernised Asian-fusion, with sides of shop-bought fries. Overall, we received poor service - We were given table-water without glasses; then after 15 mins we were given dirty glasses. Cutlery was left in a pile on the table for us to hand-out ourselves. Requests for condiments were forgotten. I had to approach servers personally after 30 mins of gesturing for the bill. Some servers prioritised conversation with their friends at the bar. Review is based only on one visit, and the establishment was very busy (about 70 covers?) with only 5 FoH staff. I only saw 1 chef. 1 of our waiters seemed lovely, the other seemed reluctant to communicate with us. I work in hospitality myself, and I honestly do understand the sparse service, especially as it was busy. But in tangence with the food, I'm afraid it was a bad experience. In Glasgow, these types of establishments are dime-a-dozen and their pricings are never proportionate. You're paying for the wallpaint and the company of Veja logos. Besides event nights, and maybe some craft beers, there's nothing The Phillies really offers that isn't done better by their nearby competitors. Sorry guys.

Super fun, very friendly service. Great selection of lovely food & drinks

It’s just...ok. Decent drinks menu; I’ve had gin and wine but there’s also a good beer selection. Bao was soggy, pizza was alright, Parmesan fries were tasty and piping hot. The sesame toast was pretty great. I had a really nice pear and berry crumble. Loud music played from a totally sh*t soundsystem means it’s a difficult place to socialise so we ended up leaving for somewhere quieter.

Love Phillies! They always have an amazing selection of beers and great guest taps. Food is always top notch also (looking at you flatbreads!) Staff are always super friendly and they are doggy friendly so you can bring your 4 legged pal with you if you want.

Top class cocktails service and staff

Great beer's and plenty of room

02/10/22 Sunday night, not too busy, great live band, asked to find a seat and 'I will be right with you to get your drinks'.....25 minutes later, after patiently waiting and asking twice for a lager and a glass of red wine and being repeatedly ignored, we left...

Good feel and atmosphere however disappointed it's seating only. Feel this place could do a lot more if allowed to stand. Would add to the appeal and the business.

Went on Friday, so good I went back Saturday

It's very spacious and nice. The food is also great.

Really enjoyed this place. Relaxed, nice vibe, good selection of wines and the woman who served us was very friendly. Will definitely be back for more.

Food amazing, very friendly staff, casual vibe, dogs allowed

Best bar southside. Or anywhere in Glasgow really.

Great beer selection, professional and attentive staff. Highly recommended!

Great selection of beers, lovely waiting staff and delicious food.

Good selection of drinks. Havent had food yet but sure it's great too. Friendly staff.

We had walked quite a way to get to Phillies and we were hungry. Only the brunch menu was available (but they were out of eggs). There was nothing suitable for the kids and no children's menu. We ended up getting them a plate of chips each, they were of course happy about that even if we weren't. What we had was nice, the staff were pleasant but the place was dark and just not very family friendly. If you are looking for a place to recover from a night out and chow down it would be perfect!

The decor and atmosphere is really trendy and cool, the staff friendly and the right amount of attentive. The food was super tasty and a bigger portion than I expected. I've only dropped a star because it's very loud (the music is quiet but somehow the noise is extremely loud? But it is busy tonight) and there was a recurring smell that I can only describe as "toilety"?! It was quite unpleasant and it came in waves but didn't seem to be from the actual toilets considering they are not that close to where we were sitting? Quite off-putting but generally a really cool place that I would visit again and try the rest of the menu :) I just hope next time that I can only smell the tasty food instead!

Good atmosphere, Great beer, friendly staff, dog friendly 5*

Atmosphere is really good, never ate but drinks are in between of decent priced/slightly expensive compared to other places. Staff are lovely :)

Lively bar. Great service. Quite noisy so not good for an intimate chat. Great food. Recommend the ribs and the banh mi and the kimchi fries.

Great wee pub ... amazing staff an Great service

Lovely atmosphere staff very pleasent

Loved it. Good food. Great service. Nice place. Good guiness.

I found it extremely noisy and quite cold in Phillies. On the evening I was there the food menu seemed to me too limited. The staff were friendly and helpful. I suspect I'm not in their target group as everyone else seemed fine with the high level of noise and cool temp.

Drinks were reasonably priced, atmosphere was lovely. Would have had a better time if the staff weren’t making fun of my friends for taking pictures and mimicking them with the card machine. Rest of the staff were friendly but these two members in particular brought the team down.

Interesting sister pub to the wonderful Redmond's of Dennistoun. Asian inspired food menu is great value and fine selection of craft beer on tap and from bottle shop attached. Plays vinyl and punters can select but not at all times like Redmond's. Worth a visit in a sea of souless chain pubs

Staff friendly, reasonably priced drink and food menu but place is not very clean

Pequeno almoço a maneira de Escócia

Great atmosphere. Very wide selection of drinks and good options for light bites.

Nice atmosphere, drinks and food ✅

Defo my favourite bar in the Southside. Always a good buzz in the evenings, great range of drinks & reasonably priced cocktails, and great food too.

Great veggie burger and atmosphere

Food was absolutely delicious 😋

Great bar in the southside, food is five star

Food was delicious but soft drink prices horrific!!! Charged £5.80 EACH for a pint of coke (we only asked for a glass). We should have asked for pints of alcohol it would have been cheaper! Trendy place and nice staff.

Food was very good, but there was not a lot of choice on the menu

Food was great and dogs welcome. What more can I say

Good bar but poor food offering. Food just an excuse to make you stay longer and buy more drink.

Top beer selection, friendly service.

Crispy chicken sandwich is spot on

Great place. Very friendly staff, nice relaxed atmosphere. Good music too.

Good food, nice staff, music inside was like a club so sat outside and was lovely

Really friendly staff. Good selection of beers. Nice food.

What's not to love? Best fries around, incredible music, lovely staff and great beer selection.

A great evening at Phillies. The food was excellent and the servers on fine form. They looked after us and, more importantly, the dog. Good to be out and about in Glasgow’s Southside once again.

Great food and a wide array of beers to select from

Great place! Tasty food, delicious drinks and lovely staff. What more could you ask for!!

We had a great time! The vegan options are delicious and well thought out, the drinks are fab and the staff are super friendly and helpful.

Had a splendid GF Pizza at Phillies of Shawlands. Well worth the trip.

Food looks fab! Initially mine was cold but the staff were really apologetic and replaced it really quickly.

In for some lunch with family and 7 month old just before lockdown 2.0. Nice, open space so social distancing not an issue. Food was great and even managed to have a decent pint of non-alcholic beer. Been here a few times before and couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Great vibe with the space and the customer service. The food and drink choice is beyond great. Awesome hang out

Went to Phillies this weekend (Saturday 3rd October) and could not have been more impressed. First of all the measures they've put in place to keep customers and staff safe during the coronavirus pandemic seem very clear and second to none but at the same time didn't make us feel uncomfortable or reduce our experience, largely down to the friendly and attentive nature of the staff who were brilliant. That aside the food was excellent (and we ordered pretty much one of everything from the menu because we're greedy) as well as having plenty of great beer and wine options, which kept the whole table happy. Particular mention goes to whichever bar staff made the top notch negroni too.

Place is right in the heart of shawlands. Nice inside, affordable

Staff were super friendly and managed to sort a table for me and my girlfriend even though we didnt book which is beyond the standard of customer service we received at other establishments and drinks were delicious!

Great bar, great atmosphere and lovely staff!

Good beers good food great atmosphere what more could you ask for

1st night out with my pals since lockdown and was a great experience. Staff amazing and all the social distance measurements in place that made it feel safe but not making it awkward. Brilliant!! All bars should follow suit 🙌

Such a great place, with great staff, drinks and food. A must visit when in Shawlands!

Great selection of beers, ales and spirits. The bottle shop at the front is good for stocking up the fridge at home too. Food is pretty good too.

Good place to go with your friends if you want to have a drink and chat but the music a bit boring, also would say place for young people not over 35 but overall nice atmosphere

Great selection of beer and spirits. Served by even greater staff!