Philadelphia: Tradesman’s BBQ (December 2018)

Tradesman’s BBQ - We Only Had Drinks, But the BBQ Menu Looked Good
My spouse and I visited Tradesman’s BBQ for drinks on a Monday afternoon in late December 2018 (NY’s Eve afternoon). Tradesman’s is open daily from 11:00 am until 2:00 am. You can book a spot using the online Open Table reservation system.
Tradesman’s BBQ opened in August 2018 in Midtown Village, across the street from one of the main entrances to Macy’s department store. (In fact, it offered my spouse a convenient place to watch some sports and enjoy a beer while I did some shopping.) The restaurant occupies the former (early 1900s) Tradesman’s Trust Company Bank building, hence the venue’s name. The owner of Tradesman’s (Craft Concepts Group) also operates neighbors Bru Craft and Wurst and U-Bahn, as well as Finn McCool’s, Cinder, and the (seasonal) Uptown Beer Garden.
The Tradesman’s space is open and inviting, with 23-foot ceilings and seating on both the street level and on the second-floor mezzanine. Additional al fresco sidewalk seating is available in appropriate weather; in fact, one exterior wall of the restaurant has a glass garage door that can be rolled back to join the indoor and outdoor spaces, and the bar is so long that it continues outdoors, where it offers additional stools on the sidewalk. Lots of wood, exposed brick, wire fencing, and steel complete the decor, as well as many TVs.
As its name implies, Tradesman’s serves smoked meats of different BBQ styles from around the country (Texas, Carolina, St. Louis). The restaurant also offers more than 30 beers on draft (with more by the bottle) as well as 80+ types of whiskey. Although we didn’t get to sample the food, the menu sounded appealing, and we might return someday to sample the cuisine.