When you first hear about Sona Pub & Kitchen, your first impression may deceive you. It occupies the space on Manayunk’s Main Street, formerly home to notorious party spot Kildare’s, and is owned by three Irishmen.
Sounds like a traditional Irish pub, right? Not on your life.
Sure, you can get a good pint of Guinness and some fish and chips. But, with its creative “Irish fusion” fare and clean, modern décor, Sona Pub & Kitchen is very different than the typical Irish pub. If anything, it feels like the type of hip gastropub you could find in the heart of contemporary Dublin. Emphasis on gastro. “We want to sell a lot of food. We don’t want to be just a place that serves alcohol,” said owner Damien Given.
And like any gastropub that’s worth its salt, the food is phenomenal.
Just check out the appetizers. The chicken wings are available in five delicious flavors: Guinness BBQ, dry rub, buffalo, Asian and sweet heat. The sweet heat sauce is particularly worth noting. Purchased from Hunt’s Annex Lounge in Woodlyn, the sauce is used on not just the wings but also the crispy chicken sandwich and the Buffalo chicken pizza. “To me it’s the best wing sauce I’ve ever tasted,” said Given.
There’s also the sprouts and pork belly, a clever take on corned beef and cabbage garnished with an addictive sherry vinegar dressing. For another twist on an Irish favorite, take the sausage roll. Pork sausage is wrapped up in flaky phyllo dough and dappled with apple chutney and HP aioli for a sweet and savory treat.
Moving onto entrees, diners will make short work of the succulent short rib sliders. Braised short rib is also used to great effect in the short rib mac and cheese. Sona serves up five different varieties of pizzas, as well as numerous burgers, sandwiches and even tacos.
Sona also offers a popular brunch on weekends. Brunch dishes range from the classic Irish breakfast with rashers, sausage, black and white puddings, eggs, baked beans, grilled tomatoes and fries to decadent options like the Captain Crunch French toast and the WTAF—a chorizo sloppy joe topped with two over-easy eggs and served atop a grilled glazed donut. Better come hungry!
Overall, Sona’s hearty menu can stand up to a pint or two (or three, or four). Not only does Sona have an extensive beer list, but it’s playfully named cocktails are top-notch.
Take the Jackass, a variation of a Moscow Mule made with Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey instead of vodka. Like a traditional Moscow Mule, it’s light and refreshing. There’s also the George Best, a Long Island iced tea mixed with house-made sour mix and named after a hard-partying Irish footballer. Particularly popular with customers is the Delco Barbie, a classic cosmo topped with champagne.
So what’s next for Sona?
Although Sona is committed to providing a quality dining experience, Given stated that “we also want to be that place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday night where 21 to 50 year olds come in…we at least want to try to recreate bit of the nightlife that Kildare’s had.”
“Without the over consumption,” he added.
Sona is open Monday to Wednesday, 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–2:30 a.m.
Find Sona Pub & Kitchen at 4417 Main St. in Manayunk: phone (484) 273-0481.
- Cocktail photo: Jordyn Kimelheim
- All other photos: Sona Pub & Kitchen
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