You’re probably aware that Philadelphia has a plethora of choices for dining and entertainment. What you probably don’t know is that there is a source for an all-inclusive experience that will blow your mind, without forcing you to blow all your cash.
Jillian’s, a multi-purpose mecca in the Franklin Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia, offers anything and everything you could want in terms of entertainment.
Jillian’s is a restaurant combined with an arcade, pool hall and bowling alley – just to name a few of the things to do.
Jillian’s, a national chain, has its headquarters in a three-story megaplex in Boston. It has about 30 facilities nationwide, including this one right here.
The facility boasts three separate restaurants to cater to different audiences. The first is a sports bar, filled with 40 big screen TVs that show every imaginable game of the day. If dining “al fresco” is your style, the second restaurant is an outdoor villa-type café open during the warm weather months.
The third restaurant is the most exciting though. The Hibachi Grill offers Japanese cuisine cooked right in front of you. The chefs flip knives and not only provide a great meal, but about 2 hours of eye-popping entertainment as well.
To complement the three restaurants, there are three separate bars where you can get any drink imaginable. There is nothing the bars don’t serve, so if you’re looking for a specialty drink, this is the place to go. There is no cover charge, and bands play in one of the three bars every weekend.
Families and teen-agers venture in during the day, but after 9 p.m., Jillian’s is 21 and over only. The atmosphere caters to all ages, but it is more oriented towards the college-age group.
The service is quick and friendly, as there are always waitresses working their way through the crowd to fill up drinks and take dinner orders. The only disadvantage is that the food sometimes arrives in a slow fashion. But in such a massive establishment, this is to be expected.
Before or after you dine, there are activities galore, including standard bar fare like ping-pong tables and billiards. There is even a cigar bar, where you can try the latest cigars in a comfortable, leather-armchair kind of setting.
If arcade games and virtual reality is your thing, you have the chance to be a kid again, as Jillian’s has a massive arcade with the latest virtual reality simulators (the kind where you walk around with a headpiece on looking like a fool, but having fun nonetheless).
One of the most popular sections of the Jillian’s megaplex is the bowling alley, as its location within the building complements the dining experience.
The motto of “Eat, Drink, Play” is well deserved, as Jillian’s offers a comfortable dining and entertainment combination.
Jillian’s is located in the Franklin Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia. For more information on the mall and directions to Jillian’s, visit www.franklinmills.com. To see the overview of Jillian’s visit www.jillians.com.
Ross Bercik can be reached at rbercik@temple.edu
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