El-Vez

Cinco de Mayo at El Vez

Posted by Alex Tewfik on April 24th, 2013

“The most fun restaurant in town” is throwing a party. That can only be a great time, right?

This’ll be year two for 13th Street staple El Vez’s Cinco de Mayo block party, and like last year, they’ll be closing off the whole block between Sansom and Walnut to make room for all the eating and drinking that’ll take place. There will be pop-up food and drink stands serving up Pibil Pork Tacos, Chicken Tinga Tacos, grilled corn on the cob, guacamole, and house-made tortilla Chips. Margaritas and select beers, too.

On top of that, a free concert from conveniently named “El Vez” is scheduled for the late afternoon. From what I hear, “El Vez”, aka Robert “The Mexican Elvis” Lopez, puts on quite the show, so dance the night away and slurp down at least five margaritas, because I don’t think any other Mexican place* in the city can throw a Cinco de Mayo party like the most fun restaurant in town.

*Pro Tip: Starr’s other Mexican joint, El Rey, will be offering a special Cinco de Mayo menu from May 3rd-May 5th. But with no Mexican Elvises, that’s not nearly so exciting.

Where We’re Eating: El Vez May Be the Most Fun Restaurant in Town

Posted by Victor Fiorillo on April 8th, 2013

El Vez 2

Because I was tired of hearing overeducated food types in Philadelphia talk a ton of smack about Stephen Starr’s always-packed Mexican joint El Vez, I decided to put the restaurant to the test with a demanding Saturday-night birthday party 10-top, including some fussy suburban eaters and one each of the picky-eater and vegetarian species. We ordered beers. We ordered margaritas. We ordered a wide range of food. And we dropped $40-plus in the photo booth, where, yes, my shirt came off. (Pictures available upon request.) Not a bad plate or drink was served. The server didn’t stumble once. And we made it out the door for under $40 per person. You can hate all you want, haters, but the fact is, El Vez may be the most fun restaurant in town.

El Vez
121 South 13th Street
215-928-9800

First appeared in the April 2013 edition of Philadelphia magazine

Stephen Starr to Open El Vez in New York

Posted by Foobooz on December 5th, 2012

In addition to talking hotels, Stephen Starr is also expanding his presence in New York. Starr tells the New York Times that he is planning to open an El Vez in Battery Park City.

New York’s El Vez, which will be in the Goldman-Sachs building will be bigger than the Philadelphia location with more than 200 seats. If all goes according to plan, Starr aims to open in late 2013.

Stephen Starr to Bring El Vez to Financial District [New York Times]

Top Liquor Purchasers for 2011

Posted by Foobooz on October 2nd, 2012

Here’s the 2011 liquor purchasers in Philadelphia for 2011. This factors out wine purchases from the state. All that tequila really runs up the bill at El Vez. Note, this isn’t what the bars sold the alcohol for, but rather how much they purchased it for from the PLCB.

Rank	Business	Total Spirits Money Spent
1	Delilah's Den	$356,962
2	El Vez	$356,410
3	Woody's	$319,682
4	Whisper	$282,421
5	Continental Midtown	$272,829

Want to play around with the full list of 200 top wine and spirits purchasers in Philadelphia for 2011? Check out our sortable chart of the Top 200 PLCB Licensees for Philadelphia in 2011.

Top 200 2011 Philadelphia LCB Licensees [f8b8z]

Back to School Specials at Starr Restaurants

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on August 30th, 2012

To celebrate the start of the school year some Starr Restaurants have added student specials to their menus. With student ID the specials range from free snacks and discounts off your check to a $29 three-course dinner at Pod. Read more on this menu, more specials, and how to win a dinner for two after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Maddox-Star BBQ Challenge Winners

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on August 15th, 2012

Over the weekend 59 teams competed in the Garry Maddox-Stephen Starr Barbecue Challenge, but only one came out on top. The team at Carolina Blue Smokehouse and Taproom (pictured above) of Pitman, New Jersey was the ultimate champion. The team fended off competitors from both the restaurant and amateur Pit Master divisionsto win tickets to the 2012 World Series.

More than a dozen judges including Phillies alumni and Philly restaurateurs and chefs like Jen Zavala and Sylva Senat worked their way through every entry (poor guys!) to come up with the results.
Winners in each category »

It’s Not Bribery, It’s Palm Greasing

Posted by Victor Fiorillo on January 13th, 2012

I just read this nonsense about Jason Sheehan being accused of bribing a waiter with $50 for a table at some restaurant, in some city other than Philadelphia. Apparently, this is worthy of national news—or at least the food blog version of national news. Jason went on to issue a denial of the horrendous charges, but wait a second, it’s not bribery, and it’s not wrong.

Read the rest of this entry »

El Vez Does Day of the Dead

Posted by Foobooz on October 26th, 2010

ElÂ Vez is celebratingÂ ElÂ Dia de Los Muertos on Saturday, October 30thÂ with a costume contest, passed hors dâ€™oeurves and a late night happy hour from 11pm to 1am. Happy Hour will consist of $3 draft beers and $5 margaritas. There will also be a Â live DJ from 10pm to 2am and Dulce Vida Tequila is sponsoring a complimentary tequila tasting too.

El Vez [Official Site]
Photo via Temple News

Gary Maddox BBQ Challenge

Posted by Foobooz on August 5th, 2009

garry_maddox_bbq

The Gary Maddox BBQ Challenge is this Saturday from 4 to 7pm at Citizens Bank Park. The event is open to the public (you don’t need tickets to the Phillies game to attend) and food tickets make money for the Youth Golf & Academics Program, an academic enrichment program founded by Garry Maddox to support children who reside in troubled city neighborhoods.

This year Stephen Starr has been brought on board and four of his restaurants, Barclay Prime, Jones, El Vez and Buddakan will be competing.

Check out the complete list after the jump, sorry Illadelph, no Bebe’s.

Read the rest of this entry »

Blog Round Up

Posted by Foobooz on August 7th, 2008

UWISHUNU gives some love to the hidden Cafe Lift in the lofts district. Brunch is the meal to hit up with six kinds of frittatas and rarely a wait. [UWISHUNU]

Mac & Cheese hits up the vegetarian options at the Abbaye in Northern Liberties. [Mac & Cheese]

Keeping it veggie, Living on the Vedge dines out at Lolita. [Living on the Vedge]

Foodzings makes it out to the Royal Tavern for a couple vegan dishes and also over to El Vez where they get back in the meat swing. [foodzings]

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