Where to go for your next group outing in Philly
The key to a fun group outing is picking a spot with an activity.
As the “VP of fun” at a local engineering consultant firm, Eric Frankenfield knows a thing or two about planning an exciting after-work outing.
Armed with a list of suggestions from colleagues, Frankenfield plans events that that encourage team building and social bonding. His key to a fun group outing? Picking a spot with an activity.
“Just the small added aspect of a physical activity definitely makes it easier for people to get engaged rather than just getting a drink,” he said.
While Center City SIPS is a go-to for many in the summer, Frankenfield points out that things get a bit cliquey, with friend groups often sticking together. But when an activity is involved, people feel more comfortable interacting and mingling with others. SPIN Philly, a ping-pong social club in Center City, is his office’s go-to hangout.
Local photographer Vanshika Agarwal agrees with Frankenfield — having something to do makes the outing more fun. She recommends booking the private karaoke rooms at Yakitori Boy in Chinatown, with one of the best happy hours in Philly, for birthday parties or casual gatherings to belt out Pitbull and Kesha throwbacks with your crew.
“You’re not just sitting around wondering what’s the next move,” she said. “And people can still enjoy the outing even if they aren’t drinking.”
Whether it’s throwing axes or battling it out on a nine-hole golf course, Philly has plenty of venues to make the most of your office gathering, birthday party, or family reunion. Here are a handful of places to bookmark for your next group outing.
What’s better than sipping draft beers and playing arcade games for your summer group outing? Take your office colleagues to this Fishtown bar and bond over beloved arcade games. Pay-as-you-play with coin dispensers throughout the bar. Each token costs 25 cents and most games take one token to play — $20 will get you enough to play multiple games for an hour or two. Choose from over 40 video games like Pac-Man and Bugertime, and pinball machines while you sip on an IPA (or any of the other 20-plus beers) and munch on tacos, hot dogs, and nachos. The bar is for guests 21 years and up. Party bookings are offered as well for an average of $35 to $100 per person, prices vary by time and number of people.
📍 1114 Frankford Ave., 📞 215-634-4400, 🌐 barcade.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday: 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday to Sunday noon to 2 a.m.
What better way to get through a family reunion than karaoke? Sing the Jonas Brothers’ “Year 3000″ with your favorite cousin in Yakitori Boy’s karaoke rooms for $40 to $85 (for 6 to 20 people) per hour with spending minimums of $300 to $900, respectively. Order and share plates of shrimp tempura, chicken teriyaki, donburi rice bowls, sushi, and more from the a la carte menu and order bottles of soju (Korean alcoholic drink) for the group.
You’ll must be 21 years old and older with a valid ID to book. There is a non-refundable $150 deposit for the private karaoke rooms that’s applied to the bill. Make sure to reserve by phone 24 hours in advance — walk-ins are subject to availability.
📍 211 N 11th St., 📞 215-923-8088, 🌐 yakitoriboy.com, 🕒 Karaoke rooms: Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday to Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Consider a drive out to Bucks County or South Jersey for the ultimate venue for group fun. With blacklight bowling lanes, billiards, foosball and laser tag (at select locations), Bowlero has something for everyone. Celebrate your birthday or catch up with old friends in the neon glow of the wide selection of video games and arcades. Or beat your work frenemy at bowling — email about cosmic glow-in-the-dark bowling to make things more fun. Walk-ins rates can range depending on the day, time, and location — it’s $8.99 to $13.99 per person, per game at the Feasterville location. You can reserve group packages online — prices vary by location. The packages can be customized to include lanes, shoes, drink and food options.
📍 Multiple locations, 🌐 bowlero.com
Sanil Shah, Kanay Patel, and Pri Rambhia offer a hyperlocal beer bar in North Philly, where you can eat, drink, and putt a nine-hole golf course. Get to know your co-workers over Korean barbecue pulled pork sandwiches and masala-spiced nachos at the picnic-table seating on the ground floor. Then, head downstairs for $10 (per person) mini golf — you’re sure to learn a thing or two about your work crew.
📍 1600 W. Girard Ave, 📞 267-324-3487, 🌐 liberteegrounds.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 2 p.m. to midnight, Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
North Bowl and South Bowl
Whether you’re in Northern Liberties or South Philly, host your office outing at these bowling hotspots. Walk-in with your work buddies (up to 6 people per lane), lace up those bowling shoes, and try to knock down a few strikes as you share a pitcher and funnel cake fries. Remember to bring cash — it’s $7 (per person/per game) or $8 on Friday and Saturday nights with a $5 one time shoe rental per person.
For a corporate gathering with 15 or more people, book a private event at North Bowl starting at $65 per lane, per hour two weeks in advance. South Bowl’s private events have a 20-person minimum, pricing varies based on packages.
📍 909 N 2nd St. and 19 E. Oregon Ave., 📞 215-238-2695 and 215-389-2695, 🌐 northbowlphilly.com and southbowlphilly.com, 🕒 Monday to Friday 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 1 a.m.
Learn the basics with axe pros for the first 10 to 15 minutes and then compete against your friends to see who can hit the bullseye. Take turns throwing while you share a plate of empanadas and sip on Yards Philly pale ales from the a la carte menu.
It’s $35 per person for 75 minutes for all guests. For a private range, book eight to 10 tickets. If you’ve got 11 to 20 people in the group, you’ll split two lanes with 10 people in one and the remaining people sharing an adjacent range with other guests — be sure to book 16 tickets to ensure you have two ranges to yourselves. Groups larger than 20 should reserve a special event. It’s best to have everyone Venmo or Zelle one person and reserve under one name to make sure the group doesn’t get separated.
📍 232 Market St., 📞 800-850-6756, 🌐 kickaxe.com/philly, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
For folks in University City, the sports bar and game hall at the Cira Garage is the go-to for group outings. Get up to 10 of your favorite people and pool $250 to reserve a table for your baseball watch party with the Triple Play Package, which includes 50 any-style wings, a sharable-sized nacho platter, two mix and match beer buckets.
Let your competitive side run wild with arcades, foosball, and other games, or sing your heart out on karaoke nights on Thursdays. No matter what your activity of choice is, Wednesday to Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. is always a good time to take the group and score cheap drinks and eats at happy hour — if you work in hospitality, Monday is industry night with 50% off all food.
📍 129 South 30th St., 📞 215-867-8067, 🌐 instagram.com/thepostphl, 🕒 Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight
Dust off those paddles and get your ping pong on at this national ping pong social club. One of eight (and counting) locations across the country, the SPIN Philly offers a casual hangout with sixteen courts and full-service restaurant/craft cocktail bar. Ping pong table reservations are for groups of two to 20 guests with unlimited ping pong balls and paddles for everyone (ask the front desk for their pro paddles to add a little extra oomf in your hit). While you can walk in and play, booking advanced reservations online or by phone can help you skip the wait. Kids are welcome until 9 p.m. Rates are Tuesday to Thursday $39 per hour, per table and Friday to Saturday $49 per hour, per table (tables accommodate up to 10 guests).
📍 211 S 15th St. (enter at the corner of 15th & Walnut), 📞 267-463-4850, 🌐 wearespin.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 2 p.m. to 1 a.m.
If you’re a group of adventurous misfits, why not work together to recover treasure and escape an 80s-inspired Philly-themed room or outsmart AI in Orwellian-inspired escape room? For $35 per person, you and your birthday party can get a room to yourself. Remember to arrive 15 minutes before the reserved time. Tip: Have one person reserve a time slot with a minimum of two players and everyone else can join the booking by calling or paying separately on arrival.
📍221 Chestnut Street, Suite 300, 📞 484-297-9560, 🌐 oldecityescapegames.com, 🕒 Monday 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. , Friday 4:30 p.m. to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, Sunday noon to 10 p.m.