Twenty One Pips is putting all the cards on the table this spring in Ardmore as owner Matt Hendricks announced a series of updates to the business. Beyond a new food and drinks menu, there’s the addition of a gaming “parlor” on-site—just in time for the busy spring season.
“When guests come through our door, we want to offer them the best of all worlds—great food, quality cocktails, ample spirit-free beverages, hundreds of new board games, and elite vibes,” says Hendricks. “We cater to everyone from discerning Main Line foodies to couples on a date night, casual groups of friends and corporate get-togethers. Our new menu has something to offer everyone.”
After opening Thirsty Dice in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section in 2018, Hendricks launched Twenty One Pips in Ardmore in 2022, making it the first restaurant within the much sought-after One Ardmore Place postcode. The restaurant will soon celebrate its second anniversary, so together with the busy spring season on the horizon, Hendricks and his team felt it was the ideal moment to boost their offering.
Chef John Taus of the culinary consulting business JET Hospitality partnered with Twenty One Pips to establish a brand-new menu featuring delicious plates like mushroom “calamari,” crab and chili flatbreads, Korean chicken sliders, raclette grilled cheese, fried cauliflower and blistered shishitos. In developing this culinary revamp, he drew on two decades of experience working alongside chefs and entrepreneurs worldwide.
At the bar, gamers can enjoy inventive drinks, including a new hibiscus margarita, bananas foster old fashioned, sake spritz, coffee negroni and a host of spirit-free mocktails, like the Lavender Pop, Hidden Gem and The Machete (made with Danny Trejo’s zero-proof tequila alternative).
The space has received a makeover, with the lounge now decked out in colorful sofas, providing guests with more space. Meanwhile, the already intensive board-game library has been expanded to comprise over 400 entries, including four new crokinole boards, Keep It 100 (making the fun of Family Feud accessible), more copies of family classics like Connect 4, Scrabble, Sorry, Monopoly, Times Up Family and Tinderblox. Many of these games are for sale too, in case guests can’t decide on a winner at the end of the night.
“We are raising the bar of the entire experience with a new posh game lounge, upgrades to the space and hundreds of new games,” Hendricks notes, explaining how a team of ‘gametenders’ are stationed at the concierge when guests arrive, “to help customers pick out games, learn the rules and even discuss game strategy. They focus on ensuring guests don’t have to navigate confusing rules so everyone can get straight to having a great time.”
As the season turned to spring, Twenty One Pips featured complimentary passes to the game library on National Board Game Day, along with door prizes and raffles to celebrate the holiday. Still on the horizon, the venue will also host an acclaimed drag show featuring Brittany Lynn, as well as its regular program of events, like MahJongg, Quizzo and Strat-o-Matic baseball.
Think you’ve got what it takes to win? There’s only one way to find out at Twenty One Pips, and don’t forget to bring your competitive spirit.
Twenty One Pips
24 Cricket Ave, Ardmore
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