First time back to Appetites on Main since the renovations. The restaurant and atmosphere are better than ever! Beer selection is great along with a bevy of wines and cocktails. Food came out quick and was delicious. Could use touch more seasoning but that’s no big deal. Perfect spot for March Madness coming up!
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
I recently had the pleasure of being part of the full restaurant renovation project at Appetites on Main in Exton, PA. The restaurant / bar has undergone a stunning, modern full renovation, and I had the privilege of being the contractor involved in designing & building the new industrial pipe draft beer tower system. The new tower adds a unique and stylish touch to the sleek modern ambiance, making it a standout feature of the final product.
Beyond the impressive renovations, what truly sets Appetites on Main apart is the warmth and hospitality of the owner, Brad, and his staff. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with genuine friendliness and attentiveness. Brad's passion for his restaurant is evident in every detail, and it's clear that he takes great pride in providing a memorable dining experience for his local community.
If you haven’t been over to “Apps” yet to check out the wonderful changes…Please go! Do yourself a favor and skip the larger chains and support this beautiful local gem…You won't be disappointed!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
New renovations look really good, the atmosphere is very lively, and food is excellent
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Nola Fries
I wanted to give Appetites on Main a final chance, and that chance was squandered with inconsistent food quality, abysmal service, and worst of all, poor food safety. I have been in the Chester County area for 5 years now and 4 years ago, I came to Appetites for the first time to have a wonderful night with friends and cheesesteaks. Unfortunately with each subsequent visit over the years I have noticed that my overall experience at Appetites got more sour.
For one, the quality of food is incredibly inconsistent. I have seen friends get served poor food, and I myself have gotten my fair share of stinkers as well. The only consistent thing about their cooking is that they do not cook the food enough. My most recent visit with my girlfriend was the straw that broke the camel's back. All of our food was lukewarm as if it sat in the kitchen longer than it did our table, tasted as dry as a desert, and even got me sick. Combined with the many reviews of raw and undercooked food shown, it is safe to say that Appetites is in drastic needs for training in food quality and safety, as well as find better cooks.
Service here is no better than the food itself. I have seen other reviews of and heard stories of guests being treated rudely and even goaded into arguments, as well as many stories of staff threatening to sick law enforcement on "unruly" guests. But the worst part is how long it takes for everything and how cold and indifferent everyone is. We waited for roughly 30 minute for any of our food to make it to the table and the waitress seemed like she did not want to be there. Not to mention it took more than five minutes to even get our card back after the check, which is a suspiciously long time to get our card back. All that adds ups to lost time where we could have eaten and been out the door for the next group. We also did not even get any option to eat outside even though it was nice out that night.
Appetites has finally finished renovations to the building and after seeing it, the only improvement was the lighting. All the sports paraphernalia that gave this place a shred of character was gone, the music was still loud and obnoxious. Worst was the arrangement of televisions which surrounding all the dining tables. Normally a sports bar would have the televisions set up at the bar and a few televisions at the corners of the building. What was once a quaint sports bar is now a bland and uninspired location that has lost all charm; they sacrificed both form and function.
Appetites on Main seemed to stand for quality for a time, but actions over the years have shown that it has fallen off. It disheartens me that this has happened. After being consistently let down and getting sick from the food however, I can no longer in good faith support this establishment. I will now move on to other eateries and bars that will serve this community better, for the competition is strong.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 1
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 1
I gave Appetites on Main several chances, but they've run out of chances with me. I've lived in this area for 3ish years now, and the first few times I went, it was okay bar food to share with friends. I never liked how noisy it was - blaring TVs and music doesn't make atmosphere, it just makes my ears ring. But whatever, it was a mid-price, local option. I'd tolerate it for some eats with friends.
The first strike was ~1.5 years ago when a waitress accused a friend and I of having fake IDs (we were both 21+ and had valid drivers' licenses, which we presented when carded, and my ID had been accepted at Appetites on previous visits) - hers was from NJ and mine was from DE. It occurred to me after that incident how much trouble Appetites could've gotten us into - what if they'd called the cops on us? I called the restaurant after we left and reamed out a manager, who didn't seem to care. I stopped going to Appetites after that, and took my business to The Pour House down the road (much better choice).
I tried Appetites again, begrudgingly, when my sister visited and realized she liked the food. Then we stopped going again when she got ill off of the Reuben sliders. We figured it was a fluke, she has some food sensitivities, or maybe it was the fact that we had them delivered. Still, I knew there were better options in the area and took my business elsewhere.
The third strike was last night. My boyfriend decided he wanted to give the place another chance, especially since we'd noticed the renovations. That was a mistake. We ordered pierogi for starters (why was it $10 for 6 oily, pale, lukewarm pierogi?), I got the Not Your Father's Cheesesteak, and he got the Short Rib Slider. We thought the worst part of the meal was my bone-dry cheesesteak. It was like chewing and swallowing cardboard. The short rib seemed okay, but I noticed that the cheese wasn't even melted - suggesting that either this sandwich sat out for a long time, or it was never hot enough in the first place to melt a slice of American cheese. Turns out the short rib was actually the worst part of the meal, as it made my boyfriend ill in the middle of the night.
New flooring and tables are great (they're completely devoid of the personality that Appetites used to have, let's be real), but maybe they should invest their money in some food safety and quality control classes, because that's where they've always missed the mark. And maybe a meat thermometer. Looking through other reviews, it doesn't seem that it's just us who's had these issues with improperly cooked meat.
Oh, and if a patron is changing her baby on the chairs of the table next to her, maybe someone should tell her to go to the restroom. We saw this happen but were too stunned to say something to our waitress.
Needless to say, three strikes and you're out, Appetites.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 1
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 1
