The nights are getting longer, the air is getting cooler, and the corner of 2nd and Poplar is once again lit by the playful glow of dancing neon sausage in the window. Standard Tap, the Northern Liberties corner tavern widely credited as Philadelphia’s first gastropub, will host its annual Sausage Fest from September 24th to October 4th at 901 N. 2nd Street, serving a ten-sausage menu spanning Portugal, China, Scotland, Thailand, Germany, France, Morocco, the Chesapeake and Philadelphia itself, all made in house and all paired with a rotating list of local festbier and German-style drafts.
The celebration marks the first Sausage Fest led by Chef Patrick Bones, who took the helm of the Standard Tap kitchen in earlier this year, and arrives as Philadelphians look for the kind of unpretentious, deeply local autumn ritual that has kept this tavern at the center of the city’s beer and food conversation since it opened on New Year’s Eve 1999. For true sausage lovers, Chef has created Philadelphia’s most over-the-top sausage creation with the Wiener World Tour, featuring every single new sausage together on one grand platter, plus a souvenir Sausage Fest T-shirt to remember the occasion. For true sausage lovers, Chef has created Philadelphia’s most over-the-top sausage creation with the Wiener World Tour, featuring every single new sausage together on one grand platter, plus a souvenir Sausage Fest t-shirt to remember the occasion. Reservations are available now through Resy via standardtap.com. For larger group parties, call 215.238.0630.
“Sausage Fest is the best kind of challenge for a chef,” said Chef Bones. “Ten sausages, all made in house, all sold at a price where somebody can order four of them on a weeknight. It gave me the chance to put my own spin on a long running tradition.”
“We’ve been doing this a long time and it is one of our favorite week’s of the year,” said Reed. “It’s the neon in the window, it’s the anticipation that builds to try the new menu every year, it’s seeing some of the same people coming back every fall and, of course, its seeing how it brings new people in the doors to discover the Tap. We are especially excited to present Chef’s first Sausage Fest – he really stepped up to the plate.”
For over 15 years, Sausage Fest has functioned as Northern Liberties’ unofficial start to fall and Oktoberfest season. Regulars know the signal before they know the dates: the animated neon sausage man, commissioned for the event and fabricated and by legendary Philadelphia neon artist Len Davidson, reappears in the front window at 2nd and Poplar and dances for a few weeks a year before going dark again until the following autumn. It is one of the only pieces in Davidson’s body of work that the public sees on a seasonal schedule, and it has become as much a marker of the season in the neighborhood as the first Eagles home game.
The format has stayed faithful to what made it work in the first place. There is no ticket, no tent, no wristband and no line down Poplar Street. Sausage Fest is a special limited time menu of small plates built around sausage, sold at bar prices, served the way Standard Tap has always served food, and poured alongside the local and German-style drafts that the bar’s reputation was built on.
For 2026, look for Sausage Fest punch cards where every Sausage Fest plate ordered fills one space on the card, and a guest who fills all ten spaces trades the completed card for a Standard Tap Sausage Fest tee shirt. So does the Weiner World Tour, the full ten-sausage platter, priced at $100 and served with a Sausage Fest tee shirt included. Festbier and German-style drafts pour at $8 per pint and $17 per stein throughout the week.
Co-owners of Standard Tap William Reed and Paul Kimport have now passed down the mantle to new Executive Chef Patrick Bones to create this year’s Sausage Fest Menu – taking inspiration from countries around the world.
THE 2026 SAUSAGE FEST MENU
All sausages are made in house. Available as individual small plates or as the full Weiner World Tour platter.
Portuguese Chouriço Sausage $12
A traditional smokey red paprika sausage made with unground chunks of heritage pork shoulder, served with charred green onion and romesco sauce.
Sichuan Rabbit Sausage $14
This sausage contains a mixture of local rabbit and chicken from Keiser’s Pheasantry (York, PA) , and is laced with Sichuan peppercorns for a numbing heat sensation known as “Mala”. It is served with house made chili crisp and jasmine rice balls.
Pumpkin Lorne Sausage $12
This sausage is scottish style with no casing made cooked terrine style with heritage pork and beef. It uses bread as a binder, lightly flavored with autumn local pumpkins and warming spices, served with a sunny side up Horseshoe ranch egg (Pottstown, PA) and a puree of the same pumpkin found within the sausage itself.
Thai Lemongrass Sausage $12
A sausage known as “Sai Ua” with lemongrass and galangal (ginger’s southeast asian relative), typically found in Northern Thailand along with the Khao Soi curry sauce, and Thai basil from our rooftop garden.
Philly Pretzel Sausage Roll $12
Our homage to the city of brotherly love, a sweet Italian sausage made with heritage pork, wrapped in pretzel puff pastry, and served with house made Cooper cheese whiz and chopped broccoli rabe.
Spicy Chili Bratwurst $12
A classic German sausage, with a kick of heat from a melange of peppers that we grew in our rooftop garden. Our brat is made from veal and heritage pork, served with sour cream and caramelized onions.
Weißwurst $12
White sausage Bavarian style, made from veal and heritage pork fats. Served with a timeless combination of spaetzle and mushroom jaeger gravy.
Vegan Garlic Saucisson $12
A vegan spin on a traditional french farmhouse style sausage usually served cold and made from walnuts, chickpeas and oats. Complemented with a harissa cashew sauce and red pearl onions.
Lamb Merguez Sausage $14
A North African sausage with big flavor. The lamb (Beirig brothers, NJ) is marinated in wine, harissa and bold spices before it is served with smoked labneh (middle eastern yogurt) and couscous.
Maryland Style Seafood Sausage $17
This chesapeake inspired sausage is made from a mousse of scallop, shrimp and flounder generously seasoned with old bay, served over a tangy remoulade sauce and sprinkled with lump crab meat.
The World Tour Sausage Platter — $100
All ten sausages. Includes a Standard Tap Sausage Fest t-shirt with every order.
FROM THE BAR
Raise a pint and a stein and celebrate Oktoberfest and Sausage Fest with:
Sacred Vice Festy
Rooted in the German Oktoberfest tradition, the use of dark and light Munich malts lends some color and heft of malt character but remains light and drinkable. Fermented cold and slow, then aged for weeks on end at freezing temperatures in our horizontal lagering tanks. Brewed to be enjoyed in abundance, through the change of seasons. 5.4% ABV
Bonn Place Bonntoberfest
Bonn Places interpretation of a Bavarian, Oktoberfest Lagerbier. True to the classic Märzen style, you can expect an elegant, amber-hued pour showcasing rich, complex bready and toasty Munich malts. It balances a clean, medium body with a soft, restrained hop bitterness that finishes crisp and dry rather than cloyingly sweet with subtle caramel notes. 6.2% ABV
2SP Delco Fest
A pure, malt-forward Märzen experience. It features prominent nutty, bready, and caramel notes with a clean, slight sweetness 6% ABV
Victory Fest Bier
Subtly sweet with a delicate malt nose, full-bodied and infinitely smooth due to the use of all imported German malts and the decoction brewing process. 5.6% ABV
Best Day Oktoberfest N/A Cans
An Amber Festbier brewed in the Bavarian Marzen style. Originally enjoyed at Oktoberfest in Munich and now brewed all over the world. Beyond the amber glow is a delicately hopped lager with a malty nose and subtly sweet body that finishes crisp and smooth. Built for endless enjoyment without slowing you down. 0.05% ABV
NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF
Standard Tap welcomes a talented new Executive Chef in the kitchen. Chef Patrick Bones has been working in the culinary field for almost 2 decades. Hailing from Reading, Pennsylvania; He has worked at establishments such as The General Warren Inn and Barberet, he made his way throughout The Main line, Phoenixville and Lancaster, on his way to his arrival in Philadelphia in 2017. Seeking to continue his education he started cooking at Osteria and Lacroix. He eventually departed to Sullivan County, New York, during the pandemic, to continue working under Chef Eric Leveilee, under the Foster Supply Hospitality restaurant group, as sous chef at The DeBruce and Kenoza Hall. He eventually became the event chef, catering upscale Catskills weddings. Upon his return to Philadelphia, he worked at Vetri Cucina for a time and then helped open Rhythm and Spirits as chef, near Love Park. He has a very well rounded set of skills from numerous cuisine styles over the years and took the helm at Standard Tap in March 2026.
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS
Sausage Fest is open to the public – no ticket required. Simply visit Standard Tap on Resy and make a reservation for the special menu (plus regular menu) for dates between September 24th to October 4th. For larger group parties, call 215.238.0630. Make sure to follow @standardtap on social to join the sausage celebration – and learn more about Chef and the Tap’s food and drink offerings.
ABOUT STANDARD TAP
When Standard Tap opened its doors in December of 1999, our goal was simple: to create a neighborhood tavern that featured great beer and wholesome food. With that in mind, we offer a draft-only beer selection that highlights the vast array of styles crafted by breweries located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware. Our food menu both complements the beer and expands the notion of what pub food can be. Our menu features a wide selection of hearty dishes using seasonal ingredients and local produce. We are proud to support initiatives like Pennsylvania’s Bu y Fresh Bu y Local movement and urban agriculture from local farms.