Author: Jenn Ladd

When The Inquirer put out a call for Philly’s favorite dive bars, people responded in droves: We received close to 400 responses praising all kinds of establishments, from well-trafficked Center City watering holes to humble corner bars tucked away in deep South Philly, the far corners of Kensington, and the slopes of Wissahickon. (There were also numerous suburban submissions, which we plan to feature at a later date.)

Several write-ins highlighted what are often considered essential trappings of a dive — dirty bathrooms, beat-up interiors, a jukebox, and the occasional slow-cooker — but many more cited something less reproducible: the feeling of community found inside these neighborhood haunts. Turns out Philly has a lot of places that feel like real-life Cheers, whether it’s thanks to a friendly owner or bartending crew, or regulars who readily welcome newcomers.

We built this 20-bar list based on the responses to our callout, but it comes with a caveat. There are degrees of diveyness, and some owners strenuously objected to being classified as such. We consider “dive bar” to be a compliment, not a pejorative.

Yes, there’s a smoking bar or three on this list, but there are also spots that serve craft beer and solid food (sometimes even salad), or have upholstery that hasn’t been worn through. Every bar we included, however, is cheap and cheerful, with a dedicated crowd of admirers.

12 Steps Down

Times do change, and this basement bar in Bella Vista is proof: “They don’t allow smoking inside anymore, but when they did I would still order the food because their kitchen was that talented,” writes Point Breeze resident Matteo Palmas. Yes, 12 Steps is a rare dive bar with food worth recommending, with a menu that ranges from hand-cut, Michael Solomonov-approved fries and a “bowl o’ balls” (meatballs, that is, topped with house gravy and ricotta) to $3 rotating tacos and $1 hot dogs during Phillies games. Whether you head down for a post-work game of pool, Quizzo, or karaoke, don’t be afraid to come hungry — or in search of a good time. “I have never had a bad time at that bar,” Palmas says. — Jenn Ladd

Billy Murphy’s

Wood-paneled, drop-ceilinged, and cluttered with old pictures and memorabilia, this corner bar tucked in the elbow of East Falls is “packed with neighbors every day,” says local Devin Van Gorden. The welcoming atmosphere is a legacy of the late William Murphy, who took over the former rough-and-tumble shot-and-a-beer bar with his wife, Patty, in 1977. Michael Murphy, their son, runs the bar today and has been working there since high school; he’s kept up the approachable attitude and expanded the food menu, which ranges from “pig wings” (flash-fried pork shank) and cheese curds to fish tacos and BLTs. Billy Murphy’s is as much a family-friendly neighborhood spot as it is a dive, but extremely reasonable prices (75-cent wing specials twice a week), weathered decor, and a cash-only policy tip the scales. — J.L.

Bob & Barbara’s Lounge

Scads of Philadelphians and passers-through have whiled hours away at this 57-year-old South Street institution, either perched on a swiveling barstool, knocking back a can of Pabst and a shot of Jim Beam, an iconic combo the dive popularized citywide; grooving to whatever free, live music (from jazz to “low-key house”) the bar’s savvy talent bookers tap on a near-nightly basis; or cheering on the charismatic performers in Philly’s longest-running drag show. It’s a bar for absolutely everyone and anyone, which readers love. “There’s a deep, almost sacred essence of cool there,” writes South Philly resident Collin Keefe. “You will find the most far-out, fascinating, diverse, and beautiful crowd [there] on any given night.” — J.L.

Bonnie’s Capistrano

Run by the same family for more than 50 years, Bonnie’s nearly blends into the rest of the well-kept three-story rowhouses on this East Passyunk block. But step inside and you’ll be thrown back to the era when formica-topped bars with drop ceilings reined. Here, you can still smoke a cigarette and down a $3 pint and $6 citywide, maybe over a bag of Combos. As Hawthorne resident Luca Serio puts it, “In a world of expensive breweries and designer rooftop bars, they don’t make ’em like Bonnie’s anymore.” — J.L.

Cherry Street Tavern

Don’t call this 125-year-old watering hole a dive bar in front of co-owners (and brothers) Bob and Bill Loughery, even if employees and regulars use the term as a compliment. The decor is a mashup of bygone eras — a back bar from the Civil War, tile flooring from the early 1900s, and even a classic phone booth — but the warm conversation and juicy roast beef sandwiches remain timeless. The sandwiches riff on a Loughery family recipe, and both brothers take turns slicing the roast thin and piling it onto a kaiser roll dripping with jus. Bob and Bill “[memorize] patron’s names and histories with an accuracy you can never comprehend,” writes bartender Kira Baldwin. “It’s a rare place of nostalgia and comfort. I feel lucky to be a part of it.” — Beatrice Forman

Dahlak

For some, getting called out by Gordon Ramsay on national television would be a nightmare. For Dahlak, it’s only added to their street cred. This family-run Eritrean and Ethiopian bar and restaurant has stood on Baltimore Avenue since 1983 and has had only a few upgrades since. You can thank Ramsay, who spent time there last year, for a refurbished dining and a revamped menu that includes fusion food like tibs sliders and a chopped cheese seasoned with mitmita. Yet what attracts regulars are Dahlak’s atmosphere of spontaneity, eclectic rotation of DJs, and late-night berbere-spiced chicken cheesesteaks. “Everyone goes to Dahlak,” writes Nina of West Philly. “There’s a real freewheeling, anything-might-happen feel on the weekends when the dinner service ends and the DIY live music, jukebox, and hookah come out.” — B.F.

Dawson Street Pub

It’s been 37 years since owner David Wilby converted what was once a stone-clad biker bar in the city’s hilly Wissahickon section into a tavern so welcoming, you can bring your kids here. For what it’s worth, the staff that make this compact corner bar so homey don’t count it as a dive. And there are some trappings of Dawson Street that, yes, could make you question that categorization — for one, how many dives serve a cheese plate (that you would actually order)? But for those that have ponied up to its polished wooden bar, the equation is simple: It’s a real lived-in neighborhood bar and it’s cheap. Why think harder about it? “Awesome live bands and good beer on tap. Nothing fancy, just pure class,” says Mike O’Brien of Manayunk. — J.L.

Dirty Franks

An essential entry in the Center City bar canon, Franks is an undisputed dive — just eyeball the bathroom to verify — but it’s also a hub for creatives, postgrads, industry folks, and down-to-earth Washington Square West residents (and their dogs). It’s host to rotating art shows, dart and softball leagues, chili cook-offs, and a customer hall of fame tradition that’s shockingly tender for a bar with occasional-to-often-bristly service. For decades it served as a twin pillar alongside McGlinchey’s (RIP) as the hazy, cheap default hangout in a drinking scene that had yet to explode. Under the stewardship of co-owner Jody Sweitzer since 2011, Franks is no less treasured in a scene with many more options. For some, like Scott Burger of Logan Square, an appreciation of its funky, memorabilia-stuffed environs is a personal barometer: “If you don’t like Dirty Franks, then we shouldn’t be friends.” — J.L.

The Dive

At just 21 years old, this Bella Vista bar is in league with Lorraine, the other relative newbie on this list, in that it’s a purpose-built dive, down to the on-the-nose name, that somehow sticks the smoky, dimly lit landing. Yes, it’s always had craft beer on draft — previous owner Jonn Klein, who opened the Dive in 2005, had a beer-bar background — but the three-story bar slings cheap drinks and microwaveable snacks, welcomes dogs, has a pool table, and insists on cash payment. It’s also probably the last bar in Philadelphia to have a smoking section, on the second and third floors. That’s one reason West Philly resident Garrett Carvajal makes the trek to South Philly to drink here: “I always feel really at ease there. The bartenders are cool and the patrons are welcoming. I feel comfortably enveloped by the cigarette smoke … plus, it has a solid queer scene while still being cheap and chill!” — J.L.

Grumpy’s Tavern

Grumpy’s Tavern has always been “South Philly distilled into a single bar,” wrote Inquirer reporter Samantha Melamed in 2019, regardless of whatever name it went by. As Pinto’s, the bar was allotted one of the first liquor licenses in Philly history when it opened in 1934. And when current owner Joe DeSimone re-christened it Grumpy’s in 2002, the bar earned one of the city’s last smoking variances — an honor Grumpy’s proudly clung to until it went smoke-free in 2025. Not that it matters. Patrons come to Grumpy’s for the pool tables (the “best in the city, possibly the universe,” according to Steve from East Passyunk) and the clientele (“old neighborhood Italians that have plenty of stories” writes John of Girard Estates). — B.F.

J.R.’s Saloon

Urban legend asserts that J.R.’s Saloon is “Fishtown’s oldest bar” (or so says patron Miriam Smith Dructor). The dive opened sometime in the ’80s and is named after owner James Rowson, who lives above the bar and puts together Christmas gifts for neighborhood kids every year. J.R.’s opens early — 7 a.m. except for Sundays, when it opens at 9 a.m. — and has the feel of a neighborhood living room due to what Kensington resident Max Tindall calls a “tough crowd” of area lifers who hold court at the bar and welcome transplants after some good-natured ribbing. Nearly everything at J.R’s is no frills — the well-worn pool table, the tiny wood-paneled bathroom — save the Bloody Marys, which punch well above their weight with skewers of bacon, hash browns, salami, and cheese cubes. Dave, a 56-year-old Fishtowner, perhaps put it best: “If you grew up around here, you feel right at home the second you walk in.” — B.F.

Kostas Bar Restaurant

$5 citywides and great homemade Greek food are what keeps Kostas buzzing until 2 a.m. daily. The dive bar-restaurant hybrid attracts all, from finance bros knocking back Miller High Lifes after work to construction workers scarfing down hulking beef gyro platters over lunch, to foodies in search of some of the city’s best straight-ahead Mediterranean food. Where else, after all, can you get a PBR and a saganaki plate with pan-seared Kasseri cheese? Or challenge a stranger to pool after pounding some baba ganoush with pita? Kostas’ back patio is oddly serene, even if you can hear revelers singing their hearts out to throwback pop hits on the jukebox indoors. “It’s the perfect mix of crazy and calm,” according to Fishtown resident Julia Drummond. — B.F.

Krupa’s Tavern

Despite being squarely in Fairmount, just blocks from the Water Works, Krupa’s has for decades remained a bare-bones, bargain-rate watering hole even as the neighborhood has grown leafier and leafier. The building at 27th and Brown has been in the same family for over 100 years, and three women have kept the bar chugging along for much of that time. That’s semi-detectable to patrons: “It feels like you’re a guest of someone’s old South Philly basement bar,” writes Emily Krause of Kingsessing. (Truly: How many bars have curtains on the windows in 2026?) There can be an air of frostiness about Krupa’s if you’re not a local, but stop in during an Eagles game and you’ll find “a crock pot of complementary meatballs in sauce with rolls and cheese along with soft pretzels and chips,” says neighbor Nick Petryszyn, who declares the bar “a much more charming alternative to a splashy prix fixe reservation.” — J.L.

Les and Doreen’s Happy Tap

“Everyone looks out for you” at Les and Doreen’s Happy Tap, writes Kris Reutlinger of Fishtown. Named after husband-and-wife owners Les and Doreen Thompson, the bar has remained practically unchanged since the sign went up on the corner of Susquehanna Avenue and Thompson Street in 1986. The green walls patterned with tiny shamrocks give it an Irish-pub aura, and the bartenders’ distinctly Philadelphian mix of kindness and gruffness couldn’t work anywhere else. Karaoke nights are a big draw, as is their use of Merrill Reese and Mike Quick Eagles broadcasts for game-day audio. — B.F.

Lorraine

What this Francisville corner bar lacks in experience — at just 10 years old, it’s the youngest establishment on this list — it makes up for in approachability. Curtis from Fairmount lists its many virtues: “Killer indoor and outdoor art by [Philly graffiti artist] Septic the Outlaw, smoking in the backyard with fellow patrons, solid bartenders, [plus] Kirin pitchers, 24-ounce Asahi cans, and Godzilla Pinball.” Don’t let the Japanese beer options mislead you, there is nothing fancy about Lorraine. Philadelphia-raised brothers Jimmy and Chris Lardani have pulled off a feat here that many modern bar owners aspire to but few achieve: creating a dive from scratch. What else would you expect from a pair of guys who got Gritty tattoos within days of the mascot’s public debut? — J.L.

Locust Rendezvous

Located across from the Academy of Music and a smattering of ritzy apartment buildings, Locust Rendezvous is “the grilled cheese on white bread of the neighborhood,” or at least that’s what longtime general manager Michele Recupido once told The Inquirer. The bar’s signature red awning has beckoned to passersby seeking an unpretentious place to drink in Center City since 1989, but the ’Vous, as fans call it, has a menu that catapults it to the upper echelon of dive bars: Think crocks of French onion soup with picture-perfect cheese pulls, wings coated in a Buffalo garlic sauce, and slices of homemade pie. “It’s one of the few places in Center City that still has that ‘how ya doin’, hun’ [vibe] when you walk in,” writes Rittenhouse Square resident Jackson Healy. — B.F.

Monkey Club

This two-floor East Kensington dive looks kind of like an unfinished fraternity house, featuring black-and-white checkered floors, with a clashing, half-done rock wall and folding chairs interspersed between pool and foosball tables. It’s the kind of place that inspires devotion: In 2020, East Kensington resident Jennie missed Monkey Club so much during COVID-19 shutdowns that she recreated the bar in the virtual reality game the Sims during 2020. Originally just another cash-only dive with $5 citywides, the Monkey Club has started to level up thanks to food pop-ups and a frozen drink machine that spits out concoctions like guava margarita and boozy creamsicle slushies in the summer. The bathroom, however, has remained “disgusting” (in the best way), writes Port Richmond resident Kevin Hicks. — B.F.

Oscar’s Tavern

Few bars inspire the depth of affection as does this Center City landmark, whose red glow, vintage paper place mats, and low-slung booths have been a low-key constant on a bustling block of Samson Street since 1972. It’s where inveterate dive bargoers mix with the suit-clad white-collar crowd and everyone in between. “I hope we experience the heat death of the universe before we experience the end of Oscar’s,” writes Point Breeze resident Will Fenton. “Best bar in the country,” writes David Simon of Cherry Hill. “Absolute perfection. No notes,” says Gregory Maughan of Rittenhouse. There have been changes over the years — beloved longtime GM Joe Mullan passed, the bar experimented with outdoor seating (!) during the pandemic, and the tiny kitchen moved from the front window to the rear (adding more bar seating) — but the soul of Oscar’s is untouched. — J.L.

Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar

No, it does not have to be your birthday for you to have a good time at Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar (though it will earn you a free shot). This East Passyunk Avenue dive just turned 88 years old, and it’s the rituals that keep it timeless, like Friday night karaoke, a sandwich board that bartenders update daily with notable birthdays, and opening at 7 a.m. (even on Christmas!) Once a smoking bar, Ray’s did away with indoor cigs in 2011 at the behest of owner Lou Capozzoli (the bar was renamed after his dad, who died in 1997). Much else feels frozen in time, like the old-timey spittoon that runs beneath Ray’s original oak-and-tile bar and its $4 citywide. — B.F.

Rosewood Bar

If the unaffected nostalgia of Philly’s classic red-gravy restaurants strikes a chord, the Rosewood should be your kind of dive. Its old-school bar atmosphere is so pitch-perfect — down to the block glass, wood laminate bar, and the weathered checkerboard — that it has served as a backdrop not only in the Vince Papale/Eagles ode Invincible, but three other films beside it. This is a true mom-and-pop spot, run by Robert and Donna Kubicky and family since 1973. The Kubickys put out a free spread on holidays, providing a warm, welcoming landing place for customers who don’t have family get-togethers of their own to attend. The house rule is, appropriately, “be nice or leave.” No wonder, then, that the Rosewood casts a quick spell according to South Philly resident Michael Cahill: “Customers who are visiting for their first time usually become repeat customers because they are welcomed with open arms.” — J.L.

With Thanksgiving so close you can almost smell the stuffing, we are in prime pie time. Bakers and pastry chefs across the region are crimping cold, buttery crusts and cooking down aromatic fruit fillings and spiced custards for the coming wave of preorders. But pie need not be reserved for the holidays, as a number of spots on this list know. After the rounds of pumpkin and apple are put away, there’s space for crusty-creamy slices of salted honey, peach, key lime, strawberry rhubarb, ricotta, and carrot cake(!) pie all year long. Read on for The Inquirer food desk’s favorite pie purveyors. — Jenn Ladd

The Bread Room

High Street, Ellen Yin’s long-running bread and pastry powerhouse, always delivers on the baked goods front. Its expertly made pies are only offered once a year, and this holiday season, Yin’s recently opened bakery, the Bread Room, is taking over. The lineup includes two pies that could be straight out of the New York Times Cooking repertoire: a chai-chocolate pie with an airy mousse filling in a thin and crunchy chocolate crust, and a gorgeous lattice-topped thick-cut apple pie with a miso caramel-glazed crust. Preorder pies online by Sunday, Nov. 23, for pickup on Wednesday, Nov. 26. — Beatrice Forman

Denise’s Delicacies

This 33-year-old North Philly institution is best known for its fresh-made doughnuts and ultra-rich pound cake, but, boy, do they know how to make a pie. The bakery’s bestseller this time of year is the sweet potato pie, filled with a creamy, bronzed custard with a just-right level of sweetness in a buttery, crumbly crust. A close runner-up is Denise’s apple pie, which hits all the right notes: Its gooey, perfectly spiced interior is suffused with the slightest tang and pairs perfectly with a double-crust pastry shell that’s dense and almost fudgy. It’s a simple pie, expertly made — like if your mom baked it, but even better (love you, mom!). The family-owned bakery also makes peach, pecan, coconut custard, blueberry, and cherry pies. Call ahead or walk in and buy from the display case; 6- and 10-inch pies will be available up to the day before Thanksgiving (and year-round otherwise). — Jenn Ladd

Downtime Bakery

You can reliably score a slice of pie year-round at this year-old Mount Airy bakery, because owner Dayna Evans is a pie devotee: She and her team regularly whip up different variants each week, channeling whatever seasonal produce (and whims) inspire them, be it sour cherry, coconut custard, chocolate chess, or a pear-hazelnut number with a cornmeal crumb topping. What stays consistent is Evans’ signature spelt flour crusts, which give these pies nutty character and a little more bite than most — a theme that runs throughout Downtime’s offerings. Its preordered Thanksgiving pies are all sold out, but keep an eye on the bakery’s Instagram to see if one of the offerings (torched meringue-topped sweet potato, a quince-suffused gateau Basque, or a double-crust apple pie my 4-year old termed “a little spicy”) resurfaces. Pie slices roll out at 1 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. — Jenn Ladd

Flakely

Unlike its trademark gluten-free croissants and bagels, Flakely’s holiday pies can’t be found frozen in a pastry ATM. They only come fresh from behind the pink door at 220 Krams Ave. in Manayunk, where baker Lila Colello conjures a limited run of pies for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. This season’s offerings start off strong with a pumpkin-maple tart piped with a ribbon of bruleed marshmallow fluff and a gooey bourbon-pecan version garnished with leaf-shaped shortbread cookies. Both are almost too pretty to eat. Preordering has been extended to Thursday, Nov. 20, for pickups between Nov. 24 and Nov. 26. If you miss this year’s go-round, you’ll have to wait for next year to get a bite of this apple (tarte tatin). — Beatrice Forman

Flying Monkey

This Reading Terminal Market stand is renowned for its whoopie pies and butter cake, but Flying Monkey’s apple crumb pie represents the platonic ideal of the holiday treat: warm and buttery, with a crumbly oat topping so delectable, I wish the bakery sold it separately. The pies here are relatively no-frills compared with some others on this map, but you can get them anytime of year, making them just as solid a treat for joyful do-nothing days as for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Customers can preorder Thanksgiving-specific apple crumb and pumpkin pies for Nov. 26 pickup from Flying Monkey’s new location in Chadds Ford, or call the Reading Terminal stand to schedule a pie pickup any day of the year (for key lime, s’mores, chocolate cream, and more) with 48 hours’ notice. — Beatrice Forman

The Frosted Fox

The deep-dish pies from this Germantown Avenue gem are so good, you’ll want a second slice moments after you finish the first one. The pies from this bakery, from a couple of Culinary Institute of America grads, look as good as they taste: Leaf-shaped pastry cutouts adorn the pumpkin pie, while their Thanksgiving fruit pies (apple crumble, pear-ginger) are finished with a heaping mound of crispy-crunchy-buttery crumble topping. Toasted pecan and sweet potato round out the holiday pie selection, all of which come in flaky, beautifully crimped all-butter crusts. Place an order by Friday, Nov. 21, at 5 p.m. for holiday pickups the following Tuesday and Wednesday. Owners Jennifer Low and Sean Williams try to keep extra pies (and cake and cookies) on hand for walk-ins, and they’ll be around in December, too. Frosted Fox offers pie year-round on weekends (preordering is recommended), with flavors changing seasonally; look for strawberry rhubarb, mixed berry, and key lime with meringue as the calendar turns. — Jenn Ladd

Little Coco

When Valentina Fortuna closed her beloved scratch bakery/cafe, Constellation Collective, in Collingswood in 2021, she figured she’d still make a few pies here and there for loyal customers. Fortuna’s pies were in such demand — particularly the salted honey — that her garage turned into a veritable black market bakery. In 2023, Fortuna opened Little Coco, a cozy cafe in a more low-key setting down the road from the original location, in Barrington, Camden County. Her fans followed. Fortuna serves a rotation of sliced pies weekly, with brown butter brownie and classic apple crumb among the favorites. Holiday preorders have begun, with pies including pecan, pumpkin squash, and the famed salted honey. — Jason Nark

Night Kitchen Bakery

Kids will clamor for the myriad beautiful cookies on display at this 44-year-old Chestnut Hill staple, but don’t let them distract you from the pie. Night Kitchen’s pumpkin pie, sporting sugared pie-crust leaves, is the bakery’s bestseller this time of year, but hot on its heels is apple crumb, packing a whopping five Granny Smiths per pie. There’s also pecan, chocolate pecan, sweet potato, double-crust apple, key lime, and sour cherry crumb (my favorite, which you can also order as an equally delicious tart, along with other year-round tarts like chocolate chess and blueberry almond). Pie is not just a Thanksgiving thing here; owner Amy Edelman says Night Kitchen packs its pastry shells with seasonal fillings — think strawberry rhubarb and mixed berry — throughout the year. — Jenn Ladd

Penza’s Pies at the Red Barn

Evelyn Penza, South Jersey’s pie queen, turned a family horse barn into a pie destination in Hammonton, aka the “blueberry capital of the world.” Blueberry pie is on the menu at the Red Barn Farm, Cafe, & Pie Shop, of course, but Hammonton also has a rich Italian heritage, so there’s plenty of ricotta pies on the menu, too. The 85-year-old Penza said pumpkin ricotta is among her best, along with the massive five-fruit pie, which looks like a work of art and must weigh close to 10 pounds. She said her pies are “cloaked in goodness.” The pie rush is already here, Penza said. To order ahead, call the shop. Penza’s doesn’t take credit cards, so bring lots of cash or use Venmo and, while you’re there, sit down for breakfast. — Jason Nark

Ponzio’s Diner Bakery Bar

What’s a diner without a slice of pie and hot cup of coffee? This Cherry Hill legend serves up hefty, crumbly slices of house-made pie for dessert all year long. (The diner’s chicken pot pie, served on Thursdays, is also a staple.) When Thanksgiving rolls around, whole pies are available for preorder. This year, choose between classic apple, Hammonton blueberry, sweet cherry, fresh pumpkin, coconut custard, and lemon meringue. For the fruit pies, you’ll have to make a tough call: double crust or cinnamon-butter crumb topping? Call before Monday, Nov. 24, to reserve. If there are any leftover pies (unlikely), Ponzio’s bakery stays open for takeout on Thanksgiving Day. — Hira Qureshi

Second Daughter

On the fourth floor of the Bok building, whiffs of freshly baked brown butter chocolate chip cookies and cosmic brownies lure customers to Second Daughter’s walk-up counter. You’ll likely glimpse chef-owner Rhonda Saltzman baking savory and sweet treats, including her stellar pies, which are available year-round. Saltzman uses Pennsylvania-sourced fruit and changes up her offerings with the seasons. This year’s Thanksgiving selection includes sour cherry pie topped with almond praline; apple pie with bourbon-spiced tart apples and an oatmeal crumb topping; a spiced pumpkin pie (or tart, with maple-brown sugar whipped cream); plus brownie tarts, salted caramel apple galettes, and apple and cherry-almond hand pies — all nestled in flaky pate brisee crusts. Order by Friday, Nov. 21, for pickup the following Wednesday and Thursday. Don’t have patience to wait for Thanksgiving? Saltzman has petite pies at the counter to indulge in beforehand. — Hira Qureshi

Tartes

Step up to the takeout window at Tartes in Old City and you’ll find a scene fit for a still life: ornately arranged miniature fruit tarts stacked atop cake stands, waiting to be bagged and boxed. Though this 25-year-old bakery also makes cookies and bite-size cakes, it’s best known for its namesake sweet, with a selection that rotates throughout the year. Thanksgiving brings an apple-raspberry variety dusted with cinnamon, plus bourbon pecan, pumpkin, and a pistachio frangipane topped with poached pears — all available in 9-inch pies as well as 2½- and 4-inch tarts. Orders are open until Nov. 24. My recommendation is to use the minis as a dessert appetizer of sorts for Friendsgivings and holiday parties. Guests will think you’re extra fancy. — Beatrice Forman

Vernick Coffee

For many Philadelphians, a visually stunning seasonal pie from this soaring second-floor breakfast/lunch/coffee oasis has become a holiday tradition. This year, Vernick’s pastry team is baking a gluten-free dirty chai pumpkin pie topped with quenelles of chocolate-coffee whipped cream; a dark chocolate-sea salt pecan pie with a fudgelike maple custard; a dulce de leche caramel apple pie made with local Pink Lady apples; and its classic carrot cake pie, with a salted ginger graham crust and perfectly piped kisses of cream cheese frosting (indeed this is a carrot cake stuffed into a dense and lovely pie crust). The carrot cake pie is available year-round; for one of the Thanksgiving pies, preorder via Vernick Coffee’s Tock page by Friday, Nov. 21, for pickup between Nov. 24 and 26. — Kiki Aranita