The company that owns P.J. Whelihan’s may be moving into a former Iron Hill Brewery in Bucks County.
PJW Opco LLC, which is registered at the headquarters of PJW Restaurant Group, was approved to take over a lease for the shuttered Iron Hill in Newtown, effective Dec. 31, according to documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey.
PJW marketing director Kristen Foord declined to comment.
The nearly 8,000-square-foot brewpub in the Village at Newtown shopping center has sat empty since September, when Iron Hill abruptly closed all its locations and filed for liquidation bankruptcy. The Newtown Iron Hill had been among the chain’s newest locations, having opened in 2020.
A view from the outside looking in on the closed Iron Hill Brewery in West Chester in October.
Brixmor Property Group, which owns the Village at Newtown, is “excited about what’s in the works” for the former Iron Hill space, spokesperson Maria Pace said in a statement, but she declined to share details.
The court documents did not indicate PJW’s plans for the Newtown site.
PJW’s most well-known franchise is P.J. Whelihan’s, the regional bar-restaurant chain that started in the Poconos in 1983. There are now 25 P.J. Whelihan’s locations from Harrisburg to Washington Township, with the vast majority in the Philadelphia area.
Haddon Township-based PJW also owns the Pour House, which has locations in Exton, North Wales, and Westmont, Haddon Township; the ChopHouse in Gibbsboro; the ChopHouse Grille in Exton; Central Taco & Tequila in Westmont; and Treno, also in Westmont.
The P.J. Whelihan’s on Route 70 in Cherry Hill.
As 2026 gets underway, Iron Hill’s bankruptcy case continues to make its way through the courts. In recent weeks, Iron Hill’s leases in Exton, Maple Shade, and North Wales were formally rejected, according to court documents. That means these empty breweries are getting closer to finding new tenants.
“Any out-of-town brewery with plans to leverage existing brewery infrastructure and scale its operations in the region would be a good fit, as it would save significant tenant improvement costs,” Kagithapu said in a statement. “I also believe a grocery store would serve the community very well.”
The Iron Hill Brewery TapHouse in Exton is pictured in 2020. After Iron Hill’s bankruptcy, the Exton landlord is seeking a new tenant for the massive space.
On Christmas Eve, Barry, a Massachusetts-based real estate investor, inked a deal to buy the liquor license and all interior assets of the location at the borough’s central corner of High and Gay Streets.
“It will not be reopening as Iron Hill Brewery,” Barry said in a recent interview. “My goal would be to find something similar,” though not necessarily a brewery.
Barry purchased the assets from Jeff Crivello, the former CEO of Famous Dave’s BBQ, who in November was approved by a bankruptcy judge to revive 10 Iron Hills under the same name or as a new concept. Barry and Crivello declined to disclose the financial details of the West Chester deal.
Pedestrians walk by the closed Iron Hill Brewery in West Chester in October.
The Newtown location was originally among the locations of which Crivello was approved to buy the assets, pending negotiations with landlords. Court documents indicate the asset sale was put on hold amid a landlord objection.
Founded in Newark, Del., Iron Hill Brewery operated for nearly 30 years, earning a reputation as a local craft-brewing pioneer and a family-friendly mainstay in the Philadelphia suburbs. In recent years, the chain had expanded into South Carolina and Georgia and had announced plans to open a Temple University location that never materialized.
When brewery executives filed for bankruptcy, they reported that they owed $20 million to creditors and had about $125,000 in the bank.
Fast food mega-chain McDonald’s is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit focused on the authenticity of its McRib sandwich and what it’s made of.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Dec. 23, claims that McDonald’s deceptively markets the McRib to specifically contain meat from pork ribs through its name, branding, and appearance.
“The name ‘McRib’ is a deliberate sleight of hand,” the plaintiffs — four consumers from California, New York, Illinois, and the District of Columbia — said in the filing.
For those uninitiated, the McRib is sort of a big deal. It’s a fan favorite with “limited edition” status within McDonald’s. Its availability varies based on timing and location. It debuted on McDonald’s menus back in 1981, and when the chain announced its discontinuation in 2005, there was a lengthy “farewell tour.”
In the years since, the sandwich continues to make celebrated annual returns, heightened with the help of social media. There are dedicated unofficial McRib fan accounts and trackers.
“McDonald’s McRib is a sandwich of legend,” a 2009 Maxim article titled “The Cult of the McRib” said. “The heavenly blend of pork patty, barbecue sauce, and bun is, to devotees, so addictive that songs have been written about it, Internet shrines erected to it, and TV shows dedicated to it. … It is rarely seen, yet frequently sought and cultishly worshiped. It is the Holy Grail on a bun.”
And now, that famed sandwich’s integrity is being scrutinized.
Here’s what we know so far.
What exactly is the McRib?
McDonald’s describes the McRib as seasoned boneless pork dipped in BBQ sauce and topped with onions and pickles on a toasted bun. The sandwich is 520 calories and 24 grams of protein according to the fast food chain’s website.
Is the McRib available at McDonald’s now?
The McRib returned to some McDonald’s menus as part of its annual “farewell tour” in November 2025 and seems to still be available. But the sandwich is limited to certain McDonald’s locations, including in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, and St. Louis.
According to the fan-led McRib Tracker, there’s only a handful of states nationwide serving up McRibs right now. It ranges in price from about $4 to $8, depending on the region.
What does the McRib proposed lawsuit say?
The proposed class action suit says the McRib’s name, pricing, and appearance — a rib-shaped patty on a bun — misleads consumers into believing they’re purchasing a premium pork rib product.
The complaint adds that the rib-shaped patty is made of “restructured” pork using lower-quality cuts of pork, including shoulder, heart, stomach, and tripe instead of rib meat. McDonald’s has denied those claims.
The plaintiffs say they believed the McRib to be made of rib meat before purchasing. They add that marketing the McRib as a “limited-time” item is a strategy to create a sense of urgency, discouraging consumers from investigating its ingredients closely.
All four plaintiffs say they wouldn’t have purchased the McRib, or paid as much as they did, if they knew the sandwich had no actual pork rib meat.
The proposed lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of U.S. consumers who bought the McRib in recent years and is seeking damages, restitution, and a remedy to prevent future “deceptive marketing.”
What are McDonald’s McRibs made of?
McDonald’s McRib features what the company calls a “McRib Pork Patty,” which is shaped like a rack of ribs.
According to its website, the boneless patty is made of pork, water, salt, dextrose, and rosemary extract.
Using the phrase boneless pork does a lot of quiet, legal work in the background, noted Quartz.
McRib supporters say the sandwich has always been marketed as a boneless, snackable take on ribs. And it’s not a secret. To this day, there are no rib bones involved, and McDonald’s doesn’t pretend there are.
“Contrary to what its name implies, there is very little actual rib meat in a McRib,” the 2009 Maxim article about the cultish sandwich said. “Primarily, it’s shoulder meat,” Rob Cannell, then-director of McDonald’s U.S. supply chain, told the outlet.
He added, “The pork meat is chopped up, then seasoned, then formed into that shape that looks like a rib back. Then we flash-freeze it. The whole process from fresh pork to frozen McRib takes about 45 minutes.”
Has McDonald’s responded?
In a statement sent to multiple outlets, McDonald’s said that the lawsuit “distorts the facts and many of the claims are inaccurate.”
The fast food chain says the McRib is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers nationwide.
“We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them,” the company said.
The statement did not go into detail regarding the plaintiffs’ claims that the McRib’s marketing as “limited edition” plays into its price point and distinction from other permanent menu items.
Has something like this happened before?
Over the years, there have been several instances of lawsuits and disputes surrounding how popular foods are marketed or made.
For instance, in 2023, a judge dismissed a lawsuit that claimed that Subway’s tuna sandwiches didn’t use real tuna or contained less tuna than advertised. Subway denied those claims. The plaintiff and Subway came to an undisclosed agreement.
And similar but different: In 2014, the pomegranate juice company Pom sued Coca-Cola over its Minute Maid pomegranate blueberry juice. Pom claimed the Minute Maid juice was mostly apple and grape juice despite its branding. A jury eventually ruled for Coca-Cola.
There was also a major case in 2014 where food production company Unilever sued vegan mayo company Hampton Creek for calling its spread “Just Mayo” despite it being plant-based and lacking eggs. The case led to new regulations throughout the vegan food scene regarding how foods can be branded and if terms like milk or mayo can be used without key animal byproducts.
What happens next?
In short, a court will need to determine if the lawsuit qualifies as a class action that represents U.S. consumers who purchased the McRib.
From there, McDonald’s could file a motion to dismiss the suit, or the parties could potentially settle along the way. If the case proceeds, a judge may have to decide the scope of a “reasonable consumer” and their expectations when it comes to rib-shaped pork sandwiches.
Custardy egg tarts are wiggly, lightly gelatinous conveyors of joy. The finest ones are not too sweet, but beyond that, they have variable compelling qualities, be it their lightly torched tops or innovative whole-fruit or vegetal flavors. There are three styles of egg tarts covered in this map: Portuguese pasteis de nata, flaky Chinese egg tarts, and cookie-style shortcrust egg tarts. They are all magnificent, whether you pick them up from a bakery by the dozen or nibble on them from a dim sum parlor’s lazy Susan.
Beijing Duck Seafood Restaurant
By night, this Race Street restaurant becomes a Peking duck emporium, with white-toqued chefs wheeling roasted ducks through the dining room, announcing their arrival at tables by striking a gong. But by day, Beijing Duck Seafood serves a menu filled with dim sum classics like char siu bao, turnip cakes, spring rolls, and, of course, delightfully and thoroughly classic dim sum-style egg tarts. These are some of the best egg tarts you can get in Chinatown. They’re served piping hot (as all the best egg tarts are), and they have molten, deep yellow custard centers encased by a flaky pastry crust that dissolves in your mouth with a slight chew. They’re small — but not the tiniest you’ll see — and come three to an order.
The pateis de nata at Gilda in Philadelphia on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
Gilda
The flavors of pasteis de nata at Gilda rotate according to whims and seasons. All of the Portuguese tarts have a creamy, cinnamon-flecked egg-yolk custard base that is looser, jammier, and almost whipped compared to the harder-set centers of their Chinese-style counterparts. Baked at high heat, Gilda’s natas naturally develop bruleed brown leopard spots. The tarts themselves have firm, flaky crusts that get filled with core custards like lemon-raspberry and dark chocolate with sea salt. In summer, look for natas flavored with corn, passion fruit, and strawberry. The staff here even makes a sweet nata latte to mimic the three-bite treats, using a house syrup infused with vanilla, cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon juice. All the egg whites the natas generate get fried and stuffed into a soft but crusty mealhada roll with cheese, avocado, and aioli, resulting in the Sammy, one of the city’s best breakfast sandwiches.
These are the Platonic ideal of dim sum-style egg tarts, which means they’re small — two perfect bites each — with pastry that flakes apart in crisp petals in your mouth. They’re filled with even, yolky custard that balances lightness and richness. These are the perfect mildly gelatinous coda to stuffing yourself with all the other goodies wheeled past your table during dim sum at China Gourmet, and no dim sum experience here is complete without them.
A dim sum cart with full-size dishes at Grand Palace restaurant, 600 Washington Ave.
Grand Palace
This Washington Avenue establishment’s name is not delusional — it truly is grand. This is where you want to bring your 10 best friends for dim sum or brunch, and shout engagingly back and forth with the ladies pushing carts piled high with bamboo steamer baskets. As a bonus, it’s a stone’s throw from Center City and there is parking. Grand Palace has absolutely mastered both steamed buns (its char siu bao is positively fluffy) and egg tarts. The tarts are larger than the average dim sum rendition, coming two to an order (vs. the usual three). The pastry shell crust is incredibly flaky, with a thinner layer of custard than typical Cantonese tarts. The filling is soft, barely sweet, and one of the highlights of a raucous dim sum experience.
Occupying a cheerful, cartoon-muraled, bright blue corner in deep South Philly, Dodo Bakery peddles an impressive variety of Chinese-inflected baked goods, tea-based beverages, and smoothies. The kitchen makes two types of egg tarts: one in a traditional flaky pastry shell, and another whose egg yolk custard is spiked with pandan for a hint of grassy, coconutty flavor and a neon-green hue. Pop them in the toaster oven at home to revive their jiggly freshness. Dodo also churns out enormous renditions of classic Hong Kong pastries, like the staple Canto-British chicken pot pie and triangles stuffed with chopped, bright red char siu roast pork. Their red bean pastries are also excellent and extremely flaky.
Altogether, our staff consumes thousands of meals a year, from on-the-go bites at takeout counters to sumptuous tasting meals at intimate ateliers. It’s no surprise that some experiences are memorable, some are forgettable, and some are memorable for being forgettable (but that’s a different story for a different day).
Here are 20 dishes we ate in 2025 that stopped us mid-bite, clarified a restaurant’s point of view, or captured a moment we wanted to return to. I’ve coursed this out, moving from opening bites through vegetable-forward dishes, then to mains and desserts. As a bonus, there’s a cocktail whose elements provide the perfect transition from snacktime to dinner.
Although some dishes were specials, or are offered seasonally, be assured that these kitchens reliably turn out food that truly is memorable. In a good way. — Michael Klein
Sesame madeleines with ras al hanout butter at Emmett.
Sesame madeleines at Emmett
I don’t think there was a more evocative and hunger-stirring opening bite this year than the warm sesame madeleines with smoked and spiced butter at Emmett. They state the theme of this modern Mediterranean restaurant so clearly — channeling the flavors of the Levant through Euro techniques and local seasonality. Last spring, the butter was scented with the smoked cinnamon of ras el hanout alongside a dollop of rhubarb jam. By my revisit this fall, the butter was fragrant with vadouvan curry, accompanied by blueberry compote. Adding the optional scoop of caviar transformed it from an intriguing first nibble to an all-out indulgence of its own. — Craig LaBan
If I could only order one thing from Alex Kemp’s menu at My Loup in Rittenhouse, it would be the raw bar’s pickled shrimp. Served in a mason jar with a pair of metal tongs, the dish features firm, pink shrimp bathed in a vinegary brine laced with basil leaves. Diners assemble the perfect bite, smearing a rich aioli on saltine crackers, to be topped with the bright shrimp and herbs — marrying salt, fat, and acidity in a way that’s simply addictive. I’m from the South (specifically the home of Mayport shrimp, with a minor-league baseball team named after the delicacy), so I know a thing or two about crustaceans and I won’t order them just anywhere. So trust me when I tell you that this is the spot and the dish. — Emily Bloch
My Loup, 2005 Walnut St., 267-239-5925, myloupphl.com
Umami fries at Mama-San, 226 N. Radnor Chester Rd., Wayne.
Umami fries at Mama-San
The Philly area has its share of outstanding fries: the gold standard Belgian frites from Monk’s Cafe, the duck-fat beauties from Royal Boucherie and Village Whiskey, the slender frites from Parc, and the batata harra-style potatoes from Suraya. Let’s add to the list the umami fries from Mama-San, a fast-casual Japanese newcomer across from Radnor High in Wayne. Straight-cut and fried in soybean oil, they’re glossed with a house blend of nori and spices such as shichimi togarashi, which adds briny, umami depth, and the side of seaweed aioli is a dip worth savoring. — M.K.
Here’s a bonus: a drink that behaves like a dish. On a recent Friday, I was lucky enough to nab a walk-in table at La Jefa, the vibey cafe-slash-cocktail bar that’s part of the revived Tequilas universe. I departed just slightly tipsy enough to not quite remember the food, but one drink — a burnt corn tortilla mai tai made with Cascahuin Blanco tequila, floral vermouth, rum, lime, and the essence of a corn tortilla — left an unforgettable impression. The cocktail leans smoky, with a sweet aftertaste not unlike the flavor of fresh-out-the-oven cornbread. For those who don’t imbibe, a burnt corn tortilla latte is available during the day. — Beatrice Forman
Do you want to see why I’m so excited about the modern Mexican cooking at Amá in Kensington? Behold chef Frankie Ramirez’s seasonal tlayuda for July, a paper-thin tortilla as broad as a pizza, crisped over the coals and topped with a brilliant yellow burst of zucchini flowers. It was a snapshot of summer sunshine, layered with herbaceous epazote pesto, melted Oaxaca cheese, and tangy dollops of buffalo milk burrata. Not only was it delicious, it was probably the most beautiful thing I ate all year. — C.L.
The vegan bean and smoked mushroom burger at Pietramala.
The vegan burger at Pietramala
Earlier this year, chef Ian Graye began selling his veggie burger once a month on Sundays, when his Northern Liberties restaurant is normally closed. At first glance, the burger appears to be an elemental patty made from coarsely ground smoked Mycopolitan comb tooth mushrooms, heirloom pinto beans, and charred onions — repurposed excess ingredients from Pietramala‘s dinner production. But this burger is anything but simple: These patties take three days to prepare, and much longer if you count the months it takes to ferment the house-made tamari, miso, and other larder items that add an impressively deep, layered savor. Once seared in a cast-iron skillet, the burgers get basted with an umami glaze — reduced bean pot liquor that’s been emulsified with more miso and tamari — lending each burger a juicy shine. With the burger set onto a seeded bun with ripe tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and a special sauce made with pickle brine, fermented chilies, and lots of garlic, it’s no wonder Pietramala’s burger pop-ups routinely draw long lines. Check Instagram for availability. — C.L.
A vegan combo with injera at Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine.
Vegan combo with injera at Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine
What to get at Eshkol, chef Chaltu Merga’s Ethiopian newcomer in Ardmore? I’d suggest ordering a combination (either vegan or meat-forward) so you can enjoy an assortment of rich stews and vibrant vegetable dishes served atop injera, the traditional teff flatbread used for scooping. Lovely staff will guide you and your pals to your choices. Here, I assembled key sir (beet and potatoes), gomen (collard greens), tikil gomen (cabbage), misir wot (lentils), ater kik alicha (yellow split peas), and, in the center, shiro (chickpeas). The meat dishes include such classics as doro wot (spicy chicken stew with egg), siga wot (beef in berbere), and minchet abish (spiced minced beef). — M.K.
Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine, 36 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, 484-412-8044, eshkolcuisine.com
Tostones nachos from Amy’s Pastelillos.
Tostones nachos at Amy’s Pastelillos
Over the course of scouting Philly’s best Puerto Rican and South American restaurants for The Inquirer’s 76 guide, I thought I had encountered plantains in all their forms: mashed into mofongo and mangú, caramelized into maduros, molded into petit cups for crackling pork. None, however, stood out more than the platter of tostones nachos from Amy’s Pastelillos, a Fishtown to-go counter better known for its namesake crispy Puerto Rican hand pies. The nachos are made from miniature tostones (to maximize surface area) and blanketed with layers of all the good stuff — cheese, pineapple salsa, jalapeños, pickled onion, and a hefty drizzle of passion fruit hot sauce. Talk about innovation that excites. — B.F.
The audaciously over-the-top McDonald’s Money burger got all the hype and ink (including my own) at Honeysuckle. But the truly unforgettable dish from Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate’s culinary exploration of the Black diaspora on North Broad Street are the hot tamales, inspired by the century-old Black food tradition of the Mississippi Delta. The chefs sub grits for Mexican-style masa inside the corn husks, which are stuffed with braised oxtail and wagyu beef cheeks, then simmer them in a cuminy beef broth spiked with house hot sauce. They’re served alongside chili-stewed limas, green tomato salsa verde, saltine crackers made of blue masa, and a cloudy shot of smoky corn milk and liquor. — C.L.
Hyderabadi curry paneer (with necessary water) at Madness of Masala.
Hyderabadi paneer curry at Madness of Masala
Sometimes I need a heater, a dish so spicy it recalibrates my brain like a good cleanse. And this year’s fire award goes to the Hyderabadi paneer curry at Madness of Masala near King of Prussia. This bowl of creamy cheese cubes comes bobbing in a pylon-orange gravy whose full-throttle heat — the result of red Gunturs and green Thai chilies — triggered a ringing sensation in my ears while the rest of my face momentarily went numb. The owner, taking pity, insisted on making me a milder version, despite my protests. But after a few bites, it was clear that this was a dish that expresses itself best when the spice is dialed up to a certain volume. It unlocks a frequency where your buzzing taste buds can sense other flavors flowing through: aromatic cardamom, clove, and coriander; sweet backnotes of cashews and almonds; the soothing richness of cream; and the punctuating tang of vinegar for balance. I didn’t want to miss a note. So I mopped my brow and kept eating. — C.L.
Madness of Masala, 2851 Ridge Pike, Trooper, 484-235-8003, madnessofmasala.com
Roast duck congee with a side of youtiao at M Kee.
Roast duck congee at M Kee
Chinatown has several family-run operations that serve succulent roast duck over silken congee or fragrant, fluffy, dripping-covered rice, or crispy-skinned pork along with thin noodles and gossamer wontons. Somehow, M Kee manages to serve the best of all the above, while quelling a relentless takeout line at lunch. M Kee puts just a bit more care into each item — the duck is carefully diced and its congee is positively packed with the meatiest bits. A croissant-like youtiao comes on the side of the steaming bowl of congee; the flaky sticks of fried dough may be the best I’ve ever had, with strands of fresh ginger and a staggering amount of duck in every bite. — Kiki Aranita
Puebla-born chef Alberto Sandoval, who worked for two decades in Philly fine-dining kitchens such as Lacroix, Striped Bass, and Volvér, cooks family recipes at Tlali, the modest, cash-only BYOB he opened over the summer with his brother Efrain in a rowhouse in Upper Darby. Total charmer. Sandoval cuts no corners on the menu. Besides tasty tacos al pastor (whose pork is tenderized by his father’s secret marinade recipe), you must not miss the huarache Teresita, a seared 12-ounce rib-eye with cactus salad and charred tomatillo salsa atop the thick corn base. — M.K.
The arrival of former Momofuku Ko chef Sean Gray to the Sergeantsville Inn, just north of Lambertville, is one of the best reasons I found this year to drive more than an hour to dinner. And while there were so many incredible dishes on the menu of this revitalized 18th-century stone tavern (fried chicken, grilled prime steaks), the shrimp casino is one you can’t miss. Head-on Spanish blue prawns are split open, stuffed with garlicky breadcrumbs, and roasted over a Big Green Egg grill. You’ll need to dive in and get messy with these majestic crustaceans to pry that tender meat off the shells with your teeth — or simply crunch away, and eat the whole thing. — C.L.
A platter including pork ribs, brisket, and jerk chicken at Big Swerve’s BBQ.
Ribs, brisket, and jerk chicken at Big Swerve’s BBQ
However you get to Big Swerve’s BBQ in Westville, Gloucester County, it would be wise to follow Google Maps, which will send you not to the street address but down an alley and around a parking lot that will swing you perilously close to a brick building. In front of you will be the 20-foot converted shipping container that houses “Big Bottom Betty,” pitmaster Stephen Clark’s offset smoker, fashioned out of a 500-gallon propane tank. Three people can share a combo, such as the Lil Dip Two, a generous sampler of three proteins (let’s say brisket, chicken, and three or four ribs, depending on size), plus three medium sides, including candied yams, cornbread, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and “mean beans,” a combo of ground beef and baked beans. That’s smoke, sauce, and generosity done right. — M.K.
Big Swerve’s BBQ, 201 Broadway, Westville, 856-349-7469, bigswervesbbq.com
Special Dominó arepa by Puyero Venezuelan Flavor.
Special Dominó arepa at Puyero Venezuelan Flavor
One of my biggest pet peeves is when the bites of a sandwich are uneven, leaving you wanting for one ingredient while going too heavy on another. That doesn’t happen at Puyero in Queen Village, a Venezuelan restaurant known for churning out oversized arepas packed with fillings. Each of Puyero’s cornmeal pockets is excellent, but my favorite is the most basic: the Special Dominó, filled with heaps of avocado, slightly-stewed black bean, sweet plantains, and queso de mano, a soft white mozzarella-esque cheese. All my favorite things, in one arepa. — B.F.
Puyero Venezuelan Flavor, 524 S. Fourth St., 267-928-4584, puyeroflavor.com
The Houdini pizza from Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak & Pizza Co.
The Houdini pizza at Del Rossi’s
Getting my favorite tomato pie riff in Philly has just gotten a whole lot harder, thanks to Del Rossi’s well-deserved Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand. Del Rossi’s 16-inch Houdini pizza layers provolone beneath a plum tomato sauce, then gets a flourish of aged Parmesan post-bake. Its crusts never flop or sag under the weight of toppings. The real magic, however, is how the parm mixes with the tomato sauce to create a tang with an umami bite. Eating at home? Add a drizzle of hot honey and thank me later. — B.F.
Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak & Pizza Co., 538 N. Fourth St., 267-817-7007, delrossisrestaurant.com
A grilled corzetti pasta coin cradles a slice of American wagyu beef and Cooper Sharp foam at Vetri Cucina.
A pasta cheesesteak coin at Vetri
The multicourse “pasta omakase” chef Marc Vetri serves to just six lucky diners each month upstairs at Vetri Cucina has become one of the most coveted culinary events of the moment. The meals themselves may reach a limited audience, but they’ve become a creative laboratory for dishes that often make the restaurant’s main menu. I tasted some extraordinary technical wonders there, like the duck confit culurgiones in orange sauce wrapped in carob dough, or the airy gnocchi stuffed with lobster mousse. But the most unexpected bite was a clever tribute to Vetri’s Philadelphia roots: a tiny cheesesteak of wagyu beef flashed over the coals, then wrapped inside a grilled corzetti pasta coin like a mini-taco alongside roasted onion and foamy flourish of aerated Cooper Sharp cheese. So small, so vivid, so fun. It’s also destined for occasional future cameos as an amuse-bouche in the dining room or a featured bite at special events. — C.L.
Cheeseburger dessert with a chocolate sundae at Roxanne.
Cheeseburger and chocolate sundae at Roxanne
It’s been a big year for bold riffs on cheeseburgers. But Roxanne’s Alexandra Holt is the first who’s ever served me a cheeseburger for dessert, floating the somewhat radical theory that “dessert” simply implies an ending, not necessarily something sweet. The burger itself was savory incarnate, a gushingly rare patty on a sesame-seeded house-baked bun layered with a thick slice of Red Rock blue cheddar cheese, the crunch of raw onions, and creamy mayo. For the dessert doubters, though, it also comes with a powerhouse traditional sweet: a chocolate sundae drizzled with an intense fudge sauce made from 66% dark chocolate that Holt produces from cacao pods she grinds herself at her Queen Village restaurant. This is, in fact, a classic fast-food combo, and now it’s the happy meal of my dreams. — C.L.
This off-menu (but readily available) dessert from Kinto, the Georgian BYOB in Fishtown, reminded me of eating diner blintzes rolled with sweet cream and heaped with maraschino cherries. Here, the classic flavor combo gets the dumpling treatment: A warm khinkali, tinted pink with raspberry juice, is filled with a sour cherry-and-cheese mixture. The dessert is as beautiful as it is comforting. — B.F.
The Caramelia at 1906, the restaurant at Longwood Gardens.
Caramelia at Longwood Gardens’ 1906
Paying homage to Kennett Square’s reputation as the “Mushroom Capital of the World,” the kitchen team at Longwood Gardens’ 1906 restaurant adds funghi wherever it can — even in dessert. The Caramelia, easily its most Instagrammable menu item, is almost too enchanting to eat. It stands vertically on the plate in all its hemispherical glory, resembling the red-topped mushrooms of storybooks or Super Mario Bros. But once you will yourself to break into the decadent chocolate mousse mold, you’re greeted with flavors of espresso and caramel. It’s finished with a playful cocoa “soil,” almost like a grown-up take on the dirt pies with gummy worms of our youth. Beyond the novelty, it’s a not-too-heavy but chocolatey way to cap off a meal. — E.B.
In the middle of Reading Terminal Market, Flying Monkey Bakery sells the platonic ideal of a homestyle apple pie (and also really good whoopie pies). Although the apple crumb pie is a standard 9 inches, it feels more substantial, thanks to a hefty all-butter shell and a granola-esque oat-crumb topping. You get plenty of cinnamon in the rich, thick filling. It tastes just as good cold as it does warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. — B.F.
Suraya, the Michelin-recognized Lebanese restaurant in Fishtown, will temporarily close Friday after a nearby rooftop fire left the restaurant without gas.
The Philadelphia Fire Department arrived to fire on the roof of a two-story building on the 1500 block of Frankford Avenue late Thursday night. The department controlled the fire within 20 minutes and there were no reported injuries. The cause was under investigation.
However, Suraya reported that its building was still without gas service and wouldn’t open until the service was restored.
“We are incredibly grateful that our team was unharmed in the fire. We are temporarily without gas, so we cannot open the restaurant. The Suraya team will be working with local authorities to support their ongoing investigation and appreciates the community’s support,” said a spokesperson for Defined Hospitality, the restaurant group that includes Suraya.
Halabi kebabs and the samke harra are pictured at Suraya in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020.
Updates on the restaurant opening will be posted on social media at @surayaphilly.
Suraya, named after the sibling-cowners Nathalie Richan and Roland Kassis’ grandmother in Beirut, was just recognized by the Michelin Guide for its welcoming presence, rich Middle East and Levant-inspired menu, and expansive offerings from the bakery and shop up front to its open kitchen and outdoor dining area.
Pennsylvania-made amaro — bittersweet liqueurs made by macerating herbs and spices — is a nascent booze category. But its production isn’t restricted to larger distilleries like Philadelphia Distilling, which makes the popular Vigo Amaro. Bartenders around the city are making their own in-house.
A Negroni at Percy, in Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 2025.
The practice of making in-house amaro is a result of a relative lack of access. In Pennsylvania, amari are often expensive and the selection comparatively small due to what the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board makes available. On the Fine Wine and Good Spirits website, there are only 41 amari listed, compared to 838 tequila and tequila-based drinks available.
Some bars, like Borromini and Le Virtù, maintain lists of 70-plus amari by sourcing them through what’s called Special Liquor Orders, or as Le Virtù’s general manager and beverage director Chris O’Brien explains, “something that is brought in from a smaller importer instead of getting it directly from the state.”
But bars with a limited winery, brewery, or distillery licenses — a vastly more affordable and increasingly popular path to a liquor license than a full restaurant license — can only serve beer, wine, and liquor that’s produced (or at least bottled) in Pennsylvania. That winnows the PLCB-stocked options from 41 to two, giving some establishments good reason to make their own amari.
Amaro Spritz at Percy, in Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 2025.
The family of liqueurs known as amaro (Italian for “bitter”) are made from steeping botanicals in alcohol. They can be enjoyed before dinner (aperitivo) or after (digestivo). There are numerous types and subdivisions, like fernet. Nocino is a similar liqueur made from walnuts. Here in Philly, ambitious bartenders are making all kinds of variations.
Almanac
At Almanac in Old City, which is tucked above Ogawa’s omakase counter, large mason jars filled with witchy green-black liquid cover the shelving on one entire wall. Lead bartender Rob Scott brews his own amazake, a spirit typically made from fermenting rice with koji mold spores, and steeps mostly foraged nuts and leaves in Everclear and brandy for Almanac’s unique, house bitters.
The Juban District, a take on a Manhattan, made with black walnut nocino at Almanac.
Spinning one jar of amaro from October in his hands, studying the aromatics still steeping within, Scott recited each of them, “Fig leaf, apples of some sort, trifoliate orange, yomogi which is a cousin of mugwort, chrysanthemum, rosemary. We keep a book downstairs where we weigh and measure everything and write them down. Otherwise it’s easy to forget.”
They’re all autumnal flavors, and they steep for months in Laird’s Jersey Lightning, an un-aged apple brandy.
The jars of amaro sit next to about a dozen similar jars of nocino, made from local black walnuts. “You can taste a bit of astringency with nocino, but it goes away with time,” Scott said. “But if you make an amaro with, say, cardoons or wormwood, those will always be bitter.”
The nocino currently sitting on Almanac’s shelves were started on June 24, when their team harvested the nuts in Merchantville with Danny Childs, sliced them in half, put them all into 2-liter mason jars, and covered them with Everclear, a neutral grain spirit. They steeped until Thanksgiving, when the nocino was tempered with water and sweetened with Demerara sugar.
The black walnut nocino at Almanac.
Scott offered a sample of what he called “hot nocino,” used for Almanac’s Manhattan. “We only put the nocino into cocktails because the other flavors in the cocktail temper its hotness. In order to get a true, sipping nocino, I would let this age for another six to eight months for it to become a more evolved drink. You can’t really over-extract [the walnuts], so we use them when they feel right.”
Almanac, 310 Market St., Second Floor, 215-238-5757, almanacphilly.com
Percy Diner and Bar
Percy Diner and Bar’s limited winery license means they can only serve Pennsylvania-made amari. So they decided to make their own.
Percy, which is part of the Forin group, serves Forin’s black currant and cherry fruit wines and their oaked ube and ube honey wines straight ($10) and blends them into cocktails.
A Negroni at Percy, in Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 2025.
They’ve used the honey wine as a base for their amaro, but more recently, the in-house selection is made with mostly neutral grain spirits. Lead bartender Sean Goldinger is hoping to slowly cultivate a series of house-made amari to feature in cocktails. At the moment he has made both a straightforward amaro with bitter orange peel, angelica root, fresh orange peel, star anise, hibiscus, gentian, wormwood, and sweetened with Demerara sugar, as well as an aperitivo that follows a similar recipe but is sweetened with a syrup made from clarified fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Housemade Amaros at Percy, in Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 2025.
The aperitivo is wonderfully citrusy and significantly less bitter than the amaro. Goldinger also makes a house riff on Benedictine, a French herbal liqueur typically consisting of a couple dozen secret ingredients, with Stateside vodka and Dad’s Hat whiskey, Fell to Earth sweet vermouth, and Peychaud’s bitters. It’s infused with cinnamon, cloves, fresh thyme, lemon and orange peel, vanilla, cardamom, wormwood, fresh ginger, star anise, and angelica root, sweetened with both Demerara sugar and honey.
Percy Diner and Bar, 1700 N. Front St., 215-975-0020, percyphl.com
The bar area at Le Virtú on Feb. 20, 2025.
Le Virtù
While the majority of Le Virtù’s robust menu of amari and other liqueurs is sourced from Italy and Eastern European countries, the East Passyunk restaurant also offers some house-made options. Three house-made digestivi stand out:acqua santa (an agrumi, Italian for “citrus fruits”), genziana (a traditional Abruzzese gentian digestivo), and caffè, a coffee liqueur. These aren’t amari, as they use far less ingredients, but they serve the same purpose — helping you to digest the pasta dinner you’ve just indulged in.
For $15, you can get a generous pour of one of these digestivi. They’re all made by owner Francis Cratil Cretarola’s brother Fred, who’s been making amari since 2013, when he attended a wedding in Abruzzo, in the town of Pacentro and “became drinking buddies with a guy who taught him,” according to Francis. “Amari are much more complex, with 10 to 12 different ingredients, but these are the things Abruzzese are making in their homes,” he said.
Acqua santa is a light golden yellow. Le Virtu’s beverage director, Chris O’Brien, referred to it as a “high-octane limoncello.” It’s made with lemon, grapefruit, orange, and lime. With less sugar than limoncello, it’s much more nuanced in its citrus flavors.
For the caffè, Fred takes fresh espresso grounds and infuses them in Everclear for 30 to 40 days, turning them each week to make sure they’re evenly distributed, Francis explained.
The genziana is clear, amber-hued, and bracingly bitter, but still very balanced. It opens with a bright citrusy burst and is made bitter with gentian root, a common ingredient in amari. The root, brought to the U.S. by Francis’ friends who live near the Maiella mountains, steeps in Trebbiano or Pecorino wine from Abruzzo. Fred adds some lemon peel and coffee beans to it, along with Everclear.
Le Virtù, 1927 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-271-5626, levirtu.com
Products from Fell to Earth Vermouth.
Fell to Earth
You may recognize Tim Kweeder’s name from his viral concoction, Dumpster Juice, a line of vermouths born at Bloomsday, but his making of liqueurs has come a long way. He’s the producer, bottler, salesperson, and delivery person for Fell to Earth, Philly’s first vermoutherie. It’s technically both a winery and a distillery: “The state made us get both licenses,” said Kweeder.
Fell to Earth’s liqueurs can be found at about 40 different Philly bars. Kweeder sources fresh ingredients for his fernet, like nepitella and chamomile, from Green Meadow Farms. He sweetens them with blackstrap molasses from Bucks County, then blends them with a neutral grain spirit and lets them sit for a week before blending the tinctures.
The base of his amaro starts with spruce tips from Green Meadow. “There’s a two-week window where you can forage for them, between late March and April. I throw them all into a big vat with neutral grain spirit … That becomes a base for amaro, and I build on top of that, blending in other tinctures,” he said.
“Though most of our ingredients are from the Mid-Atlantic, we have a tiny ‘spice cabinet’ of traditional amaro ingredients that don’t grow here, like gentian, cinchona (a bark that yields quinine), etc. which we use like chefs would use seasonings. We get these locally from Penn Herb Co.”
If you can’t decide whether you’re looking for a nocino or an amaro, you may find your solution in Fell to Earth’s Nocinaro — a hybrid of the two made from green walnuts, walnut leaf, black walnut syrup, trifoliate orange, wormwood, blackstrap molasses, and a gentle seasoning of cinchona bark and gentian root.
Available for delivery in Philadelphia (four-bottle minimum), shipping outside the city available via Vinoshipper; felltoearth.com
Port is one of the most unusual wines on earth, and one uniquely well-suited to the long nights and cold weather of this season. As a fully sweet and fortified red wine, everything about port is riddled with contradictions. But the best approach is not to try to make sense of it — it’s to simply pour yourself a small glass to enjoy with friends and family, whether with cheeses, with desserts, or as a liqueur-like dessert unto itself.
What’s so confounding about port wines? They have always had a reputation as an expensive indulgence of the elite, despite being one of the most affordable fine wines in existence, thanks to their small portion size. Each 750-milliliter bottle contains 10 servings instead of the usual five. Port is also typecast as an after-dinner drink, since it tastes so divine with everything from blue cheeses to crème brûlée to chocolate. Yet it makes a delicious apéritif as well, on the rocks or with a splash of seltzer or tonic.
Port also has a long and strong association with British culture, down to the family names of the major port wineries, like this one from W. & J. Graham’s. However, it is a Portuguese wine through and through. The grapes for port wines may be grown in the rugged and rural mountains of Portugal’s upper Douro Valley, near the Spanish border, but the critical stages of port winemaking always take place in the coastal city of Oporto, over an hour’s drive away.
This example is what’s known as a “reserve” port, in the red ruby style. The Six Grapes brand is among the most world’s most popular and recognizable ports, one that is designed to taste more fresh and youthful than most. Its flavors evoke ripe cherries, plums, and pomegranate, with a concentration and lusciousness of texture that eclipses dry red wines. Its sweetness and booziness is on a par with that of the dark amarena cherry found at the bottom of a good Manhattan, with all the warm fuzzy feelings they bring.
Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port
Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port
Portugal, 20% ABV
PLCB Item # 8173, on sale for $25.99 through Jan. 4 (regularly $26.99)
Also available at: Canal’s in Berlin, N.J. ($21.99; canalsofberlin.com), Wine Warehouse in Clementon, Voorhees, and Sicklerville, N.J. ($22.99; winewarehousenj.com), and Canal’s Liquors in Pennsauken, N.J. ($24.99; canalsliquors.com)
Fairmount’s pup-friendly pub the Boozy Mutt is closing its doors Jan. 3 after just over two years in business, co-owners Sam and Allison Mattiola announced via Instagram on Monday.
“After much thought, we made the difficult decision to close the Boozy Mutt … What began as a dream became something truly special because of our community — our guests, our team, and all the good mutts who walked through our doors,” read the post, which has been shared over 1,400 times. Nearly every comment is from a dejected dog parent wishing for another round of beer and belly rubs.
The Mattiolas, who are married, opened the Boozy Mutt at 2639 Poplar St. in December 2023, transforming former rock-and-roll dive the North Star into roughly 7,000 square feet for pooches and their people to roam across two floors and an outdoor patio. The venture was inspired by pandemic-era trips to a dog park with Bernadoodle Buba, where the couple would camp out with lawn chairs and a pack of beers to make friends.
At the Mutt, as regulars called it, dogs are allowed to mingle off-leash under the supervision of aptly-named “Rufferees” who monitor and facilitate healthy play. All owners had to register their pet’s vaccinations before gaining access to the space, which includes a self-service dog wash room, outdoor TVs, a summertime-only puppy pool, and a menu of bite-sized “human grade” dog treats.
Tess Bodden (left) and Jenn Maher pose with their pet shih tzus Hazel, Hendrix, and Kelce at the Boozy Mutt, a popular third space for dog parents in Fairmount.
The bar felt like a version of Cheers for pet parents almost immediately, regulars told The Inquirer, thanks in part to a rotation of events that ranged from weekly quizzos to breed meetups and Pitch-A-Friend nights for singles. A monthly membership was $40, while an annual Mutt subscription cost $360.
The bar had upward of 100 regular members, Sam Mattiola said, all of whom will receive prorated refunds in the coming days. “People would tell us that this was their third space, that they go home, they go to work, and they go to the Boozy Mutt,” he said. “We walk away with our heads held high knowing that we achieved our goal of creating a place that made people feel at home.”
And yet, the Mattiolas said, running a bar that catered to dogs and their owners in equal measure proved increasingly challenging as the cost of rent, insurance, food, and alcohol continued to increase. While dog-friendly bars and beer gardens have taken off in the South, the concept has had mixed success in Philly: Manayunk dog bar Bark Social closed abruptly last year after its parent company declared bankruptcy. Its replacement, an outpost of the Atlanta-based company Fetch Park, opened in November.
“It’s a pretty overhead-intensive business model that we have, and it’s just gotten pretty hard to make the math work after the last couple of years,” Sam Mattiola explained. “There was just always something new hitting [us] in the face.”
Darby, a 5-year-old shih tzu, sits on a picnic table at the Boozy Mutt in Fairmount during an August 2025 breed meetup.
The Boozy Mutt’s 26 employees were informed of the impending closure before the announcement went public Monday, Allison Mattiola said, and the couple has spent the last three days putting together job recommendations. Neither she or her husband had worked in hospitality prior, and the couple has no immediate plans to revive the business elsewhere.
Where is Fido to go?
Already, the Boozy Mutt’s impending closure has been ruff — pun intended — for Fairmount pet parents.
“It’s a loss for us and a loss for the dogs,” said Sarah Kuwik, whose 2½-year-old pooch Willie “grew up at the Mutt.”
Kuwik started taking what she described as her “50-pound mutt” to the bar almost immediately after it opened. It has given Willie a social life most adults would envy.
Willie goes on dates at the Mutt with his girlfriend Bea, a 3-year-old golden retriever who clings to him like a magnet. And in June, Willie had a joint WrestleMania-themed birthday party with his best friend Levon, also a mutt with boundless energy.
Willie (left) poses with his golden retriever girlfriend Bea (right) and his best pup friend Levon at the Boozy Mutt, where the trio first met.
Kuwik doesn’t know how Willie will handle the news: “He’ll pull us toward [the Boozy Mutt] every time we’re on Poplar [Street] … it’s going to be very confusing.”
The Boozy Mutt is also what drew Valerie Speare to Fairmount in the first place. Speare put an offer on her current rowhouse a mere four blocks from the bar after grabbing brunch there in between open houses last spring. Now she goes to the Mutt four times a week with her pugs Lily and Winston, who are both deeply playful (and deeply codependent).
The Mutt “is exactly the kind of thing I want in a neighborhood,” said Speare, who has lived in the area for a year-and-a-half. “Where else can I go have a mimosa on a Saturday morning and have my dog sitting in my lap?”
Valerie Speare, of Fairmount, and her pugs Winston and Lily lounge with Chihuahua pals at the Boozy Mutt. Speare takes her pugs to the bar four times a week, she estimates.
For others, the bar has fostered connections that extend beyond puppy playdates. Katherine Ross has lived in Fairmount since 2004, but has seen the neighborhood — and the people in it — with new eyes, thanks to her 4-year-old pug Hoagie.
At the Mutt, Hoagie likes to beg for bites of Old Bay and truffle-coated fries or splash in the puppy pool. Ross, meanwhile, has enjoyed getting to meet her neighbors.
“I’ve lived in this neighborhood for over 20 years, and to be honest with you, I didn’t know all that many people until I got a dog,” Ross said. “Having a place like the Boozy Mutt brought a lot of friendships together.”
Philadelphia’s restaurant landscape in 2025 was shaped by a combination of ambition and depth: large, market-moving openings at the top end (Borromini, Dancerobot, Uchi, Honeysuckle, Tequilas/La Jefa); suburban newcomers that mattered (Michael, Neos Americana, Salt & Stone); and dozens of smaller additions that boosted neighborhood options.
All told, I count more than 125 newcomers, not including the ubiquitous Wonder locations and multiunit bakery franchises like Paris Baguette and Tous les Jours.
The hottest areas were Rittenhouse and Kensington in the city, and Conshohocken in the suburbs.
Top Openings: Philadelphia
Center City / Rittenhouse / Fitler Square / North Philadelphia
Amma: The polished South Indian restaurant has relocated about two blocks away into more sumptuous quarters at 15th and Walnut, picking up a glassed-in bar.
The Bread Room: A bakery-cafe hybrid from High Street Hospitality on Chestnut Street, around the corner from High Street and Jefferson Hospital, that focuses on laminated pastries, breads, and other daytime fare.
Dancerobot: Chefs Jesse Ito and Justin Bacharach’s sequel to Royal Izakaya is a sultry hideaway on Sansom Street in Rittenhouse.
The dining room at Honeysuckle.
Honeysuckle: Chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate have a new stage for Southern cooking rooted in Black culinary traditions on North Broad Street, building on what they started with West Philly’s Honeysuckle Provisions.
Kissho House: Chef Jeff Chen’s refined, two-level Japanese experience in Rittenhouse offers omakase downstairs and an izakaya on street level on Locust.
Uchi Philadelphia: The national Japanese restaurant raises the bar for luxury sushi on Sansom Street in Rittenhouse.
Fishtown/Kensington/Northern Liberties
Amá: Chef Frankie Ramirez’s modern Mexican restaurant on Front Street showcases regional cooking with a serious mezcal and tequila program.
El Chingón Fishtown: Chef Carlos Aparicio’s second location of his acclaimed South Philadelphia taqueria is a beer-garden setting on Frankford Avenue.
Evan Snyder grilling a halibut at Emmett.
Emmett: Chef Evan Snyder is winning plaudits for his Levantine-inspired cooking at the former Modo Mio/Cadence/Primary Plant Based space on Girard Avenue.
Fleur’s: Chef George Sabatino cooks French dishes in an intimate setting in a former furniture store on Front Street.
Forest & Main Fishtown: The Ambler brewery’s first city tasting room, in the former Cheu Fishtown on Frankford, features creative bar food from chef Dane DeMarco (Gass & Main).
Mana Modern Chinese: Modern Chinese BYOB on Second Street in Northern Liberties blends playful dim sum and inventive takes on classics in a mod setting.
Fairmount / Francisville
Javelin: This low-key Fairmount Avenue sushi bar offers a full cocktail bar.
Stephen’s Cafe: This kosher dairy cafe attached to the Chabad of Fairmount, in the former Rembrandt’s, features baking by Shevy Sputz, who also sells her babka, knishes, and other Eastern European baked goods at the local farmer’s market.
South Philadelphia / East Passyunk / Graduate Hospital
Bomb Bomb Bar: Zeppoli/Palizzi chef Joey Baldino revived a classic South Philly corner bar, infusing it with an Italian seafood menu and plenty of downtown energy.
Sao: Chef Phila Lorn and his wife, Rachel, are behind this snug Cambodian-inspired seafood bar on East Passyunk, a sequel to their hit no-rules noodle spot, Mawn.
Supérette: This chill European-style wine bar/cafe/bottle shop on East Passyunk from Chloé Grigri, Vincent Stipo, and Owen Kamihira emphasizes simple plates and easy elegance.
Namaste Indian Bistro: This Indian-Himalayan bistro at 46th and Lancaster is an offshoot of the original in Warminster; there’s also a new location in Collingswood.
Out West: Down North Pizza’s sequel at 52nd and Walnut combines an ambitious coffee program with breakfast and lunch sandwiches in a community-friendly space.
Northwest Philadelphia
The Borscht Belt: The Bucks Jewish deli has opened a counter at Chestnut Hill’s Market at the Fareway.
Burtons Grill & Bar (Wayne): This polished, New England-rooted American grill features a long cocktail list and an unusually thorough gluten-free/allergy-friendly playbook.
Eataly (King of Prussia Mall): The giant Italian marketplace combines multiple restaurants, retail counters, and specialty grocery under one roof.
Hank’s Place (Chadds Ford): Rebuilt after a devastating 2021 flood, this Brandywine mainstay is a cozy diner known for old-school favorites and Wyeth sightings.
Michael Coastal Italian Grille (Collingswood): Chef Michael DeLone leans harder into coastal Italian cuisine after rebranding the upscale Nunzio’s and freshening the environs with new hardwood.
Neos Americana (Conshohocken): Kurt Benkurt and Annalise Long have upgraded their Daniel’s into a refined Mediterranean-leaning dinner destination and bar focusing on mezze, grilled meats, and seafood.
Peter Chang (King of Prussia): Peter Chang, once chef for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., offers Sichuan classics.
Revell Hall (Burlington): Chef Joey Sergentakis is behind this modern restaurant on the Delaware riverfront, the former Cafe Gallery, billed as “semifine dining.”
Salt & Stone (Conshohocken): Demetrios Pappas is behind this polished restaurant emphasizing seasonal Greek-American cooking and craft cocktails.
Thymari Mediterranean Gastro-Taverna(Swedesboro): This Greek-inspired BYOB offers taverna-style dishes, with a wine list sourced through Kennedy Cellars.
Triple Crown (Radnor): Fearless Restaurants has gone with an equestrian theme for its restaurant/event space at the Radnor Hotel.
Other Noteworthy Openings
Philadelphia
Amina (Northern Liberties): Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon moved their West African-inspired Southern spot from Old City into the former SIN.
Avana (Center City): Comfort food and American classics from Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon at Park Towne Place on the Parkway.
Casa Borinqueña(Kensington): Lourdes “Lulu” Marquez-Nau owns this casual Puerto Rican spot serving plant-based versions of classics like pinchos, arroz con gandules, and maduros.
Casa Oui in Queen Village.
Casa Oui(Queen Village): Chef Isabel Nocelo and C.J. Cheyne’s all-day café-restaurant blends French pastry energy with a nighttime menu that leans Mexican, plus a full bar.
Céline(Center City): It’s a cocktail lounge and nightlife-focused venue built around DJ-driven vibes and a reservation-led bar program; a Korean barbecue restaurant counterpart, HYO, is on the way upstairs.
Cerveau (North Philadelphia): Pizza Brain cofounder Joe Hunter created this roomy space at the 990 Spring Garden building to focus on sourdough pizza, handmade pastas, and small plates, with a full bar.
Cormorant (Kensington): This corner bar from the partners behind Vintage and Garage offers an amaro-leaning cocktail list, classic drafts, and no-proof options.
DaVinci & Yu (South Philadelphia): Marc Grika offers a playful mashup of Italian American and Chinese American comfort food on East Passyunk.
The bar at Doho in Mount Airy.
Doho(Mount Airy): This cozy bistro, inside Catering by Design, fuses Latin American and East Asian flavors, with a full bar.
Fetch (Manayunk): A dog park with a bar and a light food menu has succeeded Bark Social on Main Street.
First Daughter Oyster & Co. (Old City): Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon offer New England-style seafood at the Renaissance Philadelphia Downtown Hotel.
Good Hatch Eatery (West Philadelphia): The popular South Philly bruncherie has expanded to 48th and Pine.
Newsroom Philadelphia (Northern Liberties): A bar-restaurant concept blends media themes with late-night energy, tucked behind an ersatz soda machine.
Olive Roots Cafe (Queen Village): A Mediterranean cafe emphasizes coffee/matcha drinks and croissant sandwiches.
Percy (Kensington): The team behind Forîn Cafe runs this unfussy but stylish diner with a bar and late-night lounge under the El.
A feast at Pinolero.
Pinolero (Kensington): Lilliam Orozco and daughter Sarah are behind this stylish Nicaraguan restaurant in Harrowgate highlighting wood-fire cooking and Central American beverages.
Rhythm & Spirits (Center City): This music-theme bar and restaurant combines cocktails and Spanish-Italian food at One Penn Center (aka Suburban Station).
Rival Bros Coffee(Washington Square West): The Philly coffee chain debuted a swank spot in the Jessup House.
Rockwell & Rose (Center City): This stylish steakhouse has taken half of P.J. Clarke’s footprint in the Curtis Building, across from Washington Square.
Say She Ate Cafe (Center City): There’s great name wordplay and Mumbai-influenced, vegan food on the menu at this fast-casual cafe on South Street just off Broad, carrying on the Govinda’s tradition.
Scusi Pizza (Northern Liberties): Chef Laurent Tournodel’s colorful pizzeria/cocktail spot opened at the Piazza Alta, in advance of a luxe concept called Terra Grill.
The Fulton(Conshohocken): This contemporary Irish tavern serves hearty classics at the former Old Mansion House.
Kaede Sushi & Noodle Co. (Conshohocken): “Sushi speakeasy” is the theme of this stylish room upstairs from Guppy’s Good Times, with food from the team behind Kooma.
The Local (Phoenixville): A breakfast-and-lunch newcomer from the Lock 29 team leans into scratch-made classics and rotating specials.
Maison Lotus (Wayne): This refined Vietnamese coffee bar/restaurant from Win Signature Restaurants (Azie, the Blue Elephant, Teikoku, Mikado Thai Pepper, Mama-San) subsumed the former Margaret Kuo.
Mama Chang(Colmar): A family-style Chinese dining room from chef Peter Chang features Sichuan heat.
Tommy’s Tavern & Tap(King of Prussia): The New Jersey sports bar has set up an outpost outside the mall.
Toastique (Newtown Square): This all-day cafe turns “gourmet toast” into the main event, backed by juices and grab-and-go bowls.
Vanilla Café (New Hope): A sweets-forward cafe does coffee, pastries, and desserts with Instagram-friendly polish.
New Jersey Suburbs
Feed Mill Eatery (Medford): Five brands — Crumb Sandwich Joint, Casa Blanca Taqueria, Davey Stacks Burgers & Cheesesteaks, Mattarello Pizza, and Walterhaus German Fare — have set up at the historic Feed Mill complex, per early word from South Jersey Food Scene.
Flying Pig Tavern & Tap (Riverside): This new outpost of the Bordentown sports bar replaces Towne Tavern.
Julio’s Casa de la Birria (Sewell): The family behind Vineland’s Julio’s on Main has opened a sequel in Echo Plaza: a quick-service taqueria.
Lula’s Empanadas (Haddon Heights): Yaslyn Lora has made the leap from takeout window to full storefront dining room.
Magnify Brewing (Medford): An Essex County craft brewery has opened a laid-back taproom with a beer garden.
Main Street Tacos (Maple Shade): This strip-mall taqueria from David and Israel Morales emphasizes bold flavors.
Max’s Cafe’s neon sign still shines over Pudge’s Pub in Gloucester City.
Pudge’s Pub (Gloucester City): The former Max’s Seafood Cafe has been reconceptualized as an everyday tavern featuring cheesesteaks inspired by Pudge’s Steaks of suburban Philadelphia renown.
The gourmet burger is a familiar trope that has been reinvented for years. Burgers lure you in, they comfort you when you need something familiar, splashed with a little sparkle of indulgence, whether that’s foie gras, a rainfall of truffles, or an extra special patty made of wagyu or dry-aged beef.
River Twice’s double-pattied Mother Rucker burger was once bestowed upon diners in the middle of their tasting menus. They’re now available only on Monday nights.
Pietramala’s vegan burger, made from vegetables, Mycopolitan mushrooms, and repurposed ingredients left over from their other menu items, and which takes three days of preparation, instigates lines around their block when they’re served one Sunday every month.
The vegan bean and smoked mushroom burger at Pietramala in Northern Liberties.
The limited edition burger thrives in our post-pandemic search for comfort and the notion that everything is a steakhouse now (a nationwide trend that hasn’t quite reached Philly, but it’s coming for us. It’s only a matter of time).
The restaurants and cocktail bars beckon you with proclamations: Come in for our burger! Only 12 per night! Come in for our burger! But line up around the block!
The limited edition burger is a trend that crops up periodically in New York, like it did in 2014, to the reluctance of chefs who noted that burgers are simply not profit drivers, and that they would bring the potential of a $45 check down to $25. Today’s limited edition burgers are unlikely to do the same in terms of numbers. Even Pine Street Grill’s almost no-frills burger costs $26.
The phenomenon of the limited edition burger marks a uniquely 2025-era blend of a comforting, recession-indicator food (at the end of the day, it’s ground meat in a hunk of bread) with the scarcity principle frequently wielded by marketers and businesses. Limited editions trigger FOMO. Get one of these burgers and it’s like getting an Hermes Birkin bag, or the latest Supreme drop. They’re rare, you have to go through some sort of gauntlet to attain one, you feel lucky when you do.
