8 Must Eat Restaurants in Philadelphia

Philly has to be the most underrated food city in America! I think its very easy to think of Philly and jump to cheesesteaks, and don’t worry, there are a few of those here too, including a brand new secret one, but everytime I come, I’m blown away by the depth and creativity I find across the board! From the old school, to new school, to even my favorite sushi in America, it’s all here in Philadelphia.

Below are 8 Must eat spots, and if you want to see my full guide broken down by breakfast, brunch, lunch, cheesesteaks, drinks, and dinner, all with a full description, what to order, and a google map attached with every restaurant laid out, ALL 40 SPOTS. As well as hotel and general tips and tricks. Click Below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObnerAjuQtY

Dancerobot- Sister restaurant to Royal Izakaya, we’ll talk about that below, this is their love letter to Japanese comfort food! The menu is big, but start with something raw, definitely get their dengaku fried Japanese eggplant, the karepan, their cheesesteak (see above), and their Black Sesame Brownie Sundae was incredible! I’m dying to get back to try brunch, which looks even better!

Gilda- In Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood is this cute Portuguese inspired cafe, Gilda! They have sandwiches, salads, pastries, and more, but I grabbed their Antonio Breakfast Sandwich which puts a fried egg, cheese, and linguica sausage on a Portuguese roll. hat bread was really soft and nice, and the goo of the cheeses melted into every crevice of the sandwich, with yolk dripping out. I also grabbed their coconut macaroon with a dark chocolate drizzle.

The Kettle Black- Only Thurs- Sunday, and you better be willing to get their on time, and wait, is The Kettle Black, maybe the best artisanal bagel shop in Philly! I got two bagels, and everything bagel, and a philly pretzel bagel, both with garlic cream cheese, and was very impressed! And you know me, it takes alot of a bagel shop outside of NYC to impress me.

Palizzi Social Club- For 103 years Palizzi Social Club has been a members only Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, known for its unmarked entrance, old school red sauce menu, and house rules that include no photos, no blogging, and no tagging on social media. So how do you get in? You need to know a member first, and while the membership is only $20 a year, getting one is priceless. But once inside you are transported back in time, with a menu all about Italian comfort food! I loved the casesar salad, the off the menu pizza, definitely get the raviolo vasto which has this beautiful yolk right in the middle, and the gnochetti are semolina dumplings in this deep, rich nero d’avalo beef ragu. The cocktails are great too, they told me they had the best espresso martini in the city, and it was hard to doubt that claim! Bring cash!

Percy- I love a diner, and Percy is that perfect mix of old school vibes, but with an elevated cheffy upgrade on every diner staple! I went in for breakfast and got a mix of sweet and savory. I started with their deviled eggs, and rueben sliders, and then their french toast sticks come covered in cinnamon toast crunch, and are a must order! But the best on the menu has to be their Philly Grand Slam which you can get with 2 eggs any way, toast, unbelievable home fries, bacon or sausage, and you have to add on their ricotta pancake which comes topped with a cinnamon sugar butter, and local maple syrup.

Sao- Sister restaurant to Mawn, Sao builds on that same mix of Cambodian and Southeast Asian flavors, with a little bit of Jewish and Philly influence, but leans more into a raw bar–driven menu this time around. So if its on the menu that night, definitely start off with their chirashi bowl which lets you get a little taste of it all! I mean anything with tuna, caviar, and uni, is going to be an incredible bite for me. But don’t fill up too much because the honey butter hoe cake with smoked trout salad, roe, and we added on the golden ossetra caviar, is a must! As well as their mawn cutlet that coats the classic chicken cutlet win a savory sweet fish sauce caramel, and the spicy crab gravy noodles you can smell from the kitchen! And to finish, their vanilla crème brulee, the specks of vanilla in every bite was fantastic! Really light!

Second Daughter- Inside of the Bok Building, a former high school in South Philly, you will find some of the best local food spots in the city! Up on the 4th floor is Second Daughter, a cult favorite artisanal bakery where they not only have incredible pastries, but one of their best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had! I started with their massive brookie, a mix between their fudge brownie and brown butter chocolate chip cookie, but then also grabbed their breakfast sandwich which comes on this massive fluffy rosemary focaccia bread! In between the top and bottom half is a soft scramble with a blend of cheeses and crispy bacon! Definitely check their schedule, because its pretty limited, and get their early!

Shay’s- One of the newer cheesesteaks to hit the scene, Shay’s, named after the owners Jewish mother, leans into higher end ingredients and playful spins on the classic. They offer a ton of customization, including your choice of steak: NY strip, filet mignon, American wagyu, or prime rib. I went with the prime rib in their classic build that comes with Cooper Sharp, buttery steakhouse seasoning, sautéed onions, all packed into a sesame roll that’s baked fresh daily.