50 Best American Restaurants in Philadelphia

“IT WAS AMAZING WTF ELSE DO YOU NEED?“

“I had a great brunch. Loved the atmosphere. Food was excellent. I’ll definitely be back“

“Fantastic menu; great atmosphere; friendly efficient staff; loved it.“

“Pancakes were THICK and huge. Food was delicious! Waffle was also tasty.“

“We had a good, not great meal here. For the price (which was considerable) we were definitely expecting a bit more. The cocktails were great and the service great, the food was a bit underwhelming. We went with the tasting menu instead of a la carte and found the dishes good, but not anything particularly special. They were very accommodating with an allergy which was very nice. I'd like to try the bar menu but probably don't need another dining room experience.“

“Everything was perfect from the moment I entered. The front host greeted me with a welcoming smile. I dined at the bar. My bartender was incredibly knowledgeable and walked me through a beautiful meal. Service was top notch. The team work was beautiful to watch. Great attention to detail. The food absolutely amazing. 5 stars“

“Great food, music, and service!“

“Food was delicious! Good vibe!“

“It was alright, no complaints other than the sandwich being under seasoned. I heard a lot about this place but can't say it lived up to expectations. Not that it dissapointed either, just fell somewhere in the middle for me. Maybe I just visited on an off day but for the price I don't think I'd go back.“

“Everything we ordered was so good! Very friendly, nice server and the cook! Genuinely happy eating there. A restaurant where you can eat carefully selected dishes at a reasonable price!“

“Shrimp and grits is amazing if I were home I would be licking the bowl. Bartender Kelsey was fantastic and very welcoming. Avocado toast is the best I have ever had.“

“Beautiful lounge with cool vibe!!“

“I recently celebrated a milestone birthday with a dinner at Elwood with family and friends. Chef Adam and Jenny were wonderful to work with and the meal was absolutely delicious. Everyone loved the venison scrapple amuse bouche. We shared several orders of perogies and cheese platters to kick off the meal, followed by a couple of orders of the tri- tip beef, the sea bass, and the rabbit, which are served family style with a whole host of accompaniments, including exceptional mashed potato that got rave reviews and deserves it's own mention. Several of the diners had never had rabbit, but they all tried it and it was a hit! I already have plans to come with some friends for an afternoon tea, and my husband and I will definitely be back for dinner and/or one of the dining events that Chef Adam hosts. Adam & Jenny, thank you for my birthday dinner one to remember!💖“

“food and drinks were great“

“Friendly staff! Hostess was great as was our server. I only know she had a unique name. Not a large menu but what they do offer is amazing. Great atmosphere too!“

“Rachel was an amazing server that anticipated our needs, before we even were aware. Elevated outdoor dining +. Food was great. Best buffalo chicken dip we ever ate. Again amazing service!!!“

“Love grabbing Too Good To Go from Dig Inn when I don’t want to cook but still want to eat clean. It takes the stress out of deciding what to eat and it’s a great deal.

This time I got a mixed salad with cashews that had the perfect crunch and a subtle nutty flavor without any heavy dressing weighing it down. The salmon was tender and flaky with a fresh, clean taste that wasn’t fishy at all. The roasted carrots were sweet and caramelized with just the right amount of char, and the mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery but still light.

Now the garlic aioli — OMG, it’s creamy and rich with a bold, garlicky kick that hits just right without overpowering anything. It adds this amazing savory depth and a little tang that makes every bite better. I seriously could eat it by the spoonful.

The place is clean and simple inside, nothing fancy but nice enough. The staff is chill and friendly, they take their time and actually smile which is nice. Definitely my new go-to spot for easy healthy food.“

“Awesome sandwich and traditional food 😎“

“The food and service were outstanding and the ambiance was perfect for our Anniversary dinner.“

“Great atmosphere, friendly service and tasty food.“

“Each dish, from first course through dessert, was almost indescribably delicious. That had my family sharing our plates all evening. The servers, especially Jonah, were friendly, very attentive, and helpful. A wonderful dining experience.“

“We had reservations for 6 for Sunday brunch. Tyler was our server. He was pleasant and attentive. The food was delicious with large portions. We enjoyed the atmosphere while dining. This restaurant is definitely one we will revisit.“

“Best brunch in Philly! Everything is delicious!“

“From the beginning until the end of our dining experience, the service was impeccable and the food was exquisite. We ordered the 4-course and all dishes had great flavor. I don't drink alcohol, and their non-alcoholic options were creative and flavorful. I highly recommend“

“This place is awesome. The food, the staff, the service were all top notch. It doesn’t feel like a stuffy 5 star restaurant but your food tastes every bit like it would at a 5 star. It’s BYOB and one of the wine bottle we brought had a cork that disintegrated and they kindly filtered it all out and put it in a decanter for us. Every single course was delicious!! We each got a different appetizer, two different entrées, and two different desserts. Every one of the appetizers was amazing, but I thought the wax beans by far were the best. The carrots were also delicious and everyone really loved the rice noodles too. Each dish was unique and super flavorful!! The steak appetizer was excellent. My scallops were good but not my favorite mix. The desserts were very good and we had to get them to go so I’m sure they would have been even better fresh. I will 1000% be back. Bravo Helm, you know what you’re doing!!!“

“Customer service was exceptional. Seating area was a bit small but everyone was so friendly and worked as a team. Honestly the best service I ever had. I went for restaurant week and ordered the shrimp creole. Omg I cleaned my plate and was still salivating over the idea of more when I got home. My partner ordered the crab soup and the salmon. Eyes rolled in the back of his head y’all. Everything was so well and for my first time they left a lasting impression. Would definitely dine here again. I’m just disappointed the shrimp creole isn’t on the regular menu.“

“It was a wonderful experience the service was great the food was great !!!!! Highly recommend!!!!!“

“Fun awesome food, service and atmosphere.“

“Great atmosphere, GREAT food selection and taste and service was awesome.....thanks Max!“

“We loved the food, the service and the ambiance. We will be back when we visit Phila again.“

“Delicious!!! My friends and I were so excited to try Bar Jawn, especially since we’ve loved Pizza Jawn for a long time! The food and drinks were all fabulous - Bar Jawn has a chill, relaxed atmosphere but boasts an elevated bar menu that is so much more and so far beyond typical bar food! Some of our favorites were the drunken ravioli, the buffalo arancini (so inventive!!!), the chicken parm (make sure you get it with ravioli!), the mozzarella triangles (mozz sticks with an upgrade!) and the eggplant stack! So excited to come back as the menu changes and try even more awesome options! Thank you, Bar Jawn!“

“Unique food, cozy, candlelit atmosphere. Our group enjoyed it tremendously. Highly recommend.“

“We used the Steve’s food truck for the end of our wedding night and it was perfect! The guests loved it! The guys were great! 👍🏻 10/10 recommend!“

“I moved to the neighborhood from Brooklyn recently. One day while walking around, I passed this unassuming place. The only indication that it was open was a chair outside with a bouquet of flowers to pin down a paper menu to the chair. The menu looked divine.

A few days later I walked past, showing my partner that the place almost seemed closed from the outside but was very cute inside. Someone who worked there came out as we were looking and was very kind, asking us if we had reservations yet. We said no but booked immediately.

The first time I visited, I had the sourdough, Marinated Mussels (hakurei turnips, miso, chili oil), Carrot (crab, brown butter), Shrimp (peaches, coppa, toasted marcona almonds), and Gnudi (corn& basil). It was an entirely no-skips meal. The mussels came cold, out of their shell, and the sauce was incredible. The “carrot” was more like a crab cake with coconut, brown butter, and an unidentifiable but delightful citrus. A perfect balance of rich & light. The gnudi seemed simple, but the lightly spicy sauce really pulled all the ingredients together. Finally, the shrimp with peaches really knocked my socks off. Lots of places will make “seasonal” menus but not put the effort into making sure that produce is top notch. The peaches would’ve been delicious on their own, but with the rest of the dish, they really shined.

The second time I went (just a few weeks later) I got the Chicory Salad (anchovy, buttermilk, comte), the Steelhead Trout (sungold tomato, perilla), and a tuna crudo special. I also re-ordered the bread, the carrot with crab, and the gnudi. Everything was just as good as last time, and the new additions were truly worth trying. Something as simple as a chicory salad can be so hit or miss - but WOW!

For dessert we had the cherry brown butter tart with crème fraiche. No complaints at all here.

Now I’ve rambled on plenty about the delicious food, which I will be back for very soon, but I truly haven’t ever been to a place with better service. The workers are extremely attentive and kind. I felt like I’ve known everyone there for a long time.

Thank you, Illata, for being such a wonderful neighborhood spot.“

“Had the Philly dip steak with fries at lunch and it was fantastic! It came with various dipping sauces and each one was amazing. The only thing I would say needed improvement while sitting at the bar was service, was ignored and never really asked if I needed anything until I was done eating.. this is a beautiful place and the atmosphere was great, easy to talk to others as it’s not too loud.“

“Amazing place with amazing food! The fries were great and I recommend getting them with the Wiz. Unfortunately, we are from our of town, otherwise this would would be one to add to the rotation for sure!

The service was good as well as our waitress helped answer our questions and made sure we were always well taken care of while there.“

“Pretty atmosphere and good food“

“Wow, wow, wow!! What a wonderful experience! The food and ambiance are among the best ive had in a while. We don't do FANCY dining all that often, but this place had a great, relaxed, retro vibe with some really (for us) adventurous dishes. First, The Continental is lesss John Wick and more “Lincoln”, as you'll see from the car seat booths. The French Onion Soup Dumplings were fantastic, and the service was spot on. This is definitely a spot to come back to!“

“This charming hidden gem of a restaurant near the Italian market in South Philly is the perfect date night spot. Very intimate, yet relaxed. There's great variety on the menu for all types of appetites and diners, and they have an impressive robust efficiency in the kitchen that serves up dishes at a great pace and quality. Recently went and tried their tasting menu and my entire service was completed in 90 minutes from the moment I walked in to the close of the bill. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“Great atmosphere. Awesome staff. Of course, great drinks!“

“Great place for kids! They have an arcade, a playground and if you have dogs they also have a space for your dogs. Overall I liked the place because I was able to let my kids play while the adults ate and drank. The food was ok and the beer was good. I’d definitely go back here“

“Drinks are to margaritas 16.00 come on wow“

“Delicious food. Friendly staff. A great place for dinner.“

“We have the unfortunate issue of our daughter being inpatient at CHOP; and on the rare occasion we do get out it’s usually hyper local during the dark last 16 months. Today on a 48 degree shitty rainy Saturday; Em was feeling comfortable with her care staff so we ventured 10 blocks away

I grew up in the city and jetted for the burbs after nearly 30 years, an I vowed to never go back; I love my burbs now I review as an old crotchety man.

Driving around on a dark, rainy, crappy Philadelphia day and hallelujah; we found parking. My West Philadelphia skills had to kick in and parallel shoehorn my way into a spot Im a pro :)

Drinks: wife had a BM (Bloody Mary weirdos) and we both had several local beers afterwards; outstanding selection

Food: We had some time so we strung things along a bit; had the Broccolini; Mushroom scrapple (a little sachy), wings and the grits F$&&@$!ng fantastic 5⭐️

Service: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sarah was our main server; all staff was super accommodating and awesome

Atmosphere: chill - comfortable Spotify mix on; a teeny bit loud but all in all 5⭐️

Place is great. Will be back“

“Food is delicious! Get the watermelon salad, fried chicken and banana cream pie.“

“Cookie dough French toast was out of this world!!! Definitely recommend!!!!“

“Hosted my 30th birthday party here and it was a blast! From the party planner, Brynn, to our private bartender, Tiff to management, everyone was amazing! They were all so accommodating and truly made it a special night for me. The back room is perfect for private events. Highly recommend.“

“So good! The best bread before dinner ever! My favorite crab cake now and the hashbrown potatoes were amazing! We will be back!“

“Food was absolutely amazing! Drinks were great too! You won’t be disappointed!“

“We went twice in our weekend trip. First night for drinks and the next night for dinner. It was delicious. We loved all the food especially the burger which was only on the happy hour menu but they were gracious enough to make it for us for dinner. Highly recommend. It was mouthwatering“