6 Best Restaurants in East Passyunk, Queen Village, Bella Vista, and South Philadelphia, Philadelphia

The sheer volume of Mexican restaurants on South 9th Street can be daunting—many are excellent, but how do you pick? The family-run Blue Corn consistently delivers, serving Pueblan cuisine with personality like tacos al pastor (taco made with spit-grilled pork) and queso fundido (hot melted cheese with spicy chorizo) alongside harder-to-find specialties like huaraches (crispy masa–pinto bean flatbreads) or whole fish stuffed with the corn truffle huitlacoche. Warm service and killer cocktails round out the experience. Note that it is cash only.

Vietnamese food is very popular in Philadelphia, and many people have a local pho spot that they frequent multiple times a week. Gabriella's, though, showcases regional dishes with light, flavorful, and addictive menu items like steamed water fern dumplings, savory crepes wrapped in herbs and lettuce, and stir-fried soft shell crab. 

Housed in humble digs next to a defunct railroad crossing, John’s doesn’t wow with curb appeal, but wise eaters know the close-to-centenarian grill spot turns out some of Philly’s best sandwiches. Newbies and lifers alike line up in a zigzag along the counter, grabbing outdoor picnic tables after paying for their roast pork, roast beef, or cheesesteak. The namesake sandwich, a Philly Italian signature, is juicy, garlicky, and herbaceous; sharp provolone and sautéed spinach (no broccoli rabe here) are common add-ons. The roast beef and cheesesteak rival the pork in popularity, earning owner John Bucci Jr. loyal fans and national awards. They’re not open late but do start early; staying true to their beginnings feeding Delaware River dock workers, they also do fluffy egg sandwiches layered with pork roll or crispy fried scrapple.

Philadelphia native Alex Yoon is the chef and owner of the tiny but beloved BYOB where creativity and inspiration run the show. The menu changes all the time, but the scallop toast, where raw scallops are shingled across a thick slice of sesame sourdough and topped with chopped herbs, is a favorite that diners return for over and over.

Championing craft beer well before it was cool, this laid-back Newbold tavern set the bar for Philly’s gastropub boom way back in 2003. SPTR’s ever-rotating 14 tap selections, plus cask ales and a nice bottle selection, hit local, national, and international notes that nicely accompany a menu that reaches well beyond the expected pub grub with creative snacks, sandwiches, and seasonal specials conceived to celebrate local and organic products and produce. The kitchen pays ample mind to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests, too; it’s this accommodating spirit that makes a neighborhood bar.

Chef Cristina Martinez specializes in barbacoa, the succulent, slow-cooked lamb of Martinez’s Mexican homeland. The staff chop the meat with cleavers and pile it on fluffy corn tortillas, which you top at the salsa station with strips of fried cactus paddle, onion-laced pickled jalapeño escabeche, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime; go early, as they usually sell out of barbacoa. A flavorful consommé soup made from the lamb’s drippings is a must-order, too.