62 Best Restaurants in Pennsylvania, USA

For a savory or sweet Chinese snack, stop here to sample the steamed buns, mooncakes, or a sweet egg-custard tart. Most items are cheap (usually under $1), and you might just find a new favorite snack, but remember to bring cash (no credit cards).

Located inside the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing, this nautical-themed restaurant is open all day with a contemporary American menu that features a wide variety of tasty offerings, from cheesesteaks and salads to roasted chicken and grilled seafood specialties. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the light-filled dining room is an ideal spot to refuel for Penn's Landing explorations; during warmer months, sit outside on the patio and enjoy breezy views of the Delaware River. 

This former home in Kitchen Kettle Village is a couple of notches above the other options in Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand. Lunch off the seasonal menu might include a chicken salad sandwich or boeuf bourguignon; the complimentary appetizer of crackers with cream cheese and red-pepper jam is tasty. Shoofly pie is a treat for dessert, but don't miss the brown butter cookies. Try to get one of the tables on the sunny enclosed porch.

The folks behind West Chester's well-regarded Andiario restaurant are behind this high-quality French bakery and café serving tempting breakfast pastries and desserts like pain au chocolat and fruit tarts, as well as a limited but delicious lunch menu with a couple of quiches and sandwiches on chewy baguettes. You can take your order to go, relax at one of the rustic wooden tables in the casual sunny, white-tiled space, or eat outside in season.

This is a great, casual spot for families and bicyclists with outdoor seating and a play area, where you'll find a good assortment of quality sandwiches and breakfast items brought to you by the owner of Lark. The Landing is part of the Ironworks at Pencoyd Landing in Bala Cynwyd, and you can access it via a pedestrian bridge on the Manayunk side.

From the whisk-shaped door handles to the colander lamps to the sandwiches named after cartoon characters, Lilly's is full of fun. This busy downtown counter-service lunch spot also serves inventive salads and soups, which you can eat in the small, lively dining room or take with you. Try the Mr. Magoo wrap (marinated veggies, black bean salad, fresh mozzarella, spinach, and chipotle spread) or the Aquaman sandwich (blackened salmon, cucumber ribbons, sliced tomato, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegarette on multigrain bread). Make sure you read the blackboards, which list the specials. Beer and wine are available, and in the morning you can get a light breakfast of muffins, bagels, and fresh fruit.

Out of a small storefront in Queen Village, Kenan Rabah bakes bread, pastries, and other treats inspired by his family's connection to Golan Heights, a disputed area of the Middle East. He uses food traditions to explore this history and the resulting savory pastries, topped with ingredients like labneh, za'atar, and spinach, are exceptional.

A mix of farmers' market, specialty-goods stands, and eateries with indoor and outdoor seating, this is an excellent lunch or late-afternoon meal destination. The best options include Chestnut Hill Brewing Company (beer and pizza), Chicko Tako (Korean tacos), and the Saigon Noodle Bar. Plus, you can grab giant hoagies from Liberty Kitchen, Persian dishes from Shundeez Market, and steamed dumplings from Momos of Tibet. Permanently housed behind the Chestnut Hill Hotel, the bulk of the market is only open Thursday through Saturday, but most of the take-out vendors are also open on Wednesday and Sunday and in the evenings you can enjoy a lively outdoor area with occasional live music. For more traditional fruits and vegetables, the Chestnut Hill Farmers' Market sets up shop outdoors on Winston Road between Germantown Avenue and Mermaid Lane on Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 1.

This classic French café, run by a (real) French couple, has excellent pastries, baguette sandwiches, and soups. But, some might say most importantly, they know how to make a great cup of coffee. Pleasant indoor seating as well as patio tables are available.

Tiffany lamps above wooden booths and old mosaic tile floors give this tavern a late 19th-century feel. Enjoy a potato-pancake Reuben, German sausage, or veal. Dinner is a bit more formal; brunch is served on Sunday.

This Philadelphia institution was founded on the principle of artisanal baking, which explains why its loaves have such an intense flavor and crackly crust. Stop here for a round of cracked wheat or multigrain or for a small treat such as a chocolatey cookie or lemon bar. The bakery also lends its dough-making techniques to a menu of fresh pizzas topped with fresh veggies, meats, and herbs, available at its adjacent Metropolitan Pizza and Cafe.

In Midtown Village, Middle Child represents the new guard in the land of hoagies and cheesesteaks. Their So Long Sal—with spicy lemon artichoke spread, Duke’s mayo, meat, cheese, and arugula on a Sarcone’s roll—draws lines out the door, as does their vegan, hoisin-eggplant Phoagie, but don't miss out on the breakfast options either.

Part café, part restaurant, part bar, Middle Child Clubhouse opened and immediately became part of the essential fabric of Fishtown. Come by midday to sample one of the sandwiches that made the brand Philly-famous, make a reservation for dinner to sample modern American comfort food like a Caesar salad topped with Old Bay fried shrimp, okonomiyaki-style latkes, and a juicy burger, and stay for the restaurant's bar program, which leans heavily on lower-ABV ingredients like vermouth and sherry, as well as savory ingredients like kombu.

On a residential street in Fairmount, this small, bright small corner café with white-painted walls and large windows makes a good stop for coffee drinks (or tea) and pastries or for tartines, sandwiches, and salads that rise a notch above the usual. Musette has a pleasant neighborhood vibe, but it can get busy on weekends.

Just steps from the heart of the historic Italian Market, Paffuto is a new-school Italian-American bakery and sandwich shop. Go for their maritozzo, a whipped cream-filled bun that's perfect for dipping in coffee. They also serve dinner Thursday, Friday, and Saturday—reservations are a must.

A step up from an ordinary diner, this spot along the main antiques drag serves breakfast all day as well as a wide array of sandwiches, salads, and burgers. Dinner plates are especially well-priced.

This friendly Belgian-style bistro is tucked in cozy Point Breeze. The menu features mussels with white wine or curry, steak frites, seafood waterzooi (a Belgian bouillabaisse), and carbonnade flamande (a beef stew made with Belgian brown ale). Grab a cheese plate and some Belgian beer at the bar while you're waiting for your table. Point Brugge doesn't accept reservations and diners there know to expect a wait, especially on the weekends.

Tucked away on a quiet corner, Rachel's offers perfectly light crepes—many can be made gluten-free or vegan—stuffed with a wide variety of breakfast, lunch, and dessert combinations. Whether you sit in the cozy dining room or on the covered deck, you can build your own crepe from the long list of fillings, from feta to bacon to Nutella, or enjoy a latte with a chef's crepe such as The Blackbird (chicken, roasted corn, and black beans).

This homey café is a popular spot for locals to start their day with a cup of joe from locally roasted beans. The menu offers egg sandwiches and wraps for breakfast and a changing lineup of soups, sandwiches, and salads that are served all day.

This modern corner restaurant is situated off the lobby of Hotel Monaco and features a rustic, contemporary design, with a long bar and a mezzanine with tables overlooking the main restaurant. Steps from all the major historical sites in Old City, Red Owl is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a menu that offers something for everyone and plenty of solid, tasty food choices.

Orange-painted walls, diner-style booths, and closely spaced tables add a cheerful, casual vibe to this longtime BYOB comfort-food local favorite near the Parkway museums, one of six locations around the Philadelphia area. The food rises above standard diner fare in lunch options such as creative burgers and a veggie Philly cheesesteak, and breakfast and brunch shine with stuffed brioche French toast, huevos rancheros, and assorted omelets. Some salads and soups offer lighter options, but this is a tough place to keep an eye on calories. The kids' menu lists some favorites at a lower price.   

Mark Bee, the local restaurateur behind favorite gastropub North Third, bought the Silk City Diner in 2006, polished off its grease-coated, 1950s-era pink Formica counter, and started serving updated comfort food. Menu items include a fierce plate of buttermilk fried chicken, deep-fried veggie wings, a very good bowl of mac and cheese (baked with a garlic-bread crust), and some lighter fare (salads and roasted veggies) should you want to go next door to the bar and lounge and dance 'til dawn beneath the disco ball.

In the heart of Lititz, this local fave is the perfect spot for fueling up on locally roasted coffee or grabbing a quick nosh. The kitchen serves up a variety of breakfast options, from baked oatmeal to an open-face egg sandwich on ciabatta, while lunch options include quesadillas, salads, and soups. If coffee's not your thing, they've got local kombucha and smoothies.

Even on a rainy day, this homespun café feels sunny. Decidedly unfancy, the menu—burgers, salads, soups, and all-day breakfast—incorporates many local ingredients. Coffee and homemade lemonade make it easy to linger awhile, and there's a taproom serving craft beer, wine, and cocktails. You might even catch live music at Sunday brunch.

This Montreal-style bagel shop has 12 locations in and around Philadelphia. This location operates the self-proclaimed "Spreadquarters" with views of the Schuylkill River and a menu of fresh Spread bagels and bagel sandwiches.

Situated on the ground floor of the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center across from Mellon Arena, this restaurant's menu has entrées such as lump crab cake with roasted corn hash and lime aioli; cedar-plank king salmon with sweet potatoes, asparagus, and ancho beurre blanc; and grilled swordfish with roasted eggplant, capers, olives and tomatoes. Also available are the Brasserie "Mac 'N' Cheese," with prosciutto and white truffle essence, as well as salads, wraps, and sandwiches. If you score a table by the window, you'll have a clear view of the skyline. Brunch is served on weekends.

This old-school diner serves traditional breakfast and lunch fare that runs the gamut from overstuffed omelets to pancakes and French toast and burgers. Don't miss Sulimay's take on scrapple, the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast meat, which is showcased in the Eggs Bensington, a breakfast sandwich that features runny eggs, thick toast, scrapple, and cheddar cheese.

A broad menu of savory breakfast, lunch, and dinner items—not to mention coffees—draws regulars and visitors to this wood-beamed, stone-walled café. Relax on one of the couches or sit at a table to eat your scrapple, egg, and cheese sandwich, cranberry-almond-chicken salad, or super-rich ice cream.

At breakfast and lunch, the stools fill up at the diner counter in the front room and the tables are taken in country-cozy rooms toward the back of this gingerbread Victorian house as it seems everyone loves Tomato Pie---the restaurant as well as its eponymous signature dish. Dishes like maple-spice French toast or curry chicken salad will also hit your hunger spot, topped off with a vanilla latte or strawberry smoothie. 

Taking up the ground floor of the FMC Tower, home to the AKA University City, Walnut Street Café serves a mix of new American cuisine, crispy pizzas, and specialty sandwiches in a light-flooded, art deco--inspired space. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus weekend brunch, the restaurant’s edible highlights include house-baked bread and pastries, raw seafood platters, and rotating handmade pasta. There's really nothing else around, except for World Cafe Live—which if you're seeing a show there (where the food is subpar), getting dinner at Walnut Street Café is a smart choice.