74 Best Restaurants in Pennsylvania, USA

Housed in a former warehouse, this local brewery is a welcoming all-day destination for South Philadelphians; it's an ideal stop for large groups, and it's kid-friendly. The menu items, which all pair well with the dozen beers on tap, range from wood-fired pizzas and sandwiches (try the roast Italian pork or the double smashburger) to shareable plates like honey whipped ricotta served with crostini and fresh naan, fried mozzarella, or chicken wings.

Perched atop the Marriott at Penn Square, this chic lounge and restaurant (for those 21 and over) has the best views in town from its floor-to-ceiling windows and stylish deck. Enjoy a cocktail and the globally inspired small plates, from Lebanon bologna sliders to crispy halloumi cheese, and a rotating selection of wood-fired pizzas while enjoying the view.

An eclectic dozen or so vendors, some of them outposts of area spots, fill this renovated brick-fronted food market with a rustic-industrial vibe and some seating (there's a beer garden in season). Grab a coffee at SkyRoast or sip wine from nearby Unionville Vineyards, or choose lunch options like a Pork Shack sandwich or a Little Radish salad. Keep in mind that vendors close at different hours, and all close by 7 or 8 pm.

Beneath the Market-Frankford subway line lives this all-day dining destination suitable for guests seeking everything from smoothies to steak. The front door opens to the café section of the restaurant, which promises a menu of draft kombucha, hot teas, coffee, juices, and pastries, but beyond the café, the sit-down restaurant and outdoor dining area have health-focused menu items available along with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks served daily.

This family-friendly restaurant is a beloved favorite among locals for its hearty breakfast lineup, probably one of the best in Pennsylvania. The menus are huge, portions are generous, and the food is unpretentious in a good-ole-diner sort of way. Reservations are not taken, and the restaurant closes at 3 pm.

A casual hangout in the heart of New Hope, Karla's has been open since 1978, offering American food from cheaper salads, burgers, and sandwiches to more expensive fare, with most dishes enlivened with interesting international ingredients. Dine on dishes like panko-crusted mac and cheese, sweet-potato-crusted fish of the day, and stuffed pork chops with prosciutto in cozy, well-worn rooms with an assemblage of mismatched tables and plants. Part indoors and part out, half restaurant and half bar, mostly shabby and somewhat chic, Karla's feels like a comfortable pair of jeans.

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.

The altogether unexpected restaurant set aboard the Moshulu, the oldest and biggest still-floating rigged-sail vessel in the world, offers one of the city's more unique atmospheres. The 359-foot ship, built in 1904, once transported coal and other natural resources all over the world, but today it focuses on serving high-end (and often pricey) new American cuisine, with attention paid to seafood and local, seasonal produce. Their beautiful bar is also a great place to stop for a drink while on the waterfront. Its name, a Seneca Indian term meaning “one who fears nothing,” was applied by First Lady Edith Wilson, the influential wife of 28th president Woodrow Wilson.

North Third was one of the first restaurants to settle in Northern Liberties at the infancy of the neighborhood's transformation. The menu hasn't changed much, mostly because locals love hits like the thick burger, crisp fried chicken, and house-made pierogies. Weekend brunch here—breakfast burrito, berry-topped French toast—is one of the best in the area.

It's largely locals eating at this smallish banquet space on the edge of Chinatown, and things can get a bit hectic, with big-screen TVs hanging from every corner, gaudy chandeliers overhead, and dim sum carts racing through the aisles. Snag a seat next to the kitchen to flag down the carts as they emerge—the dim sum is excellent and well priced.

Serving Stumptown coffee in a bi-level space, One Shot Coffee is a hidden spot for solid beverages and snacks, set a few blocks back from the hustle and bustle of the Piazza. The menu features café staples like cold brew, drip coffee, flavored lattes, hot tea, and more, in addition to brunch-focused fare like breakfast burritos, egg sandwiches, and croissants. Plus, with an upstairs library, the café is the perfect spot for lounging with a hot beverage.

The name refers to a lovely mural rather than a window view from this lively spot inside the Penn's View Hotel. The restaurant has the largest wine cruvinet (storage system) in the country. Besides more than 120 wines by the glass, there's a huge selection of well-chosen bottles. You can sip them in Il Bar or in the main dining room. The food is authentic Italian—simple and hearty. The ambience is either noisy or animated, depending on your tolerance level.

The raw bar is the star of the show at Pearl & Mary, where platters of oysters, clusters of crab claws, and bright lobster tails are tough to resist. Build your perfect seafood order, paired with a sparkling wine cocktail, and then round out the meal with a crudo (raw fish or seafood with citrus juice), a platter of fish-and-chips, or a whole grilled snapper. Happy hour is popular here, as are the late-night hours when the dining room starts to feel more like a bar.

Restaurateur Stephen Starr logged countless hours researching how to make the very best pizza, laboring over the dough, oven type, ideal temperature, and every other conceivable variable. The resulting artisanal 12-inch rounds, with ingredients like black truffle, fresh prosciutto, and earthy chanterelles, keep this snug 80-seater overflowing with neighborhood duos and families; the no-reservations policy necessitates getting here early or late if you don’t want to wait. All tables are good tables—each has a view of the red-and-white-tiled Neapolitan pizza oven and Headhouse Square through plenty of tall café windows.

Charming and light-filled, the menu at PJ Clarke's—yes, of the New York PJ Clarke's—showcases American cuisine, from salads and sandwiches to an assortment of hearty entrées. The sprawling space inside the historic Curtis building features a large bar overlooking Independence Mall; be sure to have a glimpse of the famous Tiffany glass mosaic The Dream Garden before or after you dine. 

The warm and cheery first floor of this renovated bank feels like a genuine Irish pub. The eatery's long bar features over a dozen taps—invariably spouting several imported and a few local brews—and the menu includes good Irish smoked salmon on grainy bread as well as a panoply of worldly appetizers, salads, and main courses. In winter, patrons crowd around a blazing fireplace on stools set around small tables.

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.

This second-floor, Amalfi coast–inspired restaurant is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that offer guests a great view of Old City; the decor is inspired by the owner's seaside home in Italy. The menu includes something for everyone—there's an array of zesty homemade Italian specialties, including pastas; grilled octopus and shrimp scampi appetizers; a selection of fresh salads; and entrée favorites like zucchini crab cakes and a pan-seared pork chop. It's a fun, lively spot that transforms into an alfresco experience during the warmer months. Happy hour specials during the week are ideal for sipping some vino at the bar while nibbling on light bites. Weekend brunch features live DJ music.

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).

The restaurant in this elegantly revamped 1823 building serves classic and creative American dishes such as saffron-pea risotto and pan-seared salmon. Evoking the age of luxury rail travel, the main dining room is furnished with intimate booths and tables, while the rear room has a fine-dining feel. Downstairs, brick-floored, wood-beamed Perry Street Cellar vibes rustic tavern (good burgers); upstairs are 10 bright guest rooms.

A collaboration between the owners of local favorites Royal Tavern and Khyber Pass Pub, Royal Boucherie is a polished operation set in a moody and intimate bi-level space. A classic brasserie in approach, it specializes in luscious raw-bar selections, house-made charcuterie, and rib-sticking plates like steak au poivre, pork schnitzel, and handwrought pastas. Seating is split between the boisterous, cocktail-slinging barroom, upper and lower dining rooms, and a charming semi-enclosed garden patio that’s one of the city’s lushest alfresco areas. Happy hour specials are offered at the bar during the week. 

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.   

An offshoot of Jose Pistola’s in Center City, brother Sancho brought a bigger kitchen for more varied and ambitious dishes. Staples of the menu include ultratraditional inky black bean soup seasoned with avocado leaf and zesty ceviche, while other plates (Korean rib tacos, spicy tuna guacamole) mash up Mexican heritage with a global hipster aesthetic. The fresh-fruit margaritas flow late into the night.

The menu at this Mt. Washington eatery includes chicken and lobster tart, lump crab cakes, apple butter–glazed pork chop, and steaks. There is a deck for outdoor seating (but unfortunately, no citywide view). Valet parking is available on the weekends.

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.

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.

Chic and BYO, this well-regarded vegan restaurant known for fresh, sophisticated fare attracts plenty of nonvegetarians to its space off the Main Street scene in Union Square, a converted-warehouse-meets-new-construction complex. The menu is relatively short—an assortment of small plates and salads, and a handful of sandwiches and large-plate dinner options such as a cauliflower-cashew mac and Moroccan grilled mushroom skewers—but offers interesting dishes with complex global flavors, often made with ingredients from local farms. There's a short menu section for kids, too.