By now, everyone has heard the story: Back in 2003, two industry veterans turned Girard Avenue beer-and-a-shot joint Johnny Brenda’s into a lauded gastropub and indie venue. Other businesses followed them into Fishtown — the neighborhood north of the city
that sits along the Delaware River — and these days it’s possible to get everything from excellent Japanese cuisine to classic Pennsylvanian fare on the same strip. This is the neighborhood that convinces visitors to move to Philly, but it’s also kept its local artists.
So while the place still retains its working-class charm in the form of dive bars and delis, Center City’s cooler cousin to the north has attracted top chefs and concept restaurants, firmly established itself as one of the top culinary strips in the city.
New to this update: Post Haste, Emilia, and Picnic; and for now, we are dropping Bastia, Laser Wolf, and Cake Life.
Post Haste
2519 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19125, US
+12152797479
Viral lasagna brought people through the door of Post Haste, but they quickly became regulars because it’s an incubator of culinary creativity in a neighborhood full of artists. Executive and owner Chef Ari Miller and bar director Fred Beebe have a symbiotic relationship where food from the kitchen might also end up in your cocktail glass, and plates are seasonal. You might find dishes like shells and cheese with a red wine agrodolce and cocktails like That’s Fashion, Baby, which uses that same red wine agrodolce with rye, apple brandy, black walnut, and burnt sugars. Understanding their place in a changing neighborhood, Post Haste has introduced Pay What You Can Sundays, where the entire food menu is available at whatever price is affordable to you.
Picnic
2421 Martha St, Philadelphia, PA, 19125, US
+12678567779
This Fishtown warehouse is casual and wide open, making it a great place to bring the entire family. But the dishes they offer are anything but juvenile. A regular variety of oysters, a whole rotisserie chicken, and charcuterie items lead the menu and lean into the backyard hangout vibe, but you’ll also find really interesting meals and specials, like a weekly roast duck dinner with duck-broth wonton soup or salt and pepper squid, autumn Thanksgiving dinners, and summer take-away Picnic baskets. Plus, the juicy $6 happy hour chicken slider is one of the best in the city.
Emilia
2406 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19125, United States
+12675412360
This newish, chic Italian spot draws on the travels of Vernick empire chef Meredith Medoway, combining gorgeously crafted Italian dishes with the casual feel of a neighborhood spot. And, indeed, Emilia holds a few seats for local walk-ins who forgot to reserve a table. A menu star is the Carta di Musica, a crispy paper-thin flatbread topped with mortadella or delicate squash blossoms, cracked at the table for sharing. Lamb shoulder with eggplant caponata or a crispy veal Parm feel at home in the low-lit trattoria. And keep an eye out for their rabbit specials.
Meetinghouse
2331 E Cumberland St, Philadelphia, PA, 19125, US
Nestled on a residential corner on the outskirts of Fishtown since 2023, Meetinghouse is the kind of place that can be malleable to any occasion: It’s a bar with an in-house label of beers, as well as a restaurant at the back. The food menu, in all of its tavern appeal, is slender and straightforward, but well done. Think: stellar crab dip to turkey cutlets. Drippy candles at each table help this neighborhood spot feel extra cozy at night. The corner fixture was named one of the New York Times’ 50 Best Restaurants in America.
Yuhiro Sushi
2146 E Susquehanna Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19125, US
(267) 876-7062
You can sit down for an affordable omakase at Yuhiro, but the better option is their u-maki hand roll, where you can order a la carte. Sushi chefs put them together in front of you, and the u-maki, a sort of taco-shaped hand roll, are generously sized and full of high-quality tuna, salmon, and yellowtail.
Amy’s Pastelillos
2001 Memphis Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19125
Out of a small, takeout-only corner space in Fishtown, find Amaryllis Rivera Nassar’s take on the fried Puerto Rican pastelillos. With fillings like guava barbecue pork and ground beef picadillo, she’s quickly earned a cult following among folks looking for lunch in the area. They also do chicken and vegan rice bowls, and Puerto Rican sides.
LMNO
1739-1749 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
(215) 770-7001
This Baja Mexican restaurant is more than just a place to eat — it’s also a dance floor, bookstore, and art gallery. While the menu boasts its notable coal-roasted oysters, brisket tacos, and Mexican chocolate mousse cake, you don’t want to miss late nights in the listening room.
Kalaya
4 W Palmer St, Philadelphia, PA, 19125, US
+12155452535
James Beard Award-winning chef Nok Suntaranon’s ode to southern Thai is an upgraded version of itself at its Fishtown location. Here, miang pla phao — a whole grilled branzino served with pineapple, herbs, and rice noodles — or a towering tom yum kalaya with giant river prawns emerging from the fragrant broth — can confidently be found on their vast menu.
Suraya
1528 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, USA
(215) 302-1900
This ambitious market, cafe, bar, and restaurant, all rolled into one, serves a Lebanese menu of man’oushe and rose pistachio pastries in the morning and lamb kebabs and whole fish with arak cocktails at night. Opt for a seat at Suraya’s long bar, at a table in the dining room, or on the spacious back patio — just make sure to book ahead, as this place’s charms are well-documented by now.
El Chingon Fishtown
1431 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19125, United States
+12678071436
South Philly’s favorite tortas found a home in Fishtown when El Chingon opened its second location at the corner of Frankford and Marlborough Streets. El Chingon’s bread is all baked in-house, and tortas are a great way to experience that bread program, but the sourdough flour tortillas are also worth seeking out.
Liberty Kitchen PHL
1244 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
(215) 309-2241
Every neighborhood in Philly has about a thousand places where you can get a hoagie, some much better than others. Fishtown’s Liberty Kitchen is truly a standout, not only for its Della Casa hoagie with gabagool, fresh mozzarella, and arugula, but for the vegetarian version, too, made with roasted eggplant. Don’t sleep on the breakfast sandwich, a no-frills bacon, egg, and cheese that hits the spot.
Wm. Mulherin’s Sons
1355 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, US
(215) 291-1355
This charming Fishtown restaurant has garnered a reputation for serving wood-fired Italian cuisine in a restored century-old former whiskey facility. Expect imaginative, imaginative seasonal pizza options (such as their Al Funghi served with mushrooms, scarmorza, caramelized onions, bufala mozz, roasted garlic, and aged balsamic) and bold pasta servings (like the duck egg raviolo that’s a love letter to ricotta and truffle.
Pizzeria Beddia
1313 N Lee St, Philadelphia, PA 19125, USA
(267) 928-2256
At the end of 2019, owner Joe Beddia opened up a full-service version of his cult-favorite takeout shop, serving signature pies alongside natural wines, delicious small plates, and soft serve ice cream. Though the hype has died down a bit since the early acclaim, you should probably still make reservations if you want to dine at a prime time. The outdoor patio is warm and lovely, with convivial vibes and kind waitstaff. And for the full Philly experience, treat visitors to the Hoagie Room.
Middle Child Clubhouse
1232 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, US
(267) 858-4325
Middle Child Clubhouse is the second, much larger iteration of sandwich genius Matt Cahn’s Washington Square West luncheonette. The menu is much expanded from that of the smaller sandwich shop, to everyone’s good fortune: Burgers, shrimp baskets, and a rotating list of small plates keep the dining experience fun and interesting. The list of cocktails, beer, and wine is excellent and makes Middle Child the place to see and be seen with a late-night drink.
Gilda
300 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19125
Gilda, a Portuguese cafe, has already become an instant lunch hit and garnered a loyal following in just a year in business. From their tasty grilled piri-piri chicken with fries to their Pastéis de Bacalhau (salt cod fritters with lemon and parsley) and breakfast sandwiches — there’s not a single unexciting option on their flavorful and lively menu. The space — which has a few dine-in tables — is very cute, too.
Emmett
161 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123
+12152070161
Emmett serves an a la carte menu, but the best value is in its four-course tasting menu with surprisingly large portions and dishes influenced by Mediterranean cooking. You’ll find sesame madeleines served with baharat butter, lamb kibbeh, house-made pastas with plenty of truffle, and sizable mains like rib-eyes and duck. Reservations recommended.
Frankford Hall
1210 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, USA
(215) 634-3338
This spacious venue in the heart of Fishtown is known for its industrial architecture and mix of German and American beers. Happy hours and game days are quintessential as giant beers flow, and sizzling sausages, well-portioned burgers, and enormous Bavarian pretzels are served.
Murph's Bar
202 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, USA
(215) 425-1847
One of Fishtown’s best-kept secrets is a stand-up Italian restaurant curiously situated in the back of an Irish pub. At Murph’s Bar, Puglian chef Francesco Bellastelli cooks up a nightly menu of pastas like strozzapreti with cherry tomatoes and burrata and tagliatelle bolognese. Only in Philly.
