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West Philly Is Getting a Wine Garden

The lush, green outdoor bar will open in the former Taco Angeleno space next month.


wine garden west philadelphia

The Wine Garden will open in the former Taco Angeleno space. | Photo courtesy of Saba Tedla

West Philly’s Cedar Park neighborhood got its first official beer garden back in 2017. On Friday, August 2nd, a trio of neighborhood entrepreneurs are opening the area’s first wine-only garden on Baltimore Avenue.

The Wine Garden is a project of mother-daughter duo Nazaret
Teclesambet
 and Favian Sutton along with Saba Tedla, who owns Southern-inflected bar and restaurant Booker’s next door as well as nearby Mediterranean spot Aksum. They’re leasing the lot from owner Vanessa Jerolmack, who operated her Taco Angeleno food cart out of the space until closing down last year.

“It’ll be like coming into someone’s backyard to enjoy some wine and entertainment,” Teclasambet said.

The Wine Garden will pour vintages that can’t be found at nearby state stores, with some natural and organic wines and wine-based drinks like spritzes and sangria in the mix — but no beer or cocktails.

“Beer gardens are hot, but we’re taking a different approach,” Tedla said. “When I go to beer gardens, they usually have not-so-great wines. And in our neighborhood, offerings at the Wine and Spirits stores tend to be limited.”

The 30-seat space will feature lots of lush foliage and plants and live music from local musicians. In addition to drinks, they’ll offer events like yoga and a monthly art fair on Saturdays. The Wine Garden will available for event rentals during off-hours, too.

There seems to be a demand for an outdoor drinking experience that’s not so beer-focused: This summer, Jet Wine Bar opened up its own outdoor space, Jet Wine Garden, on South Street, and Center City District has operated a wine garden at 17th and Chestnut’s Collins Park on Thursday and Friday afternoons for the past few seasons.

The Wine Garden is located at 5019 Baltimore Avenue. Hours will be 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon until 11 p.m. on Saturday, and noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday through the end of October.