Best Restaurants in Northeast Philly: The Ultimate Guide

Have you been to the Northeast lately?

No, seriously. I mean, have you? Have you gone to Mayfair for dim sum? Cruised through Bridesburg for spicy tots and kelp salad, or hit the corner of Englewood and Castor for malted waffles and Bloody Marys on a Sunday morning? In the Northeast, there’s a spot where you can find excellent foul and saj bread across the street from a storied pizza joint just recently brought back from the dead and 10 minutes from one of the best tomato pies in the entire city. There’s a hot chicken stand in a gas-station parking lot on Roosevelt Boulevard where the lines can stretch out to the street — and if you don’t already know the place I’m talking about, then you, friend, are missing out.

But you, friend, are also exactly why we put this package together. Because the Northeast gets too easily forgotten in this city’s mad scramble after every pretty young thing that catches our eye these days. It’s too often overlooked when we start talking about the foods or the restaurants that truly define us as a city. Continue reading...

What do I mean? Let me tell you a quick Northeast story. I was standing in line one afternoon at the aforementioned hot chicken joint when this car pulls up. It was a nice car — Mercedes, silver, windows tinted like aviator sunglasses — and it roared into the lot and squealed to a stop. Everyone in line turns and looks. Waits. It’s quiet, or as quiet as a busy gas-station parking lot gets. Because inside the dark recesses of that car, someone is doing some quick calculations — looking at the length of the line, the number of people standing around waiting for their number to be called, weighing just how badly he wants a hot chicken sandwich and a banana smoothie right then and how long he’s willing to wait.

After a few seconds, the driver guns it, and the car shoots away. You could feel the frustration in the way it left. The pissed-off energy in how it made the turn onto Cottman. And when the driver hit the sharp dip there and bottomed out — grinding sparks from his very fancy front end — everyone in line laughed. Everyone gave that car the finger. Everyone said, Yeah, and fuck you, too, because him leaving just meant one less person in line ahead of the next poor sucker joining us in our slow journey toward the order window.

And that right there is Philly to me. That’s defining. That’s loudness and brashness and camaraderie in suffering. That’s knowing a good thing when you taste it and being willing to gut it out until you get what’s yours, no matter what anyone else thinks.

The Northeast today represents a kind of Philly-that-was. It’s our Strategic Grit Reserve. A blue-collar time capsule from before so much else in Philly started turning so gleaming and polished and cool. In a city of shiny skyscrapers, it’s this low-rise, strip-malled, huge and ungainly collection of a hundred small communities all finding ways to live together, bumping up against each other and throwing sparks like a Mercedes SLK. Historically, it’s been a neighborhood of immigrants, and tomorrow, it will remain one. It’s where first-gen families find their comfort in places where their language is still spoken and their foods are still served. It’s where mom-and-pop joints and street-corner bars haven’t (yet) been gentrified out. It’s scrappy, insular, joyous, and occasionally ugly, but also approachable in ways that other parts of the city are beginning not to be. There’s a thin line between polish and erasure. And if somehow we lose those things entirely, what does Philly become?

There was a time when the streets of South Philly were paved with spaghetti, when Phillies tickets cost a nickel and included all the hot dogs you could eat. There was a time when South Street was so weird, you needed a permit just to wear pants.

And okay, sure. I’m exaggerating a little. But Philadelphia has changed. Is changing. Will continue to change, day by day and year after year, as the forces of gentrification and demographics reshape the neighborhoods we’ve known and the things we love about this town.

But the Northeast? Somehow, it just seems eternal. It shifts. It diversifies. It revises itself across generations. But it doesn’t change. It is Philly’s pumping heart and its edible history. It always has been. It’s a hundred things all at the same time — and it always will be. You need to know how to experience it yourself? Cool. We’re here for you.

Now let’s go eat.

The Best Restaurants in Northeast Philly

Holmesburg Bakery
The sweetest part of the Northeast
There are a lot of bakeries in the Northeast, but none quite so long-lived (at 123 years) and fundamental to the neighborhood that you can legitimately wonder if a trip to Holmesburg even counts if it doesn’t come with a box of powdered crème doughnut sandwiches, some mini Key lime pies, and a bag of cherry turnovers from Holmesburg Bakery. 7933 Frankford Avenue.

Steve’s Prince of Steaks
Cheesesteak royalty
There are countless places serving cheese­steaks in the Northeast, but Steve’s Prince of Steaks is still the, well, king. The unpretentious operation is efficient and friendlier than one might expect. And the steaks are well-made — assuming you’re not one of those people who insist on chopped meat rather than sliced, in which case you should go pretty much anywhere but here. Also, the “fry fondue” is absolutely not to be missed if you’re feeling­ particularly gluttonous. 7200 Bustleton Avenue.

Café Carmela
Old-world flavors with a little pizzaz
You gotta respect a place that leans just as heavily on its South Philly influences as it does the family history in Puglia. What you get from that kind of balance is hot honey wings alongside your burrata caprese and a South Philly Pizzaz with Cooper sharp and banana peppers. And if you stop by, don’t miss Joey’s Hot Honey sandwich — chicken cutlet, fresh-pulled mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, and a lace of Calabrian-spiced hot honey, all on a seeded Carangi roll. 2859 Holme Avenue.

Georgian Bread
Great bakery, even better restaurant
If the world were a just and fair place, Georgian Bread would be one of the best-known restaurants in Philly. For its khachapuri, like bread footballs­ split open and filled with melted cheese and egg, for chicken in walnut sauce and Eastern European sodas in colors that don’t exist in nature, and khinkali dumplings dripping pork broth onto your shirt, it should be a place that everyone raves about. The big strip-mall space off Bustleton Avenue operates as a killer stone-oven bakery and deli on one side, with a rusticated (and weirdly comfortable) dining room on the other. If you don’t fall in love with the place the minute you set foot inside, there’s just something­ wrong with you. 10865 Bustleton Avenue.

Seorabol
Korean food for the ages
There are no quiet moments at Seorabol. Or if there are, they’re so rare that — like Bigfoot, like aliens — no one can offer compelling proof they actually exist. It is crowded, chaotic, loud, full of galbi and bulgogi, spicy fish bibimbap, kimchi soup and mandu dumplings. Every table is crowded with banchan. Service is brisk but always around if you need it. Even the air at Seorabol tastes like barbecue, humid with steam from the simmering hot-pots and full of memories from decades of service in this same spot. 5734 Old 2nd Street.

Ginger
Shrimp popcorn and disco lights
The dining room looks like an upside-down fire at a disco. Gold chain curtains separate private dining booths. Want to know what the new Northeast looks (and tastes) like? With its shrimp popcorn, miso salmon, sushi, pizza, grilled eel, and fettuccine with “molecular caviar,” Ginger might be it. 744 Red Lion Road.

The Guardhouse Café
Grilled cheese, kelp salad, great wi-fi
In a sunny stand-alone building just inside the gates of the Frankford Arsenal office park north of Bridesburg, you’ll find the Guardhouse Café — a chef-driven operation with a menu that ranges from croque madame and almond butter and brûlée banana on cinnamon brioche to fried maitake mushrooms, kelp salad, and big-ass grilled cheese sandwiches. Whichever way you go, you’ll be pleased with the sunny surroundings and very strong wi-fi connection. 2275 Bridge Street.

Asadero Los Tios
A menu for all seasons
Elotes and plantain, fried or stuffed, in the summer. Big-ass burritos and birria tacos dripping consommé when the weather turns a little chillier. Churros and crazy fries every day of the year. Really, the only question worth asking here is, are you going to sit on the garden patio out back, or inside, so you can watch Mexican music videos while you eat? 3087 Holme Avenue.

Fink’s Hoagies
Simply the best
You can fight all you want about who has the best hoagies in this city built on hoagies (and fighting about them). But the truth is, the question is largely situational:­ The best hoagie is going to be the hoagie nearest you when the craving strikes. Which is why everyone should move to Northeast Philly just to be close to Fink’s, where the seeded­ rolls, the chopped provolone, the whole roasted long hots and secret olive spread make the Italian hoagie here one of the city’s best by any measure. Also, the roast beef Tacony­ (with or without asparagus) and the prosciutto-­based Holmesburg probably take the number two and three spots without even trying. Go ahead. Fight us. 4633 Princeton­ Avenue.

Asad’s Hot Chicken
Worth the wait every single time
If you’re only going to try one hot chicken sandwich from a stand in a gas-station parking lot, make it Asad’s. It’ll be easy to find: Just look for the lines. And don’t flinch or be a hero when your turn finally comes — hot means HOT here, so order accordingly, and get some cheese fries to go on the side and maybe a strawberry-banana smoothie to cool everything down. 7300 Roosevelt Boulevard.

Plov House
Meat crepes and pancakes
There are three things on the breakfast menu at Plov House. Two of them are deep-fried and filled with meat. The third is a crepe, which you can also get filled with meat. If that’s not enough to make you love the place, you at least have to respect it — and then come back at dinnertime for pelmeni soup, cold olive and potato salad, samsa from the tandoor, Uzbek plov over rice, and honey cake or sour cream tvorojnik pancakes for dessert. 9969 Bustleton Avenue.

Tierra Colombiana
Mojitos for miles
We’d go to Tierra Colombiana anytime for arepas, coconut snapper, and the paella for two. A strong, minty mojito (or three) won’t hurt, either. 4535 North 5th Street.

Kim’s BBQ
Come hungry — and bring friends
The first thing you’ll notice at Kim’s BBQ is the smell of charcoal. This long-standing Korean barbecue spot still uses charcoal grills to grill your kalbi, pork belly and (if you really know what you’re doing) tomahawk steak, and the friendly staffers cooking for you know exactly what they’re doing with those grills. Your table will be loaded down with pea leaf salad, rice and lettuce for wrapping your meat, and a variety of kimchi and pickles to clear your palate in between bites. Go with at least four people for maximum eating capacity (and variety), and don’t forget to ask for refills of any banchan you polish off. 5955 North 5th Street.

Joseph’s Pizza Parlor
Raised from the dead like an Italian Lazarus
There aren’t many pizza places that have been standing since the 19th century. In recent years, this rarity went into a serious period of decline, but it was rescued not long ago by the owners of Port Richmond’s Gaul & Co. Malt House. Fortunately, they brought the food up about 20 notches without destroying the classic vibes of the joint. There are cheese­steaks and better-than-average salads, but the 18-inch specialty pies are where it’s at, whether you opt for the Vampire Slayer — naturally, covered in lots and lots of fresh garlic as well as a garlic pesto — ­or the Spicy Italian, which is basically an Italian hoagie on a pizza, zested up with some Calabrian chili paste. The well-stocked bar doesn’t hurt, either. 7947 Oxford Avenue.

Pierogi Factory
More than just pierogi
Just like you remember from your uncle’s block party, but now with chairs! Most people know the Pierogi­ Factory from seeing its spreads of cheesesteak, potato-bacon, and Buffalo­ chicken pierogi laid out at parties­ all over the city, but the mother­ ship on Bustleton Avenue also serves some wicked potato pancakes­ topped with beef gravy, smoked kielbasa­ with onions, stuffed cabbage, and, for dessert,­ more pierogi (try the Nutella­ or the cherry), plus some gorgeous slices of babka. 9965 Bustleton Avenue.

H Mart
The food court of your dreams
The New York-based Asian supermarket chain is known as much for its vast selection of produce, spices and noodles as for the food halls at each outpost, and this newest Philly location is no exception. Bring a few friends, and send one to the high-value maki shop (18 pieces for as little as $10.95), another to the Korean fried chicken stand, another to the place that fries pretty much anything and everything (the fried shrimp are a bargain), and another for bibimbap or rice-cake-wrapped hot dogs (actually, just get both) before meeting up at a table in the middle of it all to sample the bounty. 6201 North Front Street.

Fritay Lakay
Frying makes everything better
Fritay is a Haitian style of cooking that refers to any number of fried items. So let that be a lesson when ordering at Fritay Lakay: Anything from the fryer is going to be really good. The rotating selection of patties filled with beef, chicken and fish is a solid choice, as is the griot — a classic dish made with fried pork chunks. And whatever you do, don’t skip the pikliz — a kind of coleslaw made with spicy Scotch bonnet peppers that will balance out the richness of all the fried food. 6334 Rising Sun Avenue.

Yong Hwa Roo
Korean-Chinese comfort food
Asked where she goes after a late night at work, Thu Pham, Northeast Philly native and co-owner of Càphê Roasters, tells us: “Yong Hwa Roo … for their Korean-Chinese comfort dishes of jajangmyeon, jjampong, tangsuyuk and goon mandu — always those four menu items no matter my appetite.” 6779 North 5th Street.

Gaeta’s Tomato Pies
Tomato pies that are worth the drive
Gaeta’s logo includes a very cute, very happy-looking tomato, tragically destined for the saucepot. Here, the tomato pies are baked fresh several times a day, served with a crisp crust and oregano-topped, sweet-salty tomato sauce. Gaeta’s pies are available at local grocers around Philadelphia, but that option should only be reserved for emergencies. It’s absolutely worth it to make the trip for the fresh pies, still slightly warm, and the kindness of the bakery staff. We promise you’ll leave looking just as happy as the tomato on that logo. 7616 Castor Avenue.

Bishos
Masterful falafel and more
In a city that thinks it knows dishes like hummus and falafel back to front, a journey to Bishos might seem like a tough sell. One bite of the bright green, moist falafel and tahini-heavy hummus, though, and you’ll see why it’s a requirement. In addition to excellent and freshly made versions of more common dishes like baba ghanoush and foul, Bishos serves wraps made with tender, flaky saj bread (like something between fresh flour tortillas and buttery naan), baked in-house and filled with spiced beef and lamb shawarma, garlicky tomiya, fresh tomatoes and pickles. Wash it all down with the lemonana, a slushee packed with fresh lime and mint, for the most refreshing sip in town. 7950 Oxford Avenue.

Pho Nam Giang
Worth fighting the traffic for
We understand that some of you might prefer staying clear of the Philadelphia Mills (née Franklin Mills Mall), but make an exception­ for this spotless and modern Vietnamese eatery wedged between a Taco Bell and a Walmart. You’ll find all of the standards­ well represented here, as well as lesser-seen items like fried quail, bone-in/skin-on chicken pho, braised catfish in a clay pot, and lemongrass-spiked beef short ribs. Major plus: How often is it that you find a full bar in a Vietnamese restaurant? 427 Franklin Mills Circle.

John’s Sushi House
The best sushi you’ve never had
Bishara Kuttab, the owner of Bishos, recommends the recently opened John Sushi’s House: “I would say it is one of the best sushi places in the Northeast. They also offer these enormous sushi boats, like the size of a real canoe, as catering for parties.” 7980 Oxford Avenue.

Chamas de Minas
The bakery is what matters
One side of Chamas de Minas is a Brazilian steakhouse. The other — and your destination, in this case — is a Brazilian bakery that serves a parade of treats like cuca de banana (a banana-topped cake soaked in syrup), coconut-topped buns, and the real star, a flan so tender and bitter with caramelized sugar that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Take your baked goods to go, or eat them at one of the bakery’s many tables with a cup of strong coffee. 8500 Bustleton Avenue.

Rocco’s Italian Sausages and Cheesesteaks
Convenience, Philly-style
Garden hose, a drain wrench, a tub of plumber’s compound, and a Rocco’s Special (steak and Italian sausage on a long roll with onions and sweet peppers) from the stand in the parking lot of the Home Depot. Forget the Art Museum and the Liberty Bell. That is how we spend a Saturday afternoon in Philly. 11725 Bustleton Avenue.

China Gourmet
Food so good, you’ll want to move in
China Gourmet isn’t just one of the biggest Chinese restaurants in the city; it’s also one of the best, with a huge variety of daily dim sum served from roving carts as well as a large Cantonese seafood menu featuring various creatures pulled to order fresh from their tanks. But even after traditional daylight dim sum hours, the menu at China Gourmet is worth a special trip. The Peking duck is one of the best in the city, as are salty clams in black bean sauce and the addictive fried salt and pepper squid studded with scallions and fried shallots. 2842 St. Vincent Street.

Samarkand
Uzbek comfort food
Northeast Philly is a hot spot for Central Asian immigrants: There are Russian and Afghan communities tucked away in neighborhoods all over the region. But if you’re looking for the heart of the Uzbek universe in the area, you’ll find it at Samarkand. For the uninitiated, build your meal around an order of plov Samarkand, a pilaf-style rice dish topped with tender beef and lamb, carrots, chickpeas, raisins and fresh herbs. Add some dill-heavy manti meat dumplings, a few grilled kebabs and a bowl of borscht, and you’ll find yourself warmed up enough to eat your way through the rest of the excellent menu on your next visit. 1135 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville-Trevose.

Pho 75
All fast food should be this good
There’s a specific pleasure in the knowledge that within approximately­ seven minutes of being seated at Pho 75 on Adams Avenue, you’ll be presented with a generous bowl of fragrant pho. It’s faster than some McDonald’s drive-thrus, and considerably more satisfying. Pro tips: Bring cash, and order your steak raw and on the side so you can dip it in the soup and eat it tender and barely cooked by the steaming-hot broth. 823 Adams Avenue.

Southampton Spa
Russian baths and borscht — don’t question it
When I tell you that the dining room at the Southampton Spa is a fluorescently lit indoor swimming pool, your first thought might not be that you’d like to eat dumplings there. But trust me: When it comes to transportive dining experiences, there’s no competition. Southampton is a Russian-style spa, which means the borscht is hot pink, the cold plunge is punishing, and the saunas are kept so hot that any jewelry you forget to remove will scald you. For $55, you get a white terry-cloth bathrobe, a locker key, and the privilege of rotating between steam room, cold plunge and sauna until your body starts to feel heavy. That heaviness means two things: first, that you’re experiencing relaxation (remember relaxation?), and second, that it’s time to eat. Claim a table in the pool room and order a pot of tea, a Greek salad topped with savory Turkish pastirma (similar to pastrami), a bowl of borscht, and a platter of meat dumplings. The pelmeni are tender and slippery, just like you, and once you’ve eaten, it’s time to return to the torturous, delicious hot and cold of the spa rooms. Just be careful: You’ll think an hour has passed when really, it’s been all afternoon. 141 2nd Street Pike, Southampton.

Rib Rack
Wings for watching the Birds
We asked Shawn Ralston and Bill Callahan, co-owners of thenortheastlife.com, where to keep in mind when throwing a party in the Northeast: “The Rib Rack is a tiny, tiny place and perhaps the darkest restaurant in all of Philadelphia. This is where you go for old-school barbecue. And wings. When you need wings for a party, you get them here.” 2100 Tyson Avenue.

New Olympia House
Food fit for the gods
Like diners pretty much everywhere, the diners of Northeast Philly have taken a nosedive over the past two decades. So where do you go for egg platters, malted waffles, creamed chipped beef and club sandwiches that won’t break the bank? You go here. It’s not one of those sprawling diners like the Country Club or the Mayfair; it’s just a little corner shop. The following is nothing if not devoted, so seating can be scarce, particularly on Saturday and Sunday mornings, when you can grab a $4 Bloody Mary with your meal. Our best advice: Stick to breakfast and lunch. Go elsewhere for your steaks and seafood. 7242 Castor Avenue.

Dezzy’s Jamaican
Frankford Avenue’s curried GOAT
Jamaican food is still underrepresented in Philly, but if you’re on the Avenue and looking for jerk chicken or curried goat or are just jonesing for some rice and peas, this is your spot. Just remember to order two sides of plantains, and that when they say it’s a spicy beef patty, they mean it. Go for the mild if you’re not sure what you’re getting yourself into. 4945 Frankford Avenue.

Jong Ka Jib
Hot-pot hot spot
Go to Kim’s or Seorabol for your Korean barbecue experience. Come to Jong Ka Jib — it translates to “first son’s house,” in case you’re wondering — for the house specialty: spicy soft tofu soups with a bevy of ingredients, some unidentifiable, all served in hot pots long before “hot-pot restaurants” were on every corner. You’ll never look at bean curd the same way again. 6600 North 5th Street.

Mallu
When chicken tikka masala just won’t do
If you’re getting bored with the same-old, same-old Indian food that 95 percent of the Indian restaurants in the region serve, proceed immediately to this Kerala-style sit-down spot that’s just this side of the Philadelphia-Bucks County border. Order heaps of food, including the Kerala Meal (a sampling of various beef, fish and veg offerings, all served on a banana leaf), the tapioca (yes, tapioca) and goat biryani, and the fried anchovies. Promise you this: Bored you shall not be. 10181 Verree Road.

Gallo’s
Old-school haunt, new-school burgers
Gallo’s has a long and storied history dating back to the ’60s — one that winds from Wildwood to Torresdale to its current location on the Boulevard. These days, it’s where you go when the grandparents want to catch up, or where you might celebrate a birthday over spot-on seafood platters, Italian staples and stiff cocktails. For a more casual (and less expensive) excursion, the connecting Gallo’s Burger Bar, which has been around since 2010, has the best burgers in the Northeast. We especially like the incredibly messy 5-Napkin version and the fact that you can get any of the burgers topped with waffle fries — which, honestly, should just always be a thing. 8101 Roosevelt Boulevard.

Dagwood’s Pub
Five-star corner bar
We’re not sure what we love more at this neighborhood bar: the $10 lunch menu that features a meatball salad with long hots, ricotta and garlic bread, a kielbasa cheese­steak,­ and a notable roast pork with spinach­ and provolone, or the fact that they have a daily two-hour Clammy Hour from 2 to 4 p.m. with $5 she-crab soup and discounts on mussels and raw and fried clams and oysters. Know what? We’ll just call it a tie. 4625 Linden Avenue.

Gamarjoba
Georgia on my mind
The Georgian community in the Northeast is large, and when they’re looking for mchadi, khashi for a hangover, or plates upon plates of fried potatoes with various meats, Gamarjoba is where they go. Sure, it has the khachapuri and khinkali you’re looking for, but there’s also a bar, two different kinds of borscht, homemade smoked pork belly, and so many kebabs you could come here a half-dozen times and still not taste all of them. Also: Check out the newly remodeled patio out back for additional seating on busy weekends. 13033 Bustleton Avenue.

Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse
Beefing up Philly’s BBQ scene
Slow-smoked pulled pork with collards and baked beans. Sliced brisket by the pound. Racks of sticky Memphis-style baby backs with a side of homemade potato salad and some summer peach cobbler. We don’t have to get into a whole argument here over whether Philly is or is not a BBQ town (it isn’t), but if you’re got the itch and happen to find yourself in the Great Northeast, Sweet Lucy’s is where you should be headed. Pro tip: If it’s getting late, give the place a call before you show up. The sides and desserts are all made in-house and the meats are smoked overnight, so the place does run out of things now and then. 7500 State Road.

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And Finally, a Moment of Appreciation for Northeast Philly Parking Lots

I have nightmares about parking in South Philly — long, recursive dreams where I drive around and around the same block a hundred times and never find a single spot. In Fishtown, I used to have my wife or a friend pick me up along Front or Frankford after dinner until one night, in the dark and snow, I ran for a car that looked kinda like my wife’s car and ended up almost accidentally carjacking someone.

So yeah, if the best thing about eating in Northeast Philly is the variety, then the second-best thing is absolutely the parking lots. Years as a restaurant critic have taught me to love a strip mall, an office park — anything with acres of neatly lined blacktop where I can reliably put my car without having­ to leave 45 minutes early for a 7 p.m. reservation just so I have time enough to circle. Fishtown­ has innovation, Rittenhouse has glitz, South Philly has tradition (and a few restaurants so good that I’d gladly fight a nun over an open spot a half-mile away). But the Northeast has parking — so much parking — and we should never forget­ what a comfort that can be. — Jason Sheehan

Published as “Eat the Great Northeast” in the September 2023 issue of Philadelphia magazine.