Where to Eat Like You’re on the Beach (Without Leaving Philly)
Just because you're not going down the Shore this summer doesn't mean you can't trick your stomach with beach classics.
Cocktails at Liberty Point / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Just because you’re not heading down the Shore doesn’t mean you can’t trick your stomach into thinking you’re on the beach enjoying classic seafood and cold snacks.
That’s where this guide comes in. These are the treats we’re seeking out on the hottest days of the summer when we wish we were anywhere but in the city.
Liberty Point, Society Hill
The beach snack: Cocktails
Who says you have to go to the beach to enjoy fruity, chilled cocktails in the warm sun by the water? The views from Liberty Point’s outdoor decks are unparalleled. Order up a basket of fried shrimp, a crab cake, and maybe a cocktail or two (you can’t go wrong with the BSL made with tequila, blood orange puree, citrus juice and Sprite) and you’ll swear you’re dining at the Jersey Shore. 211 South Columbus Boulevard.
Fred & Tony’s Restaurant, North Philly
The beach snack:Whole fried fish
Fred & Tony’s serves a whole range of Puerto Rican classics, but the most transportive among them, in our opinion, is the whole fried fish. Nibble with your hands to avoid bones, enjoying the perfectly crispy skin and the moist inside. It’s just enough work to make you forget where you are for a few minutes. 201 West Allegheny Avenue.
Small Oven Pastry Shop, Point Breeze
The beach snack: Soft serve
Soft serve is a distinctly summer food, and you can find the best versions in the city right now over at Small Oven. The flavor combination is different each weekend (track it here), but sweet corn with blackberry and mixed berries with mascarpone are winners. 2204 Washington Avenue.
La Llorona, South Philly
The beach snack: Ceviche and aguachile
There’s a lot to love about La Llorona, but in the summer the thing to remember is that their menu is distinctly seafood-forward. If scallop aguachile and shrimp ceviche and a whole lot of mezcal can’t transport you to the beach, it’s possible that nothing will. 1551 West Passyunk Avenue.
Waterfront food / Photograph by Austin Marsdale
Spruce Street Harbor Park, Society Hill
The beach snack:Oysters; shrimp cocktail; Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabfries
Every summer the Spruce Street Harbor Park turns more and more into a seaside attraction complete with a boardwalk, amazing views of the Delaware River Waterfront, and, of course, summertime bites. This year, they’ve got Little Fish serving raw oysters, shrimp cocktail and a “Floagie,” a fried-fluke hoagie. Somerset Splits will have old-school ice cream favorites including classic sundaes and push-pops. And when it comes to fries, Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabfries will always be better than boardwalk fries. There’s a lot to explore and eat at the Delaware River Waterfront this summer (including tacos from Cantina La Martina at the Cherry Street Pier). Check out our complete guide to the Waterfronthere. 301 S Christopher Columbus Blvd.
FDR Park Southeast Asian Food Market, South Philly
The beach snack: Slushies with condensed milk; grilled skewers; fresh fruit
FDR Park is probably the closest thing Philly has to a lakeside experience. And if you go on a Saturday or Sunday, you can combine that psuedo-beachy feeling with the wonderland that is the Southeast Asian Food Market. Do a lap around the dozens of vendors selling Lao, Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese food. Then grab a couple of beef and chicken skewers, some papaya salad and a sugarcane juice, and set up a chair next to the pond for an enjoyable afternoon. Just bring cash — not all of the vendors accept cards and the park doesn’t have an ATM. 1500 Pattison Avenue.
Sunset Social, University City
The beach snack: Cheese fries
If you’re not a member of a neighborhood pool where the snack bar serves cheese fries for afternoon snacking after being soaked in the sun, then let us direct you to the rooftop at Sunset Social. Here you can have better-than-they-need-to-be crinkle-cut cheese fries with a view of the river and the skyline. Consider this one of the best dry-land alternatives to the beach that we’ve got. 129 South 30th Street.
Frankford Hall, Fishtown
The beach snack: Boozy milkshakes
There’s something about being on vacation that makes you eat things that might seem like too much in your everyday life. Enter: alcoholic milkshakes on Frankford Hall’s dessert menu. Options include strawberry cake, chocolate-covered pretzel, and vanilla stroopwafel. Consume while playing corn hole for the full effect. 1210 Frankford Avenue.
Sid Booker’s Shrimp Corner / Photograph by Jason Varney
Amazing Crab House, Queen Village
The beach snack: Fried shrimp and beyond
Everyone has their own dreams when it comes to beachy seafood. Personally, we love fried shrimp in mass quantities (for which Sid Booker’s Shrimp Corner in North Philly is especially known, by the way), but Amazing Crab House prepares pretty much every sea creature you could want in most styles. Soft-shell crab basket? You’re in the right place. Fried oysters? Yes. Crab legs? You’ve got it. 604 South 2nd Street.
L’Angolo Restaurant, South Philly
The beach snack: Seafood pasta
An ideal summer day would be spent on a beach in Italy, where you rouse myself from the beach lounger only for a perfect bowl of seafood pasta at a seaside restaurant. L’Angolo doesn’t have beach loungers or a seaside view, but it does have satisfying spaghetti alla scoglio served with mussels, clams, shrimp and rings of calamari resting on top like little halos There’s also BYO policy here, which means you can bring a cold bottle of some very nice Italian white wine. 1415 West Porter Street.
Uptown Beer Garden’s Kedera Tiki Bar / Photograph courtesy of Punch Media
Uptown Beer Garden’s Kedera Tiki Bar, Center City
The beach snack: Orange Crush
Uptown Beer Garden is going tropical this summer with Kedera Tiki Bar. Think: palm trees, coconuts, an orange-crush bar, frozen drinks and boardwalk fries. Enough said. 1500 John F Kennedy Blvd.
Mission Taqueria, Rittenhouse
The beach snack: Fish tacos and margaritas
A flight to Mexico may be pricy, but Mission Taqueria brings the vibes to Rittenhouse in a sunny, come-as-you-are space. Go for fried mahi or shrimp tacos, paired with a tangy guava margarita or hibiscus agua fresca. 1516 Sansom Street, 2nd floor.
PHS Pop-Up Garden, Grad Hospital and Manayunk
The beach snack: Frozen drinks
The next best thing to getting out of town is lounging the day away at one of the PHS Pop-Up Gardens. Each offers a slew of frozen drinks. On South Street, for example, there’s a purple mojito. And in Manayunk, an orange creamsicle. Both sling an orange Gritty Margarita rimmed in black salt. 1438 South Street and 106 Jamestown Avenue.
