Northwest Philly is not on the tourist trail, which is exactly why the food here is good. Almost everything below is independent, most of it is family-run, and a fair amount of it has been in the same spot for decades.
There is no single restaurant row up here. There are five or six of them, and they look nothing alike: Germantown Avenue running down through Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy, Chelten Avenue in Germantown, Ogontz Avenue and Limekiln Pike in West Oak Lane and Cedarbrook, Main Street in Manayunk, and Ridge Avenue the whole length of Roxborough and into East Falls.
This list is pulled from the neighborhood guides and runs roughly north to south, down the Avenue first, then east, then over to the river. Each section links back to the full write-up. And when a place closes, it comes off this page, which happens more often than you would think.
Chestnut Hill
- McNally’s Tavern, 8634 Germantown Ave. Family-run pub over a hundred years old. Famous for The Schmitter.
- Adelina’s, 8235 Germantown Ave. Upscale Italian in the former Paris Bistro space. The pasta specials are the move.
- CinCin Restaurant, 7838 Germantown Ave. Modern Asian-inspired, elegant room.
- El Poquito, 8201 Germantown Ave. Excellent tacos, lively room.
- Bredenbeck’s Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor, 8126 Germantown Ave. A Chestnut Hill institution since 1889.
- Char & Stave, 8441 Germantown Ave. Cafe by day, cocktail bar by night.
- Baker Street Bread Co., 8009 Germantown Ave. Reliable morning stop.
- Valley Green Inn, Valley Green Rd, in Wissahickon Valley Park. Historic inn on the creek. The Sunday brunch is legendary.
Mt. Airy
- Malelani Cafe, 6734 Germantown Ave. Mediterranean-inspired, live music most weekends.
- McMenamin’s Tavern, 7170 Germantown Ave. The quintessential neighborhood bar.
- Bar Lizette, 7152 Germantown Ave. Natural wines and small plates.
- Toska Restaurant & Brewery, 7136 Germantown Ave. Mt. Airy’s own brewery.
- High Point Cafe, 602 Carpenter Lane. Famous for hand-crafted crepes.
- Downtime Bakery, 6624 Germantown Ave. Bagels, pies, pastries. Get there early.
- Zsa’s Ice Cream, 6616 Germantown Ave. From-scratch, rotating seasonal flavors, worth the wait.
Germantown
- Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, moving to Germantown Ave at Washington Lane. Black-owned coffee shop and bookstore, and the heart of the neighborhood.
- Das Good Cafe, 322 W. Chelten Ave. All-day cafe and BYOB with Southeast Asian and Hawaiian flair.
- Weavers Way Co-op, 328 W. Chelten Ave. The co-op’s Germantown branch.
Cedarbrook
- Juici Patties, 3110 W Cheltenham Ave. The first Philadelphia outpost of the Jamaican chain, and it landed here rather than Center City. People buy the patties by the dozen.
- Pagano’s Steaks & Hoagies, 7617 Ogontz Ave. Cheesesteaks and hoagies, and the most reviewed place in the neighborhood by a wide margin.
- Tallow, inside the Fresh Grocer at Cedarbrook Plaza, 1000 Easton Rd. Chicken sandwiches, tenders and wings, all fried in beef tallow. A counter in the supermarket rather than a sit-down room, and just over the county line.
West Oak Lane
- Jacobs Restaurant & Catering, 7152 Ogontz Ave. Southern cooking from an owner who went to culinary school at thirty-five and came back to the block she grew up on to open it.
- Moonlight Cuisine, 6834 Limekiln Pike. Caribbean, twenty-three years in, open nine in the morning to two at night every single day.
- Big Grill Barbecue, 7202 Ogontz Ave. Brisket, beef ribs, collard greens, and a brisket eggroll that gets talked about. Thursday through Sunday.
- Jamil’s Cafe, 6830 Ogontz Ave. Seafood and Caribbean. Fried fish, jerk wings, rice bowls.
- Asad’s Hot Chicken, 7370 Limekiln Pike. Order one step below the heat level you think you can handle.
- 67 Flavors Wings & Burgers, 2117 N 72nd Ave. Seven days a week, and open later than most things around here.
What’s Happening This Week
Every Thursday morning we publish a calendar of what is actually worth leaving the house for across Northwest Philadelphia. A lot of it is food: pop-ups and openings, restaurant weeks, the beer gardens while they are open, and the markets that only run half the year.
One email, Thursday morning. No listings, no drip campaign, no selling. Just the calendar. Past issues live on the events page.
East Falls
- LeBus East Falls, 4201 Ridge Ave. From-scratch comfort food and artisan bread. One of the best brunches in Northwest Philly.
- In Riva, 4116 Ridge Ave. Upscale Neapolitan pizza.
- Fiorino, 3572 Indian Queen Ln. Cozy Italian BYOB. Reservations are a must.
- Wissahickon Brewing Company, 3705 W. School House Lane. Family-owned brewery and taproom.
- Billy Murphy’s Irish Saloon, 3333 Conrad St. Old-school, cash only, unpretentious.
- Thunder Mug Cafe, 4233 Ridge Ave. Black and woman-owned neighborhood anchor.
- Vault + Vine, 3507 Midvale Ave. Cafe, plant shop and florist in one.
Manayunk
- Mia Ragazza, 4411 Main St. Italian in a dark, moody room. A little fancy, good for a date. The chicken parm is excellent.
- Lucky’s Last Chance, 4421 Main St. Borderline dive bar with the best burgers around. Ask for the Mak Attack.
- Taqueria Amor, 4410 Main St. Solid Mexican, big room, usually easy to get a table.
- Pilgrim Roasters, 4120 Main St. Small-batch Scandinavian-style roasting, and a cute room to sit in.
- Volo Coffeehouse, 4360 Main St. Breakfast sandwiches, relaxed.
- Marchiano’s Bakery, 4653 Umbria St. A neighborhood staple, and the stuffed breads are what people come for.
- The Union Tap House, 4801 Umbria St. Whiskey selection, rotating drafts, board games.
- Love City Brewing, 4323 Main St. The Callowhill brewery’s second taproom, open here since May 2026. Beer and barbecue.
Roxborough
- Dalessandro’s Steaks, 600 Wendover St. Open since 1960. The rib-eye is chopped almost to ground, and it is a takeout window rather than a room. Michelin Bib Gourmand.
- Chubby’s Steaks, 5826 Henry Ave. Directly across the street, and the real difference is not tribal: coarser chop, sweeter onions, and a bar you can sit down in.
- White Yak, 6118 Ridge Ave. Tibetan, and one of the best only-in-Philadelphia surprises on Ridge.
- T&F Farmers’ Pride, 8101 Ridge Ave. Longtime Italian deli.
- C&C Creamery, 5461 Ridge Ave. Family-owned since 1955, and everything is made on site: ice cream, water ice, cakes, even the soft pretzels. The hours move with the season, so check before a winter trip.
The Full Guides
Tell us what we missed
This list grows as we write. If your favorite spot is not here, that is an oversight and not a verdict. Email hello@nwphilly.com and we will go eat there.