Thank you Philly Mag! We made the 50 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia List.
Bud & Marilyn's | 1234 Locust Street | 215-546-2220
lunch - 12pm, mon-fri | brunch - 11am, sat-sun | dinner - 5pm, daily
make a reservation
Chef-owner Marcie Turney grew up in the Midwest, eating the meatloaf, fried chicken, bratwurst and cheese curds that dot her menu at Bud & Marilyn’s. The place is a love letter to the restaurant run by her grandparents, for whom it’s named, and there are great, reimagined American classics all over this menu—from chop suey with pork belly that’s like the greatest drunk food of all time to fried chicken with salted honey butter and house-made hot sauce. But what brings it all together is a space that feels a little like you’re eating dinner in your weird uncle’s rec room circa 1978. You know, in a good way.
Barbuzzo 110 South 13th Street | 215-546-9300
lunch 12pm, mon-fri | dinner - 5pm - midnight, daily
Yes, it’s crowded, but that’s because everyone in town knows that Barbuzzo remains one of the most homey and delicious Mediterranean restaurants in the city, offering everything from a great lunch menu to pizzas that hold their own in this pizza-mad moment—and some of the greatest meatballs in the city. The addition of the upstairs space now allows for some private dining, but it’s still the blazing open kitchen and the action at the bar and counter and among the tiny, crammed-together tables that secure Barbuzzo’s place on this list and in this city.
Jamonera 105 South 13th Street | 215-922-6061
dinner - 5pm, daily
The worst part about Jamonera is how good it is. If it were a worse restaurant, fewer people would go there. The floor would be less crowded, the cramped space less elbow-y, the bar less packed with those looking for snacks and cream sherry, warm Medjool dates wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Valdeon or wispy slips of hand-cut Iberico ham. But unfortunately, Jamonera is that good. So for now, you’ll just have to suffer the crowds, keep your elbows in close, and learn to tolerate your neighbors in order to get your taste of Marcie Turney and Val Safran’s still-excellent ode to quick Spanish snacking.
