Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Philadelphia County

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Philadelphia County? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

La Llorona Cantina Mexicana

5.0

5 (201)

$30 and under

Mexican

South Philly

About the restaurant

We look forward to having you dine with us and enjoy a memorable time filled with authentic Mexican Cuisine and finely crafted Cocktails. Brunch is served Saturdays & Sundays 11am to 3pm. Happy Hour : Tuesday - Friday 4pm to 7pm

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

I love everything I ordered was so delicious and service was excellent

Chick's

5.0

5 (31)

$50 and over

American

South Philly

About the restaurant

Family- There's a special kind of bond that a family only knows! Family is what brought Chick's to life. Everything from our name to our logo is inspired by Love of family. So when you enter our doors we consider you family too. Versatility sums up our sprawling, industrial-looking and upscale gastropub on Washington Avenue. We offer a well-stocked bar, killer brunch menu , unbeatable happy hour specials and plenty for the bar crowd.

Top review

MarcVIP

Dined on Mar 13, 2025

Food was excellent! I had the special which was Pad Thai. It was delicious! The staff, as usual, were attentive and kind!

Breaker Brewing Company

4.9

4.9 (505)

$30 and under

Brewery

Wilkes-Barre

About the restaurant

Welcome and thank you for your interest in Breaker Brewing Company. We are a Micro Brewery & Brew Pub in Northeast PA’s coal region that brews, serves and delivers handcrafted beer to local bars and pubs. Our small batch craft brews are dedicated to the hard-working people who have been and still are examples of our rich heritage.

Top review

Christine

Dined on Mar 16, 2025

We had a wonderful experience at the St Patrick’s Day celebration today. Everything was exceptional, food, drinks, service and entertainment!!!

Cafe Antonio

4.8

4.8 (591)

$30 and under

Italian

Morrisville

About the restaurant

Cafe Antonio is a home-style Italian restaurant located in Morrisville, PA.

Top review

GeorgeVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Best Marinara sauce in the area! Has been that way for many years!

Moonshine Philly

4.8

4.8 (531)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

South Philly

About the restaurant

Moonshine is a craft beer restaurant located in the heart of the Pennsport section of South Philadelphia. We focus on a fresh menu and a friendly atmosphere. With over 10 crafts on draught, a wide variety of bottled and canned beer, multiple selections of wine, and a menu consisting of old classics with a twist and some unique creations, Moonshine is sure to please any palate.

Top review

Kyle

Dined 3 days ago

Great food. Good prices. More of a bar though than a restaurant

Pub & Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (704)

$30 and under

American

Center City

About the restaurant

Pub & Kitchen is an authentic neighborhood tavern located on the corner of 20th and Lombard in Philadelphia. For over a decade, we’ve served a menu featuring elevated farm to table offerings, alongside an innovative bar program specializing in wine, local beers, and craft cocktails. Our menu is constantly evolving, fluctuating with the seasons and availability of product.

Our lively and comfortable restaurant features a large wood-lined bar, bustling dining room, and charming sidewalk cafe on a tree-lined street. We also have an intimate private dining room upstairs, available for parties of up to 50 guests.

Top review

MelindaVIP

Dined on Mar 17, 2025

Great experience and service food was delicious! Staff was such lovely people and very accommodating

Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar

4.8

4.8 (411)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Harrisburg

About the restaurant

Ad Lib
Craft Kitchen and Bar
A comfortable gathering place where people come together to celebrate, debate politics or simply spend time with friends and family, Ad Lib is a “new take” on a traditional American Tavern.
Food and Drink offerings are old favorites “turned on their side” and full of surprises. Our food and beverage chefs combine classic preparations with contemporary creativity. Ad lib specials, the “Ad Lib Lunch” and Ad lib social hours celebrate spontaneity. This is a place to share food and share stories. There’s no script, just a stage set for you to wing it!
This is food that is fun to cook, fun to eat, fun to share. And, you can try many dishes in one visit with the large offering of small plate options. Guests can choose from over 40 small plates, over 30 wines by the glass, over 60 selections of beer and an ever changing list of craft, barrel aged and edible cocktails.

Top review

Rachel

Dined 4 days ago

The food and service were fantastic. Although the restaurant was somewhat busy, my food came out in a timely manner. Would highly recommend!

The Bellefonte Cafe

4.8

4.8 (261)

$30 and under

Fusion / Eclectic

Wilmington

About the restaurant

The Bellefonte Cafe: Great Food, Great Atmosphere, Great Music, since 2002!

Top review

Thomas

Dined on Mar 8, 2025

We chatted with the server and rec'd the exact salmon and potatoes we asked. Previously there was much too much kale with the salmon. So, continue with the sides of asparagus, potatoes and a few kale

Home Grown Café

4.7

4.7 (510)

$30 and under

American

Newark

About the restaurant

Home Grown Cafe is an independently owned, award-winning, downtown Newark, DE staple, residing centrally on Main St. for over 23 years under founding owner, Sasha Aber. Matt McConnell leads an incredible staff and day to day operations. Award winning Executive Chef Andrew Thorne is the chef de cuisine who constantly pushes the envelope with locally made from scratch dishes of his own creations, as well as mentoring and showcasing our staff's talent. Home Grown has been named Best of Delaware Upstate for over two decades by Delaware Today readers including awarding the honor of Best Chef Upstate to Andrew Thorne (2022) Guests enjoy incredible service and made from scratch food for all dietary lifestyles, including carnivorous, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-sensitive in a welcoming environment for all patrons. Colorful walls are adorned with local pop art. The bar features a large array of upscale spirits including house-crafted cocktails and mocktails, over 65 beers, and great wines.

Top review

BettinaVIP

Dined on Feb 26, 2025

Amazing food, very generous portions, terrific service, reasonable prices, great N.A. mocktails! Will be back for many other celebrations!

Philadelphia Distilling

4.7

4.7 (276)

$31 to $50

American

Fishtown

About the restaurant

At Philadelphia Distilling, our distilling team combines craftsmanship, science and skill to create a unique portfolio of premium spirits that rely on the agricultural integrity of authentically sourced grains and botanicals and the finest heritage equipment.

Hand-hammered copper pot stills from the fifth-generation Forsyth family and wooden fermentation vessels from Hall-Woodford, an iconic Philadelphia-based family business, are key points of difference for us—both in their construction value as well as the integrity of the spirits they help us to produce. We continue our batch-by-batch process, creating spirits that celebrate big, bold flavor.

Top review

Laura-AnnVIP

Dined on Feb 22, 2025

Thank you PD family (John, Jazmine, Josh, Matt) for your kind hospitality as always ! You wear your heart on your sleeves and anyone that walks through the door gets to see the passion behind the hospitality you so generously extend to your guests! The gourgeres and crispy potatoes and wings are ON POINT as always! Please bring back the sunchokes with vinegar and salt! As well as the Japanese sweet potatoes . Looking forward to coming back as always! Be well, LAC

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