50 Best American Restaurants near Bala Cynwyd

“Thank you to all tonight! We were celebrating the impending birth of our grandson with his other grandfather! Our children are 1st time parents!! Christina was perfection, knowledge and sweetness all at once! Everyone treated us great! Thank you Christine for all your help! Looking forward to returning w/ the new Mommy & Daddy! Thank you all again. 3 excited grandparents!“

“I went to this, the City Ave location, and it was great! I had the salmon Caesar salad, and I absolutely loved it! It was fresh and delectable. And my server, Aiden (I think that was his name; handsome young man with locs), was the best! He was attentive, helpful and offered great suggestions! Also, Ayana was the hostess and she, too, was friendly with a warm and hospitable demeanor. I will continue to come again! Keep up the good work!“

“Fantastic menu; great atmosphere; friendly efficient staff; loved it.“

“I had a great brunch. Loved the atmosphere. Food was excellent. I’ll definitely be back“

“We had reservations for 5 people at 730 pm Wednesday May 21 after a graduationpp. Peter was our waiter and made our evening a true celebration. The food was incredible, the service attentive but not intrusive and the atmosphere perfect. We will return to this gem.“

“Outstanding cheesesteaks. The variety is spectacular. The meat melts in your mouth. The bread is fresh and delicious. Was in town for just two days but had lunch there both days. You want a cheesesteak? You will not be disappointed.“

“IT WAS AMAZING WTF ELSE DO YOU NEED?“

“Everything was perfect from the moment I entered. The front host greeted me with a welcoming smile. I dined at the bar. My bartender was incredibly knowledgeable and walked me through a beautiful meal. Service was top notch. The team work was beautiful to watch. Great attention to detail. The food absolutely amazing. 5 stars“

“Food was delicious! Good vibe!“

“Awesome food and excellent service I had a pasta night special!
kale & ricotta gnocchi, marinara, fennel, serrano jamon, broccolini comes w/ garlic bread & side caesar salad which was amazing. I highly recommend this place“

“Delicious!!! My friends and I were so excited to try Bar Jawn, especially since we’ve loved Pizza Jawn for a long time! The food and drinks were all fabulous - Bar Jawn has a chill, relaxed atmosphere but boasts an elevated bar menu that is so much more and so far beyond typical bar food! Some of our favorites were the drunken ravioli, the buffalo arancini (so inventive!!!), the chicken parm (make sure you get it with ravioli!), the mozzarella triangles (mozz sticks with an upgrade!) and the eggplant stack! So excited to come back as the menu changes and try even more awesome options! Thank you, Bar Jawn!“

“Everything we ordered was so good! Very friendly, nice server and the cook! Genuinely happy eating there. A restaurant where you can eat carefully selected dishes at a reasonable price!“

“I recently celebrated a milestone birthday with a dinner at Elwood with family and friends. Chef Adam and Jenny were wonderful to work with and the meal was absolutely delicious. Everyone loved the venison scrapple amuse bouche. We shared several orders of perogies and cheese platters to kick off the meal, followed by a couple of orders of the tri- tip beef, the sea bass, and the rabbit, which are served family style with a whole host of accompaniments, including exceptional mashed potato that got rave reviews and deserves it's own mention. Several of the diners had never had rabbit, but they all tried it and it was a hit! I already have plans to come with some friends for an afternoon tea, and my husband and I will definitely be back for dinner and/or one of the dining events that Chef Adam hosts. Adam & Jenny, thank you for my birthday dinner one to remember!💖“

“Unique food, cozy, candlelit atmosphere. Our group enjoyed it tremendously. Highly recommend.“

“Amazing“

“We had such a fantastic experience at Illata in Philadelphia! From start to finish, everything felt special, and a big part of that was our amazing waitress, Mary — she was attentive, warm, and really elevated the whole evening with her thoughtful service.

The menu offered some unexpected surprises, and the standout for us was the carrot dish. It was hands down the highlight of the night — it almost felt like a savory take on carrot cake, rich and flavorful in the most delightful way. The trout was a pleasant surprise too; it leaned more toward the texture and richness of salmon, and honestly, it was one of the best fish dishes we’ve had in a while.

And we can’t forget the desserts — they absolutely blew us away. The rhubarb tart was perfectly balanced, and the chocolate cake was decadent without being too heavy. A perfect ending to a memorable meal!

We’ll definitely be back — already booked our next reservation.“

“Friendly staff! Hostess was great as was our server. I only know she had a unique name. Not a large menu but what they do offer is amazing. Great atmosphere too!“

“This charming hidden gem of a restaurant near the Italian market in South Philly is the perfect date night spot. Very intimate, yet relaxed. There's great variety on the menu for all types of appetites and diners, and they have an impressive robust efficiency in the kitchen that serves up dishes at a great pace and quality. Recently went and tried their tasting menu and my entire service was completed in 90 minutes from the moment I walked in to the close of the bill. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“I have come to this place many times! As a Philly native, this place has been a great experience always! Eddie has been our server and has created an amazing environment. We are so appreciative of his care & thoughtfulness! We had a wonderful experience, and will be back again.“

“Drinks are to margaritas 16.00 come on wow“

“Delicious food. Friendly staff. A great place for dinner.“

“We stopped in for lunch, and it could not have been better! We had burgers, which were cooked to perfection and delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back!“

“Went for dinner on a Saturday night and had reservations for 7:30 PM. Would definitely recommend reservation because it was crowded. Got seated upstairs, but would’ve rather been seated downstairs. But I must say the booth that we were in was probably the most comfortable restaurant booth I’ve ever sat in. Started off with an appetizer that was recommended by our waitress and it was the chicken lettuce wraps (pictured) . They were excellent, and I would definitely recommend also the couple that we were with had the dumplings which they were kind enough to share, which were also excellent. For dinner, I ordered another item that the waitress recommended, The Shaking beef. Was very good. I would recommend with a side of rice. I would have given the food 5 stars but needed to add additional food to the plate. If you go as a couple try to be seated in the hanging chairs. No parking so Uber.“

“Food was absolutely amazing! Drinks were great too! You won’t be disappointed!“

“I made reservations for Harry Potter High Tea in April. They promoted it until mid summer. Had reservation for today June 21st for special Birthday. Ridley House took down all Harry Potter stuff, the restaurant was empty. We were seated in baron area with only one other table. The table tops were really beat up as was a lot of fixtures. High Tea was promoted with 3 tiers of food but what my SIL got was so sparse and a joke for $35. Over priced, underwhelming decor and just horrible! We will not be back! Stingers here we come!!“

“I've done a bunch of deliveries from here but haven't eaten anything from them. They always have the pick up ready to go without much waiting around which is always good. The people who work here are definitely sweet and helpful. I dropped a milkshake one time and they remade it for me no problem.. Thanks for that.“

“Had dinner at Bar Sera for the first time in 2023-06-16 for a 7pm reservation. We got seated right away, not waiting at all. All our drinks and food came out on time and was absolutely delicious. We had the best server named Rachel. She had many tables but still was amazing, very attentive and would engage in conversation with us as. She made the dining experience so much better than any restaurant I’ve been to in a while. The food overall was amazing. I highly recommend this place. If you can, ask for Rachel, she won’t disappoint.“

“Our dinner was outstanding! It may be the best salmon I’ve had to date. 👌🏼“

“Buck a schuck oysters, double braised short rib over rigatoni, key lime pie and even got a hug from the beautiful Solidea D! Everything was exquisite. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend!“

“Fantastic food and service. Favorite burgers and wonderful fries! Healthy options as well.“

“food and drinks were great“

“This place consistently delivers a fantastic experience. My wife and I always have a great time whenever we visit. The bar is
the perfect size, not overwhelming but still offering a vibrant atmosphere. We especially appreciate the impressive selection of liquors and the rotating draft beer options, keeping things interesting. Only issue stems from the TV situation, particularly when trying to catch any Philly sports. The picture quality tends to be pixelated, making it difficult to watch comfortably and even causing my wife's eye strain.“

“I recommend especially the University of Pennsylvania Sabrina location The view is so nice is Windows all around it's well lit the staff is so extraordinary the food is fantastic and it comes out fast the place is clean it was not hard to find a parking spot I give this place five stars“

“Alex’s Steak and Wings is the real deal. Great steaks and incredible wings - they really are jumbo and very good value. Thoroughly recommended!“

“Killer breakfast specials. Everything on the menu seems well-thought out and presented. Yummy place.“

“I went to Applebees tonight and had a wonderful experience. Jesse Z was the main reason we had a wonderful time. Jesse Z was super prompt and got to us very quickly and was able to make some adjustments to our order after the fact. I really appreciated that! Overall great service!“

“Fantastic dining experience! The staff was exceptional and the food was out of this world. The tasting menu was fantastic and the atmosphere was perfect.“

“we went there on a hum bug. it is a great place to eat. make sure you have an appetite. 👍👍👍👍👍“

“Party of 10 this AM. Pam was the BEST! Food/service was awesome!!! Thanks Bookers!“

“Was there last night for early dinner and stayed to see the Eagles first TD. Food was fresh and extremely tasty. The vibe here is great. The service was excellent. Our server, Max, was very personable and gives very good recommendations. Max is not the only server like this. It seems to be the culture there. They have a lot of loyal customers. When we left the was a couple looking for a place to eat and watch the game. I quickly recommended Glory. If in Old City and near Chestnut and 2nd give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.“

“Food is delicious! Get the watermelon salad, fried chicken and banana cream pie.“

“Pancakes were THICK and huge. Food was delicious! Waffle was also tasty.“

“Rachel was an amazing server that anticipated our needs, before we even were aware. Elevated outdoor dining +. Food was great. Best buffalo chicken dip we ever ate. Again amazing service!!!“

“Awesome sandwich and traditional food 😎“

“The $10 quick spot is the best lunch deal in town.“

“Classic, delicious and quick service“

“We came in for the first time this morning. It was a pleasure meeting the owner and his son. The food was fantastic!! We will make it a point to be back often.“

“DIG is the best!! Great variety of options, delicious sides, simple whole food ingredients, and consistently the freshest takeout food i've ordered.

My team at work has ordered DIG many times for team lunches, and they really are one of the best places for it. We all almost always do the custom bowls, because DIG has so many different protein/veggie/carb options to suit all customers. Each time we've ordered from them, the food is fresh, hot, crispy, well seasoned, and juicy. The portions are excellent, and a la carte additions like extra protein or additional sides aren't too expensive in the case that you're a bit hungrier. Even better so, most of their options aren't super greasy or oily - so its safe to say its one of the healthier options for center city takeout by far.

My go-to order is the custom bowl with charred chicken, sheet roasted carrots, couscous base, and kale cashew salad. Mixed all together with some of their garlic aioli and its a delightfully flavorful and filling combo. Their steak portions DO tend to be a bit smaller, but seeing as though its a decent cut (seems to be flank?) i feel thats to be expected.

We have yet to be disappointed by the various times we've ordered from them, so i strongly recommend giving them a chance next time you're having lunch or dinner cravings. Given how fresh everything tastes after enduring its delivery commute, i can only imagine how much better it tastes should you choose to dine in or pickup!“

“Such amazing and creative food, it was really good and the ambience was lovely outside! Server was so helpful with suggestions and food and drinks were fantastic!“

“ALWAYS get a delicious sandwich“