Ahhh, how the city of Philadelphia's food scene continues to be extremely disappointing for me. There has not been one restaurant that I've tried where the food and/or combination with the experience has been a good once. I made a review recently on how I very much disliked Fitz on 4th and my anxiety was ramping up seeing this restaurant was barely two blocks away The food had no flavor and was extremely bland. I have never been in a restaurant and asked for the salt and pepper shakers (unless it's for eggs lol) and unfortunately that didn't help much at all here. The branzino dish was plated nicely, but had zero flavor. The orzo and corn was giving just got this box of orzo from Trader Joe's and threw some canned corn in the mix. Branzino? Very plain. The Cacio e pepe was also....flavorless. I love cacio e pepe and I was between that and the branzino at first, but knew if the if the sauce wasn't balanced perfectly between cheese and pepper, it would ruin the dish. We opted to have chicken added and as you can tell, it doesn't look like there was any chicken at all. It was a let down from the first bite of both dishes, for both my partner and I. Chicken liver mousse is one of my absolute favorite things ever, since a kid. Generally, I'm given a small pot/portion of the mousse to spread on a cracker or piece of bread myself. Here, they do things a little differently. They spread it on some bread topped with cherry agrodolce and pistachios. I thought this dish was pretty neat. My fav thing was although the bread was baked and crunchy on the exterior the middle was very soft and I thought this was a perfect balance. But, the skimped out of the chicken mousse and barely put any on the bread, especially the first piece of bread in the pic. The wine was nice, but it was not poured it front of us and I have zero clue what it is. We asked for something most similar to Merlot. Wouldn't try this place again & didn't think it was worth the cost. Side note, there's a surcharge for paying with a card AND they are currently participating in restaurant week. read more

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Came here for restaurant week with a friend and had a great time! Making a reservation wasn't too bad since the weather was bad and I'm sure most people wanted to stay at home. I love the interior decor especially the cheeky baby up front. The food was great, I definitely recommend trying a few apps and the portions make it easy to share. read more

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Cute little place with friendly servers. We had a chop salad, meatballs, and crispy potatoes for appetizers. We really loved the salad and the potatoes, The meatballs were okay. For dinner we had the linguine which had lobster in it. That was really good, but of course could've used more lobster, and Mafaldine which was really good. Almost forgot the dessert. It was some kind of butterscotch pudding and it was unbelievably delicious! read more

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The service was good, very hip, very chill, but the pasta! The Pasta was amazing. Each dish better than the one before it. Bring friends. Share! We'll be back read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Nothing left! Each pasta, was amazing, but the pesto, we've all had pesto right! NO YOU HAVEN'T because you haven't had Cry Baby Pesto! - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

If you need a cozy meal in a cozy place this winter, this is the spot for you. I was so excited to see a pasta shop serving gluten free noodles, and they did not disappoint. The texture was just right and the flavor of the vodka sauce was perfect. The drink menu is also extremely solid with none of the signature cocktails lacking booze or flavor. If you're in the South Street area for a concert or event, stop by here for a meal beforehand. read more

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I will say that I really wanted to like this place because the appetizers were bomb but the entrees were uneatable. If they have cauliflower soup on the daily menu do yourself a favor and please get it. I think everything here is on the saltier side. When I ate the bruschetta it was a lil too salty for my liking but bearable. The entrees is where our experience fell apart. The veggie pasta was extremely salty so we all could only take two bites. The rigatoni was undercooked ( I know all pasta is cooked to al dente but this was not al dente, it was maybe 2-3 minutes from being al dente) and the sauce was not good, it tasted really weird and off . So we also had two bites of it. Seeing the reviews, I'm thinking it may just be a one off time that our dishes might have not been prepared well. But I would say our overall experience with the food was not pleasant. read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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After a recommendation from coworkers, my partner and I stopped by Cry Baby Pasta for a 5pm Saturday date night. We were seated in the back of the restaurant in a corner, which had a great view of 3rd street. I had heard about the espresso martini and I can confirm it is delicious. Our food was impeccable- my partner is still talking about the meatballs. The pasta was filling and the sauces were light but flavorful. The staff were incredibly attentive and happy to answer our questions. Overall - great date night spot, can't wait to come back!! read more

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[takeout order] This place is a joke. Ordered two pasta dishes that were barely edible. Mine was undercooked and the other had minimal flavor. The portions were tiny but I stopped eating after two bites because it was so bad. I no longer write Yelp reviews frequently but had to come here to warn others. Call me a cry baby but this was truly one of the worst meals I've ever paid for in my life. read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Great date night spot! Came for appetizers and drinks and left happy and satisfied. The staff is so sweet and knowledgeable about all the unique ingredients on the menu. Loved the vibe and music. Didn't have a reservation, but recommend as it gets crowded quick. read more

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Excellent food, service, and ambience! Probably one of the best pasta dishes of my life. I ordered the lobster linguine. read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ordered on DoorDash. Packaging was tighty. Food came quickly. Was warm and very tasty. I love the pastas. On Mondays they have all you can eat pasta so would love to go. Times where they deliver seem different that restaurant hours which maybe reflects them prioritizing the dine-in experience during peak hours. read more

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The staff were super friendly and helpful, the place is really cute. I made reservations because I've seen it busy every time I walk by and that was super easy. Sadly, I was underwhelmed by the food. I'm not sure if it was because they were extra busy after an event on south street or if that's normal but both of our pasta dishes lacked the flavor we were hoping for. The pasta seems to be home made, chewy but bland. The lobster pasta was ok, I had one funky piece of lobster but the rest was ok. The mushroom pasta dish was a cool shape but maybe they didn't strain it well? Watery sauce. The drinks were really well made but the pasta was disappointing. read more

So sad to post an updated review but our recent experience at Cry Baby was just not it. The staff were friendly as always but the food was just SO mid. We decided to switch up entrees and get the linguine and eggplant parmesan, both of which were not really enjoyable. I was surprised at the presentation of the eggplant as quite literally 2 fingerling eggplants, stem and all, in the sauce and mozzarella. Somehow it was still dry and left more to be desired. While the linguine was tasty per my boyfriend, the portion seemed even smaller than usual and he ate it in less than 8 bites, no exaggeration. The caesar and meatballs were more enjoyable than the entrees for me, but the best part of dinner was the butterscotch budoni for dessert. If you're going to share a small menu, every item should be dynamite in my opinion. read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Chocolate Hazelnut Torte - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Worst Caesar salad I've ever had. I ordered their take on eggplant parmesan and was served a whole eggplant. Lightly charred on the outside, mushy on the inside. Definitely not what I expected. Extremely underwhelming. Another place trying to be unique. The pumpkin tiramisu and butterscotch budino, however, were both excellent. read more

I've had CBP on my list for awhile now and this past weekend we did a girls trip here (we saw they do some gluten-free stuffs). I forgot how busy restaurants get on a weekend in the City. Cute corner restaurant, easy to get to, dim lighting and just a smidge loud but still easy enough to hear your dinner partners. For starters we did the broccolini (delicious!), chicken liver mousse on toast (tasty, topped with quince and pistachios), and there was a special on these smashed fried beets that were fantastic. On the pasta side, I was deciding between the Creste di Gallo (mushroom dish) or the Tagliatelle with Bolognese. I went with the bolognese, the server said it was their own take on it, with ricotta folded into the sauce. It was OK. It was good but I honestly make a more flavorful one at home. The pasta itself was perfect. Now for dessert.. please do yourself a favor and get like 5 of the Butterscotch Budino. My friend and I shared this but honestly I could have eaten this in 4 bites. Absolutely delicious. Side note, I appreciate the non alcoholic drinks available here. read more

We really enjoyed our dinner at Cry Baby Pasta while visiting Philly last month. A friend recommended this spot to us and it happened to be within walking distance from our Airbnb. We made a reservation and were greeted by friendly staff. They let us know our table wasn't quite ready yet, but immediately offered to get us a glass of wine while we waited. I was in the mood for something fizzy, so I went with the Lambrusco di Grasparossa and it was delish. We were quickly seated shortly after and I love the the cozy, romantic candlelit vibe of the space. That is my ideal pasta & wine ambiance. They had a specials menu for the evening, but they were out of most of those items by that time. I has stalked their IG earlier that day and was drooling over all their beautiful & creative pasta dishes that appear to change almost daily, so you don't really know what you're gonna be in for each night which can keep things interesting, especially if you're a local. We started with their seasonal peach salad appetizer which had cherries and a bunch of other yummy things that I couldn't tell you were in it, but it was phenomenal. So many unique flavors that just worked so well together! My husband & I each then ordered out pasta dishes. He went for the seafood linguine (crab, peppers, ancho chili butter, bottarga breadcrumb) and I opted for the creste di gallo (mushroom sugo, spirulina, kale, aged balsamic). To be honest, neither one of us were super impressed by our dishes. The linguine really lacked flavor and needed a good amount of salt & pepper to improve it. You could tell that the pasta is super fresh and handmade, but the flavor profile of the creste di gallo just wasn't what I was expecting. The balsamic really overpowered the pasta for me. Maybe we just chose the wrong dishes that night. I would still go back to try their other pasta dishes, and based on what I've seen on their IG because they look incredible. Now, for the dessert... You CANNOT miss their signature butterscotch budino! OMG it's amazing and the perfect way to end the meal. That alone is worth coming back for! read more

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My husband and I were really excited to try the pasta here, and came in on a weeknight. We were seated right away, although the restaurant was not very busy this time. Atmosphere: The restaurant was more on the casual side and the playlist was very fun, though the music was a bit on the louder side. Our server was very friendly! Food: We enjoyed our salad and pastas, and found them to be very flavorful. They have a good variety of pastas on the menu, though I wish the portions sizes were slightly larger, given what we have seen at other Italian restaurants. Overall: 4/5 - There are so many delicious Italian restaurants in the city, so this one did not stand out too much to me, but it was an overall positive experience! I just may recommend other Italian restaurants over this one. read more

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We came in, and my friend has extreme food, allergies. They went out of their way to make sure that she got a meal that was acceptable, and would not kill her. Ally and Hannah were amazingly helpful. We will absolutely return. Thank you so much Cry baby read more

Visited Cry Baby Pasta on a Thursday evening. They were relatively busy so it was a little loud. The rigatoni was great! A little spicy but I really enjoyed it. I will say, the portions here are not "take home and have two more meals." No one in my party left with a take-out container. We all got drinks, dinner, and dessert. They make a great Aperol Spritz and a great espresso martini! A great option for a "let's treat ourselves because we're on vacation" meal! read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Such a great experience here, waitstaff super friendly and ambiance was also really great. Only mild complaint is that during peak dining times it can be super loud so kind of hard to hear. The pasta flavors were so unique and the noodles were cooked perfectly al dente in my book. The rigatoni did have a small kick to it but nothing too bad. Caesar was evenly and thoroughly coated in dressing, making a perfect appetizer. Definitely give this place a try! read more

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Dined once outside a few years ago, and it was lovely. Dined again recently inside with a larger party, and it was nice but also very loud and dark (I sound like a boomer). I had a lot of trouble hearing anyone not directly next to me in our group of 6. The pasta is quite tasty, and they have fun kinds to choose from. The portion sizes look small but are very filling so don't be duped. They also have a very nice variety of interesting drinks as well, which, as a cocktail person, I appreciate. If someone asks to go here again, I would happily oblige. read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Garlic bread, fried Crispy Potatoes and Charred Broccolini - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

DO NOT SLEEP ON CBP. For all the Italian options you have in the city, this is a can't miss. Fun and relaxing environment; indoor - outdoor seating; cool bar; great food. I was really impressed with their menu. Not only do they have variety, but it's also super creative. Beyond the menu itself, their portions were spot on - which did have me curious given it is easy to over do it on pasta servings. We started with a gorgonzola custard, which is one of those dishes that seems a little intimidating on paper, but...where else would yah get it? So we had to give it a try, and it was well worth it. Super creamy, just a bit of tang, and it was topped with fried pancetta. We also had to try something from their bruschetta menu. All the options look great, but we went with the Buffalo Mozzarella, which was on top of Red Wine Poached Pear. My oh my - every bite was down right delicious. And to no surprise, their pasta was also very good. I really enjoyed the rigatoni, which came with vodka sauce, pancetta, smoked chicken, and cherry peppers. It had just a small spicy bite to it, but still very tolerable. I only wish that we had ordered bread to swap everything up. And hey, I will never over-index on service with having just a one time experience. However, first impressions mean a lot, and we unfortunately just didn't have the greatest that night. I will say, it was break in great weather, so maybe there were busier than expected, but we sat down at 6:30 and did not leave until 8:45 (and we were a part of 3, with no drinks.) They did provide a complimentary meatball appetizer, which we certainly enjoyed, but felt like overall, we would have appreciated more attentiveness. And we get it, things happen, but because of that, it's hard to give it a full 5 stars. Will we go back? Definitely - there is more on the menu I want to try, and I really did like the vibes there. If you get a nice, sunny evening, it's a great place to start with drinks and casually draw yourself into the evening. read more

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We sat at the bar for dinner and loved our meal! We ordered the chicken liver toast, the broccolini, the linguini with crab, and tagliatelle bolognese. Everything was fresh and had great flavor, we especially loved the broccolini dish. Would definitely come back to try more from the menu. The service was quick and the inside of the restaurant has an inviting, fun vibe. read more

The service was excellent and friendly. The pasta was superb and dishes were excellent. Our favorite restaurant!!!

Loved Cry Baby! Food was excellent and service was lovely. We arrived early for a reservation and there was not much room for us to wait, but then we were quickly told there was actually a table available (which was surprisingly since we were a group of 4 and the space isn't very big). We were quickly given water and offered drinks before the rest of our party arrived, and specials were printed on an additional menu. There was also dedicated space to hang coats. Food and drinks were fantastic. Collectively we ordered: meatballs, buffalo mozzarella bruschetta, chicken liver mousse bruschetta, garlic bruschetta then the vegetarian carbonara - all to share. Then we each individually ordered a pasta. I opted for the crest de gallo, hubs got the rigatoni, and friends got the linguine and tagliatelle. For dessert hubs and I split the butterscotch Budino. Everything was wonderful. For drinks, I opted for the draft Sangiovese (my favorite) and for dessert an Espresso Martini (highly recommend.) Hubs is currently abstaining so it was wonderful and very appreciated that they had N/A cocktail options! My only disappointment and reason for 4 instead of 5 stars was that I requested one change to the rigatoni due to a food allergy, but was told the sauce is all premade and cannot be altered. As a result I had to change my order. I was very disappointed that the kitchen couldn't make a special order especially when portions aren't very large. read more

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The place was jammed on a winter's eve, great vibe, and we were ready to chow down. Got a nice table in the front room by the bar. Go for the fritto misto appetizer-- outstanding with a lovely glass of vino, but food went downhill from there. The pasta came with a sauce of salt, and the chicken dish was uninspired. Be prepared to drink a lot of water once you get home! read more

Sooo yummy! The lobster raviolo was the best pasta dish I've eaten in years. Also the shrimp scampi appetizer was out of this world. Can't wait to go back 10/10 would recommend read more

This was my first time driving at Cry Baby Pasta and fortunately I arrived before the dinner rush. Reservations are definitely recommended for weekends. The staff was welcoming and friendly. The food was fresh, seasoned well, flavorful and cooked perfectly. The restaurant had limited seating however they offer indoor and outdoor options. It was average noise level for a restaurant. read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Grilled Branzino - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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On our way from Annapolis back to Boston we stopped in Philadelphia for dinner. Cry Baby Pasta came highly recommended. The service was superb. One only had to smile at a server as they were going by and they immediately came to Our table. The food was also presented professionally, an indication of an upscale restaurant. My companion rated her Rigatoni as excellent with the pasta just a little el dente, the way she likes it. The subtle vodka sauce added just the right amount of flavor to the chicken. My Chicken Francaise was one of the best meals I had ever eaten. The very thick chicken breast covered in a delicate, but very tasty white wine sauce could be cut with a fork. The accompanying potato was cut very thin with slightly tangy peppers on top. I should've started with the appetizers all of which were off the charts delicious. We had a large handmade ravioli with a mixture of delicate cheeses (superb). Then we tried Arancini rice/squash balls with a panko crust and light sauce (superb). The other two appetizers that we tried were brussels sprouts and the beets. We really lucked out getting off the highway for this restaurant. read more

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Cry Baby was a wonderful experience with amazing service and food. I arrived right on time for my reservation (made through Resy) and my friend was already seated. I want to thank the team that was on staff because they helped my friend in a wheelchair get into the restaurant (3 steps) and put at us at a great table to accessibility. Our waitress was very kind and explained the specials and answered my questions. We ordered drinks, I just had a beer. My friend got a cocktail that she liked. For an appetizer we ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella bruschetta. I will be thinking about this piece of toast for a while. Creamy cheese with sweet pears and fresh herbs, ugh to die for. It was so good. The order came with two pieces but you could probably cut them into four if you have a bigger group. For my main I had the mushroom green pasta (sorry can't remember the exact name). I am vegetarian and this pasta was perfect. I thought the portion size was large for a pasta place. This dish was pretty garlicy but I like that. The mushrooms were cooked well. Finally for dessert we got the butterscotch budino. OMG, the butterscotch was so dreamy and smooth. I really loved this dessert as a finisher. It was sweet but not too sweet. On the way out the staff helped my friend get out of the restaurant which really speaks to their star service. I can't wait to come back and will recommend this spot to everyone. read more

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One of my absolute favorite places to go for an early dinner, especially when it's nice out. They have a menu that changes, and i love the spirulina pasta they do and the creative dishes they make. On top of how cute it is there, the service is always friendly. read more

We came here pre concert for dinner . The vibe was busy and lively. Nice crowd in the restaurant. The menu is small with only a few options for entrees and pasta, some nice sides, shares and starters. The funny thing I learned the smaller the menu the harder time I have to choose an option. The service was on the slow side we sat for an awkward amount of time before we met the waiter. Once he finally arrived service was better. We started with 2 cocktails reminiscent of an old fashioned called L'adventtura tasted great boozy in small glass with large ice cube. We started with the Italian salad with delicious pepperoni, salami and sharp provolone. This salad had a delicious punchy vinegarette that was spicy. Good fresh start. We opted for the bruschetta with buffalo mozzarella and poached pears. This was underwhelming and desperately needed salt . The bread was on the wet side which was not optimal. We decided for pasta to try the cacio e Pepe and the rigatoni. The cacio was good with larger spaghetti peppered just right with creamy cheesy sauce. The rigatoni was good but not a crowd favorite. The dish was paired with smoked chicken and pancetta which added an unexpected twist. The smoke was definitely pronounced. Overall the pasta was good but the dish didn't have an Italian pasta vibe. It was very specific, probably would not get again. We rounded out the meal with the chocolate cake had fudge layer with chocolate mouse rich and chocolatey but underwhelming as far as dessert goes. All in all nice meal good food not great. Would definitely change up the order next visit. Bill total with gratuity 139.00 all in 2 drinks, 1 dessert and a sampling of the menu. read more

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This place is so rad. Love the vibe, welcoming staff, and fab food. Everything we ordered was tasty. ~ Italian salad comes with a tasty dressing and cold, crisp greens ~ Bruschetta w spicy artichoke was good, but I'd try the garlic butter or fig versions next time ~ Broccolini, perfectly cooked ~ Cacio e pepe pasta- omg, fantastic. Would order this again. And lots of other yummy-sounding pasta dishes that I want to try. ~ Eggplant parm is perhaps the best version I've ever had- creamy eggplant, light and crispy breading, really good red sauce, creamy dollops of cheese. Cocktail and mocktail menu looked really good, will have to check it out next time. Recommend! read more

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I've been to Cry Baby several times and decided to finally write a review. I've always enjoyed my meals there, and this one was no exception. We started with the Meatballs with smoked Ricotta; they were tender and flavorful! I asked for extra Pomodoro sauce, which is very good - I only wish they offered some bread to have with the dish. We had the Grilled Branzino for the main course with a side dish of Brussel Sprouts. The Branzino is served with caulini, which you might think is broccoli, but it's a colorful cauliflower. The fish was delicious, cooked perfectly with a romesco sauce. The brussel sprouts were tender on the inside with a crispy exterior and seasoned with a shiitake mushroom vinaigrette. read more

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This is my second time at Cry Baby Pasta!! The service there is on point like always. I loved everything we ordered especially the crispy potatoes! If you're coming with a group of friends then try to order to share~ What we ordered: Crispy Potatoes Fried Brussel Sprouts Fritto Misto Garlic Butter Bruschetta Creste di Gallo Tagliatelle Rigatoni Remember to make a reservation online! read more

Cry Baby Pasta - Fried Brussels Sprouts Garlic Butter Bruschetta Crispy Potatoes - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We were seated and told a waiter would be with us momentarily. 15 minutes later we were finally greeted. We placed our apps right away cause the service seemed spotty from the jump. Our apps came out before our first round of drinks which means it took about 30 minutes to get our FIRST cocktails. We had the garlic bruschetta, antipasto salad, cacao e Pepe, vodka rig and butterscotch budino. The bruschetta is delicious and they accommodated a different dressing for the salad which was good. The cacao e Pepe was overcooked and gummy, sticking together in clumps. I definitely wouldn't order this again. The vodka rig was different than we've experienced in the past and was larger in size, not portion. I could bet my right hand it wasn't homemade and came from a box of pasta which is really disappointing. The highlight was actually the butterscotch budino, the pudding was on point. Between the mediocre food and lackluster service this time around, it will be a while before I decide to visit again. read more

Really solid pasta, yummy appetizers and a good variety of cocktails. My only complaint is the cooling inside the restaurant is weak.... Makes it kind of tough on these hot summer days we are having. But good food, good service and tasty drinks definitely make up for it. Pro tip: The pasta portions are not your normal sizes. A little on the smaller side. So if you are hungry, you probably need to get some appetizers and stuff. read more

We decided to come here after our one Yelp event in the city. It was a little bit farther than I realized, but it was worth the walk. Our server was friendly and attentive. Cocktails were good. The pasta was fresh and homemade. I ordered the crab linguine and my husband ordered the creste de gallo with mushrooms, kale, and balsamic. Both entrees were delicious but I think I liked my husband's slightly better so I was eating some of his plate haha. We always split our entrees anyway. The crab pasta had a little spice to it but it wasn't too overwhelming which was good. We split an Easter special ricotta cheesecake dessert which was also very good. We would come back maybe if we're in the area again. I would like to see them add new and/or seasonal items to the menu. read more

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Great easy spot. Service was excellent and food is tasty. The meatballs were delicious and the eggplant was a fan favorite. read more

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I've been ordering take out from here for a while but a few weekends ago was my first actual time eating at the restaurant. My go to is the rigatoni and the chicken liver bruschetta and whatever seasonal dessert they have. The rabbit/polenta I believe was a special so I went with that and shared the crispy potatoes and the butterscotch budino. Service was great and the food was as always. I also ordered the virgin Paloma but had them add tequila, great cocktail. read more

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