We went here last year on our anniversary....the 4th of July. I just realized that I never made a review! Better late than never???? They had custom menus for us that said "happy anniversary"....really nice touch. They also gifted us two glasses of prosecco. The food was absolutely outstanding. We split the grilled avocado and the crab toast. And both ordered the gnocchi. And split the basque cheesecake for dessert. I am still thinking about the meal......11 months later. It was THAT good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The wood burning fireplace/cook area. The wood waiting to go in to be burned. The open kitchen. Such a cool vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The cocktails were also sublime. We split charcoal old fashioned and a roasted strawberry Negroni. Then I had a pickled beet martini.....very delish and unique...but nothing my husband would try. On a scale of 1 to 10....this place was at least an 11. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]We came here for happy hour and were immediately impressed by how stunning the space is. The decor is beautiful, and it would make a great date-night spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service, food, and drinks were all good, but happy hour felt pricey for the portion sizes. We shared oysters, French fries, shrimp cocktail, and tuna crudo, along with a few glasses of wine. Everything was delicious, especially the tuna crudo. My photos may be a bit misleading--the oysters and shrimp were surprisingly small, and we actually left feeling hungry. Overall, a beautiful restaurant with great food, but not the best value for happy hour. read more

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solid dinner, happy to finally have the chance to check this place out! my friend and i had a reservation for 7p. [[HIGHLIGHT]]they offered to either sit us at a communal table on the first floor or by ourselves on the second floor -- kind of odd, but we opted for the second floor and had the entire dining room to ourselves.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] my friend and i shared everything -- we ordered the crab croquettes, the octopus, the steak, and fries. everything was delicious. we really enjoyed the crab croquettes, the sauce they came with was fantastic. the steak was a little anticlimactic and a little charred in the outside despite being the correct cook on the inside. everything we ate was solid, but nothing blew us away. it felt like not a lot of food for a rather hefty price point of over $200 considering we shared one main. overall, it was a good experience and the service was great! i'm not in a rush to come back though, i think there are many other similar spots in philly that are just as good. read more

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Loved this place. Waiter was helpful and knowledgeable - one of best mocktails I have had. You can tell they put a lot of effort into them. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a great place for a group and sharing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Worth the price. read more

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Came back here on a non holiday with access to the full menu and had a great time Food was all excellent and lived up to the price. The service was over the top great [[HIGHLIGHT]]Made for as good of a lunch spot as a dinner spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would happily come back for either The star of the show for us was the Cara Cara orange salad with smoked olives but the burger and oysters were also very good read more

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When a friend invited me for all-you-can-eat mussels, I knew I was in at Ember and Ash! The servers were beyond friendly and welcoming. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had ample space to sit and the sound was low enough to hear each other and catch up.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had the kale salad and cauliflower skewers which were both perfect veggie sides in preparation for our mussels. The mussels came in a coconut curry sauce that perfectly soaked up the sourdough bread they came with. The endless French fries were another added bonus. We left satisfied and I am going to be sure to pass on the knowledge of this find alongside the amazing area on East Passyunk. read more

Ember & Ash - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great drinks, great food and oysters and super laid back and attentive, fun staff. Will be back if I find myself in Philadelphia again.

Went for a quick drink and we were both pleasantly surprised! Had the Pickled beet martini and the Oaxacan smash: both were strong and delicious. read more

Ember & Ash - Oaxacan smash and Pickle Beet Martini - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Stopped in for a drink. There were two bartenders. The younger one with the curly hair was condescending, rude, and dismissive. Won't be back. read more

Came here for my birthday dinner and it was such a great meal!! Had the octopus, steak, crudo, and crab fritters! It was delicious! The standout for me was the crudo and octopus. Plus the cocktails were great!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service and ambiance was quite attentive!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Ember & Ash - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Vibes: casual, minimalistic; bring a friend or a few to sit at the bar or up on the second floor[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Tasting notes: - Cauliflower: excellent crispy exterior; cauliflower florets were al dente; shareable for two - Mushrooms: indulgent, slightly charred wild mushrooms with a generous topping of herbs; surprisingly spicy - Octopus: tempura battered; accompanying sauce was unique with balance of tang, creaminess, and sweetness - Smoked chicken: generous portion of juicy, tender meat; tangy sauce complemented the smokiness of the meat; salad was refreshing; loved the toasted cashews - Burger: very tall with good ratio of bun to meat; side aioli was addicting to dip the fries into - Queen's gambit: ginger forward, subtly sweet, easy to sip Other thoughts: - [[HIGHLIGHT]]Noticeably quieter on the second floor[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] - Above meal was very satisfying for two hungry adults - Appreciate our attentive and thoughtful waiter who also had the kitchen cut the burger in half for easy sharing - Plates and silverware were switched out between small plates and entrees Impression: great for a casual night out with a curated, choose-your-adventure type dining experience from grazing snacks to big plates! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute spot![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Friend and I went on Saturday night after dinner just to grab drinks. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There were plenty of bar seats.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There were a lot of drinks that sounded good - we both went for the spritz special which was a cucumber melon spritz. It was very refreshing! The bartender was great and it was a nice chill place to end our night. read more

Ember & Ash - Cucumber melon spritz - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fancier side of happy hour menu items. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have outdoor seating, bar seating, and some tables.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their cocktails were delicious! read more

Ember & Ash - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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First time at Ember & Ash last night. One of my good friend's wanted three of us to gather to be in solidarity with each other post-election-nightmare-news. It was a great decision (not the outcome of the election, I *mean* choosing Ember & Ash as a place to gather. ) I started things off with the beet martini. This drink composition is wonderful! Pickle Beet Martini- stateside vodka, house dill pickle brine, beet juice, caraway... Delicious! I wasn't put off by any of these ingredients but didn't know how great they would work together. We had a 3 cocktail dinner and I never strayed from my original order. Wasn't even tempted. (And the color! Gorgeous!) The local grain focaccia is a necessary order. So fresh and good with whipped butter. It is also a delight to have because you will want to dip this bread into all the delicious that comes with orders like the tuna tartar or the whipped burrata and beets. My entree order was the stuffed cannelloni. Chorizo, octopus ragu, smoked tomato, sherry cream and olive crumb. This dish was tasty but I thought my dining partners choice (both of them) of the smoked chicken was a much better decision. The chicken was so smoky and beautifully cooked. I definitely recommend. This place is cozy with the open kitchen in the rear of the restaurant with the wood fire visible that gives all of the food here such delicious flavor. I'm definitely going to return. And when I do, I will definitely order that pickle Beet Martini again. read more

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WOW! Was looking for a place to celebrate our 21st anniversary. Found this with a yelp search. Remembered reading some articles on it. Decided that the few negative comments were individuals' personal opinion. And booked a reservation. When we got there, at first it was empty and I thought....oh, I shouldn't have bothered with the reservation. But within 20 minutes it was packed. During the reservation process, they asked if we were celebrating anything special. I jotted down that it was our anniversary. Usually, most places they greet you with a "happy anniversary" and that's it. Nope! They had special menus printed out for us that said Happy Anniversary (the people seated right in front of us said Happy Birthday Lee). They also served us a glass of complementary champagne with our dinner. And both the server and the manager mentioned it. It was a truly sweet touch. They were exceedingly busy. But I watched as the two servers and the manager worked as a team....seamlessly handling everything. It was amazing. They did such a great job. Both the manager and the server kept stopping by our table...checking in....working together. Now the food.....OMG. The food was amazing. We ended up splitting everything we had. We went from offering each other a taste as we always do....to....omg that is good....to....here's half. It all worked out. After the meal, we were full....but decided that since everything else had been so good....we couldn't miss on dessert. Dessert menu was dropped...with a...."the cheesecake is really good"....normally my husband would skip it. But he was in. And the cheesecake didn't disappoint. It was just as amazing as every other thing we had eaten. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We loved everything about this place from the welcoming vibe, to the stateside vodka glasses, to the staff, to the cooking.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thanks for a great evening! read more

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The food was pretty solid but the overall experience and the price brings it down a bit. The issue here is that this is strictly a small plates place. But the costs is that of standard plates. So 4 plates with 1 beer and 1 wine is going to run you about $130-140 before tip. And truthfully you kinda need 2.5-3 plates per per person or you'll be hungry. Center city prices but not south Philly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Probably why it was half empty on a Saturday.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Downstairs is the action and upstairs is hidden away.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was fairly on point though, octopus though was on point. Anyway, nyc prices in south Philly is rough read more

We attended a lovely kid-friendly happy hour event with some friends! They dedicated the upstairs to pumpkin painting, which our kids LOVED and I enjoyed a nice glass of wine while the kids went to town. I wouldn't say the menu is kid-friendly, but my kids surprisingly explored a bit more than usual, and really enjoyed the crispy potatoes (as did my husband and I!). The sliders were also excellent, according to my 2 year old and husband. Meanwhile the wine list was excellent, service was fast even with the number of families with small children upstairs, and they had the Phillies on the bar TVs and radio upstairs. Afterwards it was a short walk to get the kids ice cream as an after dinner treat. read more

Ember & Ash - Super cute pumpkin painting happy hour (for kiddos!) - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Had the most wonderful time at Ember & Ash. The food was incredible. The manager and staff were warm and welcoming. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The service and the atmosphere were great![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Now onto the food: Perfectly crispy cauliflower, with the most delectable sauce, beautiful crusty sourdough with grilled avocado, a melt in your mouth, vibrant, spring-time gnocchi, and a flavorful strawberry tart were among the highlights of the meal. 10/10 Excited to return soon! read more

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This was my first stop for dinner in Philly and everything was delicious! It was a short walk away from our AirBNB, so I got to see a bit of the neighborhood as well. The restaurant is small, but very sleek and welcoming. I liked the big windows letting in sunlight. I was so busy catching up with friends that I can't remember the name of everything, but the cucumber dish was easily my fav. It was so pretty and the flavors were poppin. I tried a cocktail and a wine, both hit the spot. The only thing we didn't try was dessert since we were so full. Our waitress was on it all evening and gave great suggestions. There were people filtering in and out throughout our meal and the bar got more packed over time. Seemed like a great spot to get an evening cocktail or have a date night. read more

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This restaurant is amazing. I ventured here with friends while visiting town for the weekend. It's such a fun neighborhood spot located in South Philly. The space is surprisingly large with an upstairs that can seat larger groups. We had a reservation, so I would recommend making one for bigger parties. All of the food we had was incredible. They do mention each person should have 2-3 small plates. Our group felt the estimate was a little high and you could get away with ordering less. We felt 1-2 per person and were perfect, with most of us ordering pasta dishes as our main for the meal. The cocktails were unique, but they also have a full bar if you want something classic. I definitely suggest trying this out if you're looking for a great dining experience. Cheers! read more

Ember & Ash - Radiatori - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This was our third time here. Came for dinner about 5+ years ago, which was excellent, and then for drinks and apps a couple years ago. Was looking forward to coming back but unfortunately the third time missed the mark. Drinks were great, service was great, bread and butter and lamb ribs hit the spot. The tuna crudo was almost fully cooked through and dry - it was not too enjoyable. The steak and frites also missed the mark. The steak was undercooked, chewy, and flavorless. We'll most likely be back if we're in the area but will not go out of our way to be back. read more

Came to Ember & Ash for a cute girls night catch up date. The interior of the restaurant is cozy and clean. Love the wood accents and dark colors against the light furniture. We got a few dishes to share and it was great for our evening. The roasted half a chicken was really well cooked and the flavoring sauce was excellent. The pasta dish was delicious, really well balanced and savory. The bread, well who doesn't love bread. Light airy and wonderful in the oil. Our service was great, attentive but not intrusive since it was a week night and somewhat slow. Overall the menu is compact but very well done and is right on Passyunk Ave so easy to either get a night cap or cup of ice cream and stroll along to end your day. read more

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Conchiglia is only amazing dish 5/5 Crispy potatos 4/5, Ribeye 4/5, Chicken 3/5 midsummer fizz 0/5 taste like carbonated water, would advise against Simple to get a seat and good ambiance and staff. Overall things tasted great but adjusted for price/money it's a 3/5 place - but food wise I'll give it 4/5. read more

I was bringing a friend home from a physical rehab center where she was recovering from surgery. We stopped at a nearby CVS and found out we had to wait an hour for a prescription. My friend was dying to get out after being cooped up for about a month, so we walked down the street and found Ember and Ash. It was a busy Saturday evening and we didn't have a reservation. The hostess, Lulu, was so helpful. She made sure we had a table where my friend was comfortable. I was trying to order and get out in a hurry because they had reservations but Lulu came over to tell us we had about 1 1/2 hours before the table was reserved. We were two seniors in what seems a trendy spot and Lulu went out of her way to make us feel at home. [[HIGHLIGHT]]After a very difficult day, Ember and Ash was exactly what we needed to wind down.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Did I forget to mention the food? We were too tired to think so we both ordered burgers. They come with gruyere and caremelized onions. The onions were carmelized to a perfect sweetness to pair with the salty sharpness of the cheese. The patty was delicious and perfectly cooked. It was a nice change to be able to order the doneness we each prefer rather than the ubiquitous overdone smashburger that so many restaurants have started serving, probably to save on the cost of meat since they're thin. The fries were outstanding! The menu has so many interesting choices. My friend and I both plan to go back to sample some of their more intersting dishes! read more

Really great place in south Philly. Loved the patè and Swordfish crudo (highlights). The octopus was just meh unfortunately. We loved our drinks (old fashion and the special martini) but the drinks did take forever to get to us - I'm sure the bar was backed up on a weekend night but def lowered our experience having to wait so long. read more

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Food and service were great. All the dishes we had were very creative. Sauces and toppings were so delicious.

I've been wanting to come Ember&Ash for a while and finally made it for their Valentine's Day prefix menu. I can see there's so much potential with the menu but it turned out to be an unfortunate disappointment. Appetizers were delicious 5/5 Squid ink pasta 3/5: had great flavors but it had been sitting too long before serving and the noodles were all stuck on the bottom of the plate Rigatoni 2/5: again, pretty good flavors but pasta was wayyyyy overcooked that I didn't need my teeth eating this Grilled monkfish 1/5: my piece of fish came with a HUGE bone...couldn't eat it Dessert 0/5: the basque cheesecake served to me was like a piece of cake crumble. It looked like a poor piece of cake that was dropped to the ground and then scooped back up to be plated Overall, it's such a shame because part of this was probably due to their busyness on a holiday evening, which could also explain why the quality was more like a wedding catering. But then again for a $250+ meal this reminds me the ick of my ex-boyfriends read more

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Love the woodfired grill barbeque! Hamburger and chicken were great! Also, liked the cheesecake. read more

Great service great food and was in great taste. Not ideal for large groups but we managed to get Reservations for a party of 8 and was seated in the back near the kitchen. They had fantastic craft drinks, delish foods to share like family style and great ambience! Located in a cute neighborhood although it was a little scary to drive to in very narrow streets that are one way, so glad we Uber-ed there since the street parking was a bit cramped as well. Highly recommend! read more

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Loved our experience at Ember and Ash! We ordered oysters, octopus and the zucchette pasta. All our food was really delicious & well prepared. The red wine (special that night) was so smooth! 10/10 Definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

Ember & Ash - Octopus - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Oysters are my kryptonite...and Ember & Ash is my Krypton. Warning...this place is dangerous! You're going to want to be here every night. I stumbled upon E & A while searching for "oysters" in the local Yelpdom. I split time between D.C. and Philadelphia. It's easy to find oysters the Capital, perhaps less so in its northern counterpart. I did, however, discover a happy hour oyster special right in the neighborhood, so obviously I was anxious to try. I'm so glad I did! A half dozen coveted mollusks in a refreshingly tart mignonette, and my palate was awaked. Another dish was in order, and the octopus (picture below) was recommended to me by my lovely bartender. As I was waiting for the second course to arrive, one of mi amicos who shares my affinity for all things Italian happened to wander in. He was kind enough to recommend the wonders of the Lambrusco wine...which happens to be on tap at E & A. One glass of the slightly chilled, barely effervescent, light-bodied red, and I was hooked. We enjoyed that, as we flipped through pictures of Bologna, and I didn't hesitate for a moment to order another glass to accompany the pulpo (sorry to mix languages). A truly magical pairing; get it. I look forward to exploring the rest of the (seasonal) menu during my next stint in Philadelphia. Check it out ASAP, Yelp fam, and thanks for being awesome Ember & Ash. read more

Ember & Ash - Grilled octopus and potato. - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I truly wanted to give this place at least 4 stars, but my experience last night wouldn't let me. My friends and I have been eyeing E&A for a while and once we had a chance to get together I suggested we go to this place once and for all. The place is nice and cozy; a quaint place to go for 1st date or just hanging out with friends. We got there and was welcomed by 2 kind hostesses. But, thats about it thats pleasant. I'll start my review. Food: i read some of the reviews and saw "hit or miss" so I guess last night was a miss for us. -cocktail: watered down -bbq dry rub wings: taste not so bad, but nothing you'd be dreaming about. You can go to your local dive bar for those. -mussels: this is the first resto ive been to that they did not provide lemons/any type of sauce to go along with it. Unless your mussels are A1, which they were not, then I suggest start including them. -Octopus: salty af - the best thing on that plate probably was the potatoes -Ribeye: salty af and we asked for medium but it came out more on the medium-well. -Gemelli - indifferent about this -BEEF SHANK - this is the main dish that we were ohsolookingforward to but was hit with a major disappointment. -another salty af taste and a bit on the dry side. Us three people couldnt even finish 1/2 of the portion. Service: i won't blame her, but maybe they need more servers? Asked for water and never got it until I had to ask again towards the end. Sorry, your food is salty af - i had to wash it down with plenty of H2O. Price: i absolutely will not pay for that $90 sodium overload beef shank. Location: absolutely love East Passyunk - go to the POPE for awesome wings! Anywho, please still go to this place and try it yourself. Who knows maybe it'll be a hit for you. I know I wont. read more

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Get the beers martini!! It was SO good, it's not sweet (which I love), maybe slight natural beets sweetness, so don't let the color fool you. We got few dishes and they were all amazing, octopus, gnocchi, charcoal chicken, and something else that I can't remember. But I do remember that even the garnishes were tasty! I would absolutely go back! Oh and service was excellent! read more

Recommendation: Pan fried the leftover shin and made tacos. Softened up w crispy edges. Like a whole new meal. read more

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Wow! This place was amazing! From our happy hour drinks at the bar with Leslie and Julian, to our entree meal that included beef shin (delicious tender beef with cringe name), pasta and octopus, to our dessert of pudding and sorbet, one of our best meals in the city. Brenna was our great server who helped make decisions on food for our group of 6. Everything came out hot and delicious. Served family style in our case. The beef shin was the star of the show. Served with lettuce cups and rice noodles and mint and a couple other things I can't recall at the moment. Absolutely delicious. Insider tip - order the focaccia to soak up the juice from the dish. Highly recommend! read more

Went here for dinner to celebrate my birthday and go see the lights on South 13th. The food and service were great. We ordered the wings, pull apart rolls, burrata to start and the grilled ribeye and whole fish. The wings were the favorite (even my picky toddler kept asking for more) but we enjoyed everything so much that we forgot to take pics. After dinner I was too stuffed to even look at a dessert menu. Knowing it was my birthday they packed a dessert to go which was very kind of them. read more

Ember & Ash - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We really enjoyed our dinner at Ember & Ash! We were seated upstairs, which had a cozy feel to it...dark toned paint complimenting the dark wood floors. It is simple, but one of those places you feel like you could go as a group (we were a party of 6) or just be on a date, and you don't feel overwhelmed by the space or other patrons...it is spaced out rather nicely. They have music playing on both floors, and I am sure this is just an oddity of the night we went, but it felt kind of "dead" upstairs. Only a few other tables were seated the entire evening (and in some instances, that could very well be appreciated) but I left wishing the same energy I saw walking out of the restaurant on the first floor, was matched upstairs. Downstairs was certainly more full and had a fun crowd at the bar (could be a good sign of somewhere to just pop in and get a drink/apps.) Our service was good overall - she provided some nice direction on the menu and drinks. She was a bit assertive in her recommendations, not totally consultative with what our interests/preferences were, but none the loss, can appreciate the conviction (and she wasn't steering us to the most expensive options either). We had mentioned in our reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, and they had some nice touches there (menus printed with "happy birthday" on it, and they even wrote the date & restaurant name on our wine cork and gave that to us as a little momento. The food was solid...menu definitely accommodating for vegetarians and carnivores alike. Fresh & summer-forward ingredients. It feels built out to where you should get 2-4 small plates to share with the table (again reference to a part of 6), and an entree per person. They obviously have a focus on their wood-fired stove, and what I thought was cool is that you see this executed in a variety of ways. From their cocktails, to their bread, to their main dishes. Their toasted bread is a must-get for the table, perfect for dipping in pasta dishes, or just eating stand alone (they had a spicy strawberry butter). Their pasta dishes were killer - I had the gemelli (oxtail ragu)...this stole the show I think. One dish, that I personally thought was a letdown, was the Lancaster chicken. It was served as a couple of pieces on the bone, and buttered beans/salsa verde just felt kind of bland for the amount of chicken that came with the dish. Our octopus and burrata app's were also memorable! We got a kick out of their desserts. Waitress sold us on the cheesecake, and that did not disappoint - this was a unique dish since it was a basque-style cheesecake. You don't often see that, but it must just be cooked in a different way - definitely lighter and more custard like texture (less dense), but coupled with the caramel sauce...mmm, mmm, mmm! We couldn't pass up on their funnel cake - very nostalgic, but the strawberry rhubarb vanilla ice cream also gave it an elevated finish. Would we go back? Absolutely! Will we go back before trying more places in the city...probably not, but all in all, it was really nice experience. read more

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2 weeks ago we had special dinner here that collaborated with Georgian chef and came back again for our anniversary. The portion of some Appetizers is a bit too small even for fine dining but they are amazing. The chicken liver mousse might be the most interesting and one of best ones we've ever have. The large plate beef shin is very creative and wonderful too. This will be one of our go to places for special occasion. read more

Wonderful evening celebrating my birthday this past Saturday (thanks for the personalized menu greeting). Service was great, wine recs spot on, and everything was delicious. The lamb and chorizo ragu over pasta is unforgettable. So much so I am attempting (without success) to recreate it at home today. I was only in Philadelphia for the weekend so can't return soon but if I could, I would be a regular! read more

I am giving Ember and Ash 4 stars for their appetizers. The octopus was perfectly grilled and had a great charred flavor. The pork mousse went great with the brioche toast. It had a very rich organ flavor. When the mousse was eaten alone, it was not as enjoyable. Tasty when paired with the bread and mustard. The beef shin was average. We thought it would be the star of the show, but it was a bit dry in some areas. The bone slid right off. There was not enough curry sauce at the bottom of the pot for dipping the beef. While we were eating it with the lettuce, we thought it would be better paired with some type of carb such as rice or naan. read more

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