Roache & O'Brien opened in 1933, right at the tail end of Prohibition. For nearly a century, it has…read moreremained a no-frills sanctuary on Lancaster Avenue. While a change in ownership occurred recently, the new team has wisely kept the "time capsule" vibe intact--think dark wood, dim lighting, and a total lack of pretension. The kitchen doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and that's exactly why people love it. The Burgers: Often cited as some of the best in the area, these are classic, juicy bar burgers. They recently introduced a "smash burger" style that has been winning over even the most stubborn regulars. The Cheesesteaks: You won't find any touristy gimmicks here. These are authentic, local-style cheesesteaks--perfectly chopped meat, plenty of cheese, and served on a roll that actually holds up to the grease. This is a Philly sports bar to its core. The walls are adorned with years of sports memorabilia, and when the Eagles are playing, the atmosphere is electric. It's the neighborhood's unofficial living room for Sunday games. You'll find multi-generational fans shouting at the TVs, cold domestic drafts in hand, and a level of camaraderie that you only get in a place that's been around for 90+ years.

I rarely rate places that I eat at or frequent. I tend to only go to higher end venues and…read morerestaurants as I think I can make better food in my gourmet kitchen, outside grill, or bar area. I went to a business meeting in the back of this bar because I was looking for a non-descript area to hang out. I was blown away by the quality of the bartending and food service. I ordered a whiskey sour and it was made to specification, including whipped egg whites. The old-fashioned included crushed quality cherries with the classic, full single cube of ice. Gabby, the bartender, may be one of the main lines' most hidden secrets!

If you're walking/shopping around suburban square you have to stop by Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft…read morefor fun cocktails and great food! It's casual enough to walk in from being out in town, but the food and drinks are super elevated and amazing! My mediterranean salad was incredible. Who doesn't love a little girl dinner with fries?

Definitely the go to spot when hitting up Suburban Square…read more pappardelle pasta is to die for branzino and salmon were a hit too Excellent service. Didn't get the gentleman's name but receipt said Bar Down 1

After many months of intending to visit, we finally dropped in at Izzy's for an early dinner on a…read moreThursday night. This cocktail and handroll spot might be one you miss if you are just driving by and not in the local Ardmore scene, and that would be a catastrophe, as it is unique and delicious. This bar has impeccable Japanese ambience with high, light wood ceilings and a quiet atmosphere. It offers exclusively high-top table and bar seating, but still feels elevated. This is one of the best sake menus I have seen in the area, including domestic production, and also offers Japanese beers and a very delicious cocktail list featuring sake-forward offerings. Sake served generously with the cedar box tradition. Specials are available daily and warm food from the menu seems to be prepared next door at Ripplewood (same ownership). Handrolls were bright and fresh using clearly high quality, fresh ingredients. We also enjoyed a Branzino collar. We'll definitely be back, and will try to be early again to get good seating (spots fill fast, as you'd expect!)

An easy contender for the best bar & restaurant in Ardmore!…read more From the first moment that I stumbled upon it on the way to a dinner and just had to grab test cocktail, to the most recent time where I splurged on all the sushi and bao bun noms; Izzy's has been a place that never disappoints! It's called Izzy's because at its core it's a casual Izakaya where you can enjoy sushi, bao, drinks, and more without even needing a reservation (https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2025/05/28/izzys-cocktail-bar-izakaya-ardmore/) four nights a week. But its all a passion project from the Ripplewood team that does all that with a good fusion twist that yields very little confusion. Your old fashioned might come with an aged dark rum instead of a whiskey, your salmon hand roll might be the perfect lox bagel without the bagel, and your bao bun might come birria taco style, and all of the above are absolute serendipity! The menu does shift regularly enough to the point where you'll find at least one new favorite among old staple with each visit, and you also want to be prepared to find out about specials and get spot-on recommendations from the welcoming staff. For cocktails I've immensely enjoyed their versions of dark & stormy's, olde fashioned's, the Last Word (https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2025/06/19/izzys-ardmore-last-word/), and then some. But they also have a weel rounded selection of Japanese whiskeys, and you best believe that they have Hitachino Nest beer! For food I've enjoyed the following; Salmon Philly Handroll - The perfect lox bagel without the bagel comes with sushi grade salmon, creme fraiche, and everything bagel spice in a seaweed wrap. Hokkaido Scallop Handroll - the perfect buttery scallops with an umami bomb speak for themselves! Miso Soup - You haven't had miso soup until you had this freshmaker version that perfectly serves two. Hands down the best version I've ever had! Nigiri - All the nigiri, all of it is good! Spicy Cucumbers - the perfect chilled vegetable to share with the table with a bit of spice and flavor that rivals my belove Han Dynasty and Dan Dan versions! Birria Bao Buns - Somehow the best queso free birria I've had might not come with a taco?! My favorite seat is the window booth that overlooks all of downtown Ardmore. But my second favorite is standing so I can play a free game of pinball!

Yeah, there is a HATER named J. Gallagher who goes there. and he has a big mouth and no respect for…read moreothers..... He makes fun of Gay People all day! Right there out in the open.... I was a victim of his HATE!

Great place to see a game, have a craft beer and the food is fabulous. New kitchen with a great…read moreselection. Bartenders are great and friendly.

My bf and I came here before a movie because the only place showing it was the AMC nearby. The…read morebartenders were super friendly and likeable, and were nice and prompt knowing we had a movie to go to. We had pierogis, chicken fingers, and cheese steak rolls and they were all very tasty, but the pierogis were by far the best part. I'd definitely return for those pierogis. Overall it's a fun neighborhood spot.

We ate at Station Tap for lunch and enjoyed our meals. It's a welcoming friendly atmosphere. They…read morehave a nice selection of beers on tap and cocktail drinks. The service was fantastic as we received our food and drinks quickly. We enjoyed the cheesesteak egg rolls and loved the calamari. The wings were flavorful and juicy. The crab cake sliders were good.

Great little neighborhood pub that is probably overlooked by their flashier competitors up on…read moreLancaster Avenue. I've never been disappointed with my food here, and you like pub fare you're sure to find something on the menu that will hit the spot. The brisket grilled cheese was phenomenal (though more meat than cheese) and their roast pork rivals anything you'll find in the city. They have a wide variety of options on tap too. Worth checking out.

I've been to McCloskeys a few times recently, and while I've heard great things about them...I've…read moreyet to experience it. I ordered the roast beef sandwich with fries...my friend ordered muscles and the ham sandwich special. The muscles arrived cold. Not warm, not tepid...just cold. They were sent back for a trip in the microwave which is a place that shellfish should never journey too...if you want them to remain tender. When I ordered, I asked about a few items and was assured that "people love the roast beef". Now I've had "French Dip" style roast beef before at other restaurants, and when done right...it's a memorable experience. Crusty toasted torpedo style roll brimming with thinly sliced hot beef...provolone cheese melted over the top and down the sides...served with a side of au jus dipping sauce, that you would want to slurp down a soup bowl full. But this...was not that! The sandwich arrived on a hamburger style bun...the meat was piled "adequately" in the center but sloped off considerably as it headed for the edge of the bun. There was no need to worry about meat falling out as I took a bite...as none of it protruded past the buns edge. The cheese was there...a single uninspired round slice covered the cold and somewhat soggy bottom of the bun... and wasn't melted...at all! I suspect that the kitchen assumed that the meat would melt the cheese...but the meat would have to be hot for that to happen. In this sandwich...the closer you got to the middle of the "meat mound"...the colder it got. And little did I know when asked if I wanted provolone on the sandwich...that it would be an additional charge. Now for my fries. They weren't hot...they weren't even warm...they were "ice cold"! I sent them back light heartedly joking that there must be a door open in the kitchen (it was a cold evening) and the server returned shortly with hot fresh ones...minus the pickles that were on my plate. This goes to show that fries can reach the table...hot. The hot ham and cheese sandwich "special", served on a pretzel bun, wasn't hot...and wasn't special. I saw no melted cheese...only thin dry slices of ham, stiff as roofing shingles, protruded from the roll. There was no mustard...no sauce...no "something special" to make the "special", special... just stiff little sad ham planks...wondering where they went wrong On both recent visits...the service has been "spotty". (I know that cell service in the pub isn't spotty, because on my first visit...both servers had their heads buried in their phones). It doesn't seem like there's a real system in place for insuring that the customers receive "attentive" service. To their credit...they did remove the muscles from the check without us asking...but I never got a feeling that the next party to walk through the door...would have a better experience. When you find a good local pub with great food...it's like going to eat at grandmas house. You know that you'll always leave feeling warm, wanted, and fed really well. And you'll be excited by the thought of a return visit. I'm still looking.

Rudy's has now been renovated and also expanded! It is smoke free and the vibe is great! The…read morebartenders are courteous and always ask if you are ok. The djs are awesome and the food is good! Free parking and free pool on Wednesdays... what's not to like...

I love this place but the kitchen menu gets tired fast! I can't even convince my folks to come with…read moreme since I stated the kitchen still has Chinese food! I started to eat before I got there! Other than that the drinks are ok. It's something to do...i was shocked the place got done over and still had that food lmao!! Other than that i pop in time time wish I could do more but the menus is a big part of my outings

Not gonna lie this spot is a lil ratchet and could use a bit of remodeling but it's still a good…read moretime if you're grabbing a drink with friends or ordering takeout. I usually order on DoorDash but I stopped in to grab something to eat this time. Love their fried shrimp--I'm a big fan actually lol. Switched it up this time and ordered a fish hoagie which was so good the only thing I could've used was a bit more sauce because it was a little dry but definitely flavorful and the fish was fried perfectly. The cook forgot to put my crab fries in my bag but was nice about fixing the mistake and even met me outside to bring the food to me while I was waiting. Love good service and will always rave when I can.. Thanks Bala for hooking me up for my bday lunch :)

Bring some sunglasses because on the way out you're gonna need them my friend. Catching up with old…read morefriends and this was in walking distance. Let's just say, score. I love a good ole dive bar. This is cleaner than most and bumping some great Latin tunes of all things at 3pm. They serve food, have pool tables and let's not forget cheap beer.

I didn't even realize there was a PJ Whelihan's in Wynnewood until attending an 80th birthday party…read morehere today. The location is a bit awkward because there isn't convenient handicap parking directly in front of the entrance, which could make things a little challenging for some guests. I recommend dropping people off who have mobility issues first then park. Our party was held in the private area in the back, but it's not truly private since there isn't a door, it's more of an open corner section of the restaurant. Because of that, it was pretty loud with the jumbo TVs going and regular diners nearby. I've been to the PJ Whelihan's in Blue Bell, and their private room had doors and felt more separated from the rest of the restaurant, which helped with noise. That said, the Wynnewood location has a huge bar and tons of big-screen TVs, so it definitely has that fun sports bar vibe. The food for the party was good overall, although it wasn't served very hot. The buffet included Caesar salad, rolls, sweet potato fries, potatoes, broccoli, crab cakes, salmon, and chicken parmesan. The salmon was a bit overcooked and slightly dry, likely from sitting out for a while, but the rest of the items were ok. Soft drinks were included, while alcoholic beverages were purchased separately at the bar. I also want to give a shoutout to Lina Morgan and the manager Shannon, who were all very helpful and attentive to our group throughout the event. One thing to note if you're planning a party here: they don't allow take home containers for leftover buffet food due to food safety concerns since the food sits out and temperatures fluctuate. Overall, it's a lively spot and did I say with plenty of TVs lol and a good setup for group gatherings. If you're planning a party and don't mind some background noise, it's a solid option.

When looking for somewhere different to be able to eat, have plenty of tvs for him to watch games…read moreand have a comfortable enough environment for our little one, we decided to go to this PJ Whelihan's location. I didn't realize it was where Mad Mex used to be until we got there. It was definitely full in there, but luckily and surprisingly didn't seem overwhelming for our little one. The host was able to get us a booth on the other side of the restaurant that was in a good spot for us. The staff were all friendly and polite. Our waitress was really good - good banter, good recommendations and feedback on menu items we were deciding between and very attentive during our dining experience. Though it took us a while to decide what we wanted, we made sure to put in our little one's order since we knew she was pretty hungry - her standard and favorite (Chicken Tenders and fries). We ordered a couple of drinks: I got the Strawberry Mojito and he got an Old Fashioned. At first I thought my drink was completely off, but I just mixed it up and it wasn't too bad after that. My boyfriend said his was okay so ended up ordering a beer after finishing the drink and preferred the beer. For our meal, we were definitely eating with our eyes lol and had a good amount of leftovers to take with us. For apps, we went with the Loaded Nachos with the pulled chicken and Hot Honey wings. Both were actually pretty good. For our entrees he ordered a burger (cooked medium) with tots while I went with the chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. My boyfriend said his burger was cooked more in the well side which he felt didn't make it as juicy as he was looking for, but he could deal with it; my food was fine with no issues. We definitely see ourselves coming back sometime (parent-free ) to try happy hour and other menu items.

Not gonna hold you, the bartenders were rude but the drinks were good and strong so after a while…read moreit was ignorable. Vibes were lit, everyone had hookah and it looked like the food was good too. There was a birthday party happening so it was packed, so perhaps for events they should call in more staff to accommodate and not be overwhelmed. Overall it made for an eventful evening so I can't even really complain.

In town for Van Gogh the Immersive Experience Exhibition in Tower theater with friends. The…read moreexhibition was phenomenal. Brownies was the closest bar open. We regret stopping at this bar. It was an absolute nightmare. The bar tender was extremely rude and had zero customer service skills. Crowd kept me on my toes. This isn't a welcoming place. Doesn't have parking. Bathroom are extremely filthy. Bar tenders have a perception they are doing you a favor for serving you a drink. This place is absolutely disgusting.