Pennsylvania stretches from the Delaware River to the Ohio border, encompassing historic Philadelphia, dynamic Pittsburgh, the scenic Pocono Mountains, the rolling Amish farmlands of Lancaster County, and some of the most important Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields in the United States. It is one of the original 13 colonies, home to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Gettysburg National Military Park.
Pennsylvania's culinary identity is shaped by its immigrant histories. Philadelphia boasts one of the most acclaimed dining scenes on the East Coast, with James Beard Award winners (Zahav, Vetri Cucina), the legendary Philly cheesesteak, and the Reading Terminal Market as a food culture hub. Pittsburgh's food scene is defined by the Primanti Bros sandwich, robust pierogi traditions from Eastern European immigrants, and a growing farm-to-table movement. Lancaster County preserves Pennsylvania Dutch traditions — shoo-fly pie, scrapple, Lebanon bologna, and whoopie pies. The state is also home to Yuengling, America's oldest brewery, and over 100 craft breweries.
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Zahav
Michael Solomonov's modern Israeli restaurant in Society Hill helped define the modern wave of Israeli cooking in the US and won him a James Beard Award. The kitchen builds meals around live-fire cooking and mezze rather than a la carte mains, with a communal, family-style rhythm to the meal. The dining room is warm and low-lit, with an open kitchen visible from most seats.
Known for: Nationally acclaimed modern Israeli cuisine from Chef Michael Solomonov
237 St James Pl, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Butcher and the Rye
A downtown Pittsburgh restaurant and whiskey bar built around one of the largest whiskey and rye lists in the city, paired with a steak- and charcuterie-heavy American menu. The kitchen leans on dry-aging and open-fire cooking, and the space has a dark, industrial, saloon-like feel with exposed brick and a long bar.
Known for: Over 400 whiskeys; craft cocktails and artisan meats
212 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Amada
Jose Garces' flagship Spanish tapas restaurant in Old City, credited with popularizing small-plate Spanish dining in Philadelphia when it opened in the 2000s. The menu moves through cold and hot tapas before larger paella dishes, and the room has a warm, exposed-brick, wood-beamed feel typical of the neighborhood's converted commercial buildings.
Known for: Authentic Spanish tapas with an extensive Spanish wine list
217 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Philly Cheesesteak at Pat's King of Steaks
Pat's claims to have invented the Philadelphia cheesesteak in the 1930s, and it still operates as a walk-up window at the corner of 9th and Passyunk in South Philly, directly across from its rival Geno's. There's no table service or interior dining room in the usual sense; you order at the window, stand or sit at the outdoor counters, and eat while the sandwich is hot.
Known for: Philadelphia's original cheesesteak since 1930; order at the window
1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Geno's Steaks
Geno's opened in the 1960s directly across the intersection from Pat's, and the two have traded the 'best cheesesteak in Philly' argument ever since. It's another order-at-the-window operation, easy to spot at night from its wraparound neon signage, with outdoor seating shared with the general foot traffic of the corner.
Known for: Pat's rival since 1966; located directly across the street for easy comparison
1219 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Primanti Brothers
The original Primanti Brothers location sits in Pittsburgh's Strip District, where it started serving working-crowd sandwiches to market and mill workers. Its trademark move — stuffing french fries and coleslaw directly inside the sandwich — turned it into a defining piece of Pittsburgh food culture, served in a no-frills diner setting.
Known for: Pittsburgh's legendary sandwich — fries and slaw crammed inside the bun; feeding steelworkers since 1933
46 18th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Morimoto
Stephen Starr partnered with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto on this Japanese fusion restaurant near Independence Hall, known as much for its architecture as its food — a curving, illuminated interior designed by Karim Rashid with a color-shifting ceiling. The menu ranges from sushi to cooked dishes built on Morimoto's fusion signatures.
Known for: Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's flagship; innovative Japanese cuisine
723 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Shoo-Fly Diner
Popular Pennsylvania Dutch / American restaurant in Pennsylvania.
Known for: Authentic Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast and lunch
300 Hiesters Lane, Lancaster, PA 17601
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
American
Reading Terminal Market Food Stalls
A historic indoor market hall near the Pennsylvania Convention Center, packed with dozens of independent vendors under one roof rather than a single kitchen. The Pennsylvania Dutch stands sell scrapple and shoofly pie alongside Italian, Cajun, and Jewish delis, so the food reflects the region's mix of Amish farm country and immigrant city cooking. Expect long communal tables, shared seating, and a lot of standing and eating.
Known for: 150+ vendors under one historic Victorian roof; the best food market in Philadelphia
51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Pamela's Diner
A Pittsburgh breakfast institution with several locations around the city, built on a griddle-heavy menu rather than a full dinner service. The hotcakes are thin and crepe-like with lacy, crisped edges, a style distinct from the thick American pancake most diners serve. The rooms are classic diner setups - counter seating, booths, and a fast, no-frills pace.
Known for: Pittsburgh institution known for paper-thin griddle cakes and huge portions; a favorite of President Obama during Pittsburgh visits
5527 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Alma de Cuba
An upscale Cuban and Latin American restaurant on Walnut Street in Center City, set in a two-story space with dark wood and a lounge-like bar area. The menu builds on classic Cuban dishes with a refined, plated-restaurant treatment rather than a casual cafeteria-style presentation. It draws a dressier pre-theater and date-night crowd given its Rittenhouse-adjacent location.
Known for: Vibrant Cuban-inspired atmosphere with a cigar lounge and award-winning cocktails
1623 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Fork
A longtime Old City fine-dining restaurant on Market Street, known for a seasonal Modern American menu that changes with what's available rather than a fixed set of house dishes. The dining room is understated and adult, favored for business dinners and anniversaries in this part of Philadelphia. Portions and pacing are geared toward a multi-course evening rather than a quick meal.
Known for: Nationally recognized farm-to-table Modern American in Old City
306 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Terrain Café at Longwood
A garden-center café attached to a Terrain retail store on Baltimore Pike near Longwood Gardens, built around a greenhouse-style dining room with plants for sale around the tables. The kitchen sticks to lighter, vegetable-forward plates like grain bowls rather than heavy entrées, fitting the garden-shopping crowd it serves. It's a stop many pair with a visit to Longwood Gardens rather than a standalone dinner destination.
Known for: Greenhouse dining with locally sourced seasonal ingredients; charming garden setting
914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342
Khyber Pass Pub
Known for: Historic Old City bar with New Orleans-inspired menu and live music
56 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Terrain Café at Devon Yard
The café sits inside Terrain's garden store and greenhouse complex on Lancaster Avenue, so tables are surrounded by plant displays and skylit greenhouse structure rather than a conventional restaurant room. The menu leans toward lighter, produce-forward plates suited to a mid-shopping-trip lunch rather than a destination dinner.
Known for: Garden-center café setting; great for lunch after a Longwood day trip
138 W Lancaster Ave, Devon, PA 19333
Aldine Restaurant
Known for: Chef George Sabatino's elegant 10-course tasting menu; James Beard semifinalist
1901 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Yuengling Brewery Pub
Known for: America's oldest brewery (est. 1829) with guided tours and on-site tasting
420 Mahantongo St, Pottsville, PA 17901
French
Parc Restaurant
This is a Stephen Starr brasserie facing Rittenhouse Square, built to evoke a Parisian corner café with zinc-topped bar, rattan chairs, and awnings over sidewalk seating. The kitchen runs a classic French bistro menu rather than anything experimental, and the dining room stays loud and busy well into the evening.
Known for: Parisian brasserie on Rittenhouse Square with bustling sidewalk café
227 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Poulet Bleu
Known for: French country cuisine in historic Harrisburg, named Pennsylvania Restaurant of the Year 2023
301 2nd St, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Italian
Vetri Cucina
A small, formal Italian dining room in a converted Center City townhouse, built around a fixed tasting menu rather than an à la carte list. The cooking leans on hand-rolled pasta shapes and northern Italian technique, plated with restraint rather than heavy sauces. The space is intimate, with only a limited number of tables per seating.
Known for: Intimate 35-seat tasting-menu Italian restaurant; James Beard Award winner
1312 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Buca di Beppo
Known for: Casual Italian-American in Harrisburg's Market Street dining district
321 Market St, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Coffee
Elixr Coffee Roasters
A specialty coffee roaster in Philadelphia's Washington Square West neighborhood, run by people focused on sourcing and roasting rather than running a full-service café. The space is spare and functional, with counter seating meant for a quick stop rather than lingering all afternoon.
Known for: Philadelphia's premier specialty coffee roaster; carefully sourced single-origin beans
315 S 11th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Lancaster
Known for: Upscale steakhouse chain with highest quality dry-aged beef
1600 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601
Thai
Spice Thai Cuisine
Known for: Pittsburgh's most acclaimed Thai restaurant; consistently packed
1137 S Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Vietnamese
Duolingo's Noodle & Rice
Known for: Affordable, authentic Vietnamese in Philadelphia's Chinatown district
222 N 11th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Food tours & tastings in Pennsylvania
Eat your way through Pennsylvania with a guide.
Browse food experiences in PennsylvaniaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
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Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $5-15/meal | Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants. |
| Mid-range | $15-40/meal | Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus. |
| Upscale | $40+/meal | Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences. |