The Resy Guide to the Best Outdoor Tables in Philadelphia

From Thursday to Saturday, grab a seat on North Hancock street, right outside chefs Sam Kincaid and Jon Nodler’s jewel of a BYOB. It’s nothing fancy — just four tables, a few heaters, and a string of lights — but it doesn’t have to be. You’re here for the four course, fixed-priced menu, which spotlights small regional producers, and shines wherever you happen to be eating it.

What to order: The menu changes often to highlight what’s in season, but if you spot Sam’s dumpling—pillowy gnocchi with harissa-spiced lamb ragu—order them. Also a pastry chef, Kincaid’s desserts are always equal parts inventive and delicious—like the citrus sorbet hibiscus shaved ice, dusted with crushed pistachios.

Amid historic, tourist-frequented spots like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, IBG has long been favored by locals for its 40 beers on tap (including from Victory, Yards, Evil Genius and other regional brewers) and 20,000 square feet of communal tables, lawn games, and general convivial vibe. In the seven years since it opened, though, this is the first time you can make a reservation. Book a private cabin with a fire pit, and sip a beer in (roughly) the same place American democracy was born.

What to order: Picnic and bar food get an upgrade here, with pulled pork mac and cheese, everything-spiced pretzel bites served with beer cheese, and cheese curds with spicy aioli.

The regional Italian restaurant has transformed a quiet stretch of Front Street with a sidewalk cafe reminiscent of something you’d see in Rome. Plates of handcrafted pasta, wood-fired oven roasted duck and branzino, rustic vegetable dishes, and a robust collection of amari, make it more like something you’d taste in Rome, too.

What to order: Every dessert on the menu, made by co-owner Justine MacNeil and sous chef Gina Nalbone — both national treasures that Philadelphia gets to claim.

Chef Bobby Saritsoglou’s South Philly BYOB may be best known for its wood-fired pizzas, but there’s so much more to the menu. At the tables under the enclosed streetery in front of his restaurant, sample Mediterranean-inspired dishes like borek— cheese-filled filo, drizzled with honey — and massive pide (Turkish flatbread) filled with a mix of braised swiss chard, feta and mozzarella, and egg, plus hummus and plenty of house-made, za’atar-dusted pita for dipping. As the weather warms up, look for planters full of flowers to replace the heaters.

Order: Don’t skip dessert. Saritsoglou puts his own spin on dense walnut baklava, with cardamom and orange, soaked in local honey from a Port Richmond farm.

Opened in 2019, Bloomsday is many things: wine shop, coffee shop, prime happy hour destination, all-day restaurant, and now, sidewalk cafe. Tables spill out of the beautifully-designed space onto historic Headhouse Square, where diners can order from the diverse drink menu, with cocktails, a well-curated wine list, draft beers from some of the city’s finest breweries (Human Robot, Tired Hands), and Ploughman cider, made with Pennsylvania apples.

What to order: For breakfast, pastries, expertly made by Paris-trained pastry chef Sofiane Bell. At dinner, try an “adult happy meal”, with a burger, patatas bravas, a glass of lambrusco (and a sticker!), or make a meal out of snacks like the array of Spanish tinned fish, all served with crostini and olives.

Long before the word COVID entered our collective vocabulary, Harper’s Garden was a delightful outdoor oasis tucked among the bustling streets of Center City. Now more than ever, though, the veranda, shaded by a canopy strung with twinkly lights, is a perfect place to take a break.

What to order: A cocktail — preferably one made with locally-distilled booze like Dad’s Hat Rye or Bluecoat gin — paired with a burger, or a Murray’s cheese board.

In a nod to the ever-changing menu, chef Randy Rucker’s intimate South Philly restaurant gets its name from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who said “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” The wooden streetery set up on East Passyunk Avenue makes a rustic, cozy backdrop for Rucker’s meticulously-crafted dishes, like Texas toast, topped with egg salad and a thick layer of kaluga caviar.

What to order: For $85 per person, the tasting menu is the best way to sample the breadth of Rucker’s culinary magic.

Take a break from shopping for produce, Parmesan, and freshly-made ravioli, and snag a table on the covered sidewalk in front of Blue Corn. Situated on 9th Street, in the heart of the Italian Market, the family-run taqueria specializes in tacos on housemade tortillas, huaraches piled with refried beans and grilled cactus, tortas stuffed with breaded chicken or sausage, and more flavorful Mexican fare. More info here.

What to order: The shrimp cocktail with homemade vinegar to start, and any one of the stellar margaritas, including the house special, with Sauza silver Tequila and blue curaçao.

Just steps from bustling Frankford Avenue, Suraya’s secluded backyard garden is one of the loveliest spots in the city. (Also the worst kept secret — it’s historically been first come, first served, and tables were pretty hard to come by.)

Now, though, you can book a table for dinner or a transportive weekend brunch; order a rosewater and lemon-infused spritz or apricot cardamom mimosas to complete the illusion that you’re on vacation somewhere far from Fishtown.

What to order: For a taste of classic Middle Eastern brunch, get ful mudammas. The stew of spiced fava beans comes with poached eggs and a sprinkle of cashew dukkah. And for the table, a basket full of treats from pastry chef James Matty, including a beautiful rose-scented cruller and a green-cardamom kouign amann.

Inspired by a shipudiya, or Israeli skewer house, nearly everything on the menu at Laser Wolf is made over the open-fire grill, from the ingredients in the salatim to the impossibly tender guava-marinated chicken shishlik. For now, the shipudiya has extended outside, to a welcoming covered and heated enclave on Howard Street.

What to order: The $39 per person fixed-price menu comes with salatim for the table — little silver bowls of salads that include cauliflower tabbouleh, kale babaganoush, and hummus — plus a choice of grilled skewers of sizzling meat or vegetables, including lamb merguez, eggplant, and trout. Dessert is a simple and perfect soft-serve.