I decided to support this restaurant after seeing its 4.5-star Google rating, but unfortunately, my overall experience was extremely disappointing. I do want to acknowledge that our server was very friendly, polite, and pleasant. We were greeted when we entered the dining area, and the experience started off on a positive note. My husband and I reviewed the menu and placed our beverage orders. I ordered water with ice and lemon, while my husband ordered water without ice or lemon. We both received waters with ice. We asked about the ingredients in the grits and were told they were prepared with cream and cheese. Because of a dietary restriction, we specifically requested that the cheese be omitted, and we were told that would not be a problem. My husband ordered fried whiting, lightly scrambled eggs, grits, and toast with grape jelly. When his meal arrived, the eggs had heavy melted cheese across the top despite our dietary request. The fish was fried extremely hard. It was not flaky at all, and some areas were so hard the fish was difficult to eat. The grits were tasty, and you could definitely taste the cream as expected. I ordered brioche French toast with cinnamon, no powdered sugar, and a side of turkey bacon. I received two slices of French toast cut into four sections and questioned whether the bread was actually brioche. The turkey bacon, however, was cooked perfectly. My husband's eggs were sent back because of the cheese. When they returned, the eggs were cooked hard rather than lightly scrambled. Once again, there was no silverware. I'm still sitting there with my French toast and bacon, unable to eat because we had no utensils. We had to remind the staff about the silverware, napkins, and the toast again. Eventually, everything except the napkins was brought out. At that point, I decided to locate the napkins myself. I want to emphasize that our server remained polite and pleasant. My disappointment was not with the server's attitude; it was with the execution of the meal, the preparation of the food, and the overall dining experience--especially the quality of the fish and the failure to follow a clearly communicated dietary request. We ate a small portion, paid for our meals, and left. Unfortunately, there was also a safety concern on our way out. A broom was stretched across the opening of the steps leading from the rear area of the restaurant, and we had to step over it to exit. I found that to be an extreme safety hazard. I genuinely wanted to support this business and was hoping for a great experience. Unfortunately, the food preparation, failure to follow a dietary request, delays in receiving basic dining necessities, quality of food - "fish "and the safety concern at the exit left me very disappointed. I gave it a try, but unfortunately, once was enough for me. read more

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Some of the best food I've ever had. I love the ambience. I was just there last week when I came back from my temple with the monks. They made me a fresh dish of barbecue ribs with fries and monk fish. Absolutely unbelievable definitely five stars. read more

Googled a nice soulful place to eat while out in Philly and me and my beau went here. Nice place to try but was a bit of a drive. Food : 3/5 The food was eatable and good. The grits would have been better if they had some more seasoning in them. Eggs were good. Fish was lightly seasoned was a bit bland. I will say I'm happy it was salty and overpowering because then it would have just been bad. I think they have the potential to get the seasoning proportion right other than that I enjoyed my meal fully. Service: 4/5 Waitress was very nice and welcoming. She gave suggestions on what to try being our first time there and was pleasant. Ambiance: 4/5 Loveeee the cleanliness, art work, music selection and how spacious and homey it felt inside. Insulated very well might I add. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Beautiful art on the wall. - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Today I was reminded - don't judge a "book" by its cover... I have walked by and driven by this restaurant multiple times. I have even heard live music when walking by (at least twice) but never decided to dine here until today and I'm so glad that I made the choice to do so. When we walked up to the restaurant, 2 men greeted us (after we were seated inside we saw that they were musicians); when we entered, I surveyed the restaurant slowly looking for signage or something to try and figure out if we should seat ourselves but as we made our way to the rear seating section, a waitress asked if we were dining in - we were so she advised us to seat ourselves. Once seated she came to our table with menus; it didn't take long for us to order. We both ordered Pomegranate lemonade to drink and for our main dishes my hubby ordered the fish and grits and I ordered a veggie omelette with cheese, which came with a side of home fries and I added a side of turkey bacon (requested to be cooked well) and my hubby also ordered a side of French toast. Everything was delicious - and yes, I sampled his food too (lol)! My favorite was the fish (he ordered Whiting; Swai was also an option). The texture and flavor of the fish was perfect; the grits were already seasoned (to our liking). The veggie omelette was good but I should've said light on the cheese because it was a tad too cheesy for me but it was still very good. The turkey bacon was also cooked per my request and the home fries were also a good texture and seasoned to my satisfaction. Almost forgot - the French toast, which was very flavorful. Last, shortly after we ordered the band began to play - I think they played a 30 - 45 minute set, which sounded great. Based on the service, the prices, the taste of the food and the entertainment, I WILL be back! read more

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The food here was mid. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I was very underwhelmed lol nothing was inedible or anything like that, it just wasn't amazing either. Plenty of better breakfast spots out there. The service was extremely slow, had to ask for our bill once we realized no one was going to check in on us. Then had to go hand then the bill after a good 10-15 minutes when we realized again that no one was going to check in on us lol. This is a great spot if you just want a place to pop by without the fuss of a reservation but otherwise I would go somewhere else. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Chicken & Waffles with Turkey bacon - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

street parking is available. old school bench seating. We ordered food and had a 35 minute wait until we got it. The fried fish(swai) was fried perfectly golden brown and juicy. The mac n cheese was more like buttered noodles, as there was no cheese on them at all. The sweet tatoes are sweet and they have too much ciinnamon(to me, not a big fan of a lot of cinnamon). The mango lemonade was good. read more

Amari's Restaurant owner. Sunday jazz brunch. Had a blast! Good food, fun and music. Amari's Restaurant 50th Baltimore ave. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Amari's Restaurant owner Dunday Jazz Brunch. Looking for good food and music? Visit Amari's on Baltimore ave; S W Philly. - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Go! Don't even think about not going! You want food? Good food? Good service? Then go! I stumbled upon Amari's (although I heard of it before) while I was actually planning to go Bookers. The way the parking was set up we ended up coming up on Amari's first and was like let's check it out. We were greeted upon entering, waved in, told to sit right down, was told who our server was and was given the spill about how they had the best shrimp and grits in the city (with social proof). The food was really good. I find some of these breakfast spots food starts to taste just like the grease and the grill so I wasn't sure what to expect. Everything was great. The toast, the eggs (I really hardly ever eat eggs at places because they never scramble them right) these were delish! They had BEEF BACON. No pork on my fork! A lot of these place do not carry beef bacon. It's always Turkey or chicken. The bacon was slamming! Ohhhh and the grits! Slamming! My husband didn't even put sugar in his (I know he should be doing that anyway). He did the steak and eggs and it was a skirt steak so we didn't have to wait all day for it to get done and it was pretty tasty. Our server was on point and we had a really good time. Def going back for the live jazz one day. Might go back TODAY! The only thing I would suggest is that Amari's comes up with their own mix of drinks. They only have bottled drinks (teas and juices and lemonade) and they just don't hit the same with the food like a homemade iced tea or handmade lemonade would! read more

Everything was delicious! I had the seafood omelette, pancakes and we shared the shrimp and grits. The grits were buttery and creamy. The pancakes were fluffy and flavorful. Our waiter Dominique was kind and patient. His service was incredible. The seafood omelette was filled with small shrimp and real crab meat! The manager Eric Coleman checked on us too! He is kind and polite. Great restaurant!!! read more

Horrible customer service slow never got food. Would never support a business that doesn't care about customers.

Walked in from the rain to enjoy brunch at a local owned restaurant. Waited at the front of the restaurant for a few minutes while the waitress took the order at a table of 12. I asked if we could set ourselves. Walked to the back of the restaurant and sat at a open table. Waitress came over and took our order. I Ordered the fish and grits and my date ordered the veggie omelet with cheese grits and a side of potatoes with green peppers and onions. I thought we it would take forever to get our food but it came our fast. The grits are very creamy. The Swai fish was 1 piece but it was good. The prices are in line with the portions. The waitress checked on us a few times and the food comes out quickly. They should have a sign to seat yourself. I will most definitely return for lunch or dinner when in my home town. I do enjoy patronizing locally owned businesses. They have jazz from 12-3 on Sunday but the jazz players never showed up while I was there from 12:30-2. read more

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REVISED!!!! 8/5/17 Went for breakfast while dining I got a refill of coffee. THE SERVER POURED SEVERAL ROACHES INTO MY CUP!!!! I still had to pay my check! NEVER EVER DINING HERE AGAIN!!!!!!!!! This little jewel on Baltimore Avenue is the place that everyone should visit. Amari's has prompt, friendly service and good food. The menu has enough of the classic food options; standard breakfast and lunch items such as fish, chicken and burgers. Now on the upside and much to my delight they serve crab Benedict! It was flavorful with a generous amount of crab meat. On the side I had a short stack that consisted of three beautiful large golden brown pancakes. Short by no means!I was served a piping hot cup of coffee that was strong but not overwhelming, the refills are free. The most important thing of all, they have the most reasonable prices. I commend them for keeping the prices low as they are considering and matching the economics of the neighborhood. Unlike other restaurants in the area who use the college and gentrified crowd to out price the neighborhood. Amari's also has a live jazz brunch from time to time, you have to check their website. Enjoy!! read more

We went to Amari's for jazz brunch -- it's great that they have live jazz on Sunday afternoons. The cheesy grits were THE BEST grits I've ever had. The rest of the food we tried was okay, nothing special. I'd want to come back for the cheesy grits. read more

Amari's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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My Sister treated me to Sunday Brunch here recently. The food was excellent and thank you to the chef for serving food whose temperature was "hot" not lukewarm. I hate being served lukewarm food. The Writing fish tasted as if it was fresh out the skillet! Yummy! I'm p!eased an bout the up tick of the small businesses in our area. Especially ones owned and/ or operated by African Americans. The manager was quite industrious with a keen sense of business knowledge. I do hope that the owner listens to and takes in consideration his managerial I sight and addresses a few of his recommendations.I might add that he was delightful to conversation with. Do I see a repeat visit?. Absolutely! And perhaps on that occasion we can have the live jazz experience. Sheila E Santana and Doreen Douglas read more

Was in Baltimore for a weekend getaway just wanted take out. Food was ok. No wow moment. Service was questionable I Waited at the bar way to long just for someone to ask if they could help me. read more

Delicious & affordable local black owned business!! Solid breakfast sandwiches & coffee when you're on the go.. love this spot read more

Amari's Restaurant - Turkey sausage egg n cheese on Rye - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I'm so upset. I expected more based on the reviews, but everything I got was lacking... The wings were watery and flavorless, the mac and cheese had no flavor and I've never had sweet potatoes so bad in my life. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Mac and cheese and sweet potatoes - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The owner Eric was such a sweetheart! He invited us in with welcome arms. The seafood omelet, homefries, and Mac and cheese were so flavorful. I love the creole cuisine! You should definitely walk into this quaint establishment. read more

Ordered delivery. Fish and grits -- Fish was pretty good, however the grits were both soupy and ice cold! Steak and eggs -- steak was tough but eggs were good. Girlfriend also ordered a turkey sausage and egg sandwich which was good. I would try this place again if in the area but wouldn't go out of my way to order. read more

This is worth $6.00? Two eggs with what looks like a scoop of potatoes. I've been here before, and they have an amazing Veggie Burger, and I'm all for supporting local businesses, but this restaurant has to do better with portions. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Two Eggs with Home Fries. - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I decided to try this new brunch and lunch spot since I enjoy trying new places especially in West Philly. It is sad to say I will not be returning here. The main reason: EXTREMELY SLOW SERVICE. It took over 80 minutes to get chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits. Horrible. What made matters worse the restaurant was not packed. We placed our order only for the waitress to return 30 minutes later to say--- "we are cooking your order now." What sense does that make? Then, 10 minutes later a cook returns to ask WHAT WE ORDERED. No one will wait close to an hour for breakfast. I do not know what the staff was doing, however, when we walked-in they were seated at a table talking... It was absolutely a bad first impression and I have no clue why the staff was running around like they were busy when there was absolutely nothing going on. In conclusion, they lost our order, they did not offer any compensation. Did not even apologize. Please avoid, there are other places in the area with better service. For example, I ordered a Carrot cake waffle and received a plain waffle. Oh and they completely forgot our order of Shrimp and Grits and only started cooking it when we complained. So I canceled that item. Sorry will NEVER recommend this place to anyone. FYI: The food is not worth it. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Fish and Grits - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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A great spot for home cooked food! I drive an hour just to eat there. My favorites include Belgian waffles, seafood omelette, French toast, house grits, and salmon and shrimp cheesesteak! The place is usually busy but they are quick to prepare your meal as ordered. I also like that they offer plenty of non-pork options. I like the atmosphere as they usually have music playing just loud enough for you to carry on a conversation. Great family owned spot with great customer service and great prices! read more

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I came to Amari's restaurant for Sunday brunch post Dragon Boat practice with two of my teammates. We were all super hungry, and really excited to try the special brunch menu that Amari's was running for the weekend! We ordered the cornbread French toast with blueberry compote, the chicken and carrot cake waffles, and the hennesy sriracha wings, and overall I was very happy with our order. The cornbread french toast was flaky and buttery and filling but not overpoweringly sweet, and the chicken with carrot cake waffles were really great as well. The chicken was lightly battered and fried and very moist, and the waffles had a hint of sweetness and paired very nicely with the chicken. I was a bit less impressed with the hennesy sriracha wings, which were very well cooked but a little bit too saucy. Service is good albeit a bit slow (that just means you get more time with whoever you're dining with!), and the jazz and the family feel of the restaurant are really great as well! read more

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I'm so glad I tried this place! Their food was delicious, plenty on the plate and the prices were decent. The atmosphere was lovely because the lights were dim and tget also advertise love Jazz on Sundays with brunch. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can order anything from their menu at anytime. I had the salmon, collard greens and cabbage and it was cooked perfect. Plenty of seasoning as well. My husband had the French toast, eggs and Turkey bacon. We left feeling stuffed and couldn't wait to go back! I would definitely recommend this place. It's so worth it! read more

Amari's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came in tonight and wasn't sure what to expect. The restaurant is in a Baltimore ave row so it's long and narrow. The setup is clever with a front seated section that's perfect for taking in the live jazz ($10 cover after 8pm on Friday and Saturday) and a rear section of stalls for grabbing some well-priced breakfast. We came in on a Friday night before jazz was scheduled to come on and with a growler on hand from Dock Street Brewery just up the street. The place is byo which is a huge selling point, especially with dinner entres all at $15. So yes, it's a bit pricey for the neighborhood, but the food was great and the owner and his daughter who was working as server made us feel right at home. All in all, I would strongly recommend checking out Amari's (named for the owner's grandson btw). read more

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The ambiance at Amari's is great! I had a really flavorful and well-cooked piece of salmon on salad with no onions. Wait staff was super friendly and kind. Hard to describe but i REALLY loved this restaurant. Very comfy and non pretentious amid the high priced brunch places on Baltimore. I will return for coffee and eggs and the AMAZING looking potatoes. read more

Amari's Restaurant - Salmon salad! - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wow, this place took me by surprise! When you enter, you're greeted by vibrant original paintings on the walls and a friendly staff. Then the food comes...... mmm mmm mmm! I ordered the fish and grits with a side of french toast. The grits are downright silky; the fish was so well seasoned and the french toast was sweet with a little bit of crunch. But then the bill comes and you realize that it's time to make Amari's a regular spot for brunching and lunching. #DivineDining read more

Amari's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I ordered the home fries turkey bacon and egg platter with a order of crab fries, the crab fries sauce was just to much it was like someone pour a whole bottle of that shit on the fries without enough crab meat I don't think it had any at all to be honest And who doesn't give bread with a egg and bacon platter. The food was boring and not worth the price very small portions and I think I'm pretty fair on my reviews and this was definitely a waste of money. read more

The best grits in Philadelphia, hands down. I felt as if I was being fed a meal by mother. It really is a place that gives you a home cooked brunch, no frills just good cooking and I loved it. I normally always leave a few bites on my plate, but I cleared my entire plate. The place is black owned and I've been searching for a neighborhood spot that makes me feel comfortable and this was definitely it. The artwork was made my local black artists which was affirming. The owner is a really nice guy with an inviting personality and a smile to match it. I would highly suggest this place if you long for a place to get good food in a city that is saturated with food spots that are money driven. The food was cooked with love and there's no better feeling knowing that. I will always give my money to a hard working small business owner. Much respect to the owner!! read more

Genuinely grateful for Amari's, and I think they legitimately make this neighborhood better with than without them. The ambiance is comfortable and casual but with real class. The staff seem invested in making your time and the business's time together a positive experience. I don't eat meat so I probably have a limited view of their menu, but with that I'll still say their food is an easy 4-5 star quality. Good breakfasts that aren't greasy spoon bathroom chasers nor hipster posh brunches; fresh ingredients, attentive prep. The salmon cheesesteak is a great filling lunch or dinner (usually lasts me at least 2 meals). And the Jazz brunch? FREE quality entertainment! read more

First time here and it was great! I can't believe I hadn't stopped in before, it's actually quite large on the inside. The waiter and whole staff are super nice and the food is awesome. I got a chicken cheese steak and ordered red bliss potatoes (OMG show stoppers), and my friend got chicken and waffles that I had to beg him to let me try- lol! Great time, can't wait to come back for the Jazz brunch, which is my favorite thing ever. read more

Actually 4.5 out of 5 stars!!!!! Delicious food! I had a veggie omelet with grits and turkey bacon. Very tasty and nice presentation. Wait staff friendly. Small restaurant, easy to overlook from the outside. Roomy interior. Live Jazz on Sundays 2-5. I came at a good time so no wait. I'm sure on Saturdays and Sundays, especially after church, Amari's is crowded. The food is great which brings crowds. This is A BLACK OWNED ESTABLISHMENT. I only did 4.5 out of 5 stars because it was my first visit. I look forward to my next visit. I am sure I will adjust the stars to 5 stars. I highly recommend Amari's. read more

I've seen this place a few times but on the outside it looks so small I've always just scanned over it. Yesterday a co-worker and I wanted to try something new for lunch so I saw reviews regarding this place on yelp. I still didn't make the connect that it was the place I've seen over and over again but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a full restaurant y'all and it is black owned . The server was very knowledgeable and sweet. The chef made an amazing recommendation (salmon cheesesteak w pepper jack cheese, onions, peppers and spinach) and a day later I'm still thinking bout it. They have jazz every other Sunday as well - and the prices are extremely reasonable. I can't wait to go back. Thank you read more

Yummy! This jewel is the real deal! Real southern cooking, art, music and love. Do it for the culture. #allblackeverythang read more

Amari's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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They got heart. Can't buy heart. Also, food was beautifully seasoned. Got the seafood omelette with grits.

ZERO STARS! my boyfriend and i arrived at Amari's at 2pm when we first walked in we stood at the front of the restaurant waiting to be seated i noticed two tables waiting to eat one with a group Of about 6 the other table was a group of 3 When the server saw us she waved her hand up in the air signaling us to come to the back that was odd to me We proceeded to walk to the back she look stressed as if they were busy busy but it wasnt alot of guests there... she then asked us where we wanted to sit we told her we didn't mind So she sat us back up front When we sat down she saw we had a bottle of wine because its a BYOB restaurant She told us she would be back with ice and cups for our wine We literally sat there 10 minutes and was greeted by another server She asked us were we being serviced we told her we were waiting for ice and cups so she went and grabbed ice and cups we legit had like 4 ice cubes in our cups and the cups were cloudy My boyfriend asked her can she get us more ice She said oh we have a limit on ice but i can get more She bought more over maybe with like 4 more cubes to the cup but whatever Then she took our order I ordered chicken wings and waffles my boyfriend ordered the seafood omelette and home fries All of that was at about 2:20pm At about 2:45 our server came back over informing me that my chicken wings would take 20 minutes because they needed to thaw the chicken out first And would i mind waiting? I told her yes i mind because at that time I would've expected to be receiving my meal So i asked her can she just switch my meal to shrimp and grits so she said ok Its now 3:00pm by this time my boyfriend and i finished our bottle and he told me by 3:15 we're leaving Our server walked over with our food at 3:10 She didn't realize she didn't bring us any silverware So after she sat the food down she asked us could she get us anything else i told her she didn't give us silverware so she rushed to the back We waited another 5 minutes i looked to the back she was preparing another table Im usually pretty patient but i walked to the back frustrated stood at the kitchen door and complained The other server rushed out while i walked back to my table another 60 seconds went by and we just walked out Do not go to this place hungry! This place lacks training It sucks because i wanted to support a black owned business but waiting for over an hour for breakfast was ridiculous ‼ read more

Stumbled across this place looking for breakfast while visiting Philly and I'm staying an extra day just to have it again. I'm with a party of 6 and not 1 complaint of the food. We had everything from the chicken and waffles to the shrimp and grits and these grits were LIFE!! The fish was fried to perfection and the cost was reasonable even in the middle of society's inflation surge. If you're in the Philly area make sure that you visit Amaris! read more

Love the shrimp and grits! The omelets are good. The chicken and waffles, a mistake made with frozen pre-made waffles and chicken fingers. The service is personable, attentive and inexperienced. The decor is non existent. The ambiance is jazzy and cozy. Give them a try, I'm sure they'll get better. read more

I am still making up my mind about Amari's. I have been there twice and have not yet had an outstanding meal, either good or bad, but I keep feeling that one must be coming. When it comes, I hope it will be outstandingly good. The first time through I got fish and grits, which I do not remember clearly, but they must not have been very unusual because I normally remember food. The second time I got a chicken cheese steak. This would have been excellent, except they put it on a spongy roll, not a chewy italian roll but more like a giant hot dog bun. I really regret that bun, because it would have been such a nice cheese steak otherwise. It's not hard to get a decent roll in this neighborhood so I don't know what went wrong. The service has been friendly and prompt and the prices are reasonable. I think I'm going to give Amari's one more chance and then see how I feel about it; it might end up anywhere between 2 and 4 stars. read more

The food is delicious the seafood omlete and waffle is to die for!! Yhe staff is friendly always give a great tip to KASEY AWESOME WAITRESS!! read more

Amari's Restaurant - Seafood omlete and waffle topped with blueberries - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania