Po Le Cucina

Excellent attentive service for our table of 6. Food was good for the most part. I enjoyed my…read morelentil soup and stuffed grape leaves. The Caesar salad was just okay. My husband's pasta dish could have used more marinara sauce. Everyone else at the table thoroughly enjoyed their food. The ambiance is lovely. The room has a few paintings that attracted my attention.

It's only recently that I've been introduced to Mediterranean cuisine, and Arpeggio is one of the…read morebest restaurants in the Philadelphia Metro area for excellent Mediterranean food. The atmosphere is charming, and in fact you might say upscale for the area. Relying on my friend Chris to make our selections, we started off with appetizers. The Creamy Crab Soup could actually have been a meal. It was served with a generous side of Focaccia Bread which was the perfect complement to the dish. We also ordered a plate of Falafel, the Mediterranean Combo Platter and finished with Kataifi Shrimp. But what really impressed me was the service. It was more than a few weeks since I had dined there the first time, and not only did Amanda welcome me back, but she remembered my drink preferences and was ready to make new recommendations. She is one of the most personable wait staff I've come across in many years. Arpeggio is truly a gem. This restaurant is in my personal top five favorites in the Philly Metro region.

Back Room

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Turkey N Blue Salad

Bocelli Restaurant

4.2(164 reviews)

1.7 mi

Not as good as it used to be. They make no accommodations for kids - no kids menu, etc. Sliced…read morechicken parm without the parm or sauce was the cloest they could come to chicken fingers - totally tasteless! Adults dishes were better but not much. Chicken piccata was good. Spaghetti carbonara used to be excellent but this had no taste. Seafood chowder was so-so. Lobster ravioli was average. The place is definitely sliding downhill.

This is an intimate, cozy dining experience unlike anywhere else we have been. Very small in a…read moretrain station with authentic Italian food so would definitely need a reservation with how small it is. We were greeted with bruschetta and then raviolis in a blush sauce (free is for me) and the BYOB aspect is always a bonus. Burrata special appetizer salad & the filet carpaccio were both very tasty, flavorful and exciting to taste. Spaghetti bolognese and Veal entrees were classic and very delicious and filling as well. I saw reviews that staff were unfriendly and I did not even experience a glimpse of that. Everyone was extremely professional, genuine and courteous but not overly involved and fake friendly.( I hate the disingenuous friendly) 2 apps, 2 mains, and dessert was about 115$ so extremely well priced Can't wait to go back and try more!

Pink vodka Lasagna alla Bolognese

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Pink vodka Lasagna alla Bolognese

Il Giardino

4.1(131 reviews)

0.2 mi

First of all the service was outstanding. I was back-and-forth between chicken Parm or the fried…read moregnocchi with Burrata. The waiter suggested I do the fried gnocchi with a chicken cutlet. It was outstanding homemade gnocchi fresh great Parmesan cheese, and the sauce was the closest to Tuscany I have had.

If i could give zero stars I would. Orders a large sausage pizza well done. Leve minutes away…read more Got home took a slice that was so undergone the cheese was sliding off. Call they say I could have a credit for the next time or they would make another. I had to each so I stress extra well done. Go pick it up. Get it open it because I could see the guy making laugh as he cut it. He cut the crust off one side and the pizza is so thin it is flopping worse than a english soccer player. Place is overpriced and terrible product.

Burrata Salad

Fettuccine with Burrata Penne sub

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Chicken Parmesan

TRESINI

4.0(82 reviews)

0.6 mi

Their bread with the spreadable hot salami is amazing! And best cacio e pepe I've ever had.read more

Service was very good. Those who had the pork chop or the shrimp really liked their dinners…read more I had the octopus which was delicious BUT the pasta and the sauce was so heavy, I left 3/4 of it. And the octopus portion was dismal compared to the shrimp and pork chop entrees. It had maybe six nickel size pieces of octopus for like $35. The other friend had the Caesar salad with shrimp. It was served with radishes and she did not like it at all. We may try it one more time in the future.

Easter special pork chop over polenta

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Misticanza

Nonna Giovanna's

4.4(79 reviews)

2.3 mi

Thank goodness for a nearby italian spot that hits even with take out. The italian staples are FIRE…read morehere! My husband and I especially love the vodka sauce. It's especially delicious paired with the chicken parm. My mom was not a fan of the cheese fries or naked wings....I mean- it's an italian restaurant.....I could have told you those items weren't going to blow you away LOL. We still have yet to try pizza, I think that'll be our goal the next time around.

I'm in the area traveling for business. Looked for an Italian place. Lucky for me this place popped…read moreup. My go to is chicken parm. I will be back here again. Great service and food. I will be back.

Chicken Parm

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Bruschetta

Sorrentino’s Pasta + Provisions

4.3(32 reviews)

1.7 mi

I happened to pass through Ambler and stopped into this trattoria. The menu is very limited--each…read moreweek they offer three pasta dishes, and that's your main selection. If none of those appeal to you, your only alternative is to choose a pasta with a standard sugo (tomato sauce). There are also a couple of sandwich options, but those are limited as well. There's little to no flexibility--if it's not on the menu, they're not likely to accommodate substitutions or custom requests. That said, the two young men I encountered were both professional and not snarky at all in relaying the limitations. It was what it was. I went with rigatoni in sugo, topped with grated Parmesan. The pasta was excellent--perfectly al dente, and the sauce had great flavor and consistency. Authentic and well-prepared. That said, the downsides are hard to ignore. The portion was relatively small, and with a bottle of Italian soda, the total came to $22.58--closer to $30 with tip. There's also no complimentary bread. Focaccia is available for $5, but it didn't look particularly appealing (a bit dark and overly crisp), though I didn't try it. Pros: * Delicious, authentic Italian pasta * Perfect texture and well-balanced sauce * Clean, attractive trattoria setting Cons: * Very limited menu (pasta and a few sandwiches) * No customization or flexibility * Price feels high for the portion size * No complimentary bread Overall, a tasty experience, but the limited menu and value may not work for everyone.

This is a little cute Italian restaurant. About 6 small tables inside and some seats outside. The…read moremenu is written on a chalk board once you enter the restaurant. The restaurant has a new menu daily. I met the owner, he is very friendly. He does meet each patron. The drinks they have are Italian based. I ordered the rigatoni alla Monzese and we also had garlic bread. We also ordered Italian ice tea. All the food was delicious. I would eat again at this restaurant. Highly recommend.

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Italian sodas

Angelo's Italian Kitchen

4.3(146 reviews)

3.2 mi

Celebrated Mother's Day at Angelo's and everyone loved their meal! Food is delicious and fresh, the…read moreservice was great and it's the perfect spot! Highly recommend!

Greeted at the door with a friendly smile hello is always a great way to start your experience!…read more Our server, Borici, was excellent. Gave us several great recommendations and while very busy, did a great job managing our table. As for our food... amazing! From the warm homemade bread, fantastic appetizers... to each one of our 6 meals and all 3 of our desserts! We all agreed this was our best meal out in years!! The only negative, and it's a nit, is the processing fee for using a credit card. So annoying to see this. Regardless, we had a wonderful experience and highly recommend Angelo's as the best Italian food in the area.

Seafood Pescatore. Delicious flavoring

Lasagna. Very well balanced. Perfect proportion of pasta, sauce, and Bolognese

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Cappuccino

Il Boscaiolo Italiano Ristorante

4.1(155 reviews)

5.1 mi

Every meal at Il Boscaiolo is generous and terrific. Husband and wife team have run the restaurant…read moreit's predecessor across the street for 2 decades now. He does all the cooking, she handles everything else (often by herself). She's all business but not unfriendly. The food is so good. My veal pizzaiola on my most recent visit was as good as ever and I am particular to the veal di martin on the house specialty section of the menu. The garlic, oil and tomato covered bread and salad with homemade dressing included with your meal are fresh and tasty. While everyone else needed take home containers for their dinner she was shocked I cleaned my plate! The food is the reason you're here and it's superb.

Made reservations for 6. Showed up at 5:30 and there were only two full tables. So we asked if we…read morecould be seated early. The hostess said no. I can't seat you until 6. So I'm sitting there for a few and I'm like maybe they misunderstood and they thought I made a res for 6 people not at 6. So I went to clarify with the hostess. She understood and repeated the same thing. So we sat and waited a few more minutes before she had a change of heart and came out to tell us we could be seated now. We didn't leave for probably 45 minutes and not one more person came in. As soon as we sat down the hostess who was also the waitress came over and asked for our order. We of course we weren't ready. We just sat! She seemed frustrated and I was thinking wow this isn't going to be relaxing. The first thing I see on the menu is the sharing up charge. I hate that type of thing. I always like to do family style and share stuff. I want to try every thing if it's a good place. So we got an appetizer which clearly we were going to share. Luckily we did not get the share charge. The bread you get before your meal is so good. Fresh cut garlic and oil drizzled on it. You also get a side salad that was delicious. When they brought the calamari I tried moving the bread closer to me so the waitress(same as the hostess) could put the plate down. She grabbed the bread bowl from me and moved it to the other end of the table. When our actual meals came she couldn't wait to get our plates off the table. We really felt like we were an inconvenience. I thought maybe it was just a cultural thing. Or maybe she's just overworked since she was the hostess and waiting on 3 tables. Brought us boxes before we were finished our food. So we were like ok fine. We will just pack up. We were going to get desert but we decided let's just blow this popsicle stand and get something somewhere else. The food here is excellent. I would get take out again but I probably wouldn't suggest a dine in experience. Which is a shame. I don't even really like writing this critical of a review because I don't know what was going on in her life so maybe it was just the day.

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Bacco Italian Restaurant

3.5(322 reviews)

3.0 mi

Tuesday evening dine-in experience…read more I usually enjoy this restaurant, but today the food was unfortunately below average. The pizza came out very oily, and the pasta--which was $35--was served cold, overly salty, and lacked flavor. The seafood quality and quantity were also disappointing. We ended up taking both dishes to go because we didn't want to waste the food, but we each only had one slice of the pizza. Another issue was the timing: there was about a 20-minute gap between when the pizza and pasta were served, which made the meal feel disjointed. On a positive note, the atmosphere and holiday decorations were beautiful, and our server was friendly and attentive. Overall, though, it was a disappointing experience this time.

We were there for lunch on the day before Mother's Day and there were several events happening, so…read morea few times we had to stop a staff member walking by when we needed something. I really enjoyed the bread they brought out before our meal, so didn't remember a picture until everybody had some. My daughter in law likes lemon in her water, and I really liked the way they served that, so I did remember a picture there. I had the Neapolitan pizza and would have preferred a little more cheese. My granddaughter had been talking about pasta Alfredo all week, and they were happy to put that sauce on her kids meal. My daughter in law had the Osso Buco and really enjoyed it, and appreciated that they could leave out the peas in the risotto. My son had the chicken parm and really enjoyed it. Their friend had some kind of sandwich, I didn't catch which, and he also enjoyed it. Somebody ordered the gnocchi for all to share and it was very good, with a creamy, cheesy sauce. An enjoyable meal!

Inside

Salmone Dolce

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Pasta options , chicken , wrapped eggplant

Ristorante Castello

3.6(256 reviews)

2.8 mi

First time back since the renovation / new spot…read more Decor is great. Huge vaulted ceilings. Nice large rounds for parties. Our server was great! Happy. Interested & really was happy to serve us and help! 4 stars instead of 5 stars bc it was very loud. We were yelling across the table, so that took away from things.

We came to celebrate Valentine's Day and had a wonderful evening! The ambiance made for a beautiful…read moredinner. We enjoyed the dim lighting mixed with the unique interior design. The wood elements are gorgeous! We opted not to get an appetizer, but thoroughly enjoyed the bread with pesto and oil. The pesto had amazing flavor- a pasta dish with their pesto would probably be amazing! We both enjoyed a cocktail (not pictured)- blood orange martini, and a paper plane. Both were delicious, but a bit more expensive than we expected ($16 each). Despite it being a rather busy Saturday evening, our food came out pretty quick! Both of our meals were delicious and left us wishing we had more to enjoy again! Definitely on the more expensive side for two but worth the price!

Inside view

Au Gratin potatoes

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Entrance

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

0

4

0

2 years ago

Dining at Po Le's Cucina is an amazing, love-filled experience. You not only get the best Italian food in the Philadelphia region, you get a warm inviting atmosphere and Po Le's Family: Lilly, Dee and Philip, taking care of you. You feel like you stopped by at Po Le's home for dinner. Philip saved the day the last time we were there!!! Po Le has incredible purveyors who bring in the highest quality food. I am a fish eater and he makes seafood like expertly. The Dover sole and branzino are to die for and in the summer I eat soft shell crabs and langostinos regularly, expertly prepared by Po Le. My husband and I have been dining at Po Le's since Day number 1. We knew Po Le from San Marco and followed him to his own place. And we dine there regularly. I have been sidetracked due to medical issues, but when I can return to a normal routine, the first restaurant I will visit is Po Le's. Carpe Diem!! Call and make a reservation today!!! read more

0

6

0

2 years ago

Dining at Po Le's Cucina is an amazing, love-filled experience. You not only get the best Italian food in the Philadelphia region, you get a warm inviting atmosphere and Po Le's Family: Lilly, Dee and Philip, taking care of you. You feel like you stopped by at Po Le's home for dinner. Philip saved the day the last time we were there!!! Po Le has incredible purveyors who bring in the highest quality food. I am a fish eater and he makes seafood like expertly. The Dover sole and branzino are to die for and in the summer I eat soft shell crabs and langostinos regularly, expertly prepared by Po Le. My husband and I have been dining at Po Le's since Day number 1. We knew Po Le from San Marco and followed him to his own place. And we dine there regularly. I have been sidetracked due to medical issues, but when I can return to a normal routine, the first restaurant I will visit is Po Le's. Carpe Diem!! Call and make a reservation today!!! read more

0

6

0

2 years ago

Dining at Po Le's Cucina is an amazing, love-filled experience. You not only get the best Italian food in the Philadelphia region, you get a warm inviting atmosphere and Po Le's Family: Lilly, Dee and Philip, taking care of you. You feel like you stopped by at Po Le's home for dinner. Philip saved the day the last time we were there!!! Po Le has incredible purveyors who bring in the highest quality food. I am a fish eater and he makes seafood like expertly. The Dover sole and branzino are to die for and in the summer I eat soft shell crabs and langostinos regularly, expertly prepared by Po Le. My husband and I have been dining at Po Le's since Day number 1. We knew Po Le from San Marco and followed him to his own place. And we dine there regularly. I have been sidetracked due to medical issues, but when I can return to a normal routine, the first restaurant I will visit is Po Le's. Carpe Diem!! Call and make a reservation today!!! read more

Things to do in Spring House

0

5

0

2 years ago

Dining at Po Le's Cucina is an amazing, love-filled experience. You not only get the best Italian food in the Philadelphia region, you get a warm inviting atmosphere and Po Le's Family: Lilly, Dee and Philip, taking care of you. You feel like you stopped by at Po Le's home for dinner. Philip saved the day the last time we were there!!! Po Le has incredible purveyors who bring in the highest quality food. I am a fish eater and he makes seafood like expertly. The Dover sole and branzino are to die for and in the summer I eat soft shell crabs and langostinos regularly, expertly prepared by Po Le. My husband and I have been dining at Po Le's since Day number 1. We knew Po Le from San Marco and followed him to his own place. And we dine there regularly. I have been sidetracked due to medical issues, but when I can return to a normal routine, the first restaurant I will visit is Po Le's. Carpe Diem!! Call and make a reservation today!!! read more

Jerry H.

0

2

0

10 years ago

We cannot stay away from Po Le Cucina. Lunch, dinner at least twice a month. The chef and his wife are the nicest people you will ever find and he sure can cook. He could start a wholesale dessert business selling to other restaurants but he doesn't have the time. I am reluctant to write a review that will bring in more crowds but Po Le deserves every success. When I red Craig Leban's reviews in the Inquirer I have no desire to go downtown. Between Po Le and Massa in Ambler I don't need to look any further for a great meal. read more

Daniel M.

0

5

0

2 years ago

I wasn't able to find any specific reviews for Po li cucina restaurant, but here are some possible reasons why you might want to try it: * The restaurant may offer authentic, traditional Italian cuisine that is difficult to find elsewhere. * The menu may include vegetarian or vegan options, which can be a great choice for those who follow a plant-based diet. * The restaurant has a cozy and inviting atmosphere, making it a great spot for a romantic dinner or a special occasion. read more

Tzipora J.

1

13

0

2 years ago

We visited this place for the first time and had an incredible experience. The service was outstanding, and every member of the staff made us feel truly special. The food was fantastic, with a wide variety of fish dishes to choose from. They even offer special arrangements if you'd like. Overall, it was such a memorable experience! read more

Dr Fred R.

0

1

0

10 years ago

A small 20 x 30" spot in a strip mall. exceptionally deceiving. This was the single best meal my wife and i have had in years. You'll need reservations if you want inside seating. After you've had the food you'l understand why. Drs Fred & Teri Rouse read more

Victor W.

116

1

0

9 years ago

Just stopped in for a quick to go order. During a friendly staff as soon as out of this world!!!

Keith S.

0

46

2

10 years ago

very good food. nice people. only wish they would make all of their pasta.

Ralph K.

62

5

0

7 years ago

Food is amazing and so is the service.

Po Le Cucina - italian - Updated July 2026

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Food is great, flavorful. Service is always good. Love that it's a BYOB. Make sure you have room…read morefor all courses.

We went back to Moma for New Year's Eve, and the food was every bit as good, if not better, than…read morethe last time we visited Moma. Ironically, we ordered the same dishes, except for the appetizer. The appetizer, crab cakes, were excellent! I lived in Maryland for 30 years....I know good crab cakes. While these were not the typical cakes with Old Bay Seasoning, the seasonings and sauce used were very unique and luscious!! I ordered the Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs, which were so tender they practically melted in my mouth. The gravy and couscous made it a decadently delicious dish. My partner ordered the Spaghetti with clams and swordfish. It also was so appetizing and the swordfish especially was heavenly. I've increased my rating from 4 to 5 stars as this gem of a restaurant may be the best in Glenside.

Mama Chang

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One of the few places in the burbs where you can get actual Chinese cuisine without driving down to…read moreChinatown. The food is always excellent, service is good, prices are good. I want this joint to stay in business, so I'm doing a long form review and trying to get the spelling right. If you're unsure what to get, just go out there and try some random dish. I've been doing that for a few months and everything's been surprisingly good. If you're terrified, the Wuxi sweet & sour chicken is closest to a General Tso, and the Kung Pao is what it says it is, but expect Sichuan peppercorns and good heat. I can recommend the guobao sweet and sour fish, the sauce is homemade and has a lovely marmalade taste. The duck hot and sour soup is nothing like Americanized Chinese food hot and sour. The dry fried eggplant is witchcraft in vegetable form. Cumin lamb is delightful and massive. Dry pot hand ripped cabbage is great. One understated option is the peking duck combos. The combo for 2 is really enough for 3, and the combo for 4 is easily a 6 way split. Oh yeah, be careful entering and exiting. 309 is unforgiving.

This restaurant is very nice and clean. We were seated immediately…read more We had everything rice- it was very good. Garlic eggplant was very good and tasty. Chicken with mint- the chicken bits were spicy. And the mint was not for me. I just brushed them off. Steamed burrata fish- the fish was very good, not dry. The only down side was, it was steamed with the fish scales on Salt and pepper shrimp- was good but the size of the shrimp was very disappointing Beef chow fun- was a bit dry, not much beef I highly recommend this restaurant. The food is good and tasty.

Paradiso Restaurant

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Made reservations for Christmas Eve. 3 people. Would have been 4 but the fourth recently passed…read moreaway. So we made the reservation for 3. They were concerned because they only wanted to book parties of 4 or more. Wanted 6:15p but they insisted we come in earlier. 5p. Received a call today. Can you come in at 4:30p instead? We want to make sure you have enough time to finish your meal before our other guests (the 4 or more parties) arrive. We decided to stick with 5p. Sounded like they'd rather have us for lunch. WTF?! They said are you sure that's enough time to eat? Never felt so unwelcomed by a restaurant in my life!! Called back 10 minutes later and cancelled. Told them as much! Will never set foot in the place again. BTW: Found another restaurant who was happy to have a 3 person group come in on Christmas Eve!! Looks like our new go to Italian place in the area.

Absolutely incredible food! We have ordered both via delivery and dined in - the food is…read moreoutstanding. Everything is fresh, homemade pasta and amazing sauce. Complimentary bread, olive oil and bruschetta to start. We had a reservation just in case due to the holiday weekend. Also BYOB! Does not look like much from the outside or location, but don't let it fool you!

Ristorante Toscano

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We had a great dinner at Ristorante Toscano last week. A group of six of us, all friends in a…read morelocal dine out group, enjoyed the food and the music. Sharon, our host, was very good at getting out the food quickly and making sure all our needs were taken care of. This is a really family owned restaurant and you can see that in the preparation of the food. It tasted fresh and was seasoned perfectly. Other times I have dined there with friends with specific food needs and they are ready to take care of their needs without question. The piano player normally does not come in on Thursday night but he did for us and the music was lovely but kept at at tone that we could still converse. We will be coming back again!

Sorry but this place is a bit sad. Worn out and worn down, the decor is lacking. The food is ok…read moreand service is quite good. Eggplant parm was good, chicken marsala watery with little flavor. Needs a serious refresh to bring some life back into this establishment. Hate to give negative reviews but sometimes it's necessary.

Arpeggio BYOB

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Excellent attentive service for our table of 6. Food was good for the most part. I enjoyed my…read morelentil soup and stuffed grape leaves. The Caesar salad was just okay. My husband's pasta dish could have used more marinara sauce. Everyone else at the table thoroughly enjoyed their food. The ambiance is lovely. The room has a few paintings that attracted my attention.

It's only recently that I've been introduced to Mediterranean cuisine, and Arpeggio is one of the…read morebest restaurants in the Philadelphia Metro area for excellent Mediterranean food. The atmosphere is charming, and in fact you might say upscale for the area. Relying on my friend Chris to make our selections, we started off with appetizers. The Creamy Crab Soup could actually have been a meal. It was served with a generous side of Focaccia Bread which was the perfect complement to the dish. We also ordered a plate of Falafel, the Mediterranean Combo Platter and finished with Kataifi Shrimp. But what really impressed me was the service. It was more than a few weeks since I had dined there the first time, and not only did Amanda welcome me back, but she remembered my drink preferences and was ready to make new recommendations. She is one of the most personable wait staff I've come across in many years. Arpeggio is truly a gem. This restaurant is in my personal top five favorites in the Philly Metro region.

Madang Ai Sushi

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The Metropolitan American Diner & Bar

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This review is long overdue! We absolutely love the Metropolitan Diner. We've been here for…read morebreakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour, and they've been consistently excellent every time. In my opinion, they have the best happy hour in the area. It's every day from 5-7 PM, which is a refreshing change from the typical Monday-Friday happy hours that end at 6. We usually sit at the bar, and the bartenders are always friendly, attentive, and make you feel welcome. The happy hour food and drink specials are a fantastic value. It's easy to enjoy a great evening out for under $50, which is becoming harder to find these days. The crowd is usually friendly too, making it a fun place to relax and socialize. As for the food, I honestly can't remember having a bad meal here. Everything we've ordered has been flavorful, satisfying, and generously portioned. Unlike many restaurants today, you don't leave feeling like you paid inflated prices for tiny portions. If you're looking for a place with great food, excellent service, an outstanding happy hour, and a welcoming atmosphere, the Metropolitan Diner is definitely worth a visit. It's become one of our favorite local spots, and we'll be back many more times.

What happened here, they used to be decent. I came in a few weeks ago with my six year old only to…read morebe told we "had to be done in 45 minutes because there's a large party coming in". We didn't stay, I felt that was rude and dismissive. My wife and I did come back today because they open at 10am on Sundays. The food was absolutely horrible. We ordered the eggroll sampler and fried pickles as an app. The eggrolls were tasteless, and the fried pickles were so greasy we couldn't eat them. Then on to the entrees, I ordered the brunch burger and my wife the French toast with bacon. French toast is what it is...not much you can do (and I still question my wife about ordering it). The burger, flavorless and overcooked. To make this experience better, the bacon for my wife's side and on my burger...completely raw. The food took a long time to come out, so no excuses. The service was good and I don't blame them for this. But far too many missteps. This is not just a mistake on one item...this is a restaurant that's lost its way.

Planchette

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I'm caught between a 3 and a 4 on this but will err on the side of generosity…read more done as a small cafe it has a nice if slightly cluttered feel. and while the house specialty is stuffed crepes, they do have other French dishes. we found the food was good and the service fairly quick. The BYOB is a bit of a bother but all too common in PA and at least you can bring something you know you'll like. what was less good for the evening was a) the environment. I don't know if the a/c was broken but it was somewhat stuffy in there. not bad most of the year but when it 88+ degrees outside this started to get a bit much. the other issue were two very loud women talking at levels to obliterate any other conversation in the place-lady if you're reading this, no one cares if you're 65. They paid their bill and we thought they'd move off but they stayed talking and drinking loudly for more than half an hour with no attempt made to move them on even though the staff knew they were causing problems for everyone else there. it was the inaction more than anything that bothered me. Overall a good time and we'd go back, but just in case we'll wait until it's a bit cooler.

The good: atmosphere, decor, and service. Food: pretty okay. Value: ok-ish. The bad: the tables…read morebeing so close together is cute (definitely helps the French bistro vibe) but means you're at the mercy of other diners' hygiene and conversation topics. Cute little bistro with warm atmosphere: loved the 19th c posters, and the brick interior wall made to look like the exterior of a French building with balconies. Small tables quite close together is a good way to maximize the tight space, makes the place lively, & helps sell the "French" experience, but also means that if a diner at the next table wears heavy perfume or (unfortunately in our case) has B.O., that will be part of your meal for as long as they are there. (And despite what people may say that was never an issue I had in France. Smoke yes, B.O. no.) The food was good but not exceptional, and the entrées feel a bit overpriced for the portions and quality. Surprisingly mediocre bread. The French classics are done better than you would get elsewhere (ie, French onion soup was very good--and actually a hefty size), but the more crossover dishes (steak & frites, salads) are better other places. To be fair though, I'm thinking of fine dining places (William Penn Inn, Bridget's) and they are even more expensive than Planchette. Also if you're going to a French bistro you should probably order uniquely French food. I bet the Coq Au Vin would have been great. I did not order that because I'm vegan, and the menu says they can accommodate vegan diners, which is why I chose this place for our anniversary. I was excited because French places are generally not at all vegan friendly. Unfortunately "accommodate" turned out to mean "we can give you a salad with quinoa and no cheese" and that's about it. I had that & a side of spinach, and also shared a side of haricot verts with my dining partner. I would not consider that an especially good meal. And the salad was just ok. The service, however, was very prompt & attentive, especially given how busy it was. Still, it's a place I'm glad we checked out (we live a few blocks away and I want to make sure we try all the local places) but not one I feel a need to return to.

Caruso's Ristorante Italiano

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