— Visit Philly · Philadelphia Top 10 Guide · created over 2 years ago
Make no bones about it: Philadelphia has the sauciest, smokiest ribs and the crispiest, juiciest wings around. Whether it’s a box of baby backs from a takeout spot, an authentic Texas-style brisket on a picnic table, traditional Buffalo wings or a high-end restaurant’s take on Korean fried chicken, these down-home eats are sure to appease any and all comfort-food cravings.
Read more...
Follow this guide to find these dishes wherever you go. Upload your own photos to show off the things you've tried.
Spot 3 items to earn this badge.
Whole. Wings. That’s right, the wings at Moriarty’s have long been considered some of the best wings in Philadelphia and we’re not going to argue.
The one-pound orders of chicken wings at this hip diner, restaurant, bar and beer garden come in two varieties: spicy Buffalo and Thai-chili glazed. Both are highly recommended.
Grab the Beer Bible. You’re definitely going to need something to extinguish the fiery Hell in your mouth after gnawing on these Spanish Flies Wings. Enjoy in moderation.
Fried chicken and donuts. An uncommon but undeniably delicious combination. Federal has introduced whole chickens into their offerings on the weekends. Available in the two glazed flavors: chile-garlic and honey-ginger; as well as the two crispy varieties: Harissa and Za’atar.
A Port Richmond favorite, Byrne’s Tavern serves up tender, fall-off-the-bone wings that have kept the crowds coming for nearly 35 years. Available for eat-in or take-out, the wings come in servings of 12 to 100 and are best accompanied by an order of the Irish bar’s popular potato logs.
The sign outside reads “World’s Best Wings” and the regulars inside agree. Bring your appetite because with sauces ranging from traditional “Hot” to “Raspberry Jalapeño,” you’ll want to try them all.
P&K sources their chicken wings locally from Eberly Farm (near Lancaster) and serves two kinds of very popular wings: a traditional Buffalo-style wing and an awesome honey whiskey variation. The actual wings are smaller than most but the quality of the wing more than makes up for it.
Bon Appétit named Resurrection’s famous and award-winning Twice-Fried Chicken one of the top 10 in the nation. The honey-drizzled fried chicken goes quickly, so snap it up!
Korean fried chicken—salty, sweet, spicy and double-fried to joyful crispness—is in a category of its own, and unassuming hangout Café Soho serves a winning basket of these addictive wings, to be washed down with pickled daikon and icy glasses of soju.
The retro, rec-room vibe at Jones complements the kitchen’s comfort eats—and the fried chicken served over waffles with gravy is the stuff that homey dreams are made of.
At the upscale soul-foodery Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar Lounge on South Street, mac and cheese, tropical sweet tea and sweet potato cheesecake serve as the perfect accompaniments to the crispy, perfectly seasoned fried chicken.
The signature “broasted” birds at Speck’s Drive-In remain a Collegeville legend. Shatteringly crunchy pressure-fried breasts are embellished by homemade potato salad, fries and/or coleslaw—not to mention thick black and white milkshakes.
Northern Liberties BYOB Koo Zee Doo brings a Portuguese pedigree to its offerings, and the subtly spiced mixed chicken and rib grill on Sundays is a thing of Iberian beauty.
Korean fried chicken gets a swanky upgrade at Meritage on select Thursdays, where a $25 dinner for two yields six pieces, ’slaw, pickled vegetables and sesame spinach, plus a can of Sapporo beer.
Chef David Katz gets out the deep-fryer at Mémé on Thursdays, when the lunch special includes fried chicken, a biscuit and a beer (or lemonade or iced tea) for $11.
At Center City’s eclectic comfort food eatery Smokin’ Betty’s, the ribs are St. Louis-style, the ’slaw is Carolina-inspired and the smoked brisket is served with potato latkes.
The Memphis-inspired eats at Rosey’s BBQ in Jenkintown include ribs, BBQ chicken, macaroni and cheese, specialty sandwiches such as the Crunchy Spicy (chopped pork, spicy BBQ sauce, cole slaw and potato chips), homemade cupcakes and sweet tea.
A Germantown institution, The Rib Crib is a takeout-only counter where the ribs are smoked to impossible tenderness, slathered with either hot or mild sauce and boxed up with fluffy slices of white bread for sopping.
As judges on the pitmaster circuit, Pig Daddy’s BBQ founders Linda, Jerry and Chris Mullane soaked up quite a bit of BBQ know-how, evident in the ribs, sausage, Carolina pulled pork and “BBQ Sundaes” offered at their Drexel Hill takeout eatery and catering business.
The specialty at Phoebe’s Bar-B-Q, which has been smoking on South Street since 1994, is Oklahoma barbecue, and the succulent brisket, ribs and pit meats by the pound are now available at a newer Roxborough location too.
Erin O’Shea studied the art of barbecue in Texas before opening Percy Street Barbecue on South Street. Her authentic burnt ends, pinto beans and banana pudding showcase those traditions, while the pork belly, vegan chili and specialty cocktails flaunt her chef skills.
Once an outdoor venue with an auxiliary kitchen, Le Cochon Noir is now a full-fledged barbecue restaurant and live music venue, serving up Berkshire pork chops, dry-rub ribs and garlic mustard greens, plus seafood, steaks and lighter fare in an expansive West Philadelphia setting.
At Jimmy’s BBQ, a diminutive chow-stop in Malvern, the tasty fare includes pulled chicken with a lemon pepper/brown sugar rub, hickory-smoked pulled pork, ribs and brisket, dirty corn, whipped sweets and Phillies party combos of the tasty treats.
The hickory-smoked ribs and chicken at Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse have won this Northeast Philly BBQ hotspot countless accolades, and the turkey breast, pulled pork and sides such as collard greens, mashed sweet potatoes and creamed spinach are equally luscious.
A Manayunk neighborhood favorite operating from a tiny bus stop shack, Tommy Gunns American Barbecue dishes out pan-regional favorites such as Kansas City baby backs, Carolina pork, Texas brisket and baked beans and a uniquely Philadelphian deep-fried macaroni and cheese.
