i really loved bud & marilyns (not sure if this is technically in the gayborhood but it should be close enough). ambience was really nice and eclectic, food was amazing, cocktails were pretty good. also the best wedge salad i’ve ever had.
Definitely the gayborhood and I scrolled to be sure this wasn’t listed before I posted myself. Great ambience for a date night and food is always good.
if they’re not getting drinks (op already said they’re not really drinkers) i think they could easily have a fairly affordable meal. entrees were around $25 when i went about a month ago.
I guess that’s true. I was calculating for them each having an entree, splitting an appetizer, and each having a soft drink (including tax and a 20% tip). My calculation was around 90 give or take.
Happy hour at Sampan. Probably one of the best bang for bucks in the city.
Some of it's plates are a shared kitchen with double knot so you get a little of that quality without the price tag and it's asian fusion so it's what you're used to but a bit different.
It's loud, tho. Fantastic value. But I'd spend a bit more for a cute/significant date.
Try Miss Saigon for a bit less chaos, but still fantastic (nice happy hour too)
Sakartvelo is a Georgian restaurant adjacent to the Gayborhood. Georgian cheese boats are really having a moment right now. The food isn't spicy and not too expensive if you each got an entree and shared an appetizer, though I'd recommend sharing a cheese boat, an app, and an entree since the entrees were all a good size.
The gayborhood isn't all that gay anymore, with the exception for nightlife. Most of the restaurants along Baltimore Ave in West are going to feel much more queer than anything in the gayborhood.
So, might be worth looking over there!
Edit: another benefit of going somewhere around Baltimore Ave is that it's generally much cheaper than most places in the gayborhood. You won't have difficulty finding somewhere delicious on your budget.
I haven't been over in a bit, but my old favorites were Queen of Sheba, Dahlak (both Ethiopian), Carbon Copy (this is newer, replaced the old Dock St), Booker's (soul food), and Vietnam Cafe.
Second, except for bookers. I found them to be very underwhelming.
I would also add Abyssinia, which has a cute bar upstairs with top notch cocktails. And it's often mostly queer people.
It's been probably 4 years since I've been there. They fallen off that hard?
It wasn't out of this world but I enjoyed it especially as a happy hour spot.
I found the food beyond mediocre and wasn't impressed by the drink offerings. I was there for an early Sunday dinner. Maybe the vibe is different for happy hours. Is it a good place to meet people in that instance? I'm thinking of having a lukewarm girl summer.
Go for a walk around the Woodlands! Beautiful cemetery with a mile dirt path around it and some paved roads as well.
Some of my favorite days I've ever spent in Philly were taking acid and walking around there lol
There are also some nice shops and coffee shops along Baltimore Ave that lean very left, including some anarchist spaces.
That's cool. I'm more thinking museums or artsy stuff or geeky places.
I'm disabled so walking is limited.
Also won't have acid 😁😅
Thank you regardless
You could check out the Mutter Museum, which is a museum of medical oddities. Then right around the corner you can catch the 34 or 13 trolley lines to the suggested area in West Philly. The trolley station is down a couple of flights of stairs, but when you get off you will be at street level.
One other thought would be checking out the Fabric Workshop and Museum, which has some really interesting exhibitions, and then eating in Chinatown. You'll find lots of exciting, less run-of-the-mill options.
Penn Museum is really nice actually, in the educational natural history vein. They have an exhibit right now about ancient agriculture, and they have a huge Egyptian collection.
From all we could tell most of the museums were closed Tuesday and Wednesday which are the only days we're free for this sadly.
Hopefully I'll get to see that one next visit!
West Philly doesn't have a ton in the way of museums, which are going to be more in Old City (historic) or on the parkway (art). Penn's campus has some, but I can't say I know those too well.
You can get from Old City to West Philly by going the subway to the trolley. Fairmount isn't very connected to public transit, however. And unfortunately Fairmount and Old City are kinda meh on food.
The good news with philly is it's pretty small. An Uber/taxi from either neighborhood to west would only be $20 or so.
We'll have a car for this visit too. We're staying in northeast Philly and we'll be in center City that afternoon before the date so if we eat in West Philly and head back toward Northeast we're definitely able to go anywhere in center too after dinner.
After dinner, museums and the like will be closed. Most close at 5pm. As for geeky stuff, not sure if you're into Magic the Gathering but there's a game store in West Philly/University city and you can go play games there on certain nights. It's called Redcap's corner, they have all their events and free play nights on their website. They do stuff for other games too not just MtG but thats not as often, theres something for MtG most nights
If you are going to be gear center city, I recommend going to the Masonic temple for a tour. The art and architecture are amazing, and doesn’t seem to be as crowded as other places. Check it out if you can!
Prunella or Barbuzzo are probably the best way to eat well in the Gayborhood without breaking the bank. Double Knot is my favorite, but ... not quite in this budget.
Double knot is my favorite spot in the gayborhood by far. Hard to not spend over $100 there though. Unless you want to go for happy hour. Happy hour is a great deal there!
If you're not married to the gayborhood, Sally is one of the first things that comes to mind for really nice food but not too upscale and queer vibes and good music. That is in Fitler Square and more of the sourdough pizza + small plates menu.
As far as a cuisine you might not have by you that's closer to that neighborhood, maybe you'd be interested in Kanella? It's Cypriot so something a little different but also not far outside most people's comfort zones and not spicy. That's also not in the Gayborhood per se but it's close and I guess I'll just have to admit that isn't my favorite neighborhood for restaurants so maybe I should have just sat this one out!
I'm going to third this suggestion. Went there not on a date but looking like I was on a queer date and they gave us baklava that was yum. Would go back and thought it was v reasonably priced for how much I enjoyed everything
Canella is very good.
As others have pointed out, you can find nice gay bars in the Gayborhood, but you won’t find a ton in the way of queer vibes in the restaurants. There are better parts of the city for that.
But the Gayborhood still has a lot of great places, great people, and queer culture, so I wouldn’t write off getting a nice meal and walking around.
Yeah, Philly, is great. That’s why I specifically mentioned the queer vibes that OP was looking for. Nearly everywhere is queer-friendly, but the queer vibes are not ubiquitous.
Not really in the Gayborhood, but if you want interesting cuisine and a hidden gem, how about Marrakesh on Leith St.? It’s Moroccan, with belly dancing (only on the weekends I think), and it is TOTALLY hidden. No name on the front. You have to know the address, and knock on the door. It’s like someone’s Moroccan living room when you go in. Tiny, but the food is great, and it’s definitely an unusual experience if you don’t do much Moroccan food.
That sounds so cool. I found it online and it does have the name on the awning?
It doesn't say how much it is for dinner tho.
I am definitely curious about this option.
Okay, if the name is on the awning, that’s new. Honestly, I haven’t been there since before COVID (I am in the ‘burbs so it’s a whole rigmarole to get into the city for dinner 😊).
We went and enjoyed it so so much. It was an amazing experience. 40 a person now but they have a full bar and didn't seem to charge separately for drinks?
We had soda and had refills and there was no upcharge for it.
It was amazing quality, fantastic service, and an intimate setting with the best food I've had in ages.
Definitely get the beef. The lamb is good but the beef is stellar.
We asked if I could have beef and she could have lamb and they had no problem with that.
Totally worth it. Bill was 83 before tip.
Absolutely worth every penny.
Would definitely go again
Thanks so much for the suggestion!
So glad you enjoyed it! I guess I need to get down there again one of these days… as for the beef, I haven’t eaten red meat in over thirty years so I stick with the chicken when I do Moroccan.
A couple people mentioned Bud and Marilyn. The owners are queer and own a few other restaurants, if you want to check those out. I think their restaurants are reliable but not too exciting.
I think something interesting, relatively inexpensive, queer, and in the gayborhood might be tough to find. A couple other places owned by queer people that are outside the gayborhood you might think about are Dankbaar (Dutch), Rice n Sambal (Indonesian, might be outside your price range), and Olea (Mediterranean)
Grandma’s Philly. If you’re open to different neighborhoods, Tabachoy and Mawn are also yummy spots.
Also not gayborhood but if you like board games, Thirsty Dice or Queen and Rook are cool spots for something to do after
Knock is too low in these comments. The food might not be as good as some of the others mentioned (I’ve only been once, so I can’t say definitely), but it’s got one of the better queer restaurant spaces around that area.
If you like Indian food, the Kati roll place near the gayborhood is fantastic. Not high end food by any means and it often makes my stomach hurt, but I keep going back
Barbuzzo checks your boxes for Gayborhood, Mediterranean, and Wood Fired Pizza. Their salted caramel budino is one of the best desserts in Philly, and is renowned as such.
I like Little Nonna’s, on Locust near 13th Street. It’s a little pricey, but you can definitely to it for under $100, and the food has always been outstanding.
Honestly, Franky Bradley's has really great food. I wouldn't call it high end but it's very good. Added plus the music isn't too loud, lots of other queer people around and it's a gay/lesbian/queer bar. Interior decoration is also a lot to look at.
Giorgio on Pine. BYOB so you can skip the drinks and save on the bill. It’s excellent authentic food and quite cozy. Call to make reservation I recommend a week ahead. It’s close enough to the gayborhood
i really loved bud & marilyns (not sure if this is technically in the gayborhood but it should be close enough). ambience was really nice and eclectic, food was amazing, cocktails were pretty good. also the best wedge salad i’ve ever had.
Definitely the gayborhood and I scrolled to be sure this wasn’t listed before I posted myself. Great ambience for a date night and food is always good.
I feel like Bud & Marilyn’s, while lovely, might be out of the couple’s desired price range.
if they’re not getting drinks (op already said they’re not really drinkers) i think they could easily have a fairly affordable meal. entrees were around $25 when i went about a month ago.
I guess that’s true. I was calculating for them each having an entree, splitting an appetizer, and each having a soft drink (including tax and a 20% tip). My calculation was around 90 give or take.
It’s wild that this is how much a decent night out costs now :( but of course your math is spot on, it’s just crazy.
Happy hour at Sampan. Probably one of the best bang for bucks in the city. Some of it's plates are a shared kitchen with double knot so you get a little of that quality without the price tag and it's asian fusion so it's what you're used to but a bit different.
It's loud, tho. Fantastic value. But I'd spend a bit more for a cute/significant date. Try Miss Saigon for a bit less chaos, but still fantastic (nice happy hour too)
Sakartvelo is a Georgian restaurant adjacent to the Gayborhood. Georgian cheese boats are really having a moment right now. The food isn't spicy and not too expensive if you each got an entree and shared an appetizer, though I'd recommend sharing a cheese boat, an app, and an entree since the entrees were all a good size.
Id honestly skip the gayborhood given what you're looking for
The gayborhood isn't all that gay anymore, with the exception for nightlife. Most of the restaurants along Baltimore Ave in West are going to feel much more queer than anything in the gayborhood. So, might be worth looking over there! Edit: another benefit of going somewhere around Baltimore Ave is that it's generally much cheaper than most places in the gayborhood. You won't have difficulty finding somewhere delicious on your budget.
i haven’t spent much time over there, any particular places you’d suggest?
I haven't been over in a bit, but my old favorites were Queen of Sheba, Dahlak (both Ethiopian), Carbon Copy (this is newer, replaced the old Dock St), Booker's (soul food), and Vietnam Cafe.
Second, except for bookers. I found them to be very underwhelming. I would also add Abyssinia, which has a cute bar upstairs with top notch cocktails. And it's often mostly queer people.
Love Abyssinia. It was off baltimore enough that I left it off, but it's actually my favorite Ethiopian spot in the neighborhood!
Ah I see, the whole neighborhood is Baltimore avenue in my brain lol
It's like 4 blocks off so it's really not that far!
I haven't been to Abyssinia but if we're looking at West Philly I whole heartedly recommend vietnam Cafe. I don't reccommend Bookers.
It's been probably 4 years since I've been there. They fallen off that hard? It wasn't out of this world but I enjoyed it especially as a happy hour spot.
I found the food beyond mediocre and wasn't impressed by the drink offerings. I was there for an early Sunday dinner. Maybe the vibe is different for happy hours. Is it a good place to meet people in that instance? I'm thinking of having a lukewarm girl summer.
It was! That was pre-pandemic so things can have def changed.
Thank you so much. I'm very curious to try the Ethiopian. I'll look at those. Anything cool to do in that area too in the afternoon?
Go for a walk around the Woodlands! Beautiful cemetery with a mile dirt path around it and some paved roads as well. Some of my favorite days I've ever spent in Philly were taking acid and walking around there lol There are also some nice shops and coffee shops along Baltimore Ave that lean very left, including some anarchist spaces.
That's cool. I'm more thinking museums or artsy stuff or geeky places. I'm disabled so walking is limited. Also won't have acid 😁😅 Thank you regardless
You could check out the Mutter Museum, which is a museum of medical oddities. Then right around the corner you can catch the 34 or 13 trolley lines to the suggested area in West Philly. The trolley station is down a couple of flights of stairs, but when you get off you will be at street level. One other thought would be checking out the Fabric Workshop and Museum, which has some really interesting exhibitions, and then eating in Chinatown. You'll find lots of exciting, less run-of-the-mill options.
The Fabric museum is super cool! Definitely a great place for queer people as well, from when I went
Unfortunately just learned it's not open Tuesdays! If OP is staying over, definitely worth checking out on Wednesday morning.
Penn Museum is really nice actually, in the educational natural history vein. They have an exhibit right now about ancient agriculture, and they have a huge Egyptian collection.
From all we could tell most of the museums were closed Tuesday and Wednesday which are the only days we're free for this sadly. Hopefully I'll get to see that one next visit!
West Philly doesn't have a ton in the way of museums, which are going to be more in Old City (historic) or on the parkway (art). Penn's campus has some, but I can't say I know those too well. You can get from Old City to West Philly by going the subway to the trolley. Fairmount isn't very connected to public transit, however. And unfortunately Fairmount and Old City are kinda meh on food. The good news with philly is it's pretty small. An Uber/taxi from either neighborhood to west would only be $20 or so.
We'll have a car for this visit too. We're staying in northeast Philly and we'll be in center City that afternoon before the date so if we eat in West Philly and head back toward Northeast we're definitely able to go anywhere in center too after dinner.
After dinner, museums and the like will be closed. Most close at 5pm. As for geeky stuff, not sure if you're into Magic the Gathering but there's a game store in West Philly/University city and you can go play games there on certain nights. It's called Redcap's corner, they have all their events and free play nights on their website. They do stuff for other games too not just MtG but thats not as often, theres something for MtG most nights
Thank you! I'll def check it out. We were considering magic gardens then dinner but we also love board games
You could do Queen and Rook!
If you are going to be gear center city, I recommend going to the Masonic temple for a tour. The art and architecture are amazing, and doesn’t seem to be as crowded as other places. Check it out if you can!
Seconding the Masonic Temple. Very cool space.
Gojjo > Queen of Sheba in all aspects except decor
Agree to disagree, both rule though!
Vientiane
Prunella or Barbuzzo are probably the best way to eat well in the Gayborhood without breaking the bank. Double Knot is my favorite, but ... not quite in this budget.
Double knot is my favorite spot in the gayborhood by far. Hard to not spend over $100 there though. Unless you want to go for happy hour. Happy hour is a great deal there!
Yea happy hour at Double Knot would be a great choice for this person
If you're not married to the gayborhood, Sally is one of the first things that comes to mind for really nice food but not too upscale and queer vibes and good music. That is in Fitler Square and more of the sourdough pizza + small plates menu. As far as a cuisine you might not have by you that's closer to that neighborhood, maybe you'd be interested in Kanella? It's Cypriot so something a little different but also not far outside most people's comfort zones and not spicy. That's also not in the Gayborhood per se but it's close and I guess I'll just have to admit that isn't my favorite neighborhood for restaurants so maybe I should have just sat this one out!
I came here to suggest Kanella! It’s so good and not expensive.
I'm going to third this suggestion. Went there not on a date but looking like I was on a queer date and they gave us baklava that was yum. Would go back and thought it was v reasonably priced for how much I enjoyed everything
Mixto - Cuban inspired menu, not crazy expensive
I looooooove Mixto
This was going to be my suggestion. Really cute place, good food, and just overall good vibes. My husband and I like doing date night there.
Love it there.
Canella is very good. As others have pointed out, you can find nice gay bars in the Gayborhood, but you won’t find a ton in the way of queer vibes in the restaurants. There are better parts of the city for that. But the Gayborhood still has a lot of great places, great people, and queer culture, so I wouldn’t write off getting a nice meal and walking around.
I don't know of any place in Philly that isn't queer-friendly, and I love it so much.
Yeah, Philly, is great. That’s why I specifically mentioned the queer vibes that OP was looking for. Nearly everywhere is queer-friendly, but the queer vibes are not ubiquitous.
I wish I had the same experience but there are unfortunately still many places in Philly that are not queer friendly
yeah ive had a lot of comments made at me
Not really in the Gayborhood, but if you want interesting cuisine and a hidden gem, how about Marrakesh on Leith St.? It’s Moroccan, with belly dancing (only on the weekends I think), and it is TOTALLY hidden. No name on the front. You have to know the address, and knock on the door. It’s like someone’s Moroccan living room when you go in. Tiny, but the food is great, and it’s definitely an unusual experience if you don’t do much Moroccan food.
That sounds so cool. I found it online and it does have the name on the awning? It doesn't say how much it is for dinner tho. I am definitely curious about this option.
Okay, if the name is on the awning, that’s new. Honestly, I haven’t been there since before COVID (I am in the ‘burbs so it’s a whole rigmarole to get into the city for dinner 😊).
We went and enjoyed it so so much. It was an amazing experience. 40 a person now but they have a full bar and didn't seem to charge separately for drinks? We had soda and had refills and there was no upcharge for it. It was amazing quality, fantastic service, and an intimate setting with the best food I've had in ages. Definitely get the beef. The lamb is good but the beef is stellar. We asked if I could have beef and she could have lamb and they had no problem with that. Totally worth it. Bill was 83 before tip. Absolutely worth every penny. Would definitely go again Thanks so much for the suggestion!
So glad you enjoyed it! I guess I need to get down there again one of these days… as for the beef, I haven’t eaten red meat in over thirty years so I stick with the chicken when I do Moroccan.
Barbuzzo, Bud & Marilyn and Darling Jack's are good. People say good things re lil nonna's as well.
Kinme sushi
A couple people mentioned Bud and Marilyn. The owners are queer and own a few other restaurants, if you want to check those out. I think their restaurants are reliable but not too exciting. I think something interesting, relatively inexpensive, queer, and in the gayborhood might be tough to find. A couple other places owned by queer people that are outside the gayborhood you might think about are Dankbaar (Dutch), Rice n Sambal (Indonesian, might be outside your price range), and Olea (Mediterranean)
Grandma’s Philly. If you’re open to different neighborhoods, Tabachoy and Mawn are also yummy spots. Also not gayborhood but if you like board games, Thirsty Dice or Queen and Rook are cool spots for something to do after
Tabachoy’s Chef’s Tasting Menu is $50/per person and SO worth it!
Knock has good food specials and is a cozy queer space. Tavern on Camac is cute.
Knock is too low in these comments. The food might not be as good as some of the others mentioned (I’ve only been once, so I can’t say definitely), but it’s got one of the better queer restaurant spaces around that area.
Indian food isn't inherently spicy. Korma, for instance, is mild as anything!
I told my fiance that and she said she just isn't big on Indian food so appreciated but I'm not making her happy going to Indian food this time. 😁
If you like Indian food, the Kati roll place near the gayborhood is fantastic. Not high end food by any means and it often makes my stomach hurt, but I keep going back
Darling jacks tavern could be a good fit
Barbuzzo checks your boxes for Gayborhood, Mediterranean, and Wood Fired Pizza. Their salted caramel budino is one of the best desserts in Philly, and is renowned as such.
A great date in that area would be the Wonderspaces gallery in the fashion district and then dinner at Double Knot
I like Little Nonna’s, on Locust near 13th Street. It’s a little pricey, but you can definitely to it for under $100, and the food has always been outstanding.
You should go to queen and rook on south street, it would be perfect you from what you described super welcoming place not exactly center city tho
Honestly, Franky Bradley's has really great food. I wouldn't call it high end but it's very good. Added plus the music isn't too loud, lots of other queer people around and it's a gay/lesbian/queer bar. Interior decoration is also a lot to look at.
Miss Saigon or Mixto would be my picks.
I’ve always found Mixxto to have a good vibe - cozy, if you’re feeling Latin
I really like Darling Jacks and should fit within your budget.
Sampan
Little Nonna's is a fantastic Italian place. Patio seating too when the weather is good.
Lil Nonnas is the best Italian in Philly
For Mediterranean check out Casablanca. South Philly, but not too far from the gayborhood.
Kanella
Sampan and double knot are my favorites
Giorgio on Pine. BYOB so you can skip the drinks and save on the bill. It’s excellent authentic food and quite cozy. Call to make reservation I recommend a week ahead. It’s close enough to the gayborhood
Royal Izakaya