The Little Lion Restaurant, located at 3rd and Chestnut streets, offers American food with a Southern twist. Its location in the heart of Old City is quaint, yet beautiful. It is very aesthetically pleasing – its dark wood floors are contrasted with firehouse red chairs, bright white walls and ceilings, and beautiful old floor-to-ceiling windows. I heard a lot of positive comments about the Little Lion, so I was very excited to try it.
I met an old friend at the Little Lion for lunch. For appetizers, we decided on the fried chicken sandwich and the macaroni and cheese. As we ordered, our waitress warned us about the large portions, so we decided to split the two.
The fried chicken sandwich was to die for – the chicken was perfectly fried and not greasy at all, which surprised me. The side order of fries were perfectly crisped and were some of the best fries that I have ever had! Topped with stewed tomatoes and breadcrumbs served in a cute mini cooking pan, the macaroni and cheese was equally and maybe even more delicious. It was melt-in-your-mouth cheesy and the breadcrumbs added a nice crunch. Both the fried chicken sandwiches and the macaroni and cheese were very filling. So much so that my friend and I still had leftovers to take home.
I had such a good meal at the Little Lion that I decided to go back for dinner a few weeks later with a group of friends. I introduced them to the macaroni and cheese, which they loved just as much as I did. Surprisingly, it was even better the second time. For my main course, I had the kale pesto pasta, which was extremely fresh and very filling. Compared to the fried chicken sandwich that I had for lunch during my other visit, the kale pesto pasta was refreshingly lighter and I was glad that I didn’t feel as stuffed.
Since my friends and I weren’t completely full, we decided to order the special on the desert menu that night – a warm, chocolate brownie with ice cream. It was delicious and well worth the wait.
Lunch at the Little Lion was nice and relaxed. It’s a great place to go and meet up with a friend. However, it can get pretty loud in the restaurant during peak dinner hours. My friends and I thought that the volume made the environment warm and inviting, though it may annoy some people. However, for being so busy and noisy, the service was great and our waitress was very attentive even though she was swamped with customers. The Little Lion is a great restaurant to check out for lunch or dinner, especially if you want to get off of Drexel’s campus and explore Old City.
Where is your favorite place to dine in the city? Let us know in the comments!