On Saturday, our EIC Clare and I stumbled into the Dandelion looking to get some pre shopping fuel that was in close proximity to the stores on Walnut Street. I had never been to the Dandelion, but I had only heard great things about it. First of all, it was a Stephen Starr restaurant so it had to be nothing short of amazing. I am a foodie and going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do, especially when it’s a Stephen Starr restaurant. I have tried almost all of them and each one I like a bit more than the last; not to mention I have gone to my favorites like Parc and Buddakan countless times and it is always consistently delicious. The Dandelion was one of the very last to cross off my list, and (spoiler) I would definitely go back.
The Dandelion is a London style gastro-pub. Though seemingly a bit odd, I had done some previous research on their website and Instagram geo-tag stalking and gathered that the “pub” style restaurant served mostly comfort foods. Perfect for a mid-February afternoon. We enter, and we are told that there is a 20 minute wait for two at 1:00pm. The hostess generously told us that two bar seats were open if we would like to sit there instead of waiting. It seemed like an even better alternative; a casual quick lunch so we could get right on our way back to shopping. The bar area looked like we had stepped right out of Philadelphia and straight into London. The bar was well lit and decorated truly like a British pub with festive bottles, mock animals high on shelves and plently of beer on tap. We took two high cushioned stools and the bar and began to look at the menu. We opted for “flat water” when our waitress asked, and after some debate, Clare and I both decided on the burger and the house made Ricotta cheese jar topped with olive oil and herbs accompanied by toasted Sourdough bread to share. The ricotta was by far the best ricotta cheese I had ever had; not too sweet and the perfect pairing with the toasted sourdough. We asked for more toast than our allotted two pieces each and finished most of the jar.
The burger was definitely no ordinary burger. It came on a wooden serving tray and was topped with Vermont sharp cheddar, Brooklyn brine pickles, apple wood smoked bacon and their famous “Churchill sauce,” which whatever it was, was mysteriously delicious. The burger also came with a side of “chips” (aka thick fries) which were also hot and delicious. I have tried some of the area’s very best burgers (perks of working at Philadelphia magazine and prepping/attending the highly anticipated “Battle of the Burger” event) and the Dandelion provides some stiff competition. In fact, in 2013 Philadelphia magazine named the Dandelion’s aged beef burger “Best Gastropub Burger” in all of the tri state area. An absolute must try for burger lovers everywhere.
Overall, I was especially pleased with the food, atmosphere and service of the Dandelion. We didn’t wait long for our food and the wait staff was friendly, attentive and cooperative. The food was excellent and priced relatively reasonably. I would definitely go back again to escape the cold for the comfort food and the true London feel. I would like to go back for dinner and explore a new menu; I also hear that their brunch is excellent. A perfect excuse to go to the city on a cold winter’s day and explore. Stephen Starr did not disappoint.