South Philly Neighborhood Joint Named Among Nation's Best New Restaurants By Eater

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philly culinary scene continues to receive plaudits from around the country.

The latest comes from the outlet Eater, which recently released its 2026 edition of its national awards.

Philly's own Bomb Bomb Bar, an old school south Philly Italian joint, made the list.

Originally established in 1951, owner and neighborhood local Joey Baldino bought and reopened Bomb Bomb in 2025.

"In the front room...locals analyze Eagles games, and you might hear children playing in the street," Eater's Bettina Makalintal wrote. "In the back dining room, the procession of seafood, priced at $65 per person, feels like a steal in this era of rising prices."

"The meat for the lobster Française has been removed from its shell, battered and fried, placed on a buttery sauce, and then crowned with its shell once more," she added. "The crispy calamari gets enlivened with twangy cherry peppers. But it’s the overall dining experience that’s unbeatable: The restaurant hasn’t reinvented the wheel, but as the Beach Boys play and you sip a pepperoncini martini while watching your server pour hot fudge onto a sundae, you remember (perhaps while still wearing a bib) that complete novelty isn’t always necessary."

Bomb Bomb Bar is located on 1026 Wolf Street.

It was one of two Pennsylvania eateries to be honored in the latest Eater awards, along with Pittsburgh's Titusz.