Winnie's Manayunk — Restaurant in Philadelphia

My mother and I get along best when shopping and going out to eat. Yesterday, she visited me in Philadelphia and we went to a boutique called Lila in Manayunk (which I’ll also review). We loved the guy who worked there, whose taste was so fine it was second only to his warmth.

This is relevant because he’s the one who recommended Winnie’s when we asked for his “go-to” place to eat. When someone’s personality makes you feel cared for, elevated, and indulged, I recommend asking them for a restaurant recommendation!

Winnie’s felt just like we thought it would based on his description. It was busy but not packed in. We waited 20 minutes for a table and it was worth it. I do wish they had text alerts so we would have been able to walk around outside more while waiting, but it was cozy inside with beautiful and bright artwork on the walls and lots to look at and chat about as we waited comfortably on a bench.

Our table was perfect- right by the window, with a view of passers-by. 8 feet or so away from our table was a large party including several children, and we noted that all their food came out at the same time (and looked amazing- especially the French toast!). The kids were coloring happily and enjoying themselves without any snide glances from judgmental co-patrons or “ughhh not today” staff members like at some other “family-friendly” places. Winnie’s took care of them and made them feel welcome, which made us feel good, too.

I don’t like dining in places that make anyone feel excluded. Winnie’s was warm, elevated-casual, with generous portions of delicious food, and a truly diverse crowd of patrons.

If I were to design a personal family holiday party, it would be my goal to model it after the vibe at Winnie’s.

I had the cheddar burger and my Mom had the veggie burger. We both swapped chips for house salad for just a few dollars more and we were stunned to see how much salad we got- and it was a real, beautiful salad! Not a few leaves of lettuce and a slice of tomato. Both burgers were good, but the food star of our meal, in our opinion, was the mixed berry jam that started our meal in a bread basket and ended up becoming an obsession!

I’d share photos except we were focused on shared time together and enjoying the food, but everything was well-presented and delicious. Next time I’m trying a Bloody Mary, which looked great- and also generously poured- on someone else’s table.

While the food was definitely delicious enough to merit its own focused review, the star for my mother and me was truly the vibe. And there is no better propagator of this vibe than our beautiful waitress, Janelle. We had some simple special requests, like ice in my water and not in my Mom’s, and lemon on the side. Nothing crazy, but not nothing. My Mom is like Meg Ryan’s character from When Harry Met Sally- lots of questions and most of it “on the side.”

Janelle couldn’t have been more accommodating, without a single indication of impatience. When she learned of our love of the cornbread with jam, she replenished our stock and even sent us home with extra containers for our leftover bread!

With so many hospitality and food and beverage businesses suffering the last few years, and having a hard time finding good staff willing to work on the front lines, it is especially worth noting that Winnie’s really has it covered. It is my profound wish that they know how appreciative my Mom and I are for all they do to make sure patrons leave feeling embraced, seen, and well-fed. Extra thanks and warm holiday wishes to Janelle.

We will...

We were really looking forward to trying this spot—especially knowing it’s LGBTQ+ friendly—but unfortunately, our experience fell short, mostly due to poor service.

On a positive note, the host was incredibly welcoming. She greeted us warmly, offered iced water for our dog, and seated us on the patio. That was a great first impression.

But things quickly went downhill once we were in the hands of our server, Sean. There was no hello, no welcome—just a blank stare before asking to take our order. It felt like we were inconveniencing him from the start.

We ordered drinks: a Spicy Strawberry Margarita, a Strawberry Basil Vodka Lemonade, and a Coke. The margarita and Coke arrived, but not the vodka lemonade. At first I thought the margarita might have been the lemonade, but it clearly had a tequila and chili pepper taste to it (no lemonade at all). When we flagged it, Sean explained that the drink on the table was spicy strawberry margarita but was confused when we asked again for the strawberry vodka lemonade. He came back out with the drink menu and pointed to the correct drink on the menu, then pointed to the margarita and told us that was the strawberry vodka lemonade (again it was clearly a strawberry margarita). We were puzzled, but it was obvious the waiter felt we were being difficult for requesting the correct drink, so we let it be.

Eventually, he brought the other drink but instead of the strawberry margarita we originally ordered, we received a classic margarita (green in color), and he brushed it off saying, “that’s what it is.” The menu clearly lists Strawberry, Classic, and Peach options, so it was frustrating to be dismissed like that.

After checking the receipt later, it was clear he had entered the wrong drink order entirely. It showed two spicy margaritas—one strawberry, one classic—and no vodka-based drink at all.

The food took quite a while, and when it finally came out, my beet salad didn’t have any beets in it. At that point, we were hungry and didn’t want to keep going back and forth, especially since Sean seemed more focused on breaking down tables and umbrellas than checking in with us or making sure the order was correct.

Maybe it was just an off day for him—but it left a bad taste. We still left a 15% tip out of courtesy (less than our usual 20%), but we walked away feeling really disappointed. We were genuinely excited to support this place, and we expected better hospitality from a restaurant that prides itself on being inclusive...

We stopped here during the 2 day art festival and I’m guessing Winnie’s wasn’t prepared, as they ran out of product by 2pm.

We sat outside so I can’t comment on atmosphere but the outdoor cafe was comfortable. However… There was an employee bussing tables who was really nice and friendly to us but was slamming dishes on tables and into the bus bin that it was jarring enough for us to almost leave as it was constant, but we had already ordered. The server we had was a sweetheart and we felt bad for her because the kitchen was so far in the weeds (40 minutes for a salad with no protein) and the poor thing was doing her best. I will say, despite tables not having food on them, she was attentive to all, checking on water on the extremely hot day and giving kitchen updates.

I think the management dropped the ball here. Before seating guests they should have been saying “the kitchen is running [xyz]minutes behind” the minute they recognized the issue. Then oddly, a couple who was sat well after us received a burger, wings and fries long before our 2 salads.

As for the food/salad, mine was not good. A key ingredient was missing and I wasn’t told until I asked for it. I should have been given an opportunity to change my selection. The spinach of the salad had zero flavor. I can only describe it as watery and spinach isn’t watery. The dressing was too bland to compensate - I will admit that I did eat the beets but 90% of the salad was left. They didn’t offer to comp the dish seeing the dissatisfaction. We had to ask for it. The server was tipped the same as if all was good, but I couldn’t recommend this place if a salad is that difficult. I do think management could do better to alleviate the situation; I’m in the same industry so I get it.

I did read a review recommending Somo - so I’ll try there next time...