We had an incredible dinner at the South of South Philly pop up. We started with meatballs, Cesar salad and Italian bread. The meatballs were remarkable, moist and flavorful, sauce was delicious. I got the rigatoni ragu, beautiful sauce just like our family makes. My husband got the fra Diablo. Perfect amount of spice with incredibly fresh seafood. Tiramisu to finish off the meal, authentic and delicious! Rusty has a really special thing going on here! Belinda was lovely and service was 10/10!
We drove by and husband read off the name, naturally Facebook immediately hit me with an ad so we booked a reservation and went there for dinner. Everything was very good, even my picky eaters enjoyed their meals. Would recommend. Cost about $100 for 3 people.
***Holiday Dinning Open and welcoming customers***KEEP READING REVIEW***
Wanted to specify that went during the off season specifically on Friday December 19th 2025 which have in place a special limited holiday menu. Long review as wanted to cover every aspect of the visit and not just a side note.
There is a special holiday menu in place that just came out and it is mentioned on their Facebook page, will keep evolving. It is a small menu with appetizers, soups, salads and grilled cheese sandwiches plus holidays drinks.
Lets dig in....
Had a French Onion Soup which was hot and delicious. Lots of onions (if you love onions try it), bread was crunchy and the cheese melted so perfectly. Was followed by an appetizer choice, Meatballs in a bourbon glaze that were really good. Just the right amount, have a crispy element to it and the sauce was savory, very sweet and tangy. Then came the Carolina BBQ Grilled Cheese. In my opinion this was the best bbq sandwich I ever had. The flavor of the ingredients complemented each other so well and harmoniously, it was absolutely delicious. Next is the Fig and Brie Grilled Cheese which was good, not too crazy about this one. In my opinion needed more pecans to add more crunchiness and a sweeter kind of fig jam to accentuate more the sweet flavor as it didn't came thru as much. But it was a good twist on grilled chesse sandwiches. Kind of unexpexted but a nice choice for the holidays. The crispness was perfect on both. All food was freshly made, nicely presented and well paired ingredients and flavors. Compliments to the person creating these dishes.
The drinks were a Ms. Claus Winter Cosmo which was on point; loved the sugary rim. Next was The Ginger Bread Old Fashion which was very well presented and the ginger cookie added such a beautiful touch.
Service was quick and staff was amazing, friendly and gave this cozy warm feeling of a small coastal town. The owner Rusty came out to talk to the customers about their dining experience, the menu and other conversations which added to the small town welcoming feeling.
Overall it was a very nice experience. It was a pleasant evening, quite and the decor for the holidays was elegant and beautiful with just the right touches.
Also would feel terrible not mentioning the small igloo outside (forgot to take a pic) for a more intimate dining for up to 4 people. Didn't experience it but looking forward to come back and enjoy a quite intimate dinner soon. Highly recommended 👌!
Regular menu is as delicious. Come back to experience that one as well. I know I will be absolutely undeniably back for it. But if you are in town during the off season stop by they are open even though Google says otherwise. Suport this great restaurant to keep them in business. You will not regret it. 100% recommended!
This place is a solid win! From decorations, cleanliness, service, food, all 5 stars! The only setback for me, some repairs are needed. The popcorn ceiling looks like it needs some repairs. Almost looks as if it could fall as any moment. Aside from that, service was amazing! The food, even better! We had the fried green tomatoes, fried feta, and steak fries (I am gluten-free). From there, entrees were the swordfish, shrimp and grits (spicy), and wings. Portions were good for the price. We had some cocktails and I highly recommend dessert. We had the flourless chocolate torte and creme Brule!
This is a must stop if you're in the area!
Food was delicious, it feels like a family atmosphere, very friendly staff. They have the best desert I ever had in my life! Orange cake with pineapple filing, I advise everyone to try it.
Make sure you make reservations since it's a small place, it feels up very quickly.
I would give 10 🌟 if I could. If you in the area don't miss out on this restaurant.
