The small town of Ambler has an outsized restaurant scene. A healthy selection of BYOBs, several fine dining restaurants, and lots of casual town favorites make it a prime dining spot in Montgomery County.
Most of the restaurants in Ambler are concentrated in its charming downtown along Butler Avenue. For several blocks, diners will find Mexican food, sushi, homemade pasta, and plenty of other choices. Within a 5-minute drive, there are even more good options for a night out.
We’ve been regular diners in town for decades. Here’s a look at some of favorite spots.
Highlights include…Don’t miss Sushi Hatsu for excellent hand rolls and seafood or Cantina Feliz for tacos and entrees like mole poblano. Arpeggio BYOB is the place for Mediterranean specialties, and Tannery Run makes a great burger and pub food. For a special occasion, La Provence is at the top of our list.
Sushi Hatsu
Seafood, sushi, and outstanding Kobe help make Sushi Hatsu one of the best places in town for an excellent meal. This sleek BYOB makes colorful platters of maki rolls ranging from the classic California roll to the more elaborate Dragon roll, which features shrimp tempura, unagi, avocado, and strawberry. There is always a long list of specialty sashimi and nigiri to choose from as well.
Many of our go-to dishes come from the hot section of the menu, including the lobster ravioli, the Kobe garlic tataki served with spicy ponzu, and the pork belly buns that always have the perfect crunch. The Patagonian toothfish that is marinated in garlic and soy and sits on a dollop of truffle parsnip puree is not to be missed. Reserve a seat at the sushi bar to watch all the creations come to life and try a little bit of everything.
Cantina Feliz
From carnitas tacos to shrimp ceviche with a little kick, Cantina Feliz does Mexican food right. Just five minutes from downtown Ambler, it’s located across the street from the Fort Washington train station.
The menu features a long list of enchiladas, tacos, and even four kinds of guacamole so you can build a flawless meal from all the flavors. The chicken tinga quesadilla, chorizo fundido, and mole poblano are among our favorites, and we’ve eaten everything here. At least twice. If the suckling pig tacos happen to be on special, do not hesitate.
Cantina Feliz offers lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, and the weekday happy hour features great deals from 4:30-6:30pm. Almost everything on the menu can be made gluten free.
Bridget’s Steakhouse
A high-end steakhouse, Bridget’s is one of the most popular restaurants in Ambler, with a crowd at the bar that is often two deep on warm weekends (the recent addition of a second-floor lounge helps). Its multiple dining rooms fill with locals in search of great steak and seafood.
Menu highlights include the butchers blocks that serve two and include a variety of steak cuts, surf and turf, or rack of lamb. We love the lobster risotto, and their tasty truffle fries are a personal favorite that won’t break the bank. Park in the Ambler train station lot to make visiting easy.
Saffron Indian Kitchen
Saffron Indian Kitchen has been a mainstay of downtown for over a decade. Among their broad offerings on the lunch and dinner menus, diners will find tender tandoori chicken, marinated lamb chops, and savory saag paneer. Our favorites include the creamy chicken tikka masala, gobhi aloo, vegetable samosas, and onion naan. Many items can be tailored to a visitor’s spice tolerance.
Indoor and limited outdoor seating is available, and Saffron does a very robust takeout business (order online to accumulate loyalty points). Note that it’s BYO.
Tresini
A newer addition to the Ambler restaurant scene, Tresini is an Italian spot located in an historic 160-year-old building on Bethlehem Pike. It has multiple dining rooms but fills up easily on weekend nights.
Helmed by Chef Brad Daniels, who honed his craft at several Marc Vetri restaurants in Philadelphia, Tresini focuses on housemade pastas and a selection of meats and seafood. The grilled Roman style bread available with a selection of spreads is what dreams are made of.
Dettera
The wine selection and menu focused on organic local ingredients make Dettera one of the top restaurants in town. The cuisine here is New American, and the chef even includes ingredients grown in the restaurant’s own garden in the seasonal dishes.
Housemade pastas and grilled meats are the stars alongside more than 40 wines by the glass and 200 wines by the bottle. Diners can enjoy them in the plush booths or the cozy outside seats. We almost always order the Kennett Square mushroom pizza with herbed ricotta and aged balsamic plus the burger with raclette when we’re feeling particularly decadent.
Happy hour deals are available Tuesday through Saturday, including sliders, oysters, and steamed PEI mussels. They’re a great option for a pre-movie meal if your plans include a visit to Ambler Theater across the street.
From the Boot
A casual restaurant with solid Italian American food, From the Boot is one of the most popular places to eat in Ambler. Homemade sausage, pastas, and breads accent a menu filled with classics like chicken parmesan, eggplant rollatini, and margherita pizza. Meals here are reliably good, and the restaurant is often filled with regulars.
In the warmer months, there is lots of outside seating. Don’t skip the free garlic knots.
La Provence
At the old Ambler train station, La Provence has created a garden oasis—complete with water features—that make it the nicest place in town to eat outside. The interior of the upscale restaurant with its white tablecloths and beautiful chandeliers is also a lovely place to indulge in the French specialties from Chef Manuel Jimenez.
Dover sole meunière, duck leg confit with Armagnac duck sausage, braised D’Artagnan rabbit, and other exquisite dishes make La Provence a go-to for a truly divine meal. My favorite is always the corvina with corn and jumbo lump crab, which has been a signature of Chef Jimenez since his first restaurant in town, Vida & Comida (now closed). Prices here are on the high side, so some will find it best reserved for a special occasion. It’s BYOB, and parking is plentiful in La Provence’s own lot.
El Limon
With about 30 locations in the suburbs, El Limon has become a reliable standby for people in need of a taco fix just about everywhere in the Philadelphia metro area. With quick service and moderate prices, it’s a great option for authentic Mexican food.
We enjoy the al pastor tacos and fajitas, in particular, but there are lots of options, including quesadillas, sopes, and enchiladas. When dining in, a complimentary margarita comes with your meal (otherwise, BYO). Open from 10:30am-10pm, they’re one of only a few places in town that offer lunch and are open later in the evening. It’s almost always busy on weekend nights, so plan ahead.
Arpeggio BYOB
Just a few minutes down Bethlehem Pike, Arpeggio BYOB has served impeccable mains and some of the best pizzas around for nearly 30 years. Diners in the spacious dining room and outside deck indulge in Mediterranean specialties ranging from lamb osso bucco and chicken souvlaki to linguine Bolognese and veal Florentine. Whether you’re going for Greek, Italian, or Levantine flavors, the stars at Arpeggio are anything that comes from their wood burning oven. We’re big fans of the Ambler pizza (pro tip: order it with extra sauce).
Arpeggio does a robust dine-in and takeout business, and reservations are only taken for groups of 7 or more. As a result, it’s always a good idea to sign up for their online waitlist before you visit the restaurant, if you’re going at prime time. Whatever you do, finish your meal with a slice of the decadent peanut butter pie.
Tannery Run Brew Works
One of our favorite local breweries, Tannery Run Brew Works has a fantastic food menu. From the giant pretzel with honey mustard to the wide selection of housemade flatbreads and tasty sandwiches, the dishes here are fresh, creative, and delicious. The smash burger is always a winner, and we’re a little obsessed with the cheese curds. Wednesday nights are trivia nights and are almost always busy.
What was located in the building before Lucky Well?
It was a fun Irish pub called The Shanachie.