If you are looking for Albanian food in Philadelphia, start with Two Eagles Cafe in Point Breeze, where the Albanian owners serve qofte and fërgesë next to their brunch menu, and Toska in Mt. Airy, a brewpub run by brothers from Kosovo that puts sujuk on its pizza and cheesesteak. Just outside the city, Dua in Bryn Mawr serves burek and an Albanian salad, and Garden of Eatin’ in Levittown has burek and qevapa on its evening menu. Most of the other Albanian-owned restaurants in and around Philadelphia are Italian BYOBs, especially around Rittenhouse Square and in Huntingdon Valley, along with cheesesteak shops, burger and hot chicken spots and cafes. This guide covers all of them, by neighborhood.
Philadelphia is the center of Albanian life in Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024) counts about 4,200 people of Albanian ancestry in the city and about 9,100 in the metro area (Table B04006). In 2018 WHYY reported that Northeast Philadelphia, Port Richmond and Fishtown, along with the nearby suburban counties, had become popular places for Albanians to settle.
Every restaurant in this guide is listed in the ALB Connection directory and has been visited by ALB Connection. Addresses, menus and opening days were checked against each restaurant’s own website, menu or press coverage on 2 November 2026. It is not a ranking or an endorsement.
Explore more businesses in the ALB Connection directory
Albanian Restaurants in Philadelphia at a Glance
| Restaurant | Neighborhood and address | What it serves | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambrosia | Fitler Square, 231 S 24th St | Italian: grilled octopus, cacio e pepe, short rib | BYOB |
| Bellini | Rittenhouse Square, 220 S 16th St | Italian: gnocchi, bronzino, calamari | Wine and cocktails |
| La Viola | Rittenhouse Square, 252 and 253 S 16th St | Italian: pasta, seafood, tiramisu | BYOB |
| La Fontana Della Citta | Rittenhouse Square, 1701 Spruce St | Italian: gnocchi, veal, homemade pasta | BYOB |
| Osteria Ama Philly | Rittenhouse Square, 1905 Chestnut St | Italian: pasta, pizza, arancini | Open daily from noon |
| Buca D’oro Ristorante | Washington Square, Locust St | Italian: calamari, pasta, short rib | Full bar |
| M2O Burgers & Salads | Queen Village, 701 S 5th St; Center City, 1800 Arch St | Burgers, salads, shakes | Fast casual |
| Two Eagles Cafe | Point Breeze, 1401 S 20th St | Brunch, plus qofte, fërgesë, Albanian cappuccino | Breakfast and lunch only |
| La Sera Italiana | South Street West, 1608 South St | Italian: gnocchi, linguini pescatore | BYOB |
| Bistro La Baia | Graduate Hospital, 1700 Lombard St | Italian: rollatini, bucatini, branzino | BYOB, since 1998 |
| Capri Restaurant | Queen Village, 757 S Front St | Seafood, gnocchi, lobster ravioli | Bar; weekend brunch |
| Caffe Ida | South Philadelphia, 1732 W Passyunk Ave | Espresso, Italian sandwiches | Cafe |
| Valentina Ristorante | Fairmount, 2501 Meredith St | Italian: handmade pasta, risotto | BYOB; new in 2026 |
| Richie’s Café | Temple University, 1802 N Warnock St | Coffee, paninis, waffles | Cafe since 1969 |
| Il Sorriso Cafe | Fairhill, 2400 N Howard St | Crepes, croissant sandwiches, coffee | Check Sunday hours |
| One Pound Cheesesteak | Kensington, 2661 Kensington Ave | One-pound cheesesteak, hoagies | Takeout |
| Happ’s | Fishtown, 1862 Frankford Ave | Breakfast sandwiches, cheesesteaks | Closed Mondays |
| Toska Restaurant & Brewery | Mt. Airy, 7136 Germantown Ave | Pizza, burgers, house beer; sujuk dishes | Brewpub |
| La Trattoria | Mt. Airy, 7131 Germantown Ave | Italian: calamari, pescatore, branzino | BYOB; Tuesday family dinner |
| Adelina’s Restaurant and Bar | Chestnut Hill, 8235 Germantown Ave | Italian: zeppole, meatballs, eggplant parm | Full bar; brunch |
| The Philmont Bar & Grill | Somerton, 14000 Bustleton Ave | Grill, cheesesteaks, pizza | Open late |
| Chubby’s Deli | Fox Chase, 537 Hoffnagle St | Hoagies, chicken cutlets, catering | Deli since 2010 |
| La Voglia Mediterranean Restaurant | Huntingdon Valley, 3500 Reading Way | Mediterranean; Albanian salad | BYOB |
| La Strada Italian Cuisine | Huntingdon Valley, 2519 Huntingdon Pike | Italian: pescatore, calamari, involtini | BYOB, free corkage |
| Osteria Saporino | Huntingdon Valley, 1051 County Line Rd | Italian seafood, burrata | BYOB |
| Via 417 | Jenkintown, 417 Old York Rd | Italian: pappardelle, cavatelli, risotto | BYOB |
| Le Onde Ristorante | Elkins Park, 7909 Park Ave | Italian: handmade pasta | BYOB; Wed to Sun, call ahead |
| Bistro Albertino | Willow Grove, 634 N York Rd | Italian: homemade pasta, veal | BYOB; call ahead |
| Trattoria Valona | Hatboro, 420 S York Rd | Italian: meatballs, chicken parm | BYOB; closed Mondays |
| Babs Hot Chicken | Audubon, 725 S Trooper Rd | Hot chicken sandwiches, mac bowls | Daily 11 am to 9 pm |
| La Voglia Italian Restaurant | Warminster, 216 W Street Rd | Modern Italian: stuffed eggplant, balsamico | BYOB |
| Amore Restaurant | Levittown, 8630 New Falls Rd | Italian: Chicken Amore, seafood fettuccine | BYOB; closed Mondays |
| Garden of Eatin’ Restaurant | Levittown, 964 Woodbourne Rd | Diner plus burek, qevapa, mixed grill | Closed Mondays |
| Dua Restaurant | Bryn Mawr, 1000 W Lancaster Ave | Burek flambé, Albanian salad, Mediterranean | BYOB; dinner Tue to Sat |
| Villa Artigiano Ristorante | Ardmore, 53 W Lancaster Ave | Italian: burrata, stuffed artichokes | BYOB |
| Have-a-Burger | Havertown, 1002 Darby Rd | Smash burgers | Daily |
| Crisp Chik’n | Lansdowne, 27 N Lansdowne Ave | Chicken sandwiches, tenders | Check hours |
| Geo’s Steaks | Aldan, 500 E Providence Rd | Cheesesteaks, loaded fries | Call ahead |
| Our Deli and Cafe | Paoli, 41 E Lancaster Ave | Breakfast, deli sandwiches, waffles | Two locations |
Opening days and hours change; check with the restaurant before you go. Two Eagles Cafe, Toska, Dua, Garden of Eatin’ and La Voglia Mediterranean have Albanian or Balkan dishes on their menus. The others are Albanian-owned restaurants with Italian, American or Mediterranean menus.
Albanian Restaurants in Philadelphia: The Guide
Center City and Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square and the streets around it have the densest cluster of Albanian-owned restaurants in the city, most of them Italian BYOBs. As far back as 2016 the Philadelphia Inquirer asked why so many Albanians own Italian restaurants in Rittenhouse.
1. Ambrosia
Ambrosia on ALB Connection · Ambrosia website
Location: 231 S 24th St, Fitler Square | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Ambrosia Ristorante BYOB sits on the corner of 24th and Locust, in the space of the former Sandy’s diner. When it opened, the Inquirer reported that its owners, chef Fredi Loka and George Profi, are Albanian immigrants, each with decades of Philadelphia restaurant experience. Its dinner menu includes grilled octopus, cacio e pepe and braised short rib.
2. Bellini
Bellini on ALB Connection · Bellini website
Location: 220 S 16th St, Rittenhouse Square | Cuisine: Italian
Bellini opened in 2001 as Bellini Grill, founded by chef Jimmy Daku, whom restaurant guides describe as originally from Albania. Its dinner menu lists gnocchi with ricotta in truffle cream, bronzino and fried calamari, and the restaurant now has a wine and cocktail list.
3. La Viola
La Viola on ALB Connection · La Viola website
Location: 253 S 16th St (La Viola Bistro) and 252 S 16th St (La Viola Ovest), Rittenhouse Square | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
La Viola is two restaurants facing each other on 16th Street: La Viola Bistro, opened in 2001 at number 253, and La Viola Ovest, opened in 2006 across the street at 252 (La Viola). Resy names the owners as Ramazan and Xhevdet Hima. Dishes on the menu include tagliatelle with salmon in a cognac cream sauce and squid-ink linguine with seafood. Albert Murraku, now the owner of La Sera Italiana (below), worked at La Viola for nine years.
4. La Fontana Della Citta
La Fontana Della Citta on ALB Connection · La Fontana Della Citta website
Location: 1701 Spruce St, Rittenhouse Square | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
La Fontana Della Citta, at 17th and Spruce, opened in 2006. According to the restaurant’s own story, Chef Bujar Daku and his family came to the United States from Albania in 1990; he worked in Philadelphia kitchens including La Veranda and La Buca, opened La Fontana Del Mare in Strathmere, New Jersey, in 1998, and in 2006 opened La Fontana Della Citta with his brothers. Chef Bujar selects the fresh ingredients by hand every day. Reviewers mention its gnocchi with gorgonzola, veal dishes and homemade pasta.
5. Osteria Ama Philly
Osteria Ama Philly on ALB Connection · Osteria Ama Philly website
Location: 1905 Chestnut St, Rittenhouse Square | Cuisine: Italian
Osteria Ama’s Center City restaurant, part of a small group with locations in Chadds Ford and West Chester, serves handmade pasta and pizza. Its menu includes penne alla vodka, arancini and Margherita pizza, and it opens daily from noon.
6. Buca D’oro Ristorante
Buca D’oro Ristorante on ALB Connection · Buca D’oro Ristorante website
Location: Locust St, Washington Square | Cuisine: Italian
Buca D’oro is an Italian restaurant by Washington Square with a full bar. Its dinner menu lists grilled calamari, penne Bella and braised beef short rib, and it serves lunch and dinner.
7. M2O Burgers & Salads
M2O Burgers & Salads on ALB Connection · M2O Burgers & Salads website
Location: 701 S 5th St, Queen Village, and 1800 Arch St, Center City | Cuisine: Burgers and salads
M2O (made to order) was founded in Philadelphia in 2018 by brothers Leo, Pep and Jim Osmanollaj, according to its website. The brothers, whose sister brand Babs Hot Chicken tells the story of their grandfather in Kosovo, also own Toska in Mt. Airy and Have-a-Burger in Havertown (both below). The menu is built around made-to-order burgers, salads and shakes.
South Philadelphia and South Street
8. Two Eagles Cafe
Two Eagles Cafe on ALB Connection · Two Eagles Cafe website
Location: 1401 S 20th St (20th and Reed), Point Breeze | Cuisine: Breakfast and brunch, American and Albanian
Two Eagles Cafe is the place in the city to eat Albanian dishes. Owners Rudi and Nadire Karaj immigrated to the United States from Albania in 2001, Billy Penn reported in August 2025, and alongside the brunch menu the cafe serves qofte (Albanian meatballs), fërgesë (a baked dish of peppers, tomatoes and cheese) and an Albanian cappuccino. It serves breakfast and lunch, not dinner.
9. La Sera Italiana
La Sera Italiana on ALB Connection · La Sera Italiana website
Location: 1608 South St, South Street West | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Owner and chef Albert Murraku was raised in Tirana, Albania, and worked at his father’s traditional Albanian restaurant before moving to Philadelphia in 2015, Billy Penn reported. He spent nine years at La Viola, going from cook to manager, before opening this 40-seat bistro on South Street in 2024. The 2026 menu includes the house gnocchi La Sera with fresh mozzarella, linguini pescatore and calamari fritti.
10. Bistro La Baia
Bistro La Baia on ALB Connection · Bistro La Baia website
Location: 1700 Lombard St, Graduate Hospital | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Bistro La Baia is a family-owned Italian BYOB that has been serving on Lombard Street since 1998, according to its website. Its menu includes eggplant rollatini, truffle bucatini and branzino with lemon caper sauce.
11. Capri Restaurant
Capri Restaurant on ALB Connection · Capri Restaurant website
Location: 757 S Front St, Queen Village | Cuisine: Italian and Mediterranean, seafood
Capri, on Front Street in Queen Village, serves Italian and Mediterranean dishes with a focus on seafood. Its menu includes the Sapore di Capri seafood plate (jumbo shrimp, grilled calamari and grilled octopus), homemade gnocchi and lobster ravioli, along with spreads such as spicy feta. It has a bar and happy hour, and serves brunch on weekends.
12. Caffe Ida
Caffe Ida on ALB Connection · Caffe Ida Instagram
Location: 1732 W Passyunk Ave, South Philadelphia | Cuisine: Italian cafe
Caffe Ida is a neighborhood Italian cafe on West Passyunk Avenue, open since 2015, serving espresso, breakfast and Italian sandwiches. Regulars order the chicken cutlet sandwich with broccoli rabe and the sausage, peppers and eggs hero. It has no website; check its Instagram for hours.
Fairmount, North Philadelphia and Kensington
13. Valentina Ristorante
Valentina Ristorante on ALB Connection · Valentina Ristorante website
Location: 2501 Meredith St, Fairmount | Cuisine: Italian BYOB, handmade pasta
Valentina opened in 2026 in Fairmount, in the former Figs space. Its owner and chef, Landi Prendi, writes on the restaurant’s website: “From the land of my birth in Albania, I traveled to southern Italy, which is considered the birthplace of Italian cuisine.” The menu centers on handmade pasta and risotto, and the restaurant also offers weekend brunch.
14. Richie’s Café
Richie’s Café on ALB Connection · Richie’s Café website
Location: 1802 N Warnock St, Temple University campus | Cuisine: Cafe
Richie’s Café started in 1969 as Richie’s Deli and Pizza, a food truck at Temple University, according to its website, and is now a cafe on the campus serving coffee, breakfast, paninis and waffles. It opens Monday to Friday 7 am to 6 pm and on weekends 9 am to 4 pm.
15. Il Sorriso Cafe
Il Sorriso Cafe on ALB Connection · Il Sorriso Cafe website
Location: 2400 N Howard St, Fairhill | Cuisine: Cafe: crepes and sandwiches
Il Sorriso is a small family cafe in Fairhill serving sweet and savory crepes, breakfast sandwiches and coffee, with online ordering through its website. Hours listed online differ, so check before a Sunday visit.
16. One Pound Cheesesteak
One Pound Cheesesteak on ALB Connection · One Pound Cheesesteak website
Location: 2661 Kensington Ave, Kensington | Cuisine: Cheesesteaks and hoagies
Owner Jimmy Resuli, originally from Albania, bought this Kensington corner shop in 2008 and renamed it One Pound Cheesesteaks, Spirit News reported. As the name says, the house cheesesteak weighs a pound; the shop also makes sirloin cheesesteaks and hoagies.
17. Happ’s
Happ’s on ALB Connection · Happ’s Instagram
Location: 1862 Frankford Ave, Fishtown | Cuisine: Breakfast and lunch
Happ’s is a family breakfast and lunch luncheonette on Frankford Avenue, open Tuesday to Sunday from 8 am to 3 pm. Regulars order the sausage, egg and cheese on a long roll, egg cheesesteaks and cheeseburgers. It has no website; its Instagram is the best place to check hours.
Northwest Philadelphia: Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill
Germantown Avenue has two Albanian-owned restaurants a few doors apart in Mt. Airy.
18. Toska Restaurant & Brewery
Toska Restaurant & Brewery on ALB Connection · Toska Restaurant & Brewery website
Location: 7136 Germantown Ave, Mt. Airy | Cuisine: Brewpub: pizza, burgers, cheesesteaks
Toska is named after Tosk, the dialect of southern Albania. Its About page introduces founders Jim, Pep and Leo Osmanollaj as Albanian owners from Kosovo who fled the Kosovo war as children; the same brothers run M2O, Have-a-Burger and Babs Hot Chicken. Toska brews its own beer in the former Earth Bread + Brewery space, and its food menu brings in sujuk, the spiced Balkan sausage, on the Motherland pie (with caramelized onions and fig balsamic) and on the Toska cheesesteak.
19. La Trattoria
La Trattoria on ALB Connection · La Trattoria website
Location: 7131 Germantown Ave, Mt. Airy | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
La Trattoria, formerly Trattoria Moma, is run by chef and owner Bledar Istrefi, who came to Philadelphia from Albania after winning the immigration lottery in 2004, as he told the Chestnut Hill Local. Its dinner menu includes calamari fritti, linguine pescatore and branzino, and it runs a Tuesday family dinner. He also owns Dua in Bryn Mawr (below).
20. Adelina’s Restaurant and Bar
Adelina’s Restaurant and Bar on ALB Connection · Adelina’s Restaurant and Bar website
Location: 8235 Germantown Ave, Chestnut Hill | Cuisine: Italian
Adelina’s is the Italian restaurant and bar of the Chestnut Hill Hotel. Its October 2026 dinner menu includes semolina zeppole with prosciutto and stracciatella, Wagyu meatballs with soft polenta and eggplant parm, and it also serves brunch and happy hour.
Northeast Philadelphia
21. The Philmont Bar & Grill
The Philmont Bar & Grill on ALB Connection · The Philmont Bar & Grill website
Location: 14000 Bustleton Ave, Somerton | Cuisine: Bar and grill
The Philmont, at the corner of Bustleton and Philmont Avenues, is a bar and grill with a Mediterranean-leaning menu alongside cheesesteaks, pizza and wings. It takes online orders and reservations through its website, stays open late and hosts events such as a comedy night.
22. Chubby’s Deli
Chubby’s Deli on ALB Connection · Chubby’s Deli website
Location: 537 Hoffnagle St, Fox Chase | Cuisine: Deli
Chubby’s has been a Fox Chase neighborhood deli since 2010, according to its website, making chicken cutlet sandwiches, Philly hoagies, homemade salads and catering trays.
Montgomery County
Huntingdon Valley, just over the city line, has three Albanian-owned Italian BYOBs.
23. La Voglia Mediterranean Restaurant
La Voglia Mediterranean Restaurant on ALB Connection · La Voglia Mediterranean Restaurant website
Location: 3500 Reading Way, Huntingdon Valley | Cuisine: Mediterranean BYOB
La Voglia’s Huntingdon Valley restaurant is co-owned by Arber Mullai, who grew up in Albania; we told his story in our feature on Arber Mullai. The Mediterranean menu includes an Albanian salad (cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives, peppers and feta), crispy calamari and filet mignon. Its sister restaurant is La Voglia Italian in Warminster (below).
24. La Strada Italian Cuisine
La Strada Italian Cuisine on ALB Connection · La Strada Italian Cuisine website
Location: 2519 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
La Strada is an Italian BYOB in the Valley Court Yard center with free corkage, according to its website. The menu includes linguine pescatore, calamari fritti al Modena and involtini di melanzane.
25. Osteria Saporino
Osteria Saporino on ALB Connection · Osteria Saporino website
Location: 1051 County Line Rd, Huntingdon Valley | Cuisine: Italian BYOB and seafood
Osteria Saporino is a family Italian BYOB with a seafood focus. Its menu includes octopus and calamari alla piastra, black linguine with shrimp, clams and artichokes, and burrata Saporino. It serves lunch Monday to Saturday and dinner daily.
26. Via 417
Via 417 on ALB Connection · Via 417 website
Location: 417 Old York Rd, Jenkintown | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Via 417 is an Italian BYOB on Old York Road in Jenkintown, open daily from 3 pm. Reviewers single out its pappardelle with mushrooms and short rib, cavatelli and seafood risotto; the menu is on its website.
27. Le Onde Ristorante
Le Onde Ristorante on ALB Connection · Le Onde Ristorante website
Location: 7909 Park Ave, Elkins Park | Cuisine: Italian BYOB, handmade pasta
Le Onde is a small Italian BYOB in Elkins Park known for handmade pasta, open Wednesday to Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm according to its website. Call ahead to confirm hours.
28. Bistro Albertino
Bistro Albertino on ALB Connection · Bistro Albertino Facebook page
Location: 634 N York Rd, Willow Grove | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Bistro Albertino is an Italian BYOB on York Road with well over a thousand reviews on OpenTable, where diners mention its homemade pasta, chicken marsala and veal. It has no website, only a Facebook page, so call before you go.
29. Trattoria Valona
Trattoria Valona on ALB Connection · Trattoria Valona website
Location: 420 S York Rd, Hatboro | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Trattoria Valona is run by Ilir and Luljeta Telushi, who are listed as its executive chefs. The restaurant describes itself as authentic BYOB Italian cuisine in the heart of Hatboro; its menu includes homemade meatballs, chicken parmigiana and caprese. It is closed on Mondays.
30. Babs Hot Chicken
Babs Hot Chicken on ALB Connection · Babs Hot Chicken website
Location: 725 S Trooper Rd, Audubon | Cuisine: Nashville-style hot chicken
Babs Hot Chicken was created by the Osmanollaj brothers as a tribute to their grandfather, Baba, who, as the restaurant’s story puts it, spent his life raising chickens in Kosovo. The menu centers on the Original sandwich (hot chicken with creamy slaw, pickles and Baba’s sauce), mac bowls and loaded fries. It opens daily from 11 am to 9 pm.
Bucks County
31. La Voglia Italian Restaurant
La Voglia Italian Restaurant on ALB Connection · La Voglia Italian Restaurant website
Location: 216 W Street Rd, Warminster | Cuisine: Modern Italian BYOB
The Warminster La Voglia, opened in 2020, is the Italian sister of La Voglia Mediterranean and shares its owners, including co-owner Arber Mullai. Dishes on its menu include stuffed eggplant with crab and shrimp and vitello or pollo balsamico. It is a BYOB.
32. Amore Restaurant
Amore Restaurant on ALB Connection · Amore Restaurant website
Location: 8630 New Falls Rd, Levittown | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Amore is co-owned by brothers Erind and Gledis Hysenaj and opened in May 2024 in the former Pat’s Pizza & Bistro. “The Albanian native had been cooking in restaurants for the last 13 years before the brothers opened Amore,” Falls Township wrote of Erind, a self-taught chef. The menu includes Chicken Amore with shrimp and crabmeat, a seafood fettuccine and wild mushroom and black truffle ravioli. Closed on Mondays.
33. Garden of Eatin’ Restaurant
Garden of Eatin’ Restaurant on ALB Connection · Garden of Eatin’ Restaurant website
Location: 964 Woodbourne Rd, Levittown | Cuisine: Family restaurant with a Mediterranean menu
Garden of Eatin’ is a family restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and from 2 pm it adds a Mediterranean menu with Balkan dishes: its 2026 Mediterranean menu lists burek with spinach or feta, qevapa (beef and veal sausages, spelled the Albanian way) and a mixed grill of lamb and qevapa. It is closed on Mondays.
Delaware County, the Main Line and Chester County
34. Dua Restaurant
Dua Restaurant on ALB Connection · Dua Restaurant website
Location: 1000 W Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr | Cuisine: Mediterranean and Italian with Albanian dishes
Dua is the Main Line restaurant of chef Bledar Istrefi, who also owns La Trattoria in Mt. Airy. Its dinner menu is the most Albanian in the area outside the city: burek flambé (filo with sheep’s milk cheese, honey and ouzo), an Albanian salad and shrimp saganaki, alongside Italian dishes. The Inquirer included it among Main Line BYOBs in 2025. It opens for dinner Tuesday to Saturday.
35. Villa Artigiano Ristorante
Villa Artigiano Ristorante on ALB Connection · Villa Artigiano Ristorante website
Location: 53 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore | Cuisine: Italian BYOB
Villa Artigiano is an Italian BYOB on Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore serving lunch and dinner. Its dinner menu includes burrata caponata, funghi Trentino and fried artichokes stuffed with mozzarella, and it also caters.
36. Have-a-Burger
Have-a-Burger on ALB Connection · Have-a-Burger website
Location: 1002 Darby Rd, Havertown (in the Havertown Skatium) | Cuisine: Burgers
Have-a-Burger is run by the Osmanollaj brothers, who escaped the Kosovo war and opened it in Havertown in 2016, the Chestnut Hill Local reported. It sits inside the Havertown Skatium, and its menu includes Our Burger, the Delco Smash and The Hawk.
37. Crisp Chik’n
Crisp Chik’n on ALB Connection · Crisp Chik’n website
Location: 27 N Lansdowne Ave, Lansdowne | Cuisine: Fried chicken sandwiches
Crisp Chik’n, owned by Musa Kajdomqaj, opened in Lansdowne in 2021 and added a West Chester location in 2024. It makes chicken sandwiches with a choice of heat level, tenders and burgers (Crisp Chik’n). Check hours before you go.
38. Geo’s Steaks
Geo’s Steaks on ALB Connection · Geo’s Steaks website
Location: 500 E Providence Rd, Aldan | Cuisine: Cheesesteaks and hoagies
Geo’s Steaks, in the Penn Pines Shopping Center on the Aldan and Clifton Heights line, makes cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks and loaded fries, and lists daily hours from 10 am to 11 pm on its website. Call ahead to confirm.
39. Our Deli and Cafe
Our Deli and Cafe on ALB Connection · Our Deli and Cafe website
Location: 41 E Lancaster Ave, Paoli (also 498 Nutt Rd, Phoenixville) | Cuisine: Deli and breakfast cafe
Our Deli and Cafe serves breakfast and lunch in Paoli and in Phoenixville (Our Deli and Cafe). The menu runs from Belgian waffles and breakfast burritos to deli sandwiches and root beer floats.
Albanians in Philadelphia: The Community Behind the Restaurants
Albanians have been part of Philadelphia since the early twentieth century. The city’s oldest Albanian institutions are its Orthodox parishes, and in recent years the community has restored the eighteenth-century Lower Dublin Academy in Northeast Philadelphia as an Albanian cultural center (6abc). The Census figures above count only people who name Albanian ancestry on the survey, so they are not a full headcount: many Albanians from Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro are recorded under other ancestries.
| Area | People reporting Albanian ancestry |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | about 10,400 |
| Philadelphia metro area | about 9,100 |
| City of Philadelphia | about 4,200 (margin of error about 1,300) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024, Table B04006.
For neighborhoods, churches, community organizations and more Albanian-owned businesses, see our guide to Albanians in Philadelphia and the directory of Albanian businesses in Philadelphia.
What to Order: Albanian and Balkan Dishes on Philadelphia Menus
These dishes appear on the current menus or in recent coverage of the restaurants in this guide:
- Qofte, Albanian meatballs, at Two Eagles Cafe. See our qofte recipe.
- Fërgesë, peppers, tomatoes and cheese baked together, at Two Eagles Cafe. See our fërgesë recipe.
- Burek (byrek in Albanian), flaky filled pastry, at Dua (as burek flambé) and at Garden of Eatin’ (spinach or feta). Read byrek vs börek vs burek or make byrek me mish at home.
- Qevapa, small grilled sausages of minced beef and veal, at Garden of Eatin’.
- Sujuk (suxhuk), spiced dry sausage, on Toska’s Motherland pie and Toska cheesesteak. See our suxhuk recipe.
- Albanian salad, tomato, cucumber, onion, peppers, olives and feta, at Dua and La Voglia Mediterranean. See our Albanian salad recipe.
We did not find tavë kosi on the menus of the restaurants in this guide. To try it, see our tavë kosi recipe, or read our guide to Albanian food.
Before You Go
Many of these restaurants are BYOB, so bring your own wine: Ambrosia, La Viola, La Fontana Della Citta, La Sera Italiana, Bistro La Baia, Valentina, La Trattoria, Dua, Villa Artigiano, both La Voglia restaurants, La Strada (free corkage), Osteria Saporino, Via 417, Le Onde, Bistro Albertino, Trattoria Valona and Amore. Several are closed on Mondays, including Happ’s, Amore, Trattoria Valona, Garden of Eatin’ and the La Voglia restaurants, and Dua and La Trattoria open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Two Eagles Cafe serves breakfast and lunch only. Bistro Albertino has no website, so call before you go.
Beyond Philadelphia: More Albanian Restaurant Guides
Explore Albanian-owned dining in other parts of the United States:
Albanian Restaurants in Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley and western Pennsylvania.
Albanian Restaurants in New Jersey, Albanian-owned restaurants across New Jersey.
Best Albanian Restaurants in NYC, our guide to Albanian-owned restaurants across New York City.
Best Albanian Restaurants in the Bronx, steakhouses, seafood spots and Balkan grills in the Bronx.
Albanian Restaurants in Connecticut, from Greenwich to the Naugatuck Valley.
Albanian Restaurants in Detroit, Albanian-owned restaurants across Metro Detroit.
Albanian Restaurants in Chicago, from Balkan grills to Italian steakhouses.
Albanian Restaurants Near Me, find Albanian-owned restaurants by state and city.
Best Albanian Bakeries in the US, where to find byrek and other baked goods.
Browse the full ALB Connection business directory
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Albanian restaurants are there in Philadelphia?
Where can I eat Albanian food in Philadelphia?
Why are there so many Albanian-owned Italian restaurants in Philadelphia?
How many Albanians live in Philadelphia?
Are Albanian restaurants in Philadelphia BYOB?
Is there an Albanian cheesesteak in Philadelphia?
How can I find an Albanian restaurant near me?
Do Albanian restaurants in Philadelphia serve halal food?
How do I get my Albanian restaurant listed in this guide?
Own an Albanian Restaurant in Philadelphia? Get Listed
If you own or operate an Albanian restaurant in the Philadelphia area, we want to feature you. Add your business to the ALB Connection directory to reach people looking for Albanian-owned dining.
List your restaurant now | Contact us
Related guide
For the full picture of Albanian life in the city, neighborhoods, history, and the business directory, see our Albanians in Philadelphia guide.
Looking for more? Browse the full directory of Albanian restaurants in Pennsylvania.
Sources
Restaurant details checked on 2 November 2026 against each restaurant’s own website or menu and the coverage below.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020 to 2024, Table B04006, People Reporting Ancestry
- WHYY, Northeast Philadelphia school to be reborn as an Albanian cultural center, 2018
- 6abc, Lower Dublin Academy restoration by Albanian Americans
- Billy Penn, Two Eagles Cafe, August 2025
- Billy Penn, La Sera Italiana, April 2024
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Ambrosia, April 2019
- Philadelphia Inquirer, La Fontana Della Citta, September 2016
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Main Line BYOBs, March 2025
- Chestnut Hill Local, Bledar Istrefi, November 2021
- Chestnut Hill Local, Toska, August 2023
- Spirit News, One Pound Cheesesteak, June 2017
- Falls Township, Amore Restaurant business profile
- Toska Restaurant & Brewery, About
- Babs Hot Chicken, Our Story
- M2O Burgers & Salads, About
- Valentina Ristorante, official website
- La Fontana Della Citta, Our Story
Author: Val Demiri
Valbona is an editor and writer at ALB Connection, where she covers the people, businesses, and culture shaping the Albanian diaspora. A journalism graduate of the University of Iowa, her work spans community profiles, success stories, and features on Albanian life across the US, Europe, and beyond. She is drawn to stories that celebrate Albanian achievement and keep the community connected across borders.
