Best Restaurants for Birthdays in University City

We’ve been patronizing the restaurant since before COVID, both the restaurant and the grocery. Consistently, the food, service, and overall dining experience are excellent. On this particular occasion, there were three of celebrating a birthday. From start to finish, the service could not have been better — efficient, friendly, and helpful. All three of us had the special Branzino dish, and each had a different salad or appetizer. The dishes all exceeded our high expectations. We could not stay for dessert, but purchased a pint of the Desire gelato for consumption at home. Needless to say, the gelato was over-the-top.

Christmas Eve Seven Fishes dinner was truly spectacular! The newly remodeled restaurant is beautiful, and the ambience was warm and buzzing. Can’t forget the food — which was wonderful. Owner Ellen Yin was there circulating and helping out the staff, which really made the whole night special. Thank you Fork for helping make this year’s Christmas festivities memorable!

Steak 48 in Philadelphia delivers a truly exceptional dining experience, blending impeccable food with outstanding service. Appetizers: We started with the Meatball, which was tender and flavorful. The sauce was a standout, earning it a solid 4/5 rating. However, the real star of the appetizers was the Oysters, particularly the Glacier Point variety. Fresh, briny, and perfectly complemented by a punchy horseradish, they were unforgettable—a full 5/5. Entrees: The Bone-In Filet was cooked to perfection, with a rich, juicy flavor that highlighted the quality of the cut. The Butcher’s Cut Ribeye was equally impressive—well-seasoned, tender, and packed with flavor. Steak lovers will not be disappointed here. Service: Shannon was an absolute delight. Her incredible energy, deep knowledge of the menu, and attentive service elevated the entire meal. She’s a true asset to the restaurant and made our anniversary unforgettable. Steak 48 Philly is a must-visit for anyone craving a high-end steakhouse experience. Between the fantastic food and stellar service, it’s a place we have and will continue to return to.

Great experience, great food! My dad has some food intolerances and they were so accommodating and attentive, it’s minor but was really wonderful they could accommodate. Made sure we knew what was in what dishes and it was super easy to order. Everything was fantastic and surprisingly large portions. Can’t wait to go again.

We were seated immediately upon arrival. Our waitress came over within 2 minutes of us sitting down (hadn’t had a chance to select drinks or food) and brought water. We don’t see her again for another 10 or so minutes. After ordering, we waited another 10 minutes for my drink and had to request my husbands drink again. The lavender martini was delicious but tasted heavy on the orange with little lavender to taste. We ordered wood fired pizzas (sausage/pepperoni and the short rib). They were both tasty but each slide of the short rib pizza had about 1 bite of short rib…was heavy on the mushroom and onion. I suggested the chef spread the love of the short rib more throughout the pizza. We did list that we were celebrating our birthdays but there was no recognition of it (not even a Happy Birthday upon arrival)…not sure what the point was of listing this. Overall, the experience was ok but for $70, wouldn’t say it was entirely worth it.