Philadelphia, PA - We found our way to The Living Room Cafe by recommendation of one very satisfied customer (word of mouth is one of our favorite ways to discover a new spot). Owner Zachary Scott took over the restaurant at 703 South 5th St. and reopened in September 2015 to offer a menu that is locally sourced and freshly prepared with organic, gluten free, and vegan options for dining in or delivery.
A small operation, we consider ourselves family. Homegrown and passionate, we strive daily to serve our guests with the highest quality goods – made from scratch – using the finest ingredients.
This BYOB cafe serves “farm to table your way” with a menu that is totally a la carte and customizable. The front of the store is being converted into a market offering pre-packaged locally-sourced items, including sandwiches, salads, canned soups and jarred in-house pickles. The back room is the main dining area with a couch and other decor reminiscent of being inside someone’s home.
Be sure to check out the Trivial Pursuit framed picture hanging above the couch, this and many other items are antiques collected from Chef Scott’s childhood that he has brought with him into the restaurant for an extra touch of authenticity.
However, our favorite space here might be the outdoor garden which was re-purposed from a trash filled alley. Volunteers from Urbanstead, Mighty Writers and Cleveland Street Neighbor Garden all pitched in to help clear away debris and make space for beautiful palette wood benches, tables, and herb garden. Common Market donated supplies as well. Chef Scott plans to put in a plexiglass roof over the outdoor space so its beauty can be enjoyed year round.
When customers stop by, I’m sure they wouldn’t guess that Chef Scott has dreamed of opening his own restaurant since he was 13 years old. His mother was a chef who worked in catering and sourced many ingredients from the Pennsylvania Dutch. Growing up his home was basically outfitted as a professional kitchen. With his sister being vegan, he quickly adapted to changing recipes and creating new items. After helping open 4 other restaurants, waiting for the right partner and location he found this spot in a stroke of good luck on Craigslist.
Stop by and see for yourself the quality of the menu here at The Living Room Cafe. Everything is made from scratch, and we mean everything. With an impressive variety for vegan and gluten-free customers, the Cheesecake, Quiche, Double Chocolate Pound Cake, Banana Bread, and Scones are most popular. In fact the scones are never sitting for long as one loyal customer always insists on buying the bunch when she sees them available. Believe us, the scones are as good as they say. We also loved that the quiche was offered in 2 varieties and chose to pair it with a side salad.
Named after the infamous radio hosts, the menu boasts The Preston, which is cinnamon apple French toast, warm dulce de leche, bourbon blueberry compote,homemade whipped anglaise and walnuts, or the And Steve with one chocolate chip waffle and one coconut waffle with granola, honey, syrup, butter and fresh fruit. We went for the waffle combo and were not at all disappointed in piling on all the toppings to our hearts desire.
For more of the savory fans there is the Wake and Bake Burrito with baked eggs, choice of cheese, homemade salsa, fresh baked black beans and sour cream. The Kathy Sandwich is also big with the gluten free crowd with two egg whites, arugula, pepper cracked peach slices and avocado served on a gluten free bagel.
They also serve lunch here, so don’t miss the option to create your own sandwich or choose from one on the menu. The Chicken Jawn is very popular made with roast chicken breast with sharp provolone, roasted tomatoes, spinach, caramelized onions and homemade balsamic pesto on a ciabatta with the thinnest spread of stone ground mustard. Vegan diners love the Sloppy Tofu Popper with tofu, Vegenaise, sliced roasted Brussels sprouts, arugula, thick sliced tomatoes and caramelized onions. And if you’re watching your waistline we’d recommend The Flux Capacitor Salad with spring mix, arugula, chia, hemp, granola, strawberries, walnuts and roasted beets with a drizzle of reduced balsamic and a splash of blood orange extra virgin olive oil.
The Living Room Cafe is also the perfect place to hold your private meeting, holiday party, birthday party or shower. The cafe is available for private events weekdays from 5pm-10pm, or on Saturdays and Sundays from 5pm-8pm. Price including food is $14/person for adults and $8/person for kids, for up to 2 hours (minimum $200). Check their catering menu online and call Zack at 484.437.2069 for availability and reservations.
Well what are you waiting for? Stop by or grab an order via Grubhub, Caviar, UberEATS, or Postmates! Didn’t your mother tell you breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
