Food & Drink in King of Prussia

The warm staff at Ruby's Diner draws from more than 25 years comfort cooking to dish up mouthwatering menus of all-American grilled goodies in an old-fashioned setting with lightning-fast service. Tasty appetizers cross-train forks and phalanges in preparation for main course by dead lifting hearty cheese fry barbells or mastering gymnastic routines with battered onion rings. Fix fangs into a third of a pound of all-natural USDA Choice beef from grass-fed, hormone-free cows on the signature Super burger, ensnared in a net of melted double swiss cheese and fresh avocado on a grilled parmesan sourdough bun. Thick-cut slices of hickory-smoked bacon emblazon an X atop the hickory burger's hearty treasure trove of steak-cut onion rings, melted cheddar, and tangy barbecue sauce. A refillable bounty of Ruby's famous fries accompanies all burgers and sandwiches and boasts zero trans-fats, and those looking to dodge starches can wrap up platters of chicken or fish. Like the lipstick imprint at the end of every Shakespearean sonnet, old-fashioned milk shakes seal meals with a sweet kiss in a choice of 20 handmade flavors, including double-dark-chocolate chip, oreo, and banana cream dream.

Draped in white cloth and navy blue napkins that match the surrounding chairs, the square tables in Stirling's Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Valley Forge support plates topped with heaps of casual steak-house fare concocted by executive chef Mark Spaulding. Attentive wait staff escort dinnertime plates of crabmeat-stuffed mushrooms or filet mignon and bison burgers from the kitchen to the hotel's lobby level dining quarters. Earlier in the day, omelets and waffles arrive made to order at breakfast buffets, and lunch buffets appease palates with chef-carved slices of pork, beef, or turkey and chef Mark's pasta creation of the day. All the while, the restaurant's lounge accommodates feasters with bar bites and televisions broadcasting the latest sports. For overnight guests, chef Mark whips up dishes of breakfast and casual dining fare for room service delivered by carrier pigeons that double as cooing wake-up calls.

A lengthy lineup of traditional game-day fare and a sports atmosphere captivate fans at Fox and Hound - Bailey's, where the kitchen remains open as late as its neighboring fully stocked bar. Chefs cook until the wee hours of the morning and always until the bar closes, baking Bavarian pretzel starters, crafting towers of onion rings, and preparing hand-battered chicken tenders that are cooked until they are golden brown. They blend their own seasonings to sprinkle over grilled-to-order burgers, and draw from a diverse roster of cheeses and toppings to crown their wood-oven-inspired flatbreads.

While manning the bars, bartenders tap into a stash of libations, such as UV Whipped vodka and Patron Silver tequila, to mix their specialty cocktails. To further foster a sporting ambiance, high-definition TVs glow with sports games and custom music-video playlists, and guests partake in pastimes of ump bashing, billiards, or competitive people watching.

Chef John Talbot delivers mouthwatering fare from the land and the sea to rest on Creed's elegant white tablecloths. Yellowfin tuna drizzled with ponzu sauce ($29) and chimichurri-topped New Zealand king salmon ($28) headline a list of fresh charcoal-grilled fish. Manager and sommelier Josef Plattner is often on hand to offer suggestions for which wine to pair with a New York strip steak ($38) or to mingle with a mustard-herb-crusted rack of lamb ($36). Though the menu favors meat, there are also a number of tasty vegetarian options, including the house-made vegetarian ravioli, stuffed with crimini mushrooms and ricotta cheese, served with fried spinach and a gazpacho coulis ($18). With its soft cream-hued walls and tasteful décor, Creed's is an ideal location for romantic get-togethers or business meetings with bands of ravenous highwaymen.

In 1957, while in the twilight of their careers as Baltimore Colts in the burgeoning NFL, Alan Ameche and Captain Gino Marchetti opened up the first Gino's with their pal, Louis C. Fischer. In the mid-1960s, Tom Romano joined the company and eventually rose to the position of chief operating officer. Through the years, the crew helped innovate the restaurant industry, especially with the Gino's Giant burger in 1966, whose triple-decker design arguably went on to inspire the multipatty burgers of other national fast-food chains. Ahead of their time, the team later cobranded with Kentucky Fried Chicken to bolster their menu and widen their appeal to the public before Gino's was acquired by the Roy Rogers brand in 1982, leaving many nostalgic for one of the fast-food industry's originals. It wasn't until 2009, when Tom called up Gino to pose the idea of bringing Gino's back, that fans of the eatery could begin to quell their well-documented nostalgia in anticipation of enjoying Gino’s special recipes once again. Today, the menu boasts off-the-grill burgers, more than 100 flavors of real ice-cream shakes, and the return of the Gino's Giant, slathered in a secret sauce that was kept secret all these years by hiding it inside a modern-day football.

Following Baja Fresh’s ethos set in 1990 as a healthy take on fast food, never-frozen meats sizzle atop the grill before they're tucked into made-to-order tacos and burritos. Grilled corn and flour tortillas embrace fish, carnitas, chicken, and steak, and smoky queso fundido sidles onto nachos and into burritos. Between bites, chips scoop up salsa made from farm-fresh produce rather than poured out of a can or fabricated in a space-age replicator. A complimentary salsa bar ensures no mouthful goes unspiced, and guests can scoop up their favorites as they await their dine-in, takeout, or catering orders.

Bagelicious's 20 varieties of dough wheels increase their edible utility by teaming up with 12 tasty gourmet cream cheeses and keeping an arsenal of pastries and lunchtime sandwiches close by. Silky sheets of vanilla-walnut-raisin and peach cream cheese ($7.25/lb.) blanket soft apple-cinnamon or whole-wheat bagel beds ($0.85/1, $4.15/6, or $8/13), offering taste buds a nutritious place to sleep. The bagel sandwich's two eggs and bacon ($3.50) sizzle melodiously, laying a beat for synchronized eating, and pizza trimmings tango atop midday bagels ($4.85). Meanwhile, mischievous apple fritters ($2.20) and muffins ($2.05) let tongues frolic through meadows of sweet flavor while they hot-wire the jaw and cruise away.