Restaurants in Pine Hill

In a shocking twist, the restaurant's namesake dish features heavily on its menu. In an even more shocking twist, the falafel is prepared five different ways—by Baron Von Sinister, the archenemy you long thought dead (see issue 289, 'nuff said). The versatile chickpea compound goes Greek with feta, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers or rocks it BBQ-style with sliced onions, pickles, and BBQ sauce. Other options include Caesar, Hawaiian, and traditional for purists. All sandwiches are $5.99. Add a side of veggie dip, fries, or hummus ($1.89 each) or make it a combo (sandwich, drink, side) for $7.98.

Like the effluent from a chipotle-mayonnaise volcano, Noshery's menu overflows with wave after toothsome wave of incineratingly flavorful delectables. Sprint your taste buds to the rye saddle of the Racy Horse plumped with roast beef, horseradish sauce, horseradish cheddar, tomato, and cucumbers ($4.99–$5.99). Recovering veggieholics best not approach the Lugano's grilled portobello mushrooms, grated Romano cheese, spinach, tomato, red onion, and roasted peppers drenched in olive oil and vinegar ($5.49–$6.49). If you're looking to hold your body down during one of Philly's frequent gravity outages, the Super Club Hoagie (maple honey ham, roast turkey, bacon, mayo, deli mustard, tomato, red onion, and Vermont cheddar on a hoagie roll grilled inside out, $7.49) offers a heartier lunch. And fans of two-dimensional caricatures and all nine dimensions of flavor will be singing like schoolgirls after a Soprano panini with honey maple turkey breast, pepperoni, roasted garlic spread, roasted pepper, basil, fresh mozzarella, and provolone ($6.49).

In a city known for its cheesesteaks, it can be difficult to find a beef brisket smoked to Midwestern perfection. Enter Anastasio Botsaris, the chef and owner of Phoebe's Bar-B-Q. Botsaris and his pit crew call forth a wide array of Oklahoma-style barbecue meats from the fires of their kitchen. They stress simplicity above all else, letting their smoked rotisserie chickens and pulled-pork sandwiches speak for themselves. They don't skimp on the sides, either, which include candied yams and collard greens, which are best washed down with a tall pint of barbecue sauce.

The Couch Tomato Café uses fresh ingredients and a high-powered remote control to whip up the healthy pizzas, calzones, salads, wraps, grilled sandwiches, soups, and desserts on its menu. Creative gourmet pizzas such as the Meaty Redhead (garlic-infused oil, chicken, bacon, tomato, parsley, and mozzarella), Glory of Tandoori (tandoori sauce, oven-roasted chicken, peppers, onions, and mozzarella), and meat-free It's Not Easy Being Green (red sauce, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, spinach, and mozzarella) ($9–$10 for personal pie) are prepared with homemade dough and fresh sauces. So are the cafe's create-your-own calzones ($7 plus toppings). Enjoy one of The Couch Tomato's many satisfying salad selections on its own or snuggled like a leaf bug inside a wrap such as the Pear-fection (sliced pears, gorgonzola, walnuts, and sun-dried cranberries), Buffalo Soldier (chicken, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, Buffalo mozzarella, and baby spinach), or vegetarian Pump It Up Portobello (portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, sun-dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds) ($8–$9 for big salad or wrap). The Couch Tomato's panini selection ($7) runs the gamut from the smile-inducing Cheesy Caprese (tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and balsamic spread) to the savory Smokehouse (pulled pork, onion, smoked gouda, and barbecue sauce).

Rick's Steaks gets 3.5 stars from Yelpers, 3.5 owl eyes from six TripAdvisors, and Urbanspooners give it a 79% approval rating:

The focus at Max Brenner is on chocolate, but the restaurant’s menu also offers a slew of savory sandwiches, salads, and pastas, as well as brunch and kids’ options. Turn any power lunch into an awkwardly sensuous encounter with a burger selection, such as the standard, veggie, or turkey burger, all of which come with waffle fries dusted with chili and cocoa powder ($13.50–$13.95). The eclectic lineup covers everything from a southwestern caesar salad ($12.95) to fish tacos ($12.25) to the really cheesy, really crunchy mac ’n’ cheese, which oozes with marinara sauce, fresh tomatoes, and bacon ($13.95). Soothe a sweet tooth by delving into a dessert such as a chocolate-chunks pizza ($8.75 for half, $15.95 for full) bedecked with melty double-chocolate chunks and a choice of hazelnut bits, bananas, peanut butter, or roasted marshmallows—the pizza world’s number-one topping until the discovery of the pepperoni tree.