The ultimate neighborhood guide on where to eat, drink, and play in West Philly’s Cedar Park

During nine years slinging seitan on the grill at Hibiscus Cafe in Cedar Park, Earl Young welcomed the ever-shifting demographic of visitors and residents popping in for vegan Philly cheesesteaks and Jamaican jerk tofu wraps.

“Getting familiarized with the people that grew up around here, they say the exact same thing — [the neighborhood] is always changing,” he said. “You see more diverse [groups of] people and a lot more younger [people].

“But you still see the grassroots community of the neighborhood, too,” Young added.

Cedar Park’s boundaries often get misconstrued with its neighbor Spruce Hill to the east. According to Cedar Park Neighbors, this West Philly neighborhood is defined by Larchwood Avenue to the north, 52nd Street to the west, SEPTA Rail Line and Kingsessing Avenue to the south, and 46th Street to the east.

Much of the hustle and bustle happens on Baltimore Avenue. Folks venture into heavy metal hair salon Talking Headz, then pop over with a fresh haircut to Mariposa Food Co-op to buy ingredients for dinner. Students settle in at Buna Cafe with a book and an Ethiopian tea, or Satellite Cafe with a laptop and a macadamia nut latte.

The community’s generations of families exhibit its deep sense of history, said Keri Girmindl of Common Beats Music store. Meanwhile, the multicultural, communal backbone of this West Philly neighborhood is bolstered by creative businesses offering Ethiopian cheesesteaks, newcomers serving home-grown brews, and even a communal jazz concert series celebrating local musicians.

Here’s how to spend the day in Cedar Park.

A sign that says “Hibiscus Food for Life” beckons you to experience Earl Young’s Caribbean vegan food. Here, regulars are devoted to menu items like the spiced seitan piled into a cheesesteak, Jamaican jerk tofu neatly stuffed into a wrap, and freshly blended smoothies. The quick ordering and fast service are ideal for those looking for good grub to go, but you can also dine in as Young’s cat, Cathy, comes scurrying out to greet everyone.

📍4907 Catharine St., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-307-3749, 🌐 instagram.com/hibiscus_cafe__

Among the tubs of gochujang and Kewpie mayo, this mini-mart goes through about 100 to 150 Liscio’s hoagie rolls daily, serving Vietnamese and Philadelphia-style sandwiches. Find chargrilled pork, tofu, shredded chicken, and classic pork with pate in báhn mì sandwiches, and tuna salad, salami, and more in hoagies. This grab-and-go spot has plenty of snacks and drinks to accompany your sandwich of choice. When it comes to the store’s inventory, owner Dave Lai thinks about his customers. “My focus is the neighborhood and what they want,” said Lai, whose parents opened the mini-mart in 1982 and also own Vietnam Cafe nearby.

📍810 S. 47th St., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-729-2993, 🌐 fuwahminimarket.com

Platters of meat and veggies to scoop up with injera and DJ’d dance parties sound like an unlikely pairing, but Dahlak is a neighborhood hotspot. Come for classic Eritrean-Ethiopian dishes, including flavorful beef stir-fry and braised lamb meat stew. It’s also known for hosting community events, including comedy showcases and karaoke nights. If you pop in after 10 p.m., get your hands on Ethiopian braised beef cheesesteaks or vegan sloppy joes.

📍4708 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-726-6464, 🌐 dahlakrestaurant.com

With tables and chairs under a pergola and ample seating, Booker’s is a favorite for outdoor and group dining in Philly. As described by founder Saba Tedla, the neighborhood restaurant opened in 2017 with fried chicken and waffles, seafood mac and cheese, and blackened catfish, fueling a thriving brunch and dinner scene. The Baltimore Avenue hotspot is now owned by the husband-and-wife team Tracey and Cheri Syphax, who bought the restaurant and its adjoining lounge, the Bayou, in March 2023. The new menu boasts lamb lollipops, bourbon-glazed pork chops, barbecue shrimp, and more. The Bayou hosts weekly events, including paint and sip, live music, karaoke nights, and spoken-word performances.

📍5021 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-883-0960, 🌐 bookersrestaurantandbar.com

Next to Firehouse Bicycles sits Satellite Cafe, where you’ll find herbal tea blends (curry cardamom root, turmeric root, fennel, and more) purported to help with head-to-toe arthritis, Sri Lankan black tea, Earl Grey with hints of rose, spicy-sweet chai, and more. Satellite Cafe also pumps out aromatic blends for specialty lattes featuring almond, hazelnut, nutmeg ginger, and macadamia nut syrups.

📍701 S. 50th St., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 484-640-8023, 🌐 instagram.com/satellitecafe

At this Laotian restaurant, the Thai iced coffee or tea are great options for a quick pick-me-up. Vientiane Cafe’s blends of bold black tea and strong coffee with sugar and milk (or coconut milk) hit the spot when looking for a cold, sweet drink. And you can’t go wrong pairing that with a fried banana tempura drizzled with honey. Just remember to bring cash to this BYOB.

📍4728 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-726-1095, 🌐 vientiane-cafe.com

Beer and wine lovers can find the best of both worlds inside the bright blue doors of the former city firehouse next to Satellite Cafe. In 2022, owners Kyle Wolak and Brendon Boudwin opened Carbon Copy in the former home of Dock Street West Brewery, bringing two decades of their combined brewery expertise to West Philly. Beers on tap include IPAs, an English-style porter, and other beers made on-site, also available in 32-ounce growlers and 16-ounce cans. Or try a Virginia white wine, a New York riesling, the American dry cider from Adams County’s Ploughman Cider. There’s even a Carbon Copy Citywide, a full pour of their light lager plus a shot of Manatawny whiskey. (Don’t skip the six varieties of thin-crust pizzas, including the samosa-themed one.)

📍701 S. 50th St., Philadelphia, 19143, 🌐 carboncopyphilly.com

While Buna Cafe is known for its platter-sized injera topped with colorful stews, the Ethiopian teas are a treat for many. In this yellow cafe on Baltimore Avenue, owners Belaynesh “Bella” Wondimagegnehu and Demelash Demessie pour out homeland shai in plain white ceramic mugs. The soothing, hot tea of black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and thyme is a popular beverage that pairs well with baklava or sambusa.

📍5121 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 610-615-8575, 🌐 bunacafephilly.com

Spend the afternoon browsing through 10,000 vinyl records, or get your hands on a colorful bass guitar at this Baltimore Avenue staple. Owners Keri Girmindl and Carlo Frese took over the former Marvelous Music record store’s location and inventory seven years ago, adding a gear repair business. Inside Common Beat Music, you’ll find records from Madonna to Billy Ocean organized by genre. The two owners buy used items from neighborhood residents to add to their store’s collection, including cassettes and CDs — an effort to put money back into Cedar Park. “We’re becoming a part of the neighborhood instead of making the neighborhood adapt to us by doing it this way,” Girmindl explained.

📍4916 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-726-8742, 🌐 commonbeatmusic.com

For West Philly ceramic artists, Blackhound Clay Studios provides community space to create and connect. The studio on South 50th Street offers affordable workspace, classes, and events throughout the year. From one-day wheel workshops to eight weeks of in-depth classes, folks of all levels can learn pottery making. Workshops range from $72 per person, to hand-building classes, offered on a sliding scale based on your financial ability. Memberships open up quarterly from Jan. 1 to 15, April 1 to 15, and Oct. 1 to 15. At the annual Made at Black Hound Night Market, artists sell their handmade items in the parking lot among firepits with s’mores.

📍715 S. 50th St., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 215-558-0243, 🌐 blackhoundclaywest.com

Grab a lawn chair, cooler, and your dancing shoes for Cedar Park Neighbors’ annual summer Jazz Concert Series. On Friday nights in June and July, the Jazz Committee hosts this free, family-friendly event highlighting West Philly’s musical talent with lineups of local artists. Last year, Ray Wright’s Jasz Lab, Webb Thomas Super Band, Glenn Bryan & Friends, Bobby Zankel & the Wonderful Sound 5, and the Philadelphia Clef Club performed.

🌐 cedarparkneighbors.org/cedar-park-jazz

Finding great cheese isn’t hard when Ann Karlen’s got a shop dedicated to offering wedges sourced from Virginia to Vermont in your neighborhood. In the summer of 2023, Karlen converted the front of the wholesale distributing warehouse into a small cut-to-order cheese shop for residents and visitors looking to make cheese boards of all sizes. You’ll find creamy American Havarti, sweet and peppery Birchrun Blue, six-month cellar-aged smoky, sweet curd Abruzze Jawn, and other individual cheeses, along with assortment packages of rinds and accoutrements. And if you’re unsure of where to start, the friendly staff will guide you through the selections — there are also cheese tastings to learn more.

📍705 S. 50th St., Philadelphia, 19143, 📞 267-702-4231, 🌐 thirdwheelcheeseco.com