This Pennsylvania Hole-In-The-Wall Spot Serves Some Of The Best British Comfort Food In The State, According To Reviews
There's a place in Philadelphia that has some of the best British food in the state, and it's nothing fancy, just good quality food made up of Brit classics that will warm the soul. It's on the list of the best hole in the wall restaurants in PA and also comes up on the list of the best mashed potatoes in the US according to reviews. The place is called Stargazy and the reviews are pretty off the charts with praises.
On TripAdvisor the feedback doesn't once dip below "Very Good," with the majority, by far, coming in at "Excellent." One reviewer ranked the beef Wellington as one of the best ever, and Stargazy's collection of meat pies and its sausage rolls are among the most-often mentioned menu items — always positively. One reviewer said, "What a find! Best Brit pies ever ... 'Hole in the wall' expression was invented by this place. Inexpensive, freshly made creative pies of all types." And another stated, "Don't walk, RUN to get a bite of the wonderful beef and onion meat pie."
On Yelp one reviewer said, "I think about Stargazy at least once a week." and another said, "Stargazy represents the best tastes of London at the doorstep of an intimate Passyunk building." Stargazy's sticky toffee pudding made it into Food & Wine's The Best Dessert in Philadelphia, and one Google review said of the Millionaire's Shortbread, "Top 3 dessert of my life." Philadelphia Magazine, perhaps, summed up the feeling the most appropriately, "...I just can't imagine anything more comforting on some bruised and rainy afternoon than walking out of [Stargazy] with a sausage roll in one hand and a sack full of pies in the other."
How did the Philadelphia's Stargazy come to be and what's with the name?
Stargazy is the brainchild of chef Sam Jacobson, who opened up the East End-inspired pie and mash shop in 2015, setting up shop in a space that previously housed a cupcake bakery. Jacobson, who was raised in London and had been cooking in the Philadelphia area for about a decade — building his reputation in other well-respected Pennsylvania kitchens, like Southwark and Sycamore — had long thought that what Philadelphia truly needed was a true pie and mash shop.
The restaurant name comes from one of the many unusual names of international dishes, this one quite literal. It's named for Stargazy pie — a traditional Cornish dish in which pilchards (small fish belonging to the herring family) are placed in a pie with their heads poking through the top crust, as though gazing upward at the night sky. With Stargazy, Jacobson aims to bring traditional London-centric pies, perfect mash, even jellied eels to East Passyunk Avenue, alongside British regional baked goods, puddings, and house-made breads.
The menu rotates daily — pie fillings change regularly, with flavors posted to the restaurant's Instagram. The restaurant only seats about 10 people, but everything is available for takeout, whether frozen or prepared. You can order ahead for the Friday fish and chips, Saturday full English, Sunday roast, or get a frozen pie to take home and heat up. And if you can't make it to 1838 E Passyunk Ave., its most popular items are available frozen at nearby establishments Spruce Hill Provisions, Herman's Coffee, Liberty Kitchen, and Ploughman Cider Taproom. Since opening in 2015, Stargazy has become a beloved fixture on East Passyunk Avenue, adding a distinctly British dimension to one of Philadelphia's most vibrant dining streets.