Tate’s Good Food Restaurant

Reviews

• Gerald S.

  star star star star star 10 July 2026

  Philadelphia is known as a city of neighborhoods with good reason. There are many small enclaves with their own identity and distinct character with residents fiercely proud of where they come from. One of the best aspects of this street by street, hood by hood, awareness, especially from a Yelp perspective, is the presence of wonderful local shops, bars, and restaurants that maintain that sense of community every day of the week.  
  
  Tate's Good Food Restaurant on Torresdale Avenue, in this corner of the city that shares the name, is one such iconic luncheonette that serves both the gastronomic needs of the area, and supports the people with quality breakfasts and lunches and a place to gather and commune together (shoot the sh*t). It is replete with folks who have lived nearby for generations, and frequent this small institution regularly.  Yes. Everyone knows your name.
  
  With this in mind, I stopped in for breakfast and took in the deep rooted atmosphere of this iconic establishment. I sat on a spinner along the counter, after checking out the tables on the opposite wall. A solo diner, I did not want to take up that much space, and after all, this was what a stool was for. Within seconds, I was called, "Babe," by one of the servers working the counter and floor, and, "Sweetie," by another, as she asked if I wanted coffee.  
  
  She replied when I asked if she was talking to me - "Whatever works, right, Babe?"
  "That's cool. I just didn't want the other guys at the counter to get jealous."  
  With that, one of those old dudes looked over at me with a stern gaze, and retorted, "She WAS talking to me, but, I don't mind if you thought it was you."
  
  Wink
  
  I knew I was in the heart of Philly.
  
  The menu was all about breakfast and lunch (they close around 2).  I went with the french toast, a side of corned beef hash and java. It arrived about 10 minutes later on an oval plate, with the hash on a second dish. I moved things around to get everything onto one before doctoring with butter and syrup.  
  
  The meal was filling and satisfying. Six slices well egged and grilled. No real caramelization, but very tasty nonetheless. The hash was excellent. Deep savory flavor, a little crunchy. A great match for the sweeter fry bread.  The Bunn-O-Matic brewed a strong industrial joe which was replenished as often as requested. A small glass of real milk per my wish to avoid the heavier half & half.
  
  Tate's is another of those classic kitchens from a bygone era that have survived and even flourished.  It is as authentic today as it was in the last century.  It feels dated, but that is one of the two main reasons to come to a joint like this - For the wholesome hearty grub and to experience a living cultural museum.

• Beaumont L.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 9 July 2026

  I used to eat here alot bcuz my girlfriend literally lived across the street so id just order by phone and walk over but I hadn't been here in over a decade until today. ordered a basic breakfast which consisted of a sausage egg and cheese sandwich on a long roll and an order of home fries with onions. when I arrived I was greeted by a woman who was friendly. there was a short wait but nothing to complain about. I was a little bothered by my home fries being packaged on a paper plate covered by aluminum foil as opppsed to the normal styrofoam container. I just felt it was cheap and tacky. food tasted okay but not great. seems quality has declined since my last visit.
  
  tates is okay on a whim but I wouldn't go out of my way to dine here.

• Bob H.

  star star star star_border star_border 29 June 2026

  We stopped by Tate's yesterday morning for a quick breakfast. It's been a while since we've dined here. We arrived around 8:00 and it was dead! Shocked us to see.
  
  I ordered the veggie omelette and the wife ordered scrambled eggs with bacon. Both of our eggs were fantastic! They were cooked well and all of the ingredients were fresh. The bacon was thin and crispy, a little too crispy for my liking. The home fries while flavored were were cold. They burnt one order of our toast but they replaced it. The service was good and our waitress was very nice.
  
  Tate's is a good place for a reasonable decent breakfast.

• Rachel S.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 27 June 2026

  The people at Tates we're very friendly. My only problem was with the food, it was very mediocre and not enjoyable. The worst part was that I saw a bug crawling across the restaurant, if it wasn't for that I would put a higher rating.

• Kasey C.

  star star star star star 23 June 2026

  On the way home from Philly, we decided to get brunch here. Food came out quick, service was great and very affordable. Nothing too spectacular but food was good.