Best of Montgomery County 2025
Dine, shop, learn, and style your way through a special part of southeastern Pennsylvania.
by Bill Donahue

Montgomery County is a portrait of abundance, offering countless treasures to residents and visitors alike: terrific culinary and shopping destinations, various cultural and historical sites, fabulous parks, etc. While the retail-and-restaurant paradise contributes a great deal to the high standard of living in Montco—from Ambler, Ardmore, and Blue Bell, to Bryn Mawr, Collegeville, and Conshohocken, to Jenkintown, Lansdale, and Souderton—the county also has excellent schools and public libraries, beloved community events, and easy access to Bucks County, Philadelphia, and other nearby destinations.
 
In other words, Montco has a lot to explore and experience, as proven by the following destinations for dining, shopping, culture, and more.
 
Known for its chic ambiance, attentive service, and fantastic cuisine, the Blue Bell Inn blends classic appeal with touches of modernity. Although refined in nature, the restaurant hosts an exceptionally festive happy hour with expertly crafted cocktails, fine wines, and delectable small bites. Happy hour at the Blue Bell Inn—the perfect time and place to unwind and socialize, with prices that go easy on the wallet. bluebellinn.com
 
The Philadelphia suburbs have a lot of excellent Indian restaurants, and Blue Taj in Ambler is among the very best. A diminutive BYOB on Butler Avenue, Blue Taj makes sure every dish, from the papri chaat to the crispy garlic naan to flavorful biryani, packs a flavorful punch. Our favorite dish: the mutter paneer. bluetajambler.com
 
Souderton’s Broad Street Grind serves artisanal hot and cold beverages of the coffee and tea sort, as well as fabulous breakfast and lunch fare, all in a decidedly down-to-earth setting. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as tucking into a “Fire in Da Hole” (a bagel base, with a farm-fresh egg, avocado, feta, and drizzle of mango-spiked hot sauce) and a piping-hot cup of Earl Grey. One Grind regular tells us she swears by the “Basic Egg” breakfast sandwich. broadstreetgrind.com
 
More than 100 years of history undergird Broad Theater in Souderton. It opened in 1922 with a single screen and showed films until shuttering in 2004. Two local entrepreneurs brought the theater back to life in 2020, and it’s now one of the most charming independent movie houses in the area. It’s a lovely destination for watching everything from new releases (Nosferatu) to recent favorites (the Harry Potter series) to cherished classics (Moonstruck). broadtheater.com
 
Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana is known for its fresh-baked bread and rolls, which are uniformly fabulous, but it’s so much more than its name implies. This Collegeville hot spot has become a mecca for its dizzying assortment of pizzas, hoagies, sandwiches, and Italian desserts, among other things. One of our favorites: the Stella margherita wood-fired pizza. collegevilleitalianbakery.com
 
Danish Bakers in Rockledge, a stone’s throw from the border where city meets suburbs, is an institution for cookies, fresh breads, strudel, and its namesake pastries—not to mention its famously rich buttercake. Danish Bakers serves up an assortment of sweet treats that are not only ridiculously fantastic but also transportive, taking us back to a time when life seemed much simpler. danishbakers.com.
 
Downtown Scoop is a joyful little place just off Souderton’s Main Street, though it also has a mobile presence at community events such as the Telford Night Market. The Scoop’s claim to fame: small-batch, locally sourced, premium ice cream flavors—salty caramel, banana chip, peach—that linger on the tongue and in the memory. The month of March, when the Scoop will reopen for the season, can’t come soon enough. downtownscoop.com
 
For more than 100 years, Norristown’s Elmwood Park Zoo has been helping visitors of all ages develop a deeper appreciation for wildlife. See and learn about more than 100 species, from giraffes and jaguars, to chuckwallas and Gila monsters, to bald eagles and macaws, with exhibits designed to help guests get “up close and personal” with the animals. It’s also a huge proponent of animal conservation, to ensure that members of the animal kingdom thrive outside of captivity. elmwoodparkzoo.org
 
Opened in 2016, Souderton’s Exhibit B Gallery is a picture-perfect example of an art gallery done right, with zero pretension. The paintings, sculptures, and other works of art on display are exceptional and accessible, and the overall feel is “unfussy,” as owners Harry and Heather Boardman like to describe it. The inventory has something to suit every style and every budget, including the Boardmans’ own artistic creations. exhibitbgallery.com
 
Anyone who has ever stepped through the doors of Henning’s Market, a sixth-generation independent enterprise in Harleysville, knows how special it is. Henning’s is a grocery store, technically speaking, but it’s also known for its array of artisanal cheese, prepared foods, and baked goods, plus some of the freshest meats and produce you’ll find in all of Montco. henningsmarket.com
 
Nestled in an upscale strip mall just off Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr’s il Fiore offers guests elevated Italian cuisine. Executive Chef Marie Lavizzo-Mourey’s time with kitchen icons including Michael Solomonov and Marc Vetri shows in her skillful preparation of dishes. Notable offerings include the glorious filet mignon and ribeye finished with dry-aged beef fat and herbs, and fantastic small pizzas featuring a dough recipe that took six weeks to perfect. ilfiorephl.com
 
Bryn Mawr’s Jude Plum Co. delivers an array of spa treatments designed to soothe and relax, as well as a team of hair stylists who can make magic with the tools of their trade. Jude Plum has a distinctive specialty: natural-looking, perfectly fitted wigs for women who may be losing their hair due to chemotherapy treatments or other health challenges. judeplumsalon.com
 
Open Book Bookstore in Elkins Park is small but mighty. Billed as “an independent bookstore for readers, writers, and thinkers,” Open Book welcomes visitors to peruse the shelves for hidden treasures, and lose themselves in the power of well-told stories. Uncluttered and enchanting, Open Book radiates a sort of quiet magic that’s tough to duplicate. openbookphilly.com
 
Skippack Village bustles with life all year long, thanks to the charming boutiques and restaurants lining Skippack Pike. Food lovers flock to the likes of restaurants including Parc Bistro, the Stray Dog Tavern, and the many dining options at Hotel Fiesole. In terms of shopping, Skippack Village has something to suit every interest and appetite: art and antiques, jewelry, apparel, artisanal cheese and charcuterie, comic books and collectibles, etc. skippackvillage.com  
 
Community theaters like Pottstown’s Steel River Playhouse stage productions well worth the price of admission. The proximity to the stage means patrons can see and hear the actors clearly, and tickets are a fraction of the cost of seeing a production in a big-city theater. Patrons may not see the likes of Hamilton or Les Misérables at SRP, but the productions tend to be of exceptional quality. steelriver-playhouse.org
 
Suzy-Jo Donuts cranks out some of the most inventive, if not decadent, doughnuts around. Suzy-Jo, named for its founders’ two daughters, has been turning out an assortment of “ridiculously good” doughnuts since 1955. The menu includes seasonal and specialty doughnuts (maple bacon, pumpkin, apple cider, etc.), as well as an assortment of everyday classics, which you can get your hands on by visiting any of Suzy-Jo’s locations in Bridgeport, East Norriton, and Limerick. suzyjodonuts.com
 
Tired Hands Brewing Co.’s empire has grown far beyond the boundaries of its O.G. location in Ardmore, but its BrewCafé remains one of our favorite places to enjoy sensational IPAs, saisons, and pilsners, among other styles. The BrewCafé also has an inventive food menu to match; you can’t go wrong with the house pickles. tiredhands.com
 
More to Love in Montco
These restaurants, professionals, and enterprises add quite a bit of flavor to the sky-high quality of life enjoyed by those who live, work, and play in Montgomery County.
 
Awnings
JWT Awnings
Ambler
jmtawnings.com
 
Billiards and More
Royal Billiard & Recreation
Colmar
royalbilliard.com
 
Cooking Classes
The Cooking Studio
Telford
lecookingstudio.com
 
Family Law
Materese Family Law
Fort Washington
materesefamilylaw.com
 
French Cuisine
La Provence
Ambler
laprovenceambler.com
 
Indian Cuisine
Saffron Indian Kitchen
Ambler and Bala Cynwyd
saffronofphilly.com
 
Italian Cuisine
Buona Via Italian Seafood & Grill
Horsham
buonavia.com
 
Jarrettown Hotel Italian Restaurant & Bar
Dresher
jarrettownrestaurant.com
 
Panache Wood Fire Brick Oven Grill
Blue Bell
panachewoodfiregrill.com
 
Ristorante Castello
Blue Bell
ristorantecastello.com
 
Jewelry
Lester Martin Jewelers
Dresher
lestermartinjewelers.com
 
So Sweet Jewelers
Ambler/Blue Bell
sosweetjewelers.com
 
Global Cuisine
The Mallard at Mainland Inn  
Harleysville
mallardrestaurant.com
 
Retirement Planning
Russell Valante
Blue Bell
advisor.janney.com/russellvalante
 
Photo courtesy of the Downtown Scoop
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, February 2025.