Dining
 
Best of Montgomery County
We raise a glass to the vast riches of Montco.
by Bill Donahue

Montgomery County connects two of Pennsylvania’s most desirable places to call home, Bucks County and the Main Line. Yet Montco is hardly a pass-through or go-between. Fantastic restaurants, elite schools, world-class shopping, peaceful parks, vast open spaces—Montco offers everything a resident or visitor could possibly want, with plenty of surprises, too. 
 
Ten years ago, when my wife and I began looking for a new place to call home, we considered everywhere from Upper Bucks to Delco. We found the home of our dreams in a small town in Montgomery County, about a mile from the border with Bucks County. We enjoy a sky-high quality of life in our little sliver of paradise, the perfect blend of rural idyll and modern convenience.
 
For further proof of the area’s many riches, check out the locations featured here, our 2026 “Best of Montgomery County.”  
 
When community theater does its job well, audience members come away from the experience feeling entertained, engaged, and eager to start conversations. Act II Playhouse in Ambler offers the best of community theater, led by a creative team devoted to achieving perfection, or close to it. The productions are inventive, the performances are nothing short of electric, and the space feels intimate, as every community theater should. act2.org
 
Nobody does baked goods quite like the French. Alice Bakery, a French-inspired bakery in North Wales, is a go-to for fresh-baked baguettes (other breads, too), croissants, quiche, etc., plus a lineup of breakfast sandwiches that will change your life. Of course, if you need an artisanal cake for a birthday, anniversary, or some other special occasion, Alice will be happy to help. alicebakery.com
 
Among Montco’s molti ristorante Italiani, one of our favorites is Bacco Italian Restaurant in North Wales. The fare is exceptionally well made, and the dining room is fun and festive. Suggestion: Set up at the bar for a glass of Super Tuscan (or two) and make a few new friends. When in Bucks County, be sure to check out Bacco’s sister restaurants—Bacco Bistro in Doylestown and Bacco Centro in Richboro, both BYOBs. baccobacco.com
 
Conshohocken’s A-plus culinary scene includes Bar Sera, a close, communal, and dramatically lit dining room sure to leave a lasting impression. The space feels more “city” than “suburbs,” with a vibe that is both smart and fun; note the wine list’s “weird” and “not weird” selections. The compact menu features some terrific dishes, many of which are made with ingredients harvested from a farm in nearby Coopersburg. barsera.com
 
You can get a half-decent cup of coffee (or tea) just about anywhere, but Broad Street Grind gives good reason to be more discerning. It’s a fine example of Souderton’s culinary and cultural awakening: elevated but not fancy, sophisticated yet down to earth. The baristas take their time in crafting each cup to order, and the quality is evident. The food menu is a breath of fresh air, too. The “Basic Egg” sandwich, for example, tastes anything but ordinary. broad-street-grind.com
 
Animals are the best kind of people. You’ll find an ark-load of them—jaguars, tamarins, muntjacs, ocelots, red pandas, river otters, chuckwallas, Gila monsters, hognose snakes, macaws, ibises, eagles, and so many others—at Elmwood Park Zoo in East Norriton. Besides offering opportunities to get up close and personal with the resident animals, Elmwood Park Zoo is a big proponent of education and conservation. By educating patrons about wildlife in the United States and abroad, the zoo is doing its best to ensure that these animals will have a place in the world for future generations. elmwoodparkzoo.org
 
This is the time of year when homeowners don wide-brimmed hats and head out into the yard for planting, pruning, and otherwise preparing their outdoor spaces for summer. For anyone in need of inspiration, make a beeline to Floral & Hardy in Skippack Village. The garden center and gift shop has a lovely assortment of horticultural offerings, as well as yard décor. Need more ideas? Floral & Hardy hosts a busy schedule of classes and other in-person events to get the creative juices flowing. floralandhardyofskippack.com
 
Ambler is one of Montco’s hottest towns, in part because of its awesome (and growing) list of restaurants. You’ll find beer and cocktails, pierogies and pho, lobster rolls and Italian pulled pork sandwiches, and much more under one roof at Ridge Hall, Ambler’s answer to Reading Terminal Market in Philly. Between Ridge Hall and Harleysville’s Vault Town Center, whose tenants include the likes of Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., locals now have more inventive options when trying to decide where to eat, drink, and hang out. ridgehallambler.com
 
For anyone craving a respite from the rest of the world, look no further than Tilly’s Mint Tea Room in Souderton. Tilly’s is an appropriately diminutive and unassuming spot that celebrates the tradition of the English tea service. Guests can choose from a dizzying assortment of teas, from the everyday to the exotic, accompanied by lovingly prepared finger sandwiches, desserts, and other goodies. Unrushed, relaxing, and distinguished, an afternoon at Tilly’s is an afternoon very well spent. tillymints.com
 
Ambler’s Ristorante San Marco stood as a paragon of culinary excellence for what seemed like forever. When San Marco closed its doors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened, many locals were understandably despondent. The building has since been remade as something else and, dare I say, something even better: Tresini. Like its predecessor, Tresini serves up exceptional Italian fare, with the kind of elegance, attitude, and ambience guests are more likely to find downtown. Suggestion: Arrive at least 30 minutes before your reservation time so you enjoy a glass of red or a cocktail at the posh bar. tresiniambler.com
 
More to Love in Montco
These professionals and service providers add to Montgomery County’s exceptional quality of life: Acts Retirement-Life Communities (actsretirement.org), Amada Senior Care (amadaseniorcare.com), Arbour Square of Harleysville (arboursquare.com), Carr Home (carrhome.com), Colonial Marble & Granite (colonialmarble.net), Gilston Legal (glesq.com), JMT Awnings (jmtawnings.com), Mastaj Orthodontics (lynannmastaj.com), The Pullman (thepullmanrestaurant.com), Stenella Antiques & Interiors (stenellaantiques.com), and Suburban Medical Group at Suburban Behavioral Health Campus of Roxborough Memorial Hospital (suburbanmedicalgroup-pa.com).
 
Photo by Jody Robinson
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, April 2026