West Philadelphia and University City food guide

West Philadelphia is often left out of visitor itineraries, which makes it one of the best parts of the city for eating if you like variety. Baltimore Avenue, the main commercial street, has a long run of Ethiopian, Eritrean, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Thai and Laotian food, according to Visit Philly, and the area around the universities adds cafes and late-night counters. Here is how the neighborhoods fit together, how to get there and how to plan a meal.

What is West Philadelphia and what is University City?

West Philadelphia is the broad area across the Schuylkill River from Center City. University City is the part of it near the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and several hospitals, with a mix of student housing, campus buildings and commercial streets. Further west and south lie Spruce Hill, Cedar Park and Walnut Hill, residential neighborhoods with their own shopping streets. Each part has a different feel, so decide whether you want a student cafe, a family dinner or a late-night snack.

Why is Baltimore Avenue the place to start?

Visit Philly describes Baltimore Avenue, between 40th and 50th Streets, as a food corridor of Mediterranean, Indian, Mexican, Thai and Laotian restaurants, plus comfort food. It is reachable by trolley from Center City, which makes it an easy trip without a car. Clark Park, at 43rd and Baltimore, is a neighborhood park with a weekend farmers market, and the blocks around it are lively on warm days. Walk the avenue and read the menus in the windows: you will see more variety in a few blocks than in many downtown streets.

What about Ethiopian and Eritrean food?

West Philadelphia is known for Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants. Food is served on a large round of injera, a sour flatbread, and eaten by hand: you tear a piece of injera and use it to pick up stews of meat, lentils, split peas and vegetables. Meals are usually shared from one platter. Vegetarian combination plates are a common order, especially during fasting periods when many Ethiopian Orthodox Christians avoid meat and dairy. Ethiopian coffee, served in a small cup after dinner, is part of the meal. Several Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants stand on and near Baltimore Avenue, and Cedar Park is a good area to look for Ethiopian tea. Hours vary by day, so ask before you go.

Where can you get a casual meal or coffee?

Cedar Park has a diner-style cafe and coffee shops on Baltimore Avenue. Across from Clark Park, a cafe serves breakfast and lunch. Bagel shops and bakeries have opened on the avenue in recent years. Near the campuses, you will find food trucks, sandwich shops and international counters at lunch. Hours near the universities follow the academic year, so some places have shorter hours in summer and on holidays.

When does Clark Park have a market?

Visit Philly lists a year-round Saturday farmers market at Clark Park, between Baltimore Avenue and Woodland Avenue. Vendors vary from week to week, so look at the market's own page for hours. It is a good place to buy bread, vegetables, fruit and prepared food, and the park itself has benches and open space. Dates around the holidays often change.

How do you get there, and when are places open?

Take the trolley from Center City to the Baltimore Avenue stops. The subway-surface lines run under Market Street and then come up in West Philadelphia, a journey of about 15 to 20 minutes. Regional rail stops at 30th Street Station, with a walk to the universities. Parking is limited near campus on weekdays. Check the transit authority's schedule, since service patterns change.

Many West Philadelphia restaurants open in the late afternoon and close by 10 or 11 p.m., with some closed on Mondays. Weekend brunch is popular around Clark Park. Student areas are quieter in the summer and busier at the start of the term.

At graduation time, expect crowds and longer waits.

How do you eat on a budget or with dietary needs?

West Philadelphia is a good area for a low-cost meal, with lunch specials, shared platters and vegetarian dishes. Ethiopian and Indian restaurants offer many vegan options. If you have a food allergy, say so clearly and ask how the dish is prepared. A guide in this series covers dietary needs in Philadelphia.

What is a good plan for an afternoon in West Philadelphia?

Take the trolley out from Center City and get off near 40th Street. Walk west on Baltimore Avenue, looking at menus and the old porches along the way. Stop for coffee or a snack near Clark Park, and if it is a Saturday, browse the farmers market. Walk to Cedar Park and choose a restaurant for an early dinner, ideally an Ethiopian or Eritrean one if you have not tried it. Order a combination platter to share, with a mix of vegetarian and meat stews, and ask the server what each one is. Finish with coffee served in the traditional way. The trolley home runs late, but check the last departure before you settle in.

How do you remember an Ethiopian meal you loved in West Philadelphia?

You tear injera, share a platter and lose track of which stew was which. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so the lentils, the beef and the vegetarian combination each get their own score and a tag you can search later.

Make a list for Baltimore Avenue, send the invite link to the friends you ate with, and let them add their own finds. Follow people whose taste matches yours and their favorite dishes in Cedar Park turn into your next dinner plan.

Rate the dish you would order again in the Mosey app and keep it on your list.

More guides to read next:

• Philadelphia Chinatown food guide: Race Street, dim sum and late night
• Gluten-free, vegan, kosher and halal dining in Philadelphia
• Philadelphia farmers markets: Headhouse, Rittenhouse Square and Clark Park

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.