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Since 1983, White Dog Cafe University City has been a destination in the heart of the University of Pennsylvania’s campus for dining, libations, and celebrations in a trio of Victorian brownstones. The first restaurant in Philadelphia to utilize environmentally sustainable, organic, and locally sourced foods from farms within a 50-mile radius, White Dog is renowned for its warm hospitality and innovative cuisine. The charming brownstones were completely renovated, providing a variety of dining rooms with whimsical dog decor, fixtures, and stunning artwork.
A varied menu with seasonal & local ingredients served in a stylish room with dog-lover decor.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 3420 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: (215) 386-9224
Website: https://whitedog.com/universitycity/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
White Dog Cafe University City
When you’re looking for a Philadelphia restaurant, come enjoy the unique American Contemporary Cuisine of White Dog Cafe, located in University City.
White Dog Cafe
… in Philadelphia, Wayne, Haverford, Glen Mills and Chester Springs (Exton), PA … University City · Wayne · Haverford · Glen Mills · Chester Springs. White Dog …
White Dog Cafe University City (@whitedogphilly) – Instagram
17K followers · 725 following · 1447 posts · @whitedogphilly: “Local.Seasonal.Sustainable ”
Reviews
Francisco Simón Verger
Review – White Dog Café (Philadelphia)
White Dog Café, located near UPenn, is a beautiful and inviting restaurant with a cozy yet elegant atmosphere —perfect for a nice lunch or dinner with friends or family. The interior is spacious, stylish, and full of character, with plenty of seating and a warm vibe.
I ordered the ribs with rice, which were amazing —tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The truffled fries were another highlight: crispy, aromatic, and seriously addictive. Everything felt fresh and well-prepared, showing real attention to detail in the kitchen.
The staff was excellent, friendly and professional, and the service was smooth despite how busy the place can get. The only downside is that prices are on the higher side, though the quality and overall experience justify it.
Conclusion:
White Dog Café is a fantastic spot near UPenn that combines great food, attentive service, and a charming atmosphere. A bit pricey, but well worth it for the quality and experience.
⭐ Overall rating: 9/10
Best: the ribs and truffled fries.
Worst: prices on the high side.
Price: elevated, but fair for the quality and setting.
… moreWhite Dog Café, located near UPenn, is a beautiful and inviting restaurant with a cozy yet elegant atmosphere —perfect for a nice lunch or dinner with friends or family. The interior is spacious, stylish, and full of character, with plenty of seating and a warm vibe.
I ordered the ribs with rice, which were amazing —tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The truffled fries were another highlight: crispy, aromatic, and seriously addictive. Everything felt fresh and well-prepared, showing real attention to detail in the kitchen.
The staff was excellent, friendly and professional, and the service was smooth despite how busy the place can get. The only downside is that prices are on the higher side, though the quality and overall experience justify it.
Conclusion:
White Dog Café is a fantastic spot near UPenn that combines great food, attentive service, and a charming atmosphere. A bit pricey, but well worth it for the quality and experience.
⭐ Overall rating: 9/10
Best: the ribs and truffled fries.
Worst: prices on the high side.
Price: elevated, but fair for the quality and setting.
S. Chen
Weekend brunch. Unrivaled in its uniquely quirky and whimsical interior decor and architectural structure which dates back to the 1800s and is a period original. Nice selection of well-composed starters and mains including Shepherd’s Pie, Monkey Bread, salmon toast with everything bagel creme fraiche. Didn’t have a coffee and tea menu but the server kindly helped furnish a little impromptu latte. The tuna avocado tartar was creamy and fresh with the toasted crostini and radish slices as nice textural contrast. The deviled eggs were nicely seasoned with fried shallot shreds as a welcomed crunch element.
… moreJason Riddler
***UPDATED***We were in town from Houston, Texas for a medical conference and White Dog was recommended. We walked from our hotel & found it located in historic brownstones. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the days special, a ham, egg, and cheese on a croissant roll with a side of an amazing tomato basil soup! And it was all farm to table! Flo, our bartender was very attentive and even took us on a tour of the many different rooms that all have unique themes! We highly recommend this location and will be back when the next time we are in Philly!
We decided to come back two nights later for their happy hour and it did not disappoint! From the Lancaster CO-OP Brussel Sprouts, the Freebird Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich, to the Truffle Fries this bar and restaurants food has not disappointed! On top of the amazing food we enjoyed their Cinnamules, Spicy Apple Cider Margarita, and finished off our nights with their signature Espresso Martinis! This place has it all! Atmosphere, tasty food, and wonderful drinks!
… moreWe decided to come back two nights later for their happy hour and it did not disappoint! From the Lancaster CO-OP Brussel Sprouts, the Freebird Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich, to the Truffle Fries this bar and restaurants food has not disappointed! On top of the amazing food we enjoyed their Cinnamules, Spicy Apple Cider Margarita, and finished off our nights with their signature Espresso Martinis! This place has it all! Atmosphere, tasty food, and wonderful drinks!
Wen Tung
Came here for lunch on a Tuesday. The food and service were decent. We didn’t make reservations and the host added another chair to a 2-top for our party of 3 even though there were plenty of empty 4-top tables. I understand doing this if they’re busy but they weren’t.
Another issue is that we were seated next to a water/server station and two servers next to us were discussing at length who wanted to serve our party, and it sounded like neither of them wanted to for whatever reason. Because of this, it took awhile to be acknowledged and get water. I found this to be unprofessional.
The restrooms really need to be deep cleaned. Each of them reeked of stale urine. They’re very small and cramped as well. The restrooms alone would prevent me from returning here. Hopefully the management team reads these reviews and addresses these issues.
… moreAnother issue is that we were seated next to a water/server station and two servers next to us were discussing at length who wanted to serve our party, and it sounded like neither of them wanted to for whatever reason. Because of this, it took awhile to be acknowledged and get water. I found this to be unprofessional.
The restrooms really need to be deep cleaned. Each of them reeked of stale urine. They’re very small and cramped as well. The restrooms alone would prevent me from returning here. Hopefully the management team reads these reviews and addresses these issues.
Paul Ginnane
It’s been a number of years since my last visit to the White Dog but it was a wonderful experience. Friendly staff and an amazing atmosphere filled with unique details that you’ll enjoy with your friends. Farm to table selection, we had the lunch specials of soup and sandwich. Mushroom soup was excellent, served with a dollop of cream and a slight hint of sherry which I really enjoyed. I had the country ham, cheese and egg on sourdough bread, requested the eggs scrambled which they did for me. It came with a side salad with a nice lite vinaigrette. Themed rooms for seating in this charming historical row home near U Penn. Looking forward to visiting again.
… moreDavid Shen
Honestly, I have nothing good to say about this restaurant. The Caesar salad was very mid; spending $20+ on a salad that isn’t fresh or crisp is already a bad start.
But the $29 “Spicy Thai Steak Salad” was the worst offender.
There was zero spice, and the entire “Thai” flavor was literally just bottled sweet chili sauce dumped on top. Overly sweet, generic, store-bought taste. The udon was just store bought which is fine. But it was mushy, so either they cook a large batch and stored in fridge or they overcooked it by a lot.
I may have high standards for Asian food, and I fully understand this is a brunch café — but this dish wasn’t fusion; it was an uneducated attempt to broaden the menu that ends up being a bad, almost disrespectful representation of Asian cuisine. It doesn’t even hit the bare minimum.
Really disappointing experience at White Dog Cafe. But I guess they are good at plating
… moreBut the $29 “Spicy Thai Steak Salad” was the worst offender.
There was zero spice, and the entire “Thai” flavor was literally just bottled sweet chili sauce dumped on top. Overly sweet, generic, store-bought taste. The udon was just store bought which is fine. But it was mushy, so either they cook a large batch and stored in fridge or they overcooked it by a lot.
I may have high standards for Asian food, and I fully understand this is a brunch café — but this dish wasn’t fusion; it was an uneducated attempt to broaden the menu that ends up being a bad, almost disrespectful representation of Asian cuisine. It doesn’t even hit the bare minimum.
Really disappointing experience at White Dog Cafe. But I guess they are good at plating
Epicurean Belletrist
We began our long weekend in University City with lunch at the White Dog Cafe. The bright and ample space, set in three Victorian brownstones, was very comfortable, easy to converse in and the decor really embodied a sophisticated rustic charm.
We began our meal with cocktails and an Artisan Cheese Plate which was accompanied by fruit, nuts, pickles, crusty bread and the most delicious strawberry and apricot spreads. The cheese selections were unique and very tasty! Definitely a must have as an appetizer or a nosh with cocktails.
For our mains, we selected the Spicy Lamb Bolognese and the Impossible Patty Melt. The lamb ragu was very flavorful and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The Impossible Patty Melt was well cooked and the star of the show was the smoky onion jam and spicy pickles.
This was a perfect intro to the foodie scene in and about the University City area. The staff was warm and friendly and the overall vibe makes it easy to linger long after the meal is done.
… moreWe began our meal with cocktails and an Artisan Cheese Plate which was accompanied by fruit, nuts, pickles, crusty bread and the most delicious strawberry and apricot spreads. The cheese selections were unique and very tasty! Definitely a must have as an appetizer or a nosh with cocktails.
For our mains, we selected the Spicy Lamb Bolognese and the Impossible Patty Melt. The lamb ragu was very flavorful and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The Impossible Patty Melt was well cooked and the star of the show was the smoky onion jam and spicy pickles.
This was a perfect intro to the foodie scene in and about the University City area. The staff was warm and friendly and the overall vibe makes it easy to linger long after the meal is done.
Mike Mihalik
We live about an hour away and learned about this place while in Zambia, Africa. A student actually learned about White Dog in a sustainability class so we had to check it out for ourselves and we are so glad we did.
The service was top notch. We were treated so well – we learned all about the history and just felt really valued by the manager and waitress. The food was amazing – unique and absolutely delicious. I had one of the best turkey clubs with waffle fries that I dipped into a bisque, as suggested by the waitress, and so good!
The atmosphere was just so cool. We are definitely returning and everybody needs to pay White Dog a visit!
… moreThe service was top notch. We were treated so well – we learned all about the history and just felt really valued by the manager and waitress. The food was amazing – unique and absolutely delicious. I had one of the best turkey clubs with waffle fries that I dipped into a bisque, as suggested by the waitress, and so good!
The atmosphere was just so cool. We are definitely returning and everybody needs to pay White Dog a visit!
Kay D.M.
We caught the first day of summer brunch! We started off light with a cheeseboard, mushroom soup, and a cozy breadbasket. Simple things can be hard to get right, but the soup was smooth and satisfying, the cheeseboard was fresh and balanced, and the cornbread was absolutely perfect.
Service was prompt and thoughtful without being overbearing, and we lucked out by arriving during a quieter moment.
For the main course, classic steak and scrambled eggs and a hearty breakfast pot pie ( I swear it was a mini casserole dish!) paired with a “Puppy Power” mocktail and a fragrant cup of Earl Grey. All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon!
… moreService was prompt and thoughtful without being overbearing, and we lucked out by arriving during a quieter moment.
For the main course, classic steak and scrambled eggs and a hearty breakfast pot pie ( I swear it was a mini casserole dish!) paired with a “Puppy Power” mocktail and a fragrant cup of Earl Grey. All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon!
Sebastian Ortega
Was in UPenn for a match and decided to grab a quick brunch. I love the dog theme and the inside was extremely cozy. Everything on the menu looked delicious and ended up deciding on their pumpkin churro french toast. It was delectable! I would love to come back to try their other creative menu items.
… more