Gou Restaurant
Haitian restaurant · Olney
5734 Old 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Highlights
Authentic Haitian cuisine, BYOB, rasta pasta, griot, wings
Authentic Haitian cuisine, BYOB, rasta pasta, griot, wings
"Gou is the best Haitian restaurant in Philly. This Olney spot is where you go for classics like pwason fri and fluffy black rice, as well as rasta pasta with grilled shrimp. The BYOB has lots of large wooden tables, so it’s an easy place to walk in with a few friends at the last minute, pass around some wine, and eat big pieces of oxtail. While there are lots of dishes on the menu, the griot is the clear highlight. The tender braised bits of pork have a lemony flavor, giving it a nice blend of salt and citrus. Since they close at 10pm, it’s a good solution after bar-hopping or after being sucked into the Phillies game and realizing you have nothing to eat at 8pm." - candis mclean
"Gou, a Haitian restaurant in Olney, should be on your list for rice and peas and stewed griot. But it would be a mistake not to order their exquisite wings. The flavor can change, depending on your point-of-meat entry. A chunk of mango here, edges of slick rum BBQ sauce there. But it all boils down to a bite full of sweet and tangy syrup, plus a bit of heat at the finish. They’re baked enough to have crackly skin, but would still be a finalist in the most tender bite competition." - candis mclean
"This Olney restaurant is where you go for classics like pwason fri and fluffy black rice, as well as rasta pasta with grilled shrimp. It’s the best Haitian restaurant in Philly. The BYOB has lots of large wooden tables, so it’s an easy place to walk in with a few friends at the last minute, pass around some wine, and eat big pieces of oxtail. While there are lots of good dishes on the menu, they have our favorite griot in the city. The tender braised bits of pork have a lemony flavor, giving it a nice blend of salt and citrus. Since they close at 10pm, it’s a good solution post-bar hopping or after being sucked into the Phillies game and realizing you have nothing to eat at 8pm." - candis mclean
"This Olney restaurant is where you go for classics like pwason fri and fluffy black rice, as well as rasta pasta with grilled shrimp. It’s the best Haitian restaurant in Philly. The BYOB has lots of large wooden tables, so it’s an easy place to walk in with a few friends at the last minute, pass around some wine, and eat big pieces of stewed chicken. While there are lots of dishes on the menu, they have our favorite griot in the city—and we love it in plantain form. The tender braised bits of pork have a lemony flavor, giving it a nice blend of salty and citrus. Since they close at 10pm, it’s a good solution post-bar hopping or after Happy Hour with coworkers. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Pause Unmute Food Rundown Lemonade Even though it’s a BYOB, you’ll see a lemonade (or two) on everyone’s table. They squeeze it in-house and have fruit purees to give each a sweet boost (blueberry is our favorite). Even if you forget your favorite bottle of red, you can still have a satisfying beverage. PlayMute video credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Zél Poul You won’t get wings like this anywhere else in town. They’re covered in a shiny glaze and bits of mango, so they look like a poultry present on a plate. They’re nicely baked and tossed in a sweet rum BBQ sauce that gets a punch up from the fruit. Give us some privacy with them, and lots of napkins. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Godé Banan A juicy mix of tender pork is encased in crunchy, deep-fried plantain cups. Each cup is then topped with homemade pikliz, which gives it a vegetable-heavy, pickle-y flavor and crunch. This is a delicious, must-get starter. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Rasta Pasta Although this looks like a sizable amount of pasta, you’ll want to polish off this bowl all by yourself. The jerk-spiced sauce is fragrant and loaded with scotch bonnet peppers, but it’s all balanced by the creamy richness of parmesan cheese. And the shrimp are so nicely cooked that you’ll sift through the penne pasta and thinly sliced bell peppers like they’re gold. But since they’re pretty generous with them, you won't have to search for long. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Poule Nan Sauce Marinated overnight and then cooked in a pepper and onion red sauce, this fall-off-the-bone chicken stew is super savory. The sauce is more thin than thick, and the bits of tender vegetables swimming throughout give each forkful a nice contrast in texture. It’s firey, addictive, and something we order every time we come here. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO" - Candis R. McLean
"This Olney restaurant is where you go for classics like pwason fri and fluffy black rice, as well as rasta pasta with grilled shrimp. It’s the best Haitian restaurant in Philly. The BYOB has lots of large wooden tables, so it’s an easy place to walk in with a few friends at the last minute, pass around some wine, and eat big pieces of oxtail. While there are lots of dishes on the menu, they have our favorite griot in the city. The tender braised bits of pork have a lemony flavor, giving it a nice blend of salt and citrus. Since they close at 10pm, it’s a good solution post bar hopping or after being sucked into the Phillies game and realizing you have nothing to eat at 8pm." - candis mclean
