Gou Restaurant

Haitian restaurant · Olney

Gou Restaurant

Haitian restaurant · Olney

3

5734 Old 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19120

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Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by CANDIS R. MCLEAN
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null
Gou Restaurant by null

Highlights

Authentic Haitian cuisine, flavorful griot, rasta pasta, and wings  

Featured in The Infatuation
Featured in Eater

5734 Old 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19120 Get directions

instagram.com
@gouphilly

$20–30 · Menu

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5734 Old 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19120 Get directions

+1 267 335 4176
instagram.com
@gouphilly

$20–30 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 18, 2025

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@infatuation

The Best Chicken Wings In Philadelphia - Philadelphia - The Infatuation

"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

https://www.theinfatuation.com/philadelphia/guides/best-chicken-wings-in-philadelphia
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@infatuation

The 17 Best Caribbean Restaurants In Philly

"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

https://www.theinfatuation.com/philadelphia/guides/best-jamaican-restaurants-philadelphia
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@eater

The Most Exciting Caribbean Restaurants in Philly | Eater Philly

"Gou is a BYOB located in North Philly that opened its doors in 2022. It is one of the few restaurants in the city specializing in Haitian cuisine. Its menu changes periodically, so don’t miss out on experiencing the bouyon, a hearty vegetable stew made with beef." - George Banks-Weston

https://philly.eater.com/maps/caribbean-food-philadelphia
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Tehinnah

Google
Great authentic Haitian food. I’ll get that fried snapper everytime! Staff is very friendly and attentive. Love that they play Haitian music to set the vibe. I’ll keep coming back 😁

Dannaly Sam

Google
Food was awesome! So much flavor, large portion sizes, and rice and fish were so tender. I had the salmon platter and it was very good. There’s also a live DJ who plays music on weekend evenings as well as a bar.

Ceez Baby

Google
Mommy’s birthday was a success! Thank you so much to the Gou family. Everything was delicious! The cake was to die for. If you haven’t been here yet please please don’t hesitate a minute longer.

Darren Boyd

Google
I love the food. I was really surprised, and the presentation and the taste blew me away. Definitely recommend. The service was great. My waitress was polite and attentive. The owner even came out to greet us and checked on the quality of our food and service.

Diane Washington

Google
This is the first time that we have been there. My girlfriend is Haitian and was looking for some good Haitian food. She said the food is authentic. I really enjoyed it. That’s the first time I’ve had Haitian food. The people that worked there are very nice. And the owner came to the table and spread some wonderful cheer. We will definitely be returning!

Patrick J.

Google
Food tasted amazing! And the ambiance was incredibly pleasing; Best Haitian food I’ve tasted in the city! Definitely give Gou a visit

Alba Rodriguez

Google
If you’re craving authentic Haitian food, Gou Restaurant is the spot! The food was absolutely delicious and every bite tasted like it came straight from grandma’s kitchen. The service? Truly out of this world. The staff made us feel so welcomed and taken care of from the moment we walked in. I want to also add they sang happy birthday to my baby girl. It’s definitely family friendly too. My girls loved it and even declared it their new favorite restaurant! We’ll absolutely be coming back whether it’s for a casual family meal or to catch some late-night vibes. Highly recommend ! come hungry and leave happy! 🌿🍽️🇭🇹✨

Jerome Johnson Jr

Google
If it is on the Menu....JUST GET IT. The food is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Jerk wings, Hot & honey wings, Plantain Cups. Then I had an oxtail taco.....INCREDIBLE. For the main course, I had the Chicken and Shrimp Rasta Pasta. I do not regret a single dollar spent. And you MUST get the homemade passion fruit drink. When they gave me the check, I asked how much was the rent because I was ready to move in the food is that good. The ambiance and the DJ keep the vibes just right all night.
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Isana A.

Yelp
Amazing authentic Haitian food! Hands down, the best Haitian food in Philadelphia. The lunch special is UNBEATABLE--just 10 bucks for protein (griot, chicken, turkey, or meat balls), rice and a drink. The griot is always fresh and tender. Their plantain cup appetizer is a fun twist on a Haitian classic. Also their Mac and cheese is out of this world! Owners are friendly and attentive. Can't recommend this place more!!
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Roxane D.

Yelp
Every successful service brings more curious eaters the next day. The dishes combine freshness with great taste and variety. Right from entry, workers provide outstanding service. This spot is consistently impressive!!! Gou Restaurant employees create a comfortable atmosphere.
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Shifa A.

Yelp
This was my first time trying Haitian food and I was truly blown away. I mean I could keep coming back just for the Rasta Pasta. So let me back up. I am pretty picky food eater and trying new cuisines is an extreme sport to me, I almost always have a back plan to get Chicken Nuggets on the way back home. But it's safe to say the day I tried Haitian food at Gou Philly, no chicken nuggets were purchased. The place is super cute, located on North Philly in a strip mall so parking is available. The place has a VIP section and the walls have cute pictures of the owners family. We started with the jerk chicken wings, and meatballs in a plantain cup with spicy cabbage slaw. One bite and we were dancing to the rhythm of beat ! We absolutely loved the Rasta pasta and the chicken in curry sauce with rice. Needless to say we will be back for the food and warm service! Did I mention it was BYOB?
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Ausanka D.

Yelp
This restaurant deserve a 5 stars it's a gem in Philadelphia. The Accra,crispy from the outside and tender from the inside and so flavorful. The DjonDjon rice was fluffy, the macaroni gratine was so tasty and moist. The goat was seasoning, the marinade wouch bon bagaye. This restaurant reminded me all my Sunday dinner in Haiti. It's legit. The Haitian music gave a good Haitian island ambiance.
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LaLah J.

Yelp
Enjoyed our meals here and will def recommend if you're looking for authentic Haitian food. The TOG passion fruit drink was awesome but the mango refresher was wayyy better. If you're west african keep in mind their plantains are made like Hispanics make their tostones (not the dodo like Nigerians tho) my friend didn't like it much because of the hard consistency and not soft like regular fried yellow plantains. Shoutout to KC for always posting the latest meals and events they have on his instagram. Lots of videos on tiktoks also show the vibes and what they have. They do late night music on the weekends and byob. We didn't have any alcoholic drinks because they weren't serving when we were there in the afternoon. Images above show their latest menu(as of Feb 2024) with prices also.
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Leah M.

Yelp
It pains me to not love this place but I have to say I DON'T! . After a television spotlight on restaurants in Philly my mother and dining partner pressed me to drive the 15 miles. I called in advance to see if seating was possible the person on the line said it wasn't crowded we should be good. We arrived we were seated immediately in this cute little restaurant where everyone was pleasant. Our table didn't have any place settings and we had to ask after receiving appetizers. Food: at 7pm on Saturday they were out of wings?! They wing appetizer is usually served as 5 large beautiful wings I was offered wind dings. Okay I wanted to taste them I ordered hot and honey, I received 7 wing dings in place of 5 whole wings for the same price! Huh???!!! The wing are delicious! I Asked for water with lemon was told they don't have lemons they have limes. I'm confused I ordered fresh squeezed lemonade. That was explained later. We both ordered chicken in sauce, it came out cold not room temperature COLD and WAY TOO SALTY!! I had the 'mushroom' rice with plantains both were room temperature and arrived several minutes AFTER the chicken. Suggestions: offer a description of your meals e.g. chicken drumsticks in a traditional spicy red sauce with ___. List ALL refreshments with details. Cut back on the salt bring the entire entree out and make it hot!! Would I return? No!
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Germita D.

Yelp
The service, food, and atmosphere, is a 10/10!!! Service, such professional, kind-hearted, and helpful stuff were amazing. They were attentive and ensured our experience was great. Now when it comes to the food, it was a packed house for a reason. Their plantain cups and snapper were to die for. The atmosphere was playing on the latest and best Haitian music and I almost had to get up for Alan Cavé. I would recommend this place for sure. Once my diet is over I'll be back. Only thing, is like most Carribean/Afro place, they to get there on the earlier side of the day, before they start running out of things. Other than that, what we were able to get was tasty.

Essiee C.

Yelp
I've given this restaurant more than a few chances, but it seems to have lost its way since the passing of their head chef. They appear to be more focused on events and turning the place into a lounge/club, which is an interesting approach, but it's just not working. The service was painfully slow--it took three hours to get our food after we sat down, even though the place wasn't that busy. I could have counted all the customers in the establishment, yet they kept forgetting parts of our order. They don't seem to have an alcohol license, but the owner was somehow serving alcohol during one of their "events," which was only part of the issue. As for the food, it was excessively salty, with small portions that felt overpriced. Emmanuel, one of the owners, was kind to us during our visit, but the other male owner brushed off our concerns and seemed visibly annoyed. There are other restaurants in Philadelphia with less drama, so I'll probably stick to the ones I usually frequent.
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Tiffany C.

Yelp
I've been wanting to try some "Good" Haitian food for quite sometime. I stumbled upon Gou while working and decided to stop in. I asked another patron whom stated she was a regular for recommendations. She suggested I try the Grilled Snapper and or the Boulet "Haitian Meatballs". I opted to try both. Both dishes came with a side of rice and beans and plantains. The Boulet was absolutely delicious! Reminded me of meatloaf with a slight spicy kick and the Snapper blew me away. I honestly wasn't expecting to enjoy the food but it was beyond my expectations. The portions were well worth the cost and the owner was friendly and helpful in helping me explore the menu. Gou has dine in or take out options. It's also a BYOB; which is lovely if your dining in. It's a really nice vibe within and a must try if you're into Haitian food. There are nights I hear they have a DJ and it get pretty lit.
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Frances U.

Yelp
It's BYOB. If you like Haitian food, you gotta check it out! It gets lit on a Friday night and the Dj makes sure of that. So if you want a quiet dinner, this isn't the place for you. It's very casual dress and set up. Our table was wobbly and the staff was nice enough to quickly move us to another table. The steak cups were amazing, the Rasta pasta was spicy spicy and delicious, the fish was yummy.
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Eva C.

Yelp
Attended the grand opening brunch event at this restaurant and it was lovely! Nice crowd, lovely atmosphere, great service and delicious food and brunch mimosas. This is a great addition to this area that has a fairly large Caribbean and Haitian community, but a lack of proper establishments for dining-in in an appealing space. Unfortunately, did not get good photos of the very tastefully decorated space, but there was plenty of seating, including bar seating and a separate seating area by the large front windows. Will definitely return after this special event to try out the regular menu items.
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Juliette A.

Yelp
Just ordered through DoorDash and still excellent!! Fast, arrived hot and the Mac and cheese is on point!

Tanya J.

Yelp
Intro: Growing up in Philadelphia there weren't a lot of Haitian restaurants and the few I came across had long wait times and inconsistencies. So, I grew accustomed to eating family and friends Haitian food which was good but I wanted a go to restaurant... Inside: "Gou" surpassed all of that. The place is really nice inside. Clean with beautiful photos and decor. They made it feel roomy for such a small place. It had a modern day Haitian culture. Food: And man!!! The food was AMAZING!!! It tasted exactly how Haitian cuisine should have. We had fried pork and fried goat, fried plantains, Haitian black rice, "Mac au gratin" (Haitian Mac and cheese) pork plantain cups, jerk wings, and some mixed juices that were refreshing and good. Everything was so good. I don't have many photos because I forgot to take them but my family took some.
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Burton L.

Yelp
One of my 2024 goals was to try Haitian food, and I did! Last night I went to Gou and had an amazing time, the atmosphere, the employees and the food won me over! I ordered the oxtail, rice & beans(not to be mistaken for Jamaican rice & peas lol) and fried plantains. I originally came there to try their countries famous soup(I have no idea how to spell it) but someone sttd they ran out ;). This was my first time visit and it will not be my last! S/O to TikTok for putting me on cause I would've never known about this place! I enjoyed my food and especially their sunset drink! Everyone was so kind, and I even got to taste the soup after all! lol thx KC
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Jean Elie P.

Yelp
The food was good ! I had du riz blanc pois avec boulette !! I will definitely come back

shayneea f.

Yelp
This was my first experience with Hatian food and it was amazing! The food was seasoned well and the service was great!
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Christina H.

Yelp
Wow!!!! I was so excited to hear about this new addition to the only neighborhood which is sorely lacking in casual dining restaurants. It's such an unexpectedly cute spot. The decor is lovely and the food is amazing. I tried almost everything on the menu--sweet & spicy shrimp, jerk wings, Haitian patty, plantain cups, Fried goat, black rice, fried plantain & sweet plantain. The plantain cups were the star of the meal. Such a wonderful complex flavors! The fried goat was seasoned to perfection! It was a little crispy for me, I should have gotten it stewed instead. I was absolutely elated to find out that they serve Haitian spaghetti for brunch for which I have been searching high and low for months. I will definitely be back soon! Oh and it's BYOB!
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Naromie's W.

Yelp
The vibes was there, the food is authentic & the piklis was spicy good overall. Very home like feeling. They took care of us (a a party of 10)

Chantel C.

Yelp
Food is pretty good. Vibe is too. Loved the rice- very flavorful. The only thing that wasn't hitting for me was the pikliz- not enough vinegar. Also, the plantain cups were a bit too salty.

Monrika L.

Yelp
Excellent food and service! The griot and black rice were my favorites AFTER the Mac and cheese.
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Jean J.

Yelp
Food is really good here. So far I've been there twice. Service has been very professional, staff is friendly and funny. Probably my favorite feature of the restaurant is the rewards program for repeat customers. (Must inquire) Nice ambiance! Looking forward to going back again, highly recommend. Bon appetit a tous!

Gregg A.

Yelp
Amazing food and service. Always consistent. Ample portions. It's the best Haitian food I have had in Philly. They have all of the favorites. This is now my go to spot.

Sophia J.

Yelp
absolutely unreal. every time i eat from here, i'm on cloud 9. the djon djon is a godly experience. just had the salmon tonight and it was perfect!!! highly recommend this place.

Liz H.

Yelp
Just what Philly needs, the perfect place to show Haitian cuisine in the glory it deserves. Every time me and my girlfriend eat here it takes us back to a magical place. The service is amazing, and the ambiance in the bar is perfect for where it is

Kenney C.

Yelp
Where do I start? Food was amazing. Lots of food. And most importantly, for me, is the service. Everyone from the staff to the owners, treated us well. We love the atmosphere. The place is very beautiful and well kept.

Sherry L.

Yelp
Everything was ok, just don't like my plantains cooked too hard. Service wasn't bad...can definitely use a little more ambiance.

Yon L.

Yelp
The food was soooooooo amazing. The black rice was exceptional. The griot was so delicious. The service was professional. I would recommend this restaurant to any and everyone. Especially as a New York native who has had plenty of Haitian food restaurant experiences. This is A1!!!!

Roberto J.

Yelp
Tasty I recommend going in person GrubHub and all the other food delivery services. Miss a lot of items on the menu if you know you know.

jasmine s.

Yelp
The appetizers the one with fried banana cup and pork was the bomb. The entrees (pork, turkey)could have been better, need more seasoning and they were over fried so they were dry. We came to try the fish but they didn't have it. The homemade drinks was good too.

Carlee R.

Yelp
So we made a reservation that was not honored as all tables were full when we arrived. We waited thirty minutes to be seated and did not receive food until 2hrs later. 4 groups that arrived after us came, ate and left before we even received one plate. It was very disappointing. Don't come here on the weekends.