Wm. Mulherin’s Sons

"The main dining room at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons features a central poured-concrete fireplace, logs ready to be burned, and a skylight for watching the snow fall." - Ernest Owens, Sarah Maiellano

"This charming Fishtown restaurant has garnered a impeccable reputation for serving wood-fired Italian cuisine in a restored century-old former whiskey facility. Expect imaginative, imaginative seasonal pizza options (such as their Al Funghi served with mushrooms, scarmorz, carmelized onions, bufala mozz, roasted garlic, and aged balsamic) and bold pasta servings (like the duck egg raviolo that’s a love letter to ricotta and truffle)." - Ernest Owens, Eater Staff

"Wm. Mulherin’s Sons looks like a house in the Catskills that Martha Stewart owns. The part-boutique hotel, part-restaurant in Fishtown has big wooden tables and a fireplace in the middle of the dining room. They also have some great outdoor seating for groups, whether you're sitting on the sidewalk or in the garden that feels straight out of a scene from Downtown Abbey. On top of just looking really nice, the cocktails and Italian food are also excellent. There are lots of things to choose from, but what they do best are pastas like the braised beef cheek agnolotti and Neapolitan pizzas—especially the double margarita pizza topped with both mozzarella and burrata." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"Stepping into Wm. Mulherin’s feels like you’ve been dropped into a party at Benny Blanco’s upstate New York cabin—ear-popping Tupac included. Friends down whiskey cocktails at tables in front of fireplaces, couples in leather booths are seconds away from drunkenly making out, and an espresso martini marathon is going down at the large wood-paneled bar. The great unifiers throughout the entire chaotic scene are the Neapolitan pizzas and tasty, handmade pastas on every table. Ultimately, Wm. Mulherin’s is less Catskills and more quintessentially Fishtown—good food served in a trendy spot that makes everyone inside feel at least 10 years younger. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Rowdiness aside, the part-boutique hotel, part-restaurant has a near-infinite number of generously sized Italian dishes that are worth ordering. When the weather is nice, there’s a charming garden and plentiful sidewalk seating to enjoy them on. Grab the tuna crudo, crispy octopus, a steak, and a pasta, like the standout saffron torchiette. It’s made with a savory lamb sausage ragu that gets a touch of sweet bitterness from the mint and pecorino mixed in. They also have decent pizza, like the spicy Sawzeech, topped with mozzarella and chili pepper pesto. Stop by on a night when you want the feeling of going out without having to get dressed up. Or when you want shareable small plates and gooey pizza and don’t mind feeling like an extra in a music video. Your call. Food Rundown photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Tuna Crudo While the slices of tuna are light, they’re layered on an earthy and tangy mound of tonnato and celery gremolata. It’s complex—the smooth fish partners with the crunch of the chopped celery. It’s worth getting when you want to start your meal with something light. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Octopus The crispy octopus here is almost tempura-like, with a lightly fried coating. The spicy arugula pesto and lemon-white bean puree team up to make a forkful that’s equal parts citrusy and creamy. It’s one of our favorite dishes to eat here. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Sawzeech Pizza Maybe we love how the house fennel sausage gives this pizza a sweet and garlicky kick. Or maybe they use the chili pepper pesto’s spiral shape to hypnotize us into being obsessed with it. Either way, the thin-crusted pizza is one we order almost every time we’re here. photo credit: RACHEL LERRO Spicy Jawn All of the pizzas are good, but the spicy jawn is the best. The toppings of pepperoni, hot coppa, and long hot peppers always give each bite a background of spice. And the provolone and caciocavallo cheese gives it a luscious creaminess to counter the heat. Agnolotti There’s always an agnolotti on the menu. We’ve had them packed with duck and thyme and tender braised beef cheek and beech mushrooms. No matter which is on the menu, you’ll wish you had more of the flavorful handmade pouches. video credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO Grilled Branzino If a branzino falls on an Italian menu, and nobody’s around to order it, does it even make a sound? We don’t know if that joke translates, but we’re constantly ordering this fish when we want something besides pasta and pizza here. It’s juicy and comes on a bed of broccolini and grapefruit that’s been soaked in an oniony vinaigrette. photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO 22 oz Dry Aged Ribeye We don’t hate it. And we don’t love it. It’s essentially the Nicholas Cage of steaks. This ribeye is always well cooked, and thanks to the charred eggplant and peppers, the whole spread is large enough to feed two. But save it for when you have the corporate card (it’s $98)." - Candis R. McLean

"While there are similarities between Mulherin’s Pizzeria in Center City and its sister restaurant in Fishtown—namely the gorgeous, industrial-chic space and charming outdoor patio—the food couldn’t be more different. In fact, the small plates and pasta here remind us of something we’d eat at the Philadelphia airport, not one of our favorite Italian restaurants. The crispy paccheri appetizer stuffed with cacio e pepe fonduta is a gluey, glorified mozzarella stick. Octopus, though well cooked, sits in a cloyingly sweet white bean puree, and the pasta sauces range from bland and watery to overseasoned and gloopy. If you’re in the immediate area and need to feed a group for a business lunch, you'll be safe with the forgettable but fine Neapolitan-style pizzas. Better to skip the place altogether and head to another restaurant in Midtown Village, though. photo credit: Gina Desimone photo credit: Gina Desimone" - Alison B. Kessler