What are the best kept secrets of your part of the burbs? Restaurants/Bars/Shops/Bands/People/etc.? Who and what are they and what makes them so great?

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Steve Johnston
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Carambola. It's a BYO restaurant in the Dreshertown Shopping center. The owner used to have a restaurant in CC for years, but finally headed out for the burbs (there was an article in the Inky when he first opened). Great food, though the restaurant itself is noisy (and always packed with a wait list), but they've finally offered takeout, so the din can be avoided.

Parc Bistro in Skippack. Good eats.

My friend Jake and his dad own Carambola! Glad to see you giving them a plug. Yes, it's a nice place with good food. Much better than you'd expect for a place in a strip mall next to a Chinese restaurant and a dry cleaners. Check it out.

In my neck of the woods, Conshohocken, there's a little Italian place called Totaro's that people rave about, though I've still not gone there. And in the same vicinity, there's Coyote Crossing, an upscale Mexican place with great margaritas and a huge outdoor patio that gets mobbed in the summer. That's not exactly a "secret" but it's one of only two Mexican places I know of that offers better food than your typical Chi-Chi's/Chili's stuff. (The other is Tequila's at 16th & Locust.)

There's a great little Mexican place in West Chester in a small strip shopping center on Gay Street east of downtown, as you're coming in to town from the east. It's on the right, more or less across the street from a tire place.

At least, it used to be there. It's been 5 years since I checked it out. But it was very good food, and a nice family that ran it.

totaro's is good if a little pricey. tequila's is way pricey for mexican. BYo to El Rey Sol or La Lupa's. There is a little Thai place in Wayne caled Mayaure Cafe on BN. Wayne ave that is good.

I always promote Carambola! Love that place. Tell Jake & his father to keep up the good work!
While I love revisiting favorite meals, its nice to watch the menu change with the seasons.

If you want really good really reasonable Mexican, try venturing out to Avondale. There are around four good places right along Route 41 just off Route 1.

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Bob Bruhin
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I am pretty sure that this restaurant has been mentioned before, but Phil's in Blue Bell is very good. Totally casual, not terribly cheap. Food..........very good. I'd go again