Passyunk Avenue (Waterloo)

You're walking down Leake Street in Waterloo, past the street art and the railway arches, and suddenly you're in Philadelphia. Passyunk Avenue does American diner food without the irony or the Instagram theatre — just good, honest cooking that makes you wonder why more places don't bother. The menu reads like a Philly greatest hits: proper cheesesteaks with the cheese actually melted into the meat, fried chicken that's properly seasoned, and sides that don't pretend to be anything other than what they are. It's casual enough that you won't feel awkward turning up solo at the counter, but good enough that you'll be bringing mates back within the week.