On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Caterers, Breakfast & Brunch, American (New)
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn CenterPumpkin Stuffed Challah French Toast, Salmon in Phyllo w/Dill Sour Cream, Potato Pancakes, Crab, Gruyere & Spinach Scramble, and much more!
Tue-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
Loading...
I really liked this quaint brunch spot. The food is solid, the prices are right, and its the perfect spot on a sunday afternoon. Expect a wait of 20mins or so on the weekends but once you get seated it's worth it. I ordered the banana pancakes which were only 7 dollars. Glass of fresh oj for three bucks. solid solid deal.
My girlfriend had the salmon omelette which was really good as well. Definitely would recommend this place and will certainly be returning in the future.
This place always looks like a hot jam on weekend mornings so I've been looking to see what the fuss is about. Having finally had the opportunity--nay, the pleasure--of eating at Day By Day, I can tell you with great confidence there is no other place in the city where I would rather have breakfast.
Everything looked great, especially the daily specials. I started with a cinnamon bun which just blew my mind; so soft and light and fluffy and every nook permeated with cinnamon-sugary greatness. I followed with a crab/avocado/pepper jack cheese omelet, which was accompanied by rosemary potatoes and black bread. I liked everything about it. The girl ordered a spinach/sun-dried tomato/goat cheese and it was likewise off the proverbial chain. They serve up a good cup of coffee, too.
The service was a bit slow but charmingly so. Like, in a Southern good naturedly lackadaisical way. I should also note that they try to accommodate as many of the teeming masses as possible so its tight quarters in here.
When I went up to pay, I noticed two delicious pies at the counter and made an inquiry. They both looked incredible but I chose the pear custard pie. The woman at the register, presumably the owner, told me it was slightly too watery and not up to her usual standards so she gave me my piece for free. Later on in the day, after everything else had digested, I ate the pie and it was AMAZING.
(I brought this up to some Yelp folks and they think its possible I had been spotted as a Yelper and this was the actual reason it was free. For anyone who wants to question my integrity, let me make one thing perfectly clear: I CAN BE BOUGHT WITH PIE. It is really quite shameless of me.)
If you don't like brunch at Day By Day, I will fight you.
Great food and nice people - but really busy!
It was so crowded when I went for Brunch on one weekend morning - we were seated REALLY close to the other party's table which made it awkward to have our own conversation.
It took very long to get our food and they offered us poundcake during our wait- very appropriate for this case since i was very hungry.
I had Potato Pancakes with Sour Cream and Apple sauce: it was amazing. I've never thought sour cream and apple sauce would work together but it was Delicious!
The prices of Brunch Specials are very reasonable and I'd definitely recommend this place for a try!
I heard wonderful things about this restaurant, but I have to disagree. I've been here several times for brunch and each time my eggs (omelettes) have been runny. I'm not saying they were a little jiggly, they were full on gooey & falling apart. My potatoes were coated in heavy grease & tons of rosemary. The bread is the saving grace of the place, although I have to say the waffles are sub-par.
If you go before 11 am it shouldn't be too tough to get in.
I went over to day by day for a lazy sunday brunch, and it was worth the effort and walk. I went with a large group and all of us left happy, First of all their cinnabon is crazy good....buttery and goey. I had the eggs florentine, it was perfect. the only thing that was bad was the service. Our waiter was rude and slow, when we requested anything he acted like we were bothering him.I would still go back for the food.
I went to Day by Day only twice, but its a place that stays in your head for a long time. The first time I went for lunch on a weekday and had the Honey Fried Chicken tossed with Buttermilk dressing as recommended by a friend . . . . and it was the best salad I ever had. Today I went for brunch and was bummed that the salad wasn't on the menu. So I ordered the pumpkin and walnut filled french toast and it was to die for! The bread was thick and chewy with a crispy outside. Just enough maple syrup too. I am not sure what the pumpkin filling was made of, but it was not too sweet or bland . . . just right. We paid $30 for 3 people. That includes coffee & tea. Great end of the week treat!
If you go on a Sunday afternoon, be prepared to wait 30 minutes. Don't go starving like I did :-( But trust me, it is worth the wait!
The food here is great and reasonably priced for the area. The place was pretty crowded when I visited, so I appreciated the bread and butter they served me before my meal. I had an asparagus and chevre omelet with breakfast potatoes.
Only downside to this place is they are only open for like 4 hours a day and some days they aren't at all, and usually when they are open they are pretty busy. But the servers are friendly and attentive. For the most part they seem to be more involved with their catering business than their restaurant, but it is a good treat when you can actually get in!
Phenomenal.
So this place is seriously difficult to get into. The hours are weird and it's normally just a catering spot so actually eating there is a bit difficult and takes a bit of planning. My friend and I had been looking to eat there for about three years and this past Sunday finally made it in (and only because our original plan for Slate fell through as they weren't open at 10:30am on a Sunday).
The coffee was great and the waiter kept it full throughout brunch (a definite necessity for me). After Max Brenners the night before we were avoiding anything sweet but be sure to look for the baked apple pancake as it looked amazing and half the diners seemed to have ordered it. M had the crab and shrimp quiche and it was perfect. Flaky (not mushy) crust and a generous portion that had the most massive mouthfulls of crab and shrimp in every bite. SO GOOD! I had the BLT with horseradish mayo and a fried egg on top. It was awesome. The horesradish mayo added this great bite and the bacon was top notch - a bit messy though! The breakfast potatoes also need to be highlighted as they were chunky red-bliss (I think) covered in rosemary and thyme and fabulous. yay!
Overall, the meal was perfect. The place can get a little crowded (understandable since they are rarely open for dine-in business and the food is great) and the tables are a bit close together for retelling torrid stories of the night before. Prices are totally reasonable and we walked out with two breakfasts, an extra side of potatoes and two coffees for about $25 - perfection.
Eat here, trust me.
Had to knock a star off after a handful of trips to this place, it's just not a five star restaurant. The food is good, and menu varied, but there are little things that are starting to bother me:
- nasty stains inside the coffee mugs
- the low quality plastic table cloths
- the lack of crab in my girlfriend's crab omelette
- the way my burger was about 70% of the size of the bun, leaving way too much room for toppings to slide all over the place.
I'll keep coming back but I think a lack of competition keeps this place from being a real dynamite brunch spot.
Off my radar until suddenly. Day by Day turned out a great brunch spot Sunday afternoon. Went with 4 friends and I had the stuffed french toast (challa, mascarpone cheese, apricots and peaches with slivers of toasted almonds. This was incredible. The omelet ordered was delicious looking and my two friends ordered an intriguing crab quiche that I tasted and drooled over. Coffee hit the spot with high standards satisfied (I'm a big fan of La colombe) and service was great.
The price was one that rivaled some of my fave bruncheries too. Cost us each around $15, even with coffees and a shared muffin basket!
My egg white, goat cheese, sundried tomato and spinich omelette was delicious, and my side of potatoes were pretty good as well. I will say that I was impressed that the price was better than I had expected ($9 for omelette). The service was terrific in that the waiter kept coming by time and time again to refill my coffee. This meal actually reminded me of those yummy brunches in San Francisco (e.g. Ellas on Presidio & California). Very casual and cozy atmosphere. Not loud inside. Looking forward to trying something new next time!
Let's just say I've had a lot of brunch. Been to all the hip places in Philly, New York, and I keep coming back to Day by Day. It's no coincidence that it's a block away from my apartment, but I think that's just by the grace of the brunch gods.
I happily convince my friends to meet me here for brunch on the weekends, and they all rave about the quality of the food. I've never had anything but a beautiful and delicious order. I'm pretty sure I've sampled everything on the brunch menu, save the few specials that I missed. My favorite are their variations on eggs benedict, with smoked salmon, crab, or something else that's delicious.
My only minor complaint is the seating situation. Like any popular brunch spot, it gets crowded. The staff seems overwhelmed and it often takes a few moments to be greeted. But once you're sitting the service is excellent, and my coffee mug always seemed full.
I'm waiting for a day that I can play hooky and try the lunch menu!
Brad's rating (out of 5):
Food: 5
Price: 4
Decor: 3 (let's remind ourselves that it is primarily a catering outfit)
Service: 4
Wild card: Food quality is comparable to the other favorite brunch spots in the city (I'm looking at you, Ant's Pants and Sabrina's!).
Excellent Sunday brunch. Very reasonably priced. Often packed.
The service can be very SLOOOOOOOW, so don't go here if you're really hungry or in a hurry.
It's important to start your day with a great meal and Day By Day can help you with that task. We visited DBD this past Saturday and really enjoyed the smoked salmon benedict as well as the stuffed challah french toast (heavenly).
Went back to try the brunch. Lots and lots of options for me and all my picky friends with the same great dbd atmosphere. loved my crab, spinach and poached egg with hollandaise. it was a wonderful combination. also tried the cherry hand pies--they were amazing. i love cherry pie and i think this was one of the better ones. Flaky crust, lots of cherries...so so good.
This is absolutely hands down one of the best lunch spots in Center City. The menu changes week to… Read more »
Not that impressed by brunch. The service was spottier than usual. Also they take forever to ring you up...annoying
let's just say I know two things in lifea god bbq brisket sandwich and cupcakes.
brisket sandwich is…
Read more »
Day by Day is usually where I go to lunch/brunch with people when I meet them in the city or go to rittenhouse. This is definitely the best place for brunch in philly! The food is amazing, and i'd say that the french toast is the best i've ever had. it's called day by day because the menu changes somewhat frequently, I love trying the new sauces when they change for the french toast. But i've also tried the huevos, the forentine which has everthing i love: spinach, mushrooms, poached eggs and awesome roasted potatoes.
I'm a real dessert guy too, and these guys have good dessert. There's not a dessert menu, you just walk in a see a case of what they've got this week. They've always got cake (I like they're carrot), or a cheesecake. And there's always a gorgeous pie.
The waiters are really nice and relaxed, they always know if a soup is vegetarian or not, and tell me what's in something on the specials menu. I'm glad they've got a good rating here because for their prices and casual atmosphere, the food cannot be beat.
And lastly, the decor. It's not the best here, i like a nice restaurant design, but it's not essential as long as the food is great and the place isn't dirty. I get really upset when restaurants sink a lot of money into their looks and the food doesn't match up.
i don't want to give my rittenhouse secret, but it's always fun to bring one of my friends who hasn't been there before, they become as much of a fan as I am.
This place is simple and no frills, they serve quality food in heaping portions, check all the different french toast options. When we went for Sunday brunch it was packed, but the service was still friendly and pretty fast. The french toast seemed to be one of the most ordered dishes, but we all got eggs. My egg florentine with spinach, mushroom, potatoes, and hollandaise was decadent and my friends seemed equally pleased with the spinach and endive quiche and huevos rancheros that they ordered.
A nice place for a chill brunch.
We went here with work colleagues for lunch one day. We didn't have a HUGE party but the service was a bit spotty. Out of everyone who ordered a sandwich, most got the wrong side. The waiter took our orders such that people on the end had to scream across everyone on the table. It was disconcerning.
Our food was really good though, even those of us who got the wrong sides enjoyed it. I had a smoked salmon sandwich on whole wheat and I would recommend it highly.
The second best brunch in the city. (First is the Swann Lounge at the Four Seasons.) Of course if you like to do brunch regularly and don't need to valet park your Rolls or Lamborghini, Day by Day takes the lead.
If you like Huevos Rancheros, this is the place to go. The flavors are fresh, distinct and, best of all, authentic. The several hollandaise sauced dishes are all great (the hollandaise is smooth, properly creamy, with an appropriate hint of lemon.), but my favorite is the potato pancake Benedict with smoked salmon - absolutely decadent.
When I'm trying to be good, the smoked salmon and whitefish salad combo is a satisfying alternative. Generous servings of smoked fish are garnished with loads of fresh veggies, tasty olives and capers. Even forgoing the included bagel of choice, I leave the table sated.
You gotta try the desserts here. All are house-made and wonderful. The variety is extraordinary (although the selections of the day are usually limited to about 6 or so.) If you can score the key-lime or pecan pie, eat dessert first. Oh yeah, the carrot cake is best I've ever tasted - anywhere.
BTW, for lunch during the week, this is, like, comfort food central. I love the spicy Thai chicken breast, and the codfish cakes are sublime. The burgers, a recent and welcome addition to the menu, are awesome. (Again, leave room for dessert!)
3.5 stars really.
Day by Day has been a reliable lunch spot and catering go-to place for me and many people at my firm.
The fried chicke toss salad is delicious and they serve a "safe" selection of sandwiches. In the summer- the gazpacho is a refreshing and tasty choice.
The specials of the sday - often fish and omelettes are also really, really great. They often sell out of the fish special - so come early for your lunch. They don't do dinners - although last summer they briefly toyed with a "dessert cafe" concept which I wish had fared better.
Anyhow - it's a great place to grab a safe, reliable lunch.
I can not write enough positive stuff about this place. The selection of the menu is great I had a Crab and Shrimp quiche and it was out of this world. The only problem is narrowing down the right selection..everything looks so good! Really fresh and loaded with crab meat which is always nice. . The service was good and the price was reasonable. The only small complaint I have was we were seated at a table that was right next to another table..slightly ackward but the food soon distracted me from this. Highly recommend this for a nice Sunday brunch.
I love this place! While I've only been there for the Sunday Brunch, it's fantastic and we pretty much go there every weekend so you should believe me. The food is super tasty and I can't stop raving about their potato pancakes with salmon/eggs/hollandaise perched beautifully atop. Additionally the woman who owns the place is "the cat's pajamas". My only complaint is that it's not open for Saturday brunch and it's cash only.
One of my absolutely favorite places for brunch or lunch. Good value for the price and everything is full of savory tasty goodness. Only open for lunch during the week and for breakfast and lunch on weekends. Oh, the desserts are made on the premises and are to die for.
Definitely order from their specials of the day. Soups are fantastic here and so are their salads. My favorite is the tuna steak salad. Their desserts are also yummy.
It's a quaint place to go for lunch and break the work day up. The service is fast and friendly.
Nice place with pleasant service.
Breakfast was OK but nothing to make you faint..
The biggest problem is that they serve only "American" coffee and no cappuccino/espresso - so if you have to open your morning with a good shot of espresso, like I do, I'm not sure this is the right place for you...
I highly recommend this place for a casual lunch or brunch. Don't be surprised to wait a little during the usual busy hours. This restaurant knows their niche and sticks to it by just focusing on daytime food. Last time I was there, I had the Salad Ala Stephen with chicken added. The salad was actually missing goat cheese though before I could say anything, the owner came over to ask if something was missing. She then quickly resolved the problem and apologized. The salad is a great dish: mixed greens, roasted peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, pine nuts, and goat cheese. To go with that, I had La Colombe coffee which tasted freshly brewed and includes free refills.
Please, please, please can they give me a few hundred dollars to make this restaurant pretty??? This is one of the tastiest brunch spots in town with the sweetest staff. They never batt an eye when I ask for salad instead of potatoes with my omelet, all of the food is super yummy, and they serve a HUGE glass of orange juice. And yet, they insist on serving the food on plastic tablecloths and have the floor covered in brownish-purple carpeting... Seriously, with a little bit of love (which this restaurant has plenty of!) this place could be adorable!
Wow, was it disgusting. Or maybe I was just lucky to get the chef who thought hollendaise sauce is brothy with chunks of powder in it. Mmmmm.
Little-known but wonderful place for sunday brunch. The waffle and the german apple pancake are both delicious, and their egg dishes are great too. The setting is kind of nondistinct, but is more than made up for by the service, fair prices, and awesome menu!
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Caterers
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Thai
Places that make me say "I'll never get this one…
These are the places to go on a Sunday morning…
