Sophie’s BBQ is firing up a Philadelphia outpost inside Love City Brewing’s new Manayunk taproom later this spring, bringing its Havertown smokehouse menu of smoked meats, sandwiches and Southern-style comfort food to 4323 Main St. Chef-owner Greg Herman and his team plan to preview dishes at the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival on April 19. The setup will link Sophie’s food with Love City’s tasting room and events space in the former Fat Lady Brewing storefront, and both sides are still keeping quiet on an official grand opening date.
Love City picks a food partner
Love City tapped Sophie’s to run the kitchen at its new Manayunk location, PhillyVoice reports. Co-owners Kevin and Melissa Walter signed a lease at 4323 Main St. after Fat Lady Brewing closed, and the building is set up as a two-story space with a ground-floor taproom and an upstairs events room, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
What the menu will look like
The menu at Love City Manayunk will lean into smoked meats and Southern comfort staples, with smokehouse nachos, brisket cheesesteaks and platters on deck, and the kitchen planning to sell meats by the pound, including brisket, pulled pork, chicken and St. Louis ribs, according to WhatNow. Herman called the collaboration “a moment that has been a long time in coming,” while Love City co-owner Melissa Walter has praised Sophie’s attention to care and craft in choosing a food partner, per local reporting.
Herman’s local roots
Herman launched Sophie’s as an Ardmore project in 2020 and later moved into the larger Havertown location at 1901 Darby Road, where he now serves as executive chef, per Sophie’s BBQ. Local coverage notes that his résumé includes time at Lucky Well and The General and that he brings roughly 20 years of culinary experience into the Manayunk expansion.
Where to taste it first
Sophie’s is slated to hit Main Street for the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival on April 19, where festival listings show dozens of food vendors and trucks scheduled to participate. Manayunk lists the festival schedule and participants. An official opening date for Love City Manayunk and Sophie’s new outpost has not yet been set, and both businesses are sharing updates on their websites and social channels, as noted by WhatNow.
