Cook and Shaker has tripled its footprint in Philadelphia's Old Richmond neighborhood, the result of a major renovation that stretched over the past year. The comfort-food bar, run by longtime chef-business partners Paul Quintieri and Laura Viegas, knocked down walls, installed new beams, built out a brand new kitchen and added a garage-style window wall to the space at 2301 E. Albert Street.
According to 6abc, the newly expanded spot comes from Quintieri and Viegas, who have run the business together for years. The station describes the renovation as extensive, with the walls coming down to make room for a bigger dining and bar area, plus a new kitchen built to match the restaurant's growth.
What Changed Inside the Renovated Space
The construction work tackled the bones of the building, not just a cosmetic refresh. Beams went in to support the newly opened-up layout, and the garage-style window wall was added to bring in more light and air, per the same report. The menu continues to lean into hearty fare and comfort food, while the bar keeps its focus on craft cocktails.
Despite the bigger footprint, the co-owners have kept pricing where it's been since the restaurant opened. Cook and Shaker still offers any sandwich paired with a pint for $16 on Sundays, and weekend brunch remains part of the regular lineup.
A Long Road From Replacing a Neighborhood Dive Bar
Cook and Shaker's roots in the neighborhood go back more than a decade. A 2013 report from Philadelphia Magazine announced the concept as the replacement for the Chug a Mug bar at the same Albert Street address, with plans at the time for a menu of sandwiches and entrees topping out at $15, including vegan and vegetarian options, and eight taps always featuring at least one cider alongside beers from area breweries. That same coverage described plans for the kitchen to run seven days a week, from 3 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and starting at noon on weekends.
Around the same time, a blog post from the Philadelphia Inquirer described Cook and Shaker as a planned 55-seat comfort-food restaurant at Albert and Tulip Streets, with an opening targeted for early fall of that year. Those 2013 reports reflect the restaurant's original plans rather than its current operations, and it's not established whether those specific hours, prices or seating numbers carried through to today.
Sticking to Its Roots in Old Richmond
What has stayed consistent is the restaurant's commitment to the neighborhood where Quintieri and Viegas first found what they considered the ideal location for a neighborhood bar back in 2013. The pair reportedly planned even then to grow the restaurant eventually, and more than a decade later, that expansion has arrived in the form of a tripled footprint.
Cook and Shaker remains closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with the kitchen and bar open the rest of the week for regulars looking for comfort food, craft cocktails and that Sunday sandwich-and-pint special.
