A storefront that once housed FoodChasers at 7852 Montgomery Avenue in Elkins Park now belongs to Tilly's Empanadas, a handheld-pastry shop that has set up shop with pickup, delivery and catering all on the menu. The eatery occupies the same address that FoodChasers left behind, giving the Elkins Park food scene a new destination for empanadas without leaving the neighborhood.
The opening was reported by Glenside Local, which detailed the business's services and its path to opening. According to that report, Tilly's hosted a grand opening on October 2, offering pickup, delivery and catering services to the Elkins Park community. The outlet also described this location as Tilly's second, with the original shop located in Long Beach, New Jersey.
From Moon-Watching Night to Grand Opening
Before the grand opening, Tilly's eased into the neighborhood with a one-day-only opening preview and community tasting, held in September during Elkins Park Skywatchers' International Observe the Moon Night, per the same outlet's earlier coverage. Pairing a food preview with a community astronomy event gave neighbors an early taste of the menu ahead of the shop's full opening weeks later.
That early access appears to have been a limited window rather than a soft launch with regular hours, based on how the preview was described — a single day tied to a specific community event rather than an ongoing rollout. The full operation then followed with the October 2 grand opening, according to the Glenside Local report.
What's On the Menu
Tilly's online ordering page confirms the Elkins Park location is now open and accepting orders ahead, per Tilly's Empanadas' own site. Among the fillings listed is the Humita Empanada, packed with sweet yellow corn, red peppers, eggs, zucchini, garden vegetables and creamy béchamel, giving local diners a vegetable-forward option alongside whatever else rounds out the shop's offerings.
The menu also carries a nod to the brand's Jersey Shore roots. Tilly's describes its Pinky's Jersey Shore Empanada as a small tribute to Pinky Shrimp's, the business it replaced at its original New Jersey spot, according to the company's own description on its website.
A Second Location With Jersey Shore Roots
Tilly's growth from the Jersey Shore to Montgomery County has its own backstory. The SandPaper reported that Tilly's was set to replace Pinky Shrimp's in the Long Beach area and was expected to open by Memorial Day, though it's not clear from available reporting whether that timeline played out as planned. What is clear is that the Long Beach, New Jersey shop remains Tilly's original location, with Elkins Park now standing as its second.
For Elkins Park residents, the arrival fills a storefront that had sat as FoodChasers, adding a pickup-delivery-and-catering operation to a stretch of Montgomery Avenue that's seen its share of turnover. Whether Tilly's two locations will stay just two, or whether Elkins Park marks the start of further expansion beyond the Jersey Shore, remains to be seen.
