London Grill’s Owners Are Selling the Fairmount Institution After Almost 30 Years

After running London Grill at 23rd Street and Fairmount Avenue for almost 30 years, Terry Berch and chef Michael McNally are selling the pioneering neighborhood restaurant, which opened before the Art Museum area had a collection of eateries. The restaurant, located a block from prison-turned-museum (and seasonal haunted house) Eastern State Penitentiary, is a family-friendly spot with an eclectic American menu and a full bar.

Philly.com reports Berch and McNally, who were formerly married, have been looking to sell for a while now. It’s not a done deal yet, but the likely buyers are Jack McDavid and Joe Spina.

McDavid and Spina are investors, so they’ll be looking for someone to actually run the restaurant. The sale is scheduled to take place in May.

In the meantime, Berch is getting ready to celebrate Passover by decorating London Grill with her collection of frog-shaped items, representing one of the plagues in the Passover story. Customers who contribute a frog (not a real one) to the collection now through April 12 will be entered to win a seder-style dinner for six. The Passover-themed meals, which are not kosher but include matzo ball soup, brisket, and other traditional dishes, plus a seder plate, are available for $50 per person from April 19 to April 27.

According to Philly.com, London Grill’s address has been a restaurant since the mid-1800s. The name became London in 1968 and Berch and McNally bought it in 1991.

They opened Paris Wine Bar next door in 2012. It’s part of the sale.

• London Grill, among the oldest restaurants in Fairmount, has a sale pending [Philly.com]
• Paris Wine Bar Opening Next Week