Watch The First Snow Fall From Inside This Warm Pennsylvania Pizzeria
A pizza oven now glows inside a brick building that once blended and bottled whiskey back in 1890.
That alone made me stop scrolling. The old company signs are still molded into the terra-cotta outside. The building sat empty for decades after Prohibition shut the business down.
Then a careful renovation brought it back in 2016 as a restaurant with hotel suites upstairs. I like how the old bones were kept instead of hidden.
This corner of Pennsylvania gets real winter weather, and that’s when the place feels made for lingering. Big arched windows frame the street.
A cast concrete fireplace warms one dining room, and a wood-fired oven glows in another.
I can’t imagine a better seat for the first flakes of the season. So which spot would you grab first, the fireplace or the oven?
An Old Whiskey Factory Found A Second Life As A Pizza Spot
Wm. Mulherin’s Sons started life as a whiskey company headquarters, not a restaurant.
Irish immigrant William J. Mulherin and his sons ran the business from this building, built in 1890.
Their work involved blending and bottling, and it carried on for decades. Then Prohibition arrived, and operations ended in 1924.
What followed was a long, quiet stretch. The building stood abandoned for years while the neighborhood around it changed slowly.
Method Hospitality eventually took on the project, working with Stokes Architecture. Their goal was to keep the factory’s character instead of erasing it.
The restaurant reopened in 2016, and Bon Appétit named it one of the 50 best new restaurants in the country that year. A four-room boutique hotel opened upstairs in 2017.
I believe that history is the secret ingredient here. You aren’t eating in a space built to look old.
You’re eating in a space that simply is old, with over a century of stories in its walls.
Keep that in mind as you take your seat. Every brick around you once watched bottles roll out the door instead of pizzas.
Look Up Before You Go In, Because The Building Talks
Historic terra-cotta signs still spell out the family business on the outside walls. They’re reminders of the building’s whiskey-trade years, and they give the brick facade a character that’s hard to recreate.
The exterior is classic industrial brick, three stories tall. Large arched windows line the front and give the whole corner a grand, old-city feel.
Around the side, things get more modern. A mural honoring Philly indie rock musician Kurt Vile covers part of the building.
The elevated Market-Frankford Line runs right nearby, so trains rumble past the scene. It’s a very Philadelphia mix of history, art, and city motion all on one corner.
The building sits on the southeast corner of Front and Master Streets. Here’s a helpful tip: the entrance is on Master Street, not Front.
That small detail saves you from circling the block in the snow. Take a moment outside anyway, though, because the brickwork and old lettering deserve a good look before dinner.
Three Rooms, Three Moods, One Cozy Winter Night
A black walnut bar greets you right away, along with a mosaic tile floor and a hand-painted mural. That’s quite an opening act for a dinner reservation.
Inside, the restaurant splits into three separate areas. Each one has its own personality, so your table choice really shapes the evening.
The first is a wood-paneled bar area with a speakeasy feel. Given the building’s past, that mood seems almost fitting.
The second is a dining room with dark hardwood floors and a cast concrete fireplace. On a snowy night, this room sounds like the winner to me.
The third dining area looks out toward the open wood-fired oven. If you like watching food come to life, this is your stage.
Throughout the space, you’ll notice exposed brick, timber ceilings, gold accents, and sculptural lighting. Custom-made furniture fills the rooms too.
Design writers have praised how it blends real history with retro-inspired modern style. Nothing feels fake, and that’s harder to pull off than it sounds.
Grab The Fireplace Seat While The Flakes Pile Up
Snow outside, fire inside. That’s the whole pitch, and honestly, it’s a strong one.
The cast concrete fireplace anchors one of the dining rooms at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons.
Its lounge area is known as one of the most sought-after spots in the house.
Pair that glow with the dark wood and exposed brick around it. The result feels intimate without being stuffy.
Big arched windows help, too. They let you keep an eye on the street as winter rolls into Pennsylvania.
So how do you improve your odds of landing a cozy seat? Book ahead whenever you can.
Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are strongly recommended, especially on weekends. A snowy Saturday seems like exactly the night everyone else gets the same idea.
Consider arriving a little early to settle your coat and look around. The room rewards slow attention, from the timber ceiling to the warm lighting.
I can’t think of a better place to see whether the forecast was right. Worst case, it rains, and you still had dinner by a fire.
The Pizza Takes Two Days And It Shows
Patience is baked right into the dough here. The Neapolitan-style pizzas go through a two-day fermentation before they ever meet the oven.
That slow process gives the crust a soft interior and a crunchy bottom. The wood-burning oven then adds smoky char that a regular oven just can’t match.
Names on the menu bring some Philly humor. The Spicy Jawn has featured pepperoni, hot coppa, and long hots, a local pepper favorite.
Prefer sweet with salty? The Figgly Wiggly has paired fig, prosciutto, and pistachio, which sounds like dessert and dinner shaking hands.
A classic margherita and a burrata pizza have also appeared on the lineup. The menu shifts with the seasons, so expect some changes from visit to visit.
Here’s my advice: order at least one pizza for the table, even if pasta is calling you. This oven is the heart of the restaurant.
Sitting near it adds a bonus show. You get to watch pies slide in pale and come out blistered and golden.
Save Room, Because Pasta And Octopus Are Waiting
Pizza may be the star, but the supporting cast is crowded. Small plates, handmade pastas, and larger meat and fish dishes fill out the menu.
Crispy Octopus is the name that keeps popping up. The restaurant treats it as a signature dish, and it often leads off a meal.
Bluefin tuna crudo has appeared among the small plates too. That gives you something lighter before the heavier comfort food arrives.
On the pasta side, past menus have included tagliatelle ragu bolognese. Mezze maniche carbonara has made appearances as well.
Larger entrees have featured steaks, including hanger and flat iron cuts. The wood fire touches more than just pizza, adding smoky flavor across the kitchen.
A smart move is to share several plates. That way, you can sample octopus, a pasta, and a pizza without needing a nap afterward.
Because the menu is seasonal, dishes rotate through the year. Ask what’s current, since a winter visit may bring something new to the table.
Weekend Mornings Bring Eggs In Purgatory And Breakfast Pizza
Breakfast pizza is a real menu item here, and nobody has to feel guilty about it. Brunch runs on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Breakfast Jawn Pizza keeps the local slang going strong. It brings the wood-fired oven into morning duty, which feels only fair.
Eggs in Purgatory is another brunch dish that has appeared. It’s a classic Italian-style plate of eggs cooked in tomato sauce.
Brunch might be the sneaky best time to watch snow. Daylight pours through those arched windows, and a fresh layer of white makes the street look brand new.
Plan your weekend morning with a reservation in mind. Weekends are the busiest days, so booking ahead keeps things relaxed.
Dinner is served daily, so brunch is a bonus, not the only option. Still, a late-morning meal leaves your afternoon free to explore Fishtown on foot.
Think of it as a lazy Sunday with better scenery. Snow boots optional, appetite strongly encouraged.
You Can Actually Sleep Upstairs After Dinner
Only four rooms sit above the restaurant, which makes booking one feel like a small win. The hotel has earned MICHELIN Guide recognition.
Back in 2018, 10Best named it the best new hotel in the United States. Not bad for a former whiskey factory.
Each suite is designed differently and ranges from 550 to 810 square feet. Three have king beds, while Room Two has a queen.
Hand-picked art, vintage rugs, plants, and cacti give every room its own style.
Practical perks matter too. Rooms include full kitchens, rainfall showers or a soaking tub, Aesop bath products, and an in-room washer and dryer.
Blackout shades help if you want to sleep in after a snowy night. Free WiFi and flat-screen TVs round things out.
Some rooms keep pieces of the building’s past. One old elevator shaft now works as a skylight, and another room features a clawfoot soaking tub inside a former safe.
Check-in happens with the restaurant staff, a nod to British pub hospitality. The hotel is adults-only, so it suits a quiet winter getaway.
Fishtown Makes The Trip Easy And Worth Extending
Getting here doesn’t require a car, which is great news on a slushy evening. Girard Station on the SEPTA Market-Frankford Line is a short walk away.
You’ll find the restaurant at 1355 N. Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
It sits in Fishtown, one block off Frankford Avenue.
Fishtown grew from working-class roots into a creative district full of energy. Wm.
Mulherin’s Sons helped show how an old industrial building could fit that new chapter.
Driving instead? Limited on-site parking is available for restaurant guests, so give yourself a little extra time in bad weather.
The outdoor courtyard and garden area shine in warmer months. Come back in spring, and you’ll get a totally different version of the same place.
For now, though, winter is the moment. Few spots in Pennsylvania mix old brick, a crackling fire, and wood-fired pizza quite this well.
Watch the snow, share a pie, and stay a little longer than planned. The trains will keep running, and the oven will keep glowing.