Out & About with Linda – July 2026
This month we checked out one of
our area’s longstanding restaurants, the Fireside Inn in Feasterville.
I read about the Fireside Inn perhaps two years ago when they came under new ownership and were doing some refurbishing. They’ve been on my radar ever since…and they should be on yours, too!!
A truly local “haunt,” we arrived during Happy Hour around 5:30 and the parking lot was already almost filled. The bar area was busy when we entered and the dining area was filling up quickly. The Fireside Inn is not a fancy place, but it is welcoming and homey, and has earned its reputation as a local “best,” deservedly so.
We took our table and started to review the menu. We consulted with our server, Samm, who pointed us in the right direction vis a vis what we should order. For sure it was the “right direction.” The Inn is known for its brisket. I had read about its pulled mozzarella triangles…so we had a head start.
For starters we ordered their onion rings. The consensus: REALLY GOOD. Crispy, hearty, they would definitely be a repeat order down the road. The mozzarella triangles were all I expected. SO YUMMY and gooey. Sort of like a grilled cheese kind of thing… but more gooey and more fun to eat. The order comes with two triangles that we split in half. Next time, for four people, we would order two orders so we could each have a full triangle…that’s how good they were!
For our entrees we went whole “hog.” Hey you know the drill!! We ordered the Daytona Wings. A customer favorite, the wings were meaty with a slight kick and baked to a crisp. The Brisket and Mac & Cheese Sandwich was outstanding. Remember, the Fireside Inn is known for their brisket, and their menu options showed us why!! The brisket was tasty, not fatty, and on top of the mac & cheese….well, what could be better….two favorite foods snuggling up to each other. Perfectly matched!
The Brisket Tacos were beyond description. REALLY!! A flight of three tacos arrived at our table. Filled to the brim with that delicious brisket, lettuce, tomatoes etc., this is a MUST HAVE. Share it, or take it home, put it in the fridge and it will be equally delicious a day or two later. Just ask our friends…they were too full to enjoy a taste at the restaurant!
And finally, we tasted the mushroom burger. Accompanied by fries, AGAIN, it hit the spot. Hefty, tasting like it had just come off the grill, we enjoyed it thoroughly…all of us!!
The Fireside Inn is a meat restaurant. Brisket, hamburgers, and wings, the chef and servers turn out what the diners, the “regulars” have come to expect EVERYTIME they come through their welcoming doors. And they are not disappointed.
With a full bar, televisions for watching your favorite game, outside dining open when the weather is good, this remains an easy-going restaurant…good for the family, or for a gang of friends searching for “delicious and comfort” at the same time. Oh, but back to “delicious…”
We had to finish our meal with dessert. P.S. We were really too stuffed after our feast. But, again, you’re familiar with what has become my “drill.” We HAVE to sample dessert…
Samm recommended the Key Lime Pie and Carrot Cake. Ok! One of each was delivered to our table. Clearly, Samm made sure we didn’t miss a thing at her table!!!LOL! The Key Lime Pie was just “limey” enough. The crust delicious. And the Carrot Cake, tall and moist, was a perfect ending for our brisket-filled meal. Both could be shared nicely. P.S. Even with our filled stomachs, both desserts disappeared before we left! LOL!!!
The Fireside Inn has specials running on different nights. They also have some entertainment. But above all, they have delicious food. Tucked away in a back street of Feasterville, their kitchen has attained star power. Parking is easy. It’s well worth your visit. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Just tell them you heard about them here, between our covers. Samm might remember our visit!!
I had read about Yardley’s very special bookstore, Commonplace Reader. Knew of its many book clubs, events and more, but it was something else I read that got me to finally pay a visit and check it out firsthand.
BookSmiles is a South Jersey-based enterprise that has as its mission to collect unwanted books and give them away to children, teachers, libraries and to anyone who wants books. Currently they give away about 150,000 gently used children’s books monthly.
Based in Pennsauken, BookSmiles will be moving to Cherry Hill into a 14,000 square-foot facility. This added space will accommodate their ever-increasing book collections, cultural events, poetry readings and more. Larry Abrams, Founder and Director of BookSmiles, hopes to train young, committed professionals to help get these books into the hands of young people in the greater Philadelphia/New Jersey area. It’s like a hub of books for book people wanting to spread the importance of and fill the need of books for children. It’s pretty special.
I spoke with Larry and he told me that BookSmiles has a drop off spot at Commonplace Reader. And so, I found myself going to Yardley one recent afternoon to see the drop off spot and visit this unique bookstore.
Commonplace Reader is on the main drag in Yardley. A house that’s packed with books, this bookstore is not your corporate looking facility. Bright and open, almost every topic a reader is interested in can be found. I went directly to the second floor where I found the kids section. Among the book shelves there’s cozy nooks for sitting. There’s also some Lego stuff for kids to entertain themselves a bit.
I found some good books for Goldie and Suri. Suri loved her Search and Find book. And a great little book by Sandra Boynton about going to bed. The author’s son recorded the story and his narration can be heard by pushing a button on the book. Suri loved that. Goldie, an aspiring veterinarian, liked the book about Jane Goodall.
As you’re looking at the shelves, you can see there are little notations about some of the books indicating what the staff thought about a particular book on that shelf. It’s almost like a mini review of what you’ll find in that book. I liked that informative touch.
They have a Story Time scheduled regularly plus something referred to as Surprise Stories for middle readers age 5-12. And the event calendar on their website has a listing of a wide range of events happening at this quite “happening” bookstore.
There are cards and little gift ideas on the first floor. There seems to be space for almost anything in this very busy house of books! But where is the drop off spot for BookSmiles?
I spoke to Elizabeth Young, the owner, who directed me outside to the porch near the parking lot. There’s a blue container where books of all sorts can be delivered for pick up by BookSmiles. You can drop off books day and night. No need to go into the bookstore…of course you’ll be missing a fun time searching for a new book to read if you don’t go in!!!
Any and all kinds of books are collected. Adult reading books, encyclopedias, kids readers, coffee table books…anything that can be read can be usefully distributed by BookSmiles.
So, when you’re sorting all those books you’ve collected and are thinking about giving them away, consider BookSmiles on your list of new homes for those cherished books. And if you have an entire library that you’re ready to turn over, call BookSmiles. They’ll come and pick up those heavy books, saving you time and perhaps a backache! LOL!!
Check out Commonplace Reader. As a bookstore it’s quite uncommon. A visit there will show you what I mean. Their tagline says it all: Books Make Your Mind Bloom. Truer words were never said. Have fun!
Fireside Inn
237 Elmwood Avenue
Feasterville/Trevose
215-357-9874
Commonplace Reader
49 S. Main Street
Yardley
215-420-2620
