Bryn Mawr’s Tango Is the Perfect Lunch Spot

Its grilled trout is among its standout entrees.

Tango’s grilled panini with Brie and sliced apple//Photo by Tessa Marie Images.

“We’re known for being one of the only restaurants in the area that serves a mean grilled trout,” says Tango co-owner Joe Baldino. 

The popular dish is part of a consistently excellent contemporary American menu crafted by executive chef Sam Sheridan—one that has sustained this trackside gem for more than 15 years in finicky Bryn Mawr

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The place is already well known for its elevated dinner experience, so we wanted to gauge the noon-ish vibe. Its signature Express Lunch is a soup-and-sandwich combo with a mixed green salad for $10.50. Tango also has an extended selection of appetizers, like crispy rice-flour calamari, along with pasta and fish entrées. 

Both the creamy white-button-mushroom and four-cheese sweet-onion soups are robust and served piping hot. The blackened ahi tuna on a brioche roll with coleslaw and wasabi aioli was well executed, as was the multilayered grilled panini with oozing Brie and sliced Gala apple. The house-made chips were a nice complement. 

Newbies are apt to appreciate the main dining room’s cozy fireplace and plush booths, while a smattering of smaller rooms can accommodate private parties and lunch meetings. Hues of burnt orange flow with dark wood tones throughout Tango’s interior, and subdued lighting gives the bar an intimate feel. 

For those who want to linger well past noon, a comprehensive wine-by-the-glass list makes it easy to go beyond the typical vintages. Seasonal bar specials accompany classics like the Mango Tango Martini, the Brandywine Negroni and our favorite, the Bulleit Bourbon Sidecar. Craft-brew varieties are also plentiful.

39 Morris Ave., Bryn Mawr, (610) 526-9500. 

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