James Beard Award winning restaurateur Muhammad Abdul-Hadi expands to West Philly with new cafe

Friday, July 11, 2025
WEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- James Beard Award winning restauranteur Muhammad Abdul-Hadi is taking his success from Down North Pizza to West Philadelphia.

Action News got a first look at the new spot, Out West Cafe.

It's a café market, described as the sibling to Down North Pizza.

"I just wanted to do something else to show that we have a wide range, that we're not just about pizza. That we can do multiple things," says owner Muhammad Abdul-Hadi.

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The menu includes brewed coffee, lattes and cappuccinos to classic breakfast sandwiches.



Crafting the menu is Chef Michael Carter.

"I'm bringing back breakfast classics. I've got a lamb scrapple sandwich, a Korean fried chicken sausage. We're trying to provide a premium breakfast menu so you don't have to go all the way downtown to get it," he says.

And because the cafe is in a food desert, the grab and go snacks are also healthier.

Their commitment to the community remains the same. Every employee is getting a second chance after incarceration. It's the very mission that earned Abdul-Hadi a James Beard Award for Leadership.



"You're missing out on so much talent around people who just made mistakes some 20,30,40 years ago. That should not follow them for the rest of their life," he says.

The 2,500 square foot space has working space upstairs, a back patio plus a community library.

"We want to become a part of people's routines," says Abdul-Hadi.

The location at 5127 Walnut Street also has special meaning. It's where Abdul-Hadi grew up, so he says this is a full circle moment.

Out West Cafe opens Saturday, July 12.



For more information, visit: OutWestPhilly.com.
Out West Cafe
5127 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19139

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