March 19, 2026
Michael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice
Lucky Duck, a new tavern from the owners of mini golf bar Libertee Grounds, is now open on the Delaware River waterfront in Northern Liberties.
Lucky Duck, the new bar and restaurant on the Delaware River waterfront in Northern Liberties, was packed for its grand opening on Wednesday night.
The American bistro is at the Rivermark apartment complex — just off the intersection of Spring Garden Street and North Christopher Columbus Boulevard — in a section of the riverfront that hasn't had much nightlife since the closure of Festival Pier at the same site. The bar offers a sweeping view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, a backdrop that's been painfully underutilized for years.
"The view kind of sells itself," co-owner Priyank Rambhia said.
Lucky Duck is the second Philly bar from Rambhia and business partners Sanil Shah and Kanay Patel, who teamed up with Sidecar Bar owner Mike Metzger for the new space in Northern Liberties. Rambhia, Shah and Patel opened the mini golf bar Libertee Grounds together in Francisville five years ago, pairing putt-putt with an Asian fusion menu that includes their signature lamb kheema cheesesteak.
Northern Liberties has plenty of bars on and around Second Street — and more hidden gems like Druid's Keep closer to the river — but not much that takes advantage of the neighborhood's adjacent waterfront.
"We've always seen ourselves as kind of trailblazers in areas," Rambhia said. "We're not the first ones there, but we like coming in and revitalizing areas where we can provide something new that's very 'us' to a community that's hopefully asking for it. We did that with Libertee Grounds. We're doing that here with Lucky Duck."
The tavern-style menu at Lucky Duck offers crispy, thin-crust pizzas along with a selection of burgers, salads, finger foods and dishes like duck bolognese and steak frites. The bar has a Guinness pour, a rangy cocktail menu and a list of wines and sparkling drinks. When the restaurant closes on Fridays and Saturdays, bar patrons will be able to walk up to a "hot slices" window for late-night pizza.
Lucky Duck serves tavern-style thin-crust pizzas with various toppings.
Lucky Duck is open Tuesday to Thursday from 4.–11 p.m., Friday from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from noon to 1 a.m. and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.
"We're still a bar first, which is what we are at Libertee Grounds," Rambhia said. "We're not trying to be this unique, novel thing. We just want to turn out great tavern pizzas. There's a lot of great places in Philly that do that, and we just want a pie that sits with the rest of the food menu."
When plans for Lucky Duck were announced last summer, the owners said they wanted to create a "third space" that's been lacking on the waterfront in Northern Liberties. The bar is open for walk-ins and reservations.
Jade Stone lives nearby at the Piazza, now a shadow of the nightlife hot spot it used to be in Northern Liberties. She's been in the neighborhood for five years and said she wants a milder place to grab food and drinks. She and her boyfriend were awaiting the opening of Lucky Duck. They tried the oysters, chicken milanesa and a breakfast pizza topped with fennel sausage, hash browns, chives, garlic sour cream and maple syrup.
"I feel like the other bars here are a little young, so this is exciting that it's a bit of a more mature vibe," Stone said. "Young is like, 21-year-olds who are a little too intoxicated to stand on their feet. When there's a line down the street, it's young. I'm not waiting in a line. And having a seat, that's always a good option."
Outdoor seating will be available at Lucky Duck during the warmer months of the year.
Lucky Duck is located in the Rivermark apartment complex off Spring Garden Street and North Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
Gay Ojugbana, a North Philly native, moved into the Rivermark apartments two months ago after several years away from the city. She wanted a great view of the bridge and said Lucky Duck will make the east side of Columbus Boulevard feel more homey.
"There's nothing in this area. There's other retail spaces, but nothing that's open yet. This was what brought me to this building," Ojugbana said, pointing to the bridge. "I have the same view from my apartment, but it has a bigger punch with the sunset and the bridge lighting at night."
Olivia Vaughn, another Rivermark tenant, moved to the neighborhood from Old City with her husband at the end of last summer. She thinks Lucky Duck can fill a void on the waterfront and connect neighbors at the apartment complex, whose only other store until now was Sprouts Farmers Market. She hopes the bar will make it easier for people to get out and socialize.
"It's nice to have something where you can just walk across the street," Vaughn said.
When the weather warms up, Lucky Duck will set up patio tables for people to dine along the river. The courtyard at the apartment complex has a 60-foot-tall, illuminated sculpture that pays homage to the history of navigation in the Delaware River.
Other touches at Lucky Duck include an alcove with a dart board and an arcade claw machine at the entrance that's filled with rubber duckies.
Lucky Duck has a dart board in a small room between the bar and one of the tavern's dining areas.
Just inside the entrance to Lucky Duck is a claw machine arcade game filled with rubber ducks.
"There's always playful elements you can bring in where it's not cringey, and it just adds to the uniqueness," Rambhia said. "We don't ever want the place to feel stuffy."
Lucky Duck could be a preview of the future of the Delaware River waterfront, where an expanded trail is better connecting neighborhoods to Penn's Landing. Over the next several years, the capping of Interstate 95 will bring an 11.5-acre park to Penn's Landing, and the South Street Pedestrian Bridge will be extended across Columbus Boulevard to make it easier for people to access the waterfront.
"We hope this is the paradigm shift and we are the catalyst that kicks off awesome food and beverage for the waterfront that you see in cities like Chicago and Boston," Rambhia said.
