On April 3, 2025, a new restaurant opened its doors on Lancaster Avenue less than a mile away from Haverford. Its name is Wonder.
Behind its doors is a simple dining area with some small tables and chairs, a counter with two kiosks for ordering, and a view of the large kitchen where the food is prepared. The simplicity of the interior is part of Wonder’s mission to reinvent the classic food court.
Wonder’s slogan is “A new kind of food hall,” which takes shape in its locations, where dishes from more than a dozen established restaurants are available to order—all cooked in the same kitchen. These meals are made at a central processing facility in New Jersey, and are then shipped to the food halls, where they are prepared in ovens and fryers, allowing food to come out quickly and efficiently.
Wonder’s mission is to make ordering a variety of food as easy as possible. Because all of the meals are prepared in the same location, customers can choose any dish they like from any cuisine and combine it into one order, whereas other delivery services would require multiple orders. These restaurants include American, Mediterranean, Thai, Middle Eastern cuisine, and more.
Not everything about Wonder is perfect. Online reviews of Wonder as a whole are mixed, suggesting that the chain has quality-control issues; many reviews say that the food they received was of lower quality than they expected.
Kent Foo ’28
But is the food actually good? Though it’s not perfect, the food is much better than any fast-food restaurant, and is on par with mid-range restaurants like Shake Shack, Chipotle, or Panera for a cheaper price. The food comes out quickly, taking around ten to twenty minutes for in-store pickup and around twenty to thirty minutes for delivery.
My personal favorite dish from Wonder is the spicy chicken sandwich from Streetbird, which features a soft potato roll with crispy flavorful chicken, crunchy pickles, and a spicy aioli, all for only six dollars. If you’re not in the mood for a chicken sandwich, though, there are dozens of other options to choose from.
From its modern, minimalistic branding and its options for trendier food like poké and intricate salads, it’s clear that Wonder is designed to appeal to younger generations like students. Wonder may also appeal to families, since family members can eat a variety of cuisines while keeping the ordering process simple, a selling point the company has advertised on online platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Not everything about Wonder is perfect. Online reviews of Wonder as a whole are mixed, suggesting that the chain has quality-control issues; many reviews say that the food they received was of lower quality than they expected. Despite this, the location in Ardmore has high reviews; I believe that Wonder is absolutely worth checking out for a quick bite to eat.
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