Sports bar Toll Man Joe’s will replace Mixto in Washington Square West

Toll Man Joe’s is coming back to Philadelphia, nearly five years after the South Philadelphia sports bar closed during the pandemic.

Founder Lori Penrose has purchased the former Mixto at 1141 Pine St. in Washington Square West, which closed July 12 after a nearly 24-year run. She said she plans to open as Toll Man Joe’s in three or four weeks, timed to the start of football season.

The two-story property, last listed at $2.1 million, spans a pair of circa-1860 rowhouses and is up the block from Chibanos, the new Chinese-Cuban sandwich shop that replaced Effie’s, and across the street from Kiddo.

Mixto’s owners, Jose Mosquera and his family, continue to operate the Latin restaurant Tierra Colombiana in Feltonville, which made The Inquirer’s 2024 list of 76 essential restaurants.

The new Toll Man Joe’s will operate as a full-service restaurant and bar serving its signature wings alongside lunch and dinner menus blending comfort food with global influences. Breakfast and brunch also are planned, along with cocktails, local beers, and wine.

For Penrose, the opening caps a comeback that began in 2023 with a small food operation inside a coffee shop in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County.

Toll Man Joe’s has since grown into a neighborhood BYOB with dine-in service in nearby Woolwich Center. Penrose said it will remain open after the Philadelphia restaurant debuts.

She said she had long promised her daughter, Shannon, and executive chef Arturo Bermudez Luna that she would return to Philadelphia if the right opportunity arose. Bermudez Luna was the original chef at the South Philadelphia restaurant and remained involved after its closure, helping develop menus and train staff.

The original Toll Man Joe’s, at 26 E. Oregon Ave., was named for Penrose’s uncle, Joseph “Toll Man Joe” Paul, a longtime Pennsylvania Turnpike employee at the Norristown Interchange who won WIP’s Wing Bowl VIII in 2000 by eating 90 wings — the record for the fewest wings consumed by a Wing Bowl champion. Paul died in 2012.

The opportunity arose after Shannon Penrose, who lives in Washington Square West, spotted the Mixto property on the market. Lori Penrose said she initially hoped to lease the building but instead decided to buy it. Billy Creagh of National Realty Old City handled the sale.

Shannon Penrose will serve as general manager and director of brand and operations, while Bermudez Luna will return as chef.

The restaurant plans to open daily, initially serving lunch, happy hour, and dinner before adding weekend brunch. Weekday breakfast and grab-and-go offerings also are planned, using the existing espresso bar to serve nearby hospital workers and commuters.

While Toll Man Joe’s remains best known for its wings, menu favorites including the cheesesteak, Nashville hot chicken sandwich, short rib grilled cheese, grilled chicken Caesar wrap, and arugula pear salad also will return. Bermudez Luna, who is from Costa Rica, plans to expand the dinner menu with steaks, seafood, healthier lunch options, and Latin-inspired dishes acknowledging Mixto’s legacy.

Penrose said the goal is to create a neighborhood restaurant rather than a late-night destination, with plans to close around midnight.