The History of pudge's

Our roots trace back over 60 years to a small hoagie shop in Germantown, where a young Frank Carbone opened Frank’s after returning from military service in the late 1950s. In 1972, he moved the shop to Blue Bell and renamed it Pudge’s, after his childhood nickname. What started as a neighborhood hoagie spot quickly grew into a staple of Montgomery County.

After Frank’s passing in 2000, his daughter Barbara and her husband Mike Williams carried the Pudge’s tradition forward. Under their leadership, Pudge’s expanded to multiple locations across the Lansdale and Pottstown communities. Even after selling their final shop in 2024, the Williams family held on to one thing that mattered most — the Pudge’s name and the commitment to quality and hospitality behind it.

That legacy finds a new home here in Gloucester City.

The building at 34 N. Burlington Street has its own rich history. It first opened as a shoe store in 1890 before transforming into Leisinger’s Saloon in 1912, when German immigrant Joseph Fred Leisinger installed the ornate wood-and-mirror bar that still welcomes guests today. In 1937, fellow German immigrant Max Waterstradt purchased the business and renamed it Max’s Café, later evolving into the beloved Max’s Seafood Café by the late 1970s.

After decades of service, the building went dark in 1998 — until a full restoration brought Max’s back to life in 2001. In November 2025, ownership changed once again, marking the beginning of a new chapter: Pudge’s Pub.