Discover 24 delicious things to eat when you visit the City of Brotherly Love. Start with cheesesteaks and hoagies but don’t stop there – you don’t want to miss a delicious bite!
1. Philly Cheesesteaks
2. Hoagies
The best hoagies are filled with great Italian meats like Prosciutto di Parma, Coppa and Genoa-style salami, enhanced with aged (Philly natives call it “sharp”) Provolone and finished with oil, vinegar and oregano. You’ll want to order your hoagie this way unless you have dietary restrictions.
Explore More: Great American Sandwiches
3. Roast Pork Sandwiches
Despite the global popularity of cheesesteaks and hoagies, the roast pork sandwich may be the granddaddy of Philly sandwiches. While it doesn’t receive the star billing of the cheesesteak, the combination of slow-roasted pork, greens and aged provolone is acknowledged by many culinarians around Philly as the sandwich to beat.
4. Bagels
For many years, bagels in Philadelphia could be described as good but not great – more a vehicle for a Sunday brunch treat of Jewish appetizers like lox and whitefish than the main event. Those years are over. Those years are over. Great Philly bagel bakers have emerged over the past ten years, each with a unique style and approach to baking bagels. This is a city where you can eat bagels boiled in a special beer-enhanced water, topped with charred long hot pepper cream cheese or filled with ramen-inspired ingredients.
Explore More: Great NYC Bagels
5. Burgers
Not all Philly burgers are not the same. Some are grilled, some are smashed and others are loaded with tasty toppings. While you can eat burgers at fast food chains around the city, the best ones are served at gastropubs. Not only will you eat a bigger, juicier burger at a gastropub, but you can order a pint (or two) of beer to wash it down.
Explore More: More Great Burgers
6. Pizza
While Philadelphia can’t touch New York when it comes to pizza, the city’s pizza is good enough to achieve prominence on the national scene. That prominence started with Pizzeria Beddia; however, there are plenty of other pizza options including Neapolitan style pies at Nomad Pizza, Detroit style pies at Down North Pizza and classic old school pies at Marra’s. That being said, Angelo’s Pizzeria wins our personal prize as best pizza in Philadelphia.
Explore More: The Best Pizza in Pizza’s Homeland
7. Italian Food Beyond Pizza
‘Old school’ Italian restaurants like Villa di Roma, Ralph’s and Dante & Luigi’s ruled the South Philly landscape for many years. However, the growth of modern Italian dining in Philadelphia, like much of the United States, shouldn’t be underestimated. With restaurants like Vetri Cucina, Osteria, Le Virtù, Cicala and Crybaby Pasta, Philly has taken its place at the forefront of the country’s modern Italian cuisine movement. Yes, there are a lot of great Italian restaurants in South Philly as well as in the rest of the city.
Explore More: Italian Food Favorites
8. Brunch
On weekends, brunch isn’t just a meal in Philadelphia – it’s also a social event where groups of friends convene at local cafes to eat pancakes, French toast and/or avocado toast. Those friends also sip coffee while catching up on the week’s gossip.You can join the queues to eat brunch on Saturday or Sunday. However, assuming that you’re more interested in food than conversation, the better option is to eat brunch on a weekday. Your wait will be far shorter but the food will taste just as good.
9. Modern Restaurant Cuisine
Bursting at the seams with great food at all prices, Philadelphia’s restaurant scene is filled with beer-friendly gastropubs and budget-friendly BYOBs as well as some of the nation’s most innovative restaurants. No longer in the shadow of nearby New York City, great chefs like Marc Vetri, Michael Solomonov, Michael Shulson, Greg Vernick, Nick Elmi, Jose Garces and Chad Williams have boosted the city’s excellent dining scene to worldwide fame.
Explore More: Great Philadelphia Restaurants
10. Asian Food
Philadelphia’s Chinatown has a variety of eating options featuring Asian cuisines as varied as Chinese, Vietnamese and Burmese. Beyond Chinatown, a number of restaurants have opened in South Philadelphia, Kensington, Fishtown and the expansive region of Northeast Philadelphia. These far-flung eateries serve a range of cuisines including Korean, Thai and even Cambodian.
Explore More: Dinner at Kalaya
11. Mexican Food
Interestingly, although there are great Mexican restaurants in every corner of Philadelpia, many of the best ones are located in and near the city’s Italian Market. The influx of Mexican restaurants and retailers has changed the neighborhood’s landscape, with Cristina Martinez’s South Philly Barbacoa leading the charge.
12. Middle Eastern Food
Chef Michael Solomonov is world-famous for starting an Israeli food revolution in Philadelphia. Zahav was just the beginning. Solomonov has opened Dizengoff, Goldie, K’Far Cafe and Laser Wolf in addition to his original flagship restaurant. You’re missing something special during your trip to Philadelphia if you don’t taste the simple, savory, creamy pleasure of Solomonov’s hummus at one of his restaurants. But it’s not the only Middle Eastern restaurant worth trying. Suraya serves excellent Lebanese-inspired dishes in its airy Fishtown dining room. Its specialty store is great too.
Explore More: Dinner at Laser Wolf
13. Vegan Food
Despite Philadelphia’s global notoriety for inventing the cheesesteak, the city has a surprisingly vibrant vegan scene. Yes, not only is Philly a mecca for carnivores but it’s also a happy place for locals and travelers who don’t eat meat. Whether you live a Vegan lifestyle or just like excellent food, dining at Vedge is a plan-ahead must when you visit Philadelphia. Vegan travelers will find want to dig deeper by eating falafel at Goldie, bar food at Charlie Was a Sinner, fast-casual grub at HipCityVedge and pastries at Crust Vegan Bakery.
14. Bar Food
Many of Philadelphia’s best bars serve excellent beer that crafted locally, nationally and globally. They also serve food that tastes with that beer. Some Philly bars serve burgers and fries while others serve Mexican food. Then there’s Monk’s Cafe which serves Belgian-style mussels to go with its vast selection of Belgian beer.
15. Pretzels
As is the case with much of the best Philadelphia food, historians link pretzels back to immigrants. Back in the 19th century, German immigrants, known today as the ‘Pennsylvania Dutch’ (having nothing to do with the actual Dutch), brought pretzel recipes and rural German food traditions to both Philadelphia and nearby Lancaster. However, we doubt that those original pretzel bakers ate pretzel sandwiches.
Explore More: Great German Food
16. Water Ice
Loved by kids of all ages, water ice is the most refreshing summer treat in Philadelphia. Similar to Italy’s granita and NYC’s Italian ice, the frozen dessert provides a dairy-free ice cream option that’s made with fruit, sugar and water. And, with flavors like cherry, lemon and mango, it also tastes delicious.
Explore More: Great Desserts Around the World
17. Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets
Baked in Philadelphia since 1927, Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets pre-date America’s most famous individually wrapped cake (i.e Twinkies) by three years. Topped with butterscotch icing, the sponge cake is snack food royalty in its home city despite recent behind-the-scenes corporate changes.
Explore More: Best American Snacks
18. Goldenberg Peanut Chews
Especially popular in Philadelphia where the candy was invented, Goldenberg Peanut Chews are what you’d expect and more with molasses added to the bar’s crunchy roasted peanuts and chocolate mix. They’re also a legitimately high-protein candy that comes in portion controlled ‘fun’ sizes.
Explore More: Best American Candy
19. Italian Pastries
Italian immigrants didn’t just bring pasta and pizza to Philadelphia. They also brought Italian pastries from regions like Campania, Sicily and Abuzzo more than a century ago. And, most important, they passed that art of baking on to future generations. Today, Philadelphia’s Italian bakeries serve cannoli and sfogliatelle to crowds that line up for those treats and more. They also bake wedding cakes and Eagles-themed cookies.
Explore More: Traditional Italian Pastries
20. Ice Cream
Philadelphia has been an ice cream city since Bassetts Ice Cream started churning back in 1861. Philadelphians still eat classic scoops of Bassetts flavors like French vanilla and mint chocolate chip as well as more modern flavors like birthday cake and salted caramel pretzel. They also eat ice cream at more modern ice cream shops.
21. Donuts
American donut devotees will find plenty of fried dough to eat in Philadelphia. Options range from down-and-dirty Mexican churros to upscale Lebanese beauties. Vegans can chow down on dairy-free varieties. As for us, we like traditonal donuts which Philly has too.
Explore More: Great Global Donuts
22. Coffee
Philadelphia joined coffee’s third wave movement more than a decade and a half ago with a handful of coffee shops. Fast forward to the present and the city has more than two dozen excellent specialty coffee shops. With so many great choices, it would be a shame to drink swill. This is the case whether you’re thirsty for coffee in Center City, Fishtown, Queen Village or another neighborhod.
Explore More: Best Coffee Shops in Philly
23. Craft Beer
Philadelphia’s beer history is no flash in the keg. German immigrants operated close to 100 independent breweries in the city more than a century after revolutionary patriots plotted rebellion in local pubs. The city’s beer passion ran so deep that Philadelphia has a neighborhood named Brewerytown. Although this history took a snooze during the 20th century during and after Prohibition, Philly is back in the American beer game with a vengeance. Not only does the city have dozens of outstanding beer bars, but several craft brewers have set up shop in neighborhoods like Fishtown, South Philly and Kensington.
24. Cocktails
While there’s no denying that Philadelphia is a beer lover’s city, cocktail connoisseurs will find plenty to imbibe when they travel to the City of Brotherly Love. Not only do local mixologists excel at crafting classic cocktails, but they also create unique cocktails that tickle the taste buds with each and every sip. Cocktail bars located at restaurants like Friday, Saturday and Sunday are easy to find. You’ll have to look harder to find The Franklin Bar – the speakeasy hides in plain site in the heart of Center City.
Explore More: Recipe for a Cocktail Invented in Philadelphia
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