In 1992, Mayor Ed Rendell named the hoagie the Official Sandwich of Philadelphia. The convenience store chain Wawa has embraced the sandwich, and for years has sponsored a summer marketing campaign it calls hoagiefest.
They might not always be well-made, and they definitely vary from store to store, but admit it: If you’re giving someone a true taste of regional sandwiches, a Wawa hoagie has to be included. Sliced turkey is a go-to, since it’s hard to mess up, especially paired with cheese. Add the LTO toppings of your choice, pick a bed of mayo or a drizzle of oil and vinegar (or both) and definitely opt for the dash of spices over top. It’s the taste of satisfying convenience in compact 6-inch form. $5; multiple locations
Yes there’s cheesesteak in the name, but that refers only to methodology. Invented by chef Peter McAndrews to show off the Pennsylvania Dutch specialty breakfast meat to Bizarre Foods’ Andrew Zimmern when he was in town, this sandwich features chopped and griddled scrapple making friends with multiple fried eggs, heaps of melting provolone, caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes. It’s not on the standard menu, but good news from McAndrews: He’s about to start late-night hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and this is likely to be one of the offerings. $9; 148 W. Girard Ave.
You can’t get this sandwich at Phillies games anymore, since the family behind the 50-year-old recipe wasn’t happy with the concession-stand quality, but it’s entirely worth the trip to the Chestnut Hill pub where it was invented. Just thinking about it — griddled rib-eye, thinly-sliced onions, fried salami, thick tomatoes, American cheese and special sauce on a Conshy Bakery kaiser roll — is enough to make your mouth water. (It’s still sold at the Linc, FYI, because the McNallys run that stand themselves.) $10; 8634 Germantown Ave.
The recent death of owner George Onorato shook this Italian Market anchor to the bone, but the corner shop soldiers on, continuing its namesake’s vision of making people happy with food. Giant housemade meatballs are slow-cooked in gravy (aka red sauce) until they’re fall-apart tender, then loaded into a crusty roll and sprinkled with just a dusting of grated parmesan — anything more would be superfluous. $7.50; 900 S. 9th St.
Originally introduced as a limited time item available only at the Spruce Street Harbor Park “Port FedNuts” pop-up shack, this crunchmeister is now available at all locations and has deftly worked its way into the Philadelphia canon. The giant hunk of the famous double-fried chicken dusted in buttermilk ranch is gilded with a slice of American cheese, zinged with spicy “rooster” mayo and set off by tangy dill pickles, all stuffed inside the soft, fluffy pillow that is a Martin’s Potato Roll. $7.50; multiple locations
Fedoroff’s Roast Pork started off like so many trendy New York City restaurants at Smorgasburg, the outdoor food fair based originally in Williamsburg’s waterfront park. Dave Fedoroff had been working at Trader Joe’s and cooking 300 pounds of pork out of his Upper West Side apartment. He sold the sandwiches at a stand on weekends making enough money he believed the concept could be self-sufficient.
Another spot famous for the Italian Pork Sandwich is George’s Sandwich shop in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian Market. The Italian Market is a section of 9th Street lined with Italian restaurants and shops with an emphasis on food. The shop has been operating since 1936 selling hot sandwiches like tripe, ground veal, and spicy veal tongue.
There are other places to find sandwich, like DiNic’s, located in the Reading Market Terminal. The indoor market opened in 1893 and today serves as a food hall and shopping mall. DiNic’s has made a name for themselves selling pork sandwiches stuffed with broccoli rabe, pork and provolone. These massive sandwiches are popular, but DiNic’s also serves a roast beef sandwich.
Jon Vellios, the original George’s great-grandson took over after Mark’s death. Before reopening, Vellios decided the shop needed to under some modernization to bring it up to code. According to Mike Newall at The Philadelphia Inquirer, the shop was modernized but the menu was more or less unchanged except for the addition of a meatless sandwich and the Roma sandwich, a special made with pork and veal. The Roma sandwich acnkowledges the local Roma community that had been long time customers. George’s, and Willie’s, another sandwich shop that once was across the street, were the go-to spot for east coast Romani people.
Dave Fedoroff and his wife Stella opened the shop as an homage to South Philadelphia in November 2016. The menu is short: Italian pork sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and Taylor Ham sandwiches – although true to Philadelphia traditions, the shop calls it Pork Roll. (The fries are also good, but not necessarily traditionally served with the sandwich.)
Philadelphia Food – Hoagies – The Official Sandwich of Philadelphia
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