Philly Has Much More on the Menu
Philadelphia may be inseparable from the cheesesteak, but stopping there means missing a huge part of the city’s food culture. Generations of Italian, German, Irish, Pennsylvania Dutch, Caribbean, and other communities have left their mark on what Philadelphians eat, creating everything from messy sandwiches to oddly named frozen desserts. Some of these foods are famous nationwide, while others barely seem to leave southeastern Pennsylvania. Here are 20 Philadelphia favorites that prove the city can do a lot more than chopped beef and melted cheese.
1. Roast Pork Sandwich
Plenty of locals will happily argue that the roast pork sandwich deserves just as much attention as the cheesesteak. It usually combines tender roasted pork, provolone cheese, and garlicky broccoli rabe on a sturdy Italian roll. Long hots or roasted peppers sometimes join the mix, depending on where you order it. The sandwich grew from Philadelphia's Italian-American food traditions and remains one of the city's signature meals.
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2. Italian Hoagie
Philadelphia takes the hoagie seriously enough that calling it a "sub" can immediately reveal you're from somewhere else. The classic Italian version piles cured meats, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, oregano, oil, and vinegar into a long, crusty roll. It's simple food, but there's a reason hoagie shops seem to be everywhere.
3. Tomato Pie
Don't expect a hot slice covered in bubbling mozzarella when you order Philadelphia tomato pie. This bakery favorite usually starts with thick, rectangular bread-like dough topped generously with tomato sauce and only a light dusting of grated cheese, if any. It's often served at room temperature rather than piping hot. The dish has especially deep roots in the city's Italian-American bakeries.
4. Philly Soft Pretzels
Philadelphia's pretzels tend to be long, narrow, chewy, and much softer than the giant twisted versions sold at amusement parks. Locals eat them with spicy brown mustard, and you'll find them everywhere from bakeries to corner stores. Pennsylvania Dutch settlers helped establish the pretzel tradition in the region long before it became one of Philly's best-known snacks.
5. Water Ice
The name may sound redundant until you've spent a hot Philadelphia summer afternoon eating a cup of it. Water ice blends fruit or flavored syrup with finely textured ice, creating something smoother than a snow cone but lighter than ice cream. Lemon, cherry, and mango are dependable classics, although shops have gotten increasingly creative. And yes, you'll probably hear plenty of locals pronounce it "wooder ice."
6. Scrapple
Scrapple isn't winning many beauty contests, but Philadelphia-area breakfast tables have never needed it to. Traditionally made from pork combined with cornmeal and spices, it's formed into a loaf, sliced, and fried until the outside becomes crisp. Pennsylvania Dutch communities helped bring the dish into the region's food culture.
7. Pork Roll
New Jersey may claim pork roll most aggressively, but Philadelphia has enthusiastically adopted the salty breakfast meat too. Thick slices are usually fried on a griddle and paired with egg and cheese on a bagel, Kaiser roll, or English muffin. The edges are often cut before cooking so the meat doesn't curl into a little bowl. It's the kind of breakfast that's especially appealing after a very late night.
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8. Tastykakes
You don't have to visit a bakery to find one of Philadelphia's most nostalgic desserts. Tastykake began in the city in the early 20th century and became a regional convenience-store institution, with varieties ranging from finger-shaped butterscotch Krimpets to peanut butter and chocolate Kandy Kakes. For plenty of Philadelphians, the individually wrapped cakes taste like childhood.
9. Goldenberg's Peanut Chews
Chocolate and peanuts aren't exactly an unusual combination, but Peanut Chews have a particularly strong Philadelphia pedigree. The chewy bars combine roasted peanuts and molasses-based filling beneath a dark chocolatey coating. They've been produced for more than a century and remain closely associated with the city. Their texture is considerably more substantial than the average candy bar.
10. Irish Potato Candy
Despite the name, these tiny treats usually contain neither Irish ingredients nor actual potatoes. Philadelphia's Irish potato candies typically have a sweet coconut cream center rolled in cinnamon, giving each one the appearance of a miniature dusty potato. They become especially easy to find around St. Patrick's Day. Their exact origin is fuzzy, but they're widely regarded as a distinctly Philadelphia confection.
11. Philadelphia Butter Cake
Butter cake occupies the particularly enjoyable territory between cake and something much gooier. Philadelphia's version generally has a yeasted or cake-like base topped with an extremely rich layer made from butter and sugar. German baking traditions helped establish variations of the dense, sweet dessert around Pennsylvania.
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12. Snapper Soup
Old-school Philadelphia menus occasionally feature a dish that sounds like it belongs to another century because, essentially, it does. Snapper soup is traditionally made with snapping turtle meat in a dark, rich broth and commonly finished with sherry. It became strongly associated with old Philadelphia dining rooms, clubs, and seafood restaurants over generations.
13. Philadelphia Pepper Pot
Pepper pot was once far more prominent in Philadelphia than it is now. Traditional versions combined meat, tripe, vegetables, spices, and sometimes small dumplings in a hearty soup. Despite a persistent legend connecting it to George Washington and Valley Forge, food historians have traced Philadelphia pepper pot to Caribbean traditions brought to the city and adapted locally.
14. Stromboli
Stromboli may now be found on pizzeria menus across the country, but one of its strongest origin claims comes from just outside Philadelphia. Nazzareno Romano of Romano's in Essington created his stuffed bread dish around 1950, filling dough with Italian meats, cheese, and peppers. The result became a popular local specialty before spreading far beyond southeastern Pennsylvania.
15. Texas Tommy
The Texas Tommy sounds like something you'd order in Dallas, but it actually has Pennsylvania roots. This wonderfully unsubtle hot dog preparation adds melted cheese and bacon to a grilled or fried frank. It emerged in the Philadelphia region during the mid-20th century and still turns up at diners and old-fashioned hot dog stands.
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16. Crabfries
Crabfries' absence of crab surprises first-timers. Popularized by Philadelphia-based Chickie's & Pete's, they're crinkle-cut fries dusted with a special blend of crab-boil spices and commonly served with creamy cheese sauce. They became particularly associated with Philadelphia sports venues and game-day eating.
17. The Norristown Zep
Venture into the Philadelphia suburbs, and you'll find a sandwich with rules almost as strict as those surrounding a proper hoagie. The Norristown Zep traditionally contains cooked salami, provolone, tomato, raw onion, oregano, and oil on an Italian roll. It's one of Greater Philadelphia's lesser-known sandwich specialties.
18. The Schmitter
Yet another Philadelphia sandwich, Chestnut Hill has its own gloriously overloaded contribution to the city's food culture. McNally's Tavern created the Schmitter using beef, cheese, fried onions, tomato, grilled salami, and a special sauce on a toasted Kaiser roll. Despite what the name might suggest, it wasn't named after Phillies star Mike Schmidt, but had ties to local Schmidt's beer.
19. Hot Dog & Fish Cake Combo
Long before cheesesteaks dominated conversations about Philadelphia sandwiches, locals were putting fish cakes and hot dogs together on the same bun. The old-fashioned combination pairs a grilled frank with a fried fish-and-potato cake, often finished with pepper hash and mustard. Versions of the sandwich date back to the late 19th century, and a handful of places have kept the tradition alive.
20. Cannoli
Philadelphia certainly didn't invent cannoli, but the city's long-established Italian-American community has made them an important part of its bakery culture. Traditional versions feature crisp fried pastry shells filled with sweetened ricotta, sometimes finished with chocolate chips, nuts, or candied fruit. South Philadelphia bakeries have been making them for generations, particularly around the Italian Market.
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