Pat's King of Steaks ★ 4.5
Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia is the 1930 founder of the cheesesteak at 9th and Passyunk, where Pat Olivieri ladled chopped steak onto a hot-dog roll for a taxi driver.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Philadelphia.
Don't-miss vendors
Geno's Steaks ★ 4.4
Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia is the 1966 Joe Vento cheesesteak corner across Passyunk from Pat's, the orange-and-neon South Philly rival half of the city's cheesesteak duel.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
John's Roast Pork ★ 4.8
John's Roast Pork in Philadelphia is the 1930 South Philly counter at Snyder and Weccacoe, James Beard America's Classic 2006 with the city's defining roast pork sandwich.
Try: Roast pork sandwich, cheesesteak
Jim's Steaks South Street ★ 4.4
Jim's Steaks South Street in Philadelphia is the 1976 South Street counter that reopened May 2024 after the 2022 fire, expanded into the next-door Eyes Gallery building.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
Tony Luke's ★ 4.6
Tony Luke's in Philadelphia is the 1992 South Philly counter on East Oregon, the canonical roast-pork-with-broccoli-rabe-and-sharp-provolone Italian sandwich.
Try: Roast pork sandwich
Tommy DiNic's ★ 4.7
Tommy DiNic's in Philadelphia is the 1980 Reading Terminal Market counter that won Travel Channel's Best Sandwich in America 2013 with its roast pork, rabe and sharp provolone roll.
Try: Roast pork sandwich
Spataro's Cheesesteaks ★ 4.3
Spataro's Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia is the 1947 Reading Terminal Market cheesesteak stand, the second-oldest cheesesteak counter in the city after Pat's.
Try: Cheesesteak
Center City Pretzel Co. ★ 4.4
Center City Pretzel Co. in Philadelphia is the South Philly wholesale pretzel bakery on Washington Avenue, baking the city's hand-twisted figure-eight pretzels around the clock.
Try: Philadelphia soft pretzel
Banh Mi Cali ★ 4.3
Banh Mi Cali in Philadelphia is the Chinatown banh mi counter at 9th and Arch, with grilled pork, meatball and lemongrass chicken sandwiches under five dollars each.
Try: Banh mi
Pho 75 ★ 4.5
Pho 75 in Philadelphia is the Washington Avenue Vietnamese counter, a no-frills South Philly Little Saigon room with the city's most-named single bowl of beef pho.
Try: Beef pho
Street Food in Philadelphia, FAQ
When is the best time to eat in Philadelphia?
Peak food season in Philadelphia is year-round.
What time do people eat in Philadelphia?
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
How does tipping work in Philadelphia?
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
What is the one dish to try in Philadelphia?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Philadelphia rewards trust.