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.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
The fastest, cheapest, frequently best food on Philadelphia's streets.
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Philadelphia.
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.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
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.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
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.
Try: Roast pork sandwich, cheesesteak
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.
Try: Philly cheesesteak
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 in Philadelphia is the 1980 Reading Terminal Market counter that won Travel Channel's Best Sandwich in America 2013 with its roast pork.
Try: Roast pork sandwich
By George in Philadelphia is the Reading Terminal Market brick-oven counter from George and Kim Mickel since 1990, winner of Philadelphia Cheesesteak Madness.
Try: Cheesesteak
Center City Pretzel Co. in Philadelphia is the South Philly wholesale pretzel bakery on Washington Avenue, baking the city's hand-twisted figure-eight.
Try: Philadelphia soft pretzel
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.
Try: Banh mi
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.
Try: Beef pho