Philadelphia's food identity comes from two waves of immigration that left very distinct marks. The first was the Italian community that settled South Philadelphia in the late 1800s and early 1900s, running bakeries, deli counters, and produce stalls along the 9th Street Italian Market — still operating today and still the city's best food corridor. The second was Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, mostly of German and Swiss descent, who brought breakfast traditions from Lancaster County. That combination — South Italian street food, Pennsylvania Dutch farmhouse cooking, and a port city with good access to seafood — built a food culture that is still recognizably its own.
Most visitors eat a cheesesteak and leave. That's a reasonable choice. But it misses the tomato pie at Sarcone's, the roast pork sandwich that locals argue beats the cheesesteak on its best day, the water ice that every South Philly kid grew up eating, and the scrapple that arrives at diners every morning in a cast-iron slice. This guide covers seven dishes — all real, all worth seeking out — that give you a fuller picture of what Philadelphia actually eats.
The cheesesteak needs little introduction: thin-shaved ribeye on a long Amoroso roll with Cheez Whiz (the original), provolone, or American cheese. The classic decision point is Pat's (1237 E. Passyunk Ave) versus Geno's (1219 S. 9th St at Passyunk), which face each other across the street in South Philadelphia. Both are open 24 hours. Neither is considered the best in the city by people who know the city.
The sandwich Philadelphians actually argue about is the roast pork sandwich — thinly sliced, slow-cooked pork on a seeded roll with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe. Many longtime residents call it the city's true signature sandwich, the one that tourists miss because it's less famous. The unquestioned destination for it is Tommy DiNic's at Reading Terminal Market (51 N. 12th St), which won the Travel Channel's 'Best Sandwich in America' competition and has long lines by mid-morning on weekends.
For the cheesesteak itself, one of the most respected versions is at John's Roast Pork (14 E. Snyder Ave, South Philadelphia) — a shop that is famous for both its cheesesteak and its roast pork, and that closes around 3 p.m. on weekdays. Cash is preferred; lines start forming before 11 a.m.
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Tomato pie is not pizza. It's a square of thick, focaccia-like dough loaded with seasoned crushed tomatoes, dusted with Pecorino Romano, and very little or no cheese — served at room temperature, often by the slice from a bakery counter. It came to South Philadelphia with Italian immigrants in the early 1900s and was designed to be bought in the morning, carried home, and eaten throughout the day. It's a bakery product first, a street food second.
Sarcone's Bakery (758 S. 9th St, South Philadelphia) has been making tomato pie from this same location since 1918. It's one of the oldest continuously operating Italian bakeries in the city, and the tomato pie is exactly what it has been for over a century: thick bread, heavy tomato, light on cheese. Buy it by the square. Iannelli's Bakery (1155 E. Passyunk Ave), open in various forms since the early 20th century, also makes an excellent version, though it has limited hours — confirm before you go. Neither place resembles a pizzeria.
Sarcone's — 758 S. 9th St, South Philadelphia. Open since 1918; tomato pie sold by the square
Served at room temperature — intentional, not a temperature mistake
Look for it in Italian bakeries on 9th Street Italian Market, not in pizzerias
The Philadelphia soft pretzel looks different from other American soft pretzels. It's smaller, denser, twisted into a figure-eight shape rather than the upright Bavarian knot, and coated with a yellow glaze. It's sold at street carts, gas stations, sports stadiums, and corner stores across the city — often six for a dollar at the most affordable spots — and it's almost always eaten with yellow mustard.
The tradition comes from the city's German immigrant community, which settled heavily in northeast Philadelphia and established bakeries that treated the pretzel as everyday bread, not a novelty. Today the soft pretzel remains genuinely embedded in everyday life: it's what you grab from a cart outside Citizens Bank Park, what you pick up at a market stall, and what appears at every school lunch counter.
Center City Pretzel Co. (816 Washington Ave, South Philadelphia) is considered one of the better dedicated pretzel bakeries — confirm hours before visiting. For easy pretzel access without planning, the Reading Terminal Market has vendors, and street carts operate near City Hall and throughout Center City on weekday mornings.
Philadelphia calls it 'water ice.' The rest of the country calls it 'Italian ice.' Philadelphians will tell you they are not the same thing, and they are mostly right: the texture of Philadelphia water ice is smoother than the shaved or chunky versions sold elsewhere, sitting somewhere between sorbet and shaved ice, with a clean fruit flavor and no dairy. It came to South Philadelphia with Sicilian immigrants in the early 1900s, derived from granita, and became standard summer food in every South Philly neighborhood.
John's Water Ice (701 Christian St, Bella Vista) is the benchmark. The shop has operated from the same South Philly location for generations and uses a recipe that hasn't changed. The lemon is the classic order. John's is cash-only and closes during cold months — it's a warm-weather shop, typically open from spring through early fall. If visiting between October and March, call ahead before making the trip.
Rita's Water Ice is a chain with many Philadelphia-area locations and a solid version of the product if John's is out of season. For the authentic South Philly experience, John's is the standard.
John's Water Ice — 701 Christian St, Bella Vista. The neighborhood benchmark; cash only
Seasonal: typically open spring through early fall; call ahead in October/November
Lemon is the classic order; cherry and mango are the most popular alternatives
Scrapple is a regional food so embedded in mid-Atlantic culture that locals forget to explain it. It's made from pork scraps — shoulder and trim left after butchering — cooked down with cornmeal and buckwheat into a dense loaf, then sliced thin and pan-fried until the outside is crisp and mahogany-dark while the inside stays soft. It's a Pennsylvania Dutch product, developed by German settlers who didn't waste food, and it has been a standard breakfast item in Philadelphia diners for well over a century.
If you haven't tried it, the flavor is pork-forward and savory — not unlike a dense sausage patty, but with a texture that's crispy on the outside from the cornmeal crust. It's usually served with eggs and either maple syrup or ketchup on the side.
The easiest place to try it in a central location is the Down Home Diner at Reading Terminal Market (51 N. 12th St), which uses Lancaster County scrapple — from the region where the product originated — and serves it with eggs. It's one of the more honest Pennsylvania Dutch breakfasts you can find in Center City.
Philadelphia's hoagie is a fully loaded Italian sub on a long roll: sliced cold cuts — typically ham, Genoa salami, and capicola — with provolone, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, and a splash of oil and red wine vinegar. It's not a hero, not a grinder, not a sub in the New York sense. Philadelphians have specific opinions about the difference, most of which center on the bread quality and the fact that the cold cuts must be freshly sliced to order.
The hoagie tradition belongs to South Philadelphia's Italian-American community, and the best versions are still found at Italian deli counters near the 9th Street Italian Market. The name itself may trace back to Hog Island, a shipbuilding site south of the city where workers reportedly packed these sandwiches for lunch during World War I — several competing etymologies trace the word to that location, though the history is contested.
For the classic Italian hoagie experience, the South Philly neighborhood around 9th Street Italian Market is the right destination. Look for Italian deli counters that have been operating for decades — fresh Italian rolls and hand-sliced cold cuts are the difference between a good hoagie and a forgettable one.
Look for hoagies at Italian deli counters near 9th Street Italian Market, not chain shops
The key is the bread: a fresh Italian roll with a slight crust, not a soft sub roll
Order it 'with everything' (oil, vinegar, lettuce, tomato, onion) for the full South Philly version
Are these places open on weekends? John's Roast Pork is closed Sundays. DiNic's at Reading Terminal Market is open Monday through Saturday. Sarcone's Bakery is typically closed Sundays. If you're visiting on a Sunday, the best options are Pat's and Geno's (both open 24 hours) and Rita's Water Ice in warm weather.
What's the most efficient way to try several dishes in one visit? Build a Reading Terminal Market morning: DiNic's roast pork sandwich, Down Home Diner scrapple and eggs, and a soft pretzel from one of the market vendors. That's three dishes in one building. Walk south toward South Philadelphia for Sarcone's tomato pie by the square, and add John's Water Ice in Bella Vista on a warm day.
How do I find the Italian Market? South 9th Street from Washington Avenue to Tasker Street is the core of the 9th Street Italian Market — the oldest continuously operating outdoor market in the United States, open every morning except Monday. The Broad Street Line to Tasker-Morris station puts you two blocks away. Details were checked in November 2026 — hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.
