Visiting Philly, you will learn firsthand that this city has some of the best food you will ever taste. It’s been shaped by its history during early American colonization to the immigrant groups and ethnicities that have made it their home. They have all mixed and mashed together to bring you amazing cuisine that has become part of the Philadelphia culture.

We just want to bring you a small sample of what we discovered during our own visit here and our recommendations on places you should stop by and grab a bite during your tour of Philadelphia.

Local Philly Favorites

Philly Cheesesteak

The Philly Cheesesteak is the classic American sandwich that originated in the city during the 1930s. It’s popular enough to have an annual festival where vendors can show off their unique styles and flavors. And it’s something every visitor to Philadelphia should enjoy more than once. That way you can test your tastebuds and see if you can notice the subtle differences in each cheesesteak.

Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s King of Steaks are two of the most popular locations to have a cheesesteak. It is more interesting that these two locations are directly across the street from each other in Passyunk Square in South Philly. This has resulted in a decades-long “feud” between the two for the best cheesesteak in the area. But you don’t have to go here if it’s too far out of the way. There are plenty of shops just as good around the city that provide cheesesteaks on their menu.

Tomato Pie

It’s kind of like a pizza but not really. This is more of a regional dish as I haven’t been able to find other places outside of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania that serve this kind of pie. You will find it in most pizzerias and Italian bakeries here. Differencing from the pizza is that this is served at room temperature and pretty much no cheese. The whole focus is the high-quality tomato sauce that is rich and just delicious. Grab a quick slice if you are on the go or just looking for a snack between meals.

Best Philly Food Halls and Markets

Reading Terminal Market

This place will be one of your top Philadelphia experiences. One of America’s largest and oldest public markets, it is an icon located in the center of the city, hundreds pass through here daily. It’s a must-stop on nearly every sightseeing and foodie tour the city offers. Luckily, it is an enclosed public market so you can get out of the Pennsylvania weather, either to warm up or cool down depending on the time of year you visit.

Once you enter, you are going to see rows and rows of different vendors of every variety. The food options seem endless with Asian, American, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Cajun, Indian, and French. There is even a tiny area focused on food and produce from Amish Country. Not to mention the options of desserts, snacks, locally sourced seafood and meat products, kitchen products, and crafts. You could honestly spend a few hours here just sampling and exploring the market. You won’t leave here feeling unfulfilled and should spend the rest of your day walking off all these good eats.

Italian Market

Another one of the oldest and largest open-air markets to be found in America, it encompasses multiple city blocks in South Philadelphia. It’s another part of the Philadelphia culture since the late 1800s. The Italian culture and heritage continues to thrive in this neighborhood but has opened its doors in the last few years to other ethnic groups and cuisines such as Mexican and Thai at the far end of 9th Street, still making it a immigrant friendly community. And making it an eclectic food market for those looking to expand their palettes.

Vendor stalls set up daily line up along the sidewalk for fresh produce, surrounded by Italian eateries, cafes, and bakeries. This is where you need to go buy ingredients for cooking old-fashioned cuisine at home.

Bourse Food Hall

If you are taking the visitor tour around Independence Mall (where Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center, and National Constitution Center are located), you should stop here for a quick bite. The hop-on, hop-off bus tours also have this as one of their first stops on touring through the city.

A historic building, the food hall is small with only a handful of artisanal vendors serving global dishes. The diverse cuisine makes it an easier selection for you but the convenient location sets it apart.

Chinatown Square

Come for the food, stay for the karaoke. You might not understand why you need a food hall in a neighborhood surrounded by so many good food choices, but you won’t regret coming here. You’re getting a lot of different Asian cuisines in one single location, making life just a little bit easier for you to sample different flavors. After you eat, enjoy the entertainment upstairs or head back out and explore some more.

Franklin’s Table Food Hall

Catering more towards the student body and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, it’s still worth taking the time to eat here. You have plenty of seating indoors and outdoors for a relaxing evening. Penn has worked their magic to bring their stalls some impressive culinary options. However, it is a bit farther away than the city center and other food halls so if you walk the distance you will be very hot and hungry by the time you arrive.

Best Philly Food Tour

If you feel like there are too many options and you are agonizing over making a decision and feeling like you missed out, take a food tour. I went with City Food Tours – Philadelphia “Flavors of Philly” option because it was easy to fit into my itinerary. You can pick from multiple food tours focused on different parts of the city. Each one will give you several small sample dishes comprised of regional cuisines, local favorites, historic establishments, and must-visits after the tour is over. Guides are fun and knowledgeable giving you both the history of the dish you are eating and its significance in Philly.

Best Philly Food Neighborhood

Chinatown

Right around the corner within easy walking distance from Reading Terminal Market is Chinatown. Find the Friendship Gate that marks the entrance to this bustling neighborhood of Asian cuisines. The problem is being able to pick only one spot and you might want to go multiple times during your stay.

The culinary scene here is very diverse. You have Thai, Cantonese, Japanese, Filipino, Malaysian, and Korean restaurants. Some of these are multi-generational family owned and you can taste that in the food. There is nowhere you can go wrong so explore and just pick a place at random. Nothing better than a little adventure and being surprised at how good the food can be here.

Our Philly Recommendations

Grandma’s Philly

A gem in Center City, what makes Grandma’s Philly stand out is that they are the only self-declared restaurant in Philadelphia to serve Thai food “tapas-style”. This means you have smaller app plates and entrees to share among a larger group. For a solo eater with a large appetite, that means ordering more plates just for you.

But it’s worth it when the food is this good. It’s flavorful, has the right kick when you want it spicy, and follows the adaption of recipes by the chef’s grandmother. And you can’t ever say no to a grandma’s cooking. Service is fair but can be a little slow. Unless there is a time issue just sit back and enjoy.

Bing Bing Dim Sum

The fusion of two different cultures into food can be an amazing creation. And signifying that in Philly is Bing Bing Dim Sum. It’s mixed Chinese and Jewish-American flavors to bring us some heavenly delights. The dumplings and wontons are perfect small plates to start with, but what you really need is the Jewish Chicken Wonton Noodle Soup. It’s just hits you with that chicken you’d be eating in a classic deli but somehow the bold flavor of wonton soup. Finish it off with some homemade caterpillar bread as the honey makes it even sweeter.

Poke Burri/Lifting Noodles Ramen

Combining multiple Asian cuisines in one location, the owners of Poke Burri and Lifting Noodles Ramen have made themselves quite popular as a local neighborhood joint not only in Philly but across five states. That’s because they have been finding new ways to showcase their eats. And it’s pretty impressive how they have turned standard poke and sushi into artistic representations of poke donuts, sushi burritos, and even hot dogs, and slices of pizza.

Honorable Philly Mentions

Pizzeria Vetri – Neapolitan-style pizza with seasonal menu items, fresh market ingredients, and in-house homemade recipes. A very upscale establishment, perfect for a date night.

Eggcellent Cafe – Focused mainly as a popular brunch spot, it still has excellent breakfast in Old City Philadelphia and a local favorite so watch out for lines.

DaMò Pasta Lab – Homemade pasta with quick and casual fine dining. Watch them cook it right in front of you. You have a build-your-own pasta dish option if you don’t want something on the menu. Or take everything uncooked to go and make it at home yourself.

Conclusion

There are enough choices here to keep you well fed for days. You will learn it’s going to take you making trips to Philly multiple times for you to really deep dive into the food scene here. We only ask that you never pass up a good opportunity to eat somewhere new and make sure to tell us all about it!