Cheesesteaks, roast pork and hoagies: a Philadelphia ordering guide

Philadelphia's food identity is built on sandwiches, and the list is longer than the cheesesteak. Here is how to order, what the words mean and what to try beyond the famous one.

Where did the cheesesteak come from?

Most accounts credit two brothers who ran a hot dog stand in South Philadelphia and around 1930 began selling chopped steak with onions on a roll. The story, as often told, involves a cab driver asking for one. Nobody can prove it, and the details differ from teller to teller. The shop at the corner of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue is the one most often linked to the invention, and accounts date it to the early 1930s. The cheese is credited to an employee, and accounts differ on whether it was American or provolone. Cheez Whiz came later. A second steak shop faces it across the street.

How do you order a cheesesteak?

The system is simple. Name your cheese (American, provolone or Whiz) and say whether you want onions. "Wit" means with onions and "witout" means without. "Whiz wit" is a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions. Know your order before you reach the window, say it clearly, and have money ready. The line moves fast, and the staff are not rude, only busy. Hot or sweet peppers, mushrooms and extra meat are common extras. Many sandwich shops also offer a chicken or vegetarian version.

Do locals eat at the two famous steak shops?

Some do, but many Philadelphians have a neighborhood favorite and will argue for it. The two famous steak shops are tourist institutions as much as sandwich shops, and they are open late. Both take orders at an outdoor window, so dress for the weather, and expect to eat standing up or at a picnic table. If you want to try more than one, ask a local for a recommendation and order a half. Do not be surprised if the answer depends on which part of town they grew up in. Some neighborhood shops are known for rib-eye cut thin, others for a particular roll, and fans argue about the onions: chopped fine and cooked soft, or sliced and left with some bite. Trying two or three in a weekend is the only fair way to form an opinion.

What is a roast pork sandwich?

A roast pork sandwich is sliced pork on a long roll with sharp provolone and bitter greens such as broccoli rabe or spinach, soaked in the cooking juices. Many Philadelphians consider it the city's best sandwich. A stall at Reading Terminal Market is a well-known place to try one, and you will find it at Italian delis around South Philadelphia. It is messy, so take napkins.

What is a hoagie?

A hoagie is a cold Italian sandwich on a long roll, filled with cured meats, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and oregano. Philadelphians say "hoagie", not "sub". Every corner deli makes one, and the roll matters. Ask for it with everything, or specify what you want to leave off. A hoagie is a good option for a picnic.

What are soft pretzels, water ice and scrapple?

Philadelphia soft pretzels are twisted, chewy and salty, sold warm at bakeries and from street vendors, usually with yellow mustard. Water ice, spelled and said that way, is a smooth, sweet frozen dessert, sold from summer stands in many flavors, with lemon and cherry among the classics. Scrapple is a breakfast loaf of pork scraps and cornmeal, sliced and fried, a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that appears on diner menus. Try a bite if you are curious; it tastes like crisp breakfast sausage.

What do you need to know about tipping, payment, late hours and allergies?

At a window or counter, tipping is optional; a dollar in the jar is common. Cash is accepted everywhere, and some old-school places accept only cash. Many sandwich shops stay open late, which makes them popular after a game or a night out.

Sandwich shops handle bread, dairy and meat in a small space, so cross-contact is likely. A gluten-free roll is not available everywhere. Vegetarian sandwiches are available in many delis. Always ask the staff directly about allergens.

What about the rest of the Philadelphia sandwich list?

A few other sandwiches are worth knowing. The chicken cheesesteak swaps chicken for beef and is common at sandwich shops. The Italian pork sandwich with long hot peppers and greens is a close cousin of roast pork. A tomato pie, a thick rectangular pizza served at room temperature, is a bakery item you will see at corner shops and church sales. Breakfast sandwiches on a roll with egg, cheese and scrapple or sausage are a morning habit. Soft pretzels with mustard are a snack at ballgames. If you try only one, make it the roast pork, and then compare it to a cheesesteak. The comparison is how Philadelphians think about their sandwiches.

How do you rank a city's sandwiches for yourself?

The only fair way to settle a cheesesteak argument is to eat several and write each one down. In the Mosey app, rate the cheesesteak and the roast pork as separate dishes, and note the cheese you chose, the roll and the onions. A line like "whiz wit, soft roll, onions cooked down" lets you compare two windows on different visits. Tag your companions and each of you can rate the same sandwich, which is how a table finds out who really prefers the pork.

The Top 3 questions Mosey asks about your city let you rank up to three places in a category, so your short list of favorite sandwiches is one tap away when a visitor asks. Keep a list called Sandwich run with a section for steaks, pork and hoagies, and send the invite link to the friend who swears by a neighborhood shop.

At your next window, order, eat and rate the sandwich in the Mosey app before the napkins run out.

More guides to read next:

• Philadelphia Chinatown food guide: Race Street, dim sum and late night
• Fishtown and Kensington food guide: Frankford Avenue and Girard
• Philadelphia's Italian Market and South Philly food guide

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