There are restaurants serving good hamburgers and fried chicken but unless that's the specialty, it's not included here.
T&F Farmers' Pride
I'll start with the best. Not the best in Manayunk/Roxborough. The best in the city (at least in the cold sandwich category). If I have the audacity to say "best in the city", I probably have a long list of support to back up that claim. But I don't. I wish I had a sophisticated palate and could pinpoint the exact flavors in the bread, cheese, and Italian prosciutto that make T&F Farmers' Pride hoagies the best. I can't. I just know that I've eaten hundreds of hoagies and with apologies to places like Silvio's in Hatboro, T&F Farmers' Pride is the best. The only knock? No debit/credit cards. Cash only.
I'll start with the best. Not the best in Manayunk/Roxborough. The best in the city (at least in the cold sandwich category). If I have the audacity to say "best in the city", I probably have a long list of support to back up that claim. But I don't. I wish I had a sophisticated palate and could pinpoint the exact flavors in the bread, cheese, and Italian prosciutto that make T&F Farmers' Pride hoagies the best. I can't. I just know that I've eaten hundreds of hoagies and with apologies to places like Silvio's in Hatboro, T&F Farmers' Pride is the best. The only knock? No debit/credit cards. Cash only.
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The Henry James Saloon and The Hank Jim
What T&F is to hoagies, The Henry James Saloon is to neighborhood bars - the best in the city. I have fond memories of grabbing a meal and a beer here after accounting league softball games. Then sticking around for one of the best Quizzo nights in the city. Henry James has a wide ranging menu that punches way up for a neighborhood bar - great food across the menu but I usually go with the sandwich that caught my eye on my first visit - the Hank Jim. The Hank Jim was the sandwich that inspired this sandwich tour and it never disappoints. Biting into this sandwich brought back all the great accounting league times. From the photo you can tell this sandwich is loaded. Per the website: the sandwich is jammed with chicken fingers, pepperoni, sauteed spinach & sweet roasted peppers, topped with melted provolone on a toasted football roll.
What T&F is to hoagies, The Henry James Saloon is to neighborhood bars - the best in the city. I have fond memories of grabbing a meal and a beer here after accounting league softball games. Then sticking around for one of the best Quizzo nights in the city. Henry James has a wide ranging menu that punches way up for a neighborhood bar - great food across the menu but I usually go with the sandwich that caught my eye on my first visit - the Hank Jim. The Hank Jim was the sandwich that inspired this sandwich tour and it never disappoints. Biting into this sandwich brought back all the great accounting league times. From the photo you can tell this sandwich is loaded. Per the website: the sandwich is jammed with chicken fingers, pepperoni, sauteed spinach & sweet roasted peppers, topped with melted provolone on a toasted football roll.
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Haggerty Deli
One of my favorite aspects of living in a high population neighborhood are the commercial options that are literally around the corner from our house. The options away from a main shopping thoroughfare that blend in with the neighborhood. The neighborhood pizza place. The neighborhood bad. And the neighborhood deli. Haggerty Deli is our neighborhood deli and is a great convenience less than a two minute door-to-door walk. Hagerty's sandwiches present an interesting phenomenon that I've never been able to understand between a deli and making a sandwich at home - I could have the deli slice the meat, cut the bread, put all the toppings into a to-go container and then return home and make the sandwich myself, at more than half the price. Yet somehow the homemade sandwich never tastes as good. There are many more two minute walks in my future.
One of my favorite aspects of living in a high population neighborhood are the commercial options that are literally around the corner from our house. The options away from a main shopping thoroughfare that blend in with the neighborhood. The neighborhood pizza place. The neighborhood bad. And the neighborhood deli. Haggerty Deli is our neighborhood deli and is a great convenience less than a two minute door-to-door walk. Hagerty's sandwiches present an interesting phenomenon that I've never been able to understand between a deli and making a sandwich at home - I could have the deli slice the meat, cut the bread, put all the toppings into a to-go container and then return home and make the sandwich myself, at more than half the price. Yet somehow the homemade sandwich never tastes as good. There are many more two minute walks in my future.
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Yiro Yiro
The name's a giveaway. Rather than solving the mystery of pronouncing yiro, I will instead call attention to the fact that there's virtually no yiro stands/restaurants in Philadelphia. A Yelp search of "yiro" returns five Philadelphia restaurants, two of which are Yiro Yiro. In parts of Europe yiro stands are as ubiquitous as pizza-by-the-slice stands in the U.S., serving as a fulfilling and cheap meal or a quick bite before boarding a train. In Philadelphia? There's five. Fortunately one is in Roxborough. Lost in the excitement of a yiro place so close to home is the actual review of the yiro. Yiro Yiro has a bit of a Chipotle type flair to their dining environment and brings an elevated taste and presentation. |
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Main Street Pho's Banh Mi (left image below) and Mi n' Tea (right image below)
The banh mi sneaks in as one of the great fusion foods in culinary history. A French baguette filled with Vietnamese meat and vegetables was fusion before fusion existed. Manayunk went from zero to two Vietnamese restaurants while I lived here. Main Street Pho has good pho but Mi n' Tea's banh mi, particularly the bulgogi option, are better. The bulgogi banh mi is a great sandwich, good meat.
The banh mi sneaks in as one of the great fusion foods in culinary history. A French baguette filled with Vietnamese meat and vegetables was fusion before fusion existed. Manayunk went from zero to two Vietnamese restaurants while I lived here. Main Street Pho has good pho but Mi n' Tea's banh mi, particularly the bulgogi option, are better. The bulgogi banh mi is a great sandwich, good meat.
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Barry's Steaks (left image below) and Delassandros (right image below)
I drove past Barry's Steaks over one hundred times but it took reading through a list of Philadelphia Magazine's "31 Cheesesteaks to Eat Before You Die" to be aware this place existed. The Magazine's summary of Barry's was that it's "a sleeper hit" and I couldn't agree more.
Delassandros is the neighborhood stalwart but given the long lines I usually head to Barry's.
I drove past Barry's Steaks over one hundred times but it took reading through a list of Philadelphia Magazine's "31 Cheesesteaks to Eat Before You Die" to be aware this place existed. The Magazine's summary of Barry's was that it's "a sleeper hit" and I couldn't agree more.
Delassandros is the neighborhood stalwart but given the long lines I usually head to Barry's.
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The Pierogie Kitchen - The Original PK Stacker (left image below)
Obviously you go to The Pierogi Kitchen for pierogies. Awesome pierogies. Traditional flavors like potato cheddar, potato onion, etc. and more exotic flavors like Philly Cheesesteak, Honey Siracha Chicken, Savory Pumpkin, etc. The Original PK Stack is a pierogi on top of a fried chicken sandwich.
Deke's Brisket Sandwich (right image below)
When we first moved to Manayunk, Deke's was our go-to spot. Deke's operated out of a garage-esq type building hidden off Shurs Road with plenty of outdoor seat. We loved bringing out-of-town guests to this local spot. Unfortunately, that location gave way to a row home development.
Obviously you go to The Pierogi Kitchen for pierogies. Awesome pierogies. Traditional flavors like potato cheddar, potato onion, etc. and more exotic flavors like Philly Cheesesteak, Honey Siracha Chicken, Savory Pumpkin, etc. The Original PK Stack is a pierogi on top of a fried chicken sandwich.
Deke's Brisket Sandwich (right image below)
When we first moved to Manayunk, Deke's was our go-to spot. Deke's operated out of a garage-esq type building hidden off Shurs Road with plenty of outdoor seat. We loved bringing out-of-town guests to this local spot. Unfortunately, that location gave way to a row home development.
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Lucky's Last Chance
Lucky’s Last Chance is first place when it comes to burgers. They’ve won numerous awards as Philadelphia’s best hamburger. In those contests they typically enter a Peanut Butter and Jelly Burger (the jelly is served on the side), which I’m not actually a fan of. Their standard lettuce, onion, tomato burger is the best in the city – when I have a burger craving, this is the way to go. Lucky’s also a mac and cheese burger, the mac and cheese topping along is amazing, and a pickle monster burger, pictured above, that is everything pickles from deep fried to pickle flavored potato chips. Also great tater tots.
Lucky’s Last Chance is first place when it comes to burgers. They’ve won numerous awards as Philadelphia’s best hamburger. In those contests they typically enter a Peanut Butter and Jelly Burger (the jelly is served on the side), which I’m not actually a fan of. Their standard lettuce, onion, tomato burger is the best in the city – when I have a burger craving, this is the way to go. Lucky’s also a mac and cheese burger, the mac and cheese topping along is amazing, and a pickle monster burger, pictured above, that is everything pickles from deep fried to pickle flavored potato chips. Also great tater tots.
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Foghorn
In a sense Foghorn embodies the East Falls neighborhood. Equal parts great. Equal parts under-the-radar.
In a sense Foghorn embodies the East Falls neighborhood. Equal parts great. Equal parts under-the-radar.
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