Street Food and Snacks

[wc4572]

I don't know the protocol for new guys, but a quick intro. I'm a 24 year old math teacher from just outside Pittsburgh.

My actual question is about Philly street food. Where do you find your favorite snacks to grab without heading into a restaurant? I couldn't find a topic on this, so if there is one and I was being lazy-search-guy, please point me that direction.

Thanks!

[mattohara]

I'm sure somebody else will chime about the various carts in University City. I don't have much experience myself but if you head over to Penn Campus area you can find tons of good stuff.

The pizza here is all pretty dissapointing to me.

Soft pretzels are famous, for some reason. Maybe because they're only a quarter?

Cheesesteaks...that's a huge can of worms. There are some ok ones in the city though.

If you're down on 2nd and South on a sunny summer day you owe it to yourself to get a taco al pastor or 3 from Taqueria de Pueblitos.

I'm interested to see the what other people have to say on this topic.

[Andrew Fenton]

Water ice, of course!

I really like the strawberry, pineapple and lemon at Philly Flavors (in Fairmount, and at 13th and Pine). Some of their other flavors are a little suspicious, though. Last time I was there, I noticed a jug filled with liquid and labeled "Blue." Blue is a fruit, right?

John's (7th and Christian) is famous, but disappointing (and again, sometimes suspicious, like the cough-drop cherry flavor). But last weekend I tried their cantaloupe water ice (a special), and it was great! So you never know.

[Holly Moore]

A slice from Lorenzo's on South Street. Soft pretzels from any vendor with access to a rest room (TV investigative reports have done little to stimulate the soft pretzel business). A scoop of most anything from Capogiro. Sidewalk kielbasa from vendors who steam the bun. Frozen lemonade from La Colombe. A barbecue beef and veal sandwich from the good George's in the Italian Market - the one a couple of store fronts south of Christian, a cheese cannoli from Isgro's.

[philadining]

If you're down on 2nd and South on a sunny summer day you owe it to yourself to get a taco al pastor or 3 from Taqueria de Pueblitos.

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This is only true on Sunday afternoons, right? Other times one has to get down to the 9th street storefront, right? (And it's actually Taquitos de Puebla...) or are we talking about different things?

[wkl]

If you're down on 2nd and South on a sunny summer day you owe it to yourself to get a taco al pastor or 3 from Taqueria de Pueblitos.

←

This is only true on Sunday afternoons, right? Other times one has to get down to the 9th street storefront, right? (And it's actually Taquitos de Puebla...) or are we talking about different things?

←

if you are referring to the taqueria set up at the headhouse square market, yeah, it's only sunday from about 11:00 am to ? It is damn good though.

I had a quesidilla pollo, and taco pastor with a mexican soda two sundays ago that was practically life affirming.

[jm chen]

Christos' cart at 20th & Market. Grilled chicken, falafel, whatever else he feels like, $8 per platter. Lunchtime, most days. Come at 11:45 or prepare to wait.

[Alec Hart]

Reading Terminal and Bahn Mi are my two favorites.

--Alec

[wc4572]

Any specific place you like for Bahn Mi? Pittsburgh isn't big on Vietnamese. Or is that an actual restaurant?

[zeffer81]

Check out O Sandwiches on 1205 s. 9th Street--a much better bet than either Pat's or Geno's, which it's right next to (and shorter lines, too)

[Andrew Fenton]

O serves banh mi (and was quite good, the one time I went.) For banh mi, I like Cafe Nhu Y, at 8th and Christian. Ba Le (606 Washington) is also good.

[mattohara]

If you're down on 2nd and South on a sunny summer day you owe it to yourself to get a taco al pastor or 3 from Taqueria de Pueblitos.

←

This is only true on Sunday afternoons, right? Other times one has to get down to the 9th street storefront, right? (And it's actually Taquitos de Puebla...) or are we talking about different things?

←

Heh, yes. In my alliterative exhuberance i forgot the Sunday part. And thanks for the correction. !@#$

Can't believe i forgot the banh mi. Cafe Nhuy has the tofu version and a good barbeque chicken. In my opinion Cafe Nhuy and the shop just a few doors up 8th street and the one a few blocks down (just before Washington) are all better than O. But I've only eaten at O once.

[KatieLoeb]

There a new program all about Philadelphia Cart Cuisine. Check out Salt-Pepper-Ketchup.

Episode 2 featured that oft maligned food item, the hot dog/fish cake combo, aka the "Philly Surf 'n Turf".

I'm looking forward to new episodes...

Edited April 23, 2009 by KatieLoeb (log)

[gfweb]

A egg, cheese and sausage breakfast sandwich on a italian roll with ketchup and LOTS of pepper. (leave out the pepper and you have nothing worth eating for some reason) Any place that does good cheese steaks is trustworthy.

Kung Pao chicken from the cart by the VA hospital.

[Tim Dolan]

They gotta stop by Gus' at Broad and Callowhill. Best cart of all time. Baconeggandcheese, saltpepperketchup and a Snnnnnnnnapple! That's kinda how the lady says it.

[boggah]

Theres a video over at vendr.tv about Christos' cart at 20th and market. if u stay till after the credits, you get small glimpse into the the ugh, eccentricity of the man

[DTBarton]

I agree with Holly, you can't do much better than the Italian market area. Lorenzo's (9th and Christian) makes good pizza and cheesesteaks, George's a few doors down 9th for sandwiches, Sarcone's deli a couple blocks north for hoagies, the Vietnamese places

nearby, Taqueria Veracruzana near 9th and Washington, lots of good eats on the streets.

Or do some shopping at Claudio's and DiBruno's and make a free lunch out of the samples.

[Andrew Fenton]

I agree with Holly, you can't do much better than the Italian market area.  Lorenzo's (9th and Christian) makes good pizza and cheesesteaks, George's a few doors down 9th for sandwiches, Sarcone's deli a couple blocks north for hoagies, the Vietnamese places

nearby, Taqueria Veracruzana near 9th and Washington, lots of good eats on the streets.

Or do some shopping at Claudio's and DiBruno's and make a free lunch out of the samples.

Truth. Also, don't forget the tamale lady! And word on the street is that there's a new BBQ joint down that way...

[mattohara]

I wonder if the tamale lady is the same lady that is out by Esposito's every morning feeding the Mexican staff with tamales, soups, sandwiches and all kinds of other tasty stuff. Got to get there between 8:00 and 8:30 to catch her!

[Holly Moore]

There is also the elote senora across the parking lot from Taqueria la Veracruzana.

[cinghiale]

I agree with Holly, you can't do much better than the Italian market area.  Lorenzo's (9th and Christian) makes good pizza and cheesesteaks

Truth Commission.

While in the Market, there's also Bitar's. And for hoagies, I'll put my two cents in for Chickie's, just west of 10th Street on Federal.

[Andrew Fenton]

While in the Market, there's also Bitar's.  And for hoagies, I'll put my two cents in for Chickie's, just west of 10th Street on Federal.

And on that same corner, there's Slice, maybe the best pizza in the city. That's a good block, right there!