9 Best Places to Eat in Philly for First Time Visitors

Other than being an interesting city with lots of things to see and do, Philly also has lots of great food! It is best known for its delicious cheesesteak, a popular delicacy for both tourists and locals alike. Other well-known foods include the Soft Pretzel, Donuts, Fried chicken, Pizzas, and more. We spent two days in the City of Brotherly Love and checked out lots of eateries. Therefore, based on our experience, we have compiled a list of nine best places to eat in Philadelphia for tourists visiting the first time. Be sure to check out our ultimate two-day Philly itinerary as well.

1. Cleavers

Cleavers is a famous cheesesteak joint in Philly. It stands out from the competition by offering a clean space, neatly sliced cheesesteak inside a nifty box, and great service. It is no wonder that Cleavers is the favourite cheesesteak joint of many Philly locals.

Cleavers
Address: 108 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
Phone: +1 215 515 3828
Opening Hours: | Sun to Tue: 11am – 10pm | Wed to Sat: Sat: 11am – 10pm |

2. Federal Donut

Federal Donuts is a famous donut chain in Philly with multiple shops across the city. The shop sells donuts throughout the day, and fried chicken from 11am onwards. We visited the shop early in the morning for our donut fix and ordered a Cookies and Cream donut ($1.75). As I took my first bite, I could immediately see why this donut chain is so famous in Philly. The chocolate chips and cream provided a nice sweet crunch and as I bit more into the donut, my taste buds were treated to the fragrant fluffy donut bread. On the whole, this was a delicious donut with just the right amount of sweetness.

We also got to check out the Half Fried Chicken ($10), which was marinated nicely and had a great savoury flavour. The meat was really tender and juicy too. You can see Federal Donut’s locations and opening hours here.

 

3. High Street on Market

High Street on Market is a cozy American bistro located near the Liberty Bell. It offers American-style sandwiches, pastries, salad, pastas, and alcohol. After exploring the Independence National Historical Park, we decided to take a short brunch break at this cafe. We ordered The Forager ($12), a classic sandwich comprising King oyster mushroom, braised kale, egg, and other tasty ingredients. We were pleasantly surprised by the delicious taste of the hearty sandwich. The varied flavours of the tender mushroom, juicy omelette and kale blended nicely to make this a savoury and delicious treat. And interestingly, it was paired with a spicy Jalapeño which I enjoyed, since I am the spice-loving Singaporean.

High Street on Market
Address: 308 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
Phone: +1 215 625 0988
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 10.30pm

4. Jim’s Steaks

Located in the vibrant South Street, Jim’s Steaks is a famous cheesesteak joint that was founded in 1939. When we reached the shop, there was a long line that extended all the way outside the shop. I queued for about 15 minutes, making use of the waiting time to practise ordering my cheesesteak: “one provolone wit“. This meant that I wanted one cheesesteak with provolone cheese and with onion. I was feeling a little stressed because I had read about cheesesteak staff being pissed off with customers who fumble on their orders. But by the time it was my turn to order, I was already a professional: “hi! One provolone wit please. Thank you!”

Nailed it!

As I bit into my cheesesteak, I was blown away by its delicious taste. The savoury juices from the beef were a joy for my taste buds, and I took a few more mouthfuls in quick succession. Together with the soft bread and cheese, this was a truly a delicious sandwich.

Jim’s Steaks
Address: 400 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147, USA
Phone: +1 215 928 1911
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 10am – 1am | Fri & Sat: 10am – 3am | Sun: 11am – 1am |

5. Parc

Shrimp Cocktail

King Crab Leg

Our favourite restaurant in Philadelphia is definitely Parc, a classic french-style bistro located at Rittenhouse Square. We went at night and dined outdoors in the cool air, enjoying our food while people-watching. The ambience was simply wonderful!

To kick off our night, we ordered the Pommes Frites ($6.50), which is simply a fancy french word for fries. After that, we had the Shrimp Cocktail ($17), a dish of six shrimps served on ice and paired with cocktail sauce. The cold shrimps tasted extremely fresh and had a sweet juicy flavour. We loved it! Next, we had the King Crab Leg ($19.50), which comprised two substantial crab legs served on ice. Like the shrimps, it tasted very fresh and juicy too. However, we finished the dish really fast since there were just two legs. On the whole, we had a fantastic dining experience here. The food, service and ambience were all perfect. Remember to make reservations before going down because the restaurant is really popular!

Parc
Address: 227 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
Phone: +1 215 545 2262
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 7.30am – 11pm | Fri: 7.30am – 12am | Sat: 10am – 12am | Sun: 10am – 10pm |

6. Pat’s King of Steaks

“wassup. I got my cheesesteak fix”

Yes it is somewhat of a tourist trap, but no trip to Philly would be complete without checking out the famous Pat’s King of Steaks. This joint serves delicious cheesesteaks and is known for its rivalry with Geno’s Steaks across the street. Pat’s was founded in 1930, while Geno’s was set up in 1966. We decided to check out Pat’s because we had read online that their cheesesteaks are much better.

After having had a few cheesesteaks, I was now a professional. I ordered my cheesesteak ($10) confidently: “Hi, one provolone wit please!”

And now for the verdict. The flavours of the beef, onions, cheese and touch of ketchup came together nicely to create a super satisfying cheesesteak. It had a rich and savoury taste which I simply loved! If you are deciding between Pat’s and Geno’s, you definitely can’t go wrong with Pat’s cheesesteaks. This is a must-try for tourists visiting the first time.

Pat’s King of Steaks
Address: 1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147, USA
Phone: +1 215 468 1546
Opening Hours: Daily 24 hours

7. Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria

Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria is a well-established pizza joint in Philadelphia that has been around since the 1930s. It has three branches across Philly. Before our pizza came, we were served complimentary bread with olive oil, which was a nice appetizer. We ordered a simple Margherita Pizza ($14.50). It did not disappoint; we enjoyed the crispy thin crust and rich flavours of the tomatoes and mozzarella. The portion was just nice for the both of us. We enjoyed the ambience as well; the pizzeria had a nice casual vibe where customers can dine in comfort with their friends. Service was good too.

Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria
Address: 1714 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
Phone: +1 215 735 8090
Opening Hours: | Sun to Thur: 11am – 10pm | Fri to Sat: 11am – 11pm |

8. Reading Terminal Market

Cannoli

Roast Pork Cheesesteak

Reading Terminal Market is a large indoor farmer’s market that offers a variety of local produce, meat, seafood, baked goods and housewares. The market has been around since 1892. But of course, our main reason in coming here was to check out the many famous eateries! We had the pretzel dog from Miller’s Twist, which was a nice treat. We also tried the popular cannoli ($4) from Termini Bros Bakery. This dessert consists of a crisp crust with luscious ricotta and delicious chocolate chip fillings. It was a sinfully sweet but really delicious dessert! Finally, we also had the signature Roast Pork Sandwich ($9.25) with roasted pepper ($1) from Tommy DiNic’s. We wanted to check out this joint because the pork sandwich is touted to be a strong competitor of the Philly cheesesteak. Indeed, the pork meat was quite tender and juicy, and went nicely with the spicy pepper. Check out our list of five best places to eat in Reading Terminal Market!

Reading Terminal Market
Address: 51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 6pm (differs between restaurants)
Website: https://readingterminalmarket.org

9. Sonny’s Famous Steaks

Rounding off this list is another cheesesteak joint! Located just down the street from High Street on Market is the popular Sonny’s Famous Steaks. The cheesesteaks are prepared using fresh rib-eye beef that are cooked in its natural juices without oil. It is frequently touted as one of the best cheesesteak joints in Philly!

Sonny’s Famous Steaks
Address: 228 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
Phone: +1 215 629 5760
Opening Hours: | Sun – Thur: 11am – 10pm | Fri – Sat 11am – 3am |

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Philadelphia Travel Guide for First Timers. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?