Angelo's Pizzeria named your favorite Italian Hoagie
The results of our bracket are in. How did your favorite fare?
Two weeks ago, we asked Philly to crown the best Italian hoagie in the city. And you showed up. We received more than 7,500 completed Italian hoagie brackets with Angelo’s Pizzeria at 9th and Fitzwater streets coming out on top.
How did a pizzeria — one in which Gritty questioned its legitimacy by asking, “Why would you ever get a hoagie from there?” — win the best Italian hoagie in Philly? Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan complimented its fresh-baked rolls, ultimately naming it his personal winner. “Those oregano onions!” he wrote on his bracket. “Add some tangy hot peppers for hoagie lift-off!”
Hoagie Dom also cited Angelo’s roll as “the best in the entire city,” while Mayor Kenney picked it as his No. 2 spot. Maybe we should call it Angelo’s Hoagizzeria?
Angelo's Pizzeria
Fink's Hoagies
Mi-Pals Deli
Castellino's
Lil' Nick's Deli
Brackets won
Northeast favorite Fink’s Hoagies came in second after an impressive social campaign that involved giving away 222 free hoagies. Mi-Pals represented our South South region — any spot South of Snyder Avenue — by coming in third overall, while Castellino’s won the best Italian Hoagie in the North (Fishtown).
Curious to see how your favorite fared? Here’s a breakdown of all reader-submitted brackets and how frequently each spot progressed to a specific round.
Angelo's Pizzeria
Won 15.2% of brackets
Dolores' 2Street
Cosmi's Deli
Angelo's Pizzeria
Woodrow's
T&F Farmers' Pride
Koch's Deli
Dattilo's Deli
Fink's Hoagies
Liberty Kitchen
Martha
Middle Child
Castellino's
P&S Ravioli Co.
Pastificio Deli
Lil' Nick's Deli
Mi-Pals Deli
0%
66.6%
0%
0%
42.2%
0%
29.5%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
A big thank you goes out to everyone who voted, our guest bracket fillers, and every deli who serves up an Italian hoagie. Not just those that made the bracket, every deli — we see you Ricci’s and Marinucci’s. Philly truly has so many great options.
Staff Contributors
- Design and development: Sam Morris
- Digital Editing: Patricia Madej and Evan Weiss
- Hoagie Authority: Craig LaBan
- Photography: Monica Herndon and Rachel Molenda
- Editing and food stylist: Joseph Hernandez
- Audience: Lauren Aguirre and Erin Gavle
- South
- The Rest
- North
- South South
- Return to bracket
Dolores' 2Street (1)
Dolores 2Street's hoagies are carefully built on seeded Sarcone’s rolls with balance, finesse, and creativity. The classic Italian is excellent, as is the Pooh Bear, named for its combo of honey turkey, honey ham, and honeyed mayo.
Angelo's Pizzeria (2)
Angelo's tasty sandwiches are as much a draw as its pizzas. The shop serves prosciutto-forward options in addition to an olive oil-drizzled tuna hoagie and a three-cheese sandwich ideal for those who aren’t down with meat. The ordering rules are strict: call, pick-up, and pay with cash.
Woodrow's (3)
Woodrow's has earned its fanbase with a spin on the Italian hoagie, which includes mortadella, fennel salami, spicy soppressata, prosciutto cotto, provolone, herb mayo, oil and vinegar, lettuce, tomato, onion, arugula, and cherry peppers on a seeded roll.
Cosmi's Deli (4)
Hitting high on many best-of lists, Cosmi's makes both meat-driven and vegetarian hoagies. The Italian and chicken cutlet hoagies are very popular.
T&F Farmers' Pride (1)
Stepping into T&F Farmers' Pride is a welcomed step back in time. This old-schooI ltalian grocery store, in business for more than three decades, is a one-stop shop for satisfying any craving. And hey, it also has its own hoagie bracket.
Dattilo's Deli (2)
Dattilo’s Deli is a mainstay source in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia for hoagies, in-house mozzarella, and fresh-made sausages. Its classic Italian hoagie is one of the city’s best.
Fink's Hoagies (3)
Fink’s Hoagies is loved for its original Italian hoagie, which comes smeared with olive spread and topped with sharp provolone. The deli has both traditional hoagies, such as tuna and turkey, and gourmet versions named for different parts of the Northeast.
Koch's Deli (4)
West Philly’s Koch's Deli, where Wawa is a "dirty word," has been piling the slices on thick for more than five decades. The spot serves everything from cheesesteaks to a Jewish hoagie, with corned beef, pastrami, spiced beef, kosher salami, and American cheese.
Liberty Kitchen (1)
Those who miss Salumeria in Reading Terminal can find the elusive taste of its signature balsamic dressing once again at Liberty Kitchen. The must-order here, though, is the Mortabella, a mortadella, burrata, and pistachio pesto creation that began as a collaboration with the city’s own Hoagie Dom and turned into a menu staple.
Middle Child (2)
Middle Child serves a range of sandwiches, including two excellent hoagies. The Phoagie is a vegan masterpiece of hoisin-roasted eggplant rounds layered with chili paste, crispy onions, and cilantro. The “So Long Sal” is a more traditional Italian hoagie, and its artichoke spread is a heartfelt tribute to the Reading Terminal’s bygone Salumeria.
Castellino's (3)
“We literally slice every item on a hoagie to order, so it also takes time — at least five minutes — to make one,” says Cara Jo Castellino, whose self-named corner store in Fishtown is one of the high practitioners of mindful hoagie art. Castellino’s hoagies are essentially old-soul sandwiches with smart updated twists.
Martha (4)
This fun-loving Kensington gastropub has always been on the hoagie avant-garde. At Martha, there are plenty of options for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters, plus wine and draft beer to wash it all down.
P&S Ravioli Co. (1)
P&S may be known for its pasta, but the old-school Italian shop on Oregon Avenue is slinging out mouth-watering hoagies that give your grandmother's spaghetti and meatballs a run for its money. Don’t sleep on the spicy Italian, with hot soppressata, sharp provolone, and hot ham capicola.
Lil' Nick's Deli (2)
Craving a classic Italian hoagie? Swing by Lil’ Nick’s near 13th and Shunk, with its spicy meats, seeded roll, and well-built craftsmanship. The sandwiches with fresh cutlets, fried to order in pans behind the counter, are old-school good. Pro tip: Make it a deluxe with fresh “pro-shoot and mozz.”
Mi-Pals Deli (3)
Everyone covets a hoagie secret, that corner deli that locals know but never mention because they want it for themselves. Well, brothers Tommy and Mike Palestino made it 35 years before their South Philly corner, Mi-Pals, came to our attention. As for where they get their rolls, that is still a secret.
Pastificio Deli (4)
Veteran delis such as South Philly’s Pastificio Deli serve up the art of the hoagie in its purest, most earnest form. You can’t go wrong with this standby.