Best hoagies in Philly to eat right now

It doesn’t take much searching to find a solid hoagie in Philly: corner stores, buzzy bars and standby delis have been serving the goods for generations. At hoagie shops throughout the area, options range from classic Italian hoagies on seeded rolls to vegan-friendly hoagies on baked-that-day bread. Here’s a list of some of our favorite hoagies in Philadelphia:

Yet another hot pizzeria to raise the hoagie standard by baking its own rolls, Angelo’s makes tasty sandwiches that are as much a draw as its pies. 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 to order, pick-up and cash-only.

📍736 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 🌐angelospizzeriasouthphiladelphia.com, 📞 215-922-0000, 📷 @angelos_pizzeria_south_philly

“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 still old-soul sandwiches but with smart updated twists. The Adronos, named for the Sicilian god of fire, embodies spice in a combo of hot capicola and sopressata, peppercorn asiago, and cherry peppers. The Fig Pig plays sweet on salty with fig jam and prosciutto. No option, though, reflects the meticulously crafted anatomy of a Castellino’s hoagie quite like the classic Italian.

📍1255 E. Palmer St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19125,🌐 castellinos.square.site, 📞 215-416-1187, 📷 @castellinosco

Cosmi’s fan base is wide, hitting high on many best-of lists, and includes Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who told the Hollywood Reporter a few years ago that a stop at the deli for a honey-roasted turkey hoagie was his guilty pleasure. The shop makes both meat-driven and vegetarian hoagies with options including the Italian hoagie and chicken cutlet hoagie being very popular.

📍1501 S. Eighth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 🌐 cosmisdeli.com, 📷 @cosmisdeli

Dattilo’s Deli is a mainstay source in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia for hoagies, in-house mozzarella and fresh-made sausages, and its classic Italian hoagie is one of the city’s best. Or go for the deli’s “Main Event” with marinated artichokes and peppers, which Craig LaBan described as “practically an antipasto platter on a roll.”

📍8000 Horrocks St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19152,🌐 dattilosdeli.com, 📷 @dattilosdeli

Nick and Maria Miglino’s ran Felicia’s at 11th and Ellsworth for two decades until closing in 2007. Now they’re back with sandwich shop Dolores’ 2Street, serving some of the city’s most irresistible sandwiches. Their hoagies are very much worth a mega order, 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, and whose secret is the deep-fried ribbon of pickle that cuts through the sweetness with a crispy crackle and tart burst that unifies each bite.

📍 1841 S. Second St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148,🌐 facebook.com/Dolores2Street, 📷 @dolores2street

Northeast Philly sandwich institution Fink’s Hoagies is loved for its original Italian hoagie, which comes schmeared with olive spread and topped with sharp provolone. The deli has both traditional hoagies, like tuna and turkey, and gourmet hoagies named for different parts of the Northeast, like the Tacony (roast beef, fresh asparagus, sharp provolone and balsamic vinegar) and the Holmesburg (prosciutto, roasted peppers, roasted garlic, sharp provolone, oil and vinegar, and seasonings).

📍4633 Princeton Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19135,📷 @finkshoagies

Joshua Coston (a former Amtrak conductor) opened Gilben’s Bakery in East Mount Airy with his cousin Crystal Brown at the helm. Coston’s menu of seafood po’ boys became a phenomenon on its own, in particular, the fantastic fried salmon and shrimp po’boy. While not exactly a hoagie, the crusty bread and flavor-packed filling make it a must-eat in our book.

📍7405 Stenton Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19150, 🌐 gilbensbakery.com, 📷 @gilbens_steaksandpoboys

In case you were wondering, the “Dom” of Hoagie Dom is in fact his name: Dominic Rocconi. It can be hard to get your hands on a Hoagie Dom hoagie, and for good reason. The popular hoagies are available at his monthly “hoagie residencies” at Northern Liberties’ Bardot Cafe, where one variety of hoagie is available. Recent options include the Calabrian chicken cutlet hoagie and crispy eggplant Caesar — and all hoagies are served on a seeded roll that Rocconi bakes himself that morning. Pop-up details are announced on Hoagie Dom’s Instagram account (watch that space: they’re known to sell out very fast).

📍Hoagie residency at Bardot Cafe, 447 Poplar St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19123,🌐 hoagiedom.com, 📷 @hoagie_dom

There are so many good things to eat at this Afrocentric market-cafe from chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate in West Philadelphia, from the BLACKenglish muffin breakfast sandwiches with black-eyed pea scrapple to the innovative new tasting menu dinners. The “Dolla” hoagies are the big lunchtime draw because they’re built on hand-crafted ingredients, from the fresh-baked Sonora wheat rolls dusted with benne seeds to all the fillings. The smoked and pickled turnip filling makes for one of the most inventive vegetarian sandwiches around. The house turkey, whose moist breast meat is cooked sous vide with citrus, herbs, and koji, then sweetened with an Ethiopian honey glaze, is one of the city’s best. On Fridays, it’s all about Honeysuckle’s fish hoagie special showcasing fried whiting dusted with Creole spice.

📍310 S. 48th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19143,📞 215-307-3316, 🌐 honeysuckleprovisions.com, 📷 @honeysuckle_provisions

Those who miss Salumeria from the Reading Terminal can find the elusive taste of its signature balsamic dressing once again at this artisan deli in South Kensington, launched by former Salumeria employee Matt Budenstein and PJ Hopkins of Brine Street Picklery. The must-order here, though, is the Mortadelphia, a mortadella, burrata, broccoli rabe pesto creation. A second location opened in February 2024 inside Two Locals Brewing Co. in University City.

📍 1244 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, and 3675 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, 🌐 libertykitchenphl.com, 📷 @libertykitchenphl

When Craig LaBan craves a classic Italian hoagie, his first stop is often 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. Craig’s tip: Make it a deluxe with fresh “pro-shoot and mozz.”

📍 1311 W. Moyamensing Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148, 📞 215-468-4647, 📷 @lil_nicks_deli

This fun-loving Kensington gastropub has always been on the avant-hoagie-garde, its vegan hoagie sparked by fermented radish and marinated eggplant, and the sweet smoke of fried bologna tangling with housemade hot mustard for the fried bologna hoagie. There are plenty of options for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters at this shop, and there’s plenty of wine and beer to wash it all down, too.

📍2113 E. York St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19125,🌐 marthakensington.com, 📷 @marthakensington

This Center City sandwich shop and its Fishtown “Clubhouse” serve a range of sandwiches, including two excellent hoagie options. Middle Child’s best hoagie – the Phoagie – is a vegan masterpiece of hoisin-roasted eggplant rounds layered with chili paste, crispy onions, and cilantro. It’s essentially a bowl of vegetarian pho on a bun. The “So Long Sal” is a more traditional Italian hoagie, and, with its artichoke spread, is a heartfelt tribute to the Reading Terminal’s bygone Salumeria.

📍248 S. 11th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, and 1232 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, 🌐 middlechildphilly.com, 📷 @middlechildphiladelphia

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, and particularly the fiery Inferno (an imported-meat Italian hoagie laced with fat-marbled “gabagool” and the extra kick of a long hot), came to our attention. As for where they get their rolls, that is still a secret.

📍2300 S. 16th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145,🌐 mipalsdeli.com, 📷 @mipals_deli

Veteran delis like South Philly’s Pastificio have been mentioned many times, but, if you want to taste the art of the hoagie in its purest, most earnest form, you can’t go wrong with a standby. Here, imported meats are carefully layered with sharp provolone and just the right amount of shredded veggies for a zesty signature with balance and bite.

📍1528 Packer Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145,🌐 pastificiophilly.com, 📷 @pastificiophilly

The name P&S Ravioli Co. does not cover this family business, around since 1960 with fresh and refrigerated pastas and sauces, plus house-made cheeses and side dishes. Stop by for the ever-popular spicy Italian hoagie, or any one of the more than a dozen hoagies on the menu in two sizes.

📍1722 Oregon Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145; 7051 Torresdale Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19135; 1640 S. 10th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148; 511 Black Horse Pike, Haddon Heights, N.J. 08035, 🌐 psravioli.com

The family-owned T&F Farmers’ Pride has been the spot in Roxborough for delicious hoagiesfor more than 30 years. Choose from one of the varieties of Italian hoagies (available in prosciutto, Genoa salami and more), or go for hoagies made with ham and cheese, turkey and cheese, tuna, or a veggie hoagie.

📍8101 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19128,🌐 facebook.com/TnFhoagies, 📷 @tnf_hoagies

This South Street storefront is known for all kinds of sandwiches — cheesesteaks, hoagies, breakfast sandwiches — but, today, we’re talking about their hoagies, which come in options like the veggie-friendly tomato mozz to a classic Italian hoagie that comes loaded with mortadella, salami, soppressata, and prosciutto.

📍630 South St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 🌐 woodrowsandwich.com, 📷 @woodrowsandwich

The space that now houses Antonio’s Deli has deep hoagie roots — it’s the former spot of Chickie’s Italian Deli, a South Philly sandwich shop that had a two-decade-long run. Antonio’s uses Sarcone’s bread for its sandwiches, including its star eggplant-rich veggie hoagie.

📍1014 Federal St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147,🌐antoniosdeliphilly.com, 📷 @antoniosdeli

A zep is like a hoagie, but it’s not. It’s sort of like the South Philly hoagie’s Norristown cousin. And as with many Philly classics, the zep’s exact origin story is debated, but a few things about the zep are certain: You don’t mix meats on the sandwich (cooked Hatfield salami is standard, though the tuna fish salad is a sleeper hit); the onion and tomato are cut extra thick; there’s a nice zesty smear of hot pepper relish; and there’s absolutely never, ever any lettuce. There aren’t many zep-makers left in the area, but Eve’s Lunch in Norristown is a winner.

📍318 E. Johnson Highway, Norristown, Pa. 19401,📞 610-277-6600, 🌐 eveslunch.com

This article has been updated since it was first published.

» READ MORE: Live your best life in Philly: Read our most useful stories here