George's Tripe Sandwich

I've walked past this place a million times but never tried it until a few months ago. Split a roast pork and cheesesteak with some friends and holy s#$% it was good, totally blew my mind.

If you order a roast pork he warms it up on the grill, bastes the meat and greens with the pork juices. Sharp provolone and a lightly toasted roll and you're ready to go. Cheesesteak was great too, good amount of meat but not so much it falls out onto 9th street. A good mid-sized steak somewhere between the smaller soft-roll style of Pat's and the massive Sarcone's-loaf style of Cosmi's and John's Roast Pork.

Anyway if you don't know they are famous for having an Italian Tripe sandwich which made it onto the PBS Sandwiches You Will Like documentary a few years back featuring Philly food guru Holly Moore.

I'm a big fan of tripe but until now had only eaten it Asian or Mexican style. So I went back last week for a roast pork & tripe combo with provolone, roasted long hots, hot peppers and onions, a monster of a sandwich. The tripe cooked in tomato sauce was super tender and the combination with the pork was out of this world.


Some guy drinking out of a paper bag asked me for change while I was ordering. But don't let the exotic atmosphere scare you away, or you'll miss out on some of Philly's best. There's another George's sandwich shop across the street, haven't been there & can't vouch for it, look for the one with the "sandwiches you will like" sign.

George's
900 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA

Shank's Original

Shank's and Evelyn's Roast Beef has been on 10th street in South Philly since 1962. I tried to go a few times after everyone told me it was the best, but they always seemed to be closed. Not open on my day off (monday) and breakfast & lunch only. It's sad to have never made it to the original location... which recently closed for good when they opened up Shank's Original on 15th & Sansom.

Still primarily a lunch operation, the new Shank's has that great "chrome and signed picture of Bob Saget" atmosphere that we know and love here in Philadelphia. I'm told it doesn't hold a candle to the "old italian guy in the back room smoking a cigar and playing penuckle" authenticity of the old location, but hey I bet they're paying the bills these days.

At first a bit dissapointed that my Roast Pork came on a kaiser roll. I was thinking the "regular size = italian hoagie roll / large size = 2 foot long loaf of bread" system that many delis operate with. But after tasting it - who cares. I've had a lot of mediocre roast pork sandwiches at some pretty famous places lately, and Shank's blew them all away. Big pile of meat, nice and moist, good flavor, love the longhots that weren't overcooked into mush.

The italian hoagie was suprisingly good. Super premium meats, prosciutto and I think mortadella, sopresseta... and this isn't a "specialty" hoagie, just the standard italian. Pretty much the best sandwiches in center city.

I'm a big fan of south philly institutions moving to center city, i think the Chestnut Dibruno's is the best thing to happen here in years. On one hand it's unfortunate to lose the italian market atmosphere, but it's also amazing to be able to grab some fresh mozz and a real hoagie on the walk home from the post office.

Shank's Original
120 South 15th Street
Philadelphia PA