Philadelphia, PA
- South Street is home to some of the city's most iconic foods; from over-sized late-night slices to fiercely regional fries, here's a look at a few of South Street's Best Eats.
Best South Street Philly Grub
Lorenzo and Sons Pizza
Bigger is always better. This South Street staple has been satisfying post-last callers with borderline novelty-sized slices since 1988. It's open nightly until 4 a.m. With the motto "Where the customer is never right," Lorenzo's no-nonsense menu consists of only one item — cheese slices cut from 28-inch pies (except "Toppings Tuesdays"). Closed for nearly a year after a 2012 fire, Lorenzo's is back, just as satisfying as ever and still sporting signage of a busty brunette straight out of a Def Leppard video, dripping slice in hand. (305 South St.)
Jim's Steaks
A perpetually packed institution that's been around since 1976. Queue up in the narrow line and watch while the serious grill guys chop seemingly endless hills of steak and brown the thick-cut onions in the steak's run-off. Once you've made your cheese and onion choice, your steak is sent down an assembly line, garnished, wrapped to go, or left unwrapped to stay and finally rung up at the register — no credit cards here. The sunny upstairs dining room is wallpapered with signed photographs of celebs that have gotten their steak on at Jim's (seemingly every eagle player in history as well as a handful of 1980s Playmates), along with some serious neon action. Regardless of some strongly worded signage ("Please obtain your food from the downstairs counter before occupying a table"), the steaks at Jim's are the kind of solid meat-and-cheese bomb that requires a 45-degree-angle lean when eating to prevent the inevitable cheese-steak drip. (400 South St.)
Ishkabibble's
The restaurant's name, which is both the name of a big band song by Merwyn Bogue and a Yiddish expression that roughly translates to "Do I look like I care?" The regional take marries crispy fries (frozen isn't always the worst thing when it comes to fries) with sweetly fried onions and slices of red and green hot peppers. Opt for a few pumps of Whiz out of a heated can to top them off, and you've got a low-brow plate with a combination of flavors and textures that is downright intriguing. If you're looking for the full Ishkabibble's experience, pair your Spanish fries with a Gremlin, a murky combo of lemonade, and a grape drink. (337 and 517 South St.)
South Street Philly Bagels
This place is quietly boiling and baking the best bagels in the city. Not too big and never too bready, South Street Bagels serves up a menu of classics — sesame, poppy, plain, everything, egg, and onion — as well as a few bagel-centric weekend innovations like the pizza bagel and the bagel dog, a Hebrew National blanketed in bagel dough. (613 S. Third St.)
The Philly Taco, South Street Sushi, The Lorenzo's, and Jim's Challenge - Are you searching for the ultimate Philadelphia frankenfood? Look no further; it's The Philly Taco. A combination of a Philly cheesesteak and a slice of pizza. The combo gets its origins on South Street, where foodies of all kinds head over to both Jim's Steaks and Lorenzo's Pizza for their steaks and pizza. Just wrap your Jim's steak in your Lorenzo slice, and you just made The Philly Taco or South Street Sushi.
