Tony Luke’s

Whenever I pass through Philadelphia, my traditional list of “must-eats” has included cheese steaks and soft pretzels, but after eating at Tony Luke’s, I am adding their roasted pork Italian sandwich to my list.

The local favorite lunch stop, with one ordering window and a few tables of covered outdoor seating, is situated below the interstate with rumbling of 18 wheelers passing by– giving it a diesel smell, but a convenient location for area workers to have a hearty sandwich. The ordering process is fast-paced– have your order ready when you approach the front of the line and be ready to pick it up immediately when your number is called. The small establishment is filling hundreds of orders during peak hours and the counter staff don’t want to miss a beat with late-collected orders.

Tony Luke’s has a respectable Philly cheese steak with whiz: medium-thick sliced beef piled onto a substantial French roll laced with cheese whiz. The firm bread is able to hold the juices from the meat and cheese for a tasty, reasonably mess-free eat.

The highlight of this Philadelphia eatery though was Tony Luke’s roasted pork Italian: thinly sliced tender pieces of meat and provolone cheese with one unique addition – broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic. The tender and peppery pork seems to melt with the garlicky greens. The sandwich is held together by a firm piece of French baguette style bread. Quality ingredients and well-balanced spices give this proprietary specialty a winning combination that brings back customers again and again–me included.