Eat The 'Best Sandwich In America' At Philadelphia's Giant Public Market Full Of The Freshest Bites

Philadelphia is a great food city — and you don't have to take our word for it. It made Food & Wine's list of the Top 10 U.S. Cities for Food and Drink in 2025, the same year three of its restaurants were awarded the city's first Michelin stars. Variety is a strength of Philly's culinary scene. For Italian, you can get steaks and pasta at Wm. Mulherin's Sons or stroll through the oldest open-air market in America, and for Asian flavors, hit up the restaurants in historic Chinatown. Whatever cuisine you're craving, odds are high it's served somewhere in Philadelphia. Something else Philly does well is sandwiches, and not just the eponymous cheesesteaks. Philadelphia natives would likely tell you that the roast pork — not the cheesesteak — is the most essential Philly sandwich. While several spots across the city serve them, the best come from DiNic's Roast Pork, which was named the best sandwich in America by celebrity foodie Adam Richman in 2012.

DiNic's is located inside Reading Terminal Market, which is about a block down Arch Street from Chinatown and a quick walk from sights like the Liberty Bell and Elfreth's Alley. You can swing by DiNic's for roast pork from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (though take note they're closed on Sundays). If you're desperate to try their sandwich and can't get to Philly, the restaurant now delivers nationwide through Goldbelly. That said, Reading Terminal Market has plenty to explore beyond DiNic's and is worth visiting in person.

Reading Terminal Market is one of the top can't-miss experiences in Philadelphia for a reason. Like much of Philly, the market has a long history. Its roots go back to the 17^th-century "Jersey Market," an informal outdoor marketplace where the region's farmers sold their produce. City leaders declared open-air markets a nuisance in the mid-19^th century and forced them indoors. In 1890, the Reading Railroad Company purchased the 1100 block of Market Street, where many of these vendors had relocated, officially starting Reading Terminal Market.

The Reading Terminal Market location of DiNic's opened in 1980, though the restaurant's history dates back to 1918, with the opening of Nicolosi's butcher shop. By 1954, founder Gaetano Nicolosi had passed the business to his sons, who started selling roast pork and beef sandwiches. The name changed to DiNic's in the '70s, but it kept the same spirit: simple sandwiches with classic Italian flavors. DiNic's is still family-run, now in its fourth generation, and serves the same limited menu of from-scratch pork, beef, meatball, and sausage sandwiches.

DiNic's is just one of the more than 80 merchants at Reading Terminal Market, so you won't go hungry even if you're not in the mood for roast pork. Beck's Cajun Café is another standout for its classic po'boys and original recipes, such as the Beck's Trainwreck, a Cajun twist on the cheesesteak. The market also features lesser-known cuisines, like the Georgian-inspired khinkali dumplings and khachapuri cheeseboats at Saami Somi, or the all-day Filipino fusion at Tambayan. You'll also find plenty of spots to satisfy your sweet tooth, whether that's cannoli from Termini Brothers, sweet potato pie from Sweet T's, or Pennsylvania Dutch whoopee pies from Beiler's Bakery.