The hot roast pork is a Philly classic with broccoli rabe, provolone, and sweet or hot peppers.
While the cheesesteak hogs most of the sandwich buzz in Philadelphia, there’s another signature sandwich that locals love — the hot roast pork. It’s a meal in a (crusty) roll that hits all the notes — juicy, roast pork, bitter broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone, with the option of sweet or hot peppers to round it out. The local version traces its roots to a sandwich from Italy’s Abruzzo region, using pork seasoned with some combination of garlic, rosemary, fennel, salt, and pepper, that crossed over with the wave of immigrants who moved to Philly in the early 20th century. Here are some spots today where you can savor this porcine delight.
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John’s Roast Pork
John’s Roast Pork may not have invented the roast pork sandwich but having opened in 1930, it helped set the modern template. The third-generation, family-owned spot, in a former industrial area in South Philadelphia that’s now home to multiple big box stores, drips with roadside vibes: A cartoon-style pig mascot stands astride the one-story building with a takeout window –- there’s table seating, but no service, under a canopy and on a patio. John’s version overflows with pork roasted according to the secret family recipe, with a much higher ratio of meat to cheese and greens than most others. Not a fan of broccoli rabe? John’s has you covered — spinach is the only option for the greens. Should you have someone with you who doesn’t want pork, John’s “ultimate” cheesesteak lives up to its billing.
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Porco’s Porchetteria
When you put “porco” in your name, you better deliver on your signature protein. Fortunately, on the border of the Graduate Hospital and Point Breeze neighborhoods, Porco’s Porchetteria does. The key to this version is the crusty, sesame seed–studded roll, baked in-house at sibling Small Oven Bakery. The roll serves as a sturdy platform for Porco’s version of the classic (broccoli rabe pesto and shaved provolone), as well as riffs with fennel slaw and long hot pepper relish; truffled mushrooms and onions, truffled goat spread, and balsamic glaze; and apples, gruyere, and basil aioli. You can dive right in by claiming one of the handful of umbrella tables on Washington Avenue. If you visit from late April through December, finish your meal with the housemade soft serve — the weekly flavor drops might be tomato jam and basil, carrot cake and cream cheese, or eggnog and toasted pecan…