Food - News
This Philadelphia Deli Is Older Than Philly Cheesesteaks
By CHASE SHUSTACK
Philadelphia’s famous restaurant Pat’s King of Steaks is said to be the root of the cheesesteak, as Pat’s was the first to invent the delicacy by adding strips of thinly-sliced meat scraps into hot dog buns. Geno’s is another restaurant that claims to have the best cheesesteaks in the town, but there’s a deli that's older than both Pat's and Geno's and thus predates the cheesesteak.
Ricci’s Hoagies might resemble your average corner deli with its plastic lawn chairs and the no-frills brick exterior — but it’s actually one of the oldest restaurants in the South Philadelphia area. Founded in 1920, years before Pat's invented what would become the modern-day cheesesteak, the deli has withstood the test of time for the delicious hoagies it offers.
A YouTube video review claimed that the hoagies at the deli are packed with “many layers of greatness” and suggested that Ricci’s Hoagies has earned its 100-year status. Ricci’s Hoagies, which has been given the title of “#1 Deli in the State of Pennsylvania'' by Food Network, is selling its hoagies on Goldbelly in packs of 2 to 4, meaning you can get them anywhere in the country.