What To Eat With Just 24 Hours In Philadelphia

Coming to the City of Brotherly love for just a day? Don't worry, I have got you covered. We all know that cheesesteak is a high priority, but there are plenty of other foods and drinks you should try in Philadelphia, so from brunch and dinner to bars and can't-miss spots, this is what you should eat with just 24 hours in Philly. As a Philly-area native, I have spent a lot of time exploring the city and learning what makes up Philly's food culture.

And trust me when I say that Philly has a bigger foodie scene than you might imagine, with both hidden gems (yes, there are many amazing coffee shops) and more renowned eateries (Zahav, anyone?). Starting in the morning and working our way to the wee hours of the night, let's take a walk through what your ideal 24 hours in Philly should look like (at least in the food and drink departments).

Rise and shine, you're in Philly now. We don't play when it comes to breakfast (or, really, anything). Whether you are more of a quick grab and go person or a let's-brunch-for-three-hours person, there are options for you. There are a plethora of amazing bagel shops and breakfast sandwich spots you could pick (and obviously get a pork roll egg and cheese sandwich, duh), like Bart's Bagels and The Breakfast Den, but let's get specific about brunch spots you could hit up in the morning for your first taste of Philly (literally).

If you are going to go do some historical sight-seeing, some great Center City brunch spots include the Green Eggs Cafe (try the speciality coffees), Cafe Lift (the shakshuka slaps), The Landing Kitchen, Harp & Crown, Landing, and Sabrina's Cafe.

After an exceptional brunch (or breakfast) in the city, you need to hit up Reading Terminal Market. If you haven't heard of it before in your other Philly research, it's both a must-see destination in the city, as well as a food and drink mecca. Similar to other indoor markets with lots of different food, drink, and merchandise vendors, the Reading Terminal Market also has a unique charm all its own.

The neon lights cast a soft glow on the incredibly crowded and slightly overstimulating maze of a place, and it's just plain fun to be in there. I recommend going for a lap around the whole place to kind of get your bearings, and then decide what you want to eat. The best part? You can try a little of everything. Grab a fresh flavored lemonade at Lancaster County Dairy, and then maybe sample a loaded corn dog from Fox & Son Fancy Corn Dogs. Sample and share some cheeses at Downtown Cheese, and top it all off with a donut from Beiler's Doughnuts and Pickle Patch. There's just something for everyone here. And also you should feel free to come back later in the day for lunch or even dinner if you are on a budget (but more on that later).

When you get hungry for lunch, I think this is the most ideal time to try a quintessential Philly cheesesteak. Even if you've tried one from somewhere else in the country, I can guarantee you it doesn't taste the same as one from Philly (and they're also not steak and cheese sandwiches, people). Now, there's a lot of controversy surrounding which establishment has the very best cheesesteak, and I don't think now's the time to throw my hat into that particular ring (though Tasting Table crowned Dalessandro's Steaks the winner and Woodrow's Sandwich Shop the runner-up), so let's just say that any one of those and these next restaurants would be a great place to try a true Philly cheesesteak for lunch.

The well-known rivalry in the cheesesteak world is, of course, Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks, which are conveniently located next to each other, so you could always sample one from each place and compare them. There is also Philip's Steaks in South Philly, a hidden gem, as well as Chubby's Steaks and Joe's Steaks + Soda Shop. Just remember that the best cheesesteaks should always have evenly melted and dispersed cheese throughout the sandwich, bread that's not soggy (ew), and steak that's sliced as thinly as possible.

If cheesesteaks just don't seem like your thing, or maybe you're vegetarian, you can always go for pizza for lunch, instead. Philly absolutely has some great pizza spots you can't miss. There is quite a variety of styles of pizza you can get in the city, but these are some of my favorites.

If you're vegan or vegetarian, the best vegan pizza shop in town is 20th Street Pizza. Angelo's Pizzeria is very popular, as is Pizzeria Cappelli (it's located in the Gayborhood and open until 4 a.m. every night, so you can always stop here later on in your night). Santucci's (no affiliation with Stanley Tucci) is also always a hit if you happen to be near one of its locations, as is Paulie Gee's Soul City Slice Shop, which offers a relaxed environment for your lunchtime meal.

After a long morning, you deserve a coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate, or whatever your preferred beverage vice is). As far as coffee shops go, Philly is bursting to the brim with them (something I love about the city). You can walk a few blocks in pretty much any direction and you'll probably hit a locally beloved and amazing coffee shop filled with happy customers.

Some of my favorites in the city include Talula's Daily (right next to Washington Square Park if you happen to be in the area), Rival Bros (an absolute Philly classic that brews some of the best coffee around and has a wide variety of flavorful blends you can try), Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books (fulfilling both your bookish and coffee needs), Greenline Cafe (a little farther out of Center City but still amazing) and Greenstreet Coffee Co (take a bag of beans with you to-go, too).

You can't come to Philly without at least tasting an authentic Philly soft pretzel. They're soft and warm, and you can get any type of dipping sauce on the side you want, if that's calling your name. A pro tip (and part of the reason why this snack is listed earlier in the day) is that you should hit up a soft pretzel shop as early as you can. You want the pretzels to be freshly baked and warm, and you'll get the best ones right when the place opens. You could also choose to go the more sweet route instead of savory and get a cinnamon sugar soft pretzel, or even make things salty and sweet with regular salt soft pretzels with a classic cinnamon sugar dipping condiment on the side.

And where should you get these famed soft pretzels, you ask? From the Philly Pretzel Factory, of course. This company has locations just about everywhere in Philly and the surrounding areas, so you'll easily be able to try the soft pretzel wherever your 24-hour trip here takes you. If you think the soft pretzel experience isn't going to be your thing, then maybe try out the next type of food on this list.

Need some warm comfort food? Head on over to Chinatown and get ready for one of the best meals of your life. Terakawa Ramen has hands-down the best bowl of ramen I've ever had (and lots of my friends swear by it, too). Yamitsuki is pretty popular and a bit more upscale, and Dawa Sushi and Ramen Bar is an unassuming spot a bit north of Chinatown that offers some great eats.

If ramen isn't your typical thing, no worries, as all of these places offer a variety of items on their menus, so there's something for everyone. In particular, the gyoza at Terakawa Ramen is a delicious appetizer to try. Lots of ramen spots also usually keep a fairly quick turnaround pace, so they're great if you're in a hurry to get to your next meeting or tour group.

Don't worry about being on a budget here. There are plenty of amazing restaurants and spots in Philly where you can get delicious and high-quality food for pretty cheap prices. The first place that comes to mind, and that would be totally perfect if you have a big group with you and want some food options, is The Bourse.

The Bourse is one of the most popular food halls in Philly for a reason. If you haven't heard of a food hall before, it's basically an indoor strip of restaurants with a large eating area in the middle, so you and your friends can each go up to the counter you want, order, and then all get to sit down together and enjoy your different cuisines as a group. You could also hit up Dim Sum Garden (some of the best dim sum in the city, and it's not super expensive), go to one of the aforementioned cheesesteak spots (of which are usually quite inexpensive), try Love & Honey Fried Chicken, or get some delicious tacos for cheap at Taqueria La Prima.

If you're able to expand your budget a bit, there are some very memorable and nice restaurants you can go to in the city. One of the most famous spots in the city is, of course, Zahav, which serves up the quite popular pomegranate lamb shoulder, as well as a slew of other delicious items and an extensive wine list.

More in the mood for a nice steak dinner? Philly's got your back. While there are plenty of chain steak restaurants in the city, a personal favorite is Steak 48, which, aside from the impressive steaks (with truffle butter on top, yum), has an array of tasty sides you absolutely need to try, including the calamari and mac and cheese. Jean-Georges Philadelphia, Barclay Prime, Vetri Cucina, and Butcher & Singer are also all amazing high-quality restaurants you could try, depending on where you can get a reservation. It is interesting to note that currently Philadelphia isn't home to any Michelin-starred restaurants, but maybe that will change in the future.

It's time for your sweet treat. You deserve it after a long day. In terms of dessert, there are, once again, a ton of options for something sweet in the city. For example, Philadelphia is known for water ice. If you haven't heard of water ice, it's a regional dessert quite similar to Italian ice, but a bit lighter. My personal favorite flavor of water ice is root beer, but you'll find an assortment of fruit flavors and more at any water ice shop. Some Philly classics include Philadelphia Water Ice Factory (which can also be found at many sporting events in the city), Chuck's Homemade Water Ice, John's Water Ice, and Rose's Real Italian Water Ices. Another cold dessert to try is the iconic eggless Philadelphia-style ice cream, which you can find at The Franklin Fountain. 

Not in the mood for something chilly? No worries. For a familiar yet unique dessert experience, you could check out the hidden Insomnia Cookies Cookie Lab in Center City. It operates like a speakeasy, and you have to check out the spot's Instagram to get the password in order to enter. But once inside you'll find some specialty cookie flavors, as well as fun milkshakes and other sweet treats not found at regular Insomnia Cookies locations. Aside from that, authentic cannolis from Isgro Pastries will always hit, as will the iconic tiramisu from Gran Caffe L'Aquila.

Philadelphia is definitely the city for beer lovers, I'll say. There are likely as many breweries here as there are bars, so you could totally spend a few hours brewery hopping (instead of bar hopping), trying out some different places to see what the city has to offer. There are quite a few spots with outdoor spaces, though in the colder months they either close the outdoor space or set up heaters so you can still enjoy the atmosphere with your friends. No matter which brewery you may choose to go to, though, you definitely need to try a local beer, as Philly is host to so many that you can only find in the area.

Some popular and noteworthy breweries include Love City Brewing, Yards Brewing Company, Crime and Punishment Brewing Company, Iron Hill Brewery, Sly Fox, and Victory Brewing Company. Honestly, I could go naming breweries for you all day, but just know that you probably don't need to go out of your way and travel across the city to go to the "best" craft brewery: Just find one close to you, check out the Instagram and reviews, and it will likely be worth going to. The competition is so steep in the city that they have to be great to stay in business, after all.

Whether you're skipping the brewery vibe or not wanting to end your night at one, it's time to discuss the quite extensive Philly bar scene. There is a ridiculous amount of bars and spots to go out to in Philly, some of them more overrated and overcrowded than others. So instead of trying to rapid fire name as many great spots as possible in a row, let's take it category by category. For themed bars that'll make your night unforgettable, your best bets are Spin, Libertee Grounds, Concourse Dance Bar (with the ball pit pictured in the photo above), and the elusive Hop Sing Laundromat. For the LGBTQ+ crowd, going to Woody's is a right of passage, but don't make that your only stop. Also be sure to check out Tattooed Mom, Tavern on Camac, and Franky Bradley's.

Looking for more of a classic bar situation? Wicked Wolf is a Center City hot spot, as is Barstool. South Philly is home to Xfinity Live!, the always-popping sports bar extravaganza located near the stadiums with tons of rooms in it to explore. A more relaxing place where you can really catch up with friends and family is the PHS Pop-Up Garden (there's one in Manayunk and one on South Street). I went there recently and there was live music, great vibes, and delicious drinks. For wine bars, you can try out Tria in Center City, and for an amazing rooftop picture with your drink of choice, check out Assembly Rooftop Lounge or Attico Rooftop Bar.

Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, I've been exploring the Philly food scene my whole life, so I feel pretty qualified talking about how to spend a precious 24 hours here. But don't just take my word for it: I also consulted with friends and family to get their opinions on spots you simply can't miss in the city. I also did some substantial research to get the internet's opinion on places, to ensure that I provided a well-rounded view of this foodie city.

I tried to best showcase the diversity that the Philadelphia food and drink scene has to offer, as there really is something for everybody in the city. I also focused on highlighting more local restaurants and business that you could only find in Philly, as opposed to spots you could find at home. Feel free to come back to Philadelphia any time and spend another 24 hours here to try even more spots. And if you find yourself back home and missing the City of Brotherly Love, try your hand at this Philly cheesesteak-style slider recipe to relive the magic.