239 Best Dishes to Eat in Philly

From the sausage at Monk's that you can't not order (again) to the short-rib flatbread at Amada that became an instant classic, here are the restaurant dishes that define Philadelphia's food scene. (And not one of them is a cheesesteak or hoagie!)

#12 Tai Chin at Pho 75 — A steaming bowl of a hearty broth filled with rib eye that gently cooks in the soup, thin slices of tender brisket, doughy rice noodles, crunchy bean sprouts, and fragrant fresh basil. What’s so foreign about that?
1022 Race Street, 215-925-1231, 1122 Washington Avenue, 215-271-5866, and 823 Adams Avenue, 215-743-8845.

Lamb chops at Salt and Pepper — They might be paired with lemon risotto one week and basmati rice the next, but these chops — French-cut, then sliced into medallions — are always roasted to perfection, making them a prized perennial protein that can never be removed from the menu. (Locals would riot, seriously.)
746 South 6th Street, 215-238-1920.

Wedge salad at Bridget’s Steakhouse — This classic, refreshing salad is exactly what you want with your steak. ¸
8 West Butler Pike, Ambler, 267-465-2000.

Funghi Trentino at La Viola — If we could take this garlicky multiple-mushroom dish of awesomeness intravenously, we would.
253 South 16th Street, 215-735-8630.

Guacamole at Xochitl
— You know that dream you have of becoming a beach bum in Baja and eating fresh guac and fish tacos every day? This is as close as you’ll get.
408 South 2nd Street, 215-238-7280.

Prime rib at Prime Rib — While you can now get a half order of this well-aged, perfectly cooked hunk of juicy meat, there’s something so ballsy about ordering the whole thing that we can never quite resist. (After all, no one does prime rib better than Prime Rib.)
1701 Locust Street, 215-772-1701.

Big Daddy Mack burger at Continental — Thanks to the special sauce and crusty char, you won’t believe it’s meatless. (But they swear it is.)
138 Market Street, 215-923-6069; 1801 Chestnut Street, 215-567-1800.

Cheese cart at Four Seasons
— Just when you say you can’t possibly eat any more, up rolls this proper cheese trolley with so many triple creams and sheep’s-milks and honeys and jams and fruits and breads … that you apologize to your stomach and just give in.
1 Logan Square, 215-963-1500.

Lobster bisque at the Guard House Inn — Like the Guard House itself, the lobster bisque — lashed with apple brandy and fresh claw meat — manages to be elegant and hearty at the same time.
953 Youngsford Road, Gladwyne, 610-649-9708.

Veal sweetbreads at Modo Mio
— Chef Peter McAndrews makes pastas to die for, but it was a more exotic item that blew us away: The sweetbreads, crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside, are tossed with an oh-so-simple sauce of capers, lemon and white wine. If you’ve never tried offal before, you must order this dish. ¸
161 West Girard Avenue, 215-203-8707.