This Little Piggy Went to John’s Roast Pork

 John's Roast Pork

14 East Snyder Ave. 

Philadelphia, PA 19148

I know it seems that my trip to Philadelphia was all about sandwiches. Before I left on this trip, I thought people were overexaggerating when they told me that the cheesesteaks we had in California were nothing compared to what we'd find in Philly. How different could they be?  As I learned from my first cheesesteak experience at the Phillies game, these people were not just blowing smoke. They were telling the truth, and I expected our visit to John's Roast Pork to be the pinnacle of my cheesesteak journey. 

John's has been in business at this spot in South Philadelphia since 1930. At first, they served mainly the neighborhood's local dock and warehouse workers. Cheesesteaks were not even on their menu for the first 30 or so years; instead, they focused on roast pork brought here by Italian immigrants at the turn of the century. The cheesesteaks were elevated when the current owner, John Bucci Jr., took over the business from his dad in the 70s. He decided to make these sandwiches to order and upped the quality of the ingredients to make the most fantastic cheesesteak in a city full of great cheesesteaks.   

Far from the tourist-infested area of downtown, it took a little time for people to notice the sandwiches at John's, but once the accolades came pouring in, so did the crowds. John's has been featured on many TV shows that declare their cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches are the best Philadelphia offers. Celebrity chefs and food personalities sing their praises. They may need to create a new part of the internet just to list all of the "best of" lists they have been mentioned. As if all that was not enough, they also have won a James Beard Award for Excellence. 

We were heading to a soccer match later in the evening, so we were hanging out at our hotel all day, a bit lazy. My good friend Erven and I decided to pick up an early lunch from John's for the gang. We left our place at half past 10 and drove bout fifteen minutes to John's. We hit it at a good time, as we could walk right up to the order window. I had known what I would be having, so it took me no time to get my order in. We waited ten minutes for our sandwiches to be made and were back in the car with what we hoped would be a memorable lunch. 

It's in their name, so I had to start with John's Roast Pork Sandwich ($11.25). Up until that point, I had only had one roast pork sandwich in my life, and that was at Phillie's game a few days earlier. This one was a whole other level than the one at the ballpark. The seeded bun held plenty of roasted pork, spinach, and sharp provolone tightly layered inside. The pork was moist and tender and went perfectly with the spinach and the sharpness of the cheese. I would have liked more au jus added to the sandwich, but I'm very partial to wetter sandwiches. I'm not a roast pork sandwich expert, but I can see why this one is considered the benchmark that others are held up to. It was really that good. 

Even though roast pork was first on their menu, John's is most known these days for their cheesesteaks. I selected their Sweet Pepper Steak ($16.75) to try. The first thing I noticed when I unwrapped this sandwich was its beauty. The seeded roll is from Carangi Bakery and was stuffed masterfully with steak, peppers, and cheese. The sandwich was so well made that there was no spillage of its contents while I ate it. Out of the handful of cheesesteaks I had on this trip, this one from John's had the most cheese. The provolone did not overshadow the meat, which was less chopped than others I have had. It's more in ribbons, which allowed the cheese to cling to the beef better. One heck of a sandwich. 

This would be my last cheesesteak during our short four-day trip to Philadelphia. I'd put this one up with my cheesesteak at Leo's Steaks. Both cheesesteaks are tremendous but different. If you are a big cheese person and like a well-crafted sandwich, John's is the place for you. If you enjoy a massive cheesesteak and where the meat is front and center, then Leo's should be your pick. I really could not pick which one I liked better. They are both incredible, and you'd be lucky to have either of these fine cheesesteaks. The roast pork at John's is fantastic as well and worth trying. Now, if we could just get one of these legends of cheesesteaks to open an outpost in California. 

Out of five tongue depressors (because the first hospital in the US was, of course, situated in Philadelphia in 1751, and I'm sure they used plenty of tongue depressors in all that time), five being best to zero being worst, John's Roast Pork gets 4.5 tongue depressors. 

For more information about John's Roast Pork, head to their website by clicking here: https://johnsroastpork.com/