Philadelphia | What I Ate in 3 Days at Reading Terminal Market 🍽️

If you’re visiting Philly, Reading Terminal Market is a must-visit spot! 🏙️ During weekday lunch hours, all the popular stalls had long lines. Many customers were office workers and students from nearby—definitely a good sign when locals love it! 😋 (Heads up: It closes at 6 PM! ⏰) Over three days, I tried three Philly steak spots, one sandwich shop, and one ice cream place. 🥖 Philly Steak One of Philly’s most famous foods: a beef sandwich, especially the cheesesteak! A long roll is toasted and filled with thinly sliced grilled beef, melted cheese, and toppings (onions are usually default; extras cost extra). No extra sauces, but the portions are huge—we shared one between two people. Here’s my personal ranking of the three cheesesteak spots: By George > Uncle Gus’ Steaks > Down Home Diner ✨ By George (Closed on Sundays 🚫) The flavor was my favorite—the beef was well-marinated, rich, and not overly salty or greasy. Several cheese options available. Downside: The bread wasn’t as good as Uncle Gus’, with fewer sesame seeds. 👌🏻 Uncle Gus' Steaks The best bread among the three! Toasted with sesame seeds, it was super fragrant. Max beef portions, and every slice was coated in cheese (though not stretchy). Flavor was great, but it was extremely salty for us—we felt overwhelmed by the end. 😐 Down Home Diner Located right next to By George. After ordering, you wait in line to pick up your food, but the preparation was too fast—our food sat on the counter for a while, so the meat was only lukewarm when we got it. The beef was lightly seasoned, and the cheese was minimal. We paid extra for peppers and mushrooms, but the overall flavor was still bland. 🥪 Hershel's East Side Deli Came here based on online recommendations. You can choose your bread, meat, and toppings. I picked wheat bread, which turned out to be basic sliced bread—not recommended. It was too small to hold the fillings and got soggy quickly from the sauce. The pastrami beef was tasty with a strong cured flavor. The "everything" toppings were tangy and helped cut through the richness. 🍦 Bassetts Ice Cream Right next to Uncle Gus' Steaks. Tried the S'moreo shake—looked great, tasted okay, but was extremely sweet! It’s ice cream blended with milk, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and Oreos. Every sip made me say: "So sweet!" 😅 #Philadelphia #Philly #FoodGuide #Travel #USA