John's Roast Pork — Restaurant in Philadelphia

There are many many many places to get a cheesesteak in Philadelphia. It can be overwhelming figuring out where to go and what to try. I’ve personally been to many but one specific place that kept coming up time and time again when talking with others and looking at reviews online continued to elude me. Perhaps it is because of the hours, location, who knows…but finally that drought comes to an end. Finally, I got to taste the cheesesteak (and roast pork sandwich) at John’s Roast Pork!

So first of all, this place has won a James Beard award. For anyone living under a rock, that’s a big deal…especially for a sandwich shop. If I wasn’t already going to be trying the roast pork, I certainly was after finding out about that. This little shop does a very large amount of business and is run by a family man who cares about his customers nearly as much as he cares about the product he is sending out. I’ve had the chance to speak with John a bit and he is a great guy.

So, for a cheesesteak I am steadfast in what I want, and I order it the same every single time. Give me a steak with fried onions and American cheese. I don’t care about cheese whiz…I don’t care if you think it’s better with provolone…I don’t care about mushrooms or any other toppings…I don’t want condiments. If your steak needs a condiment, it isn’t good enough. There, I said it.

This cheesesteak is massive. This is easily a two-meal sandwich. The bread is firm and does a great job standing up to all of the meat and cheese it’s holding. The meat is seasoned very well and has great flavor as well as texture. My issue with half the steak places in Philly is the texture of the meat is not very good. Plenty of cheese also, I mean plenty. Very juicy steak, I couldn’t possibly say more about this thing except that it was fantastic.

The Roast Pork though...wow. I have had the roast pork at Tony Luke’s and I’ve had the roast pork at Dinic’s…this is a step above. Same excellent bread as the cheesesteak and it would have to be because the amount of juiciness coming out of this sandwich is insane. The sharp provolone adds a different dimension to the sandwich and the veggies were cooked and seasoned perfectly. These flavors blended together are honestly indescribable. Just excellent.

I think for the two sandwiches I paid around $25 but when you take into account that it was enough meat for 4 meals, the cost is honestly totally fair. I’d pay $12 for that cheesesteak any day of the week…except Sunday or Monday right now because they’re closed those days. Also make sure to check the hours because they close fairly early most nights. I think this has more to do with them being a family run and oriented business than anything, just don’t expect to get your late-night fix here.

John’s Roast Pork receives a resounding, emphatic, and...

Located in south Philly, John’s Roast Pork has been a Philadelphia institution for the past 20 years. Established in 1930, this family-run restaurant is currently run by John Bucci Jr., the third generation owner. This restaurant is old school, only taking cash, and has strange hours so make sure it’s open before making the drive. During COVID-19, customers have to call in advance to place their order. Because the restaurant is so famous, recognized by the James Beard Foundation in 2006 as an “American Classic,” the process of calling to place your order is very hectic. Most of the time, they do not pick up their phone as the line is always busy. It can take over 20 attempts to finally reach a worker to place your order, but luckily, the hassle is worth it.

Although Roast Pork is in their name, they are just as famous for their cheesesteaks as they are for their roast pork sandwiches. I ordered their roast pork sandwich with spinach and sharp cheddar and their cheesesteak with white american cheese, the way John Bucci Jr. recommends. Firstly, both sandwiches were extremely fresh and were ready exactly at my assigned pick up time. For the roast pork, the sandwich was stuffed to the brim with surprisingly juicy and flavorful meat. I expected it to be much drier than it was. The sharp cheddar added a nice kick to the sandwich, and the spinach cut the fat of the meat well. The sesame seed was also excellent as the seeds provided a change to the otherwise monotonous texture of both sandwiches. Overall, this sandwich is quite excellent and really surprised me by how good it was. I personally believe it is worth the hype.

Now let’s talk cheesesteak! This sandwich is jam packed with steak, onions, and cheese. There must have been at least five slices of cheese which is great for cheese lovers, but I personally think there was too much cheese. Although there is a lot of fried onions, they provide a nice sweetness that improves the overall flavor of the cheesesteak. This sandwich is really delicious, but compared to other Philadelphia cheesesteaks, it is on the heavier side. While the sandwich is quite good and is definitely a must try if you go on a cheesesteak tour, I much prefer the roast pork sandwich.

In conclusion, John’s Roast Pork is a must try spot for any food lover visiting Philadelphia. If you go during the pandemic, the ordering process is a bit stressful and confusing, so I would recommend calling early and often until you reach the staff and place your order. Don’t give up on calling them (as I almost did after many attempts) because the food and overall experience is worth...

Ok so just got home from my 2nd chance redemption review at John's Roast Pork. John took care of me directly so the service was infinitely better. Got an american wit. For you non Philly speaking people that is a cheesesteak with american cheese and fried onions 😉 The american cheese was much more mild of a flavor than the sharp provolone recommended last time and blended in perfectly with all other flavors. The fried onions were cooked perfectly, the steak was seasoned well, and the seeded roll had the texture and taste like it was lightly toasted so the flavor of the sesame seeds were more enhanced. Jumping from a 3 experience last time to a 9.5 this time. Easily THE BEST cheesesteak I've ever had and I've had some really great cheesesteaks. Got to hang out with John and his puppies in the headquarters afterwards 😁☝️ The first time I ordered there I called the 40 minutes ahead that was needed and asked for wiz. They didn't have wiz so I said whatever you recommend is fine. She recommended the sharp provolone. BIG MISTAKE. I got there 15 minutes early. No big deal. My order was supposed to be ready at 2:45 so nobody was in line and I asked the girl up front if my order was ready at 2:40. She responded "let me check". Now 20 minutes go by at this time and people are walking up and picking up food. It's now 3pm, 20 minutes after I asked her if my food was ready and 15 minutes after my food was supposed to be done, and I walked up and asked her again if my food is done and she reaches over and grabs it. I don't know how long it was sitting there for because she didn't call to notify me it was done or announce it over the speaker. The sharp provolone was overpowering every other flavor so all I could taste was the cheese, the steak was flavorless, the unseeded roll was the best part of the sandwich. Expectations were so high and the disappointment was so low. If it had a different cheese it might have been better but the service up front...