There are a lot of places in South Philadelphia that will sell you a cheesesteak, but Cosmi's Deli has been doing it since 1932. It sits at 1501 S 8th St., and the history is part of the draw: Mike Seccia bought the business from his father in early 2007, but it was his great-uncle, Cosmi Quattrone, who opened the doors in the first place. Over the years it has picked up some hardware, too, including two wins in Philly Magazine's Best Cheesesteaks run from 2004 to 2008 and a nod for Philly's Best Hoagies. One thing to know before you go: there's no seating. This is a grab-and-go spot, so you order at the counter and take it elsewhere.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Philadelphia and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The cheesesteaks are the obvious place to start, made with lean ribeye. You can keep it simple with a plain steak or a cheesesteak with your choice of cheese, or go for something with more going on, like the Pizza Steak, the Trio, the Diavolo, the Verdi, or the Godfather. If you'd rather have chicken, the real chicken cheesesteaks are made with boneless, skinless organic chicken breast. Prices run from $13.95 to $15.95, with small and large versions on some items.
The chicken cutlets are the other big draw here, cut, cleaned, and breaded in-house. The Chicken Cutlet Lagasse loads prosciutto, long hots, sharp provolone, and broccoli rabe onto a seeded roll from Carangi Baking Company, a South Philly bakery that's been making its rolls since 1996. There's also the Big Dom, which benefits the Eagles Autism Foundation, the organization championed by Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie. Cutlets run from $11.95 to $16.95, and the hoagies, from the Italian Di Lusso to the Prosciutto & Provolone, sit in that same $11.95 to $16.95 range.
If you aren't in the mood for a sandwich, the 8th Street Salad is the one people talk about — mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, black olives, mozzarella, cucumbers, and croutons — with Caesar, Chef, Caprese and organic options alongside it, priced between $11.95 and $13.95. The menu goes a lot further than that, with meatball and roast pork sandwiches, a Vegan Tuscany that sells well, soup of the day, buffalo wings (6 for $9.95 up to 24 for $29.95), gourmet burgers, and breakfast sandwiches served all day from $6.50 to $11.95. Fries and tots run $5.95 to $14.95 depending on size, and desserts are $3.95 to $6.95.
It's the kind of place that leans on its reputation as a reliable neighborhood spot, and the reviews back it up, with people pointing to the fresh ingredients, the friendly service, and the size of the portions. It's open Monday through Sunday, 10 AM to 9 PM, with some sources noting Sunday hours of 11 AM to 8 PM, and you can order ahead online if you'd rather not wait. For a family-run deli that's been on the same block since the thirties, it's a South Philly landmark that has stayed true to the basics.
