Unearth The Voyage
Pennsylvania has a long and proud tradition of delis that do things the hard way, and we mean that as the highest compliment. These are places where corned beef gets cured for days, pierogies are pinched by hand, and the recipes on the wall are older than most of us. No shortcuts, no gimmicks, just generations of families showing up before dawn to make sure everything is done right. From the Jewish delis of the Main Line to a Polish smokehouse in Port Richmond and a Lancaster County meat counter that has been smoking hams since 1920, this list covers the full, delicious spectrum of old-fashioned deli culture across the state.
Whether you grew up eating at one of these spots or are discovering them for the first time, each one has a story worth tasting. Here are 12 Pennsylvania delis that still make everything the old-fashioned way.
1. Koch’s Deli, Philadelphia
Started in 1966 by Sidney and Frances Koch as a small takeout shop near a West Philadelphia college campus, this deli has built a reputation on sandwiches so tall they practically require a game plan before you eat them. The current location at 4309 Locust Street keeps that same unpretentious, no-fuss energy alive.
The Jewish Hoagie is the menu’s crown jewel, packing corned beef, pastrami, a house-exclusive spiced beef, kosher salami, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickled banana peppers onto a single Amoroso roll. The Restaurant School Special adds brisket and turkey to the mix, topped with coleslaw and Russian dressing.
After a 2024 renovation, Koch’s expanded to include vegan and vegetarian options alongside the classics, a thoughtful move that keeps the deli relevant without abandoning its roots. Staff are known for double-checking orders and greeting regulars by name, a small detail that says everything about how this place operates.
2. Hymie’s Delicatessen, Merion Station
Three generations of the Barson family have kept Hymie’s Delicatessen running for over 85 years at 342 Montgomery Avenue, and the deli shows no signs of slowing down. Originally opened in 1951 by Herman Nuremberg, the place changed hands twice before Sam Barson took over in the late 1970s, building it into the Main Line institution it is today.
The house-made corned beef and pastrami Reuben is the headliner, but the menu runs deep. Breakfast is served all day, covering everything from lox platters to hearty omelets and challah French toast. The Shlemiel, a turkey sandwich with coleslaw and Russian dressing, has its own loyal fan base.
One feature that sets Hymie’s apart from most delis anywhere is the pickle bar, a rotating selection of varieties, flavors, and sizes that turns a simple condiment into an event. Everything from the meats to the salads is made in-house, a commitment that has defined this deli from day one.
3. Murray’s Delicatessen, Bala Cynwyd
Murray’s Delicatessen sits less than a block from its longtime rival Hymie’s, and locals have been debating the better Reuben for decades. Located at 285 Montgomery Avenue, this Bala Cynwyd fixture relocated from the old Wynnefield Jewish community years ago and has kept its classic character ever since, right down to the neon sign and brown vinyl seats.
The corned beef here is sliced cold and paper-thin, a distinctly Philadelphia approach, and the sandwiches routinely reach a full three inches thick. The Murray’s Special layers corned beef, coleslaw, and Russian dressing, while the Murray’s Delight goes hot with pastrami, melted Swiss, and sauerkraut. A barrel of pickles adds to the old-school charm.
The full menu covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with standouts like challah French toast, matzo ball soup, and grilled jumbo knockwurst. The Wakim family, who purchased Murray’s in 2008, has preserved the deli’s timeless feel without stripping away a single crooked mirror from its walls.
4. Schlesinger’s Delicatessen, Philadelphia
Allan Domb opened Schlesinger’s in 2010 at 1521 Locust Street to honor a family tradition that goes back nearly a century, to his grandfather Joseph Schlesinger’s luncheonette in New Jersey. The recipes on the menu, including Molly Schlesinger’s potato latkes and slow-cooked brisket, are the real thing, passed down through the family and prepared fresh each day.
Sandwiches here regularly exceed eight ounces of house-smoked meat, and options like the Jules Reuben and the Doris Reuben give regulars plenty of reasons to keep returning. The Zelenskyy sandwich, a charitable creation stacked with fourteen ounces each of corned beef and pastrami, became a notable talking point far beyond Philadelphia.
The all-you-can-eat pickle bar, offered free for dine-in guests, is a beloved feature alongside cucumber salad, potato salad, and sauerkraut. An in-house bakery handles fresh knishes, breads, and oversized black and white cookies daily, while the matzo ball soup is made from chicken stock with fresh dill and floater dumplings.
5. Famous 4th Street Delicatessen, Philadelphia
A Michelin Bib Gourmand and a century of loyal customers are just two reasons why this Queen Village landmark has earned its place in Philadelphia food history. Founded in 1923 and still family-owned, Famous 4th Street Delicatessen has welcomed presidents, celebrities, and everyday food lovers for over 100 years.
The original black-and-white tiled floor and walls packed with decades of photographs set the tone before you even order. Their corned beef is pickled using a generations-old spice blend, and the pastrami is house-smoked using time-tested methods that have never changed.
The sandwiches are famously towering, hand-sliced, and generously portioned. The in-house bakery turns out fresh challah, rugelach, and their celebrated black and white cookies every single day. Classic Dr. Brown’s sodas round out a meal that connects every diner to a living, breathing culinary tradition that few places in America can match.
6. S. Clyde Weaver, Lancaster
Back in 1920, S. Clyde and Emma Weaver started selling smoked meats from their family home at the Lancaster City Northern Market. More than a century later, the third and fourth generations of the Weaver family are still running the operation, still using many of the original smoking methods, and still earning loyal customers who drive hours for their products.
Their hardwood-smoked meats are the main attraction, covering everything from four varieties of bacon voted best in Pennsylvania to Lebanon bologna, sweet bologna, and a thin-sliced smoked dried beef that goes through a two-week smoking process. The cheese counter is equally serious, featuring Canadian Cheddar aged up to ten years and sold as Super Sharp Canadian Cheddar.
The Lititz Pike store also carries shoo-fly pie, whoopie pies, sand tart cookies, barrel-cured sauerkraut, and hand-rolled hard pretzels, making it a full Pennsylvania Dutch experience. Made-to-order subs, egg sandwiches, and creamed dried beef round out a menu that is deeply rooted in Lancaster County tradition.
7. Carl Venezia Fresh Meats & Deli, Reading
Since 1958, the Venezia family has operated one of the most trusted butcher shops in the area, a place where the counter staff know their cuts and take pride in every order. Carl Venezia Jr., known to everyone as Butch, has kept that standard alive for over six decades, earning a loyal following that keeps coming back for the quality and the personal service.
The shop carries an impressive range of fresh meats, including prime rib, picanha, short ribs, brisket short rib burgers, and a full selection of pork and poultry. Italian specialties are part of the identity here, with sausage and prepared items reflecting a rich culinary heritage that goes beyond basic butchery.
Grab-and-go options like arancini and beef bacon make the stop worthwhile even on busy days. Freezer packages, which include assortments of ground beef, chicken, veal, and more, can be ordered in advance for larger households. The shop runs Monday through Saturday, offering reliable hours and the kind of attentive service that is genuinely hard to find anywhere else.
8. Altomonte’s Italian Market & Delicatessen, Doylestown
When Italian immigrants Mike and Frances Grispino opened their first butcher shop in Philadelphia in 1971, they started importing Italian specialties that simply could not be found anywhere in the United States at the time. The Doylestown location, a sprawling 19,000-square-foot market built inside a former car dealership, is the fullest expression of that original vision.
The deli counter alone stocks over 100 meats and 150 cheeses, most imported directly from Italy, and everything is sliced fresh to order. The Italian Chicken Cutlet sandwich, built with aged sharp provolone and roasted red peppers, and the La Maria, featuring house-roasted turkey breast, are two standout reasons the sandwich line moves quickly at lunch.
Beyond the counter, shoppers find house-made sauces, strombolis, frozen pizzas, and heat-and-serve entrees like chicken marsala. The in-house bakery handles fresh bread, rolls, tomato pie, and Italian pastries daily. A wine bar in the Doylestown location lets visitors sample pours alongside their grocery selections, an uncommon touch for a deli of any kind.
9. Talluto’s Authentic Italian Food, Philadelphia
Joseph Talluto sold his family home in 1967 to buy a ravioli machine, which is either the most impractical financial decision imaginable or the best one, depending on how you feel about fresh pasta. Decades later, his gamble looks like genius. Talluto’s now operates three locations across greater Philadelphia, with the flagship at 944 South 9th Street in the Italian Market cutting fresh pasta every single day.
The pasta catalog runs to over 90 varieties, covering everything from flat-cut linguine and pappardelle to stuffed shells, gnocchi, and cavatelli. Ravioli is the signature product, available in fillings that range from classic whole milk ricotta to lobster, butternut squash, and grilled vegetable, all made without preservatives or fillers.
Fresh mozzarella and handmade burrata are produced in-house daily, and a full lineup of house-made sauces includes slow-cooked tomato, arrabbiata, Alfredo, and rose. Products are available fresh, frozen, or ready-to-eat, and the shop ships nationwide, bringing a genuine Italian Market tradition directly to doorsteps across the country.
10. Rieker’s Prime Meats, Philadelphia
Walter Rieker started his butcher apprenticeship in Germany at age thirteen, immigrated to America in 1956, and eventually opened his own shop in Philadelphia in 1970. That backstory matters because everything at Rieker’s Prime Meats at 7979 Oxford Avenue in Fox Chase flows directly from those German roots, with recipes and techniques that Marcus Rieker, the third generation, has kept completely intact.
The sausage selection is extraordinary by any standard, covering Muenchner bratwurst, bockwurst, Landjager, pfefferwurst, old-fashioned knackwurst, and smoked Hungarian bratwurst, among many others. Their dry-cured, heavily smoked bacon and house-smoked tenderloin are regulars on the list of reasons people travel from well outside the neighborhood to stock their freezers.
Prepared foods like German potato salad, Wiener Schnitzel, and rouladen give the shop a full-service deli dimension that goes beyond a standard butcher. Imported German groceries, including gravies, dried spaetzle, and specialty breads, line the shelves. The staff offers detailed preparation advice and product explanations, which is part of why customer loyalty here runs particularly deep.
11. Czerw’s Kielbasa (Kielbasy Boys), Philadelphia
Jan Czerw started making kielbasa in his basement for neighbors in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, and demand grew fast enough that he eventually converted a horse stable on Tilton Street into a full smokehouse. That was 1938. The brick ovens Jan built are still standing and still smoking kielbasa today, which tells you everything about how this family operates.
Czerw’s uses exclusively tender pork butts, smokes everything in those original brick ovens with seasoned natural fruit woods, and adds zero fillers, artificial color, or water to any product. Varieties include traditional fresh and smoked, extra garlic, spicy cajun, and turkey kielbasa, each made from the same recipes used for over seven decades.
The handmade pierogies are a serious secondary attraction, available in fillings that include Philly cheesesteak, bacon and cheddar, buffalo chicken, and loaded potato. Golabki, Bigos, and kabanosa round out a menu of Polish specialties that few shops anywhere can match. Holiday lines stretch down the block, a reliable annual sign of how much this neighborhood values what the Czerw family makes.
12. Claudio Specialty Foods, Philadelphia
Since the 1950s, Claudio Specialty Foods has operated out of the Philadelphia Italian Market as one of the most respected Italian cheese and import shops in the entire region. Founded by Claudio and Salvatrice Auriemma, the shop at 924-26 South 9th Street is now run by the second and third generations of the family, who have maintained the same standards of sourcing and quality that built the original reputation.
Hanging logs of aged provolone are a visual signature of the store, and the cheese counter stocks over 150 varieties, with particular pride taken in the imported semi-hard extra-aged provolone aged a minimum of 22 months. Fresh mozzarella and whole milk ricotta are made in-house, and hand-selected Parmigiano Reggiano aged at least 22 months is a regular fixture.
The grocery shelves carry over 150 varieties of imported durum wheat pasta, San Marzano tomatoes, premium olive oils, and aged balsamic vinegars from Modena. Italian specialty meats including prosciutto, soppressata, pancetta, and mortadella complete the picture. Staff routinely offer samples and pairing suggestions, turning a quick shopping trip into a genuine education in Italian food.
