Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks
51 North 12th Street (Reading Terminal Market)
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 592-7799
Open: Sunday-Saturday 8:00am-6:00pm (when Reading Terminal Market opens)
My review on TripAdvisor:
You can’t come to Philly and not want a cheesesteak. It is the best meal of the day. Those thin little well cooked steaks in a chewy Italian roll with a generous pour of hot Cheese Wiz is one of the best food combinations around. I have to admit I have not tried the other sandwiches (yet) but that then means more trips to Philly to try them.
Carmen’s Cheesesteaks counter just moved across the aisle to a bigger spot and you can still sit at their old one around the counter. It is a place to watch the rest of Reading Market operate. Reading Market is always crowded and you watch the world go by.
The Staff at Carmen’s
I am partial to Carmen’s traditional Cheesesteak ($10.50), which means piled high with slivers of freshly fried thin steaks on the grill and then fried and chopped. They are then placed in a soft chewy hoagie roll, which they will not tell me where in New Jersey they get them and then it is topped with a generous slab of hot Cheese Wiz. You can have it with other cheeses but this is what I like on it. I prefer no onions or peppers on mine.
After it is cut and served, it is the best taste. The caramelized beef and the molten cheese just melts in your mouth and you don’t want to stop biting into it until you are done. It has the best combinations of rich flavors.
Cheesesteak with Wiz
The service is always friendly and welcoming and I have seen the same people working there over the last few years. You don’t have to go through the nonsense of ordering the way you would at Geno’s or Pat’s, where they give you a strange look when you don’t know how to order correctly.
Like the woman at the counter said to me, “We don’t play those games with the customers.” That showed me the customer service that any out-of- towner would appreciate.
When I went there for lunch recently the guy working the counter was so happy that I came down all the way from Jersey to have his sandwiches. I told him that I make a special trip at least two times a year to have his food because we do not get these in New York City or New Jersey the way they make them. That made him very happy!
Don’t miss Carmen’s when visiting Reading Market in Downtown Philadelphia, PA. It is a taste of heaven for you traditionalists.
Still the best!
Dining on a Shoestring in the New York City area and beyond. 