#18 South Street Deli & Grocery - Sam's synopsis

sorry ladies, he's taken

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South Street Deli & Grocery is a college student's dream. But it's also more than that. I say it's a college student's dream because there are shelves of ramen noodles, clear plastic boxes of assorted candies and chocolate covered entities and an icebox full of ice cream (basically, any cheap food item you ate in college, you can find it here). I say it's more than that, because the food items made in house are varied and delicious. You can order breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, french fries and even a home-cooked Dominican meal (which sadly we did not get to partake in - gotta get 'em before 6 pm!) - all pretty good options for such a tiny market.

Where the magic happens

I went with something called the Junkyard Deluxe - which had ham, turkey, and at least two types of cheese - american and cheddar (although my memory may be a little foggy). I also opted for red onions, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, oregano and any other sandwich accoutrement you can think of - except for mustard and mayo because they're gross. Yes, I admit I have weird aversions to a lot of typical food items. Anyways, the sandwich was delicious. Unlike Sandya, I am a big hoagie fan and am always for carbohydrates, especially those of the bread variety. The roll was hearty yet fluffy, and all of the ingredients tasted very fresh, with just the right amount of seasoning from the salt, pepper and oregano. We also ordered some french fries - which were crispy on the outside and also seasoned lightly with salt and pepper - a perfect combination in my mind. There is one lone table outside that we were able to sit and enjoy our meals, otherwise plan to get your food to go.

those awesome-filled shelves

mmm...hoagie...

crispy french fries

The place seems to be a family-run ordeal, and the staff were very friendly (especially the woman making our sandwiches, since we asked what was in just about every sandwich and she politely explained them to us). Like I mentioned, the shelves are packed with college room fodder, but there's also a bit of an eclectic mix of foodstuffs and drinks available. I used to live near a convenience store called Kimey's in Powelton Village, and they had similar offerings - hoagies and cereal, but also asian treats and chocolate peanut butter and strange candies I've never seen before. I think this must be a trend in local, family-run convenience stores in Philadelphia, but it's a trend I can totally get behind.

South Street Deli & Grocery

1739 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 546-1580