Where is Ishkabibble's I? I just looked it up and it's apparently 2 blocks down South Street. Greeeeeat. I say this because I was simultaneously impressed and disappointed with Ishkabibble's II. I was only impressed in the sense that it was better than I expected, but it still wasn't all that great.
We went on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, probably the first really nice weekend in the city in a long time, so the streets were bustling with people. As I waited for Sandya outside, the speakers were blasting current pop music hits (which I don't mind all that much but other people might find annoying. Seems like a lot of restaurants on South Street in this area like to blare their music...). Venturing inside, I noticed that the restaurant was teeming with people, and that you order at the counter, pick up your food, and hope to find a table. Luckily, things move at the right pace that there is the proper ratio of people ordering/eating/leaving that it wasn't difficult to find a table. The inside color scheme is bright pinkish purple and yellow, which is a strange combination to me. Seems a little childish, but this isn't the classiest of places and they know it. I also learned while waiting for my food that ishkabibble is a yiddish/possibly German-originating word that roughly translates to "who cares?" and was used as a stage name for a character on a radio show. Ya learn something new every day I suppose.
For food, I ordered the South Philly Chicken Cheesesteak, which consisted of chicken, spinach, roasted peppers and provolone cheese. Sandya and I also split an order of cheese fries and we both ordered a beverage known as the "Gremlin" - half grape juice and half lemonade. I was underwhelmed by the sandwich - there was too much chicken and the overall flavor was on the bland size. Not enough melted cheese. The bread it was made on was very good though. The cheese fries were a little better. The fries were fine on their own, and the cheese they used was probably melted cheese whiz, but it had that "I know this is terrible for me but I still like it" flavor, as opposed to the "this tastes like plastic and I'm pretty sure it's toxic" flavor. I find that that is a very fine line that bright orange cheeses walk when melted and placed on things. The best part of the meal was the Gremlin, which had the perfect balance of sugar and tart to make it a really refreshing drink. Afterwards, Sandya and I both commented that we didn't feel that great. The food was sitting pretty heavy in my stomach and made me feel rather lethargic. Not a good feeling after such a promising Saturday afternoon.
We will see if the original Ishkabibble's is any different, but this is more of a kitsch place than anything that is somehow still a contender for best cheesesteak (maybe the beef version is better?).
Ishkabibble's II
517 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 922-0494
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