Paesano's

Had "The Paesano" from Paesano's in Philly yesterday. This is in the Italian market area of South Philly which I love (aside from finding parking) and the people who worked here were all super friendly and helpful. I posted a picture with the ingredients for this one. This had a flavor that I've maybe never tasted before all wrapped in one. I enjoyed how it all played off each other (I could eat pepperoncini on anything and be happy too) and the roll was wonderful. Unfortunately I will say that the brisket was a bit tough, which surprised me. I believe it was cut on the wrong angle but there were multiple bites where I really had to tear at it. Had this brisket been as tender as it should have, I'd put this sandwich up against most sandwiches in the city...and I mean that. Put a properly trimmed and roasted brisket on this one and it's up there with the best roast pork's and cheesesteaks around imoDefinitely Didn't Suck, but did leave room for improvement for sure. Check out video and more content on this spot and many others on my social media pages here - https://linktr.ee/Didnt_Suck

I picked up a roast pork sandwich on my way to the airport. It was HUGE AND TASTY. So big, it took me 2 days to finish it. LOL The staff were nice also. It's a cute venue for dining in. Check it out.

tl;dr the sandwiches at this underrated fast-casual stalwart are enormous and surprisingly sophisticated -- skip out on the "famous" cheesesteak or roast pork joints, and spend all of your money (and appetite) here insteadPaesano's Philly Style has been around the block -- literally and figuratively. Since being awarded Best Sandwich Shop by Philadelphia Magazine back in 2009, Peter McAndrews' sandwich store has bounced around South Philly and Fishtown, before finally into its current, fast-casual-style location in the Italian Market.Apart from the black-and-white penny tile outside the entrance, the covered storefront blends into the surrounding Italian Market block -- when I'm looking for Paesano's, I keep my eyes peeled for Villa di Roma across the street. But the shop's indoor decor is notably chic and funky. The walls are whitewashed, and the finishes are premium, including the ornate lighting fixtures, hardwood tables, and a marble checkout counter. The space is furnished with an off-the-wall mix of old-time photographs, melted wax sculptures, and antique butchery utensils. A curious blend of oldies and Spanish-language music echoes around the room. My partner and I first arrived for an early weekday dinner, and the shop wasn't too busy. Paesano's tongue-in-cheek sandwich lineup is mostly approachable, with occasionally adventurous additions to separate Paesano's from the pack. We opted to split the namesake Paesano's sandwich. The shredded beef brisket was moderately tender, the pepperoncini and horseradish provided a pleasant kick, and the fried egg added another unexpected dimension of flavor. Even though we dined in, our sandwich was wrapped -- as such, the seeded roll was dripping wet with the rich gravy. Nonetheless, I was hooked, and I wanted to go back to Paesano's one final time before leaving Philly.During my second visit, the weekday lunch crowd was equally minimal. My partner and I, armed with heftier appetites, split the Knuckle and the Liveracce. This time, our sandwiches were served on plates, and our Carangi rolls were perfectly crisp. The beef knuckle was broadly reminiscent of a roast pork sandwich, particularly due to the broccoli rabe. That being said, the salami boosted the savory saltiness, while the caper and lemon perfectly cut through the acidity. Meanwhile, the chicken liver was crispy (but quickly lost its texture) and was highlighted by strong, orangey acidity and spicy, tangy peppers.Service was efficient, and each sandwich ran $15-16 (cash only). While the sandwiches are hearty enough to split between 2, they are mouthwatering enough that you'll want your own. As my final meal in Philly, I don't think I could've done much better than Paesano's. It's a shame that this spot doesn't have the same name recognition as Pat's and Geno's just down the block -- Paesano's sandwiches are the ones that I will be craving after I leave the city.

A friend catered her birthday from here. She got three trays of each for 80 people plus other stuff too. The caprese, a vegetarian, roast beef, a turkey, and an Italiano. I ate the Italiano and was so impressed. It was delicious! I could tell the quality of the cheese. The next day I had the turkey. Awesome. Can't recommend this highly enough. Everyone was raving about the sandwiches. I took some leftovers for the drive home :)

This place is one for the books! Saw on the window that they offered gluten free options so I had to check it out for myself. The staff was super friendly and guided me thru the menu on what they can prepare gluten free. I decided on the Fígaro sub and was able to substitute the cheese to vegan mozzarella cheese. The Fígaro consist of Sweet fig marmalade, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, arugula, lemon hazelnut gremolata, and soppressata which was amazing good and the best part was that the gluten free bread did not fall apart, was not dense and it was really good. Have to go back and try something else. Very pleased with Paesanos!

Paesanos has been in several locations, but recently reopened in the Italian market, the perfect place. This is a gourmet sandwich eatery- very beautiful on the inside but has a more casual vibe. You order at the counter, grab your own napkins and cutlery, and someone delivers your sandwich to you. The sandwiches are gourmet, upscale, out of this world. We ordered the giardina, an eggplant/mozz/ artichoke sandwich that was outstanding. We also noted their Sunday, 3 course for $40 special, and can't wait to go back to try!

Fantastic sandwiches and great service! We came in for lunch on a weekday and it was busy. Cash payments give you a discount but they do take card, and there's an ATM inside. We got an anti pasta meatball and two sandwiches. The Paesano (I think it was called? Brisket sandwich) was delicious and mouse but could have used arugula imo. The chicken cutlet special of the day had a fat slice of cheese and vodka sauce and it was sooo good. We were told that the special sandwiches in the winter are a bit heavier than those in the summer. I thought the meatball was really good, tender and not too salty. The sandwich was a little salty. Would definitely come back.

Some of the best sandwiches I've had in Philly. The Figaro and the gustaio are both incredible. Cool space with seating too.

I ordered delivery of their signature sandwich, the Paesano. I had fond memories of eating one maybe 10 years ago, so I wanted to see if it lived up to my memories. It arrived pipping hot and filled with meat. The Paesano consists of beef brisket, horseradish mayo, roasted tomato, pepperoncini, sharp provolone, & a fried egg. The brisket was nice and juicy. The problem is that there was so much brisket that I couldn't taste any of the other ingredients. The cheese and egg was lost. And I wanted more of the horseradish mayo. It was a tasty and very filling sandwich, but didn't quite live up to my memory of it. It's not going to overtake the cheesesteak.

Was craving a roast pork before we headed back to nyc and due to a couple spots being closed we headed over to the Italian Market area. Very glad we ended up here - Roast Pork was great but the real star was the Gustaio - a lamb sausage with a bit of a kick mixed well with the Gorgonzola and cherry mostarda, and the mix of arugula, fennel and well seasoned tomatoes just put it over the top. Love that sandwich, really liked the roast pork. Wishing there was one near me in Manhattan but I plan to tear through the menu in future Philly visits.Also - Aidan was the man!