Shank's Original Uptown

Doesn't Recommend

claytonjones

Joined 6 years ago

They made the right move. No wonder Shank's moved from South Philly to Center City, this place can't even compete with corner stores such as Big Dan's, let alone the heavy hitters like Tony Luke's or John's. I work downtown and tried it on a whim when I was in the mood for a roast pork sandwich today. I can say hands down that it was the worst I've ever had. Let's check off the ways this sandwich failed me. First, the small comes on a kaiser roll, which is not mentioned anywhere on the menu. A roast pork sandwich needs a long roll, end of story. If you want to sell a small, use a smaller roll, but not a KAISER. Not surprisingly the roll fell apart halfway through the sandwich. Second, it was greasy, sloppy, under spiced and lacking in flavor. When the only spice I'm tasting in a roast pork is from the long hots, we have a problem. Third, the long hots cost extra, the broccoli rabe cost extra (neither has the actual price listed on the menu), I didn't get cheese but I'm sure it would have been extra, and the total price of my SMALL roast pork? $10.80. I'm used to paying a premium for decent food downtown, but that is an absolute joke. The greens should be included in the price of a roast pork sandwich, I can understand charging for the peppers on the side, but that price for the quality was preposterous. And fourth, the broccoli rabe, while fresh, was barely cooked and doused in so much olive oil I could hardly taste it. Yes the place has the charm of a legit South Philly establishment, unfortunately it doesn't feature the prices or quality that you'll find there. But I guess that's why they moved uptown in the first place.

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Tara Nurin

Joined 5 years ago

A fixture on the Center City lunch-counter circuit.. The much beloved and ballyhooed Shank’s and Evelyn’s has moved from the South Philly home it’s occupied since 1962 and is now a fixture on the Center City lunch-counter circuit. Shank’s Original Uptown may have “gone uptown” with its new address and new name but at its heart it still remains a cramped regulars-only type of luncheonette where trade workers and jacketed bankers crowd next to one another for a spot at the lone seating counter. Mercifully for its loyal patrons, it still feels like an old-school South Philly joint with its lack of tables; its impossibly narrow footprint designed for lining up, ordering, waiting and eating; and its scribbled dry-erase-board menu of Italian hoagies, chicken cutlet sandwiches and meatball subs. At least some things never change. Even when they do.