The history of both sandwiches and beer can be traced back thousands of years. So it’s no wonder, that the two are the perfect match for a hearty and flavorful meal. The Foodery, a long time institution in Philadelphia, offers many choices in both departments in their Northern Liberties store.

Upon entering, you’ll find yourself both overwhelmed and delighted by the selection of over 800 beers. When you’ve gathered yourself, you’ll notice the deli tucked into a tiny corner decorated with Boars Head meats. We sat down with Foodery employee Andrew Rubenstein to taste two of their best selling sandwiches and pair them with some exciting new brews.

The Son of Diablo is a spicy beast of a sandwich, smoked turkey with bacon and a fiery chipotle sauce between toasted sourdough from Baker Street Bread Co. To compliment the bold flavors we chose Great Divide’s 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA. The beer’s malty, bready notes lead way to a sweet toffee finish with a notable nip of hops, that helps to extinguish the Diablo’s flames.

The Foodery allows customers to build sandwiches to their liking, and very often these creations show up on the menu as specials. One such special is the OMG Turkey with fresh mozzarella, avocado, roasted red peppers, and sundried tomato pesto on multi-grain. For this fresh and light sandwich, we went with Pretty Things Baby Tree, a Belgian quadruple style beer infused with dried plums. Despite being a dark, high alcohol content brew, Baby Tree is a summer seasonal with a crisp, fruity bite and smooth finish. This beer works well to accentuate the avocado and roasted red pepper in the sandwich, as well as add a dimension to the multi-grain bread.

Although The Foodery’s deli gladly accepts call in orders, we recommend coming in, placing an order and taking your time browsing the beer. As the only store in Philadelphia with such a wide selection, and the ability to mix and match a six pack (and receive a discount) The Foodery is a great spot to fill our never ending need for sandwiches and beer.

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The Foodery
837 N 2nd Street – Philadelphia, PA 19123 (Google Map)

The wait at night for a table in the dimly lit Royal Tavern may turn away many, but for those who do stick around, a wealth of sandwiches awaits them. Hailed as having one of the best burgers in Philadelphia by several publications over the past few years, I was ashamed that I hadn’t made it out to Bella Vista sooner.

The Angus Burger is mesmerizing on paper: bacon, caramelized onions, smoked gouda, pickled longhots and chile mayonnaise on a sesame seed brioche bun but it isn’t until it is delivered to your table that your jaw truly drops. The thick hand-formed Angus is small in diameter but makes up for it in girth, incredibly tender and flavorful. The sweet gouda is complimented by the smokiness of two enormous slices of bacon and the slightly muted spice of the blackened longhots greatly enhances the meat while not masking it. It is too often that I encounter burgers adorned with adventurous toppings that overpower and steal the spotlight from the beef. The bun from Baker Street Bread is bulbous and baked to perfection, just slightly toasted by the Royal staff. If I had to pick five of the top burgers in Philadelphia right now, I couldn’t tell you exactly where it ranks, but this would certainly be on there.

Although Royal’s burger has received all of the press, it truly isn’t their signature sandwich. Ask any carnivore who frequents the restaurant to suggest a must have item and they will most likely point you towards the Meatloaf Sandwich (I hear the vegan offerings are incredible too). The thick cut slab of slow baked, marinated meat tastes exactly how I’d imagine my mom’s would, but unfortunately she doesn’t cook. As with the burger, the sandwich is kicked up another notch, topped off with provolone, caramelized onions, bacon and porcini mushroom ketchup. Piled on a giant ciabatta roll, you might want to share this one with a friend.

Don’t make the same mistake as me and hold out on Royal Tavern. Get over there and let us know what you think in the comments!

Get your sandwich on:

Royal Tavern
937 East Passyunk Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)