‹ Food weekends by train · The Philadelphia food guide
From New York · Two days · No car
Philadelphia, roast pork to barbacoa
Eighty minutes from Penn Station to a city that eats better than its reputation: the roast pork at Reading Terminal, the hardest table in town on Saturday night, and a weekend-only barbacoa breakfast on Sunday.
Amtrak · Moynihan Train Hall, Penn Station to 30th Street Station
Several trains an hour on the Northeast Regional and Acela. The cheap way is NJ Transit to Trenton, then SEPTA: about 2 hours. From 30th Street, Reading Terminal is a 25-minute walk down Market Street, or two stops on the Market-Frankford line.
Israeli · Society Hill · Saturday evening
Tables go out four weeks ahead to the day, at 11am, on OpenTable. The bar is kept for walk-ins.
Saturday, Nov 14Day 1 of 2
1
Reading Terminal Market
Get: Roast pork with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone at Tommy DiNic's, then walk the aisles.
The city's great market since 1893, a straight walk from the train. Come hungry, and come early on a Saturday: by noon the DiNic's line is long.
Open every day. Some of the Pennsylvania Dutch stands close on Sundays, so Saturday is the day.
Photo: Bruce Andersen, CC BY-SA 3.0.
2A photo like it
Zahav
Get: The tasting menu: laffa, hummus and salatim, and the pomegranate lamb shoulder.
Michael Solomonov's Israeli restaurant is still the hardest table in Philadelphia, and it's open Tuesday to Saturday, so Saturday is your night.
Tables go out four weeks ahead to the day, at 11am, on OpenTable. The bar is kept for walk-ins.
Photo like it: Personal Creations, CC BY 2.0.
Sunday, Nov 15Day 2 of 2
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South Philly Barbacoa
Get: Lamb barbacoa tacos and a cup of the consommé.
Cristina Martinez's barbacoa is the city's most famous breakfast, and it's a weekend thing. It goes until the lamb runs out, usually around midday.
Walk in early. Hours change, so check their Instagram the night before.
Photo like it: DarkNight0917, CC BY-SA 4.0.
4
9th Street Italian Market
Get: Sharp provolone and sausage from the old Italian shops, and the taco and Southeast Asian stands that keep the street young.
America's oldest working outdoor market, a few blocks from the barbacoa. Sunday mornings are busy and some shops close early.
Walk it from Christian Street south.
Photo: N Giovannucci, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Isgro Pastries
Get: Cannoli filled to order, and a box of ricotta cookies for the train home.
A century-old South Philly bakery one block off the market, and the right last stop.
Walk in.
Photo like it: Daderot, CC0.
Plan this trip
Chef puts the whole weekend in your Trips, every stop on its day, and fills the gaps from what you love. Then you can send it to whoever's coming. Free, no password.
On the map
The star is 30th Street Station. Pins are numbered like the stops; red is the table to book.
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Good to know
How do you get to Philadelphia from New York by train?
Amtrak from Moynihan Train Hall, Penn Station to 30th Street Station, about 1 hr 20 min. Several trains an hour on the Northeast Regional and Acela. The cheap way is NJ Transit to Trenton, then SEPTA: about 2 hours.
What is the one restaurant to book for a food weekend in Philadelphia?
Zahav: Michael Solomonov's Israeli restaurant is still the hardest table in Philadelphia, and it's open Tuesday to Saturday, so Saturday is your night. Tables go out four weeks ahead to the day, at 11am, on OpenTable. The bar is kept for walk-ins.
Which market should you go to in Philadelphia?
Reading Terminal Market (12th & Arch Streets): Open every day. Some of the Pennsylvania Dutch stands close on Sundays, so Saturday is the day. 9th Street Italian Market (South 9th Street): Walk it from Christian Street south.
Do you need a car?
Is Philadelphia a good food weekend from New York? Yes: 80 minutes on Amtrak. Book Zahav four weeks ahead at 11am on OpenTable, eat at Reading Terminal Market on Saturday and South Philly Barbacoa on Sunday morning.
Every place checked open on November 4, 2026. Train times, fares, hours and booking windows change: check with the railway and the restaurant when you book. Walk times are straight-line estimates from the station. Photos marked "a photo like it" are of the food, not the place, until we have the place's own. Chef Amazing isn't paid by any railway or restaurant here. Something wrong? hello@chefamazing.com.
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