Rosa’s Pretzel Bakery

I am such a space cadet. I have lived in the area for twenty five years and I was literally thinking I wish we had a deli in the area. I’ve eaten a great and seriously affordable lunch there for years, mostly when i was doing construction work. Which means that their hoagies are not only filling, but had me coming back daily.
Today, I’m in a rush to get food for a friend on a tight schedule and Rosa’s sprang to mind. I’m taking the time to write this quick note, as this is as usual for me, way over due. Sometimes we forget that there are reasons that places stay open for decades. You can say it’s because there were few options, or whatever.
Well, years ago, across the street from the Big M, there was a KFC and some fast food fish chain. They failed. So, if places with money to back up ineptitude can succeed elsewhere with their crap food and fail here, that should give you pause for thought.
I love that we have so many choices and I hate how often that the ones who were here through thick and thin are now suffering because of the competition. So, do yourselves a favour. Get one of their hoagies, or a fresh kebab, pretzel or just pop in for some small bag of penny candy. You will, however, have to wait until next year to try the amazing coconit and other ices they have there.
Hopefully, we can show them the love they deserve. After all, they could just sell the building and hey, wouldn’t you rather have a deli than more condos, church additions (yes, I said that) or high priced place people drive here to experience? Support the neighbourhood and have some great food served by seriously sweet and kind people.
Now, I’m off to get some hoagies and see some old friends.

Let’s just get something straight… They make great hoagies. the best in this area of the city. The roll is average but the meat is what makes this hoagie so good. They sell Freda Lunchmeat which is easily the best lunchmeat I have ever eaten. It used to be produced in South Philly on Front St. off of Washington. It is what my grandfather used to get me when I was a kid. They have the best of everything you could put in a hoagie. Rosa’s is one of the few remaining places in Philly that still carries it. People’s food judgment is so manipulated with advertising these days. You see Deitz and Watson, Boarshead, and all other types of garbage in all the remaining delis in the city because they are super huge companies and can spend the money on advertising. Not to mention Wawa and supermarkets killing the deli industry as a whole anyway. If you want good tasting, classic deli style. look no further then Rosa’s. I stop there every time I go to the record store on the next block.

A pretzel bakery of my favorite year, yester.
This place has been open for 30+ years in the same location. The owners and staff are very friendly. They once focused on baking pretzels but have recently outsourced that and started focusing on turning the business into Rosa’s Deli.
They make terrific, reasonably priced hoagie. They also sell water ice, candy, snacks, sodas, etc…