The Hungry A

Great breakfast and lunch. Not fancy, just traditional and delicious. And a good value every time. Eggs of all kinds, cheesesteaks and hoagies, grill items all tasty

At the risk of being redundant, I will say I, like others, have driven by this place a thousand times. Probably more than that. I’ve noticed it (you can’t miss the big painted sign on their wall), never even thought to go in. Thanks to my trusted Unilocaler advisors Steven B, Dee M and Steve S, The Reverend Dr. Steak and I went. I am so very glad we did.
This place is like a lunch counter, where you order up front, grab a cold drink from the cooler (or get coffee from them) and go sit either at the 20-​seat rectangular communal table (with stools that spin!) or at a counter facing the wall. All around are boxes of Amoroso’s rolls and other supplies. Amoroso’s rolls IMHO are the best in Philly.
We were greeted so warmly. They asked if this was our first time in, yes it was, so they gave us a rundown of their food — known for their breakfast sandwiches, also known for their french toast, don’t serve pancakes or waffles. Not being a big egg eater, I got the French Toast and the Rev. did as well. I got Scrapple on the flat top, and he got well done bacon. He also got coffee.
We sat, and his coffee came out. It was a little delayed with an explanation and apology because they just got an order for 75 breakfast sandwiches. Wow. We didn’t mind the delay. It was declared «very good» which in Reverend-​ese (he is the king of understatement) means excellent. Our french toast came out a little later, on plates you’d see in someone’s kitchen. I found that charming. The french toast itself is wonderful. They butter it on the grill so it’s so well flavored, firm on the outside and tender but not mushy on the inside. Mmmmmmmmm. Scrapple was my second favorite ever, reminded me of my Mom-Mom’s, which was very good. Bacon was delectable.
Even being very busy with that big order and the diners they had, they were friendly and helpful and made sure we were taken care of. As we paid, we got a full rundown — Closed Sunday, open 6 AM — 5 PM weekdays and 6 AM — 3 PM Saturdays, grill closes 1 hour before they close so the last hour it’s cold sandwiches only. They will serve you lunch or breakfast any time, no problem. I mentioned we would be back when we go visit my mom at St. Peter & Paul Cemetery very close by, and he said, yea, I visit my mom there too. Cool.
This restaurant has been in business 52 years, and it looks old-​style. It was clean, and especially the grill & hood were declared in great shape (The Reverend at one time was a supervisor for a commercial kitchen cleaning company — he is WAY more observant about these things now that he knows what to look for).
Tips: It is cash only, and they price French Toast by the slice. Slices are hearty, I ordered two but was full with one. Tips are in a tip jar, be nice, they work hard.
This is Philly dining, old-​style. You will not find a broccoli rabe and quail egg omelet here, nor will you sit at a cozy two top. Classic Rock on a boom box plays, and yes, there are flats of rolls right behind you and those are wonderful rolls. You will find some genuinely nice people who make damn good food, and you will feel like part of the family when you leave.

Owner and wife run this spot, very small, old-​school spot but service is great. Simple menu, sandwiches, scrapple, french toast, soup etc. No grits or homefries which is a bit dissapointing but I’ll live! Mark seems to know everyone’s name so I guess it’s a lot of regulars. Everyone is friendly! I don’t know how he does it everyday but he is doing a great job! Cash only and very busy on the weekends, well busy all the time so if u r in a rush, call ahead.

Cash only! Are you kidding me? It’s 2015.
$ 5.00 sandwich ends up costing me $ 9.00 after ATM & bank fees.
Food is good but — Gotta get with the times.

I recently went back to the Hungry A on Saturday… I used to stop by all the time when I went to Cardinal O’Hara so I went because I was craving a great sandwich. Not only did I get a wonderful sandwich, Bruce also threw in a muffin (which was out of this world) because he knew I am expecting. The girls are wonderful, his wife is such a sweetheart and to top it all off, the food was perfection. Thank you so much for making me feel at home again after so many years back and I’ll be coming back real soon… the craving for a sausage sweet pepper breakfast sandwich will continue :)

This is a great find for breakfaat, and I’m sure it flies under the radar. I stopped here twice in the last 5 months, the last time being last week. They have an assortment of items on the menu, and are a basic joint. However, the food is prepared very well, they have great customer skills, and the spicy beef sausage… well, let’s good luck not swelling up. It’s that good. Nice job folks

This one is a no brainer. GREAT people making very good food on an old flat top. The breakfast sandwiches are out of this world. I strongly suggest calling ahead as they get backed up in the mornings but the wait is worth it. Bruce and his wife are great people and are running a perfect morning breakfast stop. Btw, pork roll egg and cheese on a kaiser!

Awesome breakfast and awesome service.

I could brainstorm for a lifetime and never conceive of a name like The Hungry A, but the name’s every bit as interesting, nuanced, and endearing as this restaurant/​community hub. Walked in the doors for the first time and quickly forgot about it being a rainy Monday. I ordered a large coffee, a bacon, egg and cheese sesame bagel, and a sesame bagel toasted with butter. I was handed the coffee right away, and it was excellent. The bagels had a snap to them with every delicious bite, and all of the eggs and bacon were freshly made. There are signs of wear and tear about the place, and vintage signs of bygone eras fill up the walls and create an eclectic ambiance. On the way out, I was handed a menu and told to order ahead on Saturdays because it gets really busy. If you are not in a rush, want to sip on a coffee, read the newspaper, chat with a friend, etc., this place is perfect; if not, call ahead, have your cash ready (no credit cards), and prepare to be a regular – I know I will be!

I love a restaurant with personality and this place has it in spades!
This is a family run joint and the owner, Bruce, is incredibly personable. I guarantee he will make you feel welcome. The remainder of the staff is very nice as well.
Just a heads up that the place gets busy, especially on Saturday mornings. You’re going to wait a few minutes for your sandwich but it will be worth it. Order a very good coffee and you can sip while you’re waiting. Note that your first refill is free.
A breakfast sandwich here is so much better that the fast food joints that’s it’s unfair even to compare them. Every order is made from scratch.
The first thing that made me smile is seeing the stack of Amoroso’s boxes. That’s a great start to what will be a fabulous sandwich. BTW– here you can choose a kaiser or a long roll. I highly recommend the long roll. Trust me, I know these things.
All the usual fillings are available and I chose sausage, egg and cheese on that incredible long roll. The have this neat trick of folding the fillings inside the egg so it’s easier to eat without everything spilling out. They do the same thing with the kaiser. Very cool.
This is an OMG, role your eyes and moan kind of sandwich. One bite and you’ll understand why it gets so busy. My sandwich and coffee was $ 7 and change and worth every penny. Cash only.
There are other breakfast options available including omelets and platters but sandwiches are by far the most popular. Both of the big fast food chains are just seconds away but for a breakfast sandwich, they don’t stand a chance with me.

The food was tasty diner style with good value.
We stopped here well visiting colleges and the couple who owned the place were really nice. Bruce was excited to talk to us Californians and I ended up with a free shirt to start advertising Hungry A West.
Overall a great experience!

Pretty solid food here. Cheap prices and enjoyable simple atmosphere are a plus. Not bad. I’ll definitely return.

Best breakfast in the area! Little place with great food. My girlfriend had a mushroom and pepper omelette which was delicious and I had the scrapple and egg big muff which was very satisfying. The cook/​owner was so nice and jovial. He also made us some out of this world sticky buns which he gave to us on the house!(Don’t go in expecting free sticky buns lol)
This is definitely a great place for breakfast ands atmosphere.
We Loved It!

We stopped by on our way from the airport because of reviews on Unilocal.
Everything was delicious and made from scratch.
Do not let the appearance fool you into not trying it out. The owners were extremely attentive and pleasant.
On a side note they do not serve potatoes or pancakes so if that’s your thing then this is not your place.
The French toast I had was out of this world. My wife had egg omelets with Italian sausage and she loved every bite of it.
The place is a bit hard to find because the GPS dumps you in the middle of the highway. Look for the Sproul bowling lanes. They are next to it.

This place is a hidden treasure. It looks like nothing at all, but the food is absolutely tremendous! The breakfast sandwiches are especially worth raving about. SOOOO good and everything is made fresh to order!
There is usually a line on weekends, but they do accept call ahead orders so if you’re getting it to go that might be your best option!
Love the owner too — he seems to remember anyone who has ever walked in the door!

I just went here a SECOND time at 2 pm. They are open until 3, but apparently they close their grill down at 2. How stupid. I am never wasting my time here again.

A fine place for breakfast. The first word that comes to mind is «throwback». Your small town breakfast nook that plays host to a lot of newspaper holding regulars.
1. Cash only. There is a small newsstand next door that has an ATM.
2. Love the awning in the middle of the restaurant that hangs above the larger communal table that runs down the center.
3. Service is always very good. They make sure you have ketchup, hot sauce and everything you need to enjoy your breakfast. Very polite and welcoming.
4. It was great to see an employee in the back slicing fresh tomatoes. Fresh ingredients are always a good sign.
5. Fresh rolls!
6. Always fun to watch the regular customers and staff interact.
7. Very small food prep/​kitchen area. Somewhat fascinating how they get it all done in such a confined area.
8. It did take a little bit longer than expected to receive my order. Most of the customers here though seem to be of the very patient kind.
9. The oldies are played from an old boom box located on the back counter of the restaurant. Pretty sure that I heard the owner singing along as well, he wasn’t bad.
10. All of your traditional breakfast offerings including scrapple, a Philadelphia favorite.

Best coffee around! Owners are awesome. Good food, great service. Has a regular crowd in am, lots of characters. Love to stop in for coffee and pick up breakfast. Lots of people sitting at counters talking. Just great local place.

Really good casual place for breakfast for lunch as long as you don’t mind sitting close to and talking with your fellow diners.
Nice breakfast platters. Lunch is really good too. Fresh, fast and with a smile.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter.
This place has a lot going for it that would make it a favorite of mine automatically. It’s been around close to 50 years, that’s a plus. It’s known for great breakfast sandwiches, that’s another plus. It has a lunch counter feel to it which I just love. In a world where people think places like Panera Bread and Starbucks are great, I will take these family run places any day.
But why is the Hungry A more special than most places? Let me put it to you this way. I wish I could say I’m a regular here, but I’m not. I try to get here every now and then. But my schedule is what it is, and I live in an area where I have a lot of other choices. That’s just me. If I lived in this area of Springfield I’d be more of a regular.
So why do I bring this up? I can say I’ve been here a handful of times in my life. Last time I was here before this week was maybe a year ago, give or take a couple months. But when I walked in this week, I swear the owner greeted me with a «Hi Steve.»
I don’t know how he did it. I don’t know how he remembered based on maybe one conversation we had a while ago. But I was impressed.
But what’s important is the food. And in my book, you just can’t beat fresh eggs off of a grill that’s been in use forever. On top of that, another little thing they do well is when they serve you a sandwich on a bagel, they fold the egg around the bacon and cheese so your sandwich doesn’t fall apart when you eat it. That’s just smarts that you acquire from years of doing it right. Comfort breakfast at it’s best.
I will make it a point to stop here more often. It’s worth a side trip.