Nipotina

If you live in West Passyunk, you should make yourself a regular at Nipotina. This cash-only corner shop—which comes from the team behind Slice and P’unk Burger—makes stacked versions of every kind of Philly sandwich you have a hankering for (cheesesteaks, meatball and sausage, breakfast, cutlets, and vegan substitutions for many of the above). 

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

The ingredients are fresh and the options are (nearly) limitless, but they’re not created equal. Try the Eye, a gooey, meaty ribeye cheesesteak with Cooper Sharp, and the Nipotina, which layers fried red peppers and salami over the crispy, not-at-all-greasy chicken cutlet. The chicken cheesesteaks, however, live on the border of sog city, and you may wait upwards of 45 minutes to receive them (for the smoothest experience, and to pay with a credit card, order online ahead of time). 

If you’re not looking for sandwiches, well, you’re gonna have a tough time in this town. But at least in this shop, you can also get delicious fried sides, an assortment of pickles and peppers from Zayda’s in Mayfair, or choose from a few salads (if you prefer your meats over iceberg). Even a regular needs to change it up once in a while.

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

Food Rundown

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

The Eye

It’s rare that we add a cheesesteak to our “best of” list, but this one went straight to the top. It’s juicy, but the roll never gets soggy. The chopped onions have bite, and work perfectly with the rich, melted Cooper Sharp. You can customize it with about 100 different toppings, and we plan to try them all.

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

The Hippie Chic

We want to like this chicken cheesesteak. It’s the most intriguing thing on the menu—bacon jam and goat cheese?—but packed in with the hot chopped chicken it becomes a melty mess with hard-to-distinguish flavors.

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

The Nipotina

This sandwich is crispy, tangy, and bright. A perfectly fried cutlet is topped with fried red peppers, chewy fried salami, and a chipotle mayo.

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

The Caprese

This crispy chicken cutlet is topped with melted mozzarella, juicy roasted tomatoes, arugula, and balsamic. The textures are all great together, but the combination of the tomatoes and vinegar leaves it all a bit too sweet.