Reading Terminal Sandwich Roundup

Welcome back dear seekers of DANGER!

This week’s entry wraps up my trip to my hometown of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia has far too many spectacular eateries to visit in one week, so I will have to visit even more on my next trip home. Sadly I was not able to review any cheesesteaks from my favorite places or even try the cult famous Schmidtter (next time, sandwich!).

Regardless, I chose to tackle a sandwich that was recommended by about 15 people before I even showed up: DiNic’s Roast Pork Sandwich.

I can’t remember the last time I was at the Reading Terminal Market, but it’s been at least a decade. And for whatever reason, it seemed even more packed than I remember it being years ago.

After wading through people to find DiNic’s amid the Christmas Chaos, I was surprised to find a line so long that I waited in line for nearly half an hour. Would it be worth the wait?

I ordered the roast pork on an italian roll with sweet peppers and provolone. The roll was fresh, soft, and delicious with an amazing golden color. When I bit into the sandwich, the roll had just the right amount of give so that it wasn’t too mushy or tough. Just right for this sandwich.

The provolone cheese was placed on the roll itself, underneath the pork. Normally, I prefer it to be on top of the sandwich, so that the cheese can melt down into the sandwich, but the pork was just hot enough when added to create a gooey layer of cheese along the roll.

The pork is roasted in a gravy throughout the day, and was very tender from the hours of marinating and cooking. As tender and juicy as the roast pork was, I expected a slightly stronger taste. Something that screamed “I’m marinated for hours and full of flavor” but my expectations were not met.

Did the pork taste well? Yes. Was it as overflowing with flavor as I would have liked it? Not quite.

The strong taste of the provolone and the roasted sweet peppers produced a smoky and then sweet taste to the sandwich, but definitely overpowered the taste of the pork. If I hadn’t taken a slice off of the sandwich, I wouldn’t have been able to sample the true roast pork flavor. It was great, I just wish it had been more prominent.

Overall, I enjoyed the Roast Pork Sandwich at DiNic’s. I think it’s worth a try, and I’d definitely give it another shot because maybe I just came on an off day. I’m just not so sure I’d wait another half hour for the sandwich next time.

Roast Pork Sandwich
*** 1/2 Stars
DiNic’s Oven Roasted Beef and Pork
Reading Terminal Market
51 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA