Soup Kitchen Cafe

2146 E Susquehanna Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 427-1680
Website

I have to admit, I had never even heard of the Soup Kitchen Cafe until I unwittingly drove by it recently. I inquired further and heard good things, so it was high time I gave it a whirl. Don't mind the window cleaning in the photo below, it just shows they keep a neat appearance.

The interior is minimalist, with some art, some couches and a few tables in the back. It's a pretty soothing environment, which counts for a lot, especially when you remember that you are in Kensington.

The temperature was in the mid-eighties, so I decided to skip the soup (I am not a big fan of gazpacho either), but I heard good things about the pulled pork sandwich specifically, so my destiny was set. The beer braised, pulled pork is served with a red cabbage slaw, apple slaw and a jalapeno aioli, which sounded like a winning combination. Thankfully it was.

The pork was juicy, succulent, and had just the right amount of salty porkiness that makes pulled pig so great. The slaw was a nice textural contrast, and although I was warned that it was a bit sloppy, I had no problems devouring this one before the roll became too saturated with meaty goodness. A pleasing feature that is often overlooked, is the fact that the meat was well shredded, and well picked through. It takes a certain amount of effort (or compulsion) to thoroughly scour the meat and remove any strange pieces. They did a bang up job.

The fresh watermelon and mint salad was a nice surprise, and it took me half of the salad to realize what I liked about it so much. It was salted. The addition of some lime juice and salt really made this salad sing. A very refreshing take on the traditional side salad that hit the spot on a warm day.

It's definitely a great neighborhood spot, and I will soon return to give the verdict on the soups. However, at $8.50, this pulled pork is going to be difficult to pass up.