Phil and Jim's Delicatessen

2905 Edgmont Ave
Chester, PA 19015
610-874-9472

I was looking for a good deli in Chester. Yea, I know. Anyway, I saw Phil and Jim's on a recent journey through Philly's violent little brother, and I thought this one might be a winner. Phil and Jim's is not fancy. It's not a gourmet hoagie joint by any stretch of the imagination. It is, however, a solid place to get a gigantic sandwich and a little taste of the gruff, yet personable, DelCo demeanor.

I was greeted by the guy in the Phillies hat below. He assured me that they took credit cards and indeed had NO MINIMUM. Now if this tiny deli can do it, why can't half of the other places I frequent do it too? He took my order, and asked if I wanted everything sweet. Which means pickles and sweet peppers. I also wanted hots, so I ordered accordingly. Once my order was complete, I watched this guy meticulously assemble my soon-to-be dinner. They slice the meat fresh, carefully select the tomatoes (he went through about 5 slices until he found a suitable final tomato), and basically put in the extra effort that so commonly falls by the wayside. I got excited.

Freshly slicing my turkey below.

There is nowhere to eat at Phil and Jim's so plan on a take-out venture. I even managed to make it back to my destination without eating it in the car. I guess my self control has really improved.

This is a huge hoagie. The roll is over a foot long and packed with carefully placed ingredients.

They use the old 'meat on top and bottom' technique, not usually practiced in the city, but far more common in the suburbs. I am a fan. The layering order was what made the sandwich. Mayo, turkey, provolone, diced onions (a nice touch), tomato, peppers, hand shredded iceberg and more turkey.

This is a damn filling sandwich and one I am likely to pick up again, when I happen to find myself hungry in Chester. Actually, next time I will probably try the cheesesteak, because I'm sure it's also put together with love.