Philadelphia is the home of many culinary institutions, both gourmet and humble local staples. Philadelphia has more restaurants, scoring a 29 in the 2005 Zagat Restaurant Guide, than any other city. The city is commonly identified with the cheesesteak, which is a local invention. Also well-known are its hoagies, soft pretzels and Italian ice (known in Philadelphia as "water ice", pronounced "wooder ice").

Philadelphia's restaurants have great diversity, depth, and quality. Notable restaurants include Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's eponymous Morimoto, Rouge, Old Original Bookbinder's, Le Bec-Fin, The Striped Bass, Brasserie Perrier, Vetri, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, City Tavern, and Suzanna Foo.

Distinctive dishes include Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, Italian Roast Pork , Soft pretzels, Water ice, Stromboli, Calzone, Tomato Pie, and Tastykake. Another Philly favorite is the Cheese sauce — A gooey orange condiment carried by most street vendors that may contain dairy products. In general, Philadelphians will not hesitate to add cheese sauce to any low-budget food items such as french fries, hot dogs, pretzels, or egg rolls.

The cheesesteak, a kind of humble culinary masterpiece, is probably the single food most identified with Philadelphia. Paper-thin chipped ribeye steak is fried on a griddle, topped with cheese—Cheez Whiz, provolone, or white American—and, optionally, fried onions, and served on a long Italian roll.