Top Spots For Grilled Cheese In Philadelphia

It's hard to resist a good grilled cheese sandwich. Perfectly toasted bread, gooey melted cheese...it's a comfort food classic. These Philadelphia spots are going above and beyond the standard white bread with American or cheddar and serving up creative twists on the lunchtime favorite. Ingredients include house-made gourmet cheeses, caramelized onions, bacon, tomatoes and even brisket.

Fuel
1225 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 922-3835

1917 E. Passyunk Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 468-3835
www.fuelrechargeyourself.com

Fuel offers panini, wraps, sandwiches and salads that are under 500 calories, 100-percent organic and available gluten-free. While stuffed grilled cheese isn't typically considered a health food, Fuel's high-protein grilled cheese is a sandwich you can eat guilt-free. In addition to provolone, mozzarella and fresh lemon cream cheese, it's also packed with tomato and spinach and served on your choice of white, wheat, rye or gluten-free bread.

Related: Top Panini In Philadelphia

Good Dog Bar
224 S. 15th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 985-9600
www.gooddogbar.com

Good Dog is located between Avenue of the Arts and Rittenhouse Square, offering craft beer and pub food in a relaxed, cozy atmosphere. The house burger stuffed with Roquefort cheese has been praised as one of the best in the country, but the grilled cheese is another standout item. Made with sourdough stuffed with smoked gouda, salty thick-cut bacon and roasted apples, the $12 sandwich is the perfect blend of savory, sweet and salty. Add caramelized onions for an extra 50 cents. Like all of the sandwiches, the grilled cheese is served with Good Dog's signature blend of hand-cut sweet potato and Kennebec fries and homemade aioli dipping sauce.

MeltKraft by Valley Shepherd Creamery
Reading Terminal Market
51 N. 12th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 639-3309
www.valleyshepherd.com/meltkraft

You can watch the cheese being made right on site at MeltKraft in the Reading Terminal Market. The farm-to-table grilled cheese shop is operated by Valley Shepherd Creamery (a New Jersey company), and all of the cheese used is handmade and aged either on the farm in Long Valley or in the see-through laboratory at the market. The "Valley Thunder" is the star of the menu featuring baked macaroni and cheese and brisket inside a sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwich for $8.75. If you really want to take the sandwich to the extreme, opt to have it cooked in duck fat or bacon instead of butter and add chicken, truffle oil, bacon or tomatoes for an additional charge. Sandwiches include a side of kettle chips.

Plenty Café
1710 E. Passyunk Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(267) 909-8033

1602 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 560-8684
www.plentyphiladelphia.com

Brothers Anthony and Damon Mascieri opened Plenty Café on Passyunk Avenue in 2012, fulfilling their dream of working together on a creative and fun food project. With a menu featuring locally sourced coffee, globally inspired sandwiches and exceptional salads, the café has become a popular breakfast and lunch spot, so much so that the brothers opened a second location near Rittenhouse Square. The grilled cheese ($6.50) is served on perfectly toasted multigrain bread and includes melted cheddar and gruyere with a touch of sweetness from the addition of caramelized onions.

REX 1516
1516 South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(267) 319-1366
www.rex1516.com

At REX 1516, Chef Justin Swain serves up Southern-inspired dishes with new twists. He introduced his house-made pimento cheese to the menu last spring, and it was an instant hit. Creamy with a spicy kick from pimento peppers, this smoky cheese adds flavor to the popular pimento burger and makes for a killer grilled cheese. Made with sourdough and pickles, the grilled cheese is available on the bar bites menu during happy hour Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for just $5.

Related: Top Cheesy Dishes In Philadelphia

Say Cheese Philadelphia Food Truck
Philadelphia, PA
(484) 324-8729
www.facebook.com/saycheesephiladelphia

A favorite of Philadelphia college students, Say Cheese is a family-run food truck that offers all types of melted cheese delicacies. The menu is constantly changing, so keep an eye on the Facebook page or Twitter to see what's being offered each day as well as where you can find the truck. With options like sautéed pears, meatballs and buffalo chicken grilled cheese, there are plenty of creative sandwiches to choose from. But you can't go wrong with the $5 traditional "Say Cheese" featuring a blend of cheeses and tomato compote on grilled Italian bread.

Michelle Hein is the social media editor for a women's fashion company in Bucks County by day and a self-proclaimed food and drink fanatic by night and weekend. She enjoys attending wine classes, trying new recipes in the kitchen and going to old favorites and new restaurants alike in the Bucks County and Philadelphia area. If the writing gig doesn't pan out, she constantly dreams of owning her own bakery…perhaps connected to the restaurant/bar that her lawyer fiance would love to open.
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