Our Favorite Grilled Cheese Spots


BY BRIDGET SALMONS

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and there’s really no better place to fete the gooey, buttery, toasty, melt-y bliss that is a grilled cheese then Philly. Here, six places for when you feel like celebrating.

Royal Tavern
It’s hard to beat Royal’s cheese-to-bread ratio. Two slices of thick-cut French boule house a trio of cheeses — smoked gouda, sharp provolone, and tangy goat cheese. 937 East Passyunk Avenue, 215-389-6694.

Jones
We love Jones because it knows not to mess with classic comfort food. Here, grilled cheese is just like mom would have made it: buttered white bread with white cheddar cheese, served with a bowl of tomato soup. 700 Chestnut Street, 215-223-5663.

The Pop Shop
This family-friendly Collingswood diner serves 30 different types of grilled cheese, which means it’s entirely possible to celebrate every day of National Grilled Cheese Month here without ever repeating a single sandwich. Check out the website for the Pop Shop’s official grilled cheese calendar; we’ll be there on the 22nd for the Loaded Potato iteration (cheddar, mashed potatoes, and broccoli all melted between two slices of white bread). 729 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, 856-869-0111.

Prohibition Tap Room
The chef at this middle-of-nowhere gastropub is so enamored with the American classic that he does a different rendition every day. Some past grilled cheeses: a version with bacon and mushrooms, and one with roasted fennel and pesto. 501 North 13th Street, 215-238-1818.

Good Dog
Good Dog’s take on the bacon-apple grilled cheese is the best we’ve had. Maybe it’s the cheddar/Swiss mix. Maybe it’s the brioche bread. Mostly it’s that the whole thing is baked (not griddled) to ensure a perfectly toasty outside and a perfectly melt-y inside. 224 South 15th Street, 215-985-9600.

Silk City Diner
As expected, this retro NoLibs diner gets grilled cheese just right: slices of buttery brioche bread locked with a mixture of American, Swiss, and provolone and two thick slices of tomato. 435 Spring Garden Street, 215-592-8838.