Sarcone's Bakery

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly lack of options in the store. Half a pound of biscotti’s for $12. As soon as I taste tested one biscotti I had to go back to the store to get another half a pound. So great!

Wonderful, Old World charm in South Philly. Family owned for century. The appeal is undeniable. We only got cannoli's, but everything looked and smelled wonderful. And yes, they even sell pizza. Cash only, so come prepared.

If you don't mind dealing with someone who has a stick up their ass that's great. However, if you plan on getting a tomato pie from here for an event you have, don't expect to be able to pick it up in time for said event or expect that they will accommodate you. I called a few weeks ago about putting an order in for a tomato pie and was told to call back two days before. Event is this Saturday out in the burbs. Called to place my order and was asked what time I wanted to pick it up. I told the woman I needed it between 8:30 and 9am. When I told the woman, she tells me I can't until 10 am. I told her I needed to be in the burbs for 10 to set up party. She basically laughed in my face. Thankfully I was able to get a tomato pie from another well-known spot in the city and they had no trouble helping me out.

Great traditional, iconic south Philly bread!

Best bread in philly, and don't sleep on the tomato pie or cookies

The tomato's focaccia is out of this world: the Tomato sauce is superlative. I took a picture too late.

Sarcone's reputation as a Philly food landmark is well-deserved. Their tomato pie (not pizza) is unique and delicious. Philly food tours make a stop here for the pie and cannoli. Their friendly, hard-working employees are up loading their delivery trucks in the wee hours. They feed the birds and greet my dog and me on our early-morning walks. Sarcone's also supplies rolls and breads to dozens of restaurants around Philly. Note there is no inside seating, but there are parks nearby if you can't wait to eat.

Yes it is worth it to come here & try the room temperature Tomato Pie! They only had ONE slice left when we arrived. It is SIMPLE but the flavor will blow your mind! YUM!!! Visit the Italian market and make sure to come here for an after coffee snack. Within walking distance to iconic Ralph's Italian Restaurant and Also famous Angelo's Pizza.

What an amazing classic tomato pie!! Absolutely loved the Canoli's as well! Went there early morning and the service was great - would recommend early to snag fresh pies and treats

I'd never thought I would be writing a review on Sarcone's. I love the bread - it's legendary in this city, and I have had it regularly while in Philly. However, I typically wouldn't review bread. I stopped in today around 8:30 in the morning on Dec 24th for two loaves, and had to wait, as they were selling out as soon as a new batch was brought out from the ovens. While I was waiting, they brought out pizza and tomato pie.......pizza and tomato pie? I never knew they made these two items. I still had about a 15 minute wait for my 2 loaves of bread, with a large fresh tomato pie staring me in the face. I've never had tomato pie, until today - I hadn't yet had breakfast, so I guess I was going to have tomato pie! I got a slice and couldn't believe how delicious it was. Of course it's a thick pizza crust, but it's Sarcone's bread and you immediately know it. The sauce on top was perfect - in texture, taste and the amount of topping. Subtly seasoned, the slice exceeded my expectations of what a tomato pie would taste like! I'll be back for the bread.....and the pie!

Fav spot for fresh bread. Been going here for as long as I can remember. It's always so fresh and have good tomato pie

The tomato pie is simple, incredible, and amazing! No frills spot. Cash only. Get the corner slice...you won't forget it.

Italian Bakery Tour - Sarcone's Bakery I've been baking for the last 3 years, since COVID began, and while I've had some successes, I haven't yet mastered two native Philadelphian baked goods - Hoagie (or "sub" or "grinder") Rolls and Tomato Pie, an Italian-American/Philly take on Sicily's Sfincione Palermitano. So, one day in April 2023, I partnered with my Yelp buddy, Gerald S., to traverse the Greater Philadelphia area, visiting five well-known and respected Italian bakeries, sampling those two things. I wanted to understand the nature of those breads, to understand their common traits - size and weight, density, crumb size; and, in the case of Tomato Pie, the sweet/acid/spice taste of its sauce. Of course, none of the bakeries that I visited would share their recipes, but I hoped to return to San Diego with a good idea of how to fiddle with recipes I have on hand, to make hoagie rolls and tomato pie similar to those I ate in Philly. SARCONE'S BAKERY Hoagie Rolls While none of the hoagie rolls I sampled from the five bakeries on my "tour" were unpalatable, those I ate at Sarcone's were the absolute best. If I lived in Philadelphia, I'd purchase them regularly, and as I don't, theirs are the ones that I'll try to replicate at home. Sarcone's unseeded hoagie roll was wrapped in a thin, crispy crust that yielded to moderate pressure; once released, it immediately sprung back into shape. Their seeded roll, which has become the preferred roll for many of Philadelphia's hoagie and steak shops, had the same attributes, and it had the advantage of being flavored by the nutty toasted sesame seeds that ran along its top. The dough for these rolls tasted a tad fermented, as good breads do. My guess is that it contained sugar, and perhaps a little oil or shortening, making the rolls "fluffy" and more flavorful that their competitors'. Their crumb was fine, tight and even, with no large bubbles. [EDIT: In 2014, fourth generation owner Lou Sarcone, Jr. told JerseyMan Magazine this: "I've never changed the recipe...[s]ometimes the quality of the flour may change, maybe protein levels aren't there and you have to add a little bit of protein. We do have to adjust for that. But as far as changing the recipe, no. It's water, flour, salt and yeast." "It's a six hour process. We have a guy that comes in at 12:00 every night. The dough sits for two hours. The bakers start coming in at 2:00 AM, processing the dough, the various shapes, sizes, and measures. It takes two hours to do that, so that's four hours. Then they have to turn it into a loaf of bread, turn it into a roll, so by the time the bread is mixed and comes out of the oven, it's six hours. https://tinyurl.com/mr298pjj ] The unseeded rolls were 30" long, 9" in circumference and weighed ~400g. A 4" midsection weighed ~95g. I estimate the density of the baked rolls at 0.22485 g/cm3. Tomato Pie It should be said that I'm not an enthusiastic fan of tomato pie. I don't dislike it, but I have some difficulty distinguishing it from the bread I dip into my tomato sauce as it bubbles on the stove when I want to test for saltiness. However, Sarcone's tomato pie was tasty, and if tomato pie was what I wanted, I'd buy their slice first. Its crust was light and crispy along the edge, and the bottom was neither soggy nor greasy. Each slice was ~6.5" x 4", and soft without sagging. The pie's sauce had a nice tomato flavor that was neither too sweet nor too herbal, and though a first bite delivered what my notes say was a "nice garlic hit," it wasn't overwhelming. ******************** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Sarcone's Bakery: https://tinyurl.com/zkhavfnp Conshohocken Italian Bakery: https://tinyurl.com/4ffak98y RECOMMENDED New York Bakery: https://tinyurl.com/bdhtunz8 Cacia's Bakery: https://tinyurl.com/mw9yf6v8 NOT RECOMMENDED Corropolese Italian Bakery & Deli: https://tinyurl.com/26upuxdx .

My absolute favorite spot in the city for bread of any sort. Rolls, strombolis, garlic bread, dinner rolls, loafs, etc I always grab a few extra and freeze them. Freezes well. Everything is made fresh and you can definitely taste it. Get there early before they sell out! Pizza is fantastic and super filling. Dough is perfect texture, and the sauce is delicious. Definitely would recommend stopping in for a slice!

Love Sarcone's. Awesome dinner rolls, hoagie rolls, tomato pie, cheesy bread, everything. Friendly service and great neighborhood location. They also do a fantastic job on the Too Good to Go app (look it up if you haven't used) and give you such good things!!

Never have I ever walked in a bakery and left with a full size loaf of bread fresh from the over too hot to handle too good to resist. We ate the whole thing, straight up, no butter, no nothing, in a matter of minutes. We also came back the next day for cookies and more fresh baked Italian bread. So good!

OMG... the smell alone is more than enough to pay for...it is warmth and comfort and tastiness all wrapped up in a smell. Seriously, the service is its own thing. The ladies are not really helpful or super friendly. They are there, doing their job, and matter of fact...similar to the way my favorite bakery in Easton use to be when Mittsie's family owned it. I tried a cannoli only because the tomato pie wasn't ready. The filling was good, a little cinnamon in the shell. Overall, it was good. I ate their rolls when I ate a cheesesteak from a shop a 1/2 block from them. It had the crispy, crunchy outside with the soft yeasty inside. Yum! But the tomato pie is the king! It steals the show. It is 10 times better than my favorite Italian bakery's pie every was! The sauce is rich and boasting of flavor, and the crust...crispy, tasty, light, airy and thick enough. But then the olive oil. They drizzle a fabulous olive oil all over the pizza which is amazing. If you can get it fresh and a little warm, there is nothing better.

Edit 11/20: My friend paid $3 for the jalapeño pie, not $6, like I did. I was overcharged by 100%.

Yelp Bro Omar S. Visited Philadelphia last week on family business, and we arranged to meet so he could conduct a scientific survey of five of the best Italian bakeries in the area. His goal was to research the best of breed loaves empirically to uncover the best ingredients for his own efforts to bake the perfect bread at home. He came with scale, tape measure, knife and immense intelligence as his primary tools. Me? I was his driver and secondary taster for the sandwich size torpedos and tomato pies. I eschew scientific method in favor of a more fundamental approach to finding the best bread in Philadelphia. I just eat it and decide how much I like it. One or two bites are normally enough. So, while I slowly filled up on slices of the samples, Omar collected his samples and took most of them back to his hotel for later review. Impressed with his dedication and taken by his passion to bake the best Italian loaf possible in San Diego, I happily accompanied him on his quest while nibbling along the way. We were like the Green Hornet and Kato. I strongly recommend you visit Omar S's Yelp page to see his fact centered reporting and overall opinion from each bakery. Admirable work. You can read my simpler reviews, much as you would the musings of any sidekick to a master craftsman. I'll just let you know what struck me as interesting and what tasted good. We went to Sarcone's on 9th Street in South Philly first. Small shop with friendly women willing to answer questions without disclosing state secrets, and full of all shapes and sizes of bread, rolls and desserts. They have a sterling reputation for excellence in baking. Fifth generation family business that seems both old and modern at the same time. The recipe hasn't changed in over 100 years, nor has the location of their ovens. I've enjoyed Sarcone's before at their related deli businesses. Both the rolls and sandwiches are superior and worth your while to find the nearest one and go in for a plunge. The crust is crisp and the inners, chewy. Masticating a good smoked meat and dry provolone with a little lettuce, mayo, onion and splash of olive oil & vinegar is a delight as the elements combine and meld together in your mouth. However, I am not a lover of Philadelphia style tomato pie. It's just heavy red sauce over thick, generally underbaked dough. Their's was very good, but I'd be lying if I said it moved me. My Trenton, NJ sensibilities prefer that version of tomato pie, which puts mozzarella under the sauce and bakes them into an amazing creation. Nonetheless; Sarcone's deserves its well earned reputation. Cent'anni! To another 100 years!

Please take this review with a grain of salt, as they say. I came around 1:30, about two hours before closing. This place opens early and closes between 3 and 4:30 PM, depending on the day. I came here specifically for the tomato pie. They didn't have any. I was told, "it's late in the day for that." I was very hungry, so I paid three dollars for a very cold (like refrigerated cold) piece of regular square pie. They don't serve drinks. Cash only. Maybe their tomato pie is fantastic. I don't know--I didn't get to try it. They also sell pastries and baked goods. I'm told their biscotti is fantastic. I'm not a sweets person, so I can't speak to that. No place to eat inside. It's grab and go. There is one bench outside. I MIGHT try to come back again, but the people working did not care and that piece of pie was quite cold. If I go back, I'll update the review at that time. Probably not, as the staff was quite cold.

After many years of wanting to try this place, I finally made it. However it was only because I wanted a cheesesteak from Angelo's a few doors down. Picked up 2 slices of cheese and it was so heavenly. Looks like Sicilian, but the dough is so light and airy. It also travels very well, and a few minutes in the air fryer made it seem freshly made. Next time ordering a whole pie and trying some of the breads.

Sarcones is the best nothing else even comes close if you don't love Sarcones you don't know bread

Great bakery that is famous for their tomato pie. Great stuff!! If you're looking for some treats then get here early because they do sell a lot.

If you're lucky enough to be there when the loaves are fresh out of the oven- it is magical! The aroma envelopes you like a warm hug. They also sell pizza and cookies, biscotti about more. I guess they're known for cannolis too but they were sold out. We got a loaf of bread and a pound of assorted cookies. Delish!!! Cash only. Benches outside to sit and eat if you want.

It's cash only! Just remember that when you go. The spot has great choices but I think my favorite was a cannoli. It was crunchy and the filling was cool and fresh and rich. The scones had just come out of the oven, so they were perfect! And the tomato pie was a lot tastier than I expected. Great robust flavor on that slice.

You can tell the moment you see a roll that it came from Sarcone's. Both from a culinary and consumer standpoint, nothing compares!

Stopped in on a rainy Day to get some treats! The Lady working inside was lovely and very nice! Tomato pie was great, we also got a couple cannolis, they were super fresh and amazing she made them right in front of us!

Our first stop of the day was to Sarcone's bakery, which is an older Italian bakery in the Italian market of South Philly. Here, they have a bunch of different pastries, pizzas and bread options. By the time we got there on a Sunday around 11am, they were already all out of bread! But we were here to try the tomato pie and the cannoli, as we had heard they were some of the best in the city. They were definitely very good, but I can say that the tomato pie was #2 out of 3 that we tried in the Italian market and the cannoli was definitely the best! The crust of the tomato pie had a tougher crunch than I would've liked, but the cannoli was filled to the max with ricotta and had a beautiful tasting shell! Because of the popularity of the read, I really want to come back to try a loaf! Note: this place is cash only

You may not have been to Sarcone's, but I bet one of your favorite sandwiches has been served on their bread. There's a reason they've been around for a century. I'd had their bread many times but had never tried their tomato pie. It's a thick, focaccia-like dough with a nice tomato sauce. I grabbed a slice and sat outside on the bench to enjoy it. I watched others come by and grab a slice or a long roll, digging right into the plain bread as they walked down the street. There were other pastries I'd like to go back and try. It's a reliable standby on 9th street.

The service is kinda crotchety, but I'll wait for the tomato pie. Cannoli are also quite good and the Sarcone rolls can't be beat. I recently discovered there's a 30 minute loading zone in front of the place if you're driving for hit and run.

This place is fantastic. It really gives you a nice Italian bakery in South Philly field. I never would've guessed that I am of the tomato pie, but they do it really good over here. Make sure you also get a cannoli and if you were in the mood for more sweet, try out this gone. I've never been a fan of scones, but now I am.

There rolls and bread is the best in city. The only thing is parking is hard to get. The prices are good too. And the people there are very nice.

Picked up a tomato pie, the sauce is A+ the dough is a little too thick but very good. Grabbed cookies also top notch. Everyone knows how good the rolls are.

Sarcone's roll are on another level. Check them out for All your sandwich roll needs. Super friendly and great prices for a quality product.

i have been a customer for so long here it's sort of my go to for most italian baked good, especially the bread and cookies. I love walking in here there is something about the sign out front and the name on the floor that just makes me feel good. the bread is amazing and i miss years ago when they had the deli set up on the corner the sandwiches were amazing. i also always get a couple slices of their tomato pies when they are available. the counter lady are always super nice and they just feel so Philly that i love it when i am in there. if i had ever one complaint it's really of me that i don't wake up earlier and get there for a better selection of bread that goes quick especially on the weekends.

Hands down the best Italian bread in Philly! The staff is always nice to me! I buy the bread for friends who don't live in the city and they are always pleased!

We visited Sarcone's Bakery last weekend when we were exploring the South 9th Street Italian Market shopping district. We got a box of cookies (they're sold by weight so you have to get enough to meet a certain weight). It's a cute place and everything looked delicious. And it's clearly a popular spot - a large group met there just as we were leaving. Unfortunately, I didn't love the cookies we got. The cherry jelly top cookie's jelly was so sticky and had a really artificial, medicinal cherry flavor. The other two cookies were much better, but didn't leave us wanting more. Overall, it's a cute place but maybe just not our taste for sweets?

The best bread in Philadelphia. Their seeded baguettes are soooo good, I think about them every day, and wish I lived closer and could get them more often, but unfortunately I moved, so now I have to fantasize!!!

I CAN-NOLI IMAGINE @sarcones_bakery South Philly, PA Don't be fooled by this little shop entrance. This bakery is filled with history , character, and women power in the front + multiple Louis Sarcones baking behind the scenes it is a 5th generation Italian bakery started in 1918 with pizzas, Italian cookies, Italian baked bread/goods . More than 90 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Too tempted to grab this before lunch that day . And of course, we needed to try their Cannoli! Packed with cream in a crispy shell (they fill it fresh to order). As you can see it's very simple, with a few chocolate chips. Nothing too fancy unlike the modern Italian bakeries. Shell was very crispy , good bubbles/aeration. Cream was not too sweet, with nice dairy flavor . I could eat 5 of these at once Service was slightly rude but expected with an authentic Italian business haha Can't wait to try their famous tomato pie though! More on Instagram: @midwestmunching

Love that Philly still has some of these old school traditional shops! Got there late morning on a Sunday and the place was nearly sold out of everything. Tried the breadsticks and they weren't exactly what I was looking for but the rolls and bread were delicious. Right amount of crust to dough ratio and perfect for sandwiches.

Get the tomato pie! It is yummy. I ordered online for delivery and had a slice for breakfast. The other four slices were gone in less than 10 minutes because everyone wanted some!

This is Philadelphia's best bread, often with lines waiting to get in. A true Philadelphia original.

I ordered a slice of the cheese and tomato pie from this south Philly bakery stalwart. The bread on the slice was excellent. It was light, fluffy, and lightly oily. The sauce was nice and garlicky with and the tomato brought tons of umami to the pie. The crust was a bit dry, and the cheese was somewhat meager in portion and flavor.

Wow. Just wow. Probably the perfect bite. The tomato pie and white slice were sheer perfection. We had several tomato pies and this is by far my favorite

The best bread in the city and the girls that work at the counter are very polite. I highly recommend.

What is a tomato pie? What's the hype around it? It's a local Philly favorite. I admit I was a skeptic. I've lived in Philly for a couple of years and never had it until last week. When you first have it, you feel immediate disappointment. It's not a hot pizza, it's room temp, it's tomato sauce, it's bread and that's it. What is the hype? Then you take another bite. You think, it's fine. Bread is good, sauce is nice. Then you take another bite. It's good, sauce is sweet, simple yet with complex favors. Then you keep eating it until it's gone. And then you want another pie. And then you dream about the pie at night. Then you want another pie the next day. Sorry I was a skeptic. It's a Philly classic, DO NOT sleep on it.

I tried a sesame baguette from here and it was fresh and delicious. Crispy outside and soft inside. Perfect for making your own sandwiches. They are cash only. $2.83 for the baguette.

When you take a visit to South Philly you have an abundance of iconic landmarks, or known treasures that just stand out we'll say. One of them can be the image of Rocky running up 9th street in the Italian Market section of South Philadelphia waiving to everyone . The other is a visit to the Godfather of Chocolate, to fulfill that craving you may have. The endless shopping while eating is just cray cray. Rival bakeries, restaurants, and shops just trying to real you in types of challenges. You know I'm game, I'm always in it, to win it. Then you have Sarcone's Bakery with that heavenly aroma of fresh bread being baked. Sarcone's has been on point for 5 generations, always in the zone, always raising that proverbial bar. That is called winning my Yelp family. The minute you walk in you'll see loaves of big, small, round, and long waiting for you to enjoy. Seeded or non seeded beauties waiting to be that one to put a smile on your face as you enjoy. From the perfect sandwich to just hanging out on the dinner table, you can not go wrong. Lets talk about this tomato pie that will just handcuff your taste buds. This is simply exquisite. That somewhat sweet, not to tangy sauce that is laying over top a perfectly baked dough that is not to thick , but just right types of pie. The areas are sprinkled with parmesan cheese like it is a gift from the cheese gods above. As you take your first bite take it all in, take in all those flavors that is hitting your taste buds like Rocky to a slab of beef. Yes everyone has their own " Best Tomato Pie" spot, I know I have more than one that I like to frequent. I have one word , three syllables for Sarcone's, and that is Bib-li-cal ... Biblical. P.S. I truly love this quote: "It about the bread" ~ Sarcone's

Excellent service, delicious baked goods, clean facility! Highly recommend! Get some!

Excellent bread made fresh in the heart of South Philly! Doesn't get much better then this. Low carb??? Heck no! Would never pass up a chance to visit Sarcones when I'm in town.

The best Italian bread in Philadelphia. Lovely friendly staff. Can sell out quickly around holiday times.

The review is for the tomato pie. The corner crust is super crunchy. My favorite part of any pizza. The sauce is fresh and not heavy and sweet. Very refreshing. However the bread part is soggy. Unfortunately it's not my favorite tomato pie

Placed an order for a whole cheese pizza ($30). Had to call the day before to have it ready by 10am the next morning (that is the earliest we could pick it up - they start making the pizzas at 9 or 9:30). Asked the lady on the phone how to store the pizza and she said either fridge or freezer - both are ok. Tried a slice that had been sitting out most of the day both as is and reheated in a toaster oven. Both were good. The sauce is nice and garlicky and the bread was fresh with a nice crunch on the crust. The cheese was the least favorite as it tasted very generic. We also tried their hoagie rolls with some deli meat from a different restaurant. These were soft on the inside and a bit harder on the outside, mostly at the ends. Good pizza and worth trying if you like bakery style pizza. I think if the cheese was higher quality and the bread had a bit more flavor or something else it would be a 5 star pizza. The rolls were also very good if you are looking for fresh plain bread. Nice stop if you are in philly.

We moved away from the Italian Market 15 years ago, and any time I get back, I get a sandwich from someplace the uses Sarcone's rolls (seeded!) or head directly there. I was in town last week and stayed a block away. Needless to say, I was eating tomato pie for a late breakfast and bought a seeded roll to have back at my hotel with cheese. Their tomato pie is AMAZING! Just know, it's not pizza, it's​ SO MUCH better! Bread dough makes it light and fluffy but crispy on the edges and against the pan. The gravy is thick, rich and chunky with just a little sprinkle of cheese. If you are coming to Philly and have never had tomato pie,​ you need to go. Don't blink, or you'll miss it. Don't let the size or understated appearance fool you; this place is the real deal, ​South Philly.

Best bread in one of the best sand which cities in the world. Not much to say except for some personal opinions and small tips Go for the seeded Italian roll Cash only Go early or you'll miss out Take home a fresh seeded and go home and make 3 meals that day centered around the bread

Their tomato pie is amazing! I got the one that had cheese on the top, and I ate it on one of the benches outside the shop. There isn't a ton of space inside. I got a corner slice, and the crust was AMAZING. I would definitely recommend asking for one if there are some available. I wish I had more time here, so I could get some of their bread. I can only imagine how great it is. I also got one of their cannoli, which was good but nothing amazing. However, they had some cookie samples, and those were really great.

Amazing bread and tomatoe pie. Delicious and very filling. Highly recommended. Take some home for a sandwich. It's awesome