Where to Find Philly’s Most Inventive Nachos
These are not your average nachos.
The masala nachos at Libertee Grounds / Photograph by Kit Ramsey
There is no wrong time for nachos. It is one of those universally excellent foods, perfect for sharing, good when ordered to go, and exceptional when paired with beer (or margaritas). But they also happen to be one of those dishes that, because they’re easy to whip up like fried rice and hot dogs, are often treated as an afterthought. They’re so good when they’re mediocre; why bother to make them incredible? But every now and then I find a place that has spent some time and energy considering the nacho, and I take note. These are the noteworthy nachos of Philadelphia.
Libertee Grounds, Spring Garden
I’m a dedicated fan of all the incredible cross-cultural foods that Libertee Kitchen makes, including their masala nachos. Tortilla chips are topped with queso, garlic sour cream, pico, and your choice of chicken kadai, spicy lamb keema, or Korean barbecue pulled pork. I’m telling you, it works. 1600 West Girard Avenue, Suite C5.
Hi-Lo Taco, Center City
Center City’s Hi-Lo Taco is a balm for a city that is short on Tex-Mex options. Their regular menu doesn’t include nachos, but their late-night menu — served from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights — includes nacho fries, wherein they pile waffle fries with their house-made queso, pickled jalapeños, and queso fresco. You can also opt to add on bacon, ranch, and scallions. 1109 Walnut Street.
Iztaccihuatl Restaurant, Italian Market
Iztaccihuatl’s nachos are classic: topped with ground beef and chicken, refried beans, and mozzarella cheese, plus lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. The chips are hearty and house-made, holding up nicely to the balanced toppings. 1122 South 8th Street.
Loco Pez’s Kenzo-style nachos with waffle fries | Photograph by Erin Jaskiewicz
Loco Pez, multiple locations
Loco Pez has regular nachos with the classic toppings (including refried beans, my personal preferred beans for nachos), but you can also swap their tortilla chips for waffle fries, an indulgent option lovingly referred to as “Kenzo Stilo.” Further down on the menu, they also offer birria disco fries, a dish of waffle fries topped with beef birria gravy, melted cheese, pickled Fresno chilis, cilantro, and onion. For me, this poutine hybrid falls into the nacho category.
Blue Corn, Italian Market
Blue Corn serves their nachos on their signature blue corn chips, topped with generous amounts of melted cheese and refried beans. It’s a reasonable portion, ideal for sharing between two to four people without blowing your appetite. I like that their nachos are slightly sloppy but built with strong chips that stand up to the pressure. 940 South 9th Street.
Cantina La Martina, Kensington
Nachos are a lunch specialty at Cantina La Martina. Whereas most restaurants pile their nachos into a mountain of chips with a smattering of toppings at the peak, these nachos are spread out wide, ensuring an even distribution of black beans and Chihuahua cheese on each chip. The star of this nacho platter, though, is the house-made salsa tatemada, a red salsa made with charred red tomatoes and plenty of chili for a hit of heat. 2800 D Street.
La Placita’s El Pionono nachos / Photograph by Kerri Sitrin
La Placita, Old City and Fishtown
From the team behind Cantina La Martina comes La Placita, which focuses Puerto Rican street food from a truck at the Cherry Street Pier and an old trolley car in Fishtown. They serve up three styles of nachos: peleo with just beans, pickled onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, and cheese; tripleta, which comes with all the fixings plus a meaty trinity of carnitas, turkey, and bacon; and el pionono, which adds plantains, ground beef picadillo, and a Caribbean aioli. 121 North Columbus Boulevard and 2211-17 Frankford Avenue.
Juana Tamale, East Passyunk
The first time I got Juana Tamale’s nachos for takeout, I nearly dropped the box when I picked it up. These nachos are dense. They’re made with my preferred chip, the thicker, house-fried ones that have the ability to soak up beans and cheese while still staying crisp on the inside. You can get them topped with the restaurant’s signature birria, which creates a whole other sloppy, perfect dimension. I also love that they include iceberg lettuce, which adds a welcome textural and temperature variation. 1941 East Passyunk Avenue.
El Vez, Center City
Where many nachos are built for height, the nachos at El Vez are all about width. Built on a wide pizza pan, they’re almost completely flat, with extremely even chip coverage, and topped with a near-perfect criss-cross grid of sour cream. The toppings are classic: a mixture of cheese plus black beans, pickled red onion, and pickled jalapeños, with the optional add-on of chicken or chorizo. They are perfect for sharing (or not). 121 South 13th Street.
