The homemade hoagies are off the hook. Please check them out. And the store is loaded with goodies.

I've been shopping at Mancuso's since the 1960's. My dad used to take me. He always bought scamorzza, fresh mozzarella, dried Sicilian cured olives, and dried salted Ceci & Fava beans. In the summer, I always left with their chocolate water ice! I am now 70 and I continue to shop at Mancuso's! The best!!! read more

Passing by on a Sunday morning figured I'd stop in to see if they had mozzarella. Shop was fairly small, but we were the only customers in there. Upon entering we were greeted by two young men who asked if we needed help-seemed they were prepping for sandwiches, cutting lettuce, onions, etc. I told him we were looking for mozzarella for pizza and he offered a nice, roughly one pound block-perfect. We also noticed they had hoagies, so we ordered an Italian to go; it was delicious. Salami, ham, and prosciutto, all sliced to order. The roll was perfect, would definitely stop back. One thing to mention, I'm not so sure this is a cheese shop, more of an Italian specialty shop. They had a lot of imported goods, good quality, and prices were reasonable. Reminds me of some stores I would frequent growing up-they're keeping it old school. read more

See all

This store looks so much better now. Make sure you try the Italian hoagie. My order was ready in a minute. Bread was fresh and so was the deli meat. Highly recommended. Don't forget to get the tiramisu. The best I've had, even better than the Italian bakeries because it had a lot of soaked lady fingers and not overwhelmed by whipped cream. I also grabbed some Nutella cookies and other Italian cookies. I recommend that there's a menu of the hoagies because I want to try more. read more

Mancuso Lucio J & Son - a variety of nutella cookies - Cheese Shops Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The place is a classic. Warning, though, if you go when the guy who runs the place isn't there, it's like keystone cops. 5 people waiting for their orders while the 3 guys behind the counter are desperately looking for the macaroni salad. The hoagies are good, it's just painful watching these dudes try & organize themselves into making one for you. The older confused man is nice, but lost. The guy who works across the street just stands there smirking. read more

The veggie hoagie is the best sandwich I've had in recent memory. So much flavor packed in each bite! Great for a quick, quality lunch. read more

See all

Best hoagies in South Philly! Dont go anywhere else! The quality of the meats amazing. Best of the best my friends.

Want the best sharp provolone in city??? Definitely try this deli. They don't make 'em like this anymore! Small family run business. Sandwiches/bogies are delicious. Def recommended if your in South Philly :) read more

Mancuso Lucio J & Son - two men in a grocery store - Cheese Shops Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I take pride in the fact that I've tried damn near every "best" hoagie in this city. and I, like many, have had a top 5 list that hasn't changed for years...until now. Mancuso's "Old Italian" Hoagie has actually just taken my spot for #1 as a matter of fact. The quality of ingredients is just light years ahead of most other shops here in Philly. read more

Solid specialty food + hoagie shop in East Passyunk! We split the Veggie Specialty Hoagie (with roasted eggplant, sauteed broccoli rabe, fire roasted peppers, sharp, and provolone) and the Homemade Caprese Specialty Hoagie (homemade mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil). Both hoagies were packed full of ingredients and tasty. My only complaint was the bread - it didn't seem as fresh as it could have been. Overall, it's a great spot to grab a quick lunch and/or snacks. read more

Great old shool italian Hoagies. Some awesome cuts of harder to find lunch meats. Popular location for other shopping. Try the water ice in the summer. read more

Yo the best ricotta and mozzarella. In the universe. And Italian water ice Must go if your in south philly read more

Love this place...The best mozzarella in the area. And the hoagies are amazing! The new owner has introduced great things!

I really want to like this place, and I keep trying it in the hope that the owners will start to take the business seriously, but they don't (with one exception; read below). It's right down the street from my house, and would be super convenient if it was just, well... good. First, this isn't a cheese shop by any stretch. Sure they sell cheese, but they don't even know what they have in the case most of the time. I'm not asking for complex tasting notes or anything, I just wanna know what they have. They do know that they have provolone, cooper sharp, and mozzarella, and they will try to steer you towards one of those, but the rest of the cheeses are a complete mystery to them. How is this possible? Someone there obviously orders the cheese, someone takes the time to unpack it and put it in the fridge, but they don't know what they have besides provolone, cooper sharp, and mozzarella? Second, the surly kid who is usually working when I go in there doesn't care. It's obvious that he doesn't want to be there and that he resents every minute that he needs to be at the store. He doesn't even pretend to care either. If I ask him if they have such and such a cheese, he just says "no, we don't have that." Part of me can understand, since someone else perhaps unpacked the cheese and didn't tell him what it is, but man does this kid hate his job! Yo Kid! If you hate working at this place so much do something else! You're still too young to be miserable at a job, even if it is the family business. Seriously, this kid makes it seem as though you are doing him a disservice by shopping at his store. Third, the place is dirty and they don't practice proper hygiene. There's an older guy who is there sometimes that never changes his gloves. I actually walked out once after ordering a hoagie because he handled several other things, including a dirty rag that was used to wipe I don't know what, without changing his gloves, and there were all sorts of visible stains on the gloves he was wearing. He then started making my hoagie without changing his gloves, let alone washing his hands, so I bolted. The kid mentioned in the paragraph above does the same. Just practice basic food safety protocols for God's sake. Lesson learned; don't order a hoagie. There is one bright side though: There is an extraordinarily nice middle aged woman that I have encountered two or three times. I imagine that she is the daughter of the older guy and the mother of the kid. At any rate, she tries to be helpful (still doesn't know what cheese they have), and has enough sense to change her gloves between handling cash, cleaning the slicer, and making a hoagie. I assume that she has another job, but I get the impression that if she were in charge the store would be much cleaner in general, and that she would fix the aforementioned problems, and perhaps take it up a notch. She is also exceedingly pleasant, and that accounts for a lot. If you pop in and see her buy something. If not, walk up to Claudio's in the Italian Market and fuhgeddaboudit. read more

So there's the fancy cheese shop that most people know about and then there's Mancuso's. Mancuso's is one of the few remaining South Philly Italian stores that remain unchanged and un-gentrified. When it comes to cheese, especially Italian cheese this small place is great. Phil Mancuso has been running this Italian specialty shop for over 30 years. And has been there every day. Phil has just about every Italian cheese there is and many cheeses from other places. He also has a wide selection of Italian cold cuts...salami...mortadella...you name it. There is also a great selection of olive, peppers etc. If you want to try something, don't hesitate to ask for a sample. Phil will gladly give you a good size taste. Now here is the best part. The prices at Mancuso's are substantially less then the fancy cheese shop. read more

This shop is a case where (dare I say) new blood made a neighborhood staple even better than it was before. Mancuso's was always THE cheese shop on Passyunk. The new owners made all the right upgrades while keeping the shop's integrity. Don't sleep on the olive salad - it's likely the best you'll ever have. read more

"Can I get a lemon and cherry mix?" "Haha, you can have anything you want, sweetie!" These are just the words you want to hear when an old old Italian man is scooping some fresh waterice for you. With three house made flavors- chocolate , cherry, and lemon- everyone is happy! Why is it not socially acceptable to lay on the floor as someone scoops waterice directly into your mouth? read more

Mancuso Lucio J & Son - Cheese Shops Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mancuso Cheese store has been a stable in the South Philly neighborhood for long time. It's the "real deal Holyfield." Nearly everything is imported from the Motherland. Mozzarella cheese is made fresh daily and so are the salads and olive dishes. They have scores of Italian sodas, drinks and waters. Great fresh and boxed pastas and a huge imported cheese selection. There's a great array of cookies and biscuits an breads. Most guys I know want hot wings and pizza for football game grub. No, no. I want salted mozzarella balls, a spicy green olive salad, some dry margherita pepperoni sticks, a hunk of sharp provolone cheese and a box of Carr's black pepper crackers. I wash it down with some sparkling Italian water and grab a couple of cannolis to finish it off. If this is the kind of food you like you'll be satisfied here, and maybe if you're good, if you're good, old man Mancuso will sing you a beautiful Italian opera tune that will make you leave with a smile on your face and a warm heart. read more

I love this place so so much. I hope that it stays in business for another 80 years. The gentleman who work here are proud of what they do and have always been helpful to me. I usually get some sopressata, mozz, and that insanely sharp provolone. In true old school good form, they always slice off a little sample to enjoy while then finish your order. Very reasonable prices for high quality ingredients. read more

Small Italian store that does NOT disappoint!!! Everyone is always so friendly, the hoagies are AMAZING, and a wonderful selection of cheese. read more

My great-grandmother, though of wealthy English blood, was born in Italy, not that I could say where. Growing up in the American Mediterranean - that is, California - I came to love the marinaded vegetables, olives, hearty bread and cured meats that are so typical of both my home and the Latin peninsula. Philly is, of course, (in)famous for its Italian roots and hell, even my New Yorker mother has heard of DiBruno's. But let me tell you what; when she comes here, we're not going to DiBruno, we're going to Mancuso. Don't let the gruff old men with their Marlboro's on the stoop, or the iron window bars and that faded plexiglass awning fool you, this place is the Truth. Mr. Mancuso makes the best mozzarella I've ever had; my girlfriend and I can eat a pound of his artichoke hearts in a single sitting and there is no better place in the city to get real Italian olive oil without breaking your wallet. This is NOT, however, the uncouth, hipster/yuppie friendly scrum of 9th street. Be prepared to take your time, to occasionally repeat your order - Mr. Mancuso is at least 70, after all! - and to hear the off-color joke or two while you're in line. Mind your P's & Q's, say "yes sir" and "no sir" and "thank you sir" and smile at the Mrs. when you see her on the weekends. You'll be back here every week, same as me. read more

This place is a true South Philly staple. I go here weekly to get all my Italian goods to make dinner. A lot of people will go to 9th street Italian market to find their meats, cheeses, & other Italian goods but they lack the South Philly grit that Mancuso's has. There's a more humbled & storied feel when you're in there & the cast of characters that work/hang out at Mancuso's always give me a story to tell when I get home. read more

I went here yesterday. Forget it! It is unrecognizable from what it was. I bought a large mozzarella in water. No way it waa store made. It had the texture and taste of supermarket product, just minus the plastic. The store is "manned" by some pretty creepy dudes, too. I've known this place for fifty years. It's shot. Just don't. read more

In South Philly everyone talks about those cheese shops on 9th street but the best shop is on Passyunk. Mancuso's mozzarella and ricotta can't be beat and the knowledge, service, and neighborhood friendliness is from another era and is unbeatable! Seriously - check it out read more

Excellent cheese and pastries. Prima Donna is a cheese which is between swiss and parmesan-- and this one costs half what it does at Di Brunos. Check out the baked ricotta. What pastry is a available varies, but at the moment I have delicate flaky marzipan-stuffed cookies called ammareti. read more

As a kid, my Grandmother would send me to get fresh Ricotta cheese for her Sunday handmade raviolis. Mom would dispatch me to get her favorite green and Black italian olive salads. We would also get water ice on hot summer days after playing half ball. The best. I remember Philip, real nice guy. Very fond childhood memories and Mancuso's was a part off it. read more

Everything you need! Wonderful selection of cheeses, olives, crackers and oils. Authentic Italian feel when you walk in! Small aisle to walk through and at least three people behind counter! read more

This place ROCKS!!! Randomly stopped by to see what was inside, and while it's crammed with Italian foods in jars, cans, packages, etc., there is an impressive selection on Italian meats and cheeses. The prices were nearly half on what you'd pay at DiBruno's for Sopressata and Capicola (I walked out with a lb. of each, plus a huge hunk of Prima Donna). I will be shopping here from now on for all my Italian Antipasti needs! read more

A truly authentic Italian deli. I love this place! The mozzarella and ricotta are homemade and top notch! They also have great Italian ice. Three flavors cherry, lemon and chocolate. read more

I would never step foot in here again! The food and Italian specialties they have are good but it's not even worth walking in there. The man behind the counter was one of the most miserable human beings I have ever met. He watched me like I was going to steal an olive from him! Mind you I was in there with my little girl who he looked at like she was an animal that wasn't supposed to be in a store. The other two men in there were no better and acted as if they were doing me a favor! 18 dollars and a few mediocre items later I'd rather drive far away than to ever give them my business again! read more

I've been coming here since a child w/my grandparents when I lived in South Philly. Then moved to Brigatine, and lastly to Vegas. I still came back to visit family and always come back to see Phil and buy his wonderful cheeses! My wife, Sherri gets things here she can't find in other stores. My son in law, Frank; loves the mixed olives. You can always rely on the best, freshly made cheeses from here to out west! I also come here for the holidays because they always have the largest, fresh, chestnuts. All around, me and my family and friends come to Mancuso's for the best of all Italian items. I'm back again and can't wait to get there! My best regards always, Tom & Sherri DiGiacomo read more

So, I'm in the shadows of the Bethlehem Steel, standing in the lobby of the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema and spot a copy of the Summer 2014 Edible PHILLY. I am psyched because there are so many places to go, so much food to try. Today, we left our home in Bethlehem to check out all the places. Our first stop was Mancuso's and it's like being back "in de Heights" [as in Chicago Heights, Illinois]. Great cheese, dried soppresata, lemon ice that is divine, owners that I just want to hug, amazing crusty bread, baked ricotta to make your heart sing. I'm definitely coming back for the mozzarella. This place is a genuine find. read more

Best mozzarella hands down, nothing else compares. Also great selection of assorted flavored cheeses and old school Italian treats. Phil is a true character and his place reminds me of home.... read more

Great service, great selection, great prices. I went there for the first time to get some Grana Padano. Now that I've experienced the beauty of Mancuso, I can't imagine why I would go anywhere else in Philadelphia for my salumi and Italian cheese needs. They've got the good stuff. Half of the customers in there were old-time regulars. The other half were newbies like me. The Mancusos know how to make everyone feel welcome and happy to be in their shop. And seriously, from what I saw, the quality of the merchandise can't be beat. read more