Delilah's (at the Reading Terminal Market)

I absolutely adore the Reading Terminal Market. The main entrance is the doorway to a world of bustling excitement. Reading Terminal is a historic indoor farmer’s market in the heart of Philadelphia. Located at 12th and Filbert Streets, the Market is super convenient for people to grab lunch or purchase fresh meat and produce. There are over 80 vendors in the Market, encompassing everything from Chinese food to Thanksgiving dinner to home-style southern food.

I have heard so much about the macaroni-and-cheese at the Reading Terminal Market. Delilah’s mac-and-cheese has been featured on The View, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and The Today Show, and was named the best macaroni-and-cheese in the nation by Ms. Oprah Winfrey herself.

Needless to say, I was really looking forward to tasting this well-known meal. I arrived in the Market and located Delilah’s towards that back of the vendors. There was a glass partition separating me from the food, which was probably a good thing because I was like a child with my nose up against the glass, impatiently waiting to be served. I was less than impressed with the service. I was the only person in line to order and I was left waiting for 6 or 7 minutes.

When I finally ordered and paid my $5.40 for a small mac-and-cheese, I sat down and prepared to plunge my fork into the blob of cheese and noodles that sat before me. Delilah’s mac-and-cheese was a very vibrant shade of yellow, the unmistakable color of traditional macaroni-and-cheese (similar to the Crayola Crayon of the same name). I dug my fork in and took my first bite.

This macaroni-and-cheese had a lot of texture. It was rich with different types of cheeses and flavors. When it comes to macaroni-and-cheese, I believe the cheesier, the better. The macaroni was thicker than traditional noodles, but as I have stated before, I prefer that.

This dish did not disappoint in the cheese department – it was loaded with cheese. Overall however, I was very disappointed with Delilah’s. I was expecting an amazing macaroni-and-cheese experience and what I received was an average, traditional mac-and-cheese. It was very heavy and obviously loaded with calories. The small was plenty to leave me satisfied.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars. Next time I go to the Reading Terminal Market, I will get mac-and-cheese from the turkey vendor.


In case you are interested in more information on the history of the Reading Terminal Market or other vendors, visit the website at http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/.