Honest Tom's Taco Shop & Lil' Pop Shop

When your cravings lead you south of the border, Honest Tom’s serves up some classic tacos and burritos that are sure to satisfy. Owned by Drexel graduate, Tom McCusker, the taco shop originally started in 2009 as a colorful food truck in west Philadelphia where it was quickly praised for its breakfast style tacos among others.  Around the summer of 2012, Tom and his crew opened up a small, yet quaint, brick and mortar location in an effort to spread their goodness to many.

At Honest Tom’s breakfast is served from 8am until noon and lunch/dinner until 9pm. A typical breakfast taco at Honest Tom’s contains scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, guacamole, cheese, and salsa, all between a flour tortilla and can be accompanied with coffee from local GreenStreet roasters. While the breakfast at Honest Tom’s has always generated solid buzz, their lunch and dinner options, which now include burritos, are stealing the show. The menu at the taco shop is pretty standard, tacos are 2 for $6 and burritos are $8 with options for meat including chicken, pork, beef, steak, and fish, depending on the season. Vegetarian options include rice and beans or my personal favorite of sweet potatoes catering to those with restrictions. 

On my most recent visit, I had a chicken burrito, which was both insanely large and delicious. One single burrito was more than I could handle which makes this place way worth the value. When chatting with Tom on my visit, he uncovered that what makes the food at Honest Tom’s so honest is that mostly all the ingredients are from local farmers that can be found at Clark Park. By using only the freshest products, Honest Tom’s tacos and burritos are simply a cut above the rest in terms of quality for the price.

If you find yourself needing treatment from excessive hot sauce exposure, Honest Tom’s trusty neighbor Lil’ Pop Shop cannot go unmentioned. Also made from 100% natural and local ingredients, this artisanal popsicle shop is home to many peculiar flavors both dairy and non-dairy. The flavors are always changing based on whatever produce is in season at the farmers market which always brings new discoveries. On my visit, I got the vientmenese ice coffee flavor that had a strong, yet creamy flavor and included coffee grounds for texture. At $3 a pop, some may question the value, though after tasting the quality and dedication put into the making of these popsicles, Lil’ Pop Shop is simply unmatched.