ABC
Quinta Brunson’s critically acclaimed television sitcom, Abbot Elementary, has been praised for many things, among them how hard it works to represent Philadelphia in a way that locals appreciate (The Philadelphia Inquirer has been obsessively chronicling all the references to sports teams, local personalities, and more). Its treatment of food is no exception. The show frequently highlights iconic Philly and Pennsylvania dishes and brands, from soft pretzels, hoagies, cheesesteaks, and water ice to Utz pretzels and Tastykakes.
The program doesn’t shy away from references to chain restaurants like Dunkin’ Donuts and Chuck E. Cheese — hence this map including a couple of chains that are significant to the show. Abbott Elementary will also occasionally invent a restaurant to serve its comedic purposes (if only Bone Town were actually a local barbecue place, or the pope had actually blessed the pizza oven of a shop called Dough Nuts). But more often than not, the sitcom shines a light on real Philly restaurants, from iconic to obscure. Here are the ones that have gotten shoutouts so far — spoiler warning, obviously.
Did we miss a Philadelphia restaurant reference on Abbott Elementary? Let us know by emailing philly@eater.com.
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