Richie's

What a gem near the heart of Temple University’s campus. The drinks and sandwiches are delicious and reasonably priced for the portion sizes. The staff is friendly. There is inside seating and outside seating available on a quiet tree lined patio.

Everyone at Temple tries Richie's eventually. The line is always super long, but they operate like clockwork, so the wait is never unreasonable. In fact, even at its busiest times, Richie's is faster than most other places on campus. Their business is all about quantity and execution: selling a ton of food, very fast. And that's also the essential characteristic that defines Richie's quality. When you have so much turnover, everything is always fresh because nothing stays on the premises for very long. No slimy cold cuts, no warm mayo, no slaw with the effervescence that let's you know it's in the early stages of fermentation. And this is why my go-to order at Richie's is the corned beef special. You get paper-thin corned beef, piled into a big mound, so the center of the sandwich is thick and it tapers toward the outer edges. They top it with coleslaw and Thousand Island dressing. All between two slices of fresh deli rye. None of the sandwich's elements are particularly extraordinary. It's the most average corned beef special you can imagine, no different from what you'd expect from a grocery store or a diner. But that's okay. I'm not looking for more. This is not a specialty sandwich shop or an upscale deli. And once you understand Richie's, and set your expectations appropriately, you realize the corned beef special is actually incredible! Why? Because all of the ingredients are always dependably and extraordinarily fresh. That amplifies all the textures. The slaw is crisp, the dressing is creamy, the meat is tender, the bread is soft. Therefore, it is better than almost any average corned beef sandwich you're going to find anywhere. And I suppose that means: it is actually above average and this review is full of contradictions. One more thing: I'm always struck by the temperature control. The corned beef is perfectly chilled. Seriously. I never think about this anywhere else, and I suppose it's a weird thing to say, but it's true: the person who sets and monitors the refrigerator temperatures at Richie's deserves a raise. The chill elevates the food. Bottom line: I order from Richie's once every few weeks and as long as they keep doing what they do, I imagine I'll continue to do so until I retire.

Was not ready for such a bomb breakfast sandwich. This was just an audible and happened to find this spot from good reviews and wow did it deliver. Great ingredients, classic breakfast sando on a long roll, owner was a G. Can't wait to come back. Steak, egg, cheese, ketchup, hot sauce, long roll 🔥🔥🔥

Service: the guy at the counter is really friendly and has good memories 🤣 just say your order once and bell remember you Speed: prepare to wait for 20+ minutes, you have to wait for ordering, and wait longer for making your food Food: tried the egg and cheese bagel! It was huge🤣 I like the texture of the bagel too! The iced coffee is good too! 真的要排很久 但滿值得的啦

It stands to reason why Richie’s is one of the best food stands on Temple’s campus—it’s not just the food and coffee, it’s Richie himself. While I was a Temple student, I would stop at Richie’s many a morning before class for a breakfast sandwich (or wrap) and coffee, though his stand is also a rather popular lunchtime destination for those on campus. He has a personality worthy of his own TV show in the way he calls out orders to his back-of-house food prep staff and his penchant for remembering students’ names and regular orders. He also makes an effort to stay in touch via social media with Temple alumni (myself included) even years after they graduate. Keep it up, Richie!