Though the hoagie is a unique Philadelphia region creation, hoagie origins are still a mystery, writes Sam Greszes for Yardbarker.
The Delco-centric story is that the first hoagie came in 1925 from a shop in Chester, when a picky customer wanted a sandwich filled with whatever was available, so the staff loaded the sandwich up with cold cuts, peppers, and cheeses.
A second story says Hog Island shipyard Italian immigrants in the mid-1950s made long-roll sandwiches stuffed with meats and cheeses, popularly known as Hog Island sandwiches, shortened to “hoggies,” then “hoagies…