Key Takeaways
- Abbott Elementary spotlights Philadelphia institution Ishkabibble’s when a student skips school amid her parents’ divorce and heads to South Street for a cheesesteak.
- Opened in 1979, Ishkabibble’s serves made-to-order cheesesteaks and claims the original chicken cheesesteak, alongside Spanish fries and its half-lemonade, half-grape ‘gremlin’ drink.
- The South Street favorite has welcomed Wiz Khalifa, Usher, Hayley Williams, and Jill Scott, and its popularity spawned Ishkabibble’s II on the same block.
In the latest episode of Abbott Elementary, a young student plays hooky and visits an iconic sandwich institution.
The episode, titled “Check-Ins,” aired on ABC last Wednesday, Oct. 14, and during the episode, Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) catches her former student Courtney (Lela Hoffmeister) skipping class. Janine later learns that Courtney is acting out as her parents are in the midst of a divorce. While Janine tries to maintain an open dialogue with Courtney, Courtney shuts down her efforts.
But after a firm, but loving chat with Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Courtney begins to open up to Janine. Janine admits she used to skip school to go to the art museum, then asks if Courtney went home. Courtney said she didn’t want to go home, and opted to visit Philadelphia’s South Street district.
Janine jokingly asked “You went clubbing,” before Courtney admitted she went to a place called Ishkabibble’s, ordered a cheesesteak, and walked around.
Those unfamiliar with Philly may be surprised to hear “Ishkabibble’s,” but the eatery is one of the city’s most revered.
Ishkabibble’s first opened in 1979. The shop’s name refers to a term meaning "I should worry?" or "Who cares?.” Often mistaken for Yiddish, the word “ishkabibble” isn’t actually Yiddish. But these sandwiches are worth caring for.
Ishkabibble’s is known for its cheesesteaks, which are made to the customer’s order. The shop is also said to be home of the original chicken cheesesteak, which customers often order with mushrooms, american cheese, sweet peppers, pizza sauce, and onions. No Ishkabibble’s sandwich is complete without a side of the signature Spanish fries, which are topped with cheese, grilled onions, and peppers. Many customers opt to wash it all down with the gremlin, Ishkabibble’s signature half-lemonade and half-grape juice drink.Over the years, several notable figures have popped into Ishkabibble’s for a bite, including Wiz Khalifa, Usher, Hayley Williams, and Miss Jilly from Philly herself, Jill Scott. Celebrity guests often post pictures of themselves to the restaurant’s wall, which can be seen on its Instagram page.
This particular shop is so popular that a second iteration, appropriately called Ishkabibble’s II, is located on the same block, just down the street from the original.
Ishkabbible’s wasn’t the only shout-out to Abbott Elementary’s city setting in this season so far. In the season premiere, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers arrive to Abbott to help teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti) build a playground. However, Jacob believes that the trio is a group of imposters and shoos them away.
New episodes of Abbott Elementary air Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and are available to stream on Hulu the following day.
