Philadelphia Filly Cart on the 16th Street Mall Is Closing After Almost Thirty Years

"We've had a fun life," says Sally Rock, who brought the first cheesesteak to Denver in 1983. "No one knew what they were back then. Now they're everywhere."

After first opening a cheesesteak spot on Old South Pearl Street, Rock and her husband, Dale Goin, have operated the Philadelphia Filly cart on the 16th Street Mall since 1996, dishing up sandwiches in the triangle formed by the intersection of 16th Street, Broadway and Cleveland Place. But on Friday, October 20, Rock will serve her last sandwich and the cart will close for good.

The reason: The ongoing construction on the 16th Street Mall will soon cut off the cart's current location. Although the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District has been open to helping the Philadelphia Filly find a new spot, the business's license is expiring, and "it's so complicated to renew it," Rock says. "We're also getting old, and we feel like this is the universe telling us it's time."
Rock "has lived five lives," she says. She's originally from Pittsburgh and attended Penn State, where she became a registered landscape architect before moving to Philadelphia and going to cooking school. She opened her first eatery, an outdoor cafe, in Philly with two other women from her cooking school, and when one of them moved to Palmer Lake, Rock followed her to Colorado. She eventually made her way to Denver and opened two restaurants before the business "evolved" into the cart, which she and Goin originally purchased in order to serve sandwiches at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she says.

In addition to operating on the 16th Street Mall, Philadelphia Filly became a staple at all sorts of events, from music festivals to Pride to rodeos. Closing the brick-and-mortar restaurants and focusing on the cart is a path that allowed the couple to do a lot of traveling, too. "We've been to 135 countries and all seven continents," Rock says.

Through it all, Philadelphia Filly has garnered a loyal following, and "a lot of people are sad that we're leaving," Rock adds. "People have come up to us and said, 'This is the best cheesesteak I've ever had!'" The secret, she says, is the quality of the meat that the cart uses. Plus, a sandwich is still priced at just $10.
While she has loved her life as a food cart owner, Rock is ready for the next chapter. "During COVID, I started painting," she says. "I've sold 168 paintings so far." Her work is on display at the Denver Art Society on Santa Fe Drive, as well as artbysallyrock.com. You can also sign up for her email list by contacting [email protected]: "We choose someone from the email list to win a painting every other month," Rock notes.

As for the cart itself, it's available. "If there's anyone interested in taking it over, they should reach out," Rock says. While the new owner wouldn't be able to open on the 16th Street Mall, there's still plenty of demand on the outdoor events circuit, she adds.

Philadelphia Filly is located at 120 16th Street Mall and will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every weekday through Friday, October 20.