20 must-follow Philly TikTok accounts, from Door Dashers and rappers to Gritty

To make it in Philly, you need grit, a no-nonsense personality, and a thick skin. To make it online in Philly, you need all of the above — plus a sense of humor, and probably at least one brand deal with Wawa.

For Philadelphia’s small but mighty community of TikTok content creators, 2023 has been a banner year. The city got its first influencer marketing agency just months before Gov. Josh Shapiro invited a brigade of influencers to vlog the I-95 reopening. All the while, Philadelphians have gone viral for spoofing Eurodance, believing Taylor Swift controls the fortune of the Sixers, and creating one of the platform’s enduring song trends.

» READ MORE: At Philly’s only influencer marketing agency, a ‘stage mom’ teaches content creators how to handle fame

From rage-bait food critics and a vlogging delivery driver to a sports superfan and a mascot, here are 20 of Philly’s must-follow TikTok accounts from 2023.

Mallory — a supermarket cook by day — has spent the year recording quippy takedowns of rage-bait recipe videos from her North Philly home, spawning a catchphrase with a life of its own. Hear “Everybody’s so creative,” and immediately think of blunt armchair commentary, casserole dishes filled with crunchy pasta, and lots of undercooked meat.

» READ MORE: This Philly woman went mega-viral by mocking gross cooking TikToks. Like many Black creators, her fame hasn’t been profitable.

Ever wonder how the sundaes get made at Franklin Fountain’s old-world-themed ice cream parlor? On the shop’s official account, staff walk through the recipes (with a side of history lessons) for Franklin Fountain’s most decadent treats, from a Stock Market Crunch Sundae with rocky road ice cream and peanut sauce to ice cream bars shaped like keystones.

This duo of Temple-made food bloggers are known for their engaging, rapid-fire reviews of quirky Philly restaurants, like an anime-themed ramen bar in Mayfair. Mitchell and Neckritz also provide no-frills guides to getting the most out of Philly lifestyle staples, Center City Sips and trips down the Shore included.

Though Chris Cho owns the casual Philly KBBQ Serabol, Chef Cho is better known for his TikTok account, where he posts recipes for homestyle Korean favorites filmed in his kitchen. In two minutes or less, Cho can teach you how to prepare bulk kimchi, crispy chive pancakes, and pillowy steamed eggs.

Picture this: A man in a Birds sweatshirt with a deep Delco accent is shouting at you about the best hoagie he’s ever had, which is from a hole-in-the-wall in Newtown Square. No, this isn’t a date at McGillins — this is Godfather of Meat’s TikTok, where this Telford man roves around the Philadelphia suburbs in search of the perfect cheesesteak and reviews them with a mix of charm and bluntness you could only find right outside of Philly.

This budding food influencer has the charm of Keith Lee and the knowledge of a Philly lifer. Similar to Lee, Young Got Flavors uses his TikTok to uplift Black-owned businesses, with detailed rundowns of what to order at North Philly food trucks, West Philly brunch spots, and the occasional dessert joint.

Matthews is a former member of the Philadelphia Flyers Ice Team who started posting to TikTok in 2020, where she quickly built a reputation as Philly’s virtual tour guide. Matthews regularly posts itineraries for day trips and weekend getaways (like climbing a tower of mums in Schwenksville or going on an Amish cookie tour in Lancaster), plus tips on where to find major sales, like that Anthropologie pop-up that turned into a year-round store at the Philadelphia Mills mall.

Aversa is a local publicist who uses TikTok to preview events for clients, like the unveiling of new animals at the Philadelphia Zoo or a pop-up garden bar at Craftsman Saloon. His PR spin can be helpful for followers seeking quick guides to signature Philly events, such as Center City Sips (he represents several participating bars) and the Christmas Village (which Aversa also reps).

This momfluencer technically hails from South Jersey, but we’ll give her a pass this time. Noel Lapalomento first went viral for unfiltered videos of how hilarious — and challenging — styling her sassy 6-year-old daughter Giada’s hair could be. Since then, her content has grown into a suite of MomTok staples: Mommy-daughter OOTDS, school lunch walk-throughs, and ideas for easy girls’ days, all with the zest of a Philly mom who doesn’t mess around.

» READ MORE: Philly’s graduating college influencers face a choice: Adult online or ghost their followers?

Edelman describes his brand as “gay chaos,” which boils down to a mix of 20-something drunk escapades, off-the-dome jokes about adulting, and peeks behind the curtain at what being a content creator entails. Edelman’s work captures the vibes of figuring things out as a young adult, where everything — from meeting your partner’s family for the first time to a particularly bad hangover — feels significant enough to talk about.

Moore won Fashion Influencer of the Year at this summer’s Philadelphia magazine Influencer Awards, thanks to the ability to put together outfits that meld street style with a dose of prep for work or a night out. In between turning looks, Moore posts local date night ideas with her husband of three years and talks candidly about settling into married life.

The official TikTok of the Philadelphia Eagles is equally adept at throwing Taylor Swift-themed shade as it is at capturing candid moments, like Jalen Hurts’ motivational pregame speeches or the polite aftermath of a Brotherly Shove pile-on. The Eagles’ TikTok also spends its fair share of time humanizing the players through a series of wholesome locker room questions, where no question is off limits, from how often they think about the Roman Empire to who has the messiest locker. (Spoiler: It’s Jason Kelce.)

Admittedly the TikTok account for the New Heights Show, hosted by Jason Kelce and his brother Travis, only posts bite-sized clips of the podcast, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a favorite among casual Birds fans (or intense Swifties). The TikTok is heavy on Kelce family stories, like how Jason and Kylie met, as well as football explainers, where the brothers use their “No Dumb Questions” segment to cheekily teach the basics of the game.

Pagliei is known for his taking his dyed mohawk and painted face to just about every Eagles, Sixers, Phillies, and Flyers home game, and his TikTok offers a glimpse into what it takes to be a professional, full-time fan. Pagliei provides moments of unbridled joy by filming his reactions to touchdowns and hat tricks, and his followers have come to rely on him for to-the-minute updates of games.

» READ MORE: Who is the Philly Sports Guy and what were his 5 favorite sporting moments of 2022?

The Flyers mascot has taken his antics to TikTok, where most of his bits involve throwing things at people or hustling kids in hockey. The account does, however, show a softer side of Gritty: He’s holding auditions for a best friend, has taken up ultimate Frisbee and hangs out with alligators in his spare time.

This stand-up comic from the Philly suburbs was invited to document the reopening of I-95 off the back of his viral current events explainers. Pearlman recounts local news without the polish of a newscaster, equal parts exasperated and awed by what he’s learned. He’s had a banner year of news to update his followers on, too, like the 14-day manhunt of Danilo Cavalcante and the overblown Philadelphia water contamination scare.

Though Conrad Benner’s street art blog has been around since 2011, Streets Dept shines on TikTok, where Benner regularly spotlights new public art installations and interviews muralists about their work. Benner’s TikToks capture a vibrant and almost romantic version of Philly, filled with yarn bombs, scenic walks, and galleries.

This nameless Uber Eats and Grubhub driver films making food deliveries across Center City on bike, showing the reality of working in Philly’s gig economy. The creator behind Downtown Hustle shows his hourly pay while stacking jobs from multiple apps, avoiding near collisions with careless drivers, and dealing with less-than-ideal customers. All the while, Downtown Hustle appears upbeat, turning his videos from anxiety-inducing to oddly calming.

Though Williams went viral in July for exposing Keke Palmer’s ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson as an embarrassing Philly man, her true talent is just letting her internal monologue run wild in front of the camera. A natural storyteller, Williams is able to turn the mundanity of life in Philly into relatable anecdotes, like the time a package thief knocked on her door or the time her neighborhood cheesesteak spot wouldn’t make her a sandwich because they got a new chef.

This West Philly rapper’s single “BILLIE EILISH” sparked a TikTok dance challenge so viral it capitulated White to immediate stardom, leading him to perform with Eilish herself this summer at a music festival. Now, White uses TikTok to tease songs ahead of his forthcoming album Casablanco and document the upsides of fame, like being able to take his mom to the MTV Video Music Awards.

» READ MORE: Billie Eilish invited West Philly rapper Armani White to perform the track he named after her