Saturday, September 26, 2009

Philip's Steaks Philly Cheese Steak

Philip's Steaks Philly Cheese Steak Review

Philip’s Steaks is another perfect example of how you can find better Philly cheese steaks in Philly than what is traditionally known to be the best. I have recently eaten at Philip’s to reconfirm what I have known for many years.

Philip’s Steaks is located at 2234 West Passyunk Avenue, South Philadelphia, PA. They have been in business for over 25 years and have a very solid revenue from the locals. Philip’s Steaks is situated at a key traffic point off the highway and generates a decent amount of sales. They could be what Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s Steaks have been for some time but are still lacking major recognition. This could be why I still like their steaks. Philip’s Steaks has a good bang for your buck. I bought a regular Philly cheese steak with extra onions and a large soda for $9.

Phillip’s cheese steak was only $7.25, which is 75 cents cheaper than Pat’s and Geno’s. The sandwich was all round perfect. The bread was soft Italian bread about a foot long. This is a few inches bigger than Pat’s and Geno’s. The cheese that I ordered was American cheese (if I eat whiz with my cheese steaks for all my reviews I may not make it too far). The cheese was perfectly melted and tucked away within the steak. The steak was thinly sliced rib eye steak. There was a sufficient amount in there to give you your money’s worth.

The only problem that I had was with the onions. The onions were rarely cooked at all. I like onions cooked from medium to almost well done. Actually, the best onions are those that are cut really thin and simmered low for a few hours. They become so tasty that you could eat them without anything else.

I ate my Philip’s cheese steak on the small metal stand up tables attached to the side of the building. Most cheese steak places in Philly have this including Geno’s, Pat’s, and Jim’s. I have always found it fascinating of how many diverse people that you meet at cheese steak shops. Word of advice for many tourists: Just act natural when you are in Philly. I write this blog as an educational blog for those who are interested in the Philly cheese steak but inevitably I have to share some information about the city as a whole.

It appears to me that many tourists who visit Philly always have this preconception of everyone being so rude and looking for a fight. The truth is that it is not that way. For example, when I went to Philip’s, this tourist with his friend kept talking tough to the cashier as if he was supposed to because he is in Philly. Philip’s is a regular local Philadelphia cheese steak place run by friendly locals. They are not looking for trouble. Because people are told what to expect when they go to Geno’s or Pat’s they think that they have to act tough for every cheese steak place. This is inaccurate and unnecessary. Geno’s and Pat’s has a reputation to live up to and deals with tourists all day long and that could be the reason they have so many ordering rules there (and the tough guy reputation to live up to). It could also be that they have been abused by the tourists so long that this is the result.

Philadelphians are nice people as a whole so if you come to Philly don’t try to act tough for no reason. This actually makes you look more like a tourist. The reason that I digressed here was to let you know that the people working in these cheese steak places are just normal hardworking people and deserve to be treated with respect. If they don’t give you any trouble than you shouldn’t give them any. Enough with the lecture…

My review conclusion…Philip’s Steaks has a dynamite Philly cheese steak for your buck. Aside from their onions not meeting my standards, Philip’s Steaks is a true hidden gem of a cheese steak shop and goes down as having one of the Best Philly Cheese steaks.

Philip's Steaks on Urbanspoon

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tony Luke's Review

Tony Luke's Cheese Steak Review

Tony Luke’s is a place that you go for real Philly sandwiches. My review today is about their Philly cheese steak but I have been here many times and have to say that all of their sandwiches have made an impression on me.

Tony Luke’s located at 39 East Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia, PA is one of the newer of the major sandwich/cheese steak shops in Philly. They opened around 20 years ago (I don’t know the exact date). They are located right under the bridge before you get on the highway in a very high trafficked area of South Philly. Tony Luke’s has made a name for themselves in the short time that they have been open. The following is a sample of the awards that they have won:


Tony Luke's has been featured numerous times in Philadelphia Magazine's
annual "Best of Philly" issue, so much so that it has been inducted into the
"Best of Philly HALL OF FAME."

Best Food
Roast Pork Sandwich, 2004

Best Food,
Best Sandwich at the Ballpark, 2004

Best Food,
Hamburger Alternative, 1998

Best Food,
Hamburger Alternative, 1997
Roast Pork Sandwich

Voted into Philadelphia Magazine's "Best of Philly Hall of Fame" Best Food,
Cheesesteak, 1994

Best Food,
Roast Pork Sandwich, 1994

Tony Luke's Steak Italian
Named among the Gentleman's Quarterly's "Golden Dishes of 1998"



Tony Luke’s was started by a man nicknamed Tony Luke. The business is now run by his son Tony Luke Junior. The family has been very successful with their sandwich shop and their other businesses. Tony Luke’s has opened up a Beef and Sports Bar right across the street. Tony Luke Junior also has a successful side career as an actor. He has been featured in movies such as Invincible and 10th and Wolf and soon to be the main character in The Nail.

The Luke family continues to compete successfully against many other major sandwich competitors because they offer a good product at a reasonable price. Tony Luke’s menu is one of the best features of their business. They have a large variety of sandwiches that are consistently good in all categories. My favorite sandwich that I recommend is to order the chicken or veal cutlet with broccoli rabe. From my many years eating there and the various sandwiches that I have tried, that one seems to be their most popular and the most satisfying.

But we’re not here to talk about other sandwiches…this is the greatest cheese steak blog ever invented so I have to give my Philly cheese steak review.

Tony Luke’s Philly cheese steak is outstanding. Their cheese steak is slightly underpriced to Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks but a little larger. Weighing in at $7.25 and a few inches longer then the Top Three cheese steak Shops, Tony Luke’s is a major contender.

Tony Luke’s steak uses sliced rib eye steak packed just enough (at least more than the Top Three). However, compared to other local cheese steak places in Philly, it is still not thick enough. Don’t get me wrong, one sandwich should fill you but nothing like the Famous 4th Street Deli.

The bread was an Italian roll but a little hard. The ideal roll should be very soft. Although this Italian roll was hard the inside was not thick, which makes the roll acceptable. The worst cheese steaks are those with very thick Italian rolls. The rolls can be hard but the insides should be gutted to create a thin roll (the steak is thick enough as it is).

The cheese melted nicely between the steak. The onions: I forgot to order onions…sorry. Well, actually the truth is they never asked me. Usually major cheese steak places in Philly always make a big deal about “With or Without.” Again that is only the Top Three and only for tourists. Local Philly cheese steak sandwiches do not make a big deal about asking for onions properly. Tony Luke’s takes on the local mentality as in “who cares.”

I also ordered a side of sweet peppers. I highly recommend them as a nice somewhat healthy side order. They are very tasty and they give you a good amount. A soda, Philly cheese steak, and a side of sweet peppers for under $12. That is a reasonable price for a good healthy greasy Philly meal.

Overall, I am satisfied with Tony Luke’s and have been for years. This is where the locals really eat when they want a popular sandwich. Not many local Philadelphians who have lived here their whole life goes to Pat’s or Geno’s very often. They are too expensive and usually come with at least an hour wait (all that when you can go a few blocks in any direction and find a place that will crush them in a competition.

Although Tony Luke’s rolls are a little harder than normal, their sandwich goes down for the record as one of the best Philly cheese steaks.

Tony Luke's on Urbanspoon

Monday, September 21, 2009

John’s Roast Pork Shop Review

John’s Roast Pork Shop Review

John’s Roast Pork is one of the oldest sandwich shops actively running in Philadelphia. Established in 1930, John’s Roast Pork also known as: John’s Lunch, The Snyder Avenue Lunch Bar, and the Shack has been in the same spot since its inception. John’s is located at 14 East Snyder Avenue, South Philadelphia, PA 19148, which is across the street from the Snyder Plaza (on the corner of Weccacoe and Snyder). John’s has been successful for three generations and the same family (Bucci’s) is still running the place.

Don’t let the name fool you. John’s Roast Pork is actually a place where you can get all kinds of sandwiches, both hot and cold. They have won many awards from various places too. For example, in 2006 John’s won the James Beard Award for culinary excellence. John’s was also voted number one for best pork sandwich in 2000 and best Philly cheese steak in 2002 by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

I like John’s Roast Pork Sandwich Shop. I recently ate both a roast pork and a Philly cheese steak there. The roast pork was very good. I had it with spinach on top, hot peppers, hot sauce, and Americn cheese. Since this blog is about Philly cheese steaks, I will focus my review on that.

John’s Roast Pork Philly cheese steak is a very solid sandwich. A large cost me $6.50 and was close to a foot long. The steak was chopped and not cut thin like Geno’s or Pat’s Steak. The American cheese was melted nice on top of the steak. The onions were lightly grilled with minimal sightings of dark coloration.

The bread would be one of the downfalls of this cheese steak. John’s uses Italian roils but the rolls are much harder than Pat’s and Geno’s. The ideal best Philly cheese steak would have a soft Italian roll with a lightly glazed golden color. The key is soft. This is a phenomenon as like why is the sky blue. I don’t know but a soft roll makes a cheese steak tastes better (in most expert’s opinion including famed Joey Vento).

Overall, this sandwich is very good but I vote John’s Roast Pork Philly cheese steak a yellow light. Why? The reason I think that you should proceed to eat from John’s with caution is because of a few observations that I made. First, this sandwich shop is located on a small little section all by its lonesome next to giant shopping centers and only a few stone’s throw from the Delaware river. The building that it is located in looks like it has not been fixed up since the original owner opened for business. Inside the shop, the grill appears very dirty compared to many other famous cheese steak joints. Joey Vento from Geno’s Steaks has high priced steaks and doesn’t give you your money’s worth but his place is as clean as he proclaims it to be. Cleanliness is a huge issue that needs to be incorporated into food’s price. How much would you pay to know that you are eating clean food (forget healthy – we are talking about cheese steaks)?

John’s Roast Pork’s employees were not wearing gloves and were handling the sandwich, meat, and the money. That is a no no for me.

The other thing that I didn’t like about this place is that their hours are funny. They open at 6:30 and close the grill at 2:30. From that point you can only order cold sandwiches until the doors shut at 3:00. This is not the way to run a business. Why limit yourself to a certain schedule when the demand is constant and all day?

My final recommendation is to think about what was discussed today before you try John’s Roast Pork. If cleanliness is a big issue to you that a greasy hole in the wall like this may not be your bag of tea. If on the other hand, you are willing to look the other way when it comes to the food preparation then you may want to consider this place to visit. John’s does have an excellent roast pork and Philly cheese steak but I am voting them a yellow light (proceed with caution) because I am a little leery about their overall cleanliness.

Below I have included some of John’s Roast Pork recent menu items for your convenience:

Roast Pork Sandwich
Roast Beef Sandwich
Meatball Sandwich
Italian Sausage Sandwich
Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Chicken Cutlet Parmesan Sandwich
American Hoagie
Italian Hoagies
Ham & Cheese Hoagie
Cheese Hoagie
Tuna Hoagie
Turkey Hoagie
Chicken Salad Hoagie
Roast Beef Hoagie
Plain Steak Sandwich
Cheese Steak
Pizza Steak
Cheese Steak Hoagie
Bacon Cheese Steak
Mushroom Cheese Steak
Sweet Pepper Cheese Steak
Steak Milano (w/Grilled Tomato & Provolone)
Chicken Steak
Chicken Steak (w/Cheese)
Chicken Steak Italiano (w/Provolone & Spinach)
Chicken Steak Hoagie
Bruschetta Cheese Steak
Hot Dog
Hamburger
Cheese Burger
Hot Ham & Cheese
Grilled Cheese
Fish Cake
Deviled Crab Cake
Bacon Lettuce & Tomato
Texas Tommy
French Fries
Onion Rings
Chicken Wings (8 pc.)
Mozzarella Sticks

John's Roast Pork on Urbanspoon

Friday, September 18, 2009

Little Sicily Pizza Steaks | Hoagies

Little Sicily Pizza Steaks and Hoagies Review

Little Sicily Pizza Steaks and Hoagies in South Philadelphia is a perfect example of a pizza and Philly cheese steak place that is a hidden secret in the Philadelphia food community. This is a perfect example of how you can find non touristy places in the heart of Philly that has food better and cheaper than the most popular restaurants.

Little Sicily Pizza was established in 1968 and sits at 1433 West Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, PA. They promote themselves as having the best pizza in town and that is why they need to be reviewed here. This type of business falls under two categories, pizza and cheese steaks, so I will have one review for two of our blogs. In Philly, these types of operations are very common. A pizza place tries to complement its business by selling cheese steaks and a cheese steak sandwich shops tries to complement its business by selling pizzas.

Pizza or cheese steak…it doesn’t matter with a place like Little Sicily as you can’t go wrong either way. This place is very Sicilian style Italian. There are many pictures of famous Italian actors on the walls. You may enjoy the Al Pacino pictures. This is a sit down or take out pizzeria. The cashier slash waiter is very polite as this is a nicely run family business.

First the pizza. The pizza that I ordered was American style. They do not have fancy gourmet pizza here and if I asked for my traditional Margherita pizza that might blow my cover as an undercover food critic. So places like this I prefer not to ask stupid questions. Besides, most Philadelphia pizza places aren’t in tune with the whole Margherita concept unless you go to a gourmet pizza joint and they better know what a Margherita is.

I ordered one slice of pepperoni and one plain cheese slice. There pizza is very unique. They really make good Sicilian pizzas (I have been here before) so their regular pizzas have a similar crust. That is, there crust is sort of thick and blackened. They give you plenty of pepperoni on the pepperoni pizza slice. The cheese tasted good but it was part of the only problem with this pizza. The cheese slides off very easy as it was all stuck together. So I had to keep picking it up and putting it back on the pizza. This may be due to a little more oil than necessary.

Overall, the pizza was very good for the price (about $2 each) and the slices are very big slices. I didn’t need the cheese steak to help full me (but I ate it anyway). This is an example of how you can get a great deal in Philly. A place like this runs specials on hoagie, cheese steaks, and pizza specials all day every day. You can get a 16 inch large pizza from anywhere between $11 and $15 depending on what type. This pizza will fill about 3 or 4 people – It’s the real deal!

The cheese steak was phenomenal. It makes Geno’s or Pat’s look silly in all areas. The Philly cheese steak cost about $5.50 and it is a few inches longer and thicker than any of the top 3 cheese steak joints. The rolls are good soft Italian rolls. The softness is what makes this sandwich taste out of this world.

You should be full if you eat the whole sandwich (if you’re not then add a slice of pizza). The cheese was American cheese melted 100% and the stick was chopped rib-eye steak. I put a little ketchup on my cheese steak to add some flavor. The onions were fried nice and crispy.

Little Sicily cheese steak was about $2.50 less than a Geno’s or Pat’s Steak. Are you starting to understand what I mean that you can find way better, cheaper, tastier, and friendlier cheese steak joints in Philly, especially South Philly? Little Sicily Pizza is only about 10 blocks from Geno’s and Pat’s. You can follow Passyunk Avenue straight up and you will actually pass right by it. So with that said, why does all of these tourists want to go wait 2 hours in a line for a cheese steak of a lesser kind? My answer is because they don’t know and that is what this blog is about. So stay tuned as I take you to the true best Philly cheese steak and best Philadelphia pizza places.


Little Sicily on Urbanspoon

Monday, September 14, 2009

Best Philly Cheese Steaks Review

This page will be a comprehensive list of all of the Best Philly Cheese Steak Blog's best Philadelphia cheese steak reviews. Every review mentioned on this site will be documented here in a consolidated form. I will also provide a brief description of whether or not the cheese steak shop in question was voted to be the Best Philly Cheese Steak by our blog (this is shown with a green light review). Note: the big three cheese steak joints are in a category of their own because of their popularity. Happy reading!

The Big Three Cheese Steak Joints (The most popular - Cheese steak fans must try these at least once)

Geno's Steaks - South Philly

Jim's Steaks - South Philly

Pat's King of Steaks - South Philly

Green Light Cheese Steak Reviews (that means GO)
Note: If a Philly cheese steak place has received a green light then this automatically qualifies them into the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club.

Ardmore Pizza - Ardmore, PA

Barry's Steaks - Roxborough

Campo's Deli - Old City Philadelphia

Chink's Steaks - Northeast Philly

Cosmi's Deli - South Philly

Chubby's Cheese Steaks - Roxborough

Dalessandro's Steaks and Hoagies - Roxborough

Dattilo's Italian Delicatessen - Great Northeast Philly

Donkey's Place - Camden, NJ (I know it's not in Philly but this place deserves the exception. Besides its right across the river)

Famous 4th Street Deli - South Philly

George's Famous Roast Beef and Steaks - Italian Market

Gooey Looie's Hoagies and Steaks - South Philly

Grilladelphia - Fishtown

Jake's Philadelphia Cheesesteaks - Center City Philadelphia

Larry's Steaks - City Line Avenue

Leo's Steaks - Folcroft, PA

Little Sicily Pizza Steaks and Hoagies - South Philly

Nick's Old Original Roast Beef - South Philly (using a very loose definition of a Philly cheese steak)

Philip's Steaks - South Philly

Pudge's Steaks and Hoagies - Blue Bell, PA

Rick's Original Philly Steaks - Center City Philadelphia

Simonetta's Italian Style Hoagies and Mediterranean Delights - South Philly

Sonny's Famous Steaks - Old City Philadelphia

Steak and Hoagie Factory - Abington

Steaks on South - South Philly

Steve's Steaks - South Philly

Talk of the Town CheeseSteaks - South Philly

Tommy DiNic's Roast Pork and Beef - Center City Philadelphia (using a very loose definition of a Philly cheese steak)

Tony Luke's - South Philly

White House Sub Shop - Atlantic City, NJ (an exception was made for them not being in Philly. Read to find out why.)

Yellow Light Cheese Steak Reviews (that means proceed with caution)

Frusco Steaks - North Philly

John's Roast Pork - South Philly

Lincoln Financial Field Liberty Grill - South Philly

Pagano's Steaks and Hoagies - North Philly

University City Abner's Cheesesteaks - University City (West Philly)

Red Light Cheese Steak Reviews (Forget about it!)

Chocolate by Mueller - Center City Philadelphia - Chocolate Philly Cheese Steak

Mama's Pizzeria - Bala Cynwyd, PA

Steve's Prince of Steaks - North Philly

Subway - South Philly

Other cheese steak spots (Not reviewed yet):

Ishakabibble's - South Street

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen Review

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen Philly Cheese Steak Review

For some time now I have been telling my readers that I will be letting the secret out of the bag for the best Philly cheese steaks. Before this blog came along, most tourists only know of Pat’s, Geno’s, and Jim’s. Now that I have reviewed the three most popular, it is time to give away some secret cheese steak joints. The first place I will review will be Famous 4th Street Delicatessen in South Philadelphia. They serve all types of sandwiches but after this review you will know why I consider them one of the best Philly cheese steak places.

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen is located at 700 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. This Jewish deli was established in 1923 and is one of the last of its kind, especially in Philadelphia. Famous Deli is a true hidden secret that many locals know of. Actually it is not a true secret in the sense that only locals know about but it is not like Geno’s Steaks where there are lines blocking traffic in the street. Famous Deli did have some international exposure as it was in several movies including Philadelphia (1993) and In Her Shoes (2005).

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen began as a traditional Jewish deli but has recently changed hands in 2005. Considering that I have been eating here for several decades, personally I have not seen a difference in the quality of the food since the ownership change (this is a good sign). It is very important for a family restaurant that has been established for many years to be consistent with its original formula for success even in times of an ownership change.

The reason that I selected Famous 4th Street Delicatessen as my first cheese steak review outside of the Big Three Philly cheese steak places is because I felt that it would serve as a perfect example of the point that I have been trying to establish on this blog, which is that there are so many better, cheaper, healthier, friendlier cheese steak shops in Philly that the tourists don’t know about. You may ask me why I am giving these secrets away for free. I am a food critic and hope for recognition of my work some day. In the meantime, I don’t mind being compensating with a few comments on my blog. One of my other reasons for spilling the beans so to speak is that I truly would like to see other small restaurant/ food businesses benefit from the enormous amount of money that is being spent by tourists at the Big Three steak houses. There is plenty of room for other food businesses in Philly to earn some of the revenue that tourists bring to Philadelphia.

My review of Famous 4th Street Delicatessen:

Obviously, I have personally selected this company because I believe it to be a first class Philly cheese steak shop. I have recently ate there to verify my past conclusions (I always do this to ensure of a fresh review). Famous Deli is a Jewish Deli that serves all types of sandwiches. My favorites there include the Corn beef Reuben and the pastrami on rye. However, about a year ago I was there with some friends and one of the people in my group ordered the cheese steak. I then sampled it and to my surprise I was hooked.

Famous Deli’s cheese steak will put Geno’s, Jim’s, and Pat’s to shame in a competition. Matter of fact, I would bet that if all three of them came up with one sandwich together that Famous Deli would still win. Why do I say this? Don’t worry I have several reasons.

Famous’ Philly cheese steaks have all of the qualities of a best Philly cheese steak. First, their sandwich is very large. The length is the size of a 12 inch loaf of bread but the width is what makes this a large sandwich. The roll is stacked high with chopped rib eye steak and cheese. One half of a sandwich will full the average person. That’s right! I had a very large table the last time I was there and almost everyone ordered a cheese steak and almost everyone left half to take home.

The cheese is fully melted in their cheese steak unlike Jim’s whose sandwich still had ears of cheese sticking out unmelted.

The onions on this steak sandwich are fried until a little black. Famous takes a cooked well approach to the onions as opposed to Geno’s Steaks, which only lightly glazes the onions (they don’t have an ounce of discoloration on them).

The bread used here is also the traditional Italian roll. However, I am not exactly sure as Famous makes most of their food on premises (this would make it a Jewish roll).

The price of this Philly cheese steak is debatably high though at $11. Let me defend this price. This price includes 2 nice sized potato cakes and a large bowl of pickles and cole slaw. By the time the sandwich comes out you will be lightly full from the best tasting cole slaw that you will ever eat. So this $11 goes a long way. I know that Geno’s Steaks is $3 less but you would need 3 Geno’s cheese steaks to equal 1 of Famous’ sandwich.

In summary, Famous 4th Street Delicatessen is a perfect example of a great Philly cheese steak place outside of what tourists are traditionally advertised. If you visit this place, order the cheesesteak and let me know if you agree with my review. Famous Deli has great service, a positive history, a variety of good foods (including its chocolate chip cookies baked on premises), a large tasty cheese steak, a good atmosphere, and a reasonable price. Famous 4th Street Delicatessen goes down as one of the best Philly cheese steaks!

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

Friday, September 11, 2009

Geno’s Steaks Cheesesteak Review

Geno’s Steaks Philly Cheesesteak Review

What can be said of the Great Geno’s Steaks! Even if I was to write a completely negative review of them today, the facts are still facts. Geno’s Steaks is one of if the most popular Philly cheese steak shops in the world. I would like to go over some basic facts about Geno’s before I proceed into my review.

Joe Vento, the owner of Geno’s Steaks, started this amazing business in 1966. The real history begins with his father who opened the famous Jim’s Steaks in the early 1940’s. This is where Joe Vento learned many of the ways of the cheese steak business that were setting the foundations for his future empire.

Vento wanted to open his business across the street from the undisputed King of cheese steaks, Pat’s King of Steaks. All others who had tried this feat had failed. But Joe Vento was confident that he had a good product so he wanted to give it a try. First, he needed to select a name so he thought about Joe’s Steaks but there already was a popular cheese steak place with the name at that time. The origins of the name of the business actually came from a carved name on the door of his building that said “Gino.” At that time there was another business nearby named Gino’s with an “I” so he decided to call it Geno’s with an “e.” Years later in 1971, Joe Vento named his son after his business (instead of the usual other way around). So the real Geno from Geno’s Steak is actually the second generation of that business. Geno today acts as the general and public relations manager.

Joe Vento’s Geno’s Steaks is a rather new business compared to the other famous Philly cheese steak places that exist like Pat’s and Jim’s. But in a period of over 40 years Joe has managed to make his business become a million dollar empire. On any given day, Geno’s Steaks averages around $20,000.

Geno’s Steaks has one main shop located at 1219 S. 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 in the South Philadelphia area. Geno’s also has a warehouse across the street used for the prep work of the steaks. Across the street from that is Joe Vento’s building used to display his Harley Davidson collection. That is what is different about Geno’s.

Joe Vento is a cheese steak owner unlike no other. He loves the fame and glamour. Between his Harley collection and all of the neon lights to his building you would never know that the oldest cheese steak place existed across the street if there weren’t any lines there. His side of the cheese steak spot appears to be a section out of Old Las Vegas.

Geno’s Steaks has helped take the cheese steak business to the level that it is today. Joe Vento and his son Geno have excellent business and public relations skills. They know how to get media attention and use it to their advantage. It has been thier marketing skills that have helped the Philadelphia cheese steak market take the international spotlight. Philadelphia tourism is interconnected with the cheese steak business and many have not given the proper credit to Joe Vento. Joe is a marketing genius behind all his tough guy façade. His ingenuity actually began the first day that he chose the location for his business. Only a person who true vision would have built their business on the door step of the greatest competitor in their field.

At the time Vento started his business, Pat’s King of Steak was thriving and all his competitors who tried to rival Pat’s were defeated eventually and their businesses failed. Not Joe Vento. Joe used his competitor as leverage to build his business. He already knew that he had a good product and all he needed to do was capture the leftovers from the line across the street. Eventually, they would become repeat visitors. What Vento had created was a friendly rivalry created by the fuel of competition. This friendly rivalry, in my opinion, is what helped create the Geno’s of today. People like to have an alternative to compare when eating. The famous question in Philly is “Do you like Pat’s or Geno’s better?” This question is the foundation of Joe Vento’s game plan. He knew that if he could create competition then this would be good for his business (and indirectly Pat’s). If he could find a way to make money for Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s at the same time, Pat’s wouldn’t be reluctant in sharing some of the profits. Vento’s gamble worked and well.

Forty plus years later and Geno’s business is filled with visitors every day from all around the world. Geno’s has seen almost every celebrity imagined from the President to Michael Jordan. If you are in Philly then you have to go to Pat’s or Geno’s at least once in your life time. This is at least the way tourism in Philly directs the traffic. Vento actually created a celebrity booth inside his operation to handle all famous visitors.

The good thing about Joe Vento is that he gives back to his community. The man donates to charities all of the time. When a police officer died in the 1980’s, he donated 24 hours worth of revenues to his fund. During September 11, 2001, Geno’s Steaks donated 72 hours of business to the fallen police and firefighters. That amounted to well over $100,000. Vento loves to help the police organizations out. You will see his wall at his steakhouse that has badges from many police and fire departments throughout the country.

Vento is also known for his strange stunts that cause media attention. One of the most controversial was his sign that he put in his window and still is there that says “This is America when ordering please speak English.” Many have argued that this is not just for the newer immigrants who come here. Joe Vento likes it and it is his store so three years later and the sign is still up. I guess Joe won.

Time for my review. I have spoke very favorably thus far of Geno’s Steaks and the Vento family. From a business standpoint, I respect a man who works hard and can pull off the American dream from his efforts. But don’t think that I am siding with them and would compromise my review for a little kiss ass. I can care less. This review will be as tough as I always dish it. Take the good with the bad but this is my review.

When I went o Geno’s recently I order a cheese steak with cheese whiz, a birch beer, and a side of cheese fries. The cheese steak cost $8, the fries and soda cost $5.50. So my meal total was $13.50 – not too shabby for one of the most popular cheese steaks in the world.

Geno’s Steaks uses thinly slice rib eye steak in their sandwiches just like Pat’s. This is the opposite of Jim’s where they used chopped steak. Geno’s bread is local Italian bread not too thick and not too hard. The bread is a fine combo between soft and hard, also known as just right. The cheese that I ordered was cheese whiz but you can get American or provolone. The onions were lightly grilled (you don’t see a speck of burnt on them). Also, I added hot peppers from the stand out front. Please always take advantage of these as they are a treat that other steak places don’t have.

There were several slices of steak on the cheese steak. The steak is very cooked. You will not see a drop of blood on there. This is your typical red blood steak joint. All steaks are cooked in a consistent manner (and have been for many years). It is similar to McDonald’s. If you went in one of their franchises on two different sides of the planet you will probably experience a similar tasting hamburger. Joe Vento has his steaks down to a science. The best part about Vento’s operation that I have to give him credit is that he is clean. The man is meticulous with every part of his operation (even the ceilings) totally clean.

Overall, Geno’s cheese steak is the same as it has been for the past twenty plus years. My review in the eighties would have been the same as today. The steak is always consistent. I recommend that you visit Geno’s Steaks at least once. However, I will tell you that his steaks are not the best Philly cheese steak. Geno’s is one of the most popular cheese steak places (if not the most popular) but not the absolute best. Geno’s may have been the best at one point in time when his market was targeting the locals. Now his business targets mainly tourists.

You will rarely see a local going to his place. Why do you think that his cheese steaks are $8 each and are a quarter of the size of an average Philly cheese steak from a Philly cheese steak place? And where do you think all this bull**t about order properly came about? This all came about with the increase in dumb tourists that slow up the line.

Do you think Vento and his crew would talk that way to local South Philadelphians? I assure you that he wouldn’t be in business to this day if that was the case. South Philadelphians don’t like to be told how to order. They would usually respond with “go F**k yourself” and then never to return. All this nonsense with make sure you know how to order and know what whiz and without is crap. Whenever I go there I always order my way and wait for someone to tell me how to order so that I can knock their lights out – that is the Philly way. Tourists will never get it that this order properly in English crap is a) Just a marketing tool and b) a mind game for dumb tourists. This is how Geno’s employees get their kicks (it can be boring flipping steaks all day long).

Vento and his Geno’s Steaks get an A for marketing skills, cleanliness, business skills, and consistency. Their steaks are average though, the size is too small, and the price tag is too high. However, for first timers you have to do it at least once. As a Philadelphian, despite the disadvantages of Geno’s Steaks, I still go there at least once a year and have been doing so for many years (many, many , many). So I guess my consistency as a customer speaks for itself. I do want to acknowledge though that there are plenty of dynamite cheese steak places in Philly that in a competition would surely beat out Geno’s Steaks. Stay tuned to Best Philly Cheese Steaks as I will uncover these Philly cheese steak places that only the locals know of!

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Friday, September 4, 2009

Jim's Steaks Cheese Steak Review

Jim's Steaks South Street Cheese Steak Review

Today’s review will be of Jim’s Steaks South Street cheese steak shop. After many years of visiting Jim’s I have made a frequent visit to keep this review fresh. First thing that I will do today is to start out with an overview of Jim’s Steaks. It’s important that you understand its significance in the cheese steak world before I proceed with my review.

Jim’s Steaks has 4 locations as of this review. The location that I went to was at 400 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. Jim’s Steaks’ history actually had its beginnings in 1939 in West Philly at 431 North 62nd Street by the owner Jim and his family. Jim’s expanded to the South Street location in 1976. Another expansion happened many years later in 1996. Jim’s had opened up a new location at Bustleton and Cottman Avenues (at the Roosevelt Mall). The last cheese steak shop opened in Springfield (469 Baltimore Pike).

Last week I had discussed Pat’s steaks and their significance to the cheese steak world. Specifically, because they were the first cheese steak hop in Philadelphia, they are a Mecca for cheese steak lovers. Well, you also have to give a place like Jim’s Steaks credit because although they are not the first cheesesteak shop they are one of the first. They opened approximately 10 years after Pat’s and about 30 years before Geno’s Steaks (the so called King of Steaks). With four stores under their belt, Jim’s Steaks’ history is extremely important for cheese steak lovers. They must be appreciated and relished because they are the foundation for the massive worldwide marketing of making Philly known for this type of food.

So on to my review…please recall that this review of Jim’s Steaks is of its location on South Street. Eventually, I may post a review of the other locations. Ideally, I would like to get in a nice review of the original location and make some comparisons to today’s review. There are so many good cheese steak places to cover in this blog that I don’t want to spend too much time on any given one.

Jim’s Steaks is a totally different cheese steak compared to Geno’s or Pat’s and in many ways. Geno’s and Pat’s have sliced steaks (extremely thin and layered on their steaks). Jim’s Steaks uses chopped steak, a completely different cheese steak experience. Sliced versus chopped both have very good tastes but yet very distinguished.

I ordered a plain cheese steak with onions at Jim’s Steaks. The steak was about 8 -10 inches (sorry I don’t carry a ruler). The great part about Jim’s is that as you wait in line you have to actually pass the frontline of the chef’s working quarters so that you see every move that is made. This is different than Pat’s and Geno’s where the grill is much more obscure. By the way, Jim’s is inside unlike Pat’s and Geno’s. This is a huge factor for those waiting in some ridiculous line in the middle of the winter. At least you can be a little warm inside. But I have also seen Jim’s Steaks‘ line wrap around the building outside on most weekend nights.

The inside of Jim’s Steaks is another interesting part of Jim’s history. There is pictures and autographs from many famous people all over the walls. Don’t forget to go upstairs to eat. Most people aren’t even aware that an upstairs exists but it does and there is many, many more pictures up there too. Upstairs they are even several tables for you to sit and relax while you eat (but don’t forget to feed the meter first because South Street ticket police are always on patrol).

Jim’s Steaks is also famous for its plaque that it has on its wall for the cheese steak record. This record is of the person who ate the most cheese steaks in one hour. The last I can remember it was about 13 but I didn’t check it when I went. If you can beat that record I am sure they will get your name up on that wall.

Ok…sorry I digressed (a bad habit). Back to the cheese steak review…While waiting in line you can watch your steak being cooked right in front of your eyes. There are tons of steaks on the grill. What makes Jim’s Steaks unique is that the cook is chopping your steak. I did not order whiz because I like American cheese (but I recommend it). By the way, Jim’s does not sell cheese fries unlike the other major stores.

Jim’s Steaks’ cheese steak was very good. My sandwich costs about seven dollars plus I ordered a root bear. The chopped steak is really tasty as it is cooked thoroughly. You very rarely find a Philly cheese steak place that has steak with a drop of red in it. This is uncommon as that is not what this steak sandwich is about. This needs to be distinguished from your usual bloody Mary Steak at a pure steakhouse (some served rare).

Jim’s Steaks puts the cheese under the steak in the sandwich. I got to say that this is one thing that I didn’t like. The ears of the bottom layer of cheese that were sticking out never got melted. I like cheese completely melted in a cheese steak. That is the way that it should be. If you want a sandwich with unmelted cheese then you would order a hoagie (subway or poor boy to many other Northeast folks).

The onions were chopped in large slices and were just lightly cooked. The ideal cheese steak would have onions thinly sliced and caramelized. You will rarely find this at any Philly cheese steak joint because it is too much work. However, when I cook them at home I will put any of these steak places to shame (the onion factor has a big reason to do with this). Try it at home and you will see what I mean. If you slice the onions really thin then it will result in much more flavor.

Overall, Jim’s Steaks is Jim’s. Whether or not I like it Jim’s is one of the oldest and most popular cheese steak places in Philly and will continue to be for a long time. I always wondered what would be the effect if Jim’s Steaks opened up a place right next to Pat’s and Geno’s. I think that they would help take some of that traffic off the streets and put them on the pavement. I don’t think their competition would appreciate this though and may have to retaliate by opening another one of their stores next to Jim’s.

I hope that you have enjoyed my review. If you get to Jim’s Steaks, please stop by our blog and let us know what you think about their cheese steak sandwich.

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