Tribute to Joey Vento Owner of Geno's Steaks

This post is dedicated to Joey Vento, owner and founder of Geno's Steaks. Joey Vento, a legend in the cheese steak world, has recently passed away. Please post any comments or stories that you may have of this very generous man, one who has given so much to Philadelphia. Also, please be respectful within your posts.

Ishkabibble's Eatery Philadelphia Cheese Steak

The following email came from a fan of the blog about Ishkabibble's Eatery on South Street:

"I've been reading your blog for a while now and I've never noticed a review of
Ishkabibble's Eatery on South Street.

Yet, I've read several recommendations elsewhere, such as Yelp, Urbanspoon, and other places. Have you no opinion on Ishkabibble's?

Also, could you clear up something for an out-of-towner? Is there a location of Ishkabibble's Eatery at 9th & Federal, down the block from the tourist traps?

Thanks!

Ciao for now!
Mike"

Hey Mike, my review of Ishkabibble's Eatery is not current so I will have to wait until my next visit to post a true review. I have heard many good things about them recently though so I will have to look into it. Until then, I have set this post up so that fellow readers can post their reviews of Ishkabibble's Eatery for you. Also, they use to have a place on Federal Street but they have closed it and now they only have the spot at 337 South Street in South Philly (from my knowledge). Thanks for being a good fan of our cheese steak blog.

Philly Cheese Steaks and Tourists

I had some friends from New York visit Philly recently and they begged me to go to Pat’s or Geno’s Steaks for a cheese steak. Why do Philly tourists attract to these places like magnets when the real cheese steaks are so close to them for half the price. I took them to one of my favorite places on my Best Philly Cheese Steaks list and they were just blown away.

After reviewing my monster Philly cheese steak list that I have compiled for you (which took plenty of effort and months to burn off) what do you think? Is there a cheese steak joint that is missing? If so let us know and why. Don’t forget to vote for your top cheese steak place for 2010 (on the poll to the side). 2009’s best cheese steak award went to Rick’s Steaks. This is a people’s vote so the most votes wins. Vote for the Best Philly Cheese Steak today!

2009 Best Philly Cheese Steak Award Winner

Best Philly Cheese Steaks Blog 2009 Best Philly Cheese Steak Award Winner

We are proud to announce the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Blog 2009 Best Philly Cheese Steak Award Winner (as selected by the people). Congrats to Rick Steaks! This award is derived from a combination of methods that tally the public’s votes including: various emails, comments, and votes from our poll. This award is NOT a reflection of the opinion of the owners of this blog. Please visit our best cheese steak reviews section for info on what we recommend as the best Philly cheese steaks.

If you have a cheese steak place that you would like to see listed for the 2010 Best Philly Cheese Steak Award then please vote on our blog. If the company’s name is not on the poll then please use the comment section below to cast your vote for 2010. All of these comments will be taken into consideration for next year’s winners.

Thanks again and congrats to Rick‘s Steaks, the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Blog 2009 Best Philly Cheese Steak Award Winner!

George’s Famous Roast Beef | Steaks Review

George’s Famous Roast Beef and Steaks is located at 1007 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. This Philly sandwich shop is a perfect example of a great cheese steak shop right in the backyard of the Top 3. Established in 1945, George’s Roast Beef is in the Italian Market only a few blocks north of the famous Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks. This place has history and for many years has been unrecognized. This will change today. Our blog is recognizing this location as a must visit. George’s deserves to have the same amount of tourists visits as any other of the top 3 Philly Cheese steak joints (a term I created for Pat’s, Geno’s, and Jim’s).

George’s Famous Roast Beef and Steaks is located in the famous Italian Market in Philadelphia (claimed to be the oldest outdoor market in the country). This is not to be confused with George’s Sandwich shop down the next block. George’s Roast Beef is a little hole in the wall luncheonette type of shop with about 4 tables to sit. The chairs are hard as a rock and the table does its job and that’s it. The looks of the places appears that there hasn’t been any renovations done since its opening 65 years ago.

Despite these limitations, the sandwiches here are fantastic. For $6.75 I received a foot long sandwich. What a value! They use soft dark brown Italian rolls that are as fresh as a new day. The onions are semi chopped and fried dark. The cheese used was American cheese and is placed under the steak. There were several ears of cheese that was not fully melted with the rest of the cheese as they hung over the side of the rolls. The sandwich was so good that I overlooked this.

The steak was fresh thin slices thrown on the grill. The steak was semi chopped meaning that there wasn’t large strips in the sandwich but the steak wasn’t fine chopped either. There was a balance between the methods of chopping the steak.

The sandwich had just the right amount of content inside the roll. There wasn’t an over amount nor was the sandwich skimpy. It was just right.

George’s Famous Roast Beef and Steaks also have roast beef on the menu and I may need to come back another time to try that.

The hospitality of the staff was very good. The chef appeared to be the owner and he was very polite and modest to me.

For the quality of the Philly cheese steaks here and the price I was surprised that people weren’t breaking George’s door down. There was an average of 1-2 customers in and out the whole time I was there. It was ironic because I drove by Geno’s and Pat’s a few moments before for comparison purposes and the lines were the usual: wrapped around the corner. Do these tourists know that they can walk just 2 blocks down Ninth Street and eat much better for cheaper? George’s sandwich is triple Geno’s or Pat’s and $1.25 cheaper. This is a no brainer. I am not trying to take business away from the Top 3 but I am trying to educate the tourists so that they know that other great places do exist.

George’s Famous Roast Beef and Steaks – welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club!

White House Sub Shop Cheese Steak Review

The White House Sub Shop is located at 2301 Arctic Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 (Corner of Mississippi and Arctic Avenues). Established in October of 1946, this submarine shop is one of a kind.

The White House Sub Shop was opened over 60 years ago by Anthony Basile and his aunt and uncle, Basilia and Fritz Sacco. Today it is still run by the same Basile and Sacco families.

The White House Sub Shop is a sit down sandwich shop with a row of booths on the right side when you walk in. You can also sit at the counter if you like but the booths are more spacious. Along the walls of this place are decorations of the shops worldly popularity. There are countless pictures of famous people who have eaten here including The Beatles and Frank Sinatra. I also saw a picture of Elvis but without any signature I couldn’t confirm if he was here.

A reason that this place could be so popular is because of its proximity to the casinos in Atlantic City, the length of time it’s been around, and the lack of competition. The combination has led many famous visitors of Atlantic City here to get a quick bite to eat. Since Atlantic City is so close to Philly (many argue that it is Philly with a boardwalk) it would be expected that they would have a famous Philly cheese steak place here. This is where White House Sub Shop comes in.

What makes this place amazing besides the celebrities that it has attracted is the size of the sandwiches. A half a sandwich is about a foot long but the whole sandwich is about 2 foot long (this is how they sell their sandwiches: half and whole).

I ordered a whole famous Philly cheese steak submarine for $15. This was a very good deal considering that you can feed about 3 people with it.

The rolls that were used were slightly toasted light Italian rolls (not your traditional Philly cheese steak roll). The steak is 91.1% fat free U.S. D. A. Choice Lean Top Round Steak Cut. The steak was semi chopped (not fine chopped). There was a reasonable portion of steak put in the sandwich but it was not filled to the rim like many Philly places.

The onions were fried and long thin slices. The cheese used is provolone cheese (they have American if you ask for it otherwise provy is by default). They may have gone a notch too much with the cheese. Not a significant amount like Mama’s Pizzeria but just a little more than enough.

Another difference in White House subs is that they use lettuce and tomato slices in the Philly cheese steak. This is very unorthodox for the traditional cheese steak. I am not concerned with different if different is good but I think that lettuce takes away your concentration from the rest of the sandwich. If I wanted a side salad I would have asked for it.

The White House Sub Shop in AC is overall very good. I have made an exception for them to consider them a candidate for the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club because of their proximity, history, popularity, and the fact that Atlantic City is dominated by Philadelphians. With that said, aside from the lettuce and tomatoes, I like their sandwich especially for the value. The hospitality was warm enough for a steak joint but really what helped them get into the club is because Frank Sinatra approved of them.

The White House Sub Shop welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club!

Pudge’s Steaks and Hoagies

Pudge’s Steaks and Hoagies are located at 1510 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422 (Whitpain Shopping Center). Pudge’s Steaks originally began about 1965 in the LaSalle University area. Ten years after its opening, they moved to the Blue Bell area and have been there ever since. The name "Pudge" came from the original owner, Frank Carbone, who was nicknamed as a child after the dog in the Betty Boop comic strip. After Pudge's death in 2000, the shop was taken over by his daughter.

Pudge’s Steaks and Hoagies has an extremely friendly staff that are polite from the minute you walk in the door. Their new location (they recently moved from across the street at 1530 Dekalb Pike) has plenty of tables and booths. Their place is very clean in appearance and looks like a place that you don’t want to rush your meal just so that you can leave. What I mean is that it is very cozy in there compared to the majority of Philly cheese steak joints.

Pudge’s Steaks and Hoagies also are very popular in the media. For example, they were awarded Best of Philly by Philadelphia Magazine in 2005.

Pudge’s Steaks and Hoagies has a beautiful Philly cheese steak. Their steak is semi chopped and filled high in the sandwich. The onions were sliced small and mixed well with the cheese and steak. But the highlight of this sandwich is the rolls. Pudge’s rolls come from a bakery called Conshohocken Italian Bakery and are the ideal Philly cheese steak rolls. They are soft Italian rolls with just the proper amount of texture as reflected by its smooth light golden brown appearance. I am certain that these rolls were fresh too as the boxes of rolls were stacked in customer view and appears to have been delivered the same day. Also, considering the line of people that were waiting to order, this increased the likelihood that they have a high daily turnover of their rolls inventory.

I really like Pudge’s Philly cheese steak. Even though they are almost an hour away from Philly cheese steak central in South Philadelphia, Pudge’s has done it right. The price of their Philly cheese steak was reasonable too at $6.95 for about a foot long. And their rolls…I would advise them not to switch bakeries…their bakery has mastered the formula for making Philly cheese steak rolls. Their rolls were definitely the highlight of the sandwich. I am not saying that the rest of the sandwich wasn’t good because it was. I am saying that the rolls really made Pudge’s sandwich stand out and have helped me consider them one of the Best Philly Cheese Steaks.

Pudge’s Steaks and Hoagies – welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club!

Steak and Hoagie Factory Franchise Review

The Steak and Hoagie Factory is one of the Philadelphia cheese steak joints that are doing well franchising. Established in 1990, the Steak and Hoagie Factory currently has six locations, which include: Abington, Doylestown, Hilltown, Penndel, Somerton, and Warminster, PA. This Philly cheese steak franchise only has one owner, Dave Christy, who hand selects his locations to ensure consistency and quality. The place that I have recently visited and will be the subject of this review is located at: 1749 York Road, Abington, PA 19001.

Steak and Hoagie Factory in Abington has a semi large size seating arrangement with several different booths and tables. There is a good arcade section there for the kids too. This is a quick eat type of operation where usually the customer stays no longer than 20-30 minutes.

Steak and Hoagie Factory’s Philly cheese steak was very good. They used lightly toasted Italian rolls to hold their semi chopped steak. The onions were fried and mixed well with the cheese. There was a good proportion of cheese, steak, and onions… a fine balance the way it should be.

There was a substantial amount of steak in the sandwich to full you but yet not an overloading portion. The rolls are about a foot long and are $6.20 for the regular cheese steak. I purchased the pizza steak for $6.20. If you are really hungry, they serve a 2 foot long jumbo cheese steak for $11.50. This size puts the Steak and Hoagie Factory up against its competitors for the largest cheese steak in Philly, which include Larry’s Steaks and Leo’s Steaks. When I say large I mean length not width. Some of the widest competitors are gooey Gooie’s, Pagano’s, and 4th Street Deli.

Steak and Hoagie Factory has just been made a member of the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club. They offer a very good sandwich at a very reasonable price. If you were to purchase the jumbo cheese steak for $11.50 then you could feed at minimum 2 -3 people. For a quality sandwich at that price, Steak and Hoagie Factory is extremely competitive.

Congratulations Steak and Hoagie Factory!

Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies Review

Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies Philly Cheese Steak Review

Established in 1960, Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies are located at 7617 Ogontz Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19150. Pagano’s has received national attention as they have been voted the best steaks by several different sources over the years. The Courier News voted them the best steaks in 2002 and Focus Metropolitan Philadelphia’s Business Newsweekly voted Pagano’s the best hoagie contender in 1984.

Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies has a funny operation. There is no place to sit inside and it is strictly pick up or take out. Pagano’s is a hole in the wall food place as there is nothing fancy in physical appearance that would attract customers there. People go there just for the food. They also have 2 sections in the store (and 2 lines) one for hoagies and one for cheese steaks. Make sure you stand in the right line or you will get dirty looks and maybe yelled at. The workers are semi friendly but I can see that they have rules that you need to follow just like Pat’s and Geno’s Steaks. I don’t like following rules if I am the paying customer.

I have to give Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies a yellow light (proceed with caution) as I am not completely impressed to consider them the best. However, I still feel that they have some potential and that is why I don’t want to give them the full red light (don’t go).

Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies has an excellent value for their Philly cheese steak at $6.75 for a foot long loaded steak. When I mean loaded I mean LOADED. You can put rubber casing around their steak sandwiches and sell it to local gyms for their members. It weighs that much. Don’t worry about gaining weight as you will get a full workout by lifting it to your mouth every time.

Even though the value is there I still have several problems with it. First, the steak was chopped ultra fine…too fine. You cannot see any texture to the steak at all. This is what Rick Olivieri from Rick’s Steaks cautions about. If the steak is chopped too fine then you can’t tell what kind of beef they are serving and the quality of it. By the taste of the beef, I was not impressed. Just thinking about Olivieri’s words were echoing in my head as I was eating it. Yes, it is loaded with steak…but what grade of steak is it?

Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies use soft Italian rolls yet the roll was not ideal. It didn’t have that beautiful golden brown texture with a shiny glaze that the perfect Italian roll would have. This roll actually appears to have been there for a few days.

The cheese and fried onions were mixed in the sandwich but were not enough. There was so much steak in there that you were bombarded with chopped steak flavor and couldn’t taste the rest of the sandwich. The cheese and onions were in there somewhere but I needed a road map to find them.

Basically, Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies has way too much steak on their Philly cheese steak and the quality of it just doesn’t knock you off your seat. Sorry Pagano’s Steaks and Hoagies but I can’t recommend you as the Best Philly Cheese Steaks!

Barry’s Steaks Onion Cheese Steak Review

Barry’s Steaks was established in 1989 and is located at 471 Leverington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19128 (in Roxborough). Barry’s was started on the cornor of Ridge and Leverington in what used to be Nico's Pizza (only a few steps away from where it is now) by a man named Barry McGuinn. Barry’s shop is a quaint cheese steak joint with several tables and a counter filled with more seats. They give good competition to the other major Roxborough cheese steak shops, Dalessandro's and Chubby’s Steaks.

Barry’s Steaks has a good value for the sandwich at $6.25. The steaks are chopped and filled to a substantial level. The rolls are Italian soft rolls. They are not the full foot long but very close at about 10 inches. The cheese is melted with the fried onions and steak but not so much that it oozes out.

What stood out the most about Barry’s Steaks was there large onion slices that they used. These onions were slightly fried but filled the sandwich. If you are a big onions fan then you may appreciate this sandwich even more.

I also liked how friendly the staff was to me. This is very important for a successful food business as the customer will always remember how they were treated when they ate there.

Barry’s Steaks – welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Club!

Larry’s Steaks Mushroom Cheese Steak

Larry’s Steaks was established in 1956 and is located at 2459 North 54th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19131. This Philly cheese steak joint is located right next to Saint Joseph’s University and City Line Avenue. Due to its proximity to the college, Larry’s has become famous because of all the college students that it attracts.

Larry’s Steaks is also the official caterers for the Philadelphia 76ers and St. Joseph’s University since 2003. But what really makes Larry’s famous is that they are the home of the belly fillers. What is that you say? The belly filler is a giant 2 foot hoagie that makes Leo’s Steaks look silly. Let’s go over their steak.

I ordered a Philly cheese steak with onions and mushrooms. Larry’s Steaks chops their steaks as opposed to serving it in strips. The sandwich that I ordered was a regular foot long for $6.25, which is a good value. They give a decent amount of steak in there as well. I did not order the belly filler as this sandwich is just insanely big for my tolerance today. It is really huge and it only costs $12.30, a big deal. You can split this with 2 or 3 people and you would have a cheap meal and be full. The onions and mushrooms were fried and mixed well with the cheese. The Italian rolls were soft but yet not the ideal golden color that a really fresh quality Italian roll would have. Nevertheless, the sandwich overall was very good and the value was excellent. I can see why the Saint Joe’s students really rave about it.

Larry’s Steaks also has a very large sit in restaurant with very cozy booths. This is a huge asset if you want to eat there. The only problem that I had was that I found the cashier to be a little rude. He did not look at me at all and talked to me like the Soup Nazi on Jerry Seinfeld. “Next.” I don’t like this sort of treatment.

Besides the cashier, everything else about Larry’s is the complete package. Larry’s Steaks welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Club (do something about that cashier will ya)!

Subway South Philly Cheese Steak Review

Did you ever wonder how a Subway Philly cheese steak from the cheese steak headquarters in South Philadelphia would rank amongst its local competition? Today I will be providing a review that will set the record straight about who can make a better Philly cheese steak, one of the largest restaurant chains in America or the small local Philadelphia shops.

First I would like to provide a little overview of Subway. Subway has over 30,000 restaurant franchises in over 90 countries. The SUBWAY® chain consistently ranks at the top of Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 rankings. Besides being number one for the Submarine Sandwich Category, the SUBWAY® chain has received the distinction as being the number one Franchise Opportunity for 15 of the past 21 years! In Philadelphia, Subway has a strong presence as well. Here are the following Subway addresses in Philly for your convenience:

1827 JFK Blvd
Sterling House
Philadelphia PA 19103
215-246-00551701

Benjamin Franklin Pky
Philadelphia PA 19103-1208
215-568-7676

2201 Walnut St
Philadelphia PA 19103
215-567-76501238

Franklin Mills Circle
Franklin Mills Mall Food Court
Philadelphia PA 19154-3141
215-281-3242

1109 Walnut St
Philadelphia PA 19107
215-829-1262

2385 Cheltenham Ave#132
Philadelphia PA 19150
215-887-6997

2951 Market St
Suite 201
Philadelphia PA 19104
215-222-5833

1001 Market St
Gallery II Mall
Philadelphia PA 19107
215-733-9722

3400 Aramingo Ave
Imperial Plz
Philadelphia PA 19134
215-423-0885

9979 Bustleton Ave
Shoppes at Red Lion
Philadelphia PA 19115
215-969-3155

Concorse Train Location
Two Penn Center Plaza
Philadelphia PA 19102
215-569-4466

106 South 16th St
Philadelphia PA 19102
215-561-14811

1000 Roosevelt Blvd
Space 155
Philadelphia PA 19116
215-676-7274

7339 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia PA 19136
215-333-4740

2329 Cottman Ave
Roosevelt Mall NE
Philadelphia PA 19149
215-543-9411

4500 City Ave Ste 220
City Centre Shp Ctr
Philadelphia PA 19131
215-878-2005

5610 Lancaster Ave #300A
Overbrook Plz Shopping Center
Philadelphia PA 19131
215-452-5772

551 Franklin Mills Circle
Philadelphia PA 19154
215-281-3243

6125 Ridge Ave
Philadelphia PA 19128
215-482-3515

1625 Chestnut St
Shops at Liberty Place
Philadelphia PA 19103
215-561-2320

2936 Island Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19153
215-365-5880

9475 E Roosevelt Blvd #3Subway
Philadelphia PA 19114
215-676-7821

501 S Broad St
Philadelphia PA 19147
215-545-6824

714 Market St
Philadelphia PA 19106
215-733-03211

511 Cecil B Moore Ave
Philadelphia PA 19121
215-769-7827

3228 N Broad St
Philadelphia PA 19140
215-221-5850

6200 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia PA 19135
215-288-4477

#1 Franklin Mills Blvd
Philadelphia PA 19154
215-281-1225

9745 Roosevelt Blvd A
Philadelphia PA 19114
215-677-5780

4600 E Roosevelt Blvd
Bldg G
Philadelphia PA 19120
215-288-3813

45 Snyder Ave
Philadelphia PA 19148
215-336-7777

545 N.Broad St.
Philadelphia PA 19123
215-733-9000

200 Oregon Ave
Philadelphia PA 19147
215-468-4068

910 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19107
215-923-5600

2217 S Broad Street
Philadelphia PA 19145
215-271-8589

801 Arch St
Philadelphia PA 19107
215-923-5700

1100 South St
Unit 1
Philadelphia PA 19107
267-519-8023

8944 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia PA 19136

Oxford Avenue & Levick Street
Philadelphia PA 19111

203 North 34th Street
Philadelphia PA 19104
484-410-9842

3800 Locust Walk
1920 Commons Food Court
Philadelphia PA 19104
215-898-5265

1000 Easton Rd Suite 200
Wyncote PA 19095

2376 Street Rd
Bensalem PA 19020
215-604-0113

1500 Garrett Rd
Barclay Sq Shp Ctr
Upper Darby PA 19082
484-461-9771

700 N Rt 73
Palmyra NJ 08065
856-786-2345

My review today is about the Subway in South Philadelphia located at 45 Snyder Avenue (this is right across the street from the famous John’s Roast Pork). There are very interesting observations that I made from eating at Subway. First, I ordered a foot long Philly cheese steak for $8. This is the same price as Gino’s and Pat’s Steaks, the most popular cheese steak places in the world. Was it worth it? Absolutely not!

Subway gives you a variety of breads to choose from but I choose the Italian roll. This roll is a semi soft roll but does not come close to the texture appropriate for Philly cheese steaks that are found at many of the local South Philly bakeries here. Why doesn’t Subway make an exception and outsource the rolls in South Philly. Their sandwich would be so much better and this would help the local community. This is one big mistake for Subway (the inevitable part of being in a giant franchise).

The steak was semi chopped. But the amount of steak that was put in the sandwich was minimal compared to the local competition. Also, the steak was not freshly cooked on a grill as the locals do. Instead it was precooked and then microwaved (I am sure my readers are familiar with Subway but just as a refresher).

The onions…well…there weren’t any. What? NO onions! No onions on my Subway Philly cheese steak. You can ask for them from the condiment section but they wouldn’t be fried or come close to an original South Philly cheese steak onions.

My biggest problem was the cheese. I asked for American cheese and I received one small slice on top of each half loaf section. This equated to hardly any cheese at all and considering that it was microwaved, the end result was tasteless.

I did eat one half of my Philly cheese steak with the special Chipotle sauce that they have. It did spice the sandwich up a little but not much. You can also ask them to add hot or sweet peppers with your sandwich for a little more flavor (you should as you will need it).

By writing this review, I am not knocking Subway. I actually like the place when I travel. However, in Philadelphia, Subway is up against some very fierce local competition and this review stands to show that to compete in this market even a giant name like Subway needs to demonstrate culinary skills. Their name can only get so far in this market. Subway has a great name, is very clean, and offers consistent products. This normally works well especially when you are selling Philly cheese steaks in places like Small Town, Utah (Imaginary name for illustration purposes) to people who never ate a real Philly cheese steak, hoagie, roast beef, pizza, or any of the million other great foods offered here. Of course they will think the sandwich is great because they have nothing to compare it too. But you can’t fool true Philadelphians, especially South Philadelphians who smell cheese steaks every time they leave their house.

Again, I like Subway as a whole but I think that their Philly cheese steak is no match for real Philly cheese steaks. Also, I specifically choose the Subway in South Philly as it is headquarters for the real cheese steak. If a South Philly subway Philly cheese steak is no competition to the locals then I am only left to assume that this sandwich has the same problems nationwide. And the price…absurd. They should make this a $5 foot long like the rest of their sandwiches and then maybe I will change my review. If the locals are charging between $5.50 and $7 for a sandwich how could Subway possible charge $8 for a sandwich half the width in this kind of recession? Come on… this is Philadelphia, Subway. Get with the program! Philadelphians are tough, smart cookies. The Philadelphia Phillies just won the National League Championship 2 years in a row…Does Subway think that Philadelphians aren’t smart enough to distinguish between a real Philly cheese steak?

Subway Philly cheese steaks…what do you think about them?

Simonetta’s South Philly Cheesesteak Review

Simonetta’s Italian Style Hoagies and Mediterranean Delights Review

Simonetta’s Italian Style Hoagies and Mediterranean Delights are located at 2510 South Broad Street, South Philadelphia, PA 19145. Simonetta’s owner, Philip Simonetta, derives his recipes from his half Italian and half Lebanese roots. This place specializes in Italian hoagies but has a special twist of underlying Lebanese culinary, which Philip learned from his grandmother.

Simonetta’s Italian Style Hoagies and Mediterranean Delights has a nice little place on Broad Street in South Philly. There is a back room where you can sit and watch television. You can also stare at all the nice Italian pictures on the wall. The staff was also extremely friendly and helpful and made me feel at home.

I ordered their version of the South Philly cheese steak, one of their specialties. I was impressed with their cheese steak (large about $7.25). Simonetta’s Italian Style Hoagies uses about a 10 inch soft Italian roll with sesame seeds. The steak is semi chopped (not fine chopped) and is very juicy. The American cheese that I ordered (you can select other cheeses) was stacked underneath the steak as it slowly was melting. I don’t usually like it this way as I prefer the cheese to be melted within the steak 100% but it actually complemented the Italian roll used. The cheese half melted and half unmelted created an Italian cheese steak hoagie effect. The onions were slightly cooked and chopped in small strips and mixed within the sandwich.

Overall, I was very impressed with Simonetta’s Philly cheese steak and their hospitality. Simonetta’s Italian Style Hoagies and Mediterranean Delights – welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steak Club!

Mama’s Pizzeria Cheesy Cheese Steak Review

Mama’s Pizzeria is located at 426 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004. Established in 1958, Mama’s has built a large reputation. Their shop has two levels. The first level is mainly for take out with a few tables. The second floor has the restaurant area. Be wary of the clowns as there are many pictures of clowns on their walls.

Although Mama’s Pizzeria has won many awards including Best of Philly (Mainline) 2006 cheese steaks, their sandwich doesn’t cut it for me. Let me explain why.

Mama’s Pizzeria sells what they call mini sandwiches in addition to their large. The mini cheese steak was $6.50 and their large was $10.75. Their mini was only 6 inches (I kid you not) and their large was only 10 inches. So after reading my blog and all of the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches, you will find that at the time of this writing, a Geno’s and Pat’s famous Steaks cost $8 for about a 10 inch Philly cheese steak. These are the most famous places in Philly and their sandwich is $3 cheaper than Mama’s Pizzeria large (equivalent in size). Their argument is that the pack their sandwich thick. I say “Who cares.” Actually, they didn’t pack it thick enough for that price compared to a Gooey Looey’s, Leo’s Steaks, or any local steak shop in South Philly for that matter. I bought the mini sandwich because I wanted to test the ground. Good thing I did as aside from the size and cost issue, the taste was nowhere in line to be considered the best.

Mama’s Pizzeria chops their steak instead of using strips. I think that they may have chopped it too fine. If you read the interview of the famous Rick Olivieri from Rick’s Steaks he explains why chopping is second to steak strips in terms of quality. He says that it is easier to hide the quality of the beef when it is chopped. It is the opposite effect for steak strips, which demonstrate easily if the beef has beautiful marbeling or not. I totally agree with him and with a sandwich such as Mama’s Pizza I can’t tell what the steak even looks like. The steak was chopped so fine and covered with so much cheese that you can barely see anything let alone what grade and texture the beef has.

That leads to another point that I didn’t like about Mama’s Pizzeria. They used so much cheese (American) that the sandwich looked like a big bowl of cheese with something (you had to find the surprise) inside. Guess what the surprise was - some form of steak. With just a mini sandwich I must have ate more cheese than in the last 5 cheese steak reviews. The cheese was not only mixed inside with the steak and onions but it was layered on top of the sandwich and on the top and bottom of the roll (this is insane).

The rolls on Mama’s Philly cheese steak were semi soft Italian roll. The onions were not thoroughly cooked. This was another negative. Onions need a little brown too them whether it is a light or average (burnt is bad too).

Overall, I do not recommend Mama’s Pizzeria. They are way over priced, have too much cheese, onions are not cooked enough, and the steak has a lower grade quality that was well hidden in the chop. If you like all of these qualities than you are more than welcome to pay them a visit. If you like my style of Philly cheese steaks then stay tuned for more reviews (or visit my Best Philly Cheese Steaks Review page).

Ardmore Pizza Cheese Steak Review

Ardmore Pizza is located at 10 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, PA 19003. Established in 1973, this pizzeria has made a reputation in its area just a little drive outside of Center City Philadelphia.

Ardmore Pizza is a little pizzeria on a beautiful street alongside many other various shops. The place has a few tables to sit if you want to eat there. Their shop is also very clean in appearance. They have newer tiling and a nice big flat screen TV. I also like how high tech this place is. They have several giant monitors behind the counter that appears to be handling their internet pizza system. From a quick glimpse at their website it appears that you can order pizza online. Ardmore Pizza also has a very friendly staff but they were extremely busy (a good sign).

Ardmore Pizza is also known for its Philly cheese steaks. I ordered one Philly pizza cheese steak. They chopped their steak instead of using steak strips. The onions are slightly fried and mixed well with the American cheese steak, and pizza sauce. They didn’t use much pizza sauce in their sandwich. I actually agree with this method because if you use too much then you may risk drowning out the taste of the steak sandwich. The cheese was mixed well in the steak but was also placed on top of the steak, onions, and sauce for an extra kick. However, the result wasn’t too much cheese. Their style made it just right.

The foot long Italian roll they used was slightly toasted. This toasted option worked well for this sandwich as it complemented the tomato sauce. This resulted in a very Italian sandwich that gave a crunchy bite as you taste your way through the juicy tomato sauce.

Ardmore Pizza has just the right ingredients to make it in to the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Club!

Welcome Ardmore Pizza!

Leo’s Steaks Largest Cheese Steak Review

Leo’s Steaks is located at 1403 Chester Pike, Folcroft, PA 19032. Established somewhere in the early 1970s, Leo’s is an extremely popular place in Delaware County, PA. Not too far from Central Philadelphia, Leo’s popularity has echoed all over the city as they have won various best Philly cheese steak awards for many years.

Leo’s Steaks sells a large variety of sandwiches including hoagies, burgers, and steaks. They also sell 3 and 6 foot long hoagies. However, their real popularity comes from their large cheese steak, a monster 18 inch long sandwich for $12.90. There small is a great value too for $6.80 at about a foot long.

Leo’s sandwich is beautiful. I bought the 18 incher and had to share. I mean I could eat it but it would be too much. They stack their steak high in the sandwich too so you are not only eating a supremely large sandwich but you are also tackling the giant portions that the put on there. Honestly, an average person can eat a third of this monster and be full.

Leo’s Steaks chops their steaks as opposed to using steak strips. Their rolls are semi soft Italian rolls. For a sandwich this size though it would be difficult to have an ultra soft loaf of bread as it may not hold the contents well. The onions were nicely browned and mixed well with the steak and American cheese.

An interesting observation I made is that the farther you go away from the Big Three Philly cheese steak joints, the more you will notice that there are less rules. For example, Leo’s didn’t even ask me if I wanted a specific kind of cheese so I assume that they only use American cheese (believe it or not this is the majority way in Philly). However, at Pat’s or Geno’s Steaks if you don’t tell them what kind of cheese you want then you may be setting yourself up for an argument.

Leo’s Steaks does not have any indoor sitting. Actually the place was so crowded when I went that you barely had any place to stand. They do have a table outside to eat if it is a nice day.
I totally am convinced that Leo’s Steaks gives you value for your dollar. I don’t really have any suggestions for them because I feel that they have the proper formula down. I wouldn’t say it is the best steak I ever ate but it is one of the best. They definitely have the longest sandwich that I have eaten out of all the places (not the widest as that record goes to Gooey Looie’s in South Philly). I think that they should continue to market themselves as the longest Philly cheese steak as that is what will stand in their customers minds.

Leo’s Steaks welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Club!

Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork Beef Review

Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef

Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef is located in the famous Reading Terminal at 12th and Arch, Center City Philadelphia, PA. Established in 1954, Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef has one of the best roast beef and pork sandwiches in the city. The only place that I think tops them is my favorite Nick’s Old Original Roast Beef.

This is not exactly a Philly cheese steak review unless you define the term very loosely. Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef do not sell traditional Philly cheese steaks. However, if you were to compare this sandwich to a Philly cheese steak it has many similar qualities. Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef uses long soft Italian rolls and thin slices of roasted beef (the same animal used to make a cheese steak). There aren’t any onions on there but there is provolone cheese (just like a Philly steak).

Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef has a wet sandwich but not anywhere as wet as Nick’s Roast Beef. The roast beef sandwich is so juicy that the bottom of the roll becomes extremely wet. If you don’t eat it fast enough the wet roll will make the roast beef start to fall out from under.

Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef also has veal, chicken, and sausage that they cook daily. They also have a very small counter that you can eat at. I was actually supposed to try Spataro’s Cheesesteaks, which is right across from DiNics but they closed early…oh well for them. I don’t know why these places want to close so early and give up good business. Anyway, I ended up a very satisfied customer of DiNic’s.

First Chocolate Philly Cheese Steak

I just wanted to make a brief post about the first chocolate Philly cheese steak that I ever ate. I was in the Reading Terminal today in Center City Philadelphia and purchased a chocolate Philly cheese steak (not “cake” that’s right “steak”) from a company called Chocolate by Mueller.

This chocolate Philly cheesesteak is a custom made all milk chocolate desert. There isn’t any Italian rolls, rib eye steak, onions, or cheese…it is purely a desert that is in the shape of a Philly cheese steak. I was so curious since I run this cheese steak website that I sprung for the big price tag, $11.95. This would be worth it if the size was right.

It was a very small less than six inch chocolate candy that was about an inch thick. It tasted very good (if you like milk chocolate) and had a nice box but I don’t recommend it. Why waste $12 when you could actually buy about 2 real foot long Philly cheese steaks in South Philly? Nevertheless, it would make a nice gift as it does make an interesting conversation!

Rick’s Original Philly Steaks Review

Rick’s Original Philly Steaks is located at the Bellevue Hotel downstairs, 200 South Broad Street at Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. This is really a special review because Rick Olivieri, owner of this place, is a legend in the cheese steak world. He is the direct descendent of Pasquale (Pat) Olivieri who started the first Philly steak sandwich in 1932.

The history of Rick’s ancestry is as follows: Pat Olivieri was his grandfather who invented the Philly cheese steak in 1932. In 1934, Pat’s son, Herbert Olivieri, was born (Rick’s father). Herb’s son Rick Olivieri was born in 1964.

The history of Rick’s Original Philly Steaks began in 1982 when Rick and his father Herb opened a place in the Reading Terminal called Olivieri Prince of Steaks (Herb’s nickname). In 1995, Rick’s father retired and passed his crown to Rick to take over his empire and the store name was changed to Rick’s Original Philly Steaks. In 2008, Rick left the reading Terminal and began his new business at the famous Bellevue in Center City Philadelphia.

Rick’s Original Philly Steaks has received so many awards and recognition that it would take forever to mention them. For more information about Philly cheese steak history you should visit my Pat’s King of Steaks review page.

Rick’s Steaks at its new location at the Bellevue is very simple. There are several tables in front but it is set up within a food court of many other restaurants competing for your business. Rick’s is all the way in the back at the end. The way it works is you order your food and then you find yourself a table.

Rick’s staff was very friendly. I ordered a regular cheese steak with onions. There is a side counter for peppers if you would like.

The Italian roll was nice and soft but not quite a foot long. The steak used was chuck eye steak, which is a little different than rib eye but Rick believes that this meat is better. The steak is in strips and not chopped and stacked several thin slices of steak high. The American cheese was mixed well with the lightly browned onions, steak, and cheese.

The price for the sandwich was $7.80. This is a little steep compared to the competitors but you have to add in the location of this place in Center City Philadelphia.

I like Rick’s Steak. It is not one of my most memorable sandwiches that I have eaten but it has enough to get it into the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Club. Rick’s history is absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend that you learn more about it from his website or throughout this website if you are a cheese steak fan.

For your convenience I have included an interview of Rick Olivieri below.

1. How are you related to the Inventor of the Steak Sandwich, Pat Olivieri?

Pat was my Grandfather. My father, Herb Olivieri, was Pat’s son.

I am the only one of my dad’s five children who was interested in the family business. I started slinging cheesesteaks at age 14. Click here to learn about me.

2. How old was your Grandfather (Pat) when he created the Steak Sandwich?

My grandfather was 25 years old in 1932 when he made that first steak sandwich. His youngest brother, Harry, who worked for him, was 16 at the time. Click here to learn more about our family tradition.

3. Do you own the restaurant in South Philadelphia with your Grandfather’s name on it?

No. The store in South Philly is still owned by family members, but Rick’s Steaks is NOT affiliated with that store in any way. We are completely separate businesses and our sandwiches are completely different as well.

4. What was the first type of cheese added to the sandwich and when?

In 1949, one of "Pop-Pop" Pat’s employees, Joe Lorenzo, slapped some American cheese on his own sandwich for a change of pace. The cheesesteak was born!! Provolone was also an option at that time. Cheez Whiz was included as an option soon after it was introduced in the 50’s.
At Reading Terminal Market, provolone is the most requested cheese.

5. Why don’t you chop up your meat like other steak shops? Isn’t that the authentic way to do it?

Actually, chopping IS NOT the authentic preparation!

"Pop-Pop" Pat (Olivieri) did not chop up the steak for his sandwiches. He grilled the slices whole. This is the proper and traditional way to cook a cheesesteak.

SOME PLACES CHOP UP THEIR BEEF TO DISGUISE THE MEAT that they use. This process also tends to overcook the meat, making it dry and, in some cases, burnt. At Rick’s, we have nothing to hide. Our steak is beautifully marbled and delicious!

6. Why do you use Chuck-eye when most other shops use Rib-eye?

Years ago, a meat packer suggested I try using Chuck-eye because it has more flavor and less gristle than Rib-eye. After taste testing it myself, and giving it a trial run at our restaurant, we agreed: Chuck-eye tastes better!

7. Do you think Rick's Steaks is “the best” Steak Sandwich?

Well, many seem to feel that we are one of “the best” cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, and we certainly believe that we serve a GREAT steak sandwich! Truth is, it’s really hard to label any one place “the best” because we all have our own loyal customers. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. The one YOU like most is “the best” to you! Even Philly Mag chooses a different chessesteak place every year.

8. Do you think your success at the Reading Terminal Market was because you are across from the Convention Center?

Nah! While the addition of the Convention Center in the 1990’s has increased foot traffic at the Reading Terminal Market, we have been here for over 25 years! Long before the Convention Center, long before renovations improved the look of The Market, long before air conditioning and heat made shopping at The Market more comfortable. We had always been one of the busiest and most successful stands in Reading Terminal Market History!

Now, we're geting ready to start a new chapter in the Rick's Steaks history! We will be reopening in a new location: Downstairs at The Bellevue (Broad & Walnut Sts.) in mid-April 2009.

9. Do you need to order in English-only at Rick’s Steaks?

Food is an international language, and everyday we serve customers from all over the world. All are happily served at Rick’s Steaks!

10. Do you send people to the back of the line if they are too slow when ordering?

No Way! While we appreciate when customers have their choices ready when they reach the register, we will happily assist you with your order. Satisfying the customer is our #1 priority!
In the meantime, you can acquaint yourself with Philly Cheesesteak Ordering Lingo by clicking here.

11. Is your father still involved in the business?

Unfortunately, no. My dad (Herb) passed away in December 1998 after a long illness.

12. Are Philly Cheese Steaks made with Philadelphia™ Cream Cheese?

No! Philadelphia™ Cream Cheese makes a great cheese CAKE, but it would taste lousy on a cheeseSTEAK!

13. How often do you (Rick) eat a cheese steak?

I used to eat one EVERY DAY until I got married. My wife Debi has encouraged me to eat a little healthier, so I limit myself to one cheesesteak each week.

14. How do you like your cheese steak?

Cheez Whiz, onions, hot peppers and ketchup ("Whiz, with... Plus hots and ketchup")

15. Other than cheesesteaks, what is your favorite thing to order in a restaurant?

Filet Mignon!

16. Do you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from flipping cheese steaks all day?

Not Yet! Hopefully I won't ever develop the condition.
Maybe I should insure my right hand!

18. How did you come to take over “Geno’s Steaks” place at Citizens Bank Park?

I was approached by the Phillies' Director of Business Development, Joe Giles, and asked if I would be interested in the concession. Before I agreed to sign a contract with Aramark, I contacted “Geno’s” owner, Joe Vento, to find out why he was leaving. After meeting with Mr. Vento, I accepted the offer to open at Citizens Bank Park with Mr. Vento’s blessing.

19. What is Cheez Whiz made of?

Do we really want to know the answer?! Great Stuff!

20. So which is it: Cheese Steak or Cheesesteak?

Either way is fine, as long as "Rick's" and "Philly" are in there also! When it came to creating our web site (website), after some lengthy debates, we finally settled on it being one word: Cheesesteak.

Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks Review

Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks is located at The Shops at Liberty Place #F6, 16th and Chestnut in Center City Philadelphia, PA 19103. Their hours of operation our Monday – Saturday 11-7 and Sunday 12-6.

Established in 2006 by Gary Dorfman, a long time healthcare consultant, Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks is a newcomer in the Philly cheese steak world. This doesn’t stop him from trying to be known as the best Philly cheese steak joint. His hard work and determination has caused many questioners to be become loyal regulars.

Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks is located in a mall setting in the middle of traffic infested Center City Philadelphia. I was a little skeptical about this place at first because from my experience Center City is known to be overpriced and under quality compared to the food Mecca of Philly, South Philly. Jake’s is located in the food court amongst many other varieties of foods that stack up right next to each other. What sets Jake’s apart is the hospitality. The cashier was extremely friendly and so was the chef.

Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks is set up so that their customers can eat at any table throughout the food court. This is very beneficial to its customers as there are plenty of tables and seats available.

I bought a Philly cheese steak for $7.48 with American cheese and onions. I was impressed with the generous size of the sandwich. It wasn’t really thick but they used foot long rolls instead of those skimpy 8 inch rolls that many other places use.

The great thing about this sandwich is the soft Italian rolls they use. These rolls are a tad bit harder than the ideal ultra soft rolls but they come from Carangi’s Bakery in South Philadelphia, which is a good indication that they know what they are doing. Carangi’s is a very popular bakery in South Philly that produces a wide variety of delicious rolls.

Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks also used chopped rib eye steak packed well in the roll but with the roll being a foot long, this sandwich should make the average person full. The onions were cooked well and square chopped and then mixed with the steak and American cheese.

For an extra kick, I order long Italian hot peppers. This was the highlight of the meal. They used 2 long hotts that stretched the length of the sandwich and they were juicy and yes hot. Looking at my receipt, I don’t believe that they charged me for the long hotts so it must have been included (good deal).

Jake’s Philadelphia Cheesesteaks welcome to the Best Philly Cheese Steaks Club!