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.

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.

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.

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.

Pat's King of Steaks Review

Pat's King of Steaks Cheese Steak Review

What can I say about Pat’s King of Steaks? My first review on this blog must start out with an analysis of the greatest cheesesteak place on the planet (well, the oldest at least). Despite whatever I have to say in this review, I must give the credit to the king because without Pat’s Steak history, this blog wouldn’t exist and neither would the food that America loves today called the “Philly Cheese Steak.”

To start our review I would like to present some overview information about Pat’s steak house. Pat’s Steaks is located at 1237 East Passyunk Avenue, South Philadelphia, PA 19147 (where 9th street crosses Wharton and Passyunk Avenue). They are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

Next, let talk about the history of Pat’s Steaks. Pat’s was created by a man named Pat Olivieri in 1930. Pat Olivieri’s invention of the cheese steak actually began from a hot dog stand. Pat used to sell hotdogs in South Philadelphia near the Italian market. Olivieri tried something new one day and put together an Italian loaf of bread with some chopped steak that he put on the grill. He sold his first sandwiches to some taxi drivers from around the way. News spread quickly and this became a very profitable business for Pat.

Pat’s Steaks is truly the king in the sense that Pat Olivieri, the originator, started the whole cheese steak business with a little bit of serendipity. All those places that followed such as Jim’s Steaks and Geno’s Steaks had just hopped on the cheese steak bandwagon. Those other steak houses were successful as well because there was plenty a room for more vendors to make money. After all, a whole new great food was created. Just think of how popular the modern pizza must have been when it was created in Napoli, Italy in the 1700s (see pizza history from Blog Pizza).

So back to my review of Pat’s King of Steaks. The Pat’s cheese steak place that we know of today has evolved to become a multimillion dollar business. The same Olivieri family still runs the joint today (and very efficiently too).

For those of you who don’t know me, I am the creator of the famous pizza blog called Blog Pizza. I have a strong Philadelphia background in the food industry. Thus, the reviews that I make here should be taken seriously because I know Philly foods very well. Actually, this cheese steak blog will be discussing various cheese steak places. I am actually going to take you to the hidden cheese steak places that only the locals know of. Do you know why the lines at Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks are two blocks long any given time of any given day? There are many reasons but I bet you a major one is that the tourists just don’t know where the real cheese steak shops are that locals eat at. I started this blog to let this secret out of the bag. Why? I am a true believer in sharing. It’s not that I have anything against the big players in the cheese steak business but there are hundreds of steak shops all over Philly. Why should two businesses take all of the tourists’ attention and their business? Besides, most regular cheese steak shops in Philly provide a better quality sandwich, bigger cheese steak, a cheaper price, and a lesser of an attitude to the tourists (well, that’s debatable – Philly is Philly).

Although I have been to Pat’s Steaks many times in the past, I have gone once more the other day just to ensure that this review is fresh. It is interesting to note that this review would have been said the same way if it was made 20 years ago. Some things never change.

To start this review out about Pat’s I would like to put myself in the perspective of the average tourist. If I was a tourist and I am deciding on which of the two steakhouses to go, Geno’s or Pat’s, I would recommend that you try Pat’s first (a tourist is usually looking to visit the most historical anyway). I like Pat’s over Geno’s but will have to admit that these days there is a blur between the actual differences.

The dynamics between Pat’s and Geno’s steaks is very interesting. The two cheese steak places operate a stone’s throw across from each other yet both businesses have lines that block traffic in the street (sometimes the lines actually get connected by accident). Geno’s has all of the fancy neon lights and glamour of a successful business and Pat’s has more of a modest 1970’s look (recently updated a little). For all of the money the two have made, I am still surprised they haven’t bought the whole neighborhood and put up cheese steak museums yet.

To discuss Pat’s Steak is hard not to include Geno’s into the conversation. Over the years, the two businesses have created this interesting force that has helped one another. The air of competition has startled a friendly debate over who has the best cheese steak. Every tourist that comes to Philly now feeds into the debate by trying to sample the both of them.

Although Pat’s Steaks is still simpler in appearance, don’t let their looks fool you. They make money and a lot of it. This is the reason that the quality of their food has declined drastically over the past 20 or something years.

So the other day I ordered a regular cheddar cheese steak with onions. I also picked up a soda and some cheese fries at the next widow (the first window is for steaks and the second window is for fries and everything else). The cheese steak was $8 and the fries and soda was about $6. I was full for about $15. The cheese steak was on a loaf of bread (about 8 inches long) sliced in 2. The steak was a smooth layer about an inch high off of the bottom of the sandwich. The cheese was cheddar but has an appearance of a watery version of cheddar (the kind that drips quickly). This cheddar is almost transparent (you can see through it). The onions cooked well with a slight burn and had just the right amount.

Overall, the cheese steak is very good but compared to my standards for Philly cheese steaks, it is very poor in many categories. This is why many locals usually don’t go to these two steakhouses. Don’t get me wrong, Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks have a taste that is very unique in Philly and is rarely replicated. However, for the value and quality, there are many more places that will put these places to shame in a competition (Stay tuned). Either way, if you have never tried a Pat’s Steak than it is still a requirement in order to really understand the cheese steak experience. This place is the Mecca of cheese steak places (even though I complain about the value I still end up going there at least once a year).

Now that I have completed my review, there is a couple observations that I made while at Pat’s Steaks that I wanted to discuss. First, while in the line at Pat’s I noticed that a couple of people were getting attitude from the cashier about how to order a steak. After their order was complete, I overheard them make a remark that offended me. The one guy asked the other “what the cashier’s problem was” and the man responded “this is South Philly, all Italians are like that?”

I must clarify this for all of those who are reading. South Philadelphia is the birthplace of Italians in Philadelphia. South Philly has the famous Italian markets which were the thriving area for many new Italian immigrants about 100 years ago. There are still many Italians in Philadelphia, specifically, South Philly. If you are going to make you impression of what Italians in South Philly are like based off of what you experience was standing in the line at Geno’s or Pat’s Steaks, I will highly advise you to reconsider. Not only will that impression be highly inaccurate but it is also the exact opposite of the truth.

First, you must distinguish between the South Philly cheese steak business and South Philadelphian Italian Americans. I have heard similar responses one too many times before and this is why I am taking the time to clarify. The Philly cheese steak business has become a show over the years (every celebrity known has visited Geno’s and Pat’s, including every politician). There is a huge marketing strategy that keeps bringing the customers back. The major cheese steak players treat you like s**t and create all of these weird rules of how to order. Then you buy into it and keep returning because tourists don’t know any better. People, it is a game! The workers are f***ing with your head. They know that you are a tourist so they keep asking you silly questions like “Wit or Witout.” Come on! You know what the irony is? An average local Philadelphian who does his or her once a year pilgrimage to Pat’s or Geno’s don’t ever say “Wit” or “Wit out”. I would guess that the average local don’t even know what that means. These are code words for tourists. The average local Philadelphian would walk up to the counter and say something like “give me a regular cheese steak WITH onions.” It would be understood and the line would keep moving. The bottom line is to not act like an idiot or a tourist when ordering. If you take your time ordering you will piss them off and you will get treated poorly (just like any other food place that you visit except it is a little more extreme here).

Regardless of who was right and who was wrong between the tourist and the cashier, the remark of the tourist was definitely not correct. How can you say that all Italian people in South Philadelphia (one of the largest parts of one of the biggest cities in America) are miserable people based off the reaction of a cashier at one cheese steak place (who is actually a nice guy but it was a very hot day and he may have been overworked). Most Italian people in Philadelphia and other South Philadelphians are very hospitable and kind. There is hardly a correlation between the cheese steak business and the norm in South Philly. Please don’t stereotype and try to resist characterizing a whole population. The truth is that people in Philly are built tough. They may have a stronger façade than the norm but a generally very nice people.

The next observation that I made was the reaction of one of the tourists who commented after the negative experience with the cashier. He was wondering why people keep come back to these steak shops even though the cashier is rude. My answer to that can be written in volumes but I will try to condense it for you. These cheese steak houses make so much money that the loss of one customer will not hurt them at all. They know that no matter what they will always be busy because of tourists who don’t know any better (do you see the value in this blog now – I will be giving everyone more options).

There are many things that the cheese steak places do that many locals don’t approve of either (like Geno’s Steaks sign about ordering in English) but they just don’t like to interfere with other people’s business. The cheese steak world has highly evolved to become one of the most original characteristics true to Philly. Please don’t take it personally if one of these places gives you attitude (and don’t think it is an Italian or a Philadelphian thing either). Just like all parts of life, if someone gives you attitude just give it right back (but make sure that you can back up your words in case the other party is prepared for your counter).

I hope that you have enjoyed this discussion of Pat’s King of Steaks cheese steak shop! Below I have included a list of Pat’s Steak menu and prices for your convenience. Keep in mind that this is the prices as of 2009. I am sure that a cheese steak will be worth double in about another 5 years.

Pat's King of Steak 2009 Menu (Price Includes Tax)

Steak
7.00
Cheesesteak
7.50
Extra Cheesesteak
8.00
Pizza Steak
8.00
Mushroom Steak
7.50
Mushroom Cheesesteaks
8.00
Mushroom Pizza Steak
8.50
Pepper Steak
7.50
Pepper Cheesesteak
8.00
Pepper Pizza Steak
8.50
Mushroom Pepper Steak
8.00
Mushroom Pepper Cheesesteak
8.50
Mushroom Pepper Pizza Steak
9.00
Roast Pork
7.00
Hot Dog
1.50
Large Hot Dog
7.00
Fish Cake (Small)
3.25
Fish Cake (Large)
7.00
Lettuce
.50
Tomato
.50
Ex Cheese
.50
Mushrooms
.50
Peppers
.50
Sodas
1.50
French Fries
2.50
Cheese Fries
3.75

Best Philly Cheese Steak Reviews

This page was created to provide extensive best Philly cheese steak reviews of the best cheese steak places in the United States of America (and its territories). This place should follow in the tradition of the original Philadelphia cheese steak recipe (or as close to it as possible).

If you know of a place worthy of being considered the best Philly cheese steak restaurant, shop, place, store, (you get the point) then please be kind enough to click on the state below and comment on its page. The more information that you provide about their Philly cheese steak, the better for everybody (unless you are afraid that your home town may become famous like Pat’s and Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia). But don’t worry the tourists are friendly!

The world is depending on your best Philly cheese steak reviews so be kind enough to describe your nominee the best that you can! Thank you.

Alabama
Alaska
American Samoa
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Virgin Islands
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming


Do you like our best Philly cheese steak reviews - then please let us know!

Best Philly Cheese Steaks

Best Philly Cheese Steaks

Philadelphia has one of the craziest food options in the world. Philly serves every food from every ethnic group. When you have merged them all together, you get some interesting foods found only in cities like Philadelphia.

Philly also has some very unhealthy foods that are very simple in concept: the Philly pretzel and the Philly cheese steak are the first two that come to mind.

This blog will be focusing in on the best Philly cheese steaks. Having spent many years in Philly, I know where to find the best Philly steaks. With this blog I am going to disclose the truth about Philly Cheese Steaks once and for all. Stay tuned to hear a true Philadelphian's perspective on Philadelphia cheese steaks.