This isn’t just a reinterpretation of a Philly classic; it’s a symbol of our city’s ever-evolving identity. With its lemongrass-tinged beef smothered in cheddar cheese sauce and topped with zesty papaya salad and crispy pepper, it’s an innovation that truly showcases the rich diversity of our culinary landscape. Find it at FDR Park’s Southeast Asian Market. Read More »
When Delco native and Cheesesteak Adventure purveyor Jim Pappas bit his way through his 1,000th different cheese-steak earlier this year during a live Fox 29 broadcast, he also announced his favorite: the traditional cheesesteak at this 3rd and Wharton spot, known as Charlie’s Roast Pork until a July name change. And we can’t argue with him — seeded Carangi roll, melted provolone throughout, juicy meat that just won’t quit. Open since July 2019, Jaxx tastes like it’s been a part of our lives for decades. Read More »
1301 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA Website
We know we’re about to start a major Philly-vs.-Delco conflict by bestowing this coveted title on a joint that’s not only in Delco but is named after the goddamned place. But we just call ’em as we taste ’em. Since March 2020, people have been jamming the phone lines on a nightly basis for the Delco, a decadent two-foot-long masterful monstrosity of pulled prime rib eye packed into a seeded roll from South Philly’s Carangi Baking Company. They’re so popular that the shop had to find an additional rib-eye provider after the Chambersburg farm it was buying from couldn’t keep up with the orders. Read More »
2567 West Chester Pike, Broomall, PA Website
The meatless cheesesteak — treated as an afterthought in most Philly steak shops — is given the reverence it deserves at Frizwit in Pennsport. The mushrooms are local (from Mycopolitan, a mushroom farm that supplies some of the city’s finest chefs) and the cheese is made with local Abundantly Good cheddar (a do-good cheese that benefits Philabundance), and along with some onions, it’s all stuffed into a hoagie roll baked by Merzbacher’s in Germantown. Most importantly, the shroomwit eats like its meaty counterpart: unabashedly greasy, impossibly cheesy, and as junky and delicious as it ought to be. Read More »
100 East Morris Street, Philadelphia, PA Website
As Philly’s Muslim population grew, so did the popularity of the salmon cheesesteak. It’s become essential to any aficionado’s checklist. Start here. Read More »
4441 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA | 215-621-7250 | Website
Instead of a late-night trip to Pat’s or Geno’s, head to this Ethiopian bar – open till 2 a.m. – where they transform Philly’s iconic sandwich with spicy berbere seasoning for a hybrid delicacy. Read More »
4540 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA | 215-386-1444 | Website
These Northeast Philly buddies, who debuted their food truck on the Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race, have dreamed up a new model of cheesesteak: They hollow out the roll so each bite is light on bread, heavy on beef, cheese and fried onions, and much less of a dribbly mess. Read More »
Various locations; follow @SamboniBoys
Steve, Jim, Pat and Geno pretty much do one thing: steaks. But Josh Kim, from the confines of a food cart the size of a shoebox, whips up everything from burgers to lobster rolls. And yet his cheese-steak is still a cut above, thanks to slices of hand-cut sirloin that are seasoned well and layered with onions that have some bite. Read More »
| 484-620-6901 | Website
Readers’ Choice: It was a fight to the finish, as the Philip’s folks worked hard to get out the vote among their devotees. (The even called our office. Often.) But in the end, stalwart Tony Luke’s walked away with Best Cheesesteak honors. Read More »
39 East Oregon Avenue, Philadelphia, PA | 215-551-5725 | Website
Stacks of seasoned quality beef piled to the rafters with coleslaw and salt-and-pepper fries, all atop a crusty hoagie roll: This behemoth has us saying nice things about the Burgh and a cheesesteak for the first time in longer than we can remember. Read More »
1800 Federal Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-334-2337 | Website