Philadelphia, PA (The Joy of Food) — In the lexicon of great American sandwiches, Chicago has the Italian beef, New Orleans has the muffaletta, and Philadelphia has the cheesesteak. These are American icons that are often imitated, but never duplicated.
When the secret history of cheesesteak greatness is finally written, a greasy volume smeared in beef drippings, sautéed onions, and of course provolone cheese, the name popping up as making one of the best will be Steve’s Prince of Steaks.
At its core, the Philly cheesesteak may be a relatively simple sandwich, but it has enough nuance to require a how-to guide: you can get the sandwich with onions (a cheesesteak wit), without onions (a cheesesteak witout), with mozzarella and sauce (a pizza steak), or with lettuce and tomato (a hoagie).
The art of cheesesteak preparation lies in the balance of textures, flavors, and what is often known as the ‘drip’ factor — that classic slick that surrounds the wrapper. At Steve’s, the trifecta is solid, and it starts with the protein. The meat on a Steve’s cheesesteak isn’t chopped and is part of what differentiates the place from the other guys. The roll is lined with thick slabs of tender ribeye that’s been grilled and pressed in enough grease to lube your car. Here, the bread is a torpedo roll, long, slightly crispy, and not as doughy as you might find elsewhere.
One of the ‘authentic’ make or break factors for any cheesesteak is the choice of cheese. At Steve’s, offerings include Whiz, American, mozzarella, and provolone. Anything beyond these four choices would be unacceptable and lead you down a path to an imposter sandwich, and the whole world will laugh at you.
And look, I know the battle between Cheez Whiz and everything else will be fought until the cows come home, but for me, the choice is simple: go with something that’s not the color of hazardous waste material. I get mine with provolone.
It is no coincidence that the sides here are also great, such as the perfectly done fries that are a paradox of crunchy crispy and pillowy soft. These can (and should) be smeared with cheese like everything else you’re consuming. Dill pickles, relish, cherry peppers, yellow peppers, and hot sauce are also available as garnishes.
There are separate windows to order — one for sandwiches and one for fries and drinks — and each is paid for separately. Naturally, you will be mocked and treated badly if you show up at the window and don’t know what you want. Know before you go, as they say. When you’re not getting abused, you can watch the cheesesteaks being cooked through a panel in the middle.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
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That’s a great looking sandwich. Where do you go locally?
It’s hard to find a regional food done well outside of homebase, but occasionally I visit Gaglione Brothers and they do a good job. Their bread comes from Philly (Amoroso’s Baking Company) and they chop up the meat there, which is the classic way to serve it. I’ve also heard good things about Calozzi’s.
I like Calozzi’s: https://www.hungryones.com/2019/03/calozzis/
I’ll have to visit Gaglione Brothers.
I will give them a try. Most of the struggle for me is just getting to Pacific Beach and not losing it over the traffic situation there lol.