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reviewed on: April 18, 2008

I have a confession to make. Though I’ve been in Philadelphia a few times in my life, I've never eaten a Philly cheesesteak there. Now, that either makes me the most qualified person to judge a Philly cheese steak or the worst. On the one hand, I have no preconceived idea of how one should taste. On the other, I have no standard by which go judge one. So, through the years I've employed a combination of what I enjoy and what listeners have told me is the ideal Philly cheesesteak.

This week, after receiving an absolutely rave phone call about the Philly cheesesteak at Philly's in the southwest part of town, I dropped in to sample for myself what was described as the closest thing to a real Philly cheesesteak in the city. Philly’s is in a sprawling strip center across the parking lot from a Red Robin and next to a Thai restaurant. From the outside, it looks like any other strip center store. Inside it's a sparkling restaurant done up in cheery whites and blues with a walk up counter for ordering and lots of inviting tables and chairs. No romantic booths here--this is a Philly cheesesteak store, and you're here for eating, not snuggling.

Unlike me, Larry Bigay, the owner of Philly's, grew up on cheesesteaks. Then he put in a tremendous amount of research to determine exactly what makes a good one and an authentic one. So, I reasoned, the odds were pretty good that he'd turn out a pretty good sandwich. And I was right. 

Philly cheesesteaks all begin with thinly sliced steak broken up and stir fried on a flat griddle, mixed with some form of cheese and served on a roll. But then you can add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and even barbecue sauce. And your choice of white american cheese, bleu cheese, provolone. The original Philly cheesesteak, as I understand, is made with Cheese Whiz, but I’ve never been able to summon up the courage to try one. So much for any one sandwich being authentic.

I chose the 8-inch “works” with peppers, onions and mushrooms and white American cheese, priced at $5.99. A 12-inch sandwich is available at $7.99. The 12-inch variety supposedly contains a half pound of steak, and I knew I wanted to remain awake that afternoon.

Here's where the hard part comes in. I loved it, but I'm basically clueless. The cheese was plentiful, which is often not the case, and it was mixed throughout the sandwich. The veggies were cooked with a slight degree of crispness rather than being cooked to a limp nothing. And the flavor was great. Was it an authentic Philly cheesesteak? That decision I'm going to have to leave to a higher authority.

If you’re not into Philly cheesesteaks, you’ll still find a visit to this fun restaurant worthwhile if you’re a fan of funnelcakes or Tastykakes.

Philly's Cheesesteak Grill
3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in the Mission Trace Center
303-763-2222