As 2024 winds down, we wanted to share with you some of the most-read articles of 2024. This article was originally published on May 12th, 2024, when we made a visit to Philadelphia, PA to try 18 different cheesesteaks.
Over the course of four days, during a trip to the cheesesteak capital of the world (Philadelphia, PA), we tried cheesesteaks at 18 different restaurants that are often mentioned as having “the best” cheesesteaks in the area- including the $140 cheesesteak from Barclay Prime. Below you’ll see a little more information about our process, followed by our big announcement at the end:
These rankings are coming from a few Montgomery County, MD natives who have differing opinions on the best local steak and cheese sandwiches (we’ll explain the difference between that and a cheesesteak below). Mr. MoCo’s favorite steak and cheese subs in MoCo can be seen here, but the cheesesteaks on the list below are very different.
We gave a score between 1-10 to each cheesesteak we tried in Philly and then averaged the scores out to give each one its final score and subsequent ranking. We took two small bites of each cheesesteak so that hunger wouldn’t dictate how we felt about the taste.
According to employees and even a manager or two at some of the restaurants, the differences between a cheesesteak and a steak and cheese (more commonly found outside of the Philadelphia area) include the different toppings usually added to a steak and cheese (tomatoes, lettuce, etc.). Cheesesteaks generally, but didn’t always, use Amoroso’s rolls, shaved ribeye, and Whiz or provolone cheese. Originally, the only additional topping that is “acceptable” would be onions (this varies depending on who you ask).
Amoroso’s was established in 1904 and quickly became a staple in the Philadelphia area. For over a century, they’ve been delivering freshly baked rolls to eateries and venues throughout Philly (and beyond) and are known for their signature hearth-baked rolls that boast a crunch on the outside, soft interior, and the durability to cradle every cheesesteak ingredient without crumbling. Many places that have gained popularity in recent years moved away from using the rolls. Our top five can be seen below:
5. John’s Roast Pork: 8.0/10.
John’s Roast Pork doesn’t use whiz. Instead, you’ll find American cheese. John’s had a long line that was on par with Dalessandro’s in terms of length, but moved much slower in part because they make their sandwiches in small batches of up to a dozen at a time. The roast pork sandwich was also tasty, but we all preferred the cheesesteak.
4. Dalessandro’s: 8.2/10.
Dalessandro’s was the most recommended place, mainly by those who either live in Philly now or frequent the area. At times, it wasn’t easy to distinguish between Dalessandro’s and Chubby’s- its neighbor across the street. At the end, we all blindly rated Dalessandro’s higher.
3. Angelo’s Pizzeria: 8.6/10.
Also known for its pizza, which was very tasty, we were on a cheesesteak mission and it didn’t disappoint. Angelo’s had the longest line (because most were there for the pizza and cheesesteak). We thought the bread was tied with Barclay Prime as the best. Can’t imagine anyone eating this cheesesteak and disliking it.
2. Barclay Prime: 8.7/10.
The Barclay Prime cheesesteak will run you $140. It consists of hand cut wagyu, black truffle, foie gras, fried onions, cooper sharp on a freshly baked sesame roll and is served with a ½ bottle of champagne. It was a great tasting cheesesteak, but none of us would say it’s “worth it” as you could enjoy 10 cheesesteaks form just about any other place for the price of this one. With that said, it was great and if you’re able to swing it, it’s something you can share with friend and family for years.
1. Woodrow’s: 9.1/10.
While a few folks did recommend Woodrow’s, it wasn’t mentioned as often as the other places that reached the top 5. It’s not as picturesque as some of the other cheesesteaks, but we also didn’t have the time to set up for anything fancy at many of these places. We all really enjoyed the truffle flavor and the cheesesteak earned two of the highest overall scores as well as the highest average score. Every one of us had the Woodrow’s cheesesteak ranked either #1 or #2 overall. It plays a role in our announcement below.
Notes:
• We ordered each restaurants’ most popular cheesesteak
• We generally liked every cheesesteak we tried. Ishkabibbles was the only restaurant that didn’t live up to the “you have to try it” hype, but it was still just fine.
• The prices of the sandwiches all hovered around $15, except for Barclay Prime ($140).
• We aren’t going into detail on all 18 spots we tried because no matter which ones we went to, there will always be that other place we “should’ve tried” that’s someone’s favorite.
• This is all just for fun and everyone will likely have a different opinion.
• A few locals told us that Pat’s and Geno’s, known for their popularity amongst tourists, are gaining traction with locals again. Some were also completely against that notion.