12 Philly Cheesesteaks Not to Miss

Angelo’s Pizzeria quickly became a contender for selling the best cheeseteak in Philadelphia when it opened in 2019. It’s no surprise considering the shop’s close family ties to Sarcone’s Bakery which is located just a few doors south. But it’s not just the seeded rolls that are top notch here. This seemingly humble pizza shop fills its cheesesteaks with thinly sliced rib-eye steak and loads them with cheeses that include cooper sharp, American, provolone, Cheez Whiz and long hot whiz. Fried onions are optional but recommended.

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Recognized by James Beard and loved by locals, John’s Roast Pork serves some of the city’s best roast pork sandwiches. However, savvy locals know that John’s ‘ultimate’ cheesesteak is one of the best cheesesteaks in the city. It’s essentially a seeded roll sourced from Carangi Baking Company that’s filled with 12 ounces of quality meat, toppings and, of course, cheese. Controversially, Cheez Whiz is not on John’s menu. No worries – sharp provalone adds a funky edge of flavor that makes this cheesesteak special. The same applies to spinach which they call greens.

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Only open since September, 2023, Jim’s West isn’t owned by a Jim and has a history that’s as long as the queues that spill on to the sidewalk every day of the week. The standing-room-only shop is located in a West Philly neighborhood that’s far from the tourist track. They all want the same thing – an Amoroso’s roll jam packed with perfectly cooked chopped rib-eye, plenty of cooper sharp cheese and flavorful sautéed onions. You’ll want one too.

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Located in Northeast Philly, formerly a food wasteland filled with fast food chains and mediocre local restaurants, Northeast Philly has emerged as a culinary melting pot over the past couple decades. Café Carmela quickly became a popular cheesesteak destination after it opened in 2020. Its Don Cheech cheesesteak, a seeded Carangi roll filled with 12 ounces of thickly sliced rib-eye steak, cooper sharp cheese and sautéed onion chunks, is worth the drive.

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It’s not easy to get to Dalessandro’s without a car and the Roxborough cheesesteak shop has limited outdoor seating. Go anyway. Your reward will be a soft Amoroso’s roll stuffed with chopped rib-eye steak, cheese and a mess of caramelized onions. It’s a bite of heaven for cheesesteak lovers, especially those with a preference for super chopped cheesesteaks. And, as a bonus, craft beer is on the menu too.

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Chubby’s Steak, open since 1987, would easily be the best cheesesteak shop in the Roxborough neighborhood if Dalessandro’s wasn’t right across the street. Instead, that status is debatable. Both source their rolls from Amoroso’s and chop the heck out of their meat. While Chubby’s gets extra points for having waitress service, a full bar and a varied menu featuring burgers, salads, wings and Italian desserts, it loses points for charging extra for replacing American cheese with provolone, cooper sharp or Cheez Whiz.

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A cheesesteak at a Philly BBQ place? It sounds cliché and yet it’s not. The team at Mike’s mastered the concept by adding fatty, smoky, juicy brisket to Philly’s long rolled sandwich classic. To be clear, they don’t just throw down some mamby-pamby provolone on their BBQ cheesesteak beasts; instead, they layer creamy cooper sharp Cheez Whiz on top of super-rich, slow smoked brisket.

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With a history that dates back to the nations’ bicentennial (i.e. 1976), Jim’s South St. is notable of its signature cheesesteaks that fill soft Amoroso’s rolls with chopped rib-eye steak, gooey cheese (natch) and a generous amount of onions. Seriously, if there’s a more oniony cheesesteak than Jim’s, we are yet to eat it. The recent addition of a dining room in the former Eyes Gallery is a major upgrade.

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Most native Philadelphians fit into two categories – Pat’s fans and Geno’s fans. While neither neon-decorated cheesesteak stand gets our nod for serving the very best cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, we prefer Pat’s lightly chopped cheesesteak over Geno’s sliced cheesesteak for a couple reasons. First, we appreciate that original owners Pat and Harry Olivieri are credited with inventing the cheesesteak sandwich in 1930. Second, eating a Pat’s cheesesteak in an Aversa’s roll is like taking a trip down memory lane for Philadelphia natives.

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The cheesesteaks at Geno’s are world famous but not due to the way that Cheez Whiz combines with the fat from thinly sliced, flat-top grilled steak inside each Liscio’s roll. The shop hit international airwaves in 2006 for its sign that required customers to place their orders in English. That sign is now gone and crowds continue to line up for iconic cheesesteaks.

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The cheesesteaks at Steve’s are slightly different from other Philly cheesesteaks. For starters, the Northeast Philly shop’s sources its rolls from a bakery that’s not Amoroso’s, Aversa’s, Carangi, Liscio’s or Sarcone’s. More important, the slabs of sliced rib-eye steak are quite thick. Beyond cheesesteaks, notable menu items include chocolate soda, Texas tommies and loaded fries.

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