This pretty much goes over it
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I was good til they quoted Bobby Flay as an expert. 
So unlike the vast majority of iconic regional or city specific foods, the accessories rather than the main ingredient and seasoning seem to determine the immortality. Interesting.
Surprisingly enough, the New Monmouth Diner cranks out a decent cheesesteak for the area. It may lack the flavor you would get from a “well-seasoned” grill for cheesesteaks like in the Philly area, but it is enormous and satisfying.
Then there is Philly’s Famous Cheesesteaks in Atlantic Highlands. Cannot speak for it now but they used to have good reviews. A buddy of mine worked there. Actually, I stepped behind the grill to help him myself back in 2015 when one of their cooks quit. So in my spare time, I worked there a few days a week for about three months. I would go from teaching, change into something grungy, and cook! It was a lot of fun. Expensive sandwiches though, but it is actual meat not steak-ums or frozen.
Luigi’s Pizza in Matawan does a good one as well. Ask to throw some hot peppers on there to make it even more delicious.
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Phillys is OK but they are expensive. I like that Italian roast pork but at like 14 dollars she has priced herself too high now. It used to be like 9 bucks a few years ago.
@bbqboy the cheese steak is definitely not rocket science…I agree. There are generally no spices except salt and pepper… a little garlic powder at some places.
What Philly mainly does is the right combo of things…
Good soft bread
Quality meat and cheese
The right ratio of cheese to bread to meat.
And they keep is moist! The steak only has to be cooked for a very short time. They just know how to do it down there. Even in central nj it is hard to get a good cheese steak so I started making mine with shaved ribeye many years ago. When it comes off the spatula I want it dripping with juice/fat.
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My Wife and I both really enjoy the California Cheesesteak sandwich from Atillio’s in Lincroft. For full disclosure I like NotJr have never had a “true” Philly cheesesteak so I am by no means an expert.
The other spot I loved the cheesesteaks was at The Hot Spot II on the boardwalk in Wildwood. It’s been a lot of years though so it may have changed.
Saw your message about speakeatery way too late but wanted to chime in. They make their cheese steak with their roast beef, which is some round portion cut. I’m not paying 13.50 for a cheese steak made with round! Fucking use ribeye!
There’s no secret to the cheese. The standard cheeses are American, Prov, and Whiz, and the whiz is usually straight cheez whiz.
Oh man now I really want a cheese steak.
I agree. I got one and it was tasty but for 13.50 you can do a lot better. That was a one and done for me. I haven’t been back since then. I never went actually, my coworker picked them up.
I’m going to start a cheese steak cooking class. All I ask for is that each restaurant give me one every two weeks for as long as I live lol.
Well, I’ve been to Pat’s & Genos & they both suck. Wouldn’t go back to either.
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Steve’s in Philly may be my favorite. I like the way they call themselves the “Prince” of steaks.
But, if I want a sandwich in Philly, I have a hard time passing up Dinic’s Roast Pork Italian.
I’ve been to Philly’s Famous on my way back from Flaky Tart, but I thought they were more in the “decent” range.
Dude get with the program… Dinic’s Roast Pork is crap compared to their pulled pork!
Seriously. I don’t know how the roast pork got so famous. If you taste it side by side with the pp it’s not even close!
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steak and hoagie in plainsboro puts out a pretty good one if I must say.
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Ha! I know this is an old post, but I’ve got two new ones for you.
Picadillo, Bean and Cheese, (Chimichanga), and
Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Wasabi, (Philly Roll). Of course, you have to make a smashed avocado dip to complete the homage.
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Asking from Southern Oregon, bbqboy wonders, what is Italian like Ron’s?
To be mentioned, I figure it must be good.
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Sweet italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and cheese deep fried in an egg roll. Great stuff! Ron makes killer ones.
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So here is a video from Pat’s where they are actually making the buggers:
As far as I can tell no seasoning is going on the meat, it’s just straight on the plancha. Sliced really thinly, so I expect it was sliced while really cold or even partly frozen.
I further suspect that the “genuine” taste has something to do with that big warming tray full of grease and juice at the end of the plancha that they scoop the meat out of. That and the fast turnover so everything stays relatively fresh.
Cheez Whiz is straight from the can. They open one in the video, and schmier directly from it.
The only other ingredient is the bread. I have heard from many Philly ex pats that the secret to the taste of a real Philly cheese steak is the bread.
So it really surprised me to see that the bread in the video is from Aversa’s Bakery in Turnersville, NJ.
Aversa’s Italian Bakery
801 NJ-168, Turnersville, NJ 08012
(856) 227-8005
Could it be that the sole reason a “Philly” cheese steak tastes the way it does is that it’s served on a roll baked in Jersey?
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Well let’s not forget the secret ingredient of the cooks sweat which gets spread evenly across the meat on the grill. (not a hat or even a hair net in the entire kitchen. PA must have a very liberal health department.
Eeeuuuwww!
And, yet again, Eeeuuuwww !
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Here ya go…
