Philly Cheesesteak

This is the fourth and final installment of my Philadelphia miniseries, and what could be more Philadelphia than a post on cheesesteaks? Seeing how I had never been to Philly, I obviously had never eaten a real Philly cheesesteak. I have had some that claimed to be Philly-style cheesesteak, but after having a true experience, I know I was deceived.

Andrew directed us to Jim’s Steaks on South Street. You know it is a good cheesesteak place when there is a line around the block at 4:30 PM. This was the place to be. The line did move fairly quickly though. 

The cheesesteak was different than I imagined, certainly different than versions of it I have seen outside Philadelphia. When I have seen something marketed as “Philly cheesesteak,” it normally has provolone, thinly sliced caramelized onions, and green bell peppers. So, provolone is actually an option, but the clearly more standard way to eat a cheesesteak is with cheez whiz.

The cheesesteaks do come with onions, but not these thinly sliced, soft caramelized onions I have seen in the past.  These onions were roughly chopped in thick chunks, giving the sandwich texture. The onions were definitely cooked but still had a nice crunch to them.

The steak was delicious, sliced to perfection. It was just what I imagined a good cheesesteak to be, especially with the cheez whiz, which was the most surprising part. When I think of cheez whiz, I think of that gross processed cheese you squirt out of a can, but I didn’t realize it was sold in other forms. This melted cheese product is like liquid gold that you enjoy while your eating it until it destroys your stomach from all the processed junk in it. But it is worth it. 

I now can no longer say that I’ve never had a real cheesesteak. It was the perfect end to our trip.  All the steak and cheesy goodness filled my stomach and prevented us from turning into the Hangry Trio. 

*This post reflects my honest views. I did not receive any compensation or other incentives to post this review.

Jim’s South St.
400 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-928-1911