Reader Submission: Chubby's vs Dalessandro’s

Chubby's 5826 Henry Ave Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 487-2575 Website

Dalessandro’s 600 Wendover St Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 482-5407 Website

This review by reader/blogger Tasty Tripod. For more reviews, recipes, food stuff and general nonsense, visit www.tastytripod.com and follow them @tastytripod.

If you live in the city of Brotherly Love, it’s probably happened to you before: you tell someone you’ve just met where you’re from, and they immediately exclaim some version of “You’re from Philadelphia? CHEESESTEAKS!!!!” then proceed to ask you who makes the best sandwich. Yeah, it’s a stereotype, but as much as you and I hate to admit it, if someone asks for your opinion on steaks, you’re going to have one.

Fortunately, we have a lot of options. Besides the tourist trap nonsense of Pat’s and Geno’s that true Philly residents avoid (unless it’s 3 a.m. and you’re too drunk to care), there’s Jim’s, Tony Luke’s, and John’s Roast Pork, among others. Each has its virtues and its legions of ardent supporters, but we can’t forget two of the best options, even if they’re a little further away.  If you make it out to Roxborough, which is about a 15 minute drive from downtown, you’ll see them right off Henry Ave, directly across the street from each other. Trust me, it’s worth the drive.

Chubby’s has been in business since 1987 and offers up a full menu of steak sandwiches (or chicken), hoagies, finger foods like cheese fries and onion rings and a pretty good selection of bottled beers and beverages to go. They also have a decent amount of seating where you can enjoy some beers on tap at the full bar and watch the game. For convenience, Chubby’s has it in the bag – they’re open until 2 a.m. on weekends and take credit cards, plus they have a small parking lot.

Dalessandro’s, on the other hand, is cash only although there is an ATM on premises.

A neighborhood fixture, their menu is also a little more limited – the focus here is on the sandwiches. You won’t find appetizers or sides on the menu, so if you want fries with your steak, you’ll have to get them elsewhere. Don’t let this deter you, though, because what they offer is phenomenal. During peak hours, there’s a line out the door but service is fast and efficient so you won’t be waiting long – which is good, because parking is street only and limited.

So who serves up the better steak sandwich? It’s a close call. Both use rib-eye on an Amaroso roll. Both come standard with American, although you can add on provolone, whiz, and various toppings. It’s a matter of personal preference, of course, but the general consensus seems to indicate that the difference is in the chop. While Dalessandro’s gives you a generous portion of finely chopped meat – some would say it resembles ground beef – Chubby’s give you a smaller portion that’s less chopped, giving you the more “traditional” steak presentation and, some would argue, more flavor. That’s not the final verdict, though, because there’s a wild card: Dalessandro’s buffalo chicken cheesesteak.

I can say with certainty that once you have the buff chx at Dalessandro’s, anyone else’s version of the sandwich will pale in comparison. It’s that good. It comes with Bleu Cheese and American – add fried onions and hot peppers and you’ll succumb to a pleasant food coma like no other.

Which steak shop is your favorite – Chubby’s or Dalessandro’s?

John's Grille

116 S Monroe St.
Media, PA 19063
(610) 565-8251

If you follow this site, which I am assuming you do (since you are currently reading this), you know that we really like greasy, blue collar, out-of-the-way type places. John's Grille is the type of watering hole where a twenty spot will get you drunk and get you fed. That's the kind of place I prefer to frequent.

The have a different domestic beer special every night, where $2 buys the daily offering. If you are feeling rich, you can pick a "non-special" domestic, and still pay no more than $3. Ah, the suburbs.

The food prices are unbelievably reasonable. For example, where else can you get a near perfect cheesesteak for $4.50?

They use a perfectly chewy, slightly crispy roll (Amoroso's). Nothing too special, just a really solid delivery vehicle for your meat and cheese package.

If you notice a dingy tint on these photos, it's because the view inside is like an Instagram filter called "seasoned".

The cheesesteak is really, really, good. It's got a generous amount of steak and cheese, is well seasoned, chopped finely, and a STEAL for under $5. This is one of my favorite cheesesteaks around. No hard seeded rolls, no dry aged meat, just a cheesesteak at its most basic, which is the reason they are so good. Good meat + plenty of cheese + a roll that holds it all together without being too tough = cheesesteak perfection.

The sweet fried onions carry the flavor of a 'decades-aged' grill, and are not to be missed.

The chicken cheesesteak is another favorite of mine. Add a side of buffalo and chunky blue cheese if you want to "gourmet" it up. It uses chipped chicken, which is specified on the menu, and again, a healthy dose of cheese and fried onions.

This is one of my favorite bars in the greater Philadelphia area, and you will often find me here watching the Phillies lose on a Thursday night. Which makes the $2 beers all the better, because I find my ability to drink cheap beer is exponentially increased when we are on a losing streak.

Joe's Steaks

6030 Torresdale Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19135
(215) 535-9405
Website

The previously named (and written about) Chink's Steaks, recently yielded to pressure to change its longstanding and controversial name. I must admit, when I heard, I was torn. I hate to see the changing of the guard of old Philadelphia roots, but I can certainly understand the outrage over a slur as a business name, even if it was not malicious in intent. So I was extremely happy when I got an invite to check out the newly branded Joe's Steaks, particularly because of the long-standing crown of excellence in the Philly cheesesteak world.

The storefront is still exactly the same, but with a couple pieces of new signage indicating it is now Joe's.

Inside, nothing has changed, and that is one of the reasons that Joe's is the best cheesesteak in the city. That's right. THE BEST.

Joe and his son Patrick are always manning the grill, and the limited menu lets them put the utmost care into each carefully crafted sandwich.

If it seems like Joe is right at home here, it's because he is. And has been, since he was sixteen and got his start washing dishes at Chink's. He has worked here ever since, and in the late 1990's he bought the shop to continue the tradition of outstanding cheesesteaks (and don't forget the egg creams and milkshakes).

Liscio's rolls, the gold standard for cheesesteaks, are lightly warmed on the grill, while the meat is perfectly seasoned and cooked. The onions come diced, browned, and sweet, just like they should.

Joe's commitment to keeping tradition runs so deep that he was reluctant to even introduce provolone or whiz until a couple of years ago. He himself is an American cheese on steaks guy. The sodas are made to order, with a hand pump of syrup added to soda water – the manual, old fashioned way.

Pickles, cherry peppers, and banana peppers are complimentary (when asked for) and are a perfect way to start grazing before your main event arrives.

But when it does, look out, because there are very few things I will let get between me and one of these masterpieces.

I personally LOVE the version with whiz. Something about the melted, salty accompaniment to tender steak and sweet onions makes me salivate with just the thought.

I will say it again, there is no better steak in Philadelphia. There may be some that are almost as good, or MAYBE as good, but none-better. I bring my food loving guests from out of town here, and they always leave happy (and usually buy me a steak too).

There is no lack of fillings here and it makes you appreciate a place that still has some attitude, but isn't run by pompous dicks with an inferiority complex (see: Pat's, Geno's).

The American cheese version is another winner, and the clear choice for the whiz averse. No need to order extra cheese, there will be ample melty creamy American dispersed throughout.

Although the name has changed, the product has not (and will not). If you have never been, you are doing yourself a disservice by holding out, and if the issue was political correctness, now is the time. Myself, I would continue going here even if they changed the name to "Philly Phoodie is a fatso and a hack of a writer." And I would go with joy in my heart and steak in my gut.

Editor's note: the cheesesteaks here do not come cut in half. There is a small and a large, both of which come out as full-length torpedoes, but for the sake of photographing the details, we requested that Joe slice these down the middle.

John's Roast Pork

14 Snyder Ave
(corner of Weccacoe and Snyder Avenue)
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 463-1951

You have probably driven by this place on Snyder, near Target, and wondered what the deal was. It appears to be some sort of food shop built from the remains of an old auto supply store. I have been told by many of my friends that they, “always see it and think about stopping, but it’s never open.” Well, that’s because it isn’t ever open (at least when the average person is down in that neck of the woods). And the reason - because they don’t have to be.


John’s Roast Pork (aka John's Lunch, The Snyder Avenue Lunch Bar, and The Shack), has been around since 1930, and has been a family run business for 3 generations, and it shows. The sandwiches are made with love (and grease), and they are divine. Although your only chance to eat there is Monday thru Friday 6:45 AM to 3 PM (the grill closes at 2:30), it is absolutely worth the journey to experience the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia. Wait, what????

Although the “John’s Roast Pork” name implies “hog” - it is, in fact, the beef that is the true magic. Now don’t get me wrong; I have, at a point in my life, called their roast pork italiano, with sharp provolone and sautéed spinach - an overly juicy, garlicky-peppery torpedo of flavor served on a fresh seeded Carangi roll from the South Philly Bakery - the best hot sandwich in the world, but I am afraid I have to relinquish the throne to their cheesesteak as the best in the land. You see, I am a very ethnocentric person, but I have been all over our great country, and I believe that Philadelphia makes the best sandwiches around. So, if this is the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia, (and if cheesesteaks are the pinnacle of sandwichery) then it obviously is the best hot sandwich in the world.



Let’s start with the line. Because there WILL be a line.

In line, you will see construction workers, city workers, office suits, older folks (some of whom might have been eating there since the place opened), and a basic cultural sampling of the diversity Philadelphia has to offer. Except for the one thing EVERYONE there has in common. They are in the know. John’s is the type of place you don’t mind telling people about, because more than likely, they will not be able to find themselves there, thus making the line even longer, with any regularity. I admit, I don’t go as often as I would like, as I have a job and go to school, although I do plan my non-holiday days off around the sandwiches there. In doing so, I’ve discovered a secret that most people don’t know about - if you are ordering Roast Pork, you can jump ahead in line. The line is waiting for the grill. The cheesesteak grill. The pork will be sitting on the counter bubbling away in its juicy goodness, and so if that is your sandwich for the day, by all means, poke around ahead in line and you will get called up to the front like a coach calling the scrawny kid up from the end of the bench. However, if you are getting a cheesesteak, hold fast and know your order.

While you may wait for what seems like an eternity, just be patient, cheesesteak nirvana awaits. You might be bored and sweaty from standing in line, but make sure you have your specs in mind. Take note of all of the various awards, newspaper articles and old pictures, but keep an eye on the order girl because your time there will go faster than expected, and you’d better know what you are ordering when your number is up.



John’s cooks the steaks to order, and they use a cut of sirloin, unlike the typical ribeye found at many steak shops. He does not freeze the meat, rather chills it in the freezer to slice it, and then has individually wrapped bags of steak. The meat is heavenly. You can get it with sharp provolone too. I alternate between the sharp prov and American, but never whiz; add fried onions, sometimes mushrooms. The juicy steak, which drips with twice as much cheese as your ordinary joint puts out, is a perfect storm of tender meat, sweet onions, cheesy goodness and grease. Oh god that grease. The South Philly baked Carangi roll, tough and crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, gets gutted in order to cram the maximum filling inside. It holds up perfectly to the drippy, gooey task presented by both the steak and the pork, and makes John’s food, much like their store front, truly stand-alone. Two final words of advice: first, CASH and second, PATIENCE - let your sandwich sit for a few minutes. It really allows the flavors to meld, and reduces the chances of a molten cheese bite burning off your taste buds before you can savor the rest of your meat-packed masterpiece.