Philly runs deep through my veins, so when the opportunity to purchase tickets to Philadelphia’s First Cheesesteak Festival presented itself I responded with a resounding, “hell yes!”
As you’d expect, insane lines abounded for the usual suspects like Geno’s, Pat’s and Tony Luke’s. But, lucky for me I was there to scout out the bites not typically synonymous with the word cheesesteak. I wanted to explore bites that would fall in the “outside-of-the-box” category.
I should tell you that, although there has since been a mass amount of negative press surrounding this event (plenty of it warranted), I’d like to focus on what the event was originally about: that deliciously iconic Philadelphia cheesesteak. With more than 40 vendors to choose from, my cheese- (and carb-) loving self was in pure heaven.
Donkey’s Place
Let’s start with Donkey’s Place, which separated themselves from the other vendors by serving their sammy on a deliciously soft poppy seed bun. This Jersey-based establishment was hands down one of the best I sampled all day. And that’s just the beginning of where they went right. Their chipped steak was cooked perfectly — tender and juicy. Throw in some melted American cheese and finish it off with extra caramelized onions. Insert heart-eyed emoji here. 11 Tomlinson Mill Road, Medford, NJ; phone: (856) 810-0445
I Don’t Give a Fork
I’m pretty sure I briefly mentioned my cheese- and carb-loving ways earlier. I should probably go into further detail and clarify that it takes an extraordinary amount of effort to not eat macaroni and cheese on the reg. It’s pretty much my most favorite food, ever. Call me simple all you like. I’ve been loving it for far too long to change now. Enter I Don’t Give a Fork’s Mac and Cheese Cheesesteak. As soon as I got in line, I knew I had hit the festival jackpot. Noodles slathered in cheese on top of chip steak on a perfectly soft roll had me wanting to spend several of my tickets at this one stop. I will be seeking out this food truck on my next trip to Delaware, that you can be sure of.
Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop
My friends had been itching to find Joe’s Steaks’ station from the very beginning of the day. When we finally made our way through the crowd, the line moved pretty quickly. And although this steak was on the traditional end of the spectrum, it was piping hot, perfect cheese-to-steak ratio and the roll … that roll! Perfectly toasted yet soft and chewy at the same time. That roll is what dreams are made of. 1 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia; phone: (215) 423-5637
Fat Jack’s BBQ
This BBQ lovin’ establishment threw on their Philly cheesesteak hat for this festival and NAILED IT! Their Brisket Cheesesteak was the last bite I had at the festival and to say that it left an impression would be a vast understatement. Admittedly, I’m more of a honey mustard vs. bbq sauce kinda girl. However, whatever secret ingredients that they put in their housemade bbq sauce may have turned me into a bbq believer for life. Tender, juicy beef brisket, cheese … swoon. Find Fat Jack’s BBQ at any of their four locations.
I thought this festival would satiate my carb- and cheese-craving ways for a long, long while. And though it delivered in the taste department, it opened doors that need further exploring. And so I’ll do just that. There’s a wide world of cheesesteak purveyors out there begging me to expand my mind and indulge.
- Top 3 photos, final collage: Jim Berman
- Middle 2 photos: Michele Kornegay
