Philadelphia, PA - Delaware County! Philadelphia is the birthplace of the Cheesesteak. But, the best cheesesteaks may have moved to the suburbs. Delaware County has more delicious cheesesteaks per square mile than anywhere in the Universe! Yes, the Universe!
Delco Might Be The Cheesesteak Capital of The World
Leo's Steak Shop, 1403 Chester Pike, Folcroft
Leo's has been serving oversized traditional cheesesteaks to the beautiful people of Delaware County since 1974. They are in Folcroft, but if you cross Chester Pike, you will be in Sharon Hill, PA., and I think the Clifton Heights border is nearby.
Leo's Steak Shop Wins 1st Annual Cheesesteak Madness. Leo's Steak Shop continually wins 'best of' awards; however, their most prestigious win to date was winning the first annual 2020 Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure March Cheesesteak Madness Tournament sponsored by PhillyBite Magazine. See... Leo's Steak Shop Wins 1st Annual Cheesesteak Madness 2020
Jim Pappas Top 5 Delco Picks
Johnny Paisano's, 226 Baltimore Pike, Springfield
This is the best Cheesesteak no one is talking about. I knew it would be a special day because I was with guest eater Michael Opelka. This was Cheesesteak #400. Three Springfield police officers were eating at Johnny's. This was such a great experience I do not know where to begin. Johnny Paisano's very unassuming place tucked away between a bunch of other stores on Baltimore Pike. The roll was a fantastic sesame seed roll. The meat was chopped, tender, juicy, and a pleasure to eat. The fried onions and peppers were nice big chunks, and I love nice big chunks, especially when they're flavorful.
They sat on the grill for a little bit, so they blended in well with everything else. An outstanding amount of cheese and was melted perfectly into the whole Cheesesteak. This is one of those times when great ingredients meet a talented, caring person who knows how to put them together. 'Brotherly love' is the secret ingredient in great cheesesteaks. Thank you, Michael Opelka! You were a pleasure to have on the adventure.
DiFabio's Market & Tap, 1243 N Providence Rd, Media
I got the Cheesesteak with fried onions and mushrooms. This Cheesesteak lived up to my expectations. $10.95 wasn't a shock but paying $0.50 for the fried onions was a little disappointing. A good amount of excellent tender juicy meat. A perfect amount of cheese. The cheese was melted nicely, but I will be a little nitpicky and wish the cheese was melted a tiny bit better—nice thick slices of mushrooms and big chunks of fried onions.
They were delicious. I nitpicked at the cheese, so I'll leave the fried onions or mushrooms alone. The roll, the roll was the weak link. The roll was standard, and this Cheesesteak and person making it deserve better.
Delco Steaks, 2567 West Chester Pike, Broomall
This could be the best Cheesesteak in all the land, and I had guest eater Pat Murphy with me. We were eating our cheesesteaks under an overpass on 476 because there was a rainstorm, and we couldn't go anywhere due to COVID-19. It was hard to focus, but I remember thinking that the mushrooms and the cheese were getting lost in the Cheesesteak. I did pick Cooper Sharp and expected a lot more taste from the cheese to be high expectations.
There will be more trips to Delco Steaks to really put this Cheesesteak to the test. We'll leave it at a 93 right now but see where it goes. Excellent Cheesesteak experience.
The Original Thunderbirds, 2323 West Chester Pike, Broomall
A great place to eat since 1956. The brothers are doing their family proud. This is one of those places that when you walk inside, you feel good. It feels like everyone in there, customers and employees, have been together for many years—perfect traditional Cheesesteak. I am delighted they made some upgrades to their milkshakes.
Phil & Jim's Steaks & Hoagies, 2905 Edgmont Ave, Brookhaven
Phil & Jim's Steaks & Hoagies has new old owners. Costa and Dan, the new owners, worked at Phil & Jim's well over 30 years ago when they were teenagers. They recently had an opportunity to purchase Phil & Jim's. We should all be glad they took advantage of that opportunity. Costa and Dan have breathed new life into Phil & Jim's.
The day-to-day breath comes from Dan's wife, Gia. This is the Cheesesteak I think of when someone says, Cheesesteak. Traditional cheesesteak roll with a crust, but the bread is accepting of the cheesesteak contents. Chopped meat with the cheese melted throughout the whole Cheesesteak.
My name is Jim Pappas "The Philadelphia Cheesesteak Guy", and I have eaten 873 different cheesesteaks in the last 3 years. I am on the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure, my quest for the ultimate Cheesesteak. According to The Philadelphia Caller, I am the Philadelphia's Cheesesteak Authority.
Drive TO 1,000! I'll be at 1,000 different cheesesteaks by the end of the year. I love finding new hidden cheesesteak gems and guest eaters. Would you please let me know if you have a hidden gem and/or want to be a guest eater?