What We Ate:
Steak with onions:
-one with provolone
-one with cheese wiz
Jim's: collective rating of 4.75 out of 5 stars
D'alessandro's: collective rating of 4.75 out of 5 stars
While Pat’s and Geno’s are two of the most famous cheesesteak establishments in Philadelphia, many locals will not tell you they are among the best. We ventured to Jim’s in West Philadelphia for our third steak stop. A small black building sits next to row houses, and the interior consists of a cramped space with little seating and a constantly sizzling grill. As we waited in line, I could smell the onions caramelizing. I watched with fascination as the cook chopped the steak into finely strips and in one swift motion cupped the bread over it to complete the sandwich. The people here knew what they were doing, and this went all the way to the chef’s technique of keeping the rolls under the grill to keep them warm. We kept our formula from the other day and ordered two steaks with onions, one with cheese whiz and one with provolone and specified for a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Not only were the steaks cheaper than yesterday’s, they tasted better too. We took the food to the car to enjoy and to respect the limited space in the restaurant.
-Nate
Jim’s reminded me of a
Japanese steak house in that the person who makes your food stands behind a
flat top taking orders and making food right before your eyes. This intimate experience with your food is
something that allows the consumer to fully understanding what makes a
traditional Philadelphia cheesesteak something special. After we got our food we walked to our car,
but not before noticing the Amoroso’s bread truck out back. The steak was the most chopped of the
sandwiches we had seen up to the point, and tasted exactly how it is supposed
to be. For future reference, I know that
every cheesesteak I get will be compared to this one as a measuring stick. The classic wiz (spread right out of the
gallon can) was nice and synthetically cheesy.
The bread was the perfect combination of chewy and soft. The only thing I didn’t like was the onions,
for they were more caramelized and did not add that much in terms of
texture. When you take into
consideration that these steaks were $7.20, about $2 less than that of Pat’s
and Geno’s, it is definitely a step up from these more famous options. 
D’alessandro’s was suggested
to me by a friend who used to live in Philadelphia, and after confirmation of
it’s deliciousness by Mr. Reid we knew we had to check it out. D’alessandro’s had a little more seating than
Jim’s did, but it was crowded inside so we decided to head out to the sidewalk
and eat on the outdoor seating. The
first thing that struck us when the sandwiches arrived was their size. I would say that they were about 25% larger
or more than the previous cheesesteaks, and stuffed just as much if not
more. Both were topped with onions per
usual and the wiz was heavier than ever before on the one sandwich. The onions were just how we liked them:
barely translucent, sweet, and a little crunchy. In a sandwich that features tender meat,
chewy bread, and viscous cheese, this textural difference is very
welcomed. D’alessandro’s uses Amoroso’s
bread just like Jim’s, and we saw fresh bread being unloaded from a truck once
again as if it was following us. It was just personal preference, but I prefer
my steak to be more whole and not ground up like it was at D’alessandro’s. If the steak were more whole, it would be the
perfect sandwich for me. One thing to
add was that D’alessandro’s had the cheesiest product of every one that we
tried. It was 75 cents extra for the
cheese, and it was well worth it. It may
have been the type of provolone or the quantity, but the provolone variety had
a pronounced cheesy flavor. If not for
the meat, D’alessandro’s would have easily been my favorite. Considering the
price point at $7.25 and the size, though, it was definitely the best value in
the city that we tried.
-Alec
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