Pompei’s State Street Sandwiches: Media, PA

Media is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, which borders Philadelphia to the west. It’s got an adorable little downtown with lots of small stores and restaurants, including a few sandwich shops. I’ve already written about my cheesesteak-eating experience at Big Al’s Eatery, which sits at the eastern end of downtown Media. Today, I tried Pompei’s State Street Sandwiches at the western end.

Regular readers of this blog, especially those of you who checked out my reports on past road trips, know that I have a fondness for classic – or at least classic-looking – restaurants that have what I sometimes refer to as roadfood charm. Pompei’s does not fit into that category. It looks and feels new, and indeed, they opened in 2018. Having said that, they have a nice seating area with a TV tuned to sports. If I worked in Media, I’d probably spend a few afternoons there.

I had read one online review of Pompei’s cheesesteak from 2019 that indicated it could use more meat. That problem has most definitely been rectified since then. When My sandwich arrived, it was overflowing with beef. I wound up having to eat some off the top of one of the halves before I could pick it up and eat it without significant spillage. I do wish the meat wasn’t chopped so finely though. I prefer bigger pieces. But that’s not a significant complaint. Some people prefer the meat to be finely chopped.

The seedless roll was on the soft side without any crustiness. But it was fresh and I’d generally say it was high quality.

The sandwich’s overall flavor was very good. The meat was well seasoned and blended with an ample amount of American cheese that was melted to the point of being liquified and fried onions.

It also came with battered fries. I normally don’t order fries or any other side, figuring a cheesesteak is enough to eat. But these were crispy and made a nice companion to my main course.

I can’t say Pompey’s cheesesteak is among my favorites, but it’s a quality sandwich that I may return to at some point, and certainly would if I were regularly in Media at lunch time.