Having to decide the final couple cheesesteaks to post about before putting out my top 20 list next week hasn’t been easy. I’ve got a list of places to try that I regularly add to. Yet none of the ones left on it stand out from the pack in terms of reputation. To the best of my knowledge, I’ve already hit all of the places that are widely known as being in the top tier or two among those who follow such things.
After weighing the options, I settled on Tony G’s of West Norriton, Pennsylvania, for lunch Tuesday. A couple people on Facebook strongly urged me to give them a shot recently and they were convincing. The online photos I found of their steaks also looked good.
Tony G’s is an old-school bar with a look that reminded me of the Port Richmond Pub, where I had a great steak* just last week. I grabbed a stool and ordered a cheesesteak with Cooper Sharp and fried onions on a seeded roll.
The wait for it to arrive was a short one.
The first thing that jumped out at me was that there didn’t appear to be much cheese on it. Yet as I worked my way through the sandwich I discovered there were spots, especially closer to the two ends, where there was quite a lot of Cooper Sharp. It wasn’t blended in with the beef or distributed as well as it could have been. On top of that, the roll was softer than I prefer, although it was fresh and the crust had a bit of a chew to it.
Yet in spite of those negatives, the overall flavor of this steak was very good due mainly to the presence of an abundance of nicely-seasoned and juicy chopped sirloin.
While Tony G’s steak isn’t quite up there with my favorites, eating one was a very satisfying experience from a beef-lover’s perspective. Those who prefer more cheese-forward steaks should order extra.
I’m still not certain of where I’ll go for my last cheesesteak before putting the best-of list out, but I’m leaning toward re-visiting one of last year’s best, which was disappointing when I went back there earlier this year. I feel like a tie-breaking steak may be in order.
* The cheesesteak I ate at the Port Richmond Pub was from the Bleigh Street Cafe, which operates out of the Pub.
BZ Maestro Eats 
It’s interesting you didn’t mention the smoking in there. Did you not encounter anyone smoking? I love the cheesesteaks there and it’s only 5 minutes from my office but I always utilize their takeout window because they allow smoking in the bar, which grosses me out beyond all comprehension. The crazy Joe Gallo is a great sandwich and most of their Italian sandwiches are good. Oddly – they have amazing onion rings they serve w/ russian dressing and it’s a superb combo.
LikeLike
I’m definitely interested in seeing you post somethings about zeps…I take it that “zep” is short for “zeppelin”, and has something to do with the shape of the bread? The Old World Zep sounds really good (minus the onions and tomatoes for me).
LikeLike
I’ve never looked into the origin of the name. As far as I know, most Zeps feature meat (usually a cold cut, but can be hot), slices of tomato and onion, seasoning and I think some kind of pepper relish. The most famous place for them is probably Lou’s in Norristown. I’ve been meaning to get there for a long time, but it just hasn’t happened. I guess I’ve been prioritizing cheesesteaks too much, although they sell those too.
LikeLike