Taking the Cheesesteak to an Exalted Level

After averaging 1-2 cheesesteaks per week for over two years, I’ve been in partial withdrawal, having had less than one a month since putting out my top 20 list in November of last year. Blogging obviously hasn’t been a high priority as well. It took an all-time rave on Facebook from a steak-lover whose views on the subject I hold in high regard to get me to head into Center City – aka downtown Philly – to sample what he claimed was the best he’s ever tasted. 

Shay’s Steaks isn’t an ordinary steak shop. They use USDA prime and wagyu beef to craft the closest thing to a high end cheesesteak this side of the $140 sandwiches at Center City’s Barclay Prime steakhouse, which also feature wagyu beef, along with black truffle and foie gras. As a traditionalist without a taste for those sorts of extravagant toppings, I was more than happy to settle for a basic cheesesteak with much higher quality beef than I’m accustomed to. 

I had my heart set on trying a steak with wagyu beef, but was in for a rude surprise when I moseyed up to Shay’s self-serve ordering terminals and only found the USDA prime options available. They were out of wagyu beef. Thankfully, that turned out to be only a momentary crushing blow. Scott DiClaudio, the owner’s husband, who moonlights as a judge in the Philadelphia court system, quickly came to my rescue.

When I expressed my disappointment to him, Scott immediately told me to sit tight while he drove several blocks to his meat supplier to pick up more wagyu beef. It was a short wait that turned out to be very worthwhile.

Before leaving for his errand, he showed me the kitchen and their prime beef supply. 

I have no doubt that their prime steaks, made with a choice of ribeye, New York strip or filet mignon, are outstanding. But I didn’t drive into town for anything less than a wagyu cheesesteak, which they make with New York strip.

As one would expect with such high quality beef, the steaks at Shay’s aren’t cheap. The wagyu offering starts at $34 and goes up a bit with the addition of toppings, including cheese. While they offer Cooper Sharp, I ordered this steak with American cheese, as I didn’t want the beef to be overshadowed by anything with a stronger flavor. There was also a wide array of seasoning combinations to choose from, but I stuck with salt, pepper and garlic. Again, I wanted the primary flavor that I tasted to be beef.

Shay’s uses seeded rolls from Liscio’s Bakery that are not as long as those that most cheesesteaks come on. But it was still plenty big for someone with my relatively small appetite, not to mention that it was overflowing with a lot of meat.

Scott, who made my steak, gave me a look at the beef on the grill and even asked if I would like him to leave a little pink on it, to which I responded in the affirmative. 

The cheesesteak arrived just a couple minutes after I took the above photo. When I bit into it – after taking several photos – I was instantaneously transported into a state of culinary ecstasy. It was so juicy and flavorful that I momentary thought I must be in the middle of a wonderful dream. 

It was unquestionably the best bite of cheesesteak I’ve ever had – and the rest of it was equally impressive. The combination of abundant marbling and the perfect amount of seasoning made this sandwich incredibly tasty. It was almost like eating a regular high end steak. Yet it still had the look and feel of a cheesesteak. 

They go fairly light on the cheese, which suited me fine. The meat is the star of the show at Shay’s, and it’s an Oscar-worthy performer.

The roll was not among the best I’ve had, but it was more than good enough to get the job done. In fact, Scott mentioned that he’s considering adding a second roll option and allowing customers to choose which they want. Yet I suspect a great roll would only distract from the meat. And why would anyone want to do that? 

While I’m eating fewer cheesesteaks and likely won’t be visiting Shay’s on a regular basis, I couldn’t be happier that I tried them out and will unquestionably be back there at some point. I also strongly recommend that all of my readers who are in the Philly region or who visit the area splurge on a wagyu cheesesteak there. It’s one of the city’s great casual dining options. 

I haven’t decided yet whether to revise my top 20 list by placing Shay’s on top. It’s unquestionably the best of the lot, but it’s also hard to compare a cheesesteak made with wagyu beef to more standard offerings. I know I should try one of their cheesesteaks made with USDA prime beef, but it will be extremely difficult to pass up another one with wagyu when I return given the extent to which I floated out of there on one of my all-time food highs the first time around.