A Cheesesteak Worthy of the Reading Terminal

In last month’s post about my most recent food excursion to Philadelphia’s famed Reading Terminal Market, I pointed out Uncle Gus’ Steaks, a new cheesesteak stand that I had been previously unaware of. They replaced Carmen’s, a hoagie and steak stand that had previously been in the same spot. 

Although I’ll miss Carmen’s wonderful Italian hoagies, their steaks were not among the city’s better options. In fact, while the Terminal’s Italian sandwich and pizza stand, By George, puts out a very solid cheesesteak, I’ve long felt that there is something inappropriate about Philly’s leading food hall not having a truly elite steak option.

I headed back to the Reading Terminal Market Tuesday to see if Uncle Gus’ has rectified that unfortunate situation.

As was reported in the local media, Uncle Gus’ Steaks is the brainchild of the owners of Angelo’s Pizzeria, the purveyor of my top ranked cheesesteak in the Philly region, as well as two longtime Terminal stands, DiNic’s and Pearl’s Oyster Bar. 

Having read that lines of people eager to try the city’s newest high profile cheesesteak are already long at times, I arrived at the Terminal around 10:30 to beat the lunch rush. That turned out to be a good move, as there was no line yet and I found an open table at which to eat my sandwich without difficulty. 

The menu at Uncle Gus’ is brief and to the point. Aside from beverages, cheesesteaks are the sole option on it. The only decisions for customers to make are the type of cheese and whether they want fried onions, mushrooms and/or peppers on their sandwiches. As usual, I opted for Cooper Sharp with fried onions as my only addition. 

After receiving my freshly made and wrapped cheesesteak, I headed for the Terminal’s central dining area and grabbed a table. 

The first thing that jumped out at me upon unwrapping my steak was the gorgeous roll. Uncle Gus’ uses the same seeded rolls made by Angelo’s Pizzeria for their sandwiches. They are unquestionably the best steak rolls I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating – with a sturdy crust, but not too much dough within. It also is unusually flavorful for a sandwich roll.

The meat was nicely seasoned and coarsely chopped, allowing one a better chew and opportunity to appreciate its juicy quality than is often the case with more finely chopped beef. 

As for the Cooper Sharp, it was beautifully blended with the meat throughout. Yet there was a little too much of it for me, with the sharpness of the cheese’s flavor being a bit too dominant within the overall flavor profile.

Having said that, I’ve pointed out the subjective nature of preferences when it comes to eating cheesesteaks generally and the meat-to-cheese ratio specifically on a number of occasions. I tend to like the cheese in a supporting role with the meat more dominant in terms of the sandwich’s overall flavor. But I’ve read enough online commentary from Philly area steak-lovers to know I’m probably in the minority in that regard. Given the extent to which many locals favor a cheesier steak, I suspect the one at Uncle Gus’ will be hugely popular.

As you can see in these photos, the onions were beautifully caramelized and added an extra layer of flavor to the sandwich. 

I’m pleased to report that there is no longer a cheesesteak issue at the Reading Terminal Market. When someone from one of the online cheesesteak groups asks for a recommendation for a steak in Center City or at the Terminal, there will be no dilemma. They can confidently be sent to Uncle Gus’. 

My own subjective issue with the meat-to-cheese ratio notwithstanding, this was definitely an elite cheesesteak that is worthy of being served at the Reading Terminal Market. 

Unfortunately, filling the ‘great cheesesteak’ hole at the Terminal has opened another gap. With Carmen’s gone, for the first time in memory, they no longer have a stand that specializes in hoagies. The previously mentioned By George sells hoagies, but I’ve always associated them more strongly with pizza, cheesesteaks and other hot Italian foods. 

Either By George will have to start focusing more strongly on hoagies or I would expect a new hoagie-centered stand to open up in the Terminal at some point. It’s tough to imagine the place without a hoagie stand; although that’s the current situation. 

But the Reading Terminal is about much more than Italian sandwiches. Among other things, it is also a paradise for those who, like me, have large sweet-tooths. There was no way I was leaving Tuesday without grabbing something for dessert on the way out. 

I hit the Famous 4th Street Cookie stand for my favorite chocolate chip cookies during last month’s visit and decided on Beiler’s Doughnuts this time around. 

They are one of Philly’s most renowned sellers of doughnuts, which are made, topped and filled right out in the open for all to see. 

It was too difficult to decide on one flavor, so I compromised and picked two; a cinnamon-sugar covered cake doughnut and a Boston cream doughnut. I ate the former in the car while driving home, so there are no photos of it to share. But here are a few of the fantastic Boston cream doughnut; perhaps the best one of those that I’ve ever had. 

Please pardon the unkempt appearance of the chocolate icing. Some of it came off on the inside of the bag.