Trying a Brand New Steak Shop in Media, PA

The plan for this week’s post had been to revisit one of the cheesesteak purveyors on my top 20 list. But it came to my attention a couple weeks ago that a new steak shop was about to open in Media, Pennsylvania, where my wife and I eat fairly regularly. So I called an audible and put that revisit on the back-burner. The urge to visit a new steak shop that is relatively close to me was too difficult to resist.

Jackson Street Steaks opened February 11. I stopped there to try a cheesesteak on Friday the 13th. That may have been a bad omen. Not that first appearances would have led me to believe that. The restaurant, which has counter ordering, but both a bar-like counter with stools and a small dining area with tables, had a very pleasant look both outside and in. It sits in the heart of Media’s picturesque downtown. 

Although steaks are in their name, Jackson Street has an interesting array of items on their menu, including Roman-style pizza, burgers, chicken cutlet sandwiches, focaccia sandwiches and wings. They also serve beer. 

I may want to return to try a burger at some point, but my reason for being there on this day was to sample their cheesesteaks. I ordered one with Cooper Sharp cheese and fried onions. They come on a seedless roll by default, but I paid an extra 50 cents for a seeded roll. 

The wait for my steak to be brought out to where I was seated was a relatively short one. It gave me just enough time to fully check out the menu along with the interior and take photos of both. 

I’ve gotten so used to cheesesteaks being packed with anywhere from 12 ounces to a full pound of meat, especially at newer steak shops, that I was mildly shocked when I caught my first look at what was placed in front of me. My best guess is that there was a half-pound of chopped beef on there. My sweet spot is 10-12 ounces. This steak looked fairly skimpy compared to that and what I’m used to. 

There were a couple other issues. The roll was softer than I prefer, although it was fresh and held up well. And the onions weren’t very well fried and added little to the sandwich on the positive side. 

With all of that, you may think I didn’t like this cheesesteak. Yet surprisingly, when all was said and done, it turned out to be the sort of steak that I’ve mentioned a couple times in old posts – one for which the sum is greater than its parts. 

For all of its problems, the overall taste of this cheesesteak was quite good. Although there wasn’t a lot of meat, what was on there was very well seasoned and juicy. And the Cooper Sharp was beautifully proportioned and blended in nicely with the beef throughout. 

This was a rare occasion when I finished an entire steak in one sitting without feeling like I was on the verge of bursting at the seems when I was done. And it felt pretty good. 

Jackson Street Steaks won’t wind up on my top 20 list, and they likely won’t satisfy the many cheesesteak-lovers out there with much bigger appetites than I have – certainly those in the ‘more is better’ club. 

But it’s not out of the question that I’ll return at some point when desiring a tasty cheesesteak that is on the relatively light side.