Ordered one of the cheese steaks. Â Been hearing the hype of the philly cheese steaks for years. Â To me, how much better can it get from what I can get in Los Angeles. Â Well...I was wrong. Â I forgot the add-ons I ordered but I remember mushrooms and pepperjack cheese. Â Best cheese steak I have ever had...by a mile.
Review Source:OH.MY.GOD.
I'm gonna start off with salted caramel sweet potato fries. If there was ever an appetizer that could be a meal, this would be it. I could eat this all day, but probably wouldn't, or I would become a sweet potato. You are what you eat, after all. The fries were glazed with salted caramel in a crosscut style that really brought out the caramel flavor mixed in with sweet potatoes. I definitely recommend this!
The philly cheesesteak was solid. I thought the portions were good, and although the roast beef did look a bit bland and boring, it did not taste bland.
Seating seemed pretty limited considering how popular this place is. I think there were maybe 6 or 7 tables, so seems like a take out and go home kind of a place. Customer service doesn't really apply here since you just order at the window, and find a seat. I will say the wait time for the food is a bit long considering the fast food nature of the business, but if it's good food, I am generally okay with waiting longer. That was the case here!
Bill Tip: I would come here at around 6 or even earlier because the lines can get long! Definitely avoid if there is a game unless you come before the game crowd.
Bill Tip #2: Try the salted caramel sweet potato fries...you won't regret it! Well, your body will, but your mouth won't!
They have the best fries I have ever had, anywhere.
The cheese steak was a huge disappointment it was bland, boring and really needed to be seasoned. The roast pork was just the opposite nice juicy and well seasoned.
The sandwiches themselves were on the small size compared to what I'm used to. Atmosphere was nice.
I think some of the other reviewers who weren't happy just ordered the wrong thing. The place is known less for cheesesteaks than for hot porchetta sandwhiches.
Will definitely go here again, I like the place but I'll order something else.
If you want a more upscale cheesesteak (yes, this exists), then Tony Luke's is the place to go. Mind you, I said upscale cheesesteak, not upscale place. Tony Luke's is covered with a tent with minimal seating space. And if there's an Eagles game going on, don't even think about getting a seat.
Now the reason why I say the cheesesteaks are upscale is because of the bread. At the end of the day, a Philly cheesesteak is a Philly cheesesteak because of the bread that is used. Other cities just can't mimic this. Another reason why I deemed this as a place for upscale cheesesteaks is the selection of rib-eye steaks, chicken steaks and specialty steaks. I definitely recommend people to try all of the specialty steaks. My favorite is the broccoli rabe with provolone cheese. And please don't order anything "wit whiz." If you want wiz, then go to Pat's or Geno's.
Oh, and note, this place actually closes unlike Pat's and Geno's who are opened 24/7.
This place I knew would be money before I even got there. As I drove deeper into South Philly's shipyard district, I thought, I hope if I get robbed I at least get to eat this philly first. Â Well I didn't get mugged or robbed, and the sandwich was a classic well made authentic philly cheesesteak. Â The crunchy baguette bread is where it is at! Â I saw, I ate, I conquered...nothing. I just ate a sandwich, big deal.
Review Source:Brought here by a Philly local. I have to say that the cheesesteak was pretty good as were the fries. Compared to Pat's or Geno's, I'd say it's very comparable to Pat's.
The line for Tony Luke's was literally out the door for lunch, and for good reason. I'd come back again when I'm in Philly.
What can you say about Tony Luke's? It's a Philadelphia staple. The sandwiches here are absolutely delicious. Naturally I would suggest the cheesesteak. They have BBQ fries as well, but stay away from them. I got a side of them and felt like I had to whipe off the seasoning off each frie before I ate it.
If you come here be prepared for two things: to wait in line and not be able to sit down. They dont have a hug area for seating so it is wise to just get it to go. I went the day of an Eagles game so you can imagine how packed the place was. So maybe on an off day you can be in and out and get some seating, however I doubt it. Tony Lukes is a Philadelphia original and if you are visiting the city you should come to this place.
Tonny Luke's is the gold standard I have been told. But what makes Tony Luke's great is the bread. It's super crusty. More so than Pat or Geno's. I don't really think the whiz is very good here, it tastes super chemically and artificial. Â . . even for whiz. . . I would probably opt for the onions and provolone. The beef is ok. Not amazing, slightly lacking in flavor, but ok.
The bread though, is truly what Tony Luke's is good at!
Limited table space, if you are from a warmer climate like I am, it can get a little cold.
Parking is behind Tony Luke's under the underpass :)
Tony lukes was the worst cheesesteak experience of my life. The wait was fine, but the second I reached the cashier she took one look at my NY Yankee cap and started berating me for liking such a team. I was patient and told her I was from NY, but she gave me a stank look and moved on to my gf's order without acknowledging me. She then came back to me and bewildered at the idea that we would share a cheesesteak(blasphemy!) She then gave me a reproachful attitude, and continued to shout "Go Red Socks!". Â I don't even like baseball....
  As for the steak, the steak was overcooked, spinach too salty, and american cheese very generic in flavor. The only saving grace was the bread which was properly seasoned, and tasted okay.
  As a whole, I don't understand the hype about this place, that old, overweight, over-opinionated hag can do like her fav team and suck a d*ck. Eff your ass cashier lady and ur shitty cheesesteak.
Being right across the street from my favorite cheese steak location ever, I figured we should go check it out since it's got the same name. It's a pretty good sports bar. Got a bunch of televisions for whatever sporting event being played. The waitresses seemed to be making attempts to stay visible and the service for food was decent. I can't say I'll ever be in here again since 99% of the time I'm full from being across the street but this place was good.
Review Source:The food was excellent. Â I've had the cheesesteaks across the street a million times. Â I thought it would be nice to sit down and enjoy my meal inside on the 100 degree day. Â I had the chicken parm entree and it was amazing. Â The sauce had a hint of spice. Â The chicken was moist and tasty. Â A real winner.
Review Source:Oh god I'm so fat right now. Â Hours after eating at Tony Luke's and I'm still full. We stopped in before a trip to Target because I was ravenous and shopping on an empty stomach makes me bitchy.
The atmosphere & service were ok. Â It kind of smelled like chemicals in there, I'm assuming from cleaning supplies. The food was really good though. Â We started out with the Tony Luke's fries. The fries themselves were just average, but were smothered in cheese and bacon (2 things that will make ANYthing taste good) - decadent fatness. I then had the Italian Roast Pork sandwich: thinly sliced pork, sharp provolone, deliciously bitter broccoli rabe...YUM. Â I ate the whole thing since I wouldn't be going straight home afterwards & couldn't take it with me. Â I was painfully full.
Expect great sandwiches, not great atmosphere and you won't be disappointed.
Finally, I make it out to a place known for their Cheesesteaks.
It's hard to believe I have been living in Philly for 4 months and have visited a top spot yet. But, when you hear I have a baby slightly over 3 months, it all makes sense.
Anyway, I had heard Tony Luke's was one of the top spots in town. And, it did not disappoint. But, until I try a few more, I cannot commit it to being the best. I've had Pat's, Geno's and Jimmy's. They were all good. Luke's is up there with them, maybe better. But it's been awhile since I had the others, so who knows.
Anyway, I started off with some Italian Fries, which basically is fries with Italian seasoning and parm cheese. They were pretty dam good.
Then, came the beast. The steak was tasty. The provolone, layered inside and out, was a nice touch. And, while I liked the peppers and mushrooms, I might bare it down to just steak, cheese, and onions next time.
Good spot though. I definitely recommend it.
Everyone from Philly kept telling me to try Tony Luke's. It was a little off the beaten path for me but I really wanted to say I did a fair comparison to all the cheesesteaks in Philly.
The place is pretty nice inside, comfortable booths, bright and friendly (for Philly). I got the cheesesteak wit onions and wiz for a true comparison. The bread was different, it has sesame seeds on it and wasn't as chewy as it should have been. I have to admit, it threw me off a bit. I enjoyed the flavor of the sandwich a lot but the bread was different enough to alter my opinion here. The rest of the elements worked well and I did enjoy the sandwich overall (finished it with a smile).
Here's where I am super confused... I had eaten at the TL in New Jersey (the one near Turnersville) last month and had the most INCREDIBLE french fries I've ever had. Thinking Tony Luke's was all one in the same, we came here to order them. WRONG.
The fries here are kinda lame-o. Standard non-crispy fries with a dollop of cheese and bacon. Egh. But, the sandwiches here are better than the ones from the New Jersey location (different bread) so that's where the extra kudos come from.
Add to that, you can have beer and liquor with your sandwich along with table service which you can't get at the original location across the street or the location in New Jersey.
To sum it all up... I like Tony Luke's, either for hoagies or fries, but it just depends on the location. Â You will leave here feeling disgusting and full, so plan the rest of your night accordingly (read: you're gonna need Spanx if you're gonna rock a bebe dress later in the night)
My friends and I skipped the line across the street and sat at a table for our Tony Luke's steaks, at their sports bar across from the more populated restaurant. Every booth had a TV tuned to college football, and the bar had more than a dozen beers on tap, most of them terrible but Yard's ESA being the exception.
Our cheesesteaks were excellent, the meat still very much intact and full of flavor, with generous helpings of cheese (we asked for extra, and we got lots of it). The menu went considerably further, too, but with our stomachs full of food from a few other places, we couldn't venture too far.
Really, really good cheesesteaks here. 4.5 stars. Just slightly short of 5.
Some hometown friends were visiting from FL and wanted to pay Tony Luke's a visit. FL people don't survive our colder weather, so we decided to eat at the sports bar across the street. Sub par service at best; we ordered and out comes my chicken cheesesteak.
I've eaten enough cheesesteaks all over this town to almost be a cheesesteak connoisseur. I don't know all the precise ins and outs of making a Philly cheesesteak, but I do know that a chicken cheesesteak does not consist of a cold slab of chicken breast on a roll with a slice of cheese on top.
I sat around for 10 minutes fuming while waiting for our lovely server to check up on us. She was appalled that I was appalled, and told me that "that's how they come." Pretty sure I've eaten them before and that is NOT how they come. By this point, I am no longer hungry (anger feeds the soul) and send the "chicken cheesesteak" back - to no discount, no apology. Â My friends and I will definitely never give any of their other locations another dollar again!
I will use the almost same description as I wrote for Geno's.
"Do not pay too much expectation, it's just cheese steak...."
I went to Philly this weekend. To know the difference between each cheese steak, I went to Tony Luke's and Geno's. I ordered the cheese steak sub and a hoagie. Hmmm....there were cheese and steak in my sub and cheese, steak, lettuce and pickle in my hoagie, taste good, at least not bad....But it is just a sub... nothing special. Geno's has onions in it, and Tony Luke's not. Â And Tony Luke's bread is drier, not too wet, I prefer their bread to Geno's. But love Geno's flavor more.
Sorry, do not know what to write, they are just cheese steak. It can provide u a quick, ok meal. Next time when I go to Philly, I will try other kinds of food. Maybe I am not a cheese steak lover...
I was in Philly briefly and a friend that lived there took me and some friends to get authentic PHILLY cheesesteaks! I was very excited to try it out. We actually were there a couple days earlier around 3-4pm, and the line was wicked long. When we went back a couple days later (last day in the area) there was no line yet, so we got  out food pretty fast.
I ordered the cheesesteak of course! It was delicious! Can't wait to go back and try out some from the other popular places!
So this is my second cheesesteak in 1 1/2 years. Â I tried one from another restaurant when I first arrived in this town, and it's taken me this long to try another one.
Since I was a newbie, the server asked me a few questions and then suggested that I get the pork Italian, which includes broccoli rabe and sharp provolone. Â This cheesesteak was a lot more flavorful than the first one I tried.
I ordered fries to go with the cheesesteak. Â It's a good thing I was amongst friends and we all shared the fries. Â It was a larger serving and was full of parmesan and garlicky goodness. Â
It was a good experience, but not something I need to have often. Â I might have another one in 6 months instead of waiting another 1 1/2 yr. Â Good no frills eating.
Hands down the absolute best cheesesteak in Philadelphia. I didnt know what made a cheesesteak delicious until i had one at Tony Luke's. The roll is crusty, but soft and not dry at all. And the steak, OH the steak, is so tender and juicy. It almost melts in your mouth. A sandwich here is just a little too big for me to finish and when i feel myself getting full, i open the roll up and just eat the meat out with a fork. It's that good.
If a cheesesteak craving hits and i can't get to Tony Luke's, i just go to any corner pizza joint. There is no second best, no runner up, not by a long shot. I mean, if i had to pick a second, i guess Gusto over on 22nd because they use delicious seeded rolls. But Tony Luke's kicks every other cheesesteak's a**.
So I think I may still be hungover from how delicious this place was. Â I wasn't sure if I was a wiz kind of girl, but now I know.
The cheesesteaks without wiz was dryer and needed more saltiness to help make the experience complete. Â I loved the pickled peppers that they served at the condiments bar and the service was pretty quick given how many people were waiting around.
All in all, I enjoyed my first Philly cheesesteak experience and will be back to try this place out again. Although, I want to try all the other cheesesteak places first. :)
This place is known for it cheesesteak but I've had better. The wait was way too long after you order.
There's not that much seating so you'll either have your order to go or eat standing up until a spot opens up.
If you want good Philly Cheesesteak, go to a hole-in-the-wall that's not a tourist spot (like Geno's or Pat's). Dalessandro's Steaks & Hoagies is my favorite spot to eat Philly Cheesesteak. And since it's in the suburbs, it's not very busy at all and parking is plenty.
This place is a good place to get that industrial Philadelphia feel while eating a cheesesteak.
Note: Â This is part 4 of a 4 part series of an unhealthy weekend cheesesteak tour.
At last, the final stop on the cheesesteak tour. Â This may not count formally since I ate inside, served by a waitress, but I was tired of waiting on line. Â After watching Mr. Luke beat Bobby Flay on Food, I can only assume that his cheesesteak will be at least better than painfully bland blue corn southwest zest sauce topping from the Mesa Grill (see that review). Â I'll be brief because I'm sick of writing about cheesesteak right now. Â The cheesesteak there is a bit saltier than the other places I've been too, but eminently just as tasty as stop 3 on this tour. Â It returns back to the finely finely chopped steak-ems bits, but these steak-ems slices at least taste a bit higher quality. Â I have a sneaking suspicion (besides that I'll have a coronary this week) that those that try Steve's will either have a preference for this place or Steve's. Â They both did it well, but differently.
Tony Luke's has the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia, so far! Let's face it, it's all about the bread and the quality of the meat and they use rib eye baby! Their roll has to be the best out there with a toasted sesame seed crust and a soft interior which laps up all those wonderful juices from the rib eye, onions, peppers and mushrooms, so yummy good and oozing with cheese.
Across the street you will find the original Tony Luke's enclosed cheesesteak stand, I was amazed at how cars parked in the middle of the street, between lanes, just to run in for a cheesesteak! At the Beef & Beer sports bar you have full advantage of a large bar surrounded by big screen TVs.
Seven of us went and they had to split us up into two back to back booths, which was fine as the place was fairly crowded and we wanted to eat. The restaurant itself is fairly clean with a huge bar in the center, the kitchen is semi open and you can see them working furiously to get the orders out.
Each table had a huge basket of fries covered in cheese and loaded with crispy bacon. The combination of flavors was good but they use "crispers" and I am not a fan of those. I had a bowl of NE clam chowder and it was thin, the clams were beyond tough and the flavor was, well just not there.
Two had the burgers and loved them, Tony Luke's grinds their own beef daily. Four had the cheesesteak and they all had it differently, I tried a bite of hubby's wit onions and American cheese ( he is so damn adventurous he puts me to sleep ), but it was outstanding. My daughter had one loaded wit onions, peppers, mushrooms and whiz and the other two had one like my daughters but without peppers and one had provolone.
I could not resist the special of the day and that was a combo fried shrimp and oyster Po boy with shredded lettuce and a spicy mayo on an awesome roll. The shrimp was not fried as advertised but poached and I actually was thrilled with the switch up. The oysters were fresh and lightly breaded and so tender but tasted like mud! Seriously mud, I ended up pulling them off and ate just the shrimp.
My daughter and I split our sandwiches and she agreed the oysters were murky and handed it back to me so after one bite I was forced to return her half of the cheesesteak, not really but I felt guilty.
When you pass through the portal, under the wall of celebrity photos you will enter filthy hell as taking this kind of whiz has it's own meaning and not so easy to handle, yep folks the restrooms are totally disgusting!
I've had Tony's cheesesteaks before at the ball park and I loved them then too. I would return in a heartbeat for his awesome cheesesteaks, but I would piddle elsewhere. BTW not sure where the cut off line is but 20% was added to our check for gratuity.
I am not the only one who agrees they are the best in town and America, they have won numerous awards year after year from Gourmet magazine, Philadelphia magazine, Zagat rates it in the top six for sandwiches in the nation, Craig LaBan rates it the best and GQ says it's golden and we all know he beat Bobby Flay in a throwdown.
Five stars for the cheesesteak and roll, minus one for murky oysters and filthy restrooms.
I've lived in Philly for 6 years, and when family, friends and other out-of-towners ask me "Where's a good cheesesteak?", I almost always respond with "You don't want a cheesesteak, you want a roast pork italian sandwich."
I'll be honest, I'm not a huge cheesesteak guy. Tony Luke's has a great one, but asking me to rave about a cheesesteak is like asking me to rave about pancakes: they're great and all, and they have their place, but there are greater treasures of the Philly foodscape to be discovered. Such as the roast pork with rabe and sharp provelone.
Don't worry, though. You can get your cheesesteak here, and it is the best of the big-name places (it absolutely smokes Pat's, Geno's and Jim's). There is nothing on the menu that doesn't touch a flattop or a deep fryer, and the best part about it is that it has indoor seating and table service. I love eating a sandwich outdoors at a metal picnic table as much as the next guy, but I also love the coziness of a booth, the attention of a waitress and the access to domestic beer. So, TL's Sports Bar wins for me every time.
I've taken numerous family members and friends here, as well as new transplants to the city to show them how it can truly be kicked in South Philly. Great sandwiches (at the same price as across the street at the original location), cheap beer and huge TVs for watching your Phillies/Iggles/Sixers/Flyers/Nova/etc. I always suggest partnering up with one of your tablemates: one of you gets a roast pork, the other gets a cheesesteak and you each trade half. That way, you get the best of both worlds: the South Philly classic and the (other) South Philly classic.
I just may not be a fan of a Philly cheesesteak. I think it has something to do with me growing up in Chicago, eating Italian beefs. The sandwich was pretty good, but nothing special. Just some meat with cheese, and that's about it.
Now, I know it's not a philly cheesesteak, but I prefer my beef to be on a french roll, served with sweet peppers and dripping in au jus. Healthy, I'm sure, but boy does it taste good. That's the Chicago way.
Maybe it's me. I'm not into pickled peppers or any of the other condiments that came with it.
At last - I am a Tony Luke's virgin no longer. Â And what a way to go. Â It was a gorgeous day in November for philly and DH & I went to Tony Luke's but the line was so long that we decided to go acrosss the street to the sports bar. Â Afetr a round of fried goodnees - DH had the cheese fries and I had some really outstanding O-rings - we were on to our main attraction.
DH had a cheese steak with Provolone and it was terrific.
I enjoyed a garlicky plate of Veal Scallopini that was kickin' in old school. Â This was THE $#!T - for real. Â Mushrooms, green peppers, onions and tender veal (wish there had been a bit more of that) in a garlicky, olive-oily sauce that reminded me of how my Nonna woulda done it.
Um. Â If I'd had an Italian Nonna.
Can't wait to go back and try the Chicken Sandwich with Spinach.
I am sold on Tony Luke's.
FUBLE Diaries: Episode 3
Aside from the Rocky Steps, the only other thing that most tourists want in Philly, is a Cheesesteak. This is not really my realm of expertise, as most of my cheesesteak consumption happens in the 'burbs but I have been on Yelp long enough to know better than to subject them to Pats or Genos.
Their only prerequisite, was that they wanted to go to a place they'd heard of and they wanted a wiz wit. I suggested Tony Lukes. Thanks to the travel and food networks, they had heard of TL and approved. Names like Guy Fiore, Bobby Flay, and Adam Richman were thrown around as having been there, plus they liked the fact that the name sounded like a South Philly mobster.
We arrived on a rainy, Saturday afternoon, surprised to find a huge line but even more surprised to have free and ample parking. I guess the crowd wasn't too bad considering that there was a World Series going on in town, about 5 minutes away.
They were willing to wait in line for their cheesesteak experience, but Jason's disability made it difficult standing for too long. We were also worried that there wouldn't be anywhere to sit once we got the sandwiches. It was at this point, that I noticed, directly across the street, the sit down restaurant version of Tony Lukes. I reasoned that we could still get our cheesesteak on, sit in dry comfort and maybe have a beer or two in the process.
We made this happen, and the best thing was that it was busy but there was no wait to be seated. There was a Flyers game blaring, World Series Hoopla, and cold beers awaiting us, with the main attraction of a cheesesteak soon to follow.
The menu was pretty sparse, as you can imagine, but I was hard pressed to actually find their CS on it. I had fears that they didn't sell them here, forcing people to go across the street. Eventually, I saw it, but you'd think that it would be the first thing you see on the menu.
They dropped a bunch of hot and sweet pepper dishes on the table, that even I was not sure about. The Alaskans used the opportunity, to flirt with the middle aged ladies at the table next to ours, asking what the peppers were. While the ladies ate up the attention ( "You're from Alaska! Let me see your drivers license!") they admitted that they were out of towners too, but that they were delicious and despite their being Yankees fans, they didn't lie.
Soon, the reason we came arrived. I decided to get a wiz wit as well , even though I'm usually an American cheese proponent. I liked it. The roll was fresh and crisp, and the wiz made the experience different for me.
The Alaskans , however, were underwhelmed. Possibly it was too much hype, possibly they were a little hung over, but they all had complaints. One said not enough cheese (easily fixed) , one said he didn't like the taste of the onions ( not much we can do about that) and the other just wasn't that hungry. Its often that way with big buildups, they rarely live up to the hype. All agreed that the experience was what they wanted.
As we headed to the car, it was obvious that the crowd from the just finished Flyers game was beginning to trickle in. It was also evident, for the first time that this was also Oct 31st Halloween, as some costume clad Flyers fans roamed the area. Dean wanted his picture taken with one of the particularly cool costumed guys ( a bloodied Sydney Crosby in penguins jersey). When told that they were Alaskans trying a cheesesteak for the first time, he chastised me, " Awww you shoulda got a real one from across the street! The ones in the restaurant aren't as good!"
I was a little bummed that I didn't know that. But all agreed that the short respite from the damp , cold day was nice and needed, and we were ready to tackle whatever came next.
Now that's what I'm talking about. A cheesesteak worth putting Philly on the map for. Thank God for this restaurant across the street from the stand, too. I walked over to Tony Luke's on a sweltering day in the summer and found a ridiculous line at the original stand, and was pleasantly surprised to find a quick seat for my group inside the restaurant (even less of a wait than the line I think).
The special cheesesteak with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone is quite good, but a little too sharp for my tastes. Their traditional cheesesteaks are perfectly done - thin ribbons of deliciously greasy and juicy ribeye steak. Make sure to add a basket of cheese fries to really stop your heart.
I've been to a few cheesesteak places, but Tony Lukes is great. Not to mention I met Tony Luke when I was there yesterday. Very nice person, pleasant and laid back.
Get the steak sub with mushrooms, peppers, and whiz. You will NOT be disappointed. The homemade bread, tender steak, and high quality peppers and shrooms make this cheesesteak top notch.
Skip Pats and Genos, they are dirty tourist traps. If you want that, you can come to my house and I'll slap a steak-um on a bun twice the size of the meat and throw on some kraft cheese slices for 10 bucks.
I give it 4 stars, because the waitress' weren't exactly on their game when we got there, and messed up our check (but caught it). Keep it simple, and dont be afraid to grab one if they forget about you and you'll be ok. Still worth it, and who knows I may have caught them on an off day...
I'm really only able to go here on trips to Philadelphia Sporting events. And the Stand, serving the same food across the street is also worthy of 5 stars. The stand may fit your itinerary better. But if you've walked around Philly all day, following the Phillies World Series Parade, and you want to have a seat and be served, this is your place.
The Pork sandwich is the best. The classic cheese steak is not to be denied, but the Pork is other worldly.
The scene is standard sports bar. The layout is well done and the atmosphere friendly.
Giraffe Friendly.