The Cheesesteak File: Durham, N.C.

Lest you think I only eat at up-scale places:  A few years ago, a friend from Philadelphia asked where one could get "a good cheesesteak."  This is always a loaded question from a Philadelphian, so an investigation was necessary.  Another friend quickly joined the search; we all worked together, so we'd take lunches at different cheesesteak purveyors.  Somewhere along the line, I started taking notes.  The coworkers have now moved on, and I'd almost forgotten about The Cheesesteaks File, until now. 

So what's a cheesesteak?  More fully known as a Philly Cheesesteak, it's sauteed beef strips, usually flavored, with melted cheese (or cheez), on a long bun.  Sauteed onions and peppers are typical.  Some come with lettuce and tomato, which I usually skip.  Mushrooms are my favorite addition.  Some of the listings aren't cheesesteaks at all according to this definition; deal with it.  ;)

These rankings are approximate.  Some are based on visits from two or more years ago; some are very recent.  A few places have closed, but I'm leaving them in: some deserve to be remembered, while some deserve to be reviled.  Our price guide is very rough; some cheesesteaks came with fries, a drink, or both.  Some places got multiple visits, some not. 

Anything in the middle grouping is probably worth a shot.  And the ones at the top are definitely good in the opinion of these eaters.  But Devil take the Hindmost. 

Now, The Cheesesteaks File:

Rank/Location       Size      Flavor    Price    Comments 
 
===  {Yes!}  === 
 
American Hero       large     good+     low      Salty.  With a
(near North                                      better bun, this
Duke Mall)                                       could be the best
 
Italian Pizzeria    large     good      low      Lots o' options
Willowdaile Mall
 
Bully's             average   good+     average  American cheese 
(RIP)                                            (I should 
                                                 probably say
                                                 orange cheez)
 
== {Maybe...} == 
 
Satisfaction        average   good      average  They don't call
                                                 it a cheesesteak,
                                                 but it's close
                                                 enough for me
 
Joe & Jo's          large     average   average+ Nice veggies that
Downtown                                         weren't quite done;
 (RIP)                                           mushy bun; fries 
                                                 inconsistent, but 
                                                 yummy at their best
 
Philly Cheese       average   good      low      Cumin-flavored fluid
Steaks                                           added during cooking;
New Hope Commons                                 lots o' options
 
Kallisti            average   good      average  Bun too bready;
(RIP)                                            otherwise great
 
Bull City Grill     average   average   average  Cute person at
                                                 register; homey
                                                 feel to place

Down Under Pub      average   average   average  Varies a lot
                                                 in quality
  
Steak Escape        small     good      cheap    Mushy bun.  Got
Northgate Mall                                   to love that
                                                 mall ambiance
 
Great Steak &       average   average   average  Entire mall no
Fry Company                                      longer around
South Square Mall 
(RIP)


= {yuck} =

Waffle House        average   average   average  A "Texas Cheese-
Hillsborough Rd.                                 steak" on Texas
                                                 toast 
Bullock's           average   fair      average  At least they 
                                                 tried 
 
I Love NY Pizza     small     poor      cheap    Not a cheesesteak:
Ninth Street                                     a slice of "Cheese-
(RIP, thankfully)                                steak pizza." Bad-
                                                 tasting meat 
 
McDonald's (I'm     average   poor      cheap    Bad: unrecognizable
not kidding)                                     meat w/burned 
Hillsborough Road                                flavor; mayo

Comments

[Joe]

A cheesesteak last week at the Down Under Pub was much better than previous ones there -- I'll have to bump them up in the list.

[Vince]

... but it is I who am in the cradle of cheesesteakery. And have I taken advantage of my position? Without a doubt. From that contemporary standard of cheese steak excellence Germantown Style Pizza, to the humongous meatfest that is the Giovani's regular cheese steak (extra cheese and fried onions $7.50 - ouch!). My only regret is that I can no longer go to the elysium of working class that was Bob's on Main Street in Manayunk, but vile gentrification that has taken hold there has caused Bob's (where the decor still glorified the '72 Eagles, and you ordered your sandwiches from the scarified owner or his progeny) through a cut-out hole in a plywood barrier, behind which they were fried up one at a time (18" cheese steak hoagie (LT&O) $2.45 - Yeah Baby!!)) to be supplanted by some pointed shoe boutique.

[Joe]

Sorry about the crappy formatting on this. If I get time, I'll go through and fix it all so it doesn't use preformatting for the file I imported.

[Joe]

Gods -- there's a Wikipedia entry on cheese steaks.