The first Philly’s Best restaurant I went to was in Fountain Valley, in 1998. It had been recommended to me by a former boss of mine who was originally from the East Coast, and knew my parents were also from the Greater Philadelphia area. I took them there, and sure enough, not only did they serve pretty authentic Philly cheesesteaks, but they were augmented by Wise potato chips and—best of all—Tastykakes!
As it turns out, that Fountain Valley shop was the first of what is now a chain. Last Monday, I happened upon its latest outpost, in one of the new shopping centers that have sprung up like weeds in the former dairy town of Mira Loma, where Limonite Avenue intersects Interstate 15, just south of the 60 Freeway.
Like the original, this Philly’s Best is an unassuming little restaurant, with a mural of the Philadelphia skyline dominating one wall. There are other geographically appropriate touches, but I didn’t see copies of the Philadelphia Daily News or enough other artifacts to make me feel like I was stepping into the Reading Terminal Market.
I ordered the Philly Pepper Steak, which is a twelve-inch steak sandwich with grilled sweet peppers and white American cheese. (White American cheese is a genuine Philly touch—the stuff is the standard in that part of the country; it’s only elsewhere that you find the dyed-orange slices.) If I’d read the menu more closely, I’d’ve seen I could have had provolone or what you’d find on a real Philly cheesesteak, Cheez Whiz.
Grilled onions were $0.95 extra. With two small bags of Wise potato chips and a medium Diet Coke, my bill came to nearly $12.00—exorbitant, in my opinion.
Other sandwiches are available—hoagies (which are served cold and with lettuce and tomato) and chicken sandwiches (cheesesteaks with poultry instead of beef), but I didn’t see smaller portion sizes. The twelve-inch cheesesteak would easily have been enough to share.
The cheese melted beautifully into the steak, which was appropriately tender and juicy (or greasy, depending on your point of view). The sweet peppers were genuinely sweet—delicious, in fact. I added some chopped jalapenos from the condiment bar, but was sorry I did. They were so roughly chopped that I actually had to remove two stems from the sandwich. The onions were nicely grilled, but were chopped, not diced—the pieces were much larger than you’d find on a similar sandwich in Philadelphia itself. The accompanying potato chips were typical Wise—prized because they are rare here, not because they’re significantly better than other brands.
Because of the size of the sandwich, I was too full to try a Tastykake, but they had many of the brand’s most popular offerings, including Jelly Krimpets and Chocolate Kandy Kakes. I can assure you I’d’ve made room if they’d had my all-time favorite—Tastykake Lemon Pies, the snack food that made me the man I am today.
If you are hankering for a taste of Philadelphia, Philly’s Best may not be the same as going to Pat’s or Geno’s, but it may be as good as you’ll get out here on the West Coast.
Ambience: 2 (out of 5). Not much more than a typical Fatburger would have. They need to pump up the Philly connection.
Service: 3 (out of 5). Order at the counter and they’ll call your name when your order is ready. I got lucky; someone who appeared to be one of the franchise owners was on duty and he brought my sandwich to my table.
Food: 7 (out of 10). Smaller portion sizes and a less lazy approach to vegetable chopping would be appreciated.
Value: 2 (out of 5). Overpriced.
Total: 14 (out of 25)—that’s about a C+.
Philly’s Best, 6237 Pat's Ranch Road, Mira Loma, CA 91752. (951) 279-5400.
As it turns out, that Fountain Valley shop was the first of what is now a chain. Last Monday, I happened upon its latest outpost, in one of the new shopping centers that have sprung up like weeds in the former dairy town of Mira Loma, where Limonite Avenue intersects Interstate 15, just south of the 60 Freeway.
Like the original, this Philly’s Best is an unassuming little restaurant, with a mural of the Philadelphia skyline dominating one wall. There are other geographically appropriate touches, but I didn’t see copies of the Philadelphia Daily News or enough other artifacts to make me feel like I was stepping into the Reading Terminal Market.
I ordered the Philly Pepper Steak, which is a twelve-inch steak sandwich with grilled sweet peppers and white American cheese. (White American cheese is a genuine Philly touch—the stuff is the standard in that part of the country; it’s only elsewhere that you find the dyed-orange slices.) If I’d read the menu more closely, I’d’ve seen I could have had provolone or what you’d find on a real Philly cheesesteak, Cheez Whiz.
Grilled onions were $0.95 extra. With two small bags of Wise potato chips and a medium Diet Coke, my bill came to nearly $12.00—exorbitant, in my opinion.
Other sandwiches are available—hoagies (which are served cold and with lettuce and tomato) and chicken sandwiches (cheesesteaks with poultry instead of beef), but I didn’t see smaller portion sizes. The twelve-inch cheesesteak would easily have been enough to share.
The cheese melted beautifully into the steak, which was appropriately tender and juicy (or greasy, depending on your point of view). The sweet peppers were genuinely sweet—delicious, in fact. I added some chopped jalapenos from the condiment bar, but was sorry I did. They were so roughly chopped that I actually had to remove two stems from the sandwich. The onions were nicely grilled, but were chopped, not diced—the pieces were much larger than you’d find on a similar sandwich in Philadelphia itself. The accompanying potato chips were typical Wise—prized because they are rare here, not because they’re significantly better than other brands.
Because of the size of the sandwich, I was too full to try a Tastykake, but they had many of the brand’s most popular offerings, including Jelly Krimpets and Chocolate Kandy Kakes. I can assure you I’d’ve made room if they’d had my all-time favorite—Tastykake Lemon Pies, the snack food that made me the man I am today.
If you are hankering for a taste of Philadelphia, Philly’s Best may not be the same as going to Pat’s or Geno’s, but it may be as good as you’ll get out here on the West Coast.
Ambience: 2 (out of 5). Not much more than a typical Fatburger would have. They need to pump up the Philly connection.
Service: 3 (out of 5). Order at the counter and they’ll call your name when your order is ready. I got lucky; someone who appeared to be one of the franchise owners was on duty and he brought my sandwich to my table.
Food: 7 (out of 10). Smaller portion sizes and a less lazy approach to vegetable chopping would be appreciated.
Value: 2 (out of 5). Overpriced.
Total: 14 (out of 25)—that’s about a C+.
Philly’s Best, 6237 Pat's Ranch Road, Mira Loma, CA 91752. (951) 279-5400.
No comments:
Post a Comment