Dalessandro’s Steaks sits at 600 Wendover Street in Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania’s most iconic sandwich, the Philly cheesesteak, can be found all over the state and beyond, but Only In Your State readers tell us Dalessandro’s Steaks and Hoagies is the best of the best. For a simple sandwich like the cheesesteak, every detail matters, and Dalessandro’s takes great care in everything from the chop of the meat to the quality of the roll.
Philadelphia’s cheesesteak tradition dates back to the 1930s, and the sandwich has become one of the most recognized regional foods in the entire country, inspiring countless imitators well beyond the city itself. Dalessandro’s earned its spot in our list of the best sandwich shops for executing Philadelphia’s defining sandwich with the attention to detail the dish genuinely deserves.
For anyone settling Philadelphia’s endless cheesesteak debate, this is where a lot of locals land.
What to Order
The classic cheesesteak is the only order that matters, and Dalessandro’s approach to Pennsylvania’s iconic cheesesteak tradition reflects genuine mastery of every component: the chop of the meat, the melt of the cheese, and the quality of the roll. For a sandwich this simple, the margin for error is small, which is exactly why Dalessandro’s reputation stands out even in a city with countless cheesesteak options.
The chop of the meat on a cheesesteak affects the entire texture of the sandwich, and getting it right, neither too fine nor too chunky, is one of the most debated details among cheesesteak devotees.
Perfecting a Deceptively Simple Sandwich
Philadelphia’s cheesesteak culture is fiercely competitive, with countless shops all claiming to be the definitive version. Dalessandro’s stands out specifically because readers consistently point to the details: the roll, the chop, the ratio of meat to cheese…