Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop

I had a cheesesteak on the gluten free bread and a strawberry milkshake. The gluten free hoagie bread was really good texture. Not crumbly like a lot of gluten free breads and it didn’t break apart at the seam. Also the shake was delicious and I loved the décor. I would eat here again if I lived in Philadelphia.

Love this place! Excellent cheesesteaks and milkshakes! Great service! Clean place!

Number one cheesesteaks in Philly. I’ve brought people from all over the city to my once called Chinks. My father grew up in the neighborhood hanging out there then I grew up there then my son went to school around the corner. The smell is fantastic. Everything is good, eating in is better because it gives u the experience.

Best place to come and get a awesome steak and shake beats a lot of other places around here highly recommended

Just had my first sandwich here after reading and hearing such rave reviews.
I was very disappointed with the taste of the sandwich. It had no flavor. Neither did the onions (some were burnt). I watched them make the onions. They only used water to cook them.
The meat wasn’t that great. I don’t know where people are getting their chip steaks from but most places I go to, the steak doesn’t taste like steak. It had no flavor at all and the oil they used overpowered the meat. It tasted like a greasy stove.
I don’t think I will return because my expectations where very high for this restaurant based on the reviews. I’ve purchased steaks from other places where the sandwich is much more flavorful.

Pretty solid cheesesteak. I can see how this might be someone’s regular cheesesteak joint since the quality is high, the place is clean, and the staff is relatively friendly. I went during a quiet time and was able to appreciate the old school interior of the place. I’d come here more often but I live a bit aways so I got my commitments to other places.
Definitely worth a trip to see if it’s to your liking.

The cheese steak was nice and juicy. They need to add more whiz to it. But it was delicious. Better then Pat’s and Geno’s!

I have eaten many cheesesteaks. Many. This is one of the best. The ratio of meat to cheese to roll is perfect. The meat isn’t dry or greasy or salty or tasteless. It is the Goldilocks of our city’s staple sandwich. Also noteworthy is the quick and friendly service — something not common in the hustle and bustle of the cheesesteak world… Needless to say, I am a big fan of Joe’s.
I had cheese steak with wiz and fried onions. in most steak areas they call it wiz/​with. had peppers and pickels that they give you on the side… had small fries. there ok. better off getting a milkshake to fill up on. they make the food on the spot so everything is fresh.
look forward to coming back again for another good steak.

Really really good cheesesteak. I got with onions, american cheese and whiz. It was drowned in cheese (in a good way). Place was packed at 2am on a Saturday. Would definitely go back if I’m in the area.

One of the best chocolate/​banana milkshakes I’ve ever had!
Cheesesteaks were made to order and piled high with meat.
Location is a lot better than going downtown for a cheesesteak!

So I came out to Philly a few years back with my dad. He worked at Campbells Soup in Sacramento and there’s another plant in PA. We went to MNF Eagles and Dallas. Aikman and co. lit the Eagles up but an angel dressed as a 300 lb bearded sloppy McNabb told me about this place. Thank you kind sir. Gino’s and Pats are junk compared to this place. I ate 4 steaks in a row right in this area. I’m not from Philly but I know a good cheesesteak and this is where to get them!

Best cheesesteak in Philly. Nice staff, very clean inside, awesome flavored sodas. Get the crinkle cut fries too.

Okay so I’m from Philly so I’m very sensitive when it comes to cheesesteaks. I’ve been coming here for years! I know a lot of people weren’t happy with the name change and stopped coming. Not so much for me, doesn’t bother me either way.
We stopped in for a quick lunch today and I’ve never been disappointed. They use the best rolls hands down. Steaks have always been consistent! Great service! Cant go wrong with wiz and onion. Without hesitation I can say this is my #2 cheesesteak. We will be back!

I was in the general area during a recent day off. When I pulled over to do a quick Unilocal search, I realized how close I was to Joe’s. Knowing their reputation, and knowing my desire to add one more city cheesesteak experience (you can’t be a true expert unless you try as many as possible), I knew I was headed to Joe’s for lunch.
I do not regret this decision one bit.
As far as actual cheesesteak quality, I was impressed by the sheer size and crustiness of the roll. Although it was not the most meat I’ve ever had in a steak, it was adequate to fill the roll. Flavor-​wise I detected the slightest of char in the meat, but it was still quite good. The cheesesteak satisfied me for sure.
The ability to get a good milkshake with my steak definitely helped matters, as the chocolate banana milkshake hit the spot in a big way.
I’ve had better cheesesteaks in the city. But this is pretty good.
I’ve also had better milkshakes. But again, this is pretty good.
This is the best way for me to describe Joe’s. I’ve been to better cheesesteak places in the city. But Joe’s is still pretty good.
In fact, I’m going to attempt to place them in my city cheesesteak list, which fluctuates depending on my mood. But here is how I see it today.
1^st — John’s
2^nd — D’Alessandros
3^rd — Tony Luke’s (the original location)
4^th — Philip’s
5^th — Joe’s
6^th — Pat’s
7^th — Jim’s (South Street location)
8^th — Talk of the Town
9^th — Larry’s
3,978^th — Geno’s

Yo Philly! This is what a cheesesteak should taste like. On a break between the day and night sessions for Grey Lodge’s Friday the Firkenteenth, my group recently ended up at Joe’s. I’ve only heard about Joe’s but I was really excited to give it a try, especially the way a few of my friends were hyping it up.
I had my large cheesesteak with onions and American cheese. It was perfection. The roll was fresh with a light crispness. There was just the right portion of onions. The meat was chopped but not too fine and not to thick. The cheese melted in perfect union with my steak, onions and roll.
I also got a small order of the crinkle fries to split with my husband. My only complaint was that the order was too small (or maybe we were just too hungry to have been sharing fries).
We sat at the booths and I felt like we were in some sort of time warp at an old school diner.
I’m only in this part of the northeast for the Firkenteenth, but I think I have myself a new tradition.

I’m terrible when it comes to making any type of decision at all ever in my entire life.
During my first (!) visit to Joe’s, I simply couldn’t just pick one meal… so I ordered a cheesesteak AND a hot dog. Now, if you know me, you’ll know that I generally eat like a bird. I’m good at going from ravenous to über-​full in no time.
Not at Joe’s. I ate every single bit of bread and hot dog and cheesesteak and wiz (not my usual but server’s suggestion was on point) — and I probably could’ve had even more!
My only regret: Not ordering an ice cream soda. Next time!

I came here a couple of nights ago for a quick bite before setting off an a long voyage to Toronto (by car). I had a cheesesteak with provolone, which was good, if a bit dry (I know, it’s steak, but still). The steak was a bit tough, but the bread was great and I would consider it a solid 3.5÷5. The fries, on the other hand, were divine. Waffle fries… mmmm…5/5 for those fries! The service was good, and the food came out quickly. And their washrooms are clean, so bonus points for that!

Imo: Overrated. After visiting Philly 10+ times, all the locals kept raving about Chinks. I had tried all the usual suspects and was curious what Chinks was all about.
What I loved: The ambience is fantastic, the fact that its a sit down cheesesteak place is surprisingly refreshing! Some of the best and most authentic rolls you’ll find in Philly! The fries are superb and were extremely fresh!
Not a fan of: The meat was not cut into small pieces, thus this is a negative, the steak is not a tasty nor memorable.
Bottom Line: I will return for the fries, the bread, and perhaps the sit-​down aspect. The parking is on the street which does not help, especially if you are coming from the city, it is not as conveniently located as other steak shops but the reputation among locals is enticing.

What to get:
— buffalo chicken fries (I normally don’t like buffalo flavored anything so it’s a huge deal that I love this!)
— cheesesteak with cheese wiz (it makes the sandwich super juicy and softens the meat unlike the provolone)
Super friendly service, easy parking, and easy going atmosphere that invites you in with the delicious aroma of fried goodness and sizzling meat.

This is part of the Crusade for Greatest Cheesesteak in Philadelphia trip I did. Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop was the 9^th and final stop on our list. We had to cut one out due to being so full. When we walked in this was a small little shop that reminded me of an old school eatery. Very quaint little place. They staff here was also the friendliest in all of Philadelphia cheesesteak shops. They let us pull up chairs and take a seat at a booth in the back. This place also has thick milkshakes, a huge plus in my book. We had told them this was our final stop in our great crusade, and that we had only wanted one cheesesteak, they cheerfully asked if we would like it to be cut up in 6 ways, which was very nice of them, we had it done in 5. However we had all ordered one of their milkshakes, delicious they make them right in front of you and have a lot old-​world feel to them with. Worth the trip alone.
But back to the cheese steaks. They had probably one of the best steaks, tied for first in the worst case. The steak was perfectly cooked, the onions were tasty and the bread was the best bread in all the land, I have to say this is one of the most under looked elements of a perfect cheesesteak in my book. If I had to criticize it, they only way it could have been better was if there was more cheese. Again I do like my cheesesteaks with a heavy hand in the cheese department, but I felt like I wanted a bit more. All in all though it was a perfect sandwich and the best final stop in our trip.