Pop’s Jersey Style Cheese Steaks

So sad pops went out of business it was such a cool environment :(I really wish Ma and Pop all the best. I would say enjoy kicking your feet up in the retired life but I have a feeling these two will die with their work boots on! :) to all the sons, if you guys broke up this business (since no one ever saw any of you towards the end) then shame on you! WE LOVE YOU POP

This place is the real deal. I used to live in Hoboken, New Jersey, around the corner from «Piccolo’s», young Frank Sinatra’s favorite place for a Jersey cheesesteak.
Everyone knows the bread is one of the most important parts of a good cheesesteak, and these guys have it found it. The shaved steak and onions, the choices of cheese, everything is just as you would expect back in Jersey. I ordered «Pop’s Bomb» and it was perfect.
The place looks like a location out of the Sopranos, and the father and son team who run it are friendly, and quite amusing. and if you hail from the East Coast, you’ve got it made.
Don’t forget these guys stock in TastyCakes from the East Coast daily!

Hidden gem in the Von’s parking lot. Would recommend to friends, family and even other Italians!
Good quality meat and large portions on the philly cheese steaks– Go for the Forgetaboutit size. Chicken park sandwich also very tasty!

Pop and mama are awesome! I’ve had nothing but great customer service. The cheese steaks are a little on the greasy side but worth every penny.

This place is my favorite place to eat in San Diego, period. I’ve only had the cheesesteak so that’s what this review is for, and it is outstanding. The business is family owned, and everyone there has a lot of character and is very nice. The cheesesteak though is amazing. It never has any low-​quality chewy steak, the peppers are great and the roll has perfect texture. It is also greasy, but if you don’t want a greasy cheesesteak, maybe cheesesteaks just aren’t your thing. These aren’t chewy, gristly, dry, generic Subway style sandwiches.
I grew up in PA, and it is hard to find good, non-​franchise places like this in San Diego that have east-​coast style food. The food and the people are great, and I make a point to come here because I really like the people who work here and the food they make.

First, I gotta say that the owner & cook, Pops, is like a character out of a play or a «reality» show. I think at the very least you should come here once just to meet the guy, a true character who is fun to be around.
I ordered a Jersey Style Italian Cheesesteak. It tasted good, but the grease was dripping off it like there was no tomorrow (and if you ate a bunch of these, your arteries probably wouldn’t let there be a tomorrow), and that for me is a bit of a downer as I don’t like greasy foods. I’ve had a lot of cheesesteaks in Philly, and they were never greasy. Maybe greasy is the way they do them in Jersey, but its not my style.
Although they had a credit card machine, they couldn’t get my card to work even though I had no problems with it elsewhere.
I wouldn’t make a trip out there on my own, but if a friend really wanted to try it out I’d give it another shot and just ask for recommendations on the non-​greasy side.

Their cheesesteaks are awesome, a little pricey, but worth it.
Pop always has a smile on his face and their customer service is top notch!

If you like grease flowing down your arm and puddles on your plate then this place is for you! When I questioned the grease factor which was thoroughly grossing me out the Mob guys looked at me like I was about to get those cement shoes.
I was hesitant to write this review because well, they are like the mob up in there. Just look at the pictures on the walls. Poor pop was the slave to the big guy. Pop is a cute old man and he asked me if I liked his cheese steak. I didn’t have the heart or balls to say anything other than «yes it is good thank you» as I grabbed more and more napkins to sop up the grease. I might try it again and get the Amarosa roll which I forgot to request and ask them to hold up on greasing my bun. Generally I don’t mind a good bun greasing but this was so bad my mouth slid right off. Also I will order the extra meaty next time maybe then I can up this rating.
The big guy was cool but he claimed anyone who did not puddle on the grease was doing it wrong. I am sorry i have had them all over (except the east coast) and well no one has ever greased them up.
They had a lot of other yummy looking menu item and Tasty Cakes.

Really sweet people working here. Was greeted with quite the authentic, «How you doin’?» from Pop himself. The chicken parm I had was all right — from the reviews here, I was expecting it to be a little better. The décor is pretty awesome, and despite being tucked away in the corner of the shopping plaza, it’s definitely pretty spacious. I’ll probably give it another go and get a cheesesteak instead.

I love the cheesesteaks here, but was very disappointed when I tried the patty melt. The cheese I think was american, and there was way too much of it on the sandwich. Also way too much mayo and the bread was barely toasted.
I was a little bummed.

Really nice people working here. The food is good and you always feel welcome at Pop’s!
I go for the forgetaboutit cheesesteak special most visits. They’ve got authentic Amoroso rolls so take advantage! Get the sandwich, add whiz (in addition to the regular cheese), ask Pop to throw it onto an Amoroso and enjoy the cheesy delicious result!
They’ve also got pretty good Italian sandwiches as well. I’ve been slowly making my way through the menu and haven’t found anything that isn’t good here.
It’s a bit on the pricy side, but the food is top notch so I think it’s worth it. Pop will modify it any way you want it if you ask.
Best cheesesteak in San Diego!

Good food! The jersey cheese stake is tender and thin, just the way I like it! The place is cozy with pics of mob bosses and oldies playing in the background. The owner saw that my screen saver was of a great white & he showed me pics of his hunting skills of lemon sharks! Great food!

If a jersey cheesesteak is what you’re looking for this is the place. Pops, the owner loves what he does and cares about what he’s doing.
Our first time here, he took time out to show us the quality of his finely sliced ribeye meat that goes into his sandwiches. No jello meat here.

Family business with an authentic east coast style. Customer service was good and the cheese steak was amazing!
I got the bomb style with cherry peppers and pepperchinis because I like it spicy.
I will be back for sure !

What can I say. This is as authentic as Jersey gets. Nunzio is there to help you. Pops cooking in the kitchen, and gives me a lil sample of cheese steak. so good I might add. this place is a find and a gem. San Diego is lucky to have such a place.
I had the POPS BOMB and got it, DA FOGETABOUTIT way… So good, and I also had the meatball parm. .
So good. I don’t think there is anything here that someone wouldn’t love. Great place, and POP’S, is a master creator…
Definite return spot

I’ve heard nothing but great things about this place and it really does live up to it. They have a great atmosphere in the shop and know how a sandwich is supposed to be prepared. Junior took my order and had a great attitude. He helped us decide and let me know what combos they had available.
I got their main cheesesteak, added wiz to it, and got some fries and a drink ($ 14) the sandwich was great. Meat was tender and well flavored. The fries weren’t anything special and my buddies got the macaroni salad and didn’t think it was amazing either. The sandwich is what you get and that’s what they do right, every time

Food was good, but what makes the experience is hands down the family that works here. They are mom and pop and their two sons. They take a lot pride in their food and and small restaurant.
With that said, I had the Italian cheesesteak and it was decent. The ribeye used was delicious, but it was pretty greasy. Good flavor with pepper, onions, mushrooms and pepperoncini’s, but could’ve used more seasonings. My husband and I shared the chili cheese fries and those were fantastic. My husband ordered the Spicy Bomb cheesesteak and he also said it needed more seasoning and not spicy enough.
My three kids shared a meatball sub they LOVED it. Mom gave them some donuts afterwards on the house.

So chatty! Awesome friendly service: D
Even though I’m veggie and often get weird looks for it, here I was given a big grin and recommendations on what I might enjoy! I ordered the eggplant parm and was helpfully given it in 2 halves — one to enjoy there and the other to take home. (Portions here are so ginormous!)
I got to meet the whole family and was admired for my bike and my youthful looks. What more could a girl want? Thoroughly recommend for anyone who loves their food with a story!

Pop’s is a small, unassuming and hidden gem that is bursting at the seams with flavor and friendliness. Seriously, I’ve been to all the big names on the East Coast and they are nothing short of fantastic besides being flawed with crappy attitudes and even worse service. Run you in, take your cash, run you out — that’s the name of the game back east. For this I thank the cheesesteak gods for dropping Pop and his family in SD with their gift for making mouth-​watering steaks, sans the bad attitude.
The Jersey style steak was a simple choice and boy did it deliver! I opted for whiz (duh) and Junior asked if I wanted it in addition to the mozarella. Uhhhh, yep! Bring it on. The steak was balanced and authentic with the perfect amount of meat, cheese (s), onions, peppers, mushrooms and grease. Yeah, I said it — grease. A steak needs to be drippy and leave a small translucent puddle on the paper plate when you’re done with it. Is it healthy? Hell no, but you should know what you signed up for the second you walked through the door and that puddle is a liquid testimony to the love that went into the preparation of this gut-​bomb.
The steaks speak for themselves but what truly makes Pop’s special is the peeps behind it all. Yesterday was my first time eating at Pop’s and guess what? They noticed that. I walked up to the counter, Junior looked at me from his position at the flat-​top and the conversation went a little something like this…
Junior: I’ll be right with you, young man
Brad B: Take your time
Junior: Alright, what can I get you? Wait, your first time here?
Brad B: Yep
Junior: Nice to meet you. I’m Junior, that’s mama, this is my wife and Pop is around here somewhere. I will introduce you when he comes around (as he shakes my hand)
We later chatted a bit more about what makes the steak Jersey style rather than Philly and I saw how Junior interacted with the other customers picking up orders or dining next to us. He even remade a steak for the take-​out order because he wasn’t satisfied handing off the first one he made to the customer. It took a little extra time but the attention to quality was of utmost priority. He asked where the guys at the table next to us were from and really made everyone feel right at home. Customer service, a lost art encapsulated and executed effortlessly by Junior and his family at Pop’s. Keep it up guys, you’ve made a fan out of me.

My husband’s cravings led us to Pop’s. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, and I was more than pleasantly surprised by everything — from the service to the food to the prices. It’s tucked away in a corner of a shopping complex, but if you follow the signs, you’ll find it.
The service is phenomenal. It’s a family-​run business (the grill is worked by none other than Pop himself), and they’re all just so friendly. It’s like they couldn’t be happier to see you, and couldn’t be more pleased to cook for you. It feels genuine, too. And that Pop is a character!
The food… okay, look. You don’t go to a cheese steak place for your health, right? So, be like me. Ignore the puddle of grease that gathers on the bottom of your paper-​thin plate, and dig in. Then, once you’re done eating, continue to ignore the slick of grease that’s left behind, once you’ve removed your plate. You don’t eat this every day, right?
Okay, the food. I do have to say that I’ve only ever gotten the cheese steak — with whiz and all the fixings (onion, bell pepper and mushroom) — and the side of fries. It’s so damn good. Like, drool-​inducing-​good. Like, whiz-​covered grilled onions dropping off the sandwiches, waiting-​to-​be-​licked-​off-​the-​plate good.
Be sure to ask them for the hot sauce. It just puts the sandwich on overdrive. It doesn’t need the hot sauce, by any means — indeed, our first couple of times there we didn’t even know that they HAD hot sauce — but once you try it… oh, man.
The fries are thick cut and crispy. We’ve only had the salad once, and that was when the fryer was broken, but it was fresh and delicious. I know they sell desserts and such, but honestly, after I push back from the table, and consider the remains of my sandwich — a hunk of bread, a smear of cheese, a tiny grilled onion — and fries left over, the last thing I’m thinking is, «Hey, I could use something ELSE to shove in my pie hole!»
One of my more favorite sandwich shops in town, and that even takes the drive to get here into consideration.