San Diego’s Best Cheesesteaks: Steak N Fries
Fun Diego Family is on a search for the best Philadelphia Cheesesteak in the San Diego area. Steak N Fries is a brand new restaurant in the heart of Pacific Beach. This area is quickly becoming a prime location for cheesesteaks. We are going to all places at least twice, but based on our first visit, Steak N Fries has already soared to the top of our list.
WEBSITE: https://www.steaknfries.com/
Steak N Fries was started by the husband and wife team of Angel and Angela. They are originally from North Philadelphia but career took them to Rochester, NY. They decided to open their own business here in San Diego in 2017.
On our visit Angela was working the register and Angel was cooking the steaks. This type of care from the owner immediately makes this place stand out. I just ordered a single cheesesteak but Angel not only brought me an order of fries to try, he gave me a coupon for free fries on my next visit.
The cheesesteak at Steak N Fries is made with rib-eye. This is an expensive cut of meat, but when it goes on sale it is my preferred way to make cheesesteaks at home. In addition to the standard Cheez Whiz, Provolone and American, Steak N Fries offers Swiss and Mozzarella.
I go with the basic cheesesteak priced at $11. There is the option to add toppings such as onions, cherry peppers, mushrooms, green peppers and jalapenos at no extra charge. I got the cherry peppers but had them on the side. For $12 you can get a cheesesteak loaded with fries.
Of course, fries are a major attraction here. A basic order of fries is $4, cheese fries are $5 and steak fries with meat and cheese are $7. The only other item on the menu is a grilled cheese sandwich. There are Philly side items like Wise chips, Tastykake and Frank’s soda.
Like many classic Philly places this is a small shop with a handful of table, both inside and on the sidewalk. The price may be more expensive than many places but you get what you pay for. This was a standout steak on our first visit and I will bringing the crew back for more.
Note, when we went they had a combo special with a cheesesteak, bag of chips and soda for $12. Also as I mentioned Angel gave us a coupon for fries on our next visit. The fries were awesome, but of course not the main focus of our visit.
The competition in this area has suddenly become quite heated. Up the road on Cass St is the long established Alex’s Brown Bag. Almost directly across the street on Garnet, Calozzi’s, a Seattle cheesesteak place just opened. We have not been to Calozzi’s yet, but on our next visit I will bring a group so we can do a direct taste testing.
UPDATE AUGUST 2019: We have tried Calozzi’s Cheesesteak and it is awesome. Also Alex’s Brown Bag has moved to Mother’s Saloon in Ocean Beach. Our plan now is to get a group of people together and buy cheesesteaks from both Steak N Fries and Calozzi’s in a blind taste test. Stay tuned for results!
UPDATE DECEMBER 2020: We tried Alex’s Brown Bag in early 2020 but it appears it has closed. Calozzi’s and Steak N Fries remain are cheesesteak favorites.
For our complete guide to the best Philly Cheesesteaks in San Diego go here.
