Pappa Geno’s

Pappa Geno’s lived up to my expectations, this was a great steak and cheese! I ordered the Philly with provolone and the works, and I was fully delighted! It was fresh, juicy, cheesy, and delicious! The inside isn’t as bad as some reviews state — it was clean and homey. I’d visit here weekly, and recommend you do the same! Although the fried mushrooms turned to mush on a carry-​out order, I’m sure they would’ve been fine dine-​in. Eat here!

This place is legit. Their Philly cheesesteak is so good! It was flavorful cheesy and juicy. It was much better than the ones I had in Philly! The Italian was pretty good too but not as good as the cheesesteak! It is worth the drive to come out and eat this yummy goodness!
Not a 5 star bc they didn’t have the pickled peppers that day. It would’ve made the sandwich extra spectacular! Perhaps next time.
Place is decently clean and the front was very friendly.
FYI posted to wrong location. I went to the one off of Ella, the original location.

Great food. Terrible service. The counter person ignored us for several minutes while taking an order on the telephone. I could not tell if she was taking an order or establishing a deep and meaningful personal relationship with the caller. They desperately need more counter help.

This is easily one of my favorite cheesesteak sandwich places in Houston. The portions for the sandwiches are HUGE and they don’t skimp on the meat. I ordered the Philly Works (Sliced Seasoned Steak, Grilled Onions, Sauteed Mushrooms, Green Bell Peppers, Provolone Cheese and Mayo) but they were out of Provolone and Bell Peppers, so they went ahead and substituted Cheese Wiz and extra meat, which I was perfectly ok with. I also ordered the side of Disco Fries (fries topped with gravy and… yes…more Cheese Wiz). Needless to say i’ve had my fill of Cheese Wiz, so next time I come back, i’m having the regular. Hopefully they aren’t out of ingredients again (thus only 4 stars). I was surprised that they were out of the provolone and bell peppers, especially since we got there just when they opened. In any case, it’s definitely worth the money. I had to take half of my sandwich home. Perhaps they should offer half sandwiches?

I found a piece of philly in Houston and it’s papa genos, although not exactly the same, bread is a little bit different but the meat is very similar, juicy and tender slices of beef with onions smothered over mozzarella or cheese whiz, I could not have finished one whole cheese to myself otherwise I be a fat ass, they got other toppings on their cheesesteak but I’ll come back next time to try it, kind of a sketchy neighbor so lock ur doors!

Do not tell your cardiologist, dietitian, nor fitness instructor you ate here. The sandwiches are ridiculously large, salty, gooey, fatty, and delicious. Bread, meat, onions, mushrooms, cheese and gravy… What’s not to like?
If this place listed calories, fat or sodium, I would not eat here. It’s a decadent guilty pleasure for a fair price.
Get the smothered, or if you’re feeling particularly gluttonous, try the Fat Philly, like the smothered but also topped with fries and cheese sticks!

OMG! Pappa Geno’s became my second home. I guess having visited it 20+ times I can already call it like that! I cannot say that I like everything on their menu. It would have been a lie. I tried maybe a half of their options and there were several ones, which weren’t too good.
But I think it’s just my taste. My favorite dish is traditional Philly. It’s served with so much cheese whiz. Yummy! The restaurant is pretty well kept, always clean and shiny! Great!

Stopped by for a philly (of course!)…and there was no one else in the restaurant. The sandwich took about 3 – 5 minutes to be made. It was very good, bread was nicely toasted… but…there was a little too much oil for my liking. All else the sandwich was great! Nicely seasoned and a good size! Very filling!

MMMM yum! I actually read a review from a Unilocaler here and saw that the smothered philly was delicious… so my boyfriend got that one and i got the regular philly… i had food envy the entire time because after tasting my boyfriend’s smothered philly… i couldn’t stop dreaming about slapping it out of his hands and eating it myself! lol! but no the regular philly i got was great as well but that smothered philly can get it 100%! it’s a small little place next to samurai’s. not that busy and not expensive — good little find!

You can never go wrong with Papa Geno’s. Although it hasnt been in Houston that many years, they quickly became one of the best cheesesteaks in Houston.
Their basic steak sandwich is 7.99. You can make it it a combo for 3.49 more. Look to spend nearly $ 13 when you come.
I visited the original location when it first opened and now this one several years later and they both taste basically the same.

I have been looking for a great philly cheesesteak sandwich in Houston for 9 years and after eating here, my search still continues :-(The bread was dry and the meat tasted like the bottom of the barrel from the cow. It was definitely better than Texadephia, but I won’t be eating here again. On the bright side, I did love the fries.

Was craving a Philly cheese steak and opted for this place based on the reviews. I was sadly disappointed! there just wasn’t enough meat on their cheese steaks:(I got the Philly works n didn’t like it at all! I think it had carrots in it?!? My sis got the wicked which I think tasted better. Also ordered some fries which were old and yucky.
My son seemed to enjoy his burger although didn’t get to try it. Would give it another try based on my fam who seemed to enjoy their meals.

Best cheese steak ever! I shared «the wicked» with my husband because it was that big.

Not much to say about the décor or ambiance while sitting inside but the food makes up for that for sure. Their phillie cheesesteak is by far the best in the area. You gotta check it out for yourself if you’re nearby.

You won’t find a better cheese steak sandwich anywhere. They have several variations that include provolone, cheese whiz, brown gravy, Italian peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc.
I love the brown gravy. Great with the crispy fries.
The sandwiches only come in a large size. Too bad you can’t buy a half. That does make it a little pricy for a sandwich. But I keep coming because it is always incredible.

My husband had been telling me about the best Philly he had ever had for a while now. Well we found ourselves on that side of town and he had to take me of course! It was as he said amazing! We had the number one and an order of philly fries. Definitely will be dreaming about the next time we get to make a trip there and have another.

I called the store and placed an order. I was told it would be ready in 10min. I show up 12−15min later and the store is closed! I tried calling and I kept getting a disconnected signal. I was never able to get hold of someone, the store was empty, not a soul in the whole place. If I called as they were closing they should’ve told me.
Needless to say, I’m gonna try and find another shop in town and won’t be returning

I think I found the perfect sandwich here. Get the Smothered Philly. Take a Philly cheesesteak, add grilled onions, provolone cheese, a fantastic gravy, and the best bread ever… It’s a total mess so use a knife & fork but it’s so, so good.
This is a groovy gut bomb. Get one!

No, no, and no.
I’m sad to report that Papa Geno’s is no longer my to go place for a good Philly cheesesteak.
On my last visit, I dined in at the nearly empty establishment and ordered a philly with hot peppers. The current price point is fairly high for a casual restaurant and what they offer. It was almost $ 10 for a sandwich alone.
When I received my philly, I noticed it wasn’t very well assembled, and it was greasy. Now I know this ain’t health food, but puddles of grease in the basket are never good. After inspecting the sandwich further, where did all the meat go? There was tiny slivers of it, and there was disproportionately way more onions in my sandwich than actual beef. This was seriously sad skimping. It wasn’t always this way. Finally, after only one bite of it, I had grease dribbling down my arm and onto my wristwatch. Ew. At this point, the only thing saving this sandwich was the yummy bread. Theirs is spectacular — golden crispy brown on the outside and soft inside. That’s not enough though to keep me coming back. The quality has definitely gone downhill from what it once was while prices went up. Not a good move. I won’t be back.

This place makes a good Philly Cheese steak at a reasonable price… Over all I would say it is decent but could use more onions and peppers… I also find it weird each time that I go here that all of their signage is using the Coke Zero Logos, but they do not sell Coke Zero… If you have a taste for a Philly cheese steak this place will not disappoint you… They are consistent and pretty much your best option in Houston