Donkey’s Place

Was so skeptical to try anything in Camden to be honest. This place has AMAZING cheesesteaks. Don’t let the location fool you. Absolutely worth trying!

Not for the Feint of heart. I get than Anthony Bourdain crowned this the kind of the tri-​state cheesesteak Mecca but many will walk away just not getting what make Donkeys an institution. Donkeys is a corner bar in the corner of Camden off a corner of Haddon Ave. It’s a hideaway a place that Harley’s back to the days of old, a place that could have been featured in American Hustle and not changed because the bar hasn’t. I remember trips with my father as a small child and the bartender bringing over pitchers of Budweiser and serving them in paper cups. The clientele is what you want for Camden, working class men of all races creeds and colors, coming together to practice the holy communion of lunch of the working class. This is why donkeys is the Sistine chapel of the cheesesteak, it’s hat it represents that all the other places has gotten away from; this is a working class sandwich for a working class people going to a working class bar. They have but one sandwich, one bread and one option, (onions or not) to share with the masses, and so the masses come because they know that breaking bread and cheesesteaks at donkeys is communion for Camden county…

The food the server are excellent must go here and get a donkey sandwich best ever!!!

This place is super small and next to a convenient store. But don’t judge a book by its cover. The service was outstanding and the food was pretty tasty.

I had my first donkeys cheesesteak in 1962. I grew up in Camden and donkeys place was the place to go. They used to make cheeseburgers by special request it would take 20 minutes to cook on a kaiser roll but it was delicious. there’s a second donkeys place in Medford and the stakes are good there as well. A donkey cheese steak is the best cheese steak I’ve had. The best Philly cheese steak comes from outside of Philly
(Camden)

After going to most of the places in the cheese steak book, i have 2 a+s. Donkeys is one, and chinks is the other, called joes now, after being chinks since early 1900s, because it offended some people. I ranked pats n genos as c+, i had them as my baseline because i think they are a little above average. You must love onions to love donkeys. When you order, your sandwich will arrive before your finished paying for it. Part of the thrill of eating there is the chance you may be shot entering or leaving camden. Once you eat one, you are willing to take that risk. That sums up how great they are.

It’s OK. The hospital is right up the block, so that’s convenient. You’re in Camden, yo.
Also, I don’t need some sleb dirtbag addytood monster who lucked into a TV show to tell me what’s a good cheesesteak.

The best steak sandwiches in the world. I recommend whoever check the place out to order «the works» the best

A welcome surprise hidden away in the ruins of Camden. Philadelphia tier cheese steaks just shy of philly. Not a lot of parking available but once your inside you can kind of forget about it. It’s cosey on the inside with a bar and dining area. But for what you’re all waiting for, the food. They serve cheesesteaks on a poppy seed Kaiser roll which can be messy but tastes rather good and adds a new flavor to the traditional philly cheese steak. They only offer American cheese however, so no whiz or provolone options.

Lives up to the hype! Been meaning to get to this place for a couple years now, and I finally had no excuse this morning. The cheesesteak was bigger than I expected and the poppy seed roll was more enjoyable than I would’ve thought. Great sizes portion… The onions were on the thicker cut side and we’re awesome. For spice lovers, they have chili paste and chili oil, both of which added the perfect burst of heat to the sandwiche. The fries were thin cut and crisp. Got some of the Best Damn Root Beer, which was possibly more delicious than Not Your Father’s. Staff was very friendly and talked to us a couple times during our meal. The interior has that great classic bar feel to it, with a number of cool pictures and memorabilia on the walls. Limited number of parking spots is the one drawback.

Awesome place! Cheese steaks were delicious and staff was super friendly. We also had the fries and spicy pickle. Overall our experience was a happy one!

If you’re reading this, just go there, you’ll get a great steak sandwich. I do think the steaks are a little better at the Medford location (I think because they put more of the magic spice in the meat), but they still do you a solid here. Only tough part is finding a parking spot, the street parking is limited and their little lot is very limited.

Great spot in Camden. This place has been around forever, and it shows (in a good way). I love the old school vibe in here. Dim lights, old photographs, and gnarly wall furnishings give this place an insane amount of character. No frills here, but the food speaks for itself. We showed up as a group of 17, and they cooked everything on the griddle right behind the bar and served us in less than 10 minutes. Great service.
Cheesesteak wit:
The poppy seed kaiser roll totally elevates this sandwich to epic heights. It’s soft and chewy, and soaks up that beautiful steak grease perfectly. The steak is really juicy and flavorful, and is topped with a TON of caramelized onions and some american cheese.
They also have a bunch of condiments– I highly recommend the spicy relish which doesn’t pack too much heat. I also threw on some chilis that were soaked in some type of molasses or simple sugar. I wanted to order some of the other menu items, but we were with such a large group that I decided not to make things more complicated. Just another reason to come back!

C’mon everyone — Donkey’s Place in Camden is one of the classic cheesesteak spots in the Delaware Valley. Recently highlighted on TV and in the Washington Post by the Post food critic — Anthony Bourdain, it remains much like it has always been since its founding during the second world war. (I’m taking other people’s word for that last statement!) This is a cheesesteak served on a poppy seed bun — much messier but very tasty. And the chilies and chili sauces available are about the best for any cheesesteak place anywhere. This is an old counter restaurant and bar establishment with tables in the back room so no need to worry if it is too cold or hot outside. Your only worry is how to get there … which is actually very easy and there’s parking in front or beside Donkey’s Place.
p. s. Why the name? The present owner’s granddad who founded it was an Olympic boxer with the nickname of Donkey for his tenacious fighting style…

Stopped into Donkey’s place before hitting the aquarium. A no frills unassuming spot with lots of vintage «stuff» randomly placed throughout. This vibe actually made me feel like there was a good cheesesteak in its way. It isn’t served like the traditional cheesesteak though. It is served in a round poppy seed roll. But I have to say it was mighty good. The no frills theme continues on the presentation. They know their sandwich is good so there is no need to sugar coat the plating with anything. Cheese onions and steak. Simple and wonderfully executed. Go try one and be the judge. ENJOY!!!

I was in the area thought I try donkeys place out.
Old school look bar seating in back I got my cheesesteak to go… seems it would be a nice place to have a drink & cheesesteak.
Poppy seed roll isn’t my thing but it was good nice amount of meat onions were very good. Place was busy due to fact it’s was lunch time. Sandwich was already premade placed under grill in a warmer of some sort.
Which made service quick. Asked clearly for a diet Pepsi and almost instantly given a diet coke pulled from bar. Don’t think they have Pepsi so I guess they thought I wouldn’t notice no big deal.
Bottom line if your in the area is it worth it? Yes
Would I go out of my way? probably not but it was good for $ 9 for cheesesteak & soda.
FYI area is shady so try to go during daylight.

I am 72 years old. I first went to Donkeys when I was fresh out of high school and it was a dive bar in Camden.
I’ve been bragging about donkeys for over 50 years to anybody that would listen. I thought the place was gone and bulldozed into the ground.
WHAT A SURPRISE!!!
I am going there tonight and let you know if it has changed.

Ok so I saw the article about Anthony Bourdain saying the best cheesesteak is from donkeys place in Camden and how it’s a hidden gem.
Warning. This is a long read! I apologize ahead time for my rant.
I most definitely do not agree with him. Maybe because he’s a celebrity, he might have gotten a jammed pack sandwich with the best of the best. Service was absolutely horrible. It could have been bad because the waitress doesn’t give a rat ass or maybe she was having a bad day. But that’s no excuse.
We sit down and waitress comes up with an attitude and first thing she says «you want onions and cheese!?!». Well hello to you too, miss. Next she says «what you want to drink» with same attitude and when asked if they had fries, her answer was «not today!» with the same side of attitude. My friends and I relax and just shook off the nonsense with the waitress and we wait for our food.
We wait… 20 mins goes by and we’re now wondering why our food was not coming out. It was not busy at all and they only serve 1 sandwich. Also, after we sat down, 3 other tables have sat down after us. Two of the those tables already received there sandwiches. Another 10 minutes goes by and another lady from the bar brings out 1 sandwich and says «who had no onions?». I reply back saying we ordered 3 and all with onions and cheese. At this point all 3 tables that came in after us received there food and 2 of the tables ate, paid, and left.
Finally after 45 minutes of waiting, the waitress comes over stinking like a fresh cigarette and we get our food with no apologies or nothing. Sandwich was on a paper plate and seems to look decent. Taste wasn’t anything great. All 3 sandwiches had more onions in them than meat. The meat they used is just the normal «Original Philly» cheesesteak meat. So nothing extraordinary with the meat.
After, we go to pay, and the waitress then tried to charge for an extra drink.
In conclusion, not impressed with the sandwich. I don’t think the sandwich was worth $ 7.50. One of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. The owner or manager needs to pay a little more attention to their staff.

Classic classic classic
Great place to live an old school life.
One lady cooking, taking breaks from cooking smoking cigg 15ft from the grill. Just classic. What a great sandwich. Please go. Bullet holes in the window. You feel at home here. Favorite

I don’t know much about the history of Donkey’s, but I’m pretty sure it’s been there since Camden was invented. It’s got the look of a neighborhood place that hadn’t changed in decades. It’s straightforward and honest, and today I finally got to go (I usually can’t get there before it closes it at 4pm, and isn’t open at all on weekends).
You sit down at a table and the waitress comes up to you, the first words out of her mouth being «fried onions and cheese?» That’s as complicated as it gets. They know why you’re there: one of their locally famous cheesesteaks on a poppy seed roll, with yes, fried onions and cheese. It might not look like what you normally get at the cheesesteak temples in Philly, but it is just a delicious. The seeded roll’s an interesting variation. The only downside is the sandwich fell apart a little more than its torpedo-​roll cousins. Overall it was good stuff and I’m glad I got a chance to give it a visit. I can see myself getting addicted to the cheesesteaks here.
(As a bonus, after you’re done here you can run across the street to Fresh Donuts for dessert.)