McGonagle’s

This place went out of business about a year ago. Went there looking for Philly cheesesteaks and it was some kind of run down looking healthy prepackaged catering place now.

I really wanted chicken but it wasn’t available today. The workers are very nice. Food takes a while.

I miss this place :/​are they closed for good or under construction??? What is close to this place in taste.

Unfortunately they are out of business
We went only once and the food and service was really good. The restaurant was busy the day we went so we were super surprised that there was a «Out of business» sign on the door 2 weeks after our visit. Not easy to find a great cheesesteak in San DIego

I cant say anything to bring justice to this place. The food is delicious. The waitress was super nice and the atmosphere is bright and welcoming. I got the philly sandwich with some of their cheese fries and it didn’t even dent my wallet. They even have a timed eating challenge that if you finish you get 50 bucks! Definitely coming back to challenge that. Gotta say this place really has a spark. I’ll be back for more delicious food and great, fast service. Five stars all around. You go glen coco!

THEY ARE CLOSED… UPDATED
Cheese steaks seem to be one of those things that are made differently everywhere you go. I’ve never been anywhere near Philly, but I gather that these are some of the more realistic «Philly style» cheese steaks around, certainly in San Diego where there’s just a lack of this type of thing.
My favorite cheeseteak before moving here was Bruchi’s in eastern Washington, but that is definitely not a philly style sub. still, McGonagle’s has great taste similar to that while checking off all the Philly style boxes.
–Great bread. I wouldn’t change a thing.
–Very good steak.
–The Cheez Wiz is really good — I prefer real cheese, but it’s excellent just as they make it.
One thing you have to be careful of is if you do not want onions you have to explicitly state that. I ordered a cheese steak with «only provolone meat and mayo» and got onions. If I didn’t come here so often and appreciate the consistently good service it would have mattered to me more… And I can’t eat it with the onions mixed in. So I’m looking forward to going again soon!

I was looking around San Diego for a food challenge. after a quick google search I came across this place and found that they had a Philly cheese steak challenge. 4 pounds of Philly cheesesteak? Count me in!
I spent the entire day planning for this challenge. I didn’t eat anything else, I only drink water. I became very invested in winning. I tried to remove all the X-​factors. I even called ahead of time to make sure I didn’t have to make a reservation. The girl on the phone assured me that I could just order it when I came in and there would be no problem. Me and two other friends went in to take the challenge together.
When we arrived they explained to us that they were out of meat… what? You’re a cheesesteak place and you run out of your signature item??? Explain Yourself!!! if I go in to in-​n-​out burger and they told me they’re out of cheeseburgers, somebody gets fired!!! We asked if they had enough meat to complete a few orders. they said yes because they didn’t have the amount of me too have 3 people take the challenge, but could potentially handle a few regular orders.
after placing my order the cook came out of the kitchen and explain to me that only my order was not able to be fulfilled. The five people that were in front of me all got their orders, except me. For real???
So, not only was I totally boned for the challenge, I didn’t even get to eat. I wasted the time to drive there (I live in north park, this place is far!!) and I was starving from not eating all damn day. They refunded our check and we left with empty stomachs.
Mcgonagles can suck a fart out of my ass, we could have had something really good but you burn your bridges. I recommend Monkey’s Paw or Gaglione Brothers for cheesesteaks.

Not impressed
Not much flavor in the sandwich
Garlic fries drenched in salt– inedible
The chef’s attitude comes out in the food
Bad

Anyone who thinks this is an «authentic» Philly cheesesteak, has never had an «authentic» Philly cheesesteak. Based on the reviews it sounded decent. I’m from Philadelphia, and have had Authentic… this wasn’t even close.
Ordered cheese steak wit wiz. Got a steak (which was more stringy chunks of fat and grizzle then it was steak) and some water down nacho cheese on it. No joke. I feel sorry for people who think this is what a cheese steak is supposed to be.
The only reason it’s so hard to beat the 3 cheesesteaks in 30 minutes is because no one can get thru the fatty meat. I posted a pic to show you.

The owner seriously needs to fire that Filipino chick that works at nights.
Lack of customer service. We got there just before 7:30 & they had already ran out of steak… The places closes at 8. Not good.
The food is OK from the times I’ve gone in the past. I’ve realized that the only good chef/​waitress is a Hispanic girl that works there. The owner should reevaluate his team since there’s so many people saying this girls customer service is at a negative. It really makes coming here very uncomfortable.

Just finished my «supposably» 1^st Authentic Philly Cheesesteak. And boy was that ish terrible! That had to be one of the most tasteless sandwiches ever! I can’t believe I wasted my $$ on that crap. I’m not sure if the damn thing even had cheese on it.
Out of respect for true Philly Cheesesteaks from Philly, Plz don’t waste your time or $$!
It’s like going to Philly and ordering an authentic carne asada burrito. You know that ish ain’t gon taste like a taco shop here.

Really love this place and have checked in here almost 60 times. Very disappointed that they discontinued their spot-​on rewards and I lost a substantial number of points which is why I dropped my rating to 4 instead of 5.
Update: the owner has happily addressed the points issue.

I’d give 2.5 stars. I do appreciate a Philly cheesesteak spot in National City, but my first impression wasn’t the best.
Pro– Buffalo fries were addictive.
Cons– Getting there was a pain. It’s on Highland and easy to spot, but figuring out where to park was a aggravating (especially to my mom who was driving) due to the misplaced sign, the «one-​way road», and no u-​turns.
Service– not great. Sorry to the girl, but she was in the back chatting with the guy, who I assume is the cook or bus boy. They were the only 2 on staff. Understandably so, it was really slow and nobody, but my family was there. She did not seem happy to be interrupted. This was our first time there and we didn’t know what or how to order. She stated at us (what felt like impatiently) with no recommendations or explanations of how the menu worked.
Ambience– not the best. Super casual, but it does fit the location (National City native so don’t get all defensive please). There were ants nearby the pickled pepper area. Water was awkwardly placed between the picnic style tables. There are photos of regulars or people who have tried their challenge along w a cheesy throne for anyone who conquers said challenge. Kind of random and not appealing to the eye.
Food– I’ve had better cheesesteaks. It was good, but not as amazing as I thought it’d be.
Long story short, I wish I got a Cali-​burrito across the street.

After eating cheesesteaks in Philly, I had to try one back home. This place is no Geno’s, but it’s a good sandwhich. The meat was really good, not over seasoned or salted. The cheese was ordinary, but not bad. It’s down fall was the bread. It was good bread, but not for the cheese steak. It was too dense or tough; it needed to be softer. I loved the casual set up of the restaurant, but it’s did not seem to have A/​C.
I have been here a few times and they keep updating it. I appreciate that.
Also, they did not have the Check-​In root beer floats, but I got a free soda instead, so that works.

Not a bad place for a cheesesteak. I made a visit at lunchtime on a weekday and the place was pretty empty. They do have their own parking behind the building but just a few spots. I had the cheesesteak with whiz. It came out in short order. The bread was a bit chewy and it have definitely used more meat. There is a double meat option if you are feeling it. The meat definitely needed more seasoning. The whiz and onions were mixed in well but it was lacking something.
On the plus side they offer beer now and the service is friendly and prompt. Overall, if you on the south side and have a hankering for a cheesesteak and a beer, this place fits the bill. If driving and beer are no issue, Jin’s might be more up your alley.

I had a deal to use for this place so my sis and I stopped in for some grub. I had the cheesesteak hoagie, she had the chicken hoagie and we both ordered fries — maybe it was a combo because I think we got a drink, too. If only I would write my reviews within 30 days instead of months later…
Anywhooo…I feel like for the money, the place is pretty darn good. I do know that I loved my hoagie and it was loaded with meat, cheese and onions. My sister enjoyed hers also and those fries were darn good — French fries are my favorite. I can eat them day and night. Oops, just slipped into a fry fantasy there.
Bottom line — this place is good. The service was friendly, it was pretty clean inside and the food was tasty. You can’t really ask for much more from a neighborhood spot smack dab on Highland!

Best cheesesteak sandwich I’ve had since Antonio’s in Kahala closed. Light bread with just the right chewiness to the crust. Meat extra tasty and tender, probably because they use rib eye instead of mystery or processed cuts. Wish I could enjoy more often but don’t visit San Diego too often.

Groupon finally did me right in the food department!
This place is truly a hidden gem in national city
Very generous portions, love the toasted bun & add on veggies are free!
Can it get any better
The groupon deal was $ 10 for 2 sandwiches (6′) two fries & 2 drinks. perfection
Even my gf loved the food & she’s a VERY picky eater
Sandwich was really good & the bun + cheese wiz makes it perfection
The guys working are very friendly & attentive! The cook even waved bye, how often does that happen. They give me a hometown feel there & that’s always a good thing!
Will be back to try the pizza cheesesteak next week!

12″ of wiz filled meat in my mouth and I’m in food coma heaven. Other than going to another Filipino food joint off Plaza Blvd, my coworker and I deceided to go off the beaten path and try this place since it the sign is pretty much yelling «CHESSESTEAKS» at us. Im usually hesitant about trying so-​called cheesesteak place unless I’m in Philly but this place does not disappoint.
Nothing fancy or showy, just straight shot menu on the wall, you pick the type of Cheesesteak you want and dive into the gooey mess of wiz, onions and meat. And extra onions and veggies are free so can’t complain on that!
The meat was finely chopped and the wiz was perfectly laid in the middle of the sandwich that I was able to hold the darn thing without napkins. The only thing I would have to say is that I like a little bit more au jus on the meat but overall the cheesesteak was murdered my in no time.

I found this place through a flyer in my junk mail. We have been looking for a great Philly Cheese place and this place was pretty amazing. Andrea the cashier/​hostess was such a sweet and friendly girl. The place was clean and well decorated. I had coupons for a buy one get one. So we ordered «The Authentic Philly Cheese Steak» (Steak, Grilled onions, Whiz) and «The famous McG Cheese steak» (Egg, steak, grilled onions, three cheeses and buffalo sauce). Then we also ordered the cheese fries and two Dr. Peppers.
The food was almost as good a the service. The bread was amazing on the sandwiches and the meat was decent even though it was sliced a bit thin for our liking. The only thing that was unacceptable for us was Rib-​Eye steak being served with Cheese Whiz. They used the same cheese on the wonderful steak fries as well. Apparently, you can request a different type of cheese but you may not get as much. The food was great with the exception of that darn cheese whiz, Keep that processed crap out of my food!
When we were entering a real skinny guy was leaving. Turns out he won the challenge of eating three sandwiches double meat within a specific time frame. That little skinny guy did it lol. :-) Good for him