The Phoenix Cheesesteak Co

good food but bad customer service experience… not sure if I will go back
dad has been going here and wanted me to try– so we go
I pick up the bill because I am awesome like that, but it asks for a tip
which is odd because I
1. haven’t tried the food yet
2. don’t know how the place is run (are they going to SERVE ME or is it just counter I order at like In&Out)
So I tip a few bucks to be nice
Then the food comes and I am told
«we ran out of large rolls so yours got put on a smaller one, but don’t worry we put the large amount of meat on it»
so wait… I am getting LESS food and am told don’t worry
Would have been nice if the person ringing us up TOLD us they were out while we were placing our order.
And not sure how giving someone LESS food is somehow an acceptable option when serving a customer
Maybe a «here is a small sandwich and an extra half» so you are getting MORE would have been a better choice.
Didn’t make a stink because with dad, but not sure how the owner in back would let that fly…

Unilocal ratings and reviews really let me down with what to expect from this place. I’m going to give it a 2 star rating; it’s a below average sandwich shop, and they don’t have cheesesteaks.
My first impulse was to give it a 1 star, because zero wasn’t available, and it was the worst cheesesteak I’ve ever eaten. I have had all kinds from around New York, New Jersey, and Philly. Philly’s Best on Central here in Phoenix makes a passable cheesesteak, not the greatest, but at least you can tell what it’s suppose to be. Then I realized Phoenix Cheesesteak Factory doesn’t make cheesesteaks. Anyone can Google and confirm, it’s obvious by looking at the sandwich it’s not a cheesesteak. And if anyone has ever tasted a real Philly cheesesteak, it’s unquestionable that this is nothing like a cheesesteak.
Two of the three main ingredients are not in this creation. They use flavored cheese (like southwest flavor in cheese, not cheese flavor). You can opt for what I believe is generic Cheez Wiz, but they don’t use the brand name. And the meat wasn’t what you are suppose to put in a cheesesteak. You can’t substitute something completely and call it the same thing. «Can I have a Rum and Coke, but with Sprite and Vodka please? And an eggless omelete please.»
To be honest, I was so distracted by the horrible meat that I didn’t even notice if they actually used Amoroso or Vilotti-​Pisanelli rolls like they should have. Most important in a cheesesteak is the super-​thin sliced meat that is fried and browned perfectly to give that magical amazing cheesesteak flavor and texture was NOT anywhere to be found in this restaurant. Instead there were big thick hunks for something, sorta grayed, that looked like how you chop up meat to feed to your dog.
Saying the creation by Phoenix Cheesesteak Company is a «Philly cheesesteak» is like throwing sun-​dried tomatoes and a slice of American cheese on a tortilla and calling it «Chicago Deep-​Dish Pizza.» The choice of ingredients, and every step of the preparation is important in how food tastes. That’s why baked potatoes are different than mashed potatoes, ground chuck is different than new york strip. All this is lost on the majority of Phoenix, or at least the Unilocal reviewers here who seem to say it’s the best Philly cheesesteak they ever had.
Then, they take it a step further, and they season the meat excessively. The reviews here brag about the «range of sauces» and green chilies, jalapeños, and avocado. Clearly you are talking about a sandwich, maybe some sort of hoagie. But that’s not a cheesesteak.
What they make at Phoenix Cheesesteak Company is a sandwich of some sort, with cheese on it, and some meat on a long bun. That alone does not make it a cheesesteak. Not all meat and cheese on a long bun are cheesesteaks.
Calling that sandwich a cheesesteak was like using sliced tomatoes instead of tomato paste for a slice of New York Pizza (which is very different than Chicago Deep Dish, BTW). You can argue all day about if it’s better or worse, but you can’t even begin to pretend they are the same thing.
Even for whatever it was, it was disgusting. The meat was gristly and had hunks of fat I had to spit out. At least the «plain» one I had was covered with enough seasoning that it tasted like it was freezer burn meat that someone was trying to use jalapeño and chili to hide the taste of the meat gone bad. I’m not sure what the seasoning was, but whatever it was I had an allergic reaction or something and had extensive ulcers on my tongue before my third bites, but I’ve never had big sore circles like that on my tongue before. I ended up throwing whatever that sandwich was into the trash, then had to smell the disgusting thing for an hour by my desk until I decide I’d take the trash out to the dumpster to get rid of the smell.
But in the end it was the name of the thing I ordered, and the name of place itself that were totally misleading. It’s not a «cheesesteak company, in Phoenix» at all. It’s a place that has invented something they call the «Phoenix Cheesesteak» that bears very little resemblance to Philly cheesesteak. If you don’t know what a cheesesteak is suppose to be like, maybe think about craving McDonalds french-​fries with your Big Mac, and having someone serve you over-​seasoned home fries instead, sure, it’s a fried potato, but it’s not french-​fries.
What’s next «Phoenix Burger Company» that only serves fish and sliced beef, but no ground beef?

Just ate the best Philly ever… of course I’ve never been to Philly but damn! I ordered the Phoenix and it was the most phenomenal Philly cheese steak sandwich in my life. The place is very small and casual but they are very clean and modern inside. Parking in front blows but they also have parking in back. I challenge you to try this place if you think you know a better place… then message me so I can be the judge! Ha ha
I have been trying not to give 5 stars away so easily anymore but I could not resist. This place deserves 10!

Well this place is just fantastic. So much so that I had it two days in a row!!! Brought some co-​workers with me the second day and they all agreed!!!
The Phoenix is my new favorite sandwich — and it’s great with the chicken! Everyone else had steak and we all just loved it.

I was hungry for Cheese Steak but I’m usually disappointed. I did check Unilocal and decided to take the chance on Phoenix Cheese Steak. Without the reviews, I might have drove right past the place. I drove from the far North West valley with the hope of finding a great sandwich, but expecting only fair to good.
I found great! Hot full of flavor! What a change from most places. Well worth the 20 mile trip! And I’ll be back! I’ve started passing the word around the office.
On this trip, I couldn’t resist having «The West Side» it was delicious as were the fries.
I’ve tried several places in my search for a great Cheese Steak, in Phoenix this is the best I’ve found.

what the hell is this witchcraft
i’ve never even liked the thought of a cheesesteak before and now look what you’ve done to me
i’m a cheesesteak monster

This place is ON POINT! Steak is cooked to perfection, sauces are delicious, even the bread is the right density.
This is one place I love to take people just to see their first bite.
I highly recommend the «Phoenix» for the first visit. Unless you can eat a lot… just got with the regular size.

Well, I must say I was quite impressed with this place. It almost got a four star rating from me, and that’s VERY rare. As always, I checked up on Unilocal and also the Maricopa County health inspections site to make sure this place wasn’t a liability waiting to happen to my stomach. Seemed quite legit from what I read, so I joined in with group of workmates for lunch yesterday. The parking spots out the front are absolutely ridiculous and appear impossible to park a car in — if you had a regular sedan in one of the spaces, its butt would literally be on the sidewalk and about a half yard from the kerb. Just plain weird. So we parked around the corner in front of a minimart and walked back. Interior is nice and clean, I was sort of expecting it to be more on the dingy side. It’s one of those place-​order-​at-​counter-​and-​they-​bring-​it-​to-​your-​table places. Fairly limited menu, but then again it’s a cheesesteak joint, not Claim Jumper.
I ordered the Coronado minus the peppers. Plenty of the items appear to have jalapenos or habaneros, and once upon a time that’d have been just fine with me, but I’ve softened over the years. I got a side of fries and a drink. The food took a while to be made; not too long, maybe about 15 mins? They certainly didn’t seem to be goofing off in the kitchen though. Out came the food and I was very pleasantly surprised. I’m not one of these wankers who walk in already predisposed against a place, ready to start judging how sh1t is done in «Philly» or «Chicago» and who wind up missing the point completely (see my highly-​rated review of the now-​closed Frank-​N-​Steins in Surprise for more rage on this subject *8-​), I was simply there to have a good meal. And I sure got one. The food was delicious. bread was soft and fresh, meat was tender as hell and the chilli mayo was pretty much all world. I haven’t had a sandwich that tasty in. well, in about a week, actually, since I had an All-​American Grinder at Uncle Sams. Shoestring fries were pretty good too. Uncle Sams’ are better. I’m not really a «crisp fries» guy, but. these were good.
The only thing bringing my rating down to the usual average is the price. My whole sandwich was $ 9.75 plus tax. And an additional $ 2.50 for the fries and drink. That’s just a little too expensive for lunch. I’ve had burritos as big as my forearm packing just as much flavour for $ 5.95, and while I get the whole «it’s super delightful, ultra-​quality, hand-​chopped ribeye» thing, ten bucks for a mid-​sized hoagie regardless of whether or not it contains sauteed unicorn nuts is too steep to make me want to return as frequently as I otherwise would. Weird how a half is $ 8 and a whole is a buck senny five more. Seems almost like movie popcorn pricing to me.
Don’t get me wrong, this was probably the best cheesesteak I’ve ever eaten and everyone I was with agreed, and it’s a surprisingly neat little establishment where you might actually want take out-​of-​town tie-​wearers for lunch, but it’s just a tad on the pricey side IMO.

Disgusting sandwich. I should have known better when the owner? told me that they do things different here like cutting their rib eye pieces very thick. If that isn’t enough to send you running (if you are a loyal cheesesteak fan in the know) than certainly the taste of the food will get you later. I opened my small make-​your own ($ 7) Philly (white american, peppers, onions) and the first thing I saw was a piece of fat the size of mini-​ice cube attached to the steak which the owner said they hand carve all the time. Somebody must have been a bit lazy and missed a giant piece of fat. A chunk of fat that big would not get past even the biggest idiot cutting meat.
The whole idea of trying to do something different with cheesesteaks is nice, but too many folks (well maybe not Phoenix natives) have specific standards for cheesesteaks and you just can’t break these decades old rules and create a loyal following of true fans. Cut the meat thin like every other place in the world and pay attention to what your serving. At least the guy was nice when I called to inform him and he told me to come back and make it right. Hold the fat please.
Oh the fries and onion rings are straight out of the olé baggy. Makes me wonder about the ribeye — if you can’t cut your own fries, why would you use the best quality meat? They might be cutting corners for a profit.??
Response to Owner :
The only way to tarnish your restaurant’s business is to serve us meat with fat chunks that you could literally choke on. Smart Unilocalers will realize that is safer to eat your dinner out of a dumpster than risk choking on Phoenix fat.
USDA Choice is not the best cut of rib eye, it is USDA Prime that is top of the line. Certified Angus means a black hide. Your considering non-​frozen fries? why thank you so much for considering serving people fresh stuff.

The best cheese steak I’ve ever had, but that’s not saying much since I’m not fond of the cruddy meat used in most cheese steak sandwiches. Here they use quality meat in their sandwich and the flavor and turnout shows that it’s working. The problem is that they don’t have the man power to pump out the sandwiches fast enough for me to go there during lunch. You could wait upwards of 30 minutes for your food. Too long for me. I hope they fix this problem in the future. I’ll give em a try again in a month or so.

After reading the existing Unilocal reviews on this place, it’s time for some tempering of expectations. This is a food truck inside of a building.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it’s not the best cheesesteak in the world. It’s not the best sandwich in Phoenix. It’s an OK sandwich, and I don’t even know if you can call it a cheesesteak.
If it were a cheesesteak, the meat would be chopped, not diced. And they would have cheeze whiz.
These sandwiches are certainly OK. You won’t eat here and feel like you had a bad meal. But if you want a more authentic cheesesteak, go to Corleone’s, or even Best of Philly (though I haven’t been there for years). If you want a better cheesesteak-​like sandwich, go to De Falco’s.
If you’re in the neighborhood and you want a decent, affordable sandwich that is similar to a cheesesteak, but won’t necessarily blow you away, then yeah, give this a shot. But superlatives are a bit out of the question here.

These are some great cheesesteaks. I have come here multiplier times and have never left unhappy. The staff are nice and the food is delicious.
Also try the ‘Cheesesteak Fries’ they are freakin amazing! I am glad I work next to this place, always a great lunch.

I run a business in the same complex, so I got to meet the owners and check out the place for lunch before I opened my shop. The food is so good that I must restrain myself from eating there daily.
I’ve tried the regular sandwich, but prefer the specials. The «Fire» and «Carne Asada» are my two current faves, with the «Coronado» coming in a close third. These sandwiches are delicious to the point where I end up eating the bits of cheese that stick to the wax paper.
These guys are doing it right. Quick, friendly service, decent prices, FRESH ingredients, and sticking to what they are best at… the best damn Cheesesteak in town!

Really great sandwich. I had «The Phoenix,» which consists of cubed rib eye, roasted green chilies, jalapenos, carmelized onions, and a VERY nice roasted chili mayo. Philly? No. Who cares? Not me. This was a perfect Phoenix version.
I work over on Central and turn left at this corner every morning, but did not notice it until today. It is in a small, two-​store strip mall behind an old convenience store. Parking is tight in front, but they have more around back. Inside is nice, especially compared to the rough-​looking surroundings.
Service was friendly and quick. Even though you order and pay at the counter, the guy working checked to see if I needed a refill and brought my stuff to the table.
I’d just about go five stars, but it is a little expensive. My bill was just under $ 13 for the sandwich, onion rings, and a drink. I left a tip too, taking the total higher. A little high for lunch, but still a place I’ll visit again.

What can I say, kinda okay cheesesteak. parking sucked donkey cack, park nearby and just walk The menu was similiar to any cheesesteak place, but the sandwiches are… well, different. Instead of taking the traditional method of thinly slicing the steak, they serve it in cubes. which gave it a texture that I didn’t really care for. Now the flavor was good, but I just can’t get over the texture of it. It also seemed that the meat had some sort of gravy with it. just odd. Not sure I’ll go back, but it’s worth giving a shot if you’re in the area.

I was looking for something close to my office for lunch today and decided to try The Phoenix Cheesesteak Co out based on the great reviews. The reviews don’t lie folks, this place was delicious!
I called ahead for pickup which was about a 20 minute wait right at noon, not bad at all. It was a bit hidden next to the convenience store, but I was able to find it ok. Hopefully they will put more signage out so people know it’s there and want to stop in. The dining area inside is small but nice — probably not a good idea for a group of more than 4. The staff was very friendly and greeted me right away.
Now for the meat of the review — the cheesesteak! (lame joke, I know ;)) I went for the not so philly as I prefer the classic philly taste. It wasn’t like any I’ve ever had before, I’d say it’s a spiced up version. The cheese sauce has a bit of a spice to it. The bread was delicious — the prefect softness to crunch ratio. The steak is cut into large trunks rather than sliced. I think I prefer sliced, but this was good as well. All around, a great sammich. and the fries? oh the fries are some of the best I’ve ever had. Amazing. Good portion for sharing, or keeping all to yourself because they are too good to share.
So why not 5 stars you say? I think I was expecting more of a «traditional» philly taste even though their website and everything about them says it’s not. My guess is that one of the cheesesteaks on the menu with the southwest flair would be a better choice since that is what they are aiming for. I’m definitely going to try this again and go for another option and then probably update this to a 5.

(— — — — — — Speechless
Cause I’m having a HOLY EXPERIENCE right now with the Cheesesteak fries.
This is the fastest I have ever Unilocaled anyone.
BEST CHEESESTEAK IN THE WORLD! Yep, I said it and I mean it.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!
Brand new local business too, just opened in Feb.
This is not your original cheesesteak it’s THE PHOENIX CHEESESTEAK.
I had been wanting to try this place, since I noticed a sign, driving by, saying «the best cheesesteaks». So, today at lunch, I swung by and tried it out. I’m happy I did. They are hidden away being over powered by a liquor store on the corner of Virgina and 7^th St. The inside is freshly painted, has a TV, and modern décor. I don’t believe the AC was working cause it was warm, but they had the fans going. I doubt this is normal. The three guys working there were super duper nice. I love it when the cook waves to you. The host/​cashier was very helpful since it was my first time. I had to go with the Not from Philly sandwich. It tastes sooo good. Kinda reminds me of White Castle (that is a really really good thing for me). Amazing quality of meat and very fresh ingredients. The bread is so soft on the inside and crispy on the outside and is the perfect amount. How do they do it?! It’s MAGIC! LOVE IT! The perfect Philly Cheesesteak!
Thank you guys for those HUGE napkins to wipe my mouth with! They came in handy. ;)
The very NEXT DAY… yep I was drawn to this place again. Dreams of that meat and bread. Mmmmm
This time I got one with red peppers, mushrooms, onions and cheese sauce. What is in that cheese sauce?! I don’t know, but it’s DAMN GOOD! Their FRIES, as of today, ARE THE BEST I’VE EVER HAD! I asked if they were fresh, but NO they are frozen, but whatever they season them with, you would never know. WOW! HOLY MOLEY!
And the leftovers are even better, the bread is still soft, yo!
I tried The Westside and it is really good and filled with flavor!
Park in the back! You have to go through the alley behind the liquor store and look for an opening on the left side. Go through door number 1 on the left side straight ahead facing 7^th street. Sit down and relax at this place, cause my man up front will take care of you. DON’T FORGET TO TIP!

Who doesn’t like an amazing cheese steak?
… well, Vegans wouldn’t dream of it, Vegetarians are on the fence, cows for sure wouldn’t touch the stuff, (but what about mad cows? maybe), supermodels only eat celery I hear, crazy people wouldn’t know what to do with one, Hindus for sure make this list, and kids under 6 just don’t like cheese steaks — they do like steak and they do like cheese, just not at the same time or on a bun.
If you happen to find yourself in one of the above demographics; please save yourself the regret and go to ‘Green New American Vegetarian’ just down the street. Otherwise, you’ll find one fantastic cheese steak here.
Anticipate large chunks of thick cut steak, grilled up to a perfect tender consistency, gussied up with sauteed onions and peppers, with just the right amount of gourmet flavoring; like chipotle, covered in a top shelf cheese sauce, topped with sliced jalapenos.
… and that was just one of the options you find here. Calling all cheese steak lovers of Phoenix, this should be one of your dining destinations. Have them toss in more of those tender chunks of lovin for just $ 2 more and find yourself dining in or walking out the door with the biggest steak sandwich you can dream of for about $ 9.
Eat on you steak lovin Unilocalers!

It’s just the best cheesesteak I’ve ever had in my life, that’s it.

Been there twice so far! Cannot wait to go back again! We have tried 4 of their sandwiches. They are ALL AMAZING! Quality meat! Local bakery! Local Produce!
We have really tried to support every restaurant that has been in this corner. My husband always says, «If you give them what they want they will come, no matter what the location» etc etc. Well these guys are doing just that. There is parking at the back, BTW. We were so happy to see a line out the door to pick up, eat in etc.
This place is going to be here forever! I would not be surprised if these guys open up 5 more of these thru out the valley!!!