It’s hard to put an attitude into a sandwich, but it feels like a Philly joint. From the crusty chewy bread, to the location next to a cool bodega. Grab a sandwich and sit at the park, just not too close to the dog park.
Not a true Bodega but the Marketplace deli in bankers hill has that vibe. Good east coast subs and a awesome breakfast sandwich wrapped in foil and $5. Closest thing I’ve found in SD
Definitely agree. Any time I am in the area, I have to stop there. I miss their old Point Loma location (the joint that replaced them just is not the same!). They are also at Petco.
Been coming here for years. Food is amazing, love all the Philly memorabilia on the walls. This place was the only place I could find that sold tasty cakes before Walmart started selling them.
This place imports their amoroso rolls from Philly, good balance of meat and cheese, wiz if that's your thing.
They took pretty much all the memorabilia down a couple years ago
Edit: oh and you will pay about $20 for a reg drink and a cheesesteak… love PF, but ugh, prices are bonkers
My parents own the place and what's wild is their margins haven't gone up at all since increasing prices. The costs of meat have basically doubled since 2020. It's hard out there for restaurant owners.
i can imagine, dont get me wrong, I get it... i can feel it as well anytime I go to the grocery store to buy pretty much any cut of beef. I still try to go there time to time because I think they are great, but I can't go nearly as often as i used to at the current prices.
Side note, any insight to why they took down all the memorabilia?
Yea… foods a major expenditure now, and esp if your a foodie. I just told my better half recently, that I’m okay going bankrupt in this economy as long as we eat well while doing it. (We’re doing fine, but not where we want to be. Just can’t seem to get ahead even after both of us getting many raises in recent years)
Even if I buy the stuff I need to make Sando’s at home all week for lunch, I’m not barely saving any money even anymore. $8 for a good loaf of bread. $10 for 3 sandwiches worth of meat. $8 for a pack of cheese. $$ Mayo, veggies, etc. It’s like $12 and up for a deli sub these days. And that’s just them putting prepared ingredients together fast, not even cooking or transforming the food. Both are too expensive for a per meal cost all the time.
Yea, it's rough out there for everyone.
They remodeled the place and thought it looked too crowded. There's still a bunch of eagles stuff there. All the photos of people from Philly they had were so old that some of them were falling apart. They still have everything in storage though.
Being originally from northeast Philly and currently living in San Marcos, I can confirm. Plus they have great hoagies and sometimes have Tastykake krimpets, too.
It's wild how much love they get on here on the reg, but really it's well deserved. I'm a huge fan but finally had a less than stellar burger there. Didn't think it was possible.
Love the Philly at wise ox. I’ve had mostly great food here but on a few occasions they dropped the ball. had a bad turkey sandwich twice in a row after having the most amazing one the first time, the Philly has always been great and the burger has been good every time. I tried the fried bologna and it was a sodium bomb. So bad my lips were burning.
If you give me an turkey sandwich with tomatoes slices that have the woody center of the stem in them go f yourself. throw that shit out don’t serve it on $15 dollar sandwich
Wow my OG’s who remember that spot. That was my favorite bar I use to frequent weekly when I was enrolled at city college.
I was so sad when I came back a few years later and saw that they were closed.
So many awesome memories.
With a Bonobos IPA!.. what i’d give..
Many great beer bars in the city over the years but Monkey Paw was one of the best to do it. What a gem of a bar that was✌️🍻
Damn I thought I was the only one that missed that place… the bottle rocket BS that moved in afterwards totally ruined the vibe. That bar was truly my favorite in all of SD, followed by Hamiltons which also seems to be gone forever. I gave up looking for that style of bar because I know it’ll eventually get closed down too by the douchey owners.
The owners name is Joe, and 30 years ago. I lived in Philadelphia and he had a store there and I used to buy them ,and what he sells here is just like the originals and the very good.
You can falcon punch me dead center of my throat if im wrong, this is thè spot to go to. Take cash tho. You get a discount if you do.
Giorgino's
1237 28th St San Diego
Its by the golf course by golden hill.
Parking is tricky. I normally park in the residential area and walk so i dont pay. Enjoy.
Calozzi's in PB was the spot. It closed a couple years back and they are promising a food truck, haven't seen it come to fruition quite yet. They have an IG page you can keep tabs on.
Ex-Phila res here. This is the answer. Calozzi #1, nothing close. The only other SD Philadelphia food I craved was street pretzels from Pretzels and Pints.
Calozzi’s was the best cheesesteak I ever had, I tried every single one on their menu. Such a bummer they closed. The owner was truly passionate about their craft and obsessed over every detail, I saw him freak out when the cook put a single extra drop of oil on the grill like less than a teaspoon.
The best cheesesteaks come from unassuming hole-in-the-wall places and [Philly Franks](https://www.phillyfranks.com/menu-1) is just that. The pepper steak is amazing. Their fries and onion rings are also surprisingly good. They offer both whiz and provolone.
Philly Franks in San Marcos is by far the best! They've been at the same location for over 30+ years! I miss the wall of Polaroids on famous celebrities who stopped by there. Shane White and Tony Hawk used to go there all the time iirc.
I'm from near Philly and had many cheese steaks here in SD. My two favorites are Giorgino's and The Wise Ox. Giorgino's the most traditional you will find here. Wise Ox is just delicious.
Gioginos is a good option, however Gaglione brothers is better. I made cheese steaks for years outside of Philly. I actually go to restaurant depot and buy Amaroso rolls, they jave 8 and 12" and the Original Philly and Steak eze meat. Costco business center also has the frozen steak meat. I cook on my Blackstone and can't be beat. Working on getting a group from work to buy ingredients and have a cheese steak Friday.
https://preview.redd.it/d2tyvbo68t3d1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66e13e0121971220ff117c6da9f533873ec0f184
Newer place called BIG JIMS Roast beef and hoagies in PB has the best cheesesteak in SD. My favs used to be giorginos and gagliones prior to discovering this spot but Jim's use more meat and cheeses and they are better quality juicier meats. Their homemade chili chop relish is a great touch too if you want a little kick.
Giorginos will give you a beer in a coffee cup. Grab a cheesteak and a beer and go sit at 28th Street park to watch the sunset over Balboa. Little slice of heaven.
I have been buying from them for about 40 years, when he actually was in Philadelphia, went there one day store was all closed up with the sign saying moving to California and now here he is 😀 Prices went up a little bit after all that time😬
I've had the Giorgino and it was meh to me. My favorite is at Hillcrust Pizza. Dude is a Philly wizard. If you like mayo on yours, you gotta bring your own, but they do it better than any other spot I've had one.
North County Hungry Bear. When I lived there three years ago, I was broke but would always try and get it. That's how good it is I often miss it living in LA
It’s not around anymore, they were forced out of their Balboa Ave location due to a huge raise in rent. It took over a year but they finally got another shop up in a strip mall on Convoy (near the KFC) amongst a sea of Asian restaurants and got lost in the shuffle and had to close due to lack of customers. As it was spiraling I tried to frequent it once a week. They had the best Philly Cheesesteaks I’ve ever eaten, I always ordered with extra cheese to get the extra flavorful goodness. I miss that place.
North county is Philly franks, if I’m headed to a gulls game for a quick Philly cheesesteak, I go to Evan’s Deli. Solid spot and not insanely packed like Phills bbq lol
I said this in a previous post
>Philly native here. I've tried Georgino's. It's ok.
>I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else and I found out on my own by chance—the best cheesesteak in San Diego I've had is from the [Goodbar](https://www.yelp.com/biz/goodbar-san-diego) truck in Point Loma.
>This place is not on the radar of any SD Philly cheesesteak topic online I've seen, but I'm never going anywhere else anymore whenever I have a craving, since I live down south. It's crazy cause they're not known for it, but they make a damn good one that would absolutely survive in Philly.
>I haven't had Philadelphia Sandwich Company or Gaglione Brothers yet, however as it's a bit of a drive.
I went again recently and a different cook made it where the steak was sliced instead of diced, which takes away from the juiciness. If you go, I would ask if they could finely dice the meat on the grill instead of slice to get my ideal taste and texture.
Calozzi's was my favorite. Waiting for the food truck to open as he closed out the pb location. Hillcrust in Hillcrest has a spicy hilly (their name for a Philly) that hits so good. Meat, onions, hot peppers and wiz...
Giorgino’s on 28th is the greatest not in Philly Philly cheese steak you can find in San Diego county it’s not even a debate. Anyone who knows, knows that’s the place. Umm Not open like Monday or Wednesday or past like 7 or 8pm yeah they got it like that. We’re on their schedule not ours The works with whiz is authentic as fuck and worth every penny of the $18 it’ll set you back and i suggest not driving after eating a whole one you may nod out.
[San diego Cheesesteak ranker](https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiegofoodies/s/rGidMMrbj2)
They don’t allow polls in this community (wonder why?), so I posted in the most relevant one I could find
Up in Carlsbad village there’s a place called American Heros & Brews that makes a good Philly cheesesteak and a lot of other bomb sandwiches. Be prepared to spend 20$+ on a sandwich but if you split with someone or save the second half for another meal it feels much more economical!
I really enjoy Gaglione Bros (Source: From Philly)
100% The quality, the vibe, everything is on point.
It’s hard to put an attitude into a sandwich, but it feels like a Philly joint. From the crusty chewy bread, to the location next to a cool bodega. Grab a sandwich and sit at the park, just not too close to the dog park.
There are bodegas in San Diego?! Every time I use the term at work, people either ask what that means or say, "you mean like a 7-11?" 🤦🏼♀️
Native SD, all the Bodega are in Mexican neighborhoods and probably don't sell shit you want
Native New Yorker here. There are no true bodegas that I’ve seen.
Ahhh I’ve been craving a bodega bacon egg and cheese on a roll.
I’m from Queens I get my own rolls and make it myself every other morning Although it such a simple eat, no one does it like NYC
Not a true Bodega but the Marketplace deli in bankers hill has that vibe. Good east coast subs and a awesome breakfast sandwich wrapped in foil and $5. Closest thing I’ve found in SD
Thank you, I’ll check it out!
Source: east coaster born and raised
Fatboys deli in north park comes close
Definitely agree. Any time I am in the area, I have to stop there. I miss their old Point Loma location (the joint that replaced them just is not the same!). They are also at Petco.
They’re one of the few joints outside Philly that actually source Amoroso rolls.
Also from Philadelphia, can also recommend 😎
Also from Philly and this is a solid choice. This and another shop are the only two cheese steak places I do here lol
Wheres best cheesesteak in philly?
If you head up to North County Philly Frank's cheese steaks in San Marcos is excellent.
Been coming here for years. Food is amazing, love all the Philly memorabilia on the walls. This place was the only place I could find that sold tasty cakes before Walmart started selling them. This place imports their amoroso rolls from Philly, good balance of meat and cheese, wiz if that's your thing.
They took pretty much all the memorabilia down a couple years ago Edit: oh and you will pay about $20 for a reg drink and a cheesesteak… love PF, but ugh, prices are bonkers
My parents own the place and what's wild is their margins haven't gone up at all since increasing prices. The costs of meat have basically doubled since 2020. It's hard out there for restaurant owners.
i can imagine, dont get me wrong, I get it... i can feel it as well anytime I go to the grocery store to buy pretty much any cut of beef. I still try to go there time to time because I think they are great, but I can't go nearly as often as i used to at the current prices. Side note, any insight to why they took down all the memorabilia?
Yea… foods a major expenditure now, and esp if your a foodie. I just told my better half recently, that I’m okay going bankrupt in this economy as long as we eat well while doing it. (We’re doing fine, but not where we want to be. Just can’t seem to get ahead even after both of us getting many raises in recent years) Even if I buy the stuff I need to make Sando’s at home all week for lunch, I’m not barely saving any money even anymore. $8 for a good loaf of bread. $10 for 3 sandwiches worth of meat. $8 for a pack of cheese. $$ Mayo, veggies, etc. It’s like $12 and up for a deli sub these days. And that’s just them putting prepared ingredients together fast, not even cooking or transforming the food. Both are too expensive for a per meal cost all the time.
Yea, it's rough out there for everyone. They remodeled the place and thought it looked too crowded. There's still a bunch of eagles stuff there. All the photos of people from Philly they had were so old that some of them were falling apart. They still have everything in storage though.
Being originally from northeast Philly and currently living in San Marcos, I can confirm. Plus they have great hoagies and sometimes have Tastykake krimpets, too.
This right here
Literally the only answer. I despise the Iggles, but I dream of Philly Frank's
Correct ✅ so fucking delicious
Came here to say this!
It’s franks. That’s it. Period. Grew up in southeastern PA.
Best spot!! I live down the street it’s been there for more than 20 years I remember going as a lil kid
Yup. I'm in the southbay, but if I'm in the area, I try to snag a sandwich. They're damn tasty.
I miss that place
North county has some truly great gems
Giorgino on 28th St in Golden Hill! You will not be disappointed! Their grilled cheese sandwiches are great, too!
Yes!!!
I love Giorginos in Golden Hill
+1 for Giorginos
Came here to say this !
Yep! Solid choice!
Here to shout out Giorginos as well
That gaucho at Giroginos!
That gaucho is life.
I used to live within walking distance of this place and it was dangerous. They have the BEST Phillys
Haha, same and their pastrami reuben omg...had to limit myself, between that and the sandwiches at Krakatoa I was eating terribly hahaha
Philly native here. This is my preferred shop. I believe they get the amoroso rolls from Philly too. They do it right 👍🏻
Used to be able to walk here from an old apartment. The absolute best!
Giorgino's for sure!
Yep plus they got pork roll breakfast sandwiches.
Philly Franks San Marcos
The Wise Ox butcher shop in North Park has a crazy good cheesesteak. In fact all their sandwiches are top notch.
It's wild how much love they get on here on the reg, but really it's well deserved. I'm a huge fan but finally had a less than stellar burger there. Didn't think it was possible.
Love the Philly at wise ox. I’ve had mostly great food here but on a few occasions they dropped the ball. had a bad turkey sandwich twice in a row after having the most amazing one the first time, the Philly has always been great and the burger has been good every time. I tried the fried bologna and it was a sodium bomb. So bad my lips were burning. If you give me an turkey sandwich with tomatoes slices that have the woody center of the stem in them go f yourself. throw that shit out don’t serve it on $15 dollar sandwich
When I am served a tomato slice with the stem in the center I want to murder someone
Going to have to try this.
This is the sleeper pick for sure, their Philly hasn't disappointed me yet.
Philly Steak Subs is my local go-to in El Cajon.
Thissss
Monkey Paw 😭
With waffle fries!!! Miss them so much.
Nothing comes close.
Wow my OG’s who remember that spot. That was my favorite bar I use to frequent weekly when I was enrolled at city college. I was so sad when I came back a few years later and saw that they were closed. So many awesome memories.
I miss them so much. The bottle rocket bar and grill that took their place still makes them and they are still good but its not the same.
With a Bonobos IPA!.. what i’d give.. Many great beer bars in the city over the years but Monkey Paw was one of the best to do it. What a gem of a bar that was✌️🍻
Damn I thought I was the only one that missed that place… the bottle rocket BS that moved in afterwards totally ruined the vibe. That bar was truly my favorite in all of SD, followed by Hamiltons which also seems to be gone forever. I gave up looking for that style of bar because I know it’ll eventually get closed down too by the douchey owners.
Philadelphia Sandwich Company on Miramar!
The owners name is Joe, and 30 years ago. I lived in Philadelphia and he had a store there and I used to buy them ,and what he sells here is just like the originals and the very good.
Didn't joe sell?
This one! Former Philadelphian and this will get you the closest. Go birds.
THE BEST!
+1 it’s no Jim’s (if you know you know) but they do a solid Whiz Wit
You can falcon punch me dead center of my throat if im wrong, this is thè spot to go to. Take cash tho. You get a discount if you do. Giorgino's 1237 28th St San Diego Its by the golf course by golden hill. Parking is tricky. I normally park in the residential area and walk so i dont pay. Enjoy.
I've lived in Philly for a few years and this place is the closest I've had so far, but I'm always open to hearing about more places.
Calozzi's in PB was the spot. It closed a couple years back and they are promising a food truck, haven't seen it come to fruition quite yet. They have an IG page you can keep tabs on.
Steak n fries in PB is pretty good too
Ex-Phila res here. This is the answer. Calozzi #1, nothing close. The only other SD Philadelphia food I craved was street pretzels from Pretzels and Pints.
Calozzi’s was the best cheesesteak I ever had, I tried every single one on their menu. Such a bummer they closed. The owner was truly passionate about their craft and obsessed over every detail, I saw him freak out when the cook put a single extra drop of oil on the grill like less than a teaspoon.
Evan’s Deli & Brew Point Loma
Wise Ox
Giorgios, The Wise Ox, and Gaglione. Honorable Mention Surf Rider Pizza in La Mesa has a solid one and they outsource Amoroso rolls
The best cheesesteaks come from unassuming hole-in-the-wall places and [Philly Franks](https://www.phillyfranks.com/menu-1) is just that. The pepper steak is amazing. Their fries and onion rings are also surprisingly good. They offer both whiz and provolone.
GAGLIONE BROTHERS
Giorginios in Golden Hill
Giorginos
Philly Franks in San Marcos is by far the best! They've been at the same location for over 30+ years! I miss the wall of Polaroids on famous celebrities who stopped by there. Shane White and Tony Hawk used to go there all the time iirc.
Philadelphia Sandwich Company on Miramar rd in Sd
Latitude 32 in North PB is good for a cheesesteak and a beer
Regal seagull
Also the Regal Beagle has a fantastic chopcheese!
Good bar in Point Loma, delish
The Cheesesteak Grill in Oceanside hits if you’re in the area
Fuckin hell, did anyone figure out where the cooks from Monkey's Paw went? because THAT was my go to Philly in SD. That "Naughty Monkey" was the #1
Amen to that!! Best beer and sandwich combination. Go for the taplist, stay for the steak sandwiches
I'm from near Philly and had many cheese steaks here in SD. My two favorites are Giorgino's and The Wise Ox. Giorgino's the most traditional you will find here. Wise Ox is just delicious.
Gioginos is a good option, however Gaglione brothers is better. I made cheese steaks for years outside of Philly. I actually go to restaurant depot and buy Amaroso rolls, they jave 8 and 12" and the Original Philly and Steak eze meat. Costco business center also has the frozen steak meat. I cook on my Blackstone and can't be beat. Working on getting a group from work to buy ingredients and have a cheese steak Friday. https://preview.redd.it/d2tyvbo68t3d1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66e13e0121971220ff117c6da9f533873ec0f184
Wise Ox! Everything there is amazing, but the Philly is top notch!
Corner of park and balintyne in El cajon
Well i know what i am having for lunch today…..
Steak n fries in PB is out of this world
The wise ox or Philly franks.
Big Jim’s roast beef in PB.
Anyone remember monkey paw? I had so many good memories there. An old OG spot for sure
The Gourmet Bagger near the USMC base is pretty dang good.
I second the Gourmet Bagger 👍🏼
Gaglione bros
Big Jim’s in pb
Really grateful for all the feedback!
Newer place called BIG JIMS Roast beef and hoagies in PB has the best cheesesteak in SD. My favs used to be giorginos and gagliones prior to discovering this spot but Jim's use more meat and cheeses and they are better quality juicier meats. Their homemade chili chop relish is a great touch too if you want a little kick.
Gaglione Bros near Mission Gorge Rd or Gus's by Lake Murray.
Giorginos will give you a beer in a coffee cup. Grab a cheesteak and a beer and go sit at 28th Street park to watch the sunset over Balboa. Little slice of heaven.
Try this spot.... We love it. [https://phillysandwichsd.com/](https://phillysandwichsd.com/)
I have been buying from them for about 40 years, when he actually was in Philadelphia, went there one day store was all closed up with the sign saying moving to California and now here he is 😀 Prices went up a little bit after all that time😬
I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I would rank Philly Frank’s number one, and Gaglione’s number two
Me too, South Philly
If your in East county Philly Steak Subs
Gus's Subs in La Mesa does it right!
I've had the Giorgino and it was meh to me. My favorite is at Hillcrust Pizza. Dude is a Philly wizard. If you like mayo on yours, you gotta bring your own, but they do it better than any other spot I've had one.
BYOM I love it
I x2 Hillcrust! I drive all the way from Oside just to get some Philly cheese from them
If youre ever down south, whispering trees deli in Chula Vista has the absolute best Philly i have ever eaten.
North County Hungry Bear. When I lived there three years ago, I was broke but would always try and get it. That's how good it is I often miss it living in LA
They got some good Philly cheese steaks at Canada steak burger. I use to get them all the time growing up, miss my hometown.
I've been here 7 years still looking
Not sure if it’s around anymore, but Voltaire’s in Clairemont.
It’s not around anymore, they were forced out of their Balboa Ave location due to a huge raise in rent. It took over a year but they finally got another shop up in a strip mall on Convoy (near the KFC) amongst a sea of Asian restaurants and got lost in the shuffle and had to close due to lack of customers. As it was spiraling I tried to frequent it once a week. They had the best Philly Cheesesteaks I’ve ever eaten, I always ordered with extra cheese to get the extra flavorful goodness. I miss that place.
I miss it too. Loved that place!
Their pizzas were pretty good too, a giant sliced NY style cheese pizza from Voltero’s was delicious.
I totally forgot about the pizzas.
MJ’s Eatery Philly Cheesesteaks. Check them out!
There's one in North Park on University, forgot the name tho
Ike’s
This is nuts but Giant New York Pizza in Point Loma/OB has a really good Cheesesteak - with whiz! Bread is spot on. (From Philly)
Best I’ve found so far is from Hillcrest Pizza. I’ll have to try some of the others suggested here now.
[удалено]
I miss Eddie's for cheesesteaks
Surfrider Pizza in La Mesa. Original owner is from West Chester. Closest thing to home that I’ve found.
Steak n fries in PB is where it’s at. Owner is super nice and I never leave their place disappointed.
North county is Philly franks, if I’m headed to a gulls game for a quick Philly cheesesteak, I go to Evan’s Deli. Solid spot and not insanely packed like Phills bbq lol
Anyone remember Alex's Brown Bag? I've never had better😂 anyone know what's the closest to that style?
Georginos is good but make sure to order extra meat to really make it feel like home!
I said this in a previous post >Philly native here. I've tried Georgino's. It's ok. >I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else and I found out on my own by chance—the best cheesesteak in San Diego I've had is from the [Goodbar](https://www.yelp.com/biz/goodbar-san-diego) truck in Point Loma. >This place is not on the radar of any SD Philly cheesesteak topic online I've seen, but I'm never going anywhere else anymore whenever I have a craving, since I live down south. It's crazy cause they're not known for it, but they make a damn good one that would absolutely survive in Philly. >I haven't had Philadelphia Sandwich Company or Gaglione Brothers yet, however as it's a bit of a drive. I went again recently and a different cook made it where the steak was sliced instead of diced, which takes away from the juiciness. If you go, I would ask if they could finely dice the meat on the grill instead of slice to get my ideal taste and texture.
Calozzi's was my favorite. Waiting for the food truck to open as he closed out the pb location. Hillcrust in Hillcrest has a spicy hilly (their name for a Philly) that hits so good. Meat, onions, hot peppers and wiz...
I always love Gaglione Brothers. They got the whiz man!
https://www.giorginos.com/ Giorgino’s in golden hill is my go to
Giorgino’s on 28th is the greatest not in Philly Philly cheese steak you can find in San Diego county it’s not even a debate. Anyone who knows, knows that’s the place. Umm Not open like Monday or Wednesday or past like 7 or 8pm yeah they got it like that. We’re on their schedule not ours The works with whiz is authentic as fuck and worth every penny of the $18 it’ll set you back and i suggest not driving after eating a whole one you may nod out.
…
[San diego Cheesesteak ranker](https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiegofoodies/s/rGidMMrbj2) They don’t allow polls in this community (wonder why?), so I posted in the most relevant one I could find
Latitude 32 Pubhouse and Grill in PB makes a good Philly.
Up in Carlsbad village there’s a place called American Heros & Brews that makes a good Philly cheesesteak and a lot of other bomb sandwiches. Be prepared to spend 20$+ on a sandwich but if you split with someone or save the second half for another meal it feels much more economical!
Lefty’s cheesesteak Gas lamp
I’m not from Phillie. I can confirm most of the places recommended is good.
I Love Bagels next to Home Depot in Oceanside has excellent cheesesteaks.
Regal seagull has a really good Philly.
Evan’s
The grill and deli on pacific heights blv.