Dalessandro’s

When Philadelphia cheese steak devotees rank steaks, Dalessandro’s usually is at or near the top of the list. A crowded neighborhood diner where waitresses take no prisoners and show no favorites, it has a pugnacious street-food attitude that adds immeasurable je ne sais quois to the joy of cheese steak eating.

What to eat at Dalessandro’s Steaks in Philadelphia, PA

Peppers and pickles star: more than a half-dozen different ones in varying degrees of hotness and sweetness are arrayed along the low counter to garnish meat that gets slashed to smithereens on the grill along with onions cooked long enough to become soft, translucent amber. Dalessandro’s steaks, made from what the menu touts as “91.1% Fat Free USDA Choice of Rib Eye Steak,” are characterized by an abundance of cheese that quite literally saturates the meat, adding richness to every bite. Available additions to the basic formula of beef and cheese include peppers, mushrooms, and pizza sauce; and Dalessandro’s offers “chicken steaks” — the same idea as beef steaks, but made with white meat.

Strangely, the beverage list at this perfectly plebeian place includes Pellegrino mineral water. As our waitress sets some down on the counter, she asks if we want a glass or prefer to drink it from the bottle. In deference to the spirit of cheese steak dining, and perhaps for the first time in the history of Pellegrino sales in America, we choose the latter.