Memorable | One of the Best
Jim’s Steaks
Review by: Michael Stern
These are the best Cheese Steaks because they are fresh, not frozen
We first arrived at Jim’s Steaks at two in the afternoon on a weekday and the place was mobbed! A long line of customers was waiting in the tile-paneled room downstairs. The wait is not a bad thing because it gives you time to decide how you like your steak garnished (“wit” or not, regarding onions) and what kind of cheese you want (American, provolone, or the most common, Cheez Whiz). Standing in line also takes you near the back of the room where steak is constantly being cut on a big automatic slicer. It’s appetizing to see — the sliced meat is soft red like rose petals — and it is good to know that Jim’s meat is fresh, not frozen.
How are the Cheese Steaks Made?
The steaks are made by hacking up the meat on the grill (with onions, preferably) so it becomes a kind of steak-‘n’-onion hash. If you get sliced cheese, it is layered in the roll before the meat. Whiz is ladled atop the meat. Pizza sauce and peppers are optional condiments.
An original restaurant with a new look
The second-oldest cheese steak place in town (after Pat’s), Jim’s has the distinction of being the sharpest looking. There is a kind of modernistic pizzaz to its black-tile front and white-tile interior; and the counter opposite the griddle downstairs as well as the tables upstairs are regularly cleaned of crumbs and debris.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Late Night |
| Credit Cards Accepted | No |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
cheese steak
DISH
Jim’s Steaks Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Jim’s Steaks?
4 Responses to “Jim’s Steaks”
Brian Thomas
April 8th, 2022
Jim’s got a great roll and alot of cheese on the sandwich but the meat is too chopped up. It’s like eating a loose meat sandwich with cheese on a sub roll. I went here with a ex friend of mine because he said it was the best in Philly. This was my first Philly cheese steak I wanted pats but he suggested Jim’s. Well top round in my eyes isn’t steak rib eye or sirloin steak is the real steak. Top round is pot roast not steak but Jim’s don’t know no better. The meat is chopped up to where it looks ground beef. A cheese steak is supposed to look like steak on the roll not ground beef and you want a steak texture not a burger texture. Jim’s is like eating a cheeseburger sub. I like pats better flavor and it’s like eating steak on a roll. Jim’s staff are assholes anyway
Kats
May 13th, 2021
Best cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. I wish that they also take debit cards for payment
John Jacobsen
December 12th, 2007
My buddy and I drove up to Philly from DC to do a hoagie tour. We had cheesesteaks from Steve’s Prince of Steaks, Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s, and Tony Luke’s. Jim’s was by far our favorite, and was even better than usual that day.
The steak is much more tender than what is served at its competitors, and tastes like they had chopped up tenderloin on the grill. The onions are plentiful, although I prefer ones that are a bit stronger. The Amoroso roll is great, although not as good as whatever is served at Steve’s Prince of Steaks. Nitpicks aside, Jim’s is the hands-down winner on taste alone. The fact that you can sit down, get a beer with your cheesesteak, and the great South Street location are all just gravy.
I should also note that by the time we got to Jim’s we had already had four hoagies and cheesesteaks each in last eight hours, and were disgustingly full. The fact that we plowed through them is a testament to the quality of the cheesesteak.
Patricia Beninato
March 22nd, 2006
Of the numerous places one can obtain a cheesesteak in Philadelphia (and being a purist I will NOT eat one outside of the city limits, even if it’s a Philly suburb), I have always found Jim’s to be a unique experience. The crew there is a lot friendlier than the help at most cheesesteak spots (although it can be somewhat amusing to see tourist cheesesteak newbies get chewed out at Geno’s or Pat’s for not knowing to immediately ask for “Whiz wit”).
The longtime grillmaster at Jim’s gently steers the neophyte into proper cheesesteak etiquette and does not make a face if said neophyte commits sacrilege and gets Swiss cheese instead of Cheez Whiz. Also, although Jim’s doesn’t offer fries it is one of the few places in Philly where you can get beer with your cheesesteak.
I always get the same thing at Jim’s – a cheesesteak Whiz wit (Cheese Whiz and grilled onions) and a can of Molson Golden. The meat is fresh, not frozen, and it’s fun to watch the grillmaster hacking away at the pile until it’s in beefy shreds. I must correct Michael and point out that the Whiz actually goes on the roll before the meat and onions, not on top. It blends perfectly into the hash-like filling and makes other condiments unnecessary.
Take your tray to one of the counters that line the walls or to the dining room upstairs, but downstairs offers the better experience. You can either check out the autographs and photos that cover the walls – everyone from local boys Kobe Bryant and Hall and Oates to John Denver, who stated humorously that “I’d be a vegetarian if it weren’t for Jim’s” – or watch the crowd stand in line awaiting their sandwiches and heaping good-natured abuse on anyone who doesn’t order a cheesesteak (which does happen since Jim’s also makes a pretty good hoagie). If you have room after your cheesesteak, top your meal off with that quintessential Philly dessert – Tastykakes, since Jim’s has the full line from Butterscotch Krimpets to Chocolate Juniors.