Angelo’s has been by far the biggest name in the Cheesesteak 2.0 movement on the Pennsylvania side of the river. This shop opened on 9th and Fitzwater in 2019, but had previously been located in Haddonfield, NJ (I remember the shop, but never tried it. I’m not sure if they had cheesesteaks back then).
You can’t talk about Angelo’s without talking about the line to order. And what an experience it was. You wait in line to get into the tiny shop, place your order and wait for your food, then pay and pick up. We were told 35 minutes. There is really nowhere to wait and nowhere to eat, so people mingle along the sidewalk and on stoops of adjacent restaurants and residences. The sidewalk is packed, and for some reason the whole block smells like a horse farm. Angelo’s draws a crowd from near and far-a trip here for many is a sort of pilgrimage. Since we had 35 minutes until our food was ready (and how would we know? There’s no text alert, and no obvious way to hear your name called), this was a good time to walk around the heart of old Italian South Philly. The Bella Vista neighborhood is still considered one of the best in the city, with a recent massive boom of new construction. The old world culture that made this community famous is still present, but gentrification is rapidly moving in.
We finally got our food, and since there’s not a great place to eat, to the car we went. The bread looks burnt, and it’s the best part of the sandwich. The roll is confusing because it seems very fresh but the outside is pretty crispy. I’d call it overdone.
I don’t like the meat. It’s too much of an old school slab style, which can be really tough to chew. At least it’s seasoned well. The portion of meat is fairly generous but as often happens with slabs, there’s too much gristle. The quantity of cheese is appropriate and it’s well mixed throughout, but it doesn’t have the distinct Cooper Sharp flavor you expect for a new age steak.
It’s certainly a good overall sandwich, and a worthwhile stop on a trip to the Italian Market.I suspect this will be a top 5 contender, but as of right now, the champion is across the river.
