5745 W. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46278

Matt and I had to go to Indy today (he had a meeting, and I was craving the comforts of a biggish city…mostly Target!).  We happened to be there at lunchtime, and decided to stop by Philadelphia Steak and Fries.  This was not our first visit here.  We have seen this place countless times, and finally decided to stop in a couple months ago.  We were so pleased with our first visit, that we vowed to stop there again as soon as we could!

We both got the Philly Steak Supreme sandwich, which includes steak, mushrooms, onions and peppers (banana please!) grilled together, topped with provolone cheese and served on some amazing toasted bread.

As a confession, I will tell you now that I have never been to Philadelphia, thus have never had a cheesesteak from said town.  Be assured that it’s on my bucket list.  For what it’s worth, I have been eating cheesesteaks at Penn Station for quite some time, and feel like I have a decent idea of what a cheesesteak tastes like.  I know some of you are insisting that I have not had a cheesesteak until I have had one in Philly.  If you feel that strongly about it, please send me some money so I can head to PA lickity-split.

The bread here is so delicious!  It’s perfectly toasted and chewy and dense and light all at the same time.  The outside of the bread seems to have a thin shell that cracks a little bit as you bite into it, revealing a great pillowy layer of chewy bread.  It stands up well to the juices of the meat and fillings.  The steak is good – a little dry today, but tasty.  I would also like the mushrooms to be bigger.  Once they are thrown on the grill, they almost disappear into the meat.  Otherwise, this sandwich is perfect for me.

We also had fries (both with cheese, I added chili).  These fries are great!  I know Penn Station’s fries are fresh cut and all that, but these are perfectly fried and crispy.   They were hot and delicious.    I’m not stupid – I know that the cheese and chili probably came from a can, but they’re still good for dipping.  Let’s face it – we don’t go to places like this for all natural, homemade food, do we?

There are two Philadelphia Steak and Fries locations in Indy – the one we went to on 86th Street, and (according to the trusted internet) there is a location downtown at 222 E. Market.  If I am hankering for a cheesesteak and I’m anywhere within a 10 mile radius of this place, I will go there over Penn Station every time.  The bread is better, I like the fries better, and the service is much better.  Smiling faces and helpful people serving up the goods here folks!

Katie Rating: 4 out of 5