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Jay's Cheesesteak
Categories: Restaurants Sandwiches Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Cheesesteaks Sandwiches, Vegetarian, Cheesesteaks [Edit]
3285 21st St(between Lexington St & Valencia St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 285-5200
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
301 reviews for Jay's Cheesesteak
Review Highlights
"The garlic fries are amazing -such a kick."
(in 52 reviews)
"My exbf really loved all the seitan sandwiches."
(in 104 reviews)
"Niman Ranch beef, great rolls, not greasy."
(in 7 reviews)
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301 reviews in English
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Review from M M.
Moss Beach, CA
1/30/2012
My husband and I have been coming to this place since it first opened (in 1997?). We lived in Daly City, and we would drive into SF to do some record shopping at Aquarius and discovered this little delicious gem. My husband is from the east coast, and this is the best cheesesteak he has had out here. We have eaten at the real cheesesteak places in Philadelphia, and I used to work at a cheesesteak place in Boston. That being said this place rocked the good old fashioned gooey, greasy, cheesesteak. The bread is crunchy and then just soft in the middle with the gooey gob of meat and cheese. I always get the one with mushrooms. It is truly awesome.
I read through some of the more recent reviews and it seems a majority of the complaints are associated with the delivery.
I also have not tried the expanded menu with burgers and all the rest of that stuff. My opinion is that if you do one thing well do only that. They are a small place and maybe they have branched out beyond what they can control. The latest menu seems a little too big. They might want to cut back and do what they do best. You can not please everyone, so maybe all the different meats and types of sandwiches is too much. Who knows.
Anyways, I have never been disappointed by their mushroom cheesesteak.
I also love the artwork. Back in the day it used to be paintings for sale, now it is huge murals. We actually bought some prints of the work. Really cool stuff. -
Review from Briggs S.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
This place has one of the best Cheesesteaks ever i've had in SF. The food is great, the service is awesome and flat out love it and is the place i ear when I visit the mission and am craving cheesesteak.
Even better, I took my veggie friends there and they have great options for vegetarian/vegan friends. I've personally had the Seitan sandwich and its great. I also love their waffle fries. Its awesome! -
Review from Alex p.
San Anselmo, CA
12/14/2011
this place screams! this is about as junky food as i get... but it's worth it. great for vegetrendians, but bad for glutards.
additionally, make sure you eat it fresh. it's about ~77% better than an hour or two later. -
Review from Matt G.
I worked the swing shift last night. Thus I came here for my evening lunch. "Many of you, there is no need to feel apologetic for me!"
I like the second Jay's Cheesesteak's in the Mission over the busy Divisadero location. The 21st Street block is very quiet and located near a residential location.
And like the Divisadero location, the Mission Street location is also "Cash only". So be prepared when you decide to come here.
There are no combo meals here and every item is sold separately. I had Jay's Pepper Cheese Steak. For $7.95, the sandwich has grilled beef flank meat with melted Cheez whiz, and grilled peppers in a grilled baguette roll. In comparison, this sandwich may not be as good as my Prime rib sandwich or Gino's or Pat's in Philadelphia. But it is good enough out in the West Coast.
I also added a small basket of Garlic Fries for $2.50 and a $2.50 bottle of Mexican Coke. "Would you like a kiss from Joe Cool with garlic-breath?"
And for you Vegan-Yelpers, the restaurant also offers vegan options with Seitan and Eggplant Parmesan. I may try them one day.
There is not much more I can tell you about the two average businesses. -
Review from Nicole C.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
Are you serious? We just ordered for delivery and the delivery guy left such a bad impression that I don't even WANT to eat this food. I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant, hungry as hell, but I don't even really want to touch it. I get it, your job sucks mr delivery guy, but guess what? If you don't like it get another job. My job sucks too but you never hear me complaining to customers about what I make (which, I assure you, is pretty much what you make) or trying to guilt trip customers into giving me more cash because life is too hard for you. "I only work for tips so maybe next time you could tip more." Did that seriously come out of your mouth? I'm going to call BS on you because unless you're working under the table (in which case someone should be reporting Jay's to the IRS), you're making one of the highest minimum wages in the country or more.
Comment from Jay N. of Jay's Cheesesteak 1/18/2012
Nicole, I just read your review and I want to apologize for… More » -
Review from Cindy W.
9/24/2011
I give 3 stars for Jay's Mushroom Cheesesteak with grilled onions and mushrooms ($7.95 +/- $1).
Made fresh to order, it's loaded with real melted cheese, grilled shrooms, onions, and stuffed with some shredded lettuce and tomato.
While this might be ok to some palates, I lived in Philly where the cheese steaks are made with "whiz" (velveeta style cheese) and where the meat is sliced super thin.
For some reason, Californians don't like to cook it up this way.
Overall it was tasty but not authentic.
The curly seasoned fries were tasty though. -
Review from Gerard Y.
11/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Jay's Mushroom Cheesesteak with no onions or mayo plus tater tots!!!!!! are an excellent combo for me. I ordered this for lunch yesterday and I was satisfied for the rest of the day. Probably the best $13 I spent on food in awhile.
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Review from Joanna R.
9/11/2011 2 photos
Not as good as phat philly.
They don't take card! Make sure you remember that if you plan on going.
Anyway, I got the Mushroom Cheesesteak which contained mayo, cheese, beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and toasted bread. The bread was good but you could taste the oil. Still good, but definitely fatty.
The Chipotle Mayo sauce, you need to get acquainted with. It has a weird taste the first time, but you get used to it and it has a bit of a spice at the end too. It's good.
Their fries are average fries, good. -
Review from John B.
San Francisco, CA
7/21/2011 8 Check-ins Here
I'm finally sitting down to write my super-overdue review of Jay's. I was first clued into this place when I was visiting my brother way back when I was 16 and living in podunk Anderson (big ups if you know where that is). Flip to 2011 and not only is this an almost weekly lunch stop, I've made fans of several of my co-workers.
The seitan options are the reason that makes Jay's great for me. Throw in sum vegan mayo and you have the makings of an addiction. Although all my boys order burgers and regular cheesesteaks they say it's some of the best as well. The boca burger is pretty damned good as too!. Always substitute Jay's amazingly potent garlic fries (or the new sweet potato) for the regular version that comes standard with the burgers. Funny story about me stinking up a MUNI bus with a bag of fresh garlic fries one time. Jay added a whole slew of new options to the menu, Sweet potato fries, vegan hotdog, Frings (1/2 fries - 1/2 onion rings), & the Dodgers Suck! Cheesesteak to name a few...
No eye candy in sight :( but the customer service is the best around. Vin Diesel (Jay himself - inside joke) is always on point with the orders. Things can get a lil' hectic when he's not around but he keeps his guys in line and lives his life a 1/4 pounder at a time. Being cash only isn't ideal but I'm willing to make a stop @ the ATM for some delicious vegan goodness in an unlikely place. If Jay/Vin would add some vegan, Daiya cheese to the mix, this place would get SIX stars from me if the price were the same.Listed in: The Lunch List
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Review from Charlie H.
San Francisco, CA
12/9/2011
Pastrami cheesesteak reminds me of bein back on the east coast. Bomb
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Review from Ivan L.
8/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was in the mood for a burger when the wife suggested Jay's Cheesesteak. As we all remember from math class, cheese steak does not equal burger. But being the good sport I am, I decided to overlook this arithmetic error.
The burgers at Jay's are actually pretty decent. They've got lots and lots of options - like onion and other things. The burgers are large at 1/3 of a pound and the buns are a cut above the Safeway specials.
Price wise, I felt Jay's was a little high. It's 8-10$ for a burger with fries. There's not an option for a burger without fries, which is too bad cause I would have taken it. -
Review from Andrew M.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2011
I made the mistake of having Jay's delivered to my house. Evidentially they use bike messengers, so everything was cold, and wet, and took forever. Ordered through Grubhub.
All things considered, the jalapeno cheesestake wasn't too bad, however, light on cheese and even the jalapeno. The bread was pretty good!
What prompted me to write this, and the source of my discontent stems from their chili cheese fries. Image taking fries, cheese, and chili mixing it in the blender and then smashing the slurry into a sandwich container. That is essentially what I got. Whomever prepared that order got the last laugh, b/c nobody would ever pay for, or eat what arrived at my door. I was bummed b/c I can't recall the last time chili cheese fries seemed like a good idea. Lesson learned.
I'll visit for a cheesestake, but will never have a delivery from this place again. And certainly not the fries. -
Review from Lauren S.
Stockton, CA
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Man cheesesteaks are awesome. So are mozarella sticks.
Therefore Jay's, you are awesome.
And it's more awesome that you make such awesome ones. -
Review from dan a.
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
stopped in to try their cheesesteak (w mushrooms to be exact).
the cheesesteak was nothing amazing. they don't even give you peppers unless you ask for them. plus, the cheesesteak doesn't come on the hoagie-style roll, which makes places like Cheesesteak Shop and Jake's better.
i did see a pretty awesome combo deal though, with a bunch of fried food that i'd like to come back and try. if amazing, i'll bump this rating up (for that and for the fact that they have a house chipotle ranch for ya).
but as far as cheesesteaks go, i'd refer you to Cheesesteak Shop and Jakes before Jay's. -
Review from Alan L.
Mountain House, CA
6/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of the best sandwich/hoagie places in the Bay. Dude in the front, 'Vin Diesel' was a bit intimidating before as me and my boy from work would talk about if him and I can take him if we were to get in to a fight... after 20 minutes of running different scenarios in our heads, we both came to the conclusion that he'd still probably kill us both.. Since then, he's changed his demeanor to a kindler, gentler bully. He's no longer this impatient, rude and obnoxious person taking our order... It's like he stopped taking 'roids or something... probably because Fast Five did so well in the box office!
Ok, back to the sandwiches... Steak and melted cheese on a soft roll, with everything minus the mustard but add the pesto, throw in some garlic fries and sauteed mushrooms, wash it down with a root beer, and $18 later, you've got yourself a meal!!! 4 stars!!! I rarely give 5 stars unless I'm totally blown away which I'm not here, but 4 will do. -
Review from Nathalie R.
Los Angeles, CA
7/3/2011
Highlight of my trip to San Francisco by far. Ordered the vegetarian seitan cheese steak with onion, peppers, and mushrooms. This sandwich was awesome! The seitan was cut in really thin strips and was the perfect texture until other cheesesaktes I've had that were chunks/bits of bbq seitan that was just not as good as this one.
Also got the garlic fries. Absolutely delicious!
Highly recommended for any vegetarian looking for a great sandwich in San Fran. Jay's Cheessteak- thank you! -
Review from Geoffrey G.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011
This review is of Jay's seitan sandwich, which is just about the most succulent vegitarian -- no make than anytarian -- sandwich I've ever had. To appreciate it most you have to have it right there while all the juices are still steaming and before it cools down. Good enough warmed up, but superlative hot out of the kitchen.
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Review from Natasha R.
San Francisco, CA
2/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can haz cheesesteak???
Yes. Yes I can.
On this particular Friday afternoon I was up against overwhelming hunger from last night's dinner of 12 almonds and the insatiable need to eat my melancholy away (damn you PMS).
Yep, it was one of those days when the only thing on my radar is cheesy carby comfort food. The thing is, I'm not normally into cheese steaks, (even when I used to eat steak). Jay's caught my attention with its true to San Francisco sign outside reading "We serve Chik-non and Seitan" -something I couldn't pass up.
I had the mushroom and onion seitan cheese steak doused in chipotle mayo. I was so preoccupied with tying to daintily devour this gooey mess that it actually took me halfway through the monster sandwich to remember it was veggie! It looks the same as thinly sliced steak, just minus the beefy flavor. Even the guys at work were hovering and commenting about how delicious it looked.
Worth a repeat visit (though not too often for the sake of my thighs). -
Review from Jason B.
3/13/2011
What do Jay's and lifting weights have in common? More than you'd think. In addition to beef and chicken, they also offer seitan. Packed with protein, it was an awesome sandwich to devour after the gym. Comes with the standard lettuce, tomato and pickle fixings, all packed into a roll big enough to practically be considering another lifting session.
Friendly service, quickly made and reasonably priced.
Healthy Yelper Tip: Ask for no cheese and add Trader Joe's lowfat cheese dip at home. Still good. Less guilt. -
Review from Seo L.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2011
The first time I came here, I didn't even live in San Francisco.
Now I do. Coincidence? Hardly.
but WHY can't they except my debit card and sell beer like Jays #2? I get taxed 2 dollars from the ATM every time I buy a sandwich. -
Review from Cassandra J.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2011
I will admit, I came here entirely for the Seitan Sandwich, on the hope that I could have an amazingly similar cheesesteak sandwich, something I've not had for over 10 years. I miss cheesesteaks!
Most places offer a veggie version of grilled veggies on a bun and don't get me wrong, they can be amazing and tasty and oh so wonderful, but sometimes I want to taste a meaty sandwich. Sliced thin, flavourful seasonings, the sauce, lettuce, pickles and soft bun made this sandwich a piece of work. I added a side of beer-battered french fries, but I could have skipped that since I didn't finish either the fries or the sandwich and still came out stuffed full.
Not a lot of seating inside, but there's a few tables outside that helps a bit. There's a small selection of extra sauces and toppings, but I didn't go through them much since I was happy with what my sandwich came with. The menu looks great too with a range of veggie-friendly sandwiches (outside of the seitan for those veg*ns that don't want a meat texture/flavour) and other meat types for a range of flavours and sandwiches.
In typical Mission District fashion, the place is a small hole in the wall with a dive type atmosphere, but if you're in the Mission, what else do you expect? It's what gives the area it's appeal and attraction. There are other cheesesteak places in the area, but Jay's is worth checking out! -
Review from Tania C.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2011
WOAH. Good stuff. Had a pastrami cheesesteak with onion and cheese. Delicious. The garlic fries are amazing -such a kick.
Highly recommend.
Plus -they have great wall art by Ferris Plock & Co.
Pretty centrally located -definite plus.
Pricing is so so. -
Review from Michele H.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
5-Stars for the Garlic Fries alone!!
This is as good as it gets for garlic fries...thick, crunchy, home fries slathered with garlic bits galore! I am a fan and I will be back for the cheesesteak -- if it is as good as the fries, I will be in heaven!
ps. Make sure you aren't kissing anyone after cause the flavor will stick! -
Review from Mikaela s.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2011
LOVE THE SEITAN CHEESESTEAK's.
I'm sorry was I yelling? I forgot I'm suppose to be yelping. Read some so so reviews; here's the deal. You have to eat dairy to really love these cheesesteaks because( if not for the obvious reason) the cheese gives it a lot of flavor. And the spicy banana peppers... oh so good. So not the best for Vegan's.
OK. I'm officially starving...beware this is not sexy elegant food. It's a juicy, yummy, messy sandwich so do not go if you are trying to impress a hot new guy or girl; go hungry when you want to chow-down or get a yummy sandwich to go and head to the park. -
Review from Nelson G.
San Francisco, CA
I ordered the garlic fries, they were good, wish it'd have more garlic though. I have yet to try what they are known for yet, so I'll be back, and until then this will be my review.
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Review from Lydia K.
San Francisco, CA
7/25/2011
I really wish Jay would have let me know or at least licked it before he raped me. 10 US dollars for a piece of soggy, crumbled meat patty that was transported, via bicycle, in a smelly hipster's shoulder bag? Since when has it been cool to suck at your job? It's simple: you make me food, you get it to me, i pay you money. F***, Cops are even better people than you and they shot a homeless man a week and a half ago. This hamburger might actually make me homeless. I have hope in nothing now. Next time, maybe you can pay ME after you f*** me in the mouth.
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Review from Margo C.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/17/2011
This place is terrible. DO NOT go here! They have such terrible service. The owners are the rudest people i have ever met.
Maybe the food isn't that bad, but we as customers can't let vile people be rewarded.Comment from Jay N. of Jay's Cheesesteak 5/23/2011
I would like to sincerley apologize for the type of… More » -
Review from Elaine l.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2011
The original cheesesteak is all you need! If you're looking for something super filling & unhealthy, this is it! I love that they have pesto sauce as a condiment option....definitely get some &dip your fries it it. So good!
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Review from Marc A.
10/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
I consider the cheese steak one of those foods I know the good from the bad and I'm sad to report that Jay's kinda falls somewhere in-between.
I had the original, hold everything but the mayo with provolone cheese. I found the bread to be top notch but the important part (the steak) was a tad dry. Something "wet" was missing.... I'm not even sure the mayo I wanted was on there...
Will I give them another try? Sure. The menu is deep with many cheese steak options. Enjoy. -
Review from Natalie M.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2010
Vegan cheesesteak...SO GOOD! They have vegan MAYO!
EEE! -
Review from jeff g.
San Francisco, CA
10/8/2010
I really wanted to like their vegan seitan sammich. Unfortunately it was shockingly flavorless! Really, I was amazed. Perhaps they don't understand that unlike meat, seitan doesn't really have a flavor on its own. Since I understand that, I paid extra for mushrooms on my sammich. Dude who took my order and cooked my food forgot to add them. The only detectable flavor was mustard.
Also it's kind of ironic that a *cheese*steak place who prominently features their vegan sammiches and stocks vegan mayo has no vegan cheese.
In their favor, the fries were above average, and they have a mural by Sirron Norris with help from Nome Edonna. Also the guy working there was nice. I might come back just for fries. -
Review from sharon g.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011
Really good burgers :) I had their mushroom burger and it was super delish. The patty was cooked to perfection and the burger was overflowing with mushrooms. The place is super casual. Cash only folks, I think. But in case of anything, bring it just in case!
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Review from Sandy T.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2010
I thought this place was pretty good the night I came here, but that was mainly because I was super duper hungry. The bread was the crunchy kind, and not the soft ones like the ones that I'm used to.
I really did thought I liked this place until I tried Ike's place.
Sorry Jay's Cheesesteak, but I've tried better ones! -
Review from Guadalupe N.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2011
Just ordered a cheeseburger, cheesesteak, and fries from this place. I decided to try their out their 'delivery service' since it had been raining all day long and I didn't feel like getting out of my pj's for dinner.
I placed my order around 8:15 and around 9:00 someone with a really bad accent wanted to confirm if I ordered fries, which I did. He gave me the updated total and said that my order would take an additional 30 minutes. Are you freakin' series?? Total wait time thus far: an hour and fifteen minutes. I decided to give them a call in regards to the status of my order. They said that it "was on its way". Ten minutes later it arrived (the original delivery time), however both of my orders were cold. The only reason why I did not cancel my order was because my family and I haven't eaten all day, otherwise I would have canceled my order in a heartbeat. Next time I crave a cheesesteak sandwich, you better bet that I will order it from Phat Philly--which is where I am going to take my business from now on. Jay, please improve your delivery service, otherwise do not offer this service. -
Review from DEP P.
Seattle, WA
8/17/2011
Hands down great cheese steaks
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Review from a w.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2011
The mushroom cheesesteak was okay (I chow down to completely full on EVERYTHING - and I didn't finish my mushroom cheesesteak and fries, so definitely not the best sandwich I ever had)
For me there are at least 3 better cheesesteaks in the city in preferred order:
1) Phat philly
2) the cheesesteak shop
3) Jake's steaks
I see a cheesesteak as a rare "treat" in my diet, so I wouldn't waste my treat here.
Otherwise, service was friendly and I liked the chipotle mayo they offered on the side. -
Review from Cori W.
I love Jays just not this location. It's pretty awesome that they offer the new 'chicknon' option for veggie sandwiches, it actually has a better texture and flavor than the seitan. My 'beef' with this location is that they charge more than the one on divis (extra .50 cents for seitan styles) and are CASH ONLY but do not have signs anywhere. The only assumption of CASH ONLY is the ATM next to the bathroom door. While it's not Jay's fault, there are also a good amount of douche bags that frequent this location. I'm talking loud mouthed idiotic youths spewing crap that no one wants to hear. Sorry but when I'm chowing down on my chicknon sandwich I don't want to hear about you fucking some dumb bitch and how you aren't old enough to buy cigarettes or alcohol but get drunk and fucked up anyways.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/23/2008
I was a little disappointed by my seitan cheesesteak, mostly because soo many vegetarian yelpers… Read more »
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Review from Rohan D.
8/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
The sandwiches here are delicious here. The meat is savory and the assortments of toppings make it a place worth going to at least once. The meat in my opinion is better than Phat Philly nearby.
The reason why I'm not giving it anymore stars is that they tend to become some type of random sandwich shop with a very limited selection of cheesesteak sandwich and they are cash only shop. They offer vegetarian options though.Listed in: The Mission
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Review from Maronita I.
San Jose, CA
4/21/2010
3.5 stars rounded up.
Samira--my GF---just reviewed this spot. She forgot to mention how gluttenous i was when ordering...We decided to split and share orders.
She ordered the Chicken ChzSteak and I got the Peppered ChzSteak...I also ordered some Mozz Sticks... 6 of em for $7...(not worth it for me, but were gooood)...
I loved both sandwiches....but definitely will lean more towards the Chicken. The only thing I will say about the sandwich is that it lacked a bit of flavor...maybe some kind of sauce...but you're talkin to a sauce fanatic. Overall I'd definitely recommend this late night eat to anyone..They have vegetarian items as well...
The decor is fun to look at and the service is outstanding. You really can't go wrong here if you ask me. Especially if youre attending a show at the Independent and staying at the Metro Hotel like my friends and I did.
Good Eats!!!! Great Times!!!! -
Review from J S.
San Francisco, CA
3/30/2011
I didn't order that. But they got me the right item.
The right item, burger, was overly toasted, but overall tasted fine.
Beer battered onion rings = fried too long, not much onions
Fries: I've had better.
Garlic Fries: Garlicky but I didn't like texture as it was the same ones used for the regular fries
Table was not clean.
Self serve.
