Philly's Best
Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches [Edit]
815 Emerson St(between Benson Ave & Sherman Ave)
Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 733-9000
- Nearest Transit:
Foster (Purple, Evanston Express)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
116 reviews
Neighborhood: Uptown
"I love this coffee shop. You can't go wrong with comfy couches, FREE wifi, tasty coffee and smoothies. Most other places in Chicago have…" read more »
18 Reviews for Philly's Best
I need to stop coming here. It's a really crappy place.
The one on Belmont in Chicago is 900 times better than this one. I was served chicken here that looked and tasted like it was 10 days old.
That being said, I admit that I would still stop in and grab a slice to go...and I'd hate myself afterward.
Coming back here was like the time a couple of years ago that I rented Goonies, a childhood favorite of mine, to see if it would hold up. It mostly did, which is to say that my warm memories had less to do with the inflated-nostalgia factor than I was afraid of. This place is actually pretty good (the movie too).
We used to order from here all the time in college and after, but I hadn't been back or had their food for at least seven years. I used to love their cheesesteaks but in the meantime (last spring), I had been to Philadelphia for the real thing at Pat's and Geno's.
I got a slice of pizza, which was good but not great in all its floppy, cheesy glory (thicker than NY style but not in a bready pan-style way). B+ on the slice. The real attraction, of course, is the cheesesteak. The "regular" size is immense and $8.49 but...you only live once, I suppose. The sandwich was as good as I remember and more importantly, just as good as Pat's and Geno's. There was slightly too much cheese for me, but the rest was perfect. A solid A, maybe an A+ if I get them to reduce the cheese by about 25% next time.
The folks were friendly here. They agreed to sell me a slice of "mushroom" pizza even though all they had was cheese. They threw some mushrooms on the grill and then put them on the slice before they warmed it in the oven. However, they quoted me ten minutes for the order and it was more like twenty.
Philly's is good for late night - sure it's really greasy, but if you're looking for something healthy, don't try cheesesteaks with fries!
I love their seasoned or cheese fries and the chicken cheese steak is really good.
I don't dine in here much, so I can't say much about the service - though the people who take my order over the phone are usually really nice.
If you're from Philly, these cheesesteaks just won't compare to the real deal; however, considering you're in Chicago, Philly's Best cheesesteaks hold their own as far as Chicago cheesesteak standards go.
My husband, who is from Philly, would argue that an exceptional cheesesteak is all about the meat and the bread. The quality and type of cheese needs to be considered, too. Philly's Best has their meat delivered from Philadelphia and is of above average quality. (not too fatty). For this they get kudos, but where Philly's Best loses points is in the quality of the rolls. They can do better. Make sure you request provolone cheese, otherwise the cheesesteaks are made with american. Cheese Whiz is also available.
I always get the pizza steak - without (that's a cheesesteak with pizza sauce, no onions) and I always enjoy it. The sauce is a tad sweet, but can be remedied with a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes. I've also had a bite (that's all I needed) of their thin crust pizza and I don't plan on trying it again. I've yet to find really good New York style pizza anywhere around here. If I do, I'll let you know.
As far as ambiance, this place is definitely lacking, but it's not trying to be anything else but a steak and pizza joint, so don't go in expecting anything more. I would suggest take-out or delivery, but if you do eat-in, try not to use the bathrooms. I don't think I need to elaborate more on that point.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! Seventeen NOs!
The food here shouldn't even be legal. I can't believe I paid nine dollars (!) for a veggie sandwich (!) that left a huge, ugly, yellow puddle of dirty old grease in the plastic basket it was served in. There was fat dripping out on all sides. Everything was soaked and yet it tasted like nothing. Not like veggies, not like good bread, not even 'good greasy' like a slice of pizza might when you're feeling like it. Even if you really, really hate your body and really, really love greasy food, you will find better, more trustworthy "100% grease" food than this.
The whole place has an absolutely obscure aura. It seems like nothing has been changed here since about 1982. The long faded color of the wall 'decoration', the unclean chessboard floord,... Mind you, I liked all of that, and I would celebrate Philly's Best as incredibly charming and wonderful, if only they served food that was even close to being edible. The staff was friendly and funny, the people who came in all seemed to come right out of 1982 (or 1954, for that matter) as well, making for a nice, authentic neighborhood dump that clashes pleasantly with some of the close-by, shiny suburban establishments.
But the food, no no no. 17 no's.
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This location delivers to the far north side of Chicago, not just Evanston. I've never been in the actual restaurant. Who wants to go outside? Philly's constantly mails out "free delivery" and "$2 off" coupons which really make delivery a good deal.
Delivery is pretty quick. I usually get my food within a half hour of ordering it. The cheesesteaks are fantastic. I also love the fries, but they're usually a little soggy from sitting in the paper bag, so I pop them in the toaster oven for five minutes. (This works for the cheesesteaks too if you like crispier bread.) The chocolate cake is good, but insanely rich. I've also tried their wings, which are just ok and sort of bland, and their fried macaroni & cheese, which I didn't like at all. It's the cheesesteaks that keep me ordering from here way too much!
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Garlic bread: 5 stars.
Service: -1 star; it was late night and we actually went there in hopes of not having to wait as long, not so
Philly chicken steak: -2 stars; I could not finish half of a half of one
5 - 1 - 2 = 2; I guess a great late night, help cure that hangover type place and my friends seem to really enjoy the cheesesteak, but I'll only eat the garlic bread from now on.
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NOT CHEAP. That being said, it garners 4 stars, I routinely pay 10-12 bucks for a philly cheesesteak with some toppings and cheese fries on the side. Although I recently found out that they have a deal for this I think, so maybe check that out. Takes a little bit of time, probably 10-12 minutes, even with noone in front of you. Bread is soft, meat is jammin', cheese fries crisp and cheese gooey, I love it...
My colleagues who live around Evanston recommended this place and it was worth every drop of grease. Got the cheesesteak with lots of peppers and it was just perfect. Although I can't say that I've had a Philly Cheesesteak in the motherland of Philly, I would guess this is close to the real deal. I would be a regular if I lived near here!
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I am downgrading my review. The vibe is depressing. It must have had its glory days judging by the faded articles on the walls, but now it feels like a burnt out factory town after all the industry packed up and left. The staff is not friendly. Some look lobotomized while others seem to want you to believe they are involved in organized crime. More importantly, I had an expensive grilled chicken salad today that was downright disgusting.
I was grateful for their existence to satisfy my occasional, irrepressible cheesesteak fix. Even that is now on hold until I know if I get food poisoning from the dry, old, weird-tasting chicken I just ate.
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Their cheesesteak, I have never had, but you can order it with pizza sauce and cheese whiz...how interesting. But the Philly Chicken Steak, now that's delicious. They give you tons of chicken which is shredded with grilled onion and provolone. It is SO good. And the french fries are great too, perfectly seasoned. Trust me, I'm a french fry expert.
The best phrase I can come up with to describe Philly's Best: "it is what it is."
Greasy, not-consistently-amazing cheesesteaks, relatively expensive prices for other greasy stuff like pizza and fries. Some of the stuff on the menu can taste good, but you'll hate yourself later for eating it. They're open late but delivery slows down exponentially after about 11pm.
One plus is online ordering. It's always nice not having to call your orders in.
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I'll update and (hopefully, upgrade) this review after I give this place a second chance - something I wouldn't have done except that Mark S.'s and other reviewers convinced me that my very mediocre experience there must have been some kind of a fluke.
FIrst off, I LOVE Philly Cheese Steaks - but my primary reaction to the one I ordered here was "WHERE'S THE BEEF???" . It was like a bun with Provolone (I'll do the Whiz Wit next time!) and a few scraps of meat.
I did order it as part of a larger delivery order and obviously didn't "order it correctly" - So I'll give it another shot and let ya know.
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I decided to go here even after reading all the bad reviews about Philly's Best in Evanston, but it was one of the few late places open. However I was pleasantly surprised the food was quite good and the service was extremely good as well. One of the best Philly Cheesesteaks I have had. I just don't understand all the bad reviews about how the food was greasy, it most certainly NOT greasy. Don't believe the other reviews about how the people who work there look like criminals, they were extremely nice to me and even gave me a free soda.
I have yet to have a better cheese steak, anywhere. They are from Philly, what do you expect. They deliver!
Cheers!
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Great cheesesteaks - best I've tasted outside of Philadelphia. The cheesesteak pizza slices are also great when they have them.
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I don't like a lot about Philly, but I love their cheesesteaks! I've been to Pats and Geno's in South Philly, and my favorite steak came from Dalessandro's- YUM. So I've learned there are certain choices to be made when ordering your steak in Philly. First, the cheese choice- white, Provolone, American, cheese whiz. And ordering a steak "wit" means with grilled onions- the only way to go. Can you imagine how excited I was to learn that in addition to living in the home of Italian Beef (where we have our own ordering lingo too), Chicago has a family chain of legitimate Philly cheesesteak shops!
So if you want to try a good Philly cheesesteak in Chicago get yourself to this place! I recommend first timers order a "large Whiz Wit." Yeah go for the cheese whiz option, it's not fancy Provolone, but we're talking about cheesesteak here! They cook up their steaks per order, so have a seat and sit tight while the cook gets that steak and onions combo sizzlin' on the grill. He'll smear an unhealthy dose of cheese whiz on a nice roll and load up the meat-n-onions when they're ready. Are you ready? You're going to feel seriously sick once this steaming hot pile hits your stomach, but it's gonna taste so good it's worth it. When you're done, you may want to pick up some Tastycakes for dessert- they import Pa's version of Little Debbie snack cakes special! Once every other month is about my limit. But when I want it, Philly's Best delivers the best of Philly without having to deal with the rest of Philly!
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An awesome cheesesteak in Evanston, mere steps from the Northwestern campus? Believe it!
I think all the weight i gained in college was a result of eating here but it can't be beat for a greasy sunday lunch when you're recovering from your hangover.
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