CHEESESTEAKS • 5 min read
The Nine Phillys, Compared
Every build, what is actually in it, and which one to order — from the plain cheese steak to the one with a warning on it.
Nine builds, all freshly sliced ribeye on an Amoroso roll, all available with chicken instead and with or without onion, in a 7-inch and a 12-inch. Start with the plain Cheese Steak; the Tiger Steak is the only one carrying a warning.
Nine builds, all of them freshly sliced ribeye on an Amoroso roll, all of them available with chicken instead of steak and with or without onion. What separates them is what goes on top — and the range is wider than most people realise, from a plain cheese steak to one the menu warns you about.
Here is all nine, what is actually in each, and which one to order.
All nine, side by side
| Build | What is in it | Order it if |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese Steak | Ribeye and cheese, nothing else | You want to taste the meat and the roll |
| Pepper Steak | Ribeye, cheese and peppers — green, banana or jalapeno | You want to set the heat yourself |
| Mushroom Steak | Ribeye, mushrooms and cheese | You like earthy and rich together |
| Pizza Steak | Ribeye, marinara and mozzarella | You would otherwise order a meatball sub |
| Smokehouse | Ribeye, bacon, green peppers, BBQ sauce, onion rings, cheese | You want the most going on |
| The Garden | Ribeye, jalapenos, green and banana peppers, mushrooms, cheese | You want vegetables to lead |
| Surf and Turf | Ribeye and cheese, topped with shrimp | You cannot choose between steak and seafood |
| Tiger Steak | Ribeye, jalapenos and blackened beer sauce | You genuinely want heat |
| Veggie Philly | Jalapenos, green and banana peppers, mushrooms, cheese — no meat | You are not eating meat |
Two things that table does not show. All nine come in a 7-inch and a 12-inch, and all nine take chicken instead of steak — which effectively doubles the list. There is more on that choice in chicken versus steak.
The four that change the sandwich most
Most of the builds add something. Four of them change what kind of sandwich it is:
- Pizza Steak — marinara and mozzarella make it a different dish entirely. Closer to a meatball sub than to a cheesesteak
- Smokehouse — BBQ sauce and onion rings inside the roll. Sweet, smoky and structural
- Surf and Turf — shrimp sits on top rather than chopped through, so you get it in distinct bites
- Tiger Steak — jalapenos and blackened beer sauce, and the menu warns you it will bite your tongue
The Tiger Steak is the only item on the whole menu carrying a warning, and it is not decoration. If you are ordering for somebody else, it is not the safe pick. Our guide to what is actually spicy puts it in context against everything else.
Then pick a cheese
Seven of them, and this matters more than any topping. White American, provolone, mozzarella, Cheese Whiz, pepper jack, Swiss and yellow American.
- Provolone — slightly sharp; the safe default and the best all-rounder
- White American — the meltiest and the mildest
- Cheese Whiz — the Philadelphia answer, and worth ordering once on purpose
- Pepper jack — adds an edge without going near the Tiger Steak
- Mozzarella — already on the Pizza Steak; ordering it elsewhere gives you stretch rather than flavour
Cheese Whiz has a genuine claim here. Britannica notes that Kraft launched it in the early 1950s to imitate the sauce used in Welsh rarebit, and that it became the traditional choice on a cheesesteak. Ordering provolone is not wrong; ordering Whiz once is how you find out what the argument is about.
The three that are really about vegetables
Easy to miss on a menu this meat-forward, but three of the nine are built around what is not the ribeye.
The Mushroom Steak is the quiet one — mushrooms are wet and earthy, and they meet rendered beef fat better than any other topping here. The Garden is the loud one: jalapenos, green peppers, banana peppers and mushrooms all at once, which is a genuinely different sandwich rather than a cheesesteak with salad on it. And the Veggie Philly is The Garden without the meat — not a subtraction, but the same vegetable build standing on its own.
If you want vegetables to be present rather than dominant, Mushroom Steak. If you want them to lead, The Garden.
Which build for which appetite
| You want | Build | Size |
|---|---|---|
| The classic, once | Cheese Steak, provolone | 7-inch |
| Something with vegetables | The Garden or Mushroom Steak | Either |
| The biggest flavour | Smokehouse | 7-inch — it is a lot |
| Seafood as well | Surf and Turf | Either |
| Heat | Tiger Steak, or Pepper Steak with jalapenos | 7-inch |
| No meat | Veggie Philly | Either |
| To share | Two different builds, 12-inch, cut in half | 12-inch |
That last row is the genuinely useful one. Two 12-inch sandwiches in different builds, cut, give four people a choice instead of a compromise — more on that in 7-inch or 12-inch.
Ordering the Smokehouse? Do not order onion rings as a side with it. The rings are already in the sandwich, and a second portion alongside is the most common over-order on this part of the menu.
What to add, and what not to
Peppers, mushrooms and extra cheese can be added to any build. Two rules keep it sensible:
- Do not add peppers to The Garden or the Veggie Philly — they already carry three kinds
- Do not add anything to the Smokehouse; it has six things on it already
- Extra cheese works on the plain Cheese Steak and nowhere else in particular
- Onions on or off is free, and it changes the sandwich more than a paid addition does
The short version
Start with the plain Cheese Steak and provolone so you know what the base tastes like. From there: Mushroom or The Garden for vegetables, Smokehouse for the most going on, Surf and Turf for shrimp, Pizza Steak if you want tomato and mozzarella, and Tiger Steak only if you mean it. The definition and history are in what makes a cheesesteak, and all nine are on the Philly menu.
Nine builds, two sizes, seven cheeses
Steak or chicken on any of them, with or without onion.
Frequently asked questions
How many Philly cheesesteaks are on the menu?
Nine builds, each available with steak or chicken, with or without onion, in a 7-inch and a 12-inch.
Which Philly is the spiciest?
The Tiger Steak — jalapenos and a blackened beer sauce. It is the only item on the menu that carries a warning.
Is there a Philly with shrimp?
Yes. Surf and Turf is ribeye and cheese topped with shrimp, so you get the shrimp in distinct bites rather than chopped through.
Which cheese should I pick?
Provolone as the all-round default, white American for the meltiest, or Cheese Whiz for the traditional Philadelphia version.
Is there a Philly without meat?
The Veggie Philly — jalapenos, green and banana peppers and mushrooms with cheese. It is its own build rather than a steak Philly with the beef left out.
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