Yea this is an easy 5 stars! We showed up at 8am on a Friday morning (5/20/22) and walked right up to the bar. Ordered some bourbon and vodka drinks and felt right at home. The bartenders were super welcoming as was the owner's son who was working the flat top. And let's talk about the flat top for a second. It's tiny and positioned right beside the bar with piles of caramelized onions and meat sizzlin away and smellin up the place something amazing! So, this joint converted me! Kaiser Rolls all the way! And when your rolls are homemade, you know you hit pay dirt! The menu offers up extra meat and cheese as an option which as a heavy eater I can appreciate, but when this sandwich landed in front of me, it looked like a thanksgiving dinner sent down from the gods. This thing is massive. And so damn effin delicious. Pro-tip shared to me by the owners son. Please enjoy this sandwich with the spicy pepper relish and black pepper oil provided on the bars and tables. Also, if you like Bloody Marys, add the pepper relish to the drink as well. Hope you love Donkeys Place as much as we did! read more

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We got steak sandwiches and fries via Goldbelly on a whim and what a surprise! Rolls, steak, onions, peppers awesome. Note that the fries will take about half hour in the oven and the seasoning and cheese for dipping really good. Great place! read more

Donkey's Place - Great cheesesteak. - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

Oh my LORD, This is my favorite cheese steak since coming up from Texas. Must try.. and those onion rings read more

Donkey's Place - This is going to be good - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

Delicious and fresh food with quick and friendly service. Can't wait to come back for some wings! read more

Donkey's Place - Cheesesteak - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

The cheesesteak was dry and they put my delivered food in a whiskey box. That's all I got to say. read more

Donkey's Place - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

I've been thinking about how to write this review for a few days now. Had to get the words together to capture what I am about to say: Holy Hubba Bubba! Haha man oh man was this good! I did a complete ROOKIE move, took it to go bc it was gettin dark and them deers is out and I'm just GROWN AND SEXY with my driving at night hahaha all the way! (If you get it, you get it, if not, wait a few years until you hit that certain age- ha!) Anywho.... I thought I could take a few bites as I was driving but boy was I wrong! This sandwich is HUGE! And I mean TWO HANDS huge! It wasn't cut in half, it was wrapped in deli paper and was so JUICY! I wanted to eat it while it was still hot! Next time I will eat it there and do the whole ShaBang, fries and drinks and all! The sandwich is filled to the brim with juicy steak steak steak! Caramelized onions, not enough cheese for me personally but I know this for next time. And I will def get that onion spread to go on it. All of this goodness packed in a ROUND, not long, poppy seed roll I think I'm in love guys lol When you walk in this place, it's such a dive, prolly ain't changed since they opened, very old skool greasy spoon type of place and I LOVE IT! It's the simplicity of it all No frills Menus was on the napkin dispenser, flat top grill was next to the bar and you walk past that to sit yo a$$ down in the back somewhere! I didn't stay, but the next time I will! Oh and you know, I have fam in Cam(den), but just to tell you, this place is in the hood so don't be acting too skurrd or bougie get yo a$$ kicked lol jk It's in the Hood, get in, get out if you must, that's all imma say! Try it out, you won't be disappointed! Enjoy YELPies! read more

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I'm a Philadelphia native. My coworkers have told me about Donkey's and Anthony Bourdain himself said this is the place for a good Philly cheesesteak. The staff is very kind and the wait wasn't long. Now, anyone from Philly will argue you down that it's not original if it's not from Philadelphia. And I used to be one of those people, however, this cheesesteak SLAPS! I mean seriously, you won't be let down. Just gotta put the Philly cheesesteak ego aside and I promise you your tummy will be happy! Donkeys did it right and I will bring anyone here who isn't a believer. After countless arguments with individuals before I had this epic Sammy, I will be back. Also if you like spicy grab a side of spicy chopped peppers. read more

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Food was amazing the goose coming out of the roll. You have to wait a little bit and the place looks like it's about to fall apart but then that's when you know the food's awesome. There's bar section and restaurant section. Good service. A little dark and not so comfy chairs but pretty good. Definitely recommend. read more

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Long, cramped lunch line, a little hectic, but pretty methodical about it. You'll see a huge pile of onions get thrown onto the grill for each customer waiting to get their hands on a piece of this meaty goodness. Onions here are a big part of it I think, and so is portion- while its not on your average roll, I figured the bread was chosen with love and made to withstand the force of a pound of meat and onions in my two hands. The sandwich itself is quite an experience. Cheese almost got lost in the flavor of the extra onions, but held on as much as possible. The buns were strong but not strong enough, as a cascade of goodness drips down my hands and on my face. This won't be a gradeful experience, but the meat was good enough to not stop. The fries are additional, and nothing too special. The cut of the steak reminds me more of chopped steak or a burger, so I wouldn't actually put this against other cheesesteaks. Definitely a heck of a sandwich though. Interesting lunch spot and lots of character. read more

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Finally made it to Donkey's Place. While I know there's a whole thing about whether this is a cheesesteak, I don't care... It was amazing. I often find that there are few cheesesteaks that I truly get excited for, and this one I'll probably crave. Ordered the cheesesteak with onions (didn't pay attention to the cheese, but it's white American cheese.) I also wondered how filling a kaiser roll sized sandwich would be, but this thing was loaded and HEAVY. Also, incredibly hot off the griddle. I went to try to take a bite right out of the shop and almost burned my hand. Drove 20mins home and it was just the right temp. Though the meat is sliced thin and stacked, it had a great texture and was tender. I ordered a small, seasoned fries which were perfect as they weren't overly salted/seasoned for me. Oh, and you will make a mess eating this, so if you're in your car, beware. It holds together just enough, but is so full that you just need to dive in. Highly recommended. read more

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This has been my second fave cheesesteak spot in phl south nj área I got the beef cheesesteak and the fries with cheese on side Service was quick and I couldn't finish this all at first I'm like maybe it's not as good but after I'm like fuck I wished I took home the leftovers cos this is was good and still maybe barely my 2 spot but the others are gaining n I don't care they have round roll this is a fucking cheesesteak. Only came here cos Corinne's place happened to be closed when app said they were open lol read more

The BEST cheesesteak! Really really good, amazing service and ambiance. I can't wait to come back again. We enjoyed the sandwiches and their sauces. Plain fries and wings with dry old bay vibe. Friendly people throughout. Well worth the ride from the Jersey shore and much better than those other cheesesteaks across the river. read more

I've never been to the cheesesteak places in Philadelphia but I don't see how they can be serving better cheesesteaks than at Donkey's Place in Camden. An amazing sandwich in an amazing place. Lots of history. Definitely worth the trip, but check their hours before you go - they're basically only open M-F until 6. The area around the restaurant looks sketchy but seems to be ok. read more

Sandwhiches we're out of this world good. Couldn't believe it. A tad pricey but the flavor is amazing.

I have cheesesteaks in Philly but donkey's cheesesteak is the best!! Shout out to Mark Wien for showing this place on his YouTube! I'm so glad I was able to introduce the cheesesteak to my friends and they enjoyed it too. The service was good. The cheesesteak came out at a decent time. It was served fresh and that's all it matters! read more

Donkey's Place - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

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In all fairness, this was a Grub Hub delivery review. I loved the one in Medford but Camden is closer to my house. $12 each steak. It was bad weather in Jan so I ordered delivery...no issues with the delivery..great. It came early, hot. The cheesesteak though was so greasy that the bag was soaking wet. The bread was soaked & smushy. Super, super messy. The bread was a fail but prob bc of it being delivered. It fell apart within seconds of being in my 'sandwich clampers' aka hands aka 'cheesesteak utensils'. I remolded my sandwich because no cheesesteak gets uneaten. Duh. I def have had cheesesteaks survive better during delivery though. The steak was ok but there were dense chunks and I had skipped them bc I had trouble chewing through it. My pearly whites weren't havin it. Cheese was fine but was minimal in the meat-bread-cheese ratio. The cheesesteak eating in this area, is serious business, guys. You get this, right?!? Yea, ya do. Ratio fail. Donkeys puts onions on the steak so if you dont want them, you need to specify. Onions were good. Overall though, my bucklist of the Camden Donkeys is over & I'll pass. I really liked the in person Medford where it landed in my cheesesteak favorites. read more

I'm going to be truthful and say... there was no love between me and Donkey's. No love. Parking is atrocious. Not Donkey's fault, but ugh. The waitress was surly, barely spoke to me, never acknowledged anything that I asked for and would just come back and throw things at me. Girl, you need a vacation. SO MANY ONIONS. I wish I knew they put that many onions on the steak sandwich. I would've asked for half the amount and I looooove onions. But it was pretty much all I could taste. The fries were seasoned with some sort of very salty something or other that hinted at Old Bay. NEXT. read more

Donkey's Place - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

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they have such amazing cheesesteaks, the service is awesome. they ambiance feels like a family setting, i love the energy here... keep up the awesome work.. read more

I would recommend this to go only. Pretty rough neighborhood but the food is good. Very unique spin on a Philly Cheesesteak as they put them on a Kaiser roll. read more

So I'm photographing the Candem Chief of Police for a magazine. During the shoot I ask him where's a good place to get a bit to eat. One answer...Donkey's. When the cheif of police tells you where to go...you go. And damn if he wasn't right. The best steak sandwhich I ever had. Maybe not traditional Philly style, but so f'n good. And huge! Can't wait to go back read more

Very busy but friendly atmosphere. Their wings are soo tasty ! One of thee best I've had.

There's nothing better than stopping in at Donkey's Place in Camden for the best cheesesteak in Philly or anywhere else. It's a classic that has been in the same location since it was founded in Camden in 1943 by the boxer Leon "Donkey" Lucas and his wife. Reportedly, he was known as "Donkey" because his punch was like the kick of a donkey. read more

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Best cheesesteaks are found in South Jersey hands down!!!! I've lived here now for 3 years and continue to try different cheesesteak places so that when friends and family visit, I can give them the best of the best. I've tried some good places, but nothing has really blown my mind. Well now I've found my FAV!! Probably heard of Anthony Bourdain.... The Food Network... yup it's this place. But I still had to try it myself. From the reviews.... it definitely lives up to the hype! Cheesesteak You'll notice they don't have many options of different cheesesteaks. It's just cheesesteak... then you decide onions or no onions. Cheese or no cheese. Also their bun is not their typical loaf. But the chunks of steak in each sandwich is LEGIT and juicy!!! And i actually really like this poppy seed bun that they use. Also, they send you with a container of these hot peppers hot sauce stuff and makes the flavors come out even more. So good! I've never finished a whole cheesesteak since it's such a hefty serving, but I honestly think the leftovers are even better because the juices just marinated the meat even more!! Other menu items.... fries with or without cheese and a whole pickle. Although not too many other menu options, they truly do well with every single thing! Truly a stop worthy place if you're going into the Philly area... a quick stop just over the bridge in Camden!! South Jersey is the place to check out too for other drink and food options! read more

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Y'all. My husband was hell bent on trying like 10 different cheesesteaks while in Philly, including this Camden spot. I begrudgingly tagged along. We went to Donkey's for "breakfast" and I was THRILLED when we slung the door open to find a shotgun dive bar full of tchotchkes, souvenirs, and friendly people. 8am, only 2 barstools remained, just for us. Double Tito's and neat pours of select bourbons got the morning going on the right foot. The cheesesteak was covered in delicious onions (the highlight for me), and was big enough for 2 people to split. We tried the fries and they were yummy as well! Music was going and the construct of time did not exist. We walked out nearly 2 hours later with a great buzz and full bellies! Definitely recommend! read more

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Old school spot! Boxing memorabilia and advertisements from the past. Cheesesteaks w/ onions and seasoned fries are great! Staff is very cool and make you feel welcome! Especially Mia, I hope her boss knows! read more

Donkey's Place - Classic New Jersey dining! - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

Since all the good cheesesteak places I wanted to hit before hopping on a plane are inexplicably closed on Mondays, I decided to throw attempted murder to the wind and drive to Camden to hit Donkey's Place. During the fraud that was the COVID pandemic, I did grab one to go from the other location in Medford and thought it was good, so I figured I'd hit the original. Place was busy, and the service was fine; however, $14.00 for this is a goddamn disgrace. Are you kidding me? How often does this jawn raise his prices?? Two sandwiches and two sodas should not be $35.00. What a disgrace. I would call this more of a steak sandwich than a cheesesteak, and for $14.00 (probably $16.00 by Friday) it should be avoided. However, three stars because I was there and with the hot relish it was tasty. If you feel good paying $14.00 for a steak sandwich on a round roll while people are walking up to you trying to sell you stolen clothes (I'm not kidding), then you've found your weekday entertainment. read more

Really amazing cheesesteak. I went for a Friday afternoon lunch, and it was packed at 11:30am. The bartenders were attentive and friendly, and I loved the vintage dive bar vibe. Everyone was cheerful there. On to the food! First of all, the diet coke came out in a giant cup - great initial sign. I ordered a cheesesteak with no onions and shared a small seasoned fries. The cheesesteak is served on a poppy seed kaiser roll instead of the long sub roll that you see at traditional Philly cheesesteak places. However, there's a pile of grilled meat, with plenty of savory sear spots. The cheese was white American, no whiz, and the whole sandwich was seasoned really well, with lots of peppery flavor. The fries were seasoned with old bay seasoning and came out piping hot. There were also pickled pepper accouterments available on the bar next to the red squirt bottles of ketchup if you're into that kind of thing. Donkey's Place is easily in my top 3 Philly cheesesteaks (along with Steve's Prince of Steaks and Dalessandro's). read more

Our favorite cheesesteak place, make sure you take the onions. These are cheesesteaks served on poppyseed round rolls, so good. We always go on the first Saturday of the month and they have seating in the back, so make sure you get your name on the list. It is a bar as well so you're able to get drinks while you wait to get seated. They have shirts for sale so definitely get one of those too! Enj read more

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I had take out. They grabbed a lot of them for us at work. It was a solid 4 a little cool but the meat was great and the cheese was good also. The Kaiser roll sucked up a lot of the juice which was good. I didn't realize we had onions until I finished my sandwich. All in all I enjoyed it. I doubt I'd pay $16 dollars for a sandwich on a Kaiser roll. I'd say this is a $10-12 sandwich. read more

anyone that says this place has the best cheesesteaks... doesn't even know what a good cheesesteak entails. YEAH I SAID IT. if you look up cheesesteak in the dictionary it's: a sandwich containing thin-sliced sautéed beef, melted cheese, and typically sautéed onions, served in a long roll. yes, donkey's isn't traditional because of the roll but also because of the knifework of the ingredients. the beef is so thick and dry and chewy i immediately was disappointed. i asked for extra cheese... there was barely any cheese. the onions.. oh the onions, some were long, some were circles and some were tiny little squares. who cut the onions, a 8 year old? i came here because someone told me they had good cheesesteaks but all i ate was a roast beef sandwich on a kaiser roll. the only reason i didn't give 1 star was because the fries were pretty good. read more

Donkey's Place - i asked for extra cheese... so what does no cheese look like? - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

Friendly casual atmosphere. Got the cheesesteak with extra onions and cheese. Still felt like it could've been cheesier but we ended up drizzling some of the cheese from the fries. Fast service and great cheesesteak$ read more

Donkey's Place - Donkey's Seasoned Cheese Fries ONE SIZE - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

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Just arrived in Philly last Sunday on a mission to try the best steak n Cheese. I'm from Buffalo we call it a steak n cheese sub . I always thought Philadelphia cheesesteak was overrated. I was asking locals what's the best and guess what . It's not Philadelphia. It's Donkeys Place ,Camden located deep in the heart of Camden so visitors are warned Becarful. I went in to tthe place and felt the Nostalgic atmosphere time warp back into days of a saloon style restaurant. I ordered how the locals want it and Man was it off the hook best tasing tender loaded steak n cheese with caramelized onion that that still had a nice toothy feel texture and fresh onion taste that compliments the steak nice and evenly spread across with creamy white American cheese . The have a pepper relish that I wish I asked for two in which every one was doing. The Owners were nice the chefs were amazing and funny and I will recommend this place to everyone. I stand by it. They area was not that bad people were friendly and I will be back at least once a week it's that good . Hats off to Donkey's Place . The best cheesesteak that's not from Philly ! read more

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This is a very good iteration of a cheesesteak. Like some other folks that visited, I came because Anthony Bourdain visited and said this was the best cheesesteak ever. This sandwich has got huge cuts of fried onions that supply big flavor, just the right amount of melted cheddar cheese, and steak slices that are compacted to look like burger patties instead of sliced meat. All of the above is layered on top of a sliced poppyseed bun instead of a roll. Honestly from the pictures it didn't look like it was going to work, but I was wrong! It worked! Bourdain was right, this is a great sandwich! I dug the big onion slices a lot. I like the soft poppyseed bun. It has the right amount of cheese for me. Most other cheesesteaks I've had very really salty, this was more oniony and that right there is why I dug it. Now this location is a bit off the beaten path, the streets look a bit tired and there were many shuttered storefronts nearby. This restaurant also seemed to have aged a bit as well but the service was genuine and quick, and while I didn't really stay long, it was a nice place to visit. If only they had later hours and a better location I'd be back more often. read more

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A South Jersey gem! Donkey's Place makes a killer cheesesteak that's slightly different from your typical sub shop steak. They use a round, poppy seed roll, and they stack that roll with layers of meat, American cheese and perfectly fried onions. It is a heavy sandwich. And it is delicious. Call me crazy, but I think the sandwich is even better if you let it marinate for a little while before diving right in. It also tastes great reheated in an air fryer. No matter how you like your cheesesteaks, Donkey's makes a great one! read more

Donkey's Place - Cheesesteak and fries - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey

Great cheesesteak sandwich. I took it to go and when handed the food bag it was heavy. Big kaiser roll with good amount of steak, cheese and onions. Place lived up to the hype. read more

Wow this place has changed over the years, I say that because I grew up eating Donkey burgers, I lived around the corner and my dad was friends with the owner, I don't know what or who owns it now. This place was a staple in my childhood, the burgers were so good.... mouth watering. As i said it had been sometime since i had been here, went in to order and yes this place has changed the inside looks a lot different from when i grew up but to be expected, I just was maybe looking for that old childhood nostalgia. I will say the food hasn't changed a bit, it's still just as good as i remember as a child read more

I recently visited Donkey's Place in Camden, NJ, famously known as Anthony Bourdain's favorite cheesesteak spot. Being back in town on business, I couldn't resist the chance to try it for myself. I decided to grab one for breakfast before hitting the road. I walked in early and dealt with about three of the employees. All very friendly and the service was great. Before my visit, I asked some locals for their opinions and the general consensus was that there are better cheesesteaks in Jersey. Some disliked the bread for a cheesesteak and others found it too salty. However, after trying it myself, I felt it could have used a bit more salt. The steak wasn't as finely chopped as you might find at other places, and the onions were served on top rather than mixed into the steak. The American cheese was almost non-existent. On a positive note, I had no problem with the poppy seed kaiser roll. I think a salt shaker and extra cheese would have done mine a world of good. As it stands now, I can't agree with Bourdain that the best Philly Cheesesteak is in New Jersey. However, this seems like my kind of place to catch a game and drink a beer or ten. Pair that with one of their cheesesteaks and it would elevate the entire experience. read more

While not a traditional cheesesteak, it's a tasty variation. Very heavy on onions, so if that's a concern I'd recommend ordering light onions. Appropriate amount of gooey cheese. read more

tl;dr an untraditional, but surprisingly well-rounded (no pun intended) cheesesteak As it turns out, an admirable competitor on the Philly cheesesteak scene hails from none other than Camden, NJ. And Donkey's Place takes the heresy a step further by forgoing cheese whiz and a classic hoagie roll for American slices and a round poppy-seed bun. And yet, Donkey's steak rivals the best cheesesteaks in Philly. On a weekday at lunchtime, parking nearby was aplenty. A number of customers were spread throughout space eagerly awaiting their meals, but I was immediately able to place my order. Within 10 minutes of watching the staff attend to enormous piles of steak on the grill, a worker called out my order, and I was off. As soon as I settled back into my car, I set to unwrapping my feast. The otherwise frill-less cheesesteak was hefty -- loaded with layers of fresh-cooked meat, melty cheese, and sweet onions. I found the poppy-seed roll surprisingly durable, but I question whether it would have lasted a full car ride home. Don't expect a mess-free meal -- unlike a hoagie roll, the round bun is much more prone to spillage. Whether that is more a product of too much steak (if that is such a thing), or the mechanics of a circular roll, I'll leave to another day. The "small" side of fries is anything but small -- Donkey's completely stuffed a brown paper bag halfway up with them. They resemble McDonald's shoestring variety, but with a tasteful dash of Old Bay. The resulting fry has a crispy outside and soft inside, with a depth of flavor enough to enjoy without requiring dipping sauces. At $13, the combo is comparable in price to other Philly big-name cheesesteakeries. Donkey's without a doubt outclasses the usual suspects (move aside, Pat's and Gino's) and even begins to reach the upper echelon of cheesesteak royalty. read more

New twist on Philly cheese steak, it was amazing. Local favorite, bar full of locals, music, and you see and smell the food right in front of you, good service, no complaints! read more

Donkey's Place - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Camden, New Jersey