My coworkers always raved about this place! And they had a good Philly - we tried both the chicken and steak with onions, peppers and mushrooms! They were a good size and filling. Since it was takeout it was pretty messy but good! Also, good ranch! I will have to try other menu items! read more

J Michael's Philly Deli - Outside of restaurant - Delis Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We pulled into the lot at 10 minutes to eight, and the people working inside saw us. They then shut off the lights and locked the door. We were confused because their website said they were open until 9 p.m. We called the restaurant and a recording picked up and said they closed at 8. One, change your website, a 6 yr could do that. Two, obviously Covid has not affected your business to the point where you decide you want to turn customers away. If you want to close at 7:50 p.m., advertise that, don't be rude and close up because you don't want to serve customers that close to your perceived time to end the day. Third, I can see that you are trying to get negative reviews removed from Yelp. Maybe if you ran your business better, you wouldn't have to nix your bad reviews. Just a thought. read more

WORST SERVICE IVE EVER EXPERIENCED (And I've had a lot of bad service) J. Michaels in Ogden Food was bad (old and over cooked) okay no worries that can be fixed I understand But the audacity of the staff to talk crap about us in the kitchen loud enough for us to hear???? And then to argue and yell at me??? We only had complaints about TWO of our sandwiches and we had 5 people there. Our sides were even okay. For them to give us that kind of attitude about us wanting only TWO sandwiches taking off considering we didn't touch them. We were paying for EVERYTHING else. Conversation I heard about us from the kitchen: Server to manager: "They are saying something is wrong with the food" Manager: "well I see them chewing" (Like I said, only 2 of our sandwiches were bad so yes we were chewing on EVERYTHING ELSE WE ORDERED) so of course I called them out on how unprofessional it was to talk crap where customers could hear them. And the manager yelled at me again saying "YALL JUST WANT FREE FOOD" and I said "I will pay for literally EVERYTHING else. I am NOT one of those people. I just don't want to pay for product that was obviously made last week. So no, I do not want to pay for these TWO SANDWICHES" AND SHE HAD THE AUDACITY to go back in the kitchen and say tell the staff I was "acting like a child" DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS Honestly this restaurant would make a great episode of kitchen nightmares not going to lie read more

Every time I have eaten this place it never disappoints. It doesn't look like much on the outside but the food is great. The philly cheese steaks are so fresh and yummy. When you dine in you get pickles as a free appetizer. The service is always great. Everyone is always nice! read more

Phenomenal! I hate that this place is only at the beach as they have the best Philly's in NC. Of course, this place is also worth the drive to just grab dinner as well lol. This is a must try if you are a Philly cheesesteak lover! read more

If you have a website and a phone number that greets you with your hours of operation, it would make sense to state somewhere other than your front door that you're going to be closed for a non-holiday. Neither location provides that information for their customers. I was wondering why there's a trend of less than stellar reviews, especially related to service ... this is a part of that problem. Such a shame, this place used to be one of the highlights of our Wilmington visits. read more

This place was great years ago when I lived in Wilmington. Sad to say after eating there today that J. Michael's Philly Deli is a shadow of what it used to be and can't even deliver a decent Philly cheesesteak anymore. The cheesesteaks we got today contained dry meat drowned in cheese sauce and dry sub rolls. We could actually knock on the sub roll and it would make a sound. The potato wedges had no flavor and the onion rings were low quality and pre frozen. My daughter got a cheeseburger and couldn't even it eat it. She said it reminded her of school cafeteria food. The only good thing I can say about our meal today is how nice the staff were. Hope this place finds its way back somehow. It used to be so good. read more

I don't give 5 stars however, not only is the food excellent every time but the bathroom experience is incredible, you have to try it to fully comprehend how innovative this restaurant is. As you journey to the men's room and open the door you are greeted immediately with two soap dispensers perfectly flanking an otherwise sad looking mirror. The pure pleasure of double fisting your generous amount of lather feeling so clean and refreshed is only half the fun as yes there's more! Completed washing you now must dry off and make a full 180 to find how thoughtful the staff here to compliment a double soap dispenser experience with not one but two towel racks that flow so nicely as you reach up with both hands that are met with a towel for each! The food is great but this little gem is well worth the trip. I do encourage you to give this extra bonus a try and hope you are as refreshed as I am every time I visit here. read more

J Michael's Philly Deli - the dining area - Delis Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I have been to all JMs locations and normally get a good Philly cheesesteak. Today's creation should have been called jerky on bread. The meat was so dried out it had to have been cooked an hour before. Not good. Also they didn't put any cheese on it read more

The philly cheesesteak here is delicious. I think it's weird you have to order the bell pepper as an extra for a philly cheesesteak but whatever it's so good! The fried pickles are awesome they aren't like pickle chips its actual slices of pickle. Will definitely order from here again! read more

Don't bother. Very low cost but you get what you pay for. Skimpy sandwichs. Paper plates. Service was good but I wanted a much better meal.

Every drink we ordered tasted like chemicals. Tea, soft drinks, all of them. Table was sticky. Restaurant was sort of run down. Food was OK but served barely warm. read more

The food was great I had the chicken philly and my wife had the chezz steak philly both was very seasoned cooked to perfection we also had sweet potato fries and regular fries the only down fall was that the fries came out I know at least 15- 30 min before the sandwiches so when the sandwich came no fries read more

This was a big disappointment! Reuben was just a sad sandwich. Asked for extra kraut and I'm glad I did b/c it only had a few shreds on it. Thousand island dressing straight out of the bottle. Cheesesteak was an abomination. And their special rolls were not. I could have gotten that roll in any grocery store. Fries were potato wedges. Their famous pickles were over garlicky kosher dills. Again, I could have gotten them in any grocery store. Poor man at table beside ours returned his meal twice. On the third try I think he just gave up and took what they brought him. Will not return. read more

Update. Gave it another shot tonight. I wish I hadn't. Still dreaming of the quality that J Michael's used to deliver. But nope, the food, service and cleanliness fell WAY short again. What happened to one of my long time Wilmington favorites. The management needs to close for a month, fire everyone, deep clean the place and re-open. read more

Waitress was good. Kitchen was slow. Waited almost 30 minutes for 2 sandwiches and chips. Heard or waitress say 'I have 2 people waiting for food'. Guess the cook decided to take a break. My husband's homemade chips were not soft as ordered. My cold hoagie was toasted. And the 'authentic' Philly cheesesteak was anything but. Won't be going back. read more

ordered takeout tonight ordered two small philly steak,one order of fried pickles and one order of deep fried mushrooms.the cheesesteaks were very oily.the fried mushrooms were mushy not crunchy at all.the fried pickles were also not that good.the place looked dirty to me but could not find rating.cost 28.00 dollars and change.wont be going back read more

I absolutely love this place! The food is always great. The prices are good too. $5.35 for a 6-8" amazing philly cheese steak. A large side and drink is $3. I never leave hungry. On the contrary I normally keep eating after I'm full, because it is just to good. The service is always awesome. They're always very accommodating about my children as well. This is my favorite lunch place in Wilmington. read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! Local spot, great portions and amazing philly steak sub. Do yourself a favor and call and order!!!

The sandwiches are okay, but the service is terrible. I've been there twice now on weekdays after 1pm and the wait for a sandwich is 45 minutes. Unacceptable! read more

I love this restaurant so much and got takeout tonight and it was amazing. The food was still warm when we got home but one of my cheese steaks had a piece of bone or something in it and hurt my tooth. read more

J Michael's Philly Deli - a half eaten doughnut - Delis Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

If I didn't have a buy one get one type coupon, I wouldn't have gone. Needless to say, the quality has dropped over the years. I will not return. (Anyone who says they have the best cheesesteaks ever clearly have lost most of their tastebuds. Got a chicken philly. Meat looked a bit strange. Lacked flavor. Processed cheese was okay. Got the frips(fried chips) and onions rings. They were very good. The ranch dressing that came with the frips seemed a bit watered down. Wife said the cheesesteak she got was good but wasn't blown away or anything. Decor is dated. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Reasonably priced. read more

After a long day on the road I really didn't feel like cooking or even thinking about what to eat so when I accidentally turned into their parking lot instead of Harris Teeter's I took it as a sign. LOL Just a few days earlier we had commented on how their parking lot always looks busy, and maybe we should check it out. I was a little unsure of what I might find inside (the sign reads deli and market) but I was up for whatevs as long as it meant I wasn't cooking. I texted the dude, asked if he wanted a philly cheese. He said yes. Go time. Super friendly counter staff. I ordered a philly cheese. He said it comes with peppers and onions (duh) and asked if that was ok. Yes, please. Then I asked what vegetarian items they had just as my eyes wondered to their veggie grinder. I went for the grinder instead of the veggie burger philly because it just sounded lighter, less filling for a 9 pm dinner. Got some fries and poppers too because I have no self control. Cost: $28 for two sandwiches and two sides. Not exactly cheap but it was fast and it smelled amazing. Still had to swing through Harris Teeter for the Simply Apple and a bottle of prosecco (that pairs well with sandwiches, right?) Sandos were still hot when I got home. I instinctively handed over the heavier of the two, because steak is heavier than veggies... but I was mistaken. Switch-o-change-o. His was the lighter one because his philly cheese had nothing but a modest amount of meat and cheese (no onions and peppers!) and mine was a big sloppy mess of diced veggies and canned peppers, olives and rough chopped baby carrots. Thank gawd for ranch dressing. One star for super friendly service, one star for quick preparation and one star for that damn delicious ranch. read more

I absolutely love a Philly Cheese Steak and there are few places that make one as delicious as J. Michael's. It is seriously a melt in your mouth, ooey gooey explosion of beef and cheese (with or without peppers and onions- you can't go wrong) that is simply the best, ever. I grew up eating at J. Michael's and ever since moving hours away I still crave their cheesesteaks and make it a point to stop by almost everytime I head to my hometown. Their potato wedge french fries are also very good. Thick sliced and fried perfectly with a crispy crunch but hearty middle. The food is good whether you eat there or get it to go, but its worth noting that they are not fast food and can actually be somewhat slow depending on how busy they are. Definitely a good idea to call ahead if you are planning to just run in and pick up and don't want to wait around. read more

I think the Porters neck location is on its way out. We Have been eating here for years and the last two times this place was terrible. There had been 5 tables when we arrived. It took 35 minutes for our table of two to get our meal. We ordered a large Philly cheese steak and a large cheese fries. We also ordered a turkey Ruben and a cup of chili. The Chili was sour. The turkey was just thrown on sandwich flat and no 1000 island. As this has been the second bad experience here in the last Sox months we will no longer be eating here after 15 years. SO LONG J. MICHEALS PHILLY DELI IN POTERS NECK. read more

You just can not get a good Philly in California. So when I am in Wilmington this is a must stop ( at least twice each trip). Always consistant Hot, Juicy and cheesy. Great stuff if you have a big apitight try the french fried mushrooms read more

J Michael's Philly Deli - Steak and Cheese with Mushrooms - Delis Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Best chicken cheesesteak ever! I love their cheese and want it all over my sandwich and fries! Friendly staff and quick service. My kids love the video game area. read more

Tonight's cheese steak from J. Michael's, was the worst I've ever had. (The in town (original) J. Michael's has always been better than the Porter's Neck location). The beef wasn't seasoned at all and there was little to no cheese on the sandwich. I didn't expect perfection, like one would find in Philly, but come on. This is the second disappointment in a row and I've heard others complain as well. Not sure I'll be returning... read more

This is from June, 2012: I went out of my way to stop here on the way back from Wrightsville after finding it in 2011 during a serious detour from closed eatery to closed eatery (holiday weekend) and fell in love with their rolls/sandwiches. That trip, I ate the philly cheesesteak deluxe and an italian hero, both hot and toasty. I ate 22" (iirc) of sandwich and was in heaven; as good as Philly where I go to Delsandro's and Carmen's every year. The second trip, I wasn't as hungry, so I ordered two standard sizes and ate half my girlfriend's sandwich. It was almost as good as the first time in 2011. Robert G's 2/5 review makes me very sad. I hope they get their act together before my next beach trip. If the Fed's money printing has killed my NC cheesesteak destination, I'm going to be very upset. read more

We've been going here for years, but we will NEVER go back. The food was cold, the meat for the sandwiches was overcooked and very old and it took a long time to get our food. The manager was under the impression we wanted a "free meal ", but all we asked for was the food to be done right. We overheard the kitchen staff laughing at us and making jokes about our experience. Hot potato salad should be hot, and so should be fried mushrooms. Spoiled meat should be thrown out, not overcooked to try to make it palatable. read more

This place is okay at best, i mean the food is pretty good and the service is good . But everything is pretty average except my friends foods were messed up and my friend who asked for no onions and explicitly stated this, received onions on his wrap but they gave him a new one and it was free but also they don't know how to make a wrap correctly as the wrap was filled with foil because it was sticking. the server was really good and the wait was alright but the kitchen staff is mediocre at best. A pretty average sandwich stop that could use some work. read more

Philly type food - no way! I am from the Philly area, not even close. Got an italian sub and I don't even know what kind of meat that was! Fat slices of unknown meats, chunks of lettuce and onions instead of slices, stale roll. Huge disappointment. If I could give less than 1 star, I would. read more

Philly cheesesteak was small, costly and tasted OK. A real Philly place has cherry peppers to go with your meal. Michaels did not. Rated a three cause small bit sized sub had good taste. A very little hint of Philadelphia, PA. But not South Philly. LOL read more

Really? Small portion, poor quality, low value. Just buy some steak-ums from the store and make it yourself...this is not real sliced or marinated steak... it's a frozen product reheated for a minute on the grill read more

This is simply the best cheesesteak I've ever had. There is plenty of room inside. They have a very fast carry out. They usually have sports on the tv. The food always comes out quick. read more

This was by far the best Philly cheesesteak sandwich I've EVER had. I added green peppers to my sandwich and they were cooked perfectly. The bun and meat were amazing. I would highly recommend. read more

I visited J Michael's Philly Deli on Oleander Dr. on 2/27/2019 @ 7:15 pm. It was a 20 minute drive to get there. I ordered Take Out. I placed my order emphasizing clearly what I wanted and even had the order repeated back to me for clarity and understanding. I patiently waited outside for 38 minutes. I received half my order and realized the other half was not in the bag. so I got out my car, went back inside to question where the other half of my order was before leaving again, I drove 20 minutes back home to realize that the order taken was incorrect, especially, with the items I clearly stated I DID NOT want not even being on the ticket, given to the cooks and stapled to the bag.. I called back to place a re-make, I was placed on hold, so I waited again, on hold, for 19 minutes and 46 seconds. Eventually the phone was answered and I stated that I had been on hold for 20 minutes. I place the same order in hopes of it being ready when I arrived 20 additional minutes later. I stated at the end of my order that it was a re-make and was told that they wouldn't make it til I arrived. I arrived and was told at that point the order was being made. After waiting for another 5-6 minutes, I asked to speak with a manager. The cashier called the manager on a phone, and after a few minutes of the cashier telling the manager who was interested in speaking with her, she passed me the phone. I explained that this order has taken a total of an hour and 20 minutes. I informed the manager that I wanted my money back and was told that I could not have it back. I could only have a gift certificate for 13 dollars, (the portion of my order that was incorrectly made). I couldn't believe I was denied my money back for the portion made incorrectly. A young manager named Rodney overheard the conversation I had with the manager over the phone, He introduced himself and showed me exponential care, concern and customer service while waiting for my order. He went above and beyond to call the other manager himself and ask what he could do to help. He talked to me about my order, offered me a drink and apologized with understanding for the inconvenience I and my family (in the car) had endured. The other manager, I had spoken with over the phone, came from the back of the restaurant, looked me in my eyes and DID NOT mention one word, knowing I was the customer who was suffering a lost on a few aspects. While waiting for my order to be finished (another 10 minutes in addition to the 5-6 minutes waiting until approached by him) I could hear a cook singing, about what clearly seemed to be my order, in a condescending way. The manager, Rodney, alerted him that guests could hear him but he continued with the singing once the manager rushed away with food for another guest dining in. So, in a nutshell, we suffered losing time, money and appetite. We have pictures and copies of receipts for the incorrect order and time waited to validate proof of this claim. Needless to say, we are not happy with the resolve and, i don't even know if we will ever use the gift certificate after this experience. It is highly doubted our family WILL NOT be visiting J Michael's Philly Deli in the future. read more

Have been a customer of J Michael's since I took my first date there way back in 1985. Years and several women later I still love the place and the porter's neck store is the best. the staff are very friendly and more than willing to make your visit special. thinking back, I've actually not sampled much of the menu once I had their philly cheese steak I was hooked, it is soooo good. Lived in Fayetteville for a while and I would drive down just for this sub, I would also get two to go and they would package it with the cheese on the side for travel. Love love love J Michael's. read more

One of my friends that lives there took us there while we were on business and OMG the subs were out of this world. You custom make your own with the toppings available. The home made fries were perfection with blue cheese dressing. The portions are big but I managed to finish my 6" sub. The place is very clean, even though there was construction going on. I will visit again if I'm in the area. read more

Every time I'm come here, I get the philly cheesesteak deluxe with bacon and mushrooms. It is always satisfying and still good the next day, as leftovers. The fried mozzarella was average, something I can get from the grocery store and make at home, but the fried pickles were amazing. The service was alright and the decor was kind of random and strange, but based on their food, it is a great place to go. read more