Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    John's Philly Grille

    4.3 (699 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    John's Philly Grille Photos

    Business Info

    JOHN'S PHILLY GRILLE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - John's Philly Grille

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Sylvie C.

    Visiting John's Philly Grille never fails to hit the spot. The fries are always super fresh as are the sandwiches. It's overstuffed with meat and perfectly melted cheese with grilled onions. I am glad I don't live too close there because I would go there all the time and die from a heart attack!! It's no health food but something I enjoy very VERY MUCH. Also.....there's free parking right outside the shop and outside seats to gobble down the yummy piles of food right there and then. The service is quick and efficient. Hardly any waiting needed although placing the order ahead of time helps. Just go to their website and submit the order about 10 minutes prior to arrival.

    Half of a #1 with onions and no peppers
    Courtney C.

    Came here after years of not coming and was so glad that the food was just as amazing as I remember. Was super fresh and really tasty. The only thing that I don't like is that there is no public bathroom. I usually have to drive about 40 minutes to get there so it's inconvenient to have to find a bathroom elsewhere.

    Amy N.

    Hole on the wall fats food place and amazingly tasty!!!! The sauce is also very good! Staff is always nice and helpful. Small parking outside but not a problem. They do have outdoor sitting area. This is the place where you can also get old school root beer!

    This thing is packed!!!!!
    Steven H.

    Oooh.. Jesus. If you can finish their full size beef sandwich... I will probably start judging you. Portions are huge and one order of fries can feed 2 with ease. Half of sandwich is all you need as the amount of meat they put in is easily triple the amount you get at those mall joints with juicier tender beef. Be careful as the cheese steaks are piping hot! Almost burnt down my entire mouth. Staffs are nice and gets the job done in a timely manner! Outdoor seating only so be prepped for that. Haven't been to Philly but this is the best I've ever had so far. I'm afraid to try the famous joints in Philly because I feel like I will be disappointed there...

    Robert B.

    Great Philly cheesesteak sandwich, it is outdoor seating only and no restrooms. Good deal for the price!

    Green Pepper Cheesesteak
    Harrison T.

    The best spot in OC for a cheesesteak! The sandwiches here are huge and a half size portion will fill you up. They also have hoagies and plenty of sides to go along with your sandwich. This place has a very casual vibe and it's a well-known local spot and they give you generous amounts of meat in your sandwich nestled in soft bread. My go to is the green pepper cheesesteak and they load it with peppers and onions. They bring out your food fast and they also have tables right there so you can sit and enjoy your food. The staff keep the tables clean and will happily take your order at the counter. If you are a fan of cheesesteaks, you have to drop by when you are in the area!

    Hella good. Definitely not beating the prices anywhere. Local. Never gets old. Make sure you add the hot chillies.

    Mushroom cheesesteak
    Blake M.

    This place continues to be my favorite Philly cheese steak. The food is always amazing and keeps me coming back. They don't go shy on the portions, as when I ate, I had stuff falling out with every bite. The customer service is always exceptional. This is the first time I've tried this location, and it's just as good as the one by the college. Tip: get the garlic pepper plant sauce to go with the sandwich

    Storefront, note the cooler full of hanks soft drinks

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anna S.
    0
    68
    51

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy N.
    349
    585
    2972

    8 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Robert B.
    159
    530
    328

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Excellent sandwich. Great portions. Fast service. I agree with great reviews. I recommend.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Artie P.
    26
    87
    20

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan H.
    3
    100
    4

    5 months ago

    Best cheesesteak I have ever had. Drove 2 hours just to come back. Not looking forward to drive, but hope to be back soon.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob D.
    87
    56
    3

    6 months ago

    Always a great sandwich! Meatball Italian sausage or Philly you will be well content.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul P.
    0
    59
    13

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 3
    Love this 5
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Fire spot to pick up grub and bring home for a feast. Thumbs up and recommend to the future customers

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tony N.
    0
    65
    56

    6 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of John C.

    John C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    The best Philly cheesesteak in Orange County in my opinion. Cool little outdoor spot just down the street from the beach. Fast service also

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    The best Philly cheesesteak sandwiches around- I usually get the #4 the works- it's fantastic

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    The subs are always the best. Price has gone up but still worth it. Their fries are the best in town.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 18

    Ask the Community - John's Philly Grille

    Is the original owner still running this location? Seems we have new owners at Seal Beach and sandwiches changed and not nearly as good.

    Hi This is John and I am the original owner and I still operate the Beach Blvd. location.… 

    Is the original owner still there?

    Yes, He was here today.

    Hamburgers are they good?

    Hello Jeanene C., Yes the burgers are very good. I eat them often . We serve 1/3 pounder of fresh ground beef on a Kaiser Roll .… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Ike's Love & Sandwiches

    Ike's Love & Sandwiches

    4.3
    (659 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    We did Grub Hub...too hot to go out!! My husband ordered…read more Turkey with extra meat(as always) and it also had cucumber, avo lettuce, and maybe a few other things I forgot on sourdough. With cream cheese spread! Very refreshing!! Perfect for a hot day! Tasty too! My sandwich was a steak, steak sauce a Either onion rings on crunch roll. Awesome. Super fresh. Tastes all went together perfectly. Both sandwiches were so big we could only eat 1/2 at a time. An easy tip. Wrap the remainder in foil and the bread stays soft. Can't wait to eat the rest. I came to try Ike's because I let one of their workers go ahead of me in line at the market. He described a few of the sandwiches and I was intrigued. Nice job! We may stay with Grub Hub but the sandwiches we got are worth it and looking at the menu, they have many veggie and gluten free options. Next time I'm getting a cookie!

    If you are coming to this location, there is really only one sandwich you need to get: the #111…read moreMénage à Trois. It's a pulled chicken sandwich that is absolutely delicious--honestly, it's the most unique "actual" sandwich you can get in the area. The Perfect Order: * The Build: You have to get it on Dutch Crunch bread with no tomato. * The Flavor: The Dutch Crunch is amazing, especially with the honey on it. The sandwich itself is almost like a chicken sloppy joe--it's bomb. * The Perks: I love that they still include those little caramel apple suckers with the order. It's a signature touch that I hope they never stop doing. * Rewards: Their point system is very favorable. I frequently get free drinks, chips, or discounts on my sandwiches. The Critiques: * Ingredients: Like a few other spots, this one makes me feel a bit "off" afterward. Since the meat is tossed in sauce and they add more to the bread, I suspect there might be some MSG involved. * Pricing: Things are getting expensive across the board, and I feel like most places--this one included--are overcharging by about $3. Five stars would only be achievable if the pricing was more reasonable. Final Thoughts: Despite the price and the "food coma" afterward, the #111 is too good to pass up. It's a solid four-star experience every time.

    Photos
    Ike's Love & Sandwiches
    Ike's Love & Sandwiches
    Ike's Love & Sandwiches

    See all

    Board & Brew

    Board & Brew

    4.4
    (167 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    I consider myself above average in the field of sandwich expertise. I work in the field as a…read moreRegional Manager, I enjoy sandwiches still and I try out different spots often to see what the "competition" is like. Board and Brew is definitely top notch! I was deciding on where to snag lunch on my way to another store doing my rounds and I really wanted a sandwich. I decided to get the Turkado, some dirty Maui chips and drink. The total came to $17 and some change, not bad about the avg for the area and any lunch. The service was great, the woman who helped me was nice, and efficient, she helped me select what chips to get. Not much bantering but I do enough of that at work, so all good here. The store was clean, nice vibe, music. My order was ready in the time it took me to fill my soda cup and sit down to scroll 1 scroll thru outlook emails. Maybe 5-7 mins the woman who gave me my order asked if I wanted some secret sauce on the side, and put it in the bag. The bag felt heavy! The sub was huge! Probably 8inches bread was nice and springy, there was enough lettuce, tomato and sauces on it. I love the sunflower seeds, gives it a nice little crunch. The meat is more of a very thin piled high but there is a lot of it! I like how the sub is assembled meat, cheese, toppings sauce, it seems to hold together nicely.

    This review covers my experience across multiple locations, including Harbor Boulevard in Costa…read moreMesa and Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. When I first started coming to Board and Brew, I would have given it a solid five stars, but my perspective has shifted after six years of exploring other local options in the county. The Evolution of the Experience: * Ingredients: While the food is definitely better than a pre-made deli sandwich from a grocery store, it isn't exactly top-tier. The bread and meat are good, but as you try more specialized places, you realize these are fairly standard. * The Famous Sauce: Their signature sauce is tasty, but it feels like it contains a high amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is a neuro-exciter that can make people feel overstimulated or unwell after eating it, and it feels particularly intense in this recipe. * Consistency: Both the Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa locations were great initially, but they now feel more like a solid, middle-of-the-road option. The Best Use Case: * Catering & Events: Even with a three-star rating, this is absolutely the place I would go if I needed catering for a birthday party or a large event. Their pricing and preparation for bulk orders are hard to beat. Final Thoughts: If Yelp allowed half-stars, I'd probably give this a 3.5. It's a reliable, solid sandwich shop, but the ingredient quality and the intensity of the MSG in the sauce keep it from being a five-star favorite for me anymore. Edit: The owner replied to my comment about how their food is high quality, but 6 years of taste testing says otherwise. While you may not add pure MSG crystals to your sauce, it still contains MSG.It is misleading to claim "No MSG" or "High Quality" when the sauce relies on ingredients that are chemically identical to it. For instance: Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: These are among the highest natural sources of free glutamate. If the recipe uses tomato paste--as many copycats do--it will test positive for MSG. Soy Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce: Both frequently cited in recipes for this sauce, these contain naturally occurring MSG through fermentation or hydrolysis. Nutritional Yeast: Often used to provide a savory flavor, it naturally contains high levels of glutamate.Hydrolyzed Proteins: Ingredients like "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" (HVP) or "yeast extract" are processed specifically to release glutamates. Legally, a company might say they "don't use MSG" if they don't add the pure additive, but that is a technicality. MSG is linked to various health issues for sensitive individuals, and just because many consider it "safe" doesn't mean it's healthy or non-harmful. If the food is truly "high quality," why rely on these additives to create flavor? Best Wishes

    Photos
    Board & Brew
    Online Order rack for easy pick up!
    Online Order rack for easy pick up!
    Chicken club: marinated chicken breast topped with bacon = $10.95

    See all

    Chicken club: marinated chicken breast topped with bacon = $10.95
    Fritzankotters

    Fritzankotters

    4.1
    (320 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    Gotta try Fitz Deli ! It's owned and operated by an East Coast mom-and-daughter team who are…read moreincredibly welcoming and happy to share the story behind their business. We've been a few times and always enjoy the friendly atmosphere, with both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu has some unique sandwich options, and if you're unsure what to order, just ask; they're happy to make great recommendations. You can tell they take pride in their business. Fitz Deli is becoming one of our favorite places for sandwiches in Huntington Beach. Highly recommend supporting this local business.

    My neighbor friend and I continue to try out different restaurants in the area that serve…read morewell-reviewed pastrami sandwiches. Fritzankotters in Huntington Beach got mentioned, so my wife, our neighbor, and I decided to come down for lunch at the deli, and then spent the afternoon at nearby Sunset Beach. It ended up being a good day at lunch and a great afternoon. The restaurant is located in an older strip mall, near the corner of Warner and Springdale. The mall had a lot of surface, uncovered spots, so parking wasn't a problem around lunch time. One orders and pays at the counter, and the sandwiches are brought out to you when dining in. The menu consists of both cold and hot sandwiches. There is a self serve ice water jug, along with a self-serve pickles (sliced kosher dills) and peppers (both pepperoncini and cascabella). It's a really nice touch and we took advantage. One thing that made me do a double take was the offer of $3 anytime pints of the house lager on tap. It was confirmed by the owner that it was correct, and each of us got a glass. Clover is the payment system used here, and was able to get a text with the bill. It took a bit of time for the sandwiches to come out. Our friend and I split two hot sandwiches. First being a Mock Ruben ($12.50) consisting of Corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, and mustard on rye. I thought it was good, with a nice meld of flavors and well grilled/toasted bread (not a strong rye). Friend thought it was dry. We both agreed my sandwich was much better, Cousin Eddie ($14.25) consisting of pastrami, swiss, deli mustard, 1000 island, and pickled red cabbage. It came on a soft hoagie roll, and the flavors really melded together well. My wife got a Messi ($14.25), a roast beef with pepperjack with chimichurri and onions on ciabatta. Since my wife is not a fan of neither chimichurri and onions, I asked for it on the side, which was recorded that way on the bill. For some reason, a custom item charge of $0.75 was put on the bill (thinking it was for the side of chimichurri), and unfortunately there was chimichurri on the sandwich which my wife gamely tried to pick off. None of the sandwiches were large, nor were any of them stacked with that much meat. In fact I was able to eat half of each of the sandwiches, but for the price, I thought it was very reasonable. The pickle and pepper bar is a great idea, letting anybody add some zing to any sandwich. The service was friendly, as the owner genuinely seemed to care what we thought (though my wife didn't feel like complaining about the chimichurri). And the pints of the house blonde on tap was a bargain. They seem to have a pizza night on Thursday, and the beer would absolutely hit the spot then.

    Photos
    Menu as of 5/4/25
    Menu as of 5/4/25
    Mammas Meatball and Valachi Sub
    Mammas Meatball and Valachi Sub
    The Bronx

    See all

    The Bronx

    John's Philly Grille - sandwiches - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...