If you're visiting Philly and you don't stop and get a Philly Cheesesteak, did you even visit…read morePhilly? I stopped by Taste Cheesesteak Bar to grab a late night bite before heading to the train station. Fortunately, the kitchen was still open past midnight (on Saturday nights, the place is open until 2am, but the kitchen closes one hour before closing - in this case, 1am). They have a kiosk to place orders for takeout only. If you want to dine in, you have to wait to be seated. There are also a few tables outside, but they were a little trashy (I wanted to take my cheesesteak out of the container and snap a fresh picture, but there was a dirty bandaid face-up on the table which told me it was not the time and place!).
I ordered the beef cheesesteak ($18, but $20 and change after tax and a 3% credit card surcharge). The kiosk allows you to key in any modifications. They called my name when it was ready, which took about 15 minutes. They bagged it up and included utensils and napkins. The worker also asked if I wanted ketchup (but I passed).
Their standard beef cheesesteak was tasty - soft bread, and comes with peppers, onions, Cooper Sharp, and mayo. I used to think a classic Philly cheesesteak was Cheez Whiz or provolone. Enter Cooper Sharp - it's a creamy, cheesy, and sharp game-changer. We're talking new classic!
The cheesesteak was warm (fresh and made order) and loaded with meat. Flavor was good overall. Though not overtly salty, I was quite thirsty afterwards. If I'm going to nitpick, I would've liked more onions and peppers - I want to be able to taste the onions, and the peppers seemed more like a garnish. But overall, I would be happy getting a cheesesteak from here again. I think I'd do a little more modifications and add mushrooms next time. The late night hours in City Center are a bonus.
There were plenty of customers still dining in and ordering takeout when I visited around midnight. They have tv screens showing sports channels. Volume was very loud from the background music. But even so, the worker effectively called out names for to-go orders over the noise.
The only reason why I'm docking a star is because the restroom was not maintained. Supplies were out - no paper towels, toilet paper, and barely any soap. I get that it's the end of the night, but these things don't just disappear instantaneously... these supplies get depleted gradually, and staff wasn't cleaning/checking periodically enough. Regardless, look no further than Taste Cheesesteak Bar for a taste of Philly! They also have unique offerings like an oxtail, jerk chicken, and salmon cheesesteak.
