Here's a fun, high-energy review you can drop: The Philly Special is an absolute gem out in the suburbs If you're anywhere near Chicago and craving a legit cheesesteak, this place is a MUST. We tried a couple sandwiches and WOW... the flavor is next level The steak is juicy, perfectly seasoned, and piled high, the bread is soft with that perfect bite, and everything just comes together so well. You can tell they really care about doing it right. Hands down one of the best Philly cheesesteaks I've had around here--no question On top of that, the owner is an awesome guy Super friendly, welcoming, and you can tell he takes pride in the place. That kind of energy makes the experience even better. Great food, great vibes, great people. Highly recommend checking this spot out read more

The Philly Special - Philly Cheesesteak - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

See all

Very clean, spacious . 1 lg special beef and cheese fries very lg portions. The bread come out perfect . I had shaved rib eye cheese whiz, mushroom and caramelized onions . It was good next time I'll omit the salt and sub out cheese . Great service nice and spacious. .id like to try the wings next time and a. Frozen ice read more

See all

I heard great things about this place so of course I and to go try it. It is located in a plaza so parking was easy. It was empty when we went in so we were able to order our food right away. We decided on the classic Philly with Riley, krabby fries and Korean bbq wings. If I hadn't gotten the wings I would have given this place 5 stars. The wings just did not do it for me. They were on the tough side. But let's get to it the classic Philly I am still dreaming about it. The bread was fresh and soft, the meat seasoned well and chopped to nice bite sizes and cheese. It comes with onions you can pay to add other things but we kept it simple. It was deliciousness in every bite which paired perfectly with their fries which is old bay seasoning and a cheese cup on the side. I love the style of fries. The inside was clean with plenty of space to sit. Loved that the pictures on the wall represented Philly it just made sense. read more

See all

When I got here, the place was empty. No cars. No customers. No activity at all. Not even anybody working could be seen. This is usually a hard-stop for me, but it was late, I was hungry and it was Sunday night. Not exactly prime-time dinner rush hours, hence the tumbleweeds, right? So I made a policy exception, one I'd soon regret. A gentleman came out from back and I got the Philly hoagie. What kind of place, calls itself the "Philly Special," and uses toppings cut for a salad, and doesn't grill the onions, on a cheesesteak? Large chunks of raw onions and tomatoes, diced?!?! If you're going to incur the time and expense to open a restaurant, and you're going to name it after a culinary creation of a specific place, I would recommend actually visiting that place, so you can understand what it is you are attempting to accomplish. To not thinly slice the tomatoes, and grill the onions, tells me either: - Food taste and authenticity are not the priority. They figure they can just re-use salad and hot dog toppings elsewhere, to save prep time and food costs. - They are utterly incompetent. "The cheesesteaks in Philly have onions. So do mine." Perhaps both. Understanding the basics sounds like a much better idea than working long hours, for few customers, with little help, losing money, until it's time to call it quits and wishing you never opened the restaurant in the first place. The diced tomatoes could be forgiven if everything else was on par. After all, tomatoes on a cheesesteak are non-traditional, but I like it. But raw onions? Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to jail. Raw onions was such a crime, I had to recheck the menu to make sure there hadn't been some horrible mistake. Nope. That's how they do it. "Special" indeed. While the fries were fresh cut, the amount of salt made them inedible. So I threw it away and went around the corner to Pita Inn. $20 down the drain, but I needed to right this wrong. I tried to look on the bright side, I saved money because I didn't get the bigger Philly sandwich due to the red flag emptiness. Guess what? Pita Inn parking lot full. Line out the door. Even late on a Sunday night. Something tells me the owners of Pita Inn have actually been to the Mediterranean before. They understand that little things, such as the way a vegetable is cut, makes a big difference. The writing's on the wall at Philly Special. And the owner knows it. I bet they blame things like "the economy" for their culinary failures, instead of pointing the finger at themselves. And their raw onions. read more

Loved this place! The one owner was very friendly and sociable. Loved the Philly and fresh cut fries. read more

The Philly Special - Classic Philly with white American cheese. - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

Walking into this small establishment was greeted with a friendly face and a very clean atmosphere. The original Philly cheesesteak with cheese and onions was bigger than the minuscule amount of meat you get at Jersey Mike's or Portillo's. The sandwich had a heaping of meat and gooey cheese with flavorful onions, and seasoning. Looking forward to coming back here and making it a regular stop. read more

The Philly Special - Original cheesesteak with provolone and onions. Hit the spot with a heaping amount of meat. - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

See all

We ordered takeout from The Philly Special on a Monday night. I love that you can submit your order online, saving time not having to sit in the restaurant waiting for food and avoiding having to call in an order. Made ordering takeout super easy! The food was good. Pickle fries were our favorite thing we ordered. They were French fry sized pickle slices, so the ratio of pickle to fried outer layer was spot on. The Philly cheesesteaks were good, although, my husband thought it was maybe a little too salty (it wasn't overpowering for me, though). If you're craving a classic Philly, then I would definitely recommend supporting this family owned business! read more

The Philly Special - Pickle fries - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

Never been to Philly or had a proper Philly cheesesteak to tell you if they're legitimate or not, but I can tell you that they're pretty dang delicious. I've so far tried the Philly cheesesteak and the chicken cheesesteak and both of them were really good. My family all agreed we like beef better. Fries were crispy initially, but unfortunately both times were take out orders, so by the time I came home they were a bit soggy. But I could tell that they were good fries and they would have been super good out of the fryer. Again, I don't have a frame of reference to whether this is the way it's supposed to be, but I love that their beef is chopped finely, making them super tender and easy to eat. Most other cheesesteak places don't go the length to basically shred their beef, not sure because of the texture or what, but the way they're able to get rid of meat odor and make it easy to eat is great. I told the owner that I'm super happy my wife and daughter have found a cheesesteak they like and he was ecstatic to hear it. He said that the best kind of compliment for him is being told kids like his sandwiches, which I wholly agree with. I didn't ask specifically, but I could tell from his mannerism that he's probably from Philly, which always adds positivity for me. The place looked nice and roomy with lots of references and photos of Philadelphia, which was cool. I'm sure I'd like dining in if I get a chance to. For now, I'm loving having a place 5 minutes away for a nice hot cheesesteak sammiches. read more

Legit. We had their sandwiches a few times and all are excellent! The owner is super nice. Love how the whole shop is all about Philly! :) esp the decode of Philly slangs. read more

The Philly Special - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

As an east coaster I LOVE that this place has all the jersey gems from cheesesteak to tasty cakes. And even better that this owner has decided to also cater to vegetarians. I really appreciate places like this! We got buffalo cauliflower, crabby fries, two cheesesteaks (one veg and one regular) and then my husband also got a smash burger! Everything was delicious and the hoagie buns for the cheesesteaks were perfectly chewy! We will definitely be back! Two tips - please come on DoorDash so we can order more! Tip two swap out beyond for impossible. It doesn't have the aftertaste like beyond. read more

See all

While in the area for a short visit, we noticed this place nearby and decided to stop in and are glad we did! My wife having gone to college and lived in Philadelphia enjoyed the local nods, including the references to "jawns" and "wooder". The sandwiches are really good-cheesesteak hoagie in particular. My wife had hers with Cheez Whiz ("wit") while I had mine with white American cheese. Side of fries was gigantic, which made the $4.99 add on of fries and a fountain drink a good deal for the amount of food. read more

The Philly Special - Cheeseteak Hoagie with white American cheese and fries - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

It's a great place with great people. Always friendly and welcoming to my Philly gear. A little taste from home in a far away land.

Friendly staff, Philly vibe with all the sports photos and banners. $27 for a large sandwich and large fries... but easily enough to satisfy two adults. They offer three cheese types, I opted for the cheese whiz, which IMO adds a touch too much salt. But, I enjoyed. Fresh cut fries were fabulous. read more

See all

We finally stopped in here for lunch and were greeted right away. There are several different Philly's on the menu and I plan to try more of them. The sandwiches are big and come with a fork for a good reason! You won't go home hungry. A friend from Philly says this is the most authentic version she's had outside the sandwich's home city AND the shop flies in Amarosa buns. There are at least 10 tables plus some elevated seating at the window, so if call ahead if you are going with a big group. read more

This is a Philly brother for sure. What a fantastic sandwich. It's really really meaty and cheesy. These are generous sandwiches. I ordered the small and I thought it was the large? Rolls taste like amoroso's style rolls. Just a great combo with the fried onions and melty goodness. I didn't order the fries and was really stuffed. I'll take someone next time to share fries. Cheers to the guy that took my order total pro. It was piping hot and delicious. I've been to Philly read more

The Philly Special - A spectacular Philly cheesesteak, wit, onions, and white American delicious - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

I've heard great things about this place and I was not let down. Packed with flavor, steak, and cheese, these sandwiches are delicious. I ordered the cheesesteak hoagie with cheese whiz. While yummy, I was extremely thirsty after (beware - high sodium content). The price came out to around $20 per 12" sandwich which is a bit on the pricier side, but just half can easily fill you up. We were recommended any of the cheesesteaks by the employee inside, who was super blunt but overall nice. Once you choose your sandwich, you can choose your cheese - the three options include: cheese whiz, provolone, and white American. The inside is clean with Philly decorations everywhere and at each table, they provide seasoning and sauces if you decide to dine in. read more

See all

Our Philly Cheesesteaks had a great taste, but didn't have as much meat as they normally do. It was surprising to taste more bread than meat. Onion rings were good. The place was very clean. read more

Finally got around to trying it today and the Philly was outstanding generous portion and great fries read more

The Philly Special - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

Food: superb Service: friendly and quick Ambiance: casual Been here a few times now and every single time it never disappoints. I enjoy the classic steak, no onions with provolone cheese and a basket of hand cut fries! We've also tried the buffalo wings once and we were impressed. Totally recommend all that we ate so far: classic steak with provolone, hand cut fries and buffalo wings. Fountain drinks and craft/local beer are available for purchase. Will be back for more yumminess! read more

See all

Right out of the gate, I will start by saying, their cheesesteak is very good. If that is all that matters, stop reading, and give The Philly Special a shot. The employees are friendly, the restaurant seems clean, and the décor is apropos. This would normally be a quick and easy 5 stars, but there are a few detractors. Although they do that nice double fried type French fry, mine were dried out as if they had been sitting for a long time. There wasn't anybody in the restaurant at dinner time, and maybe they had made some in advance in expectation of more people; I don't know, but they should make them fresh. The end of the hoagie bun my cheesesteak was served on was stale. Not the middle, just the end. Lastly, the pricing here is a bit on the high end, especially for non steak items. I wouldn't have taken stars away for the price if everything was as expected, but the stale bread and old fries were the issue here. That being said, there is a good chance if you come here, which I still recommend you do if in the area, you will probably get great fresh fries and fresh bread, that just wasn't my experience unfortunately. read more

Ate there today and would just like to share that the food was great. We had the Classic Philly, fries and onion rings. All were excellent. Friendly and accommodating as well. We will be back soon! read more

This place is legit! My wife, who is a Philly girl, loved It. They have Herr's chips, Amoroso bread for their cheesesteaks (that's like having Gonella bread at an out-of-state Italian beef sandwich spot), wiz and white American cheese. I took a pic before opening it, but forgot to take another because I was so excited to chow down. I was not disappointed. So good. Ambiance is swell. Service and attention to detail is great. The fries are cooked perfectly, but maybe the best side l've ever had at a place like this is the fried pickles. Insane. I want more right now. Go Hawks! read more

See all

I'll keep this simple and sweet. Customer service 5/5, food 5/5 ambiance 5/5. Cheesesteak was well seasoned, filled to the brim with loads of heavenly cheese sauce. My arteries may not appreciate it but my stomach sure did. My order was the classic, with cheese wiz (suggested by the friendly gentleman at the counter) and I added cherry peppers. A must if you're ordering this sandwich, the snap, fresh spicy kick from the peppers was just the amount of umph the sandwhich needed to complete it. I will definitely be back again. read more

The Philly Special - Classic steak, cheese wiz and cherry peppers - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

need to preface my review ,it was my first Philly steak sandwich ever so I can't really compare to the greats However I loved the sandwich with cheese wiz and onions , fries were outstanding malt vinegar on the table was a great add Well done I will return ! read more

Great food, very clean and nice atmosphere. Service was quick and owner was very nice!

Ok this was fantastic. Perfect little off the main road spot. Tons of people, moved quick. Standard cheesesteak was great, crabby fries huge portions and super fresh. Would go again for sure. read more

The Philly Special - Cheesesteak 8" with Wiz - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

The Philly Special - Mundelein Stopped in on a whim after my son-in-law (who's from Massachusetts) said this was the closest thing he's found to an authentic Philly cheesesteak in the Midwest -- and he was right! The sandwich was fantastic. Soft, fresh bread, generous portion, and perfectly cooked steak with melted American cheese and onions. One of the best sandwiches I've had. No clue how many calories were in it, but worth every bite! I'll definitely be back. Highly recommended if you're craving a great cheesesteak read more

I know The Philly Special gets a lot of five-star reviews, so maybe I'm in the minority here, but after giving it three tries, I'm just not a fan. I travel to Philly several times a year and was hoping this would be a go-to spot, but it falls short for me. First, the cleanliness could be better. Tables aren't cleaned in a timely manner, and on my last visit, the floors were sticky--definitely not the best first impression. As for the cheesesteak, the meat isn't chopped as finely as it should be, which makes eating it a bit of a challenge. More importantly, the flavor is lacking, and during my last visit, the meat tasted a little off. Price-wise, it's not outrageous, but for what I'm getting, it just doesn't feel like a good value. read more

I travel quite a bit for business and I'm always in search of a good hoagie. I found this place via a Yelp search and thought I would give it a try. All I can say is I was not disappointed one bit. The place has a very cool vibe with lots of "Philly" decor. The gentleman who took my order was smiling and quite helpful. Being from Wisconsin, we don't have this type of sandwich available locally so I asked what type of cheese and he gave me suggestions. Choices were.Wiz, Cooper Sharp and Provolone. The "Cheesesteak Hoagie" was absolutely out of this world. The meat was seasoned perfectly and very tender. The way the cheese was blended into the meat, enhanced the flavor of both. The Amaroso roll kept everything together yet was incredibly soft and delicious. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a true Philly Cheesesteak.. I sent pictures of this sandwich to no less than a half a dozen people within the hour. When each asked where I got this, I told them "The Philly Special" and recommended it to each of them. In a world full of fast food, chain restaurants, skip them all and come here. You won't be disappointed!! read more

See all

The Philly Beef with onions...SO GOOD! We drove 40 minutes and well worth it. Lovely set up! Great crew. read more

The Philly Special - Philly Cheese with onion - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

See all

Husband picked up food so review is only regarding the food. Philly special classic steak was excellent. I really enjoyed the thinly slice steak and the melted cheese. Onion rings were also excellent. Nicely fried and crispy. Fries were ok. I didn't particularly enjoyed the fries here. Kinda soggy and under seasoned. read more

See all

Great food. This place is just right. Give it a try! You won't be disappointed. I really loved their Philly Steak! read more

Awesome food! It's more of a take out or a quick bite and go place. Food was great though.

Really wanted to love this place. Ordered Philly cheese with white American. Tasted very globby, maybe too much cheese + onion and not enough meat. Not that flavorful. Bread was good. Fries were fresh cut, very good. Compared to the local competition in the burbs, one of the better ones, but vs the Philly top steak eateries - Delassandro's, John's, Prince of Steaks, not as good. Will come back at some point. read more

The Philly Special - Split a Philly cheese. Very big for $19.00, not too bad these days. - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

Lucky enough to stop by this place on what I think is their first public opening. It took a little while to order the food - I thought they were just a bit overwhelmed by all the customers but after talking with the owner he let me know their cook no called/no showed so he was taking the orders and grilling up the food. The food was out of this world good. I don't want to mince words here - this is THE BEST CHEESESTEAK I've ever had. Straight up. The fries are a bit like Five Guys but more crispy - so definitely hand-cut and made in house. *chef kiss* We also got the pickle fries which were great too. Will definitely be back very soon! read more

See all

As anyone from Philly knows it is hard to find a legitimate cheesesteak outside of Philly. Visiting Chicago, I found a gem. Hooked by the name (IYKYK), I figured I'd take a chance. When I walked in, I was greeted by the owner proudly wearing his EAGLES Super Bowl sweatshirt. After exchanging pleasantries and where we were raised, he handed me my payload that felt like it weighed 5 pounds. He said proudly, "I do this for guys like you!". Driving 100 MPH back to my hotel, I settled in at the crappy table in my room and opened up the still steaming mass of beef, cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms. A mammoth oversized cheesesteak. 10 minutes later, I stepped away victorious, having conquered what was one of the better cheesesteaksI've had, including those in Philly. A little pricier than what you might find elsewhere, but this was like a Katz's deli version of a cheesesteak. If you find yourself north of Chicago in the Vernon Hills area, you must try this place. You'll thank me later. read more

The Philly Special - Cheesesteak with American cheese, grilled onions, and mushrooms. Groooooaaaaan. - Salad Near Me - Mundelein, Illinois

So for starters, this place used to be a burger joint i really liked. Its always sad to lose a good spot, lucky burger will be missed! I really wanted to like this place what with all the hype around it. Ultimately I found it pretty average. I had the smaller size philly. The steak is chopped so fine... I felt like the sandwich had no texture. The bread was a bit tough, not old or stale but just very chewy. There's an upcharge for green peppers (which i think typically come standard on a Philly, I could be wrong.) and they were barely noticeable. I wanted more everything really, onions, peppers, and cheese all seemed a bit lacking. The meat did have a nice flavor, it definitely wasn't bad. The fries were just ok, this isn't my favorite type of fry but im sure some people would be happy with them. They needed more seasoning as well. They ran out of big sandwichs while I was there, seems like they're still finding their footing as far as how much they need to order to sell all day. Keep this in mind and come early if you don't want to miss out. The bathroom was unpleasant, it needs to be cleaned more often or I caught them at a bad time. The man behind the counter looks stressed but was very friendly and happy to have our business. I'm not sure if this is truly an authentic experience, I've never been to a real Philly place. I can say that I've had better, similar sandwiches for less money (this place is on the pricey side) so while I didn't dislike my food I was ultimately disappointing. read more

See all

the absolute most bland no flavor no seasoning food ive ever ate in my life. terrible. 0/10 dont recommend. worst cheesesteak ever. long mushy hot peppers. fries fried to hard taste like cardboard. please hire new cooks. its -10 degrees i am pissed! wish i can give no stars read more

I don't know where all the hype is about how wonderful this place is. It was the most awful food that I have ever eaten. The fries were cold and the cheesesteak sandwich was the worst thing that I have ever eaten. read more

Amazing, loved it! I started this review blast year.. I'm in LA now sitting in a cheesesteak joint and wishing I was at the Philly Special. I'm really missing this place, a really great cheesesteak, bang for the buck! You'll be coming back to this place for sure. I'm thinking about it right now and I'm about 6000 miles away. If I power it, I can make it there for dinner tomorrow. read more