New year, new cheesesteak place. They can't all be good ones, I know that. But I'm never in the mood to have a bad one.
My good friend Leigha and I set off to Yummy Philly Cheese Steak in Van Nuys. We walked in and were greeted by three guys behind the counter who were very friendly. It was clean and very bright inside. I saw this picture on the wall, and I really hoped that this would not be what my steak looked like with the cheese just hangin' out on the roll all unmelted and whatnot:
I asked how they normally serve their Philly Cheesesteak. Normally it comes with fried onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and mayo. I ordered it just that way, except no mayo. As usual, Leigha ordered hers with just steak and cheese. We both made it a combo with fries and a drink.
I thought it took a wee bit long for our food, but that's ok. I unwrapped the first half of my steak, and there was nothing pretty about it. It looked a little burnt and dry. The fries looked a bit darker than they should have been, which tells me they need to change the oil in their deep fryer.
I took a couple bites, and I could tell right away that there wasn't enough cheese. The cheese was not mixed in with the meat and veggies, just placed on the roll. At least it was melted though. The whole thing just tasted pretty bland and burnt, and most of my bites didn't have cheese in them. The bread wasn't bad; a little flaky on the outside and soft on the inside.
I asked Leigha for her thoughts and she said, "dry and not enough cheese." Then she casually informed me that their rating on the door was a B. Somehow I missed that on the way in.
I feel guilty writing negatively about this place because the guys who worked there were so sweet. Twice they asked us if we wanted any coleslaw, they made sure we had plenty of ice for our drinks, and when the cook saw us dissecting the sandwhich for a picture, he wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong. I really just wanted to go behind the counter and show them how to make a better cheesesteak, because I liked them and I want their place to do well.
I didn't eat most of my steak, and I left hungry :-(
Yummy Philly Cheese Steak & Grilled Chicken
6348 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
818-988-8869
