I saw a groupon for Barb's Philly Cheesesteak in Tarzana. The deal was $12 for two cheesesteaks with fries, two side items, two drinks, and two desserts of the day. Quite the deal, and it sounded good to me!
My good friend Leigha and I set off for Barb's and we made sure we were starving, since we were planning on chunking out, as my buddy Dave says.
Out front there was a little sign to advertise:
I'm guessing that they are fairly new, because the inside was pretty plain and not much was up in the way of decorations.
We presented our groupon and ordered our steaks. Leigha got her's plain with provolone. I got mine with peppers, onions and mushrooms. I remember thinking they did not have many cheese options, but I should have written it down, because now I can't remember exactly what those cheese options are. I believe it was only wiz or provolone. How do you not offer American cheese? Leigha ordered coleslaw for her side item, so I got the potato salad.
Our food came out quickly. I noticed right away on Leigha's steak that the cheese seemed very separate from the meat, like perhaps they just placed it on the roll?
Leigha said that there was way too much bread, not to mention that the bread wasn't very good. I also was not crazy about the bread.
We both thought that the meat had too much seasoning, almost too salty. The veggies on my steak somehow weren't that great...they didn't blend well with the meat and cheese, and the peppers seemed slightly undercooked.
I also thought that the meat was burnt and a tad dry. The wasn't enough cheese, and it didn't get very melty.
Leigha didn't like her coleslaw, she felt like it may have been old. My potato salad was just ok.
After I finished the first half of my sandwich, I honestly didn't care if I ate the second half or not. Leigha said she only ate all of her's because she was starving. We had pretty high hopes, but in the end felt disappointed.
Dessert came, and the dessert of the day was chocolate cupcakes that they made there. They were delicious! The highlight of the meal! They were moist and fluffy and we both devoured them.
This is another one of those situations when Leigha and I feel guilty for not liking the place, because the family running it was so nice. They also seemed so concerned that were enjoying our meals, and really wanted us to have a good experience. They asked a few times if everything was good, and we lied and said yes. What else do you do in that situation? I really can't stress enough how kind they were. I always wish I offer a little advice, but would never want someone to be insulted by it or take it the wrong way. I am curious to know why they chose Philly cheesesteaks as their business, but I hope that they continue to improve. I really hope that they are successful!
Barb's Philly Cheesesteak
18612 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91356
818-343-1818
