Cheesesteak sandwich in Boston

[jb70199]

Visiting Boston for the first time soon. Can anyone tell me a good place to get a cheesesteak sandwich? Thanks !!

[Diski]

Eastern Standard has a great pressed cheese and steak that is tooo die for. also LOVE toodies! may need to go there sooon!

[redjustinsox]

The internission tavern on tremont has a really good steak and cheese. Its the closest thing to a real philly cheese steak out of any place ive traveled. The food there all in all is pretty good.

[billyboy]

Does Boston even have a "cheesesteak" shop? I lived there for about 6 years and don't remember ever seeing one. I ate a number of roast beef sandwiches (Kelly's, Nick's), steak tip sandwiches and steak and cheese sandwiches (which are great, but very different from cheesesteaks in terms of how ingredients are prepared and how the sandwich is assembled).

[tamerlanenj]

How exacty is a steak and cheese different than a cheesesteak?

[hiddenboston]

Hopefully I'll get my facts straight, but here goes: A cheesesteak is simpler, usually just steak, cheese, maybe sauce, fried onions, perhaps mushrooms, all on a hoagie. That's about it--the simple kind of item you typically get in Philly. And real steak is generally used (not the processed stuff you get in the supermarket around here). A steak and cheese doesn't typically have sauce, and might include steak-um style meat, and peppers are often included (I believe this is a big no-no in Philly).

The terms are often used interchangeably, which I know would get people from Philly upset, but it's really easy to do. I'm as guilty of this as anyone...

I think Wikipedia needs to address this. Anyone up for it?

[itaunas]

There also is the Steak Bomb with Salami (and sometimes capicola), which I believe is a New England thing. I don't usually go for these, but had an excellent one at Two Dad's in Somerville about a year ago (Skampa also does a decent one). Carl's offers all sorts of variations too, including vinegar peppers, etc.

[kobuta]

I'd agree with you. I've grown up here, and went to Philly for college, and I don't think we offer the same thing. But then I also gave up looking after moving back to Boston and having no luck. If something has since opened up, I'd love to know about it.

[RiceRulz]

I agree with BobB, back in the day for me, it was Ugi's on Huntington Ave. Across from Northeastern.

[danyboy]

Saidies right off Moody street in Waltham has a steak tip sub that beats out any other steak and cheese in the area, espeacilly when cheese, peppers, and mushrooms are added. Carls is a great place to go for a huge greesey sandwhcih though.

[emboston]

Has anyone tried the cheesesteak at Mooo yet? It's on their lunch menu and it's pretty ridiculous (well, first of all, it's $16). I'm curious to see what other Philly cheesesteak lovers think of it - I used to live near Philly and ate them about once a week so nothing really does it for me here. But this one was on a crusty white roll with chopped meat smothered in a decent cheese (cheddar, I think...I'm guessing it's not "wiz"). It wasn't too outrageously big and there was even a little dish of ketchup with it. Not bad. I just don't think I can get over the price tag...

[Bobs Girl]

I second Carl's in Waltham. It is located at 55 Prospect St. They have absolutely the best steak and cheese around. Huge subs!! They have even been mentioned on the Phantom Gourmet. Nice variety of subs. Well worth the drive. You won't be disappointed.

[Guinness02122]

If you're ambitious, and can find the place, Ashmont Market makes a terrific steak and cheese. It's on the corner of Ashmont St./Adams St. in Dorchester. Just head up Adams St. from the Erie Pub towards Ashmont St.. It will be on the right.

[heWho]

Maybe not the very best, but D'Angelo's (a New England-based chain sub shop) makes a solid steak and cheese. They call it a #9.

And as previous posters have said, Boston is not known for cheesteak. I'd stick to chowder, oysters and clams!

[joestrummer]

While Boston is not known for steak and cheese, it's definitely something, like pizza and cold cut subs, that I think is done better on the East coast than anywhere else.
I'd rather get a steak and cheese here than anywhere in the country besides Philly.

D'Angelo's is pretty good and consistent. I always get the roll a size smaller than the steak order.
Makes the sub less bready and more like an old school one stuffed into the roll.

JB, can you try the deep fried steak stick in Lowell (Fried Steak Sub thread) and report back?

[Infomaniac]

totally agree with you that I would rather get a steak & cheese here than any other place in the country besides Philly.

[tamerlanenj]

The cheesesteak is not the first thing I think of when I think of Boston tourist food...anyway, we call it the steak and cheese here. :-)

[trufflehound]

MJ's in Roslindale rivals Landos.

[TomH]

And there is always Toody's in Wakefield. I need to get up there now that I am reminded of it. Yummm.

[bear]

Angelina's in Teele Sq., Somerville, is very good, too.

[yumyum]

Second that, bear. You turned me on to that one.

I also like Ma Magoo's and Cheddar's, both in Fresh Pond.

But for the OP, if getting the grub downtown is a necessity, I think Al's is going to be the best bet.

[hiddenboston]

Might want to go to Cheddar's sooner rather than later. Someone I know who owns commercial property nearby told me that the building was, or soon will be sold and the whole thing might be taken down in order to put up office space, condos, etc.

[MB fka MB]

I tried Ma Magoo's after a number of 'hound recommendations, but didn't think it was any good at all. I wanted the taste to knock my socks off. It was way too greasy/fatty for me, but perhaps this is what constitutes a good steak and cheese? I just might not be a cheesesteak kind of gal, with most of my experience as a teenager with either steak-ums at home or D'Angelos #9 subs.

[beetlebug]

I'm with you on Ma Magoos. I really, really wanted to like it but it's just not to my taste. I don't like the way they chop the meat into teeny tiny pieces and I don't like the bread that holds the meat. The consistency isn't what I'm looking for and the taste isn't quite there for me.

I am a cheesesteak kind of gal and Cheddar's is still my favorite. Small with mushrooms and cheese, on a toasted bun.

[yumyum]

I guess I'm less healthy than you guys (surprise!) I like Cheddar's and would certainly prefer a toasted roll, but the greasy heaviness of Ma Magoos just feels like a cheese steak to me.

Could be that I went to college around here and back in the day, this was the style (and weight) that we ordered late night? Oh, I don't know.

[BobB]

I don't know which day you go back to, but in mine it was Ugi's all the way.

[hiddenboston]

Al's State Street on the northern edge of the Financial District is supposed to have one of the best in town.

My personal favorite is the incredible cheesesteak from the Lando's/Carl's folks (TC Lando's in Acton and Hudson, Carl's in Waltham).

[gltsoi]

I totally second the Carl's recommendation. It's a heart attack in a very large sub roll.

[steve999]

If you get the Carl's / Lando's steak and cheese, bring a real big appetite. One sandwich is enough to feed two, for most people. ymmv.

[chowciao]

Al's does, indeed, have an excellent steak and cheese. They're also enormous - usually 2 meals out of one sub!

[fbf242]

I don't think I've ever come across Carl's - what part of Waltham is it in? Is it just a little sub shop/take-out place?

[bachslunch]

Carl's is several blocks west of Moody Street's restaurant row, about as far west as Il Capriccio but further south. It's a little take out place, though in nice weather there is seating outside in front.

They do huge subs with surprisingly non-greasy steak options which are quite good. Some, including myself, find the rolls a little too soft, especially for this kind of sub. But they're certainly worth mentioning.