Cheesesteak hoagie

Basic cheesesteak

Zinger steak

Chocolate milkshake

Garlic Parmesan fries

108 S 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Phone: 215.515.3828. Website: cleaversphilly.com

Worth visiting in a 2 mile radius.

In my opinion, the Philly cheesesteak is overrated. The recipe of unmarinated sliced steak, American cheese or Cheese Whiz, and hoagie bread seems fine for a quick lunch, but not something to laud as a city’s pride and joy. Nevertheless, on a recent visit to Philly, I felt obliged to have the city’s most famous dish at least once. Cleavers is a trendy cheesesteak joint near Rittenhouse Square which uses artisanal ingredients in its sandwiches, as well as offering some unusual sides such as zucchini sticks and cheesesteak eggrolls. The menu is rounded out with some salad and chicken options, and food is served with a milkshake, a beer from its impressive selection, or a “boozy shake.”

The cheesesteak is meant to be a casual dish, something served at a food cart or diner for a cheap price. Although Cleavers is casual, the prices are high, with a cheesesteak costing $10.95. The cheesesteaks were alright, but not worth the price. The meat was good quality with no gristle, but bland without toppings. I recommend getting a zinger steak (a cheesesteak with delicious hot peppers and provolone instead of American cheese) or a cheesesteak hoagie (with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mayo) over a plain one because the extra ingredients add flavor to the otherwise bland steaks. The toppings are well proportioned and locally sourced, making you feel  good about what you’re eating. Usually I don’t like American cheese because it just tastes like melted fat, but I wish Cleavers had put more on its sandwiches. The small amount of cheese put in was buried below the beef so far down I couldn’t even see it until I took a bite. A cheesesteak should be dripping wet with hot melted cheese, not bone dry. The large proportion of beef hurt not only the cheese but the other ingredients, as the taste of beef drowned everything else out.

The garlic parmesan fries were much better than the cheesesteaks. The waffle fries were fresh out of the fryer and the garlic was abundant. The chocolate milkshake was also excellent, and it was a great drink to go with the hot and greasy fries and cheesesteak.

I really like the concept of Cleavers, and I think it has a great menu, location, and space. Its food is disappointing given the high hopes I had for it (and the high prices), but this place has potential and is worth a visit if you’re near Rittenhouse Square.