Jim’s Steaks

Posted by Edmund in Cheesesteak, Featured Articles, Philadelphia, Restaurants | 0 comments

Cuisine: Fast Food Sandwiches.
Specialty: Philly Cheesesteak.
Location: 4 Locations in Philly. I went to the one at 431 North 62nd Street.
Price: $8 for a Cheesesteak.

After so much intense reviewing, sometimes I just need to take a break, cut out all the fatty foods, and just get on a diet before I start to break the scale. It was all the more important near the end of the last semester, since graduation was approaching and I really wanted to be in shape for that fateful day.

My friend John, however, had a different idea. He came up to me one day, tempting me, saying, “Lighten up. School’s ending, and we have to celebrate in style.” He wanted to end the year by trying some of the greasiest, fattiest, and most delicious foods in town, and he knew I’d be the perfect accomplice.

To an extent, I agreed with him, too. I just couldn’t deny a Food Bust request. At the same time, though, it had to be an extraordinary experience to make me ditch the diet.

So I gave John a proposition: “Sure, I’m up for some cheating. But I’m really in the mood for some cheesesteak…in Philadelphia.” And so began one of the most impulsive trips I’ve ever had in my life, as we jumped on a bus the very next day and arrived in Philadelphia at about 10 PM at night, ready to pull an all-night cheesesteak fest.

That’s not an exaggeration, either. We slept not one wink, instead gorging on cheesesteaks the whole night to keep up our energy until we could do some ceaseless sightseeing in the morning.

Our first stop, you may ask? Not the legendary cheesesteak kings, Pat’s and Geno’s, but rather the lesser known Jim’s Steaks. Jim’s may not have all the frills and touristy paraphernalia of the other two grandmasters of the Philly cheesesteak, but it’s renowned for its more authentic experience.

In fact, that authenticity shows immediately as you walk into the rather bland scene. As with the other steakhouses, it does have the typical celebrity photographs and signatures lining the walls, but here you get the sense that it’s not all about that fame or glam. Rather, the restaurant seems bare-bones, with a simple grill out in front, a few very fun and amiable workers, and a plain dining area composed of a bare set of stools and a small counter.

Not surprisingly, it’s all about the cheesesteak here at Jim’s, which fittingly serves a cheesesteak that is as simple as the restaurant. Jim’s doesn’t try to innovate with endless toppings or ingredients, but rather attempts to perfect the original, traditional cheesesteak. Jim’s is praised above all for its meat quality, as it minces its beef, unlike many of the other cheesesteak joints, which give larger chunks of steak. Due to that mincing, the meat has a nice grittiness/chunkiness and doesn’t taste like mush, since it’s easier to cook all the way through.

Anyway, I ordered a cheesesteak with whiz cheese, peppers, and onions. I didn’t like the idea of the whiz cheese, which seemed artificial and just a bit disgusting, but I wanted to keep to the typical Philly accompaniments so that the cheesesteak would be as authentic as possible.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t too impressed with the overall combo.  The meat, while very savory, had a bit too much of ground beef fattiness to it. Moreover, I really would have preferred full chunks of steak, as minced beef doesn’t give quite the same juicy bite. As for the toppings, I enjoyed the onions, which added a lot of grease and some needed sweetness, but not the peppers, which came off as bland. Moreover, the peppers were way too bitter to go with the meat. At least the whiz cheese was a nice match, complementing the cheesesteak with a good gooeyness, though it was too heavy. I would, however, have preferred the cheesesteak with American cheese, which has a nicer consistency and a bit bolder of a flavor. Finally, the bread was very soft and chewy, providing a needed starchiness for the really fatty meat. It just had too much fluff and too little flavor of its own. The cheesesteak, then, was what I’d consider average, full of both positives and negatives.

The worst part of all, though? Paying $8 for this little cheesesteak. It was extremely heavy with all that whiz cheese and steak, but neither the quality nor the size really justified the hefty price tag. This is fast food, after all.

Jim’s, then, was a disappointment. Expecting an authentic, fresh experience, I was left with an overly heavy, pricey, and somewhat bland sandwich. While the cheesesteak was pretty good, it didn’t distinguish itself in any way.

And so I left, ready to march towards my next cheesesteak, knowing that this could not be the best Philly had to offer.

Scores

Taste: 2.3/5.0
Value: 1.2/5.0.
Overall Score: 1.8/5.0