Came here to surprise my boyfriend. Cheesesteak was very good and closest I've found to Philly in south fla. the main girl Heather was very personable and nice, I would definitely recommend this place to friends and family. I'd recommend extra cheese on Philly and au jus, cause I like it drippin'! read more

Best steak sandwiches for so cheap . $9 and $3 for a big side of cole slaw. Would recommend for a fast late night bite.

I went about a month ago and said I'd never go again...well I should have listened to myself. The place was filthy. The cutting board right by the pick up window was dirty. It was cleaned with a napkin..and scooped up in the lady's hand (after she put on fresh gloves )!! I asked her to change her gloves and she argued with me saying it was just crumbs. It wasn't it was lettuce and food scraps. I shouldn't have to be questioned or argued with if she's preparing my food. Also, I ordered a side of cheese for my French fries that was cold because I believe the "cheese whiz" warmer wasn't turned on. I basically paid 19.98 for garbage. I was so grossed out by the cleanliness that I had to look at from the window, and the rudeness. Also I mentioned I actually knew the owner "Big" Al and his son and she proceeded to tell me she lived with them and that him and his wife were currently sick with Covid. Not something that I'm sure they wanted shared. As nice as Al and his son are, I'm sorry the place is not clean ( they just had opened and looked like a Saturday night bar rush) and the staff was combative and eating something with her hands when I walked up to the window. I took one bite and felt the cold cheese sauce and dumped my 20.00 in the garbage. read more

Friendly folks, unbeatable value right off of the main drag, and really delicious food!

Peter good cheese steaks considering location. Make sure you get them with cheese wiz

Went to philly for a weekend and had some pretty good cheese steaks, I get home and get the biggest craving ever and decide to hit up big Al's and man did they deliver. Willing to give you exactly what you ask for and their burgers are good as well. My only dig is their price points which are a bit high but I figure it's all location. Overall great food, good customer service, try it out! read more

We usually draw the short straw of needing a cheesesteak late at night, when this place becomes a magnet for the young clientele of Atlantic Ave. That's no big deal, but I've noticed from time-to-time that buns aren't the only things baking in the backrooms of Big Al's. Cashiers/cooks usually have bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and confusion over the order. It's a bit unprofessional, but the cheesesteaks still come out great. They use thicker-sliced ribeye like you'd find at Pat's or Geno's -- not the finely chopped meat some places have. The small cheesesteak is very small for the price; I recommend opting for the bigger one which is only a couple of dollars more. We've ordered other things like chicken before but it seems frozen and phoned-in, unlike the steaks. read more

I'm from Philadelphia. Any good cognitive psychologist will probably explain that my "standard" of excellence in cheese steaks was probably developed during my early years when my parents went to Geno's or Pat's steaks and shared part of their cheese steak with me. So, here is my definition of an authentic Philadelphia Cheese steak - so you can ignore the rest of this if your definition is different: First, the roll. It must be an Amaroso steak roll, baked that morning and hopefully still warm from the oven. Then it must be toasted lightly to crisp the outside. Everything else is ok, maybe even excellent but not authentic. There are two styles of cheese steak in Philadelphia, Geno's style is chopped gently with the spatula while cooking and Pat's style is prepared from very, very thin sliced eye of the round that is sliced while still frozen slightly and put on the grill with a sizzle. Optionally, the steak can be served with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and peppers. Now, given the standard, how did Big Al make out? I went there twice during the last month. Both times were well after lunch rush hour when they were not terribly busy. The first time they happily toasted my roll (not, unfortunately and Amaroso), almost caramelized the onions and perfectly melted the provolone cheese I requested. While I know the truly authentic steak sandwich is served with cheese wiz, I'm from West Philadelphia and provolone, while frowned upon, is OK. Five stars is impossible on anything but an Amaroso roll and the onions were not quite done, so they earned 3 stars - and if that had been my only visit, that would be the rating. Today, I approached the window to find the order taker on the phone, no one in line, and the grill person cleaning some tables. Exactly what I wanted since I know that toasting the roll is "against policy." To his credit, the order taker immediately ended his phone call and took my order cheerfully and politely. Then I asked to have the roll toasted. He raised is voice and said, "we don't toast rolls." No point in refuting his "that is not authentic" statement since both Pat's and Geno's always toast their Amaroso rolls lightly. I stated, "then I don't want it," picked up my money on the counter and left. On the way out, I encountered the grill man still cleaning tables. I asked his about toasting, he replied, "We are not a sub shop, we have no room to toast rolls." Huh, there was nothing on the grill, no one in line, and no big deal to put the roll on the grill while the steak cooks. So, if you want an authentic Philadelphia Steak with an attitude, this is the place for you. The bread is not authentic and they have the attitude. If you want a good lunch that reminds you of the best part of your relationship with your Philadelphia family, keep looking. If, however, you want something a little better than fast food and the "eat it my way" attitude is OK, this is the place. read more

THIS IS THE ONLY AUTHENTIC PHILLY IN SOUTH FLORIDA! First to all people who don't like wiz, want vege steaks, or hate grease, this is how they make a Philly at Pats and Geno's in South Philly. This is authentic. So complain to the famous places that they emulate and see if they care. They might be able to think about your complaint now that the Presidential Campaign visits are over. Or maybe not. The bread is the same crusty loaf used at Geno's. I am told that they get it from the same bakery and have it shipped down. They use thin sliced ribeye steak and do not chop it because chopping is used to hide inferior cuts of meat. Ribeye is the most marbled and flavorful of the steaks but the marbling does bring some grease with it. This is steak grease which is not the same grease that you get from other fast food joints with cheap meat. Then they carmelize the onions on the griddle until they are clear. Once they turn brown, they get bitter so they throw them out. Then the wiz. You have the option of three cheeses here. The standard is the wiz. Cheese Wiz is the traditional way to do a philly cheese steak. Period. I know it is processed cheese food. I know that it is pumped out of gas stations nationwide and anything that is pumped in a gas station is not meant for human consumption. But there it is. And it is very, very good. Like Twinkies good. You know it is horrible for you and you don't wan to know what it is made of but it somehow works. That is cheese wiz on a cheese steak. When I go to philly, that is all I eat because that is what most people from philly eat. But if you don't like it then get something else. It won't be as good but it is available. They also have Birch Beer which is rare to see down here. It is a north east thing which is like root beer on crack. It is pretty awesome and is the perfect accompaniment. Now the bad. The service can suck because they hire high school kids to do a lot of the work and lets face it, high school kids wouldn't know good service if it bit them on the nose. Then it is expensive. For an 8 inch sub it will cost you more than $8. But don't worry it is actually 8" unlike other sub joints and the sub is so rich that you will be stuffed anyways. Unfortunately, using ribeye and imported buns costs money. So if you are looking for the real deal, look no further. If you think Miami Subs is the greatest cheese steak in the world but are willing to try better, look no further. If you can't get passed cheese wiz as a food product and not a punchline then stay away please. And for God's sake remember, there is no mayonnaise on cheese steak. read more

They got the right ingredients. The bread is not bad, the cheeses, the onions and even the steak doesn't feel like cheap steak. They have an awesome location and the atmosphere is on point with the corner location, the takeout window and the not so friendly employees. My only gripe is that the steak needs a little bit more seasoning. That is the main reason this place doesn't have a line a block long every single night. 99% of the people I've talked to have mentioned that the steak is bland. Management should really tweak their recipe. Marinade the steak of just throw a little rub while its cooking. Some constructive criticism from a cheesesteak fanatic that wants this place to be there forever. read more

Years ago Big Al's used to be a reliable option where us Philadelphians would go to get our cheese steak fix. Not any more. They got too big, too quick and lost all their flavor in doing so. It explains why multiple locations have already shut down. The reality is, it just ain't what it used to be. I loved Gino's growing up and this place is basically a carbon copy, hence the residuals Big Al's had to pay late owner Joey Vento. Big Al's had it all, the cherry soda, the Tastycakes and all the Philly sports swag you'd want to see in your cheese steak shop. I was a big supporter and co-signed them to almost anyone who asked "where do I get a good Philly steak from? Today, I can't in good conscience tell them Big Al's. I'm all for business and I understand the dynamics behind theirs, but once you get too comfortable you tend to lose focus and the ship starts to sink. The service, experience and most important quality of the sandwiches have changed. Places like Jim's, Tony Lukes, Pats or Gino's have been around because of their rich history, but also because no matter how big they got (or wanted to get) they always managed to deliver a quality sandwich year in, year out. Profits started to pour in and naturally greed took over. Cheaper meats, smaller portions, unprofessional employees working in their shops. The list goes on. I hope Big Al one day realizes this before it's too late. Until then, there is no better option than Direct From Philly. They are the Rocky Balboa of cheese steaks in South Florida, while Big Al is more like Spider Rico these days. read more

No idea where all of these 3 and even 4 star reviews are coming from?! Went here tonight based off of yelp reviews and personal recommendations and honestly couldn't have been more disappointed. The bread, onions, and meat were all completely tasteless. Everything was just dropping in oil that it completely masked the tastes of everything else. Not to mention the 1" thick layer of cheese coating the bread, and then the thin layer of meat on top. The fries which I though were good to start, turned out to be saltiest things I've ever eaten. While in comparison to the cheesesteak they were the bomb diggity, in comparison to fries anywhere else they were just average. Thank you for the Coke Zero, the only thing that was on par with my expectations. If you're looking for an oily, cheesy sandwich with a few slices of tasteless meat, then this place is definitely for you. If you want the person taking your order to be on their cell phone while talking to you and someone else at the same time, then this place is definitely for you. If you want a Philly cheesesteak done right, make the drive out west to John Smith Subs in Boca; tasty food and great people. Obviously I won't be coming back to Big Al's. read more

I'm a bit of a cheesesteak aficionado having spent my first 20 years in Philadelphia training my palate. I have to say I don't live in Delray Beach and Big Al's may be the best cheesesteak in that area, but I wasn't very impressed. They tout the sandwiches are on Philadelphia bread and that may be true, however it didn't have the texture, feel and bite of a good Philadelphia Italian bread. Had mine "wit" (a knock off of the phrasing used at Philadelphia's Pat's Steak) onions and cheese wiz. Please note; all "Philly" cheesesteaks (hate that term "Philly") whether they come from Chili's, Applebee's or even Friendly's taste good. It's a good sandwich, but a real Philadelphia cheesesteak has a special taste. I can say Big Al's was just okay and really nothing special; It lacked seasoning and any abundant quantity of meat. By the way, that "special" Philadelphia taste can be successfully exported; try the cheesesteak at Delco's in Dunedin (Clearwater) Florida. A bargain at $5.95 vs. Big Al's at $8.45 and considerably larger too. It's a hell of a long ride from Delray depending on how badly you're Jones'in for a real cheesesteak. read more

I wished I skipped this place. Beautiful Sunday afternoon, was set back a bit by a few things here: 1 I was charged $18 for soda, fries (which were good) and a cold, fatty, steak and cheese (barely any cheese) on a roll that rivaled on old hamburger bun. 2 The guy who took my order seemed perturbed that I was interrupted his vapor smoke break and when I dared ask him if the price was correct his answer was to "read the receipt"...wow, thanks pal read more

Every 10 years there's a place that breaks the mold. Big Al's comes pretty close. It copies the mold. But its a good mold. A philadelphia mold made of cheeze wiz. For a delicious cheese steak with cheese wiz come heree. Its delicious, amazing and inexpensive. read more

This was my first time coming here. They have a nice location on Atlantic Avenue pretty close to the beach in Delray Beach. It's a little out of my way coming from Fort Lauderdale, but still a nice location. I got a regular sized provolone with onions. It's not very greasy as far as Philly cheesesteaks go, but definitely not dry. The meat quality was good, thinly sliced rib eye like it's supposed to be. They don't put a lot of meat in it, but just enough, I guess. The diced onions were a nice touch, nicely caramelized. I probably would have liked a little more cheese in my cheesesteak as well. Next time I'll probably get it with Wiz, since the provolone was a little too bland for my tastes, although still good. Overall, this seems like a pretty authentic Philly cheesesteak place. Nothing special really, but it gets the job done. I'll come back if I'm in the area. It's nice to try them with both provolone and Wiz and compare. read more

The Good: Convenient to order. Cheese steaks are served quickly. Pepper and sauce bar well stocked. Good corner location. The Bad: Food does not taste as good as it sounds. Steak portions are too small for the price. When Big Al's Steaks first set up shop here, I was pretty excited. Few things beat a good cheese steak, priced right at a convenient location. A big feature of the chain is that the bread comes from Philadelphia, and I guess that is supposed to taste better. Ordering isn't really complicated in any way. You order on the left window, pick up on the right. The big disappointment here is the food. It's not bad, but I felt that what I was being sold should have tasted better considering what was promised. I could not taste anything special about the supposed Philly bread, and the fresh shaved rib-eye steak bits didn't stand out to me. Not only that, but the sandwich is small for the price. I though in Philly you were supposed to get a big sandwich, but I could probably eat two of these things without having a problem. I have not tried the cheese wiz but I don't think I would go back to do so. Big Al is opening a store next to 5 guys in Boynton so I might try that out when it's ready. For the record Big Al's could have stayed in Philly and I don't think anyone would have missed it. read more

Authentic Philly style cheesesteaks 1,000+ miles south of Philly? Nah, couldn't be. Yes, Virginia there really is a Santa Claus . . . and there are cheesesteaks -- "wit wiz" -- outside of Philly. Believe it! This is not Philly mind you, but it comes close. Similar to the famous places you may have come to know and love in the city of Brotherly Love, you walk-up to a window, they take your order, walk down to the next window and pick-up your cheesesteak. And YES, they offer Cheese-Wiz (otherwise this place would not have gotten four stars from me). They offer other types of cheese as well, but "wiz" is the way to go. They also offer a selp-help selection of peppers (banana peppers among them). They offer outdoor seating right there on the corner, but the night I was there, it was just slightly too cool to sit out there. My only complaint was the bread -- it was just a bit too soft -- prefer bread for these sandwiches to be just a bit heartier. Otherwise it was wonderful to get a good cheesesteak outside of Philly. read more

THIS place is amazing. i am from philly and i can't believe how good their cheesesteaks are and i haven't even gotten my buffalo chicken sandwich yet. they're open until 3 am and they saved my life honestly. read more

Can't go wrong when you want to be BAD! Cheese wiz steak sandwich is probably not the best thing you can do for yourself, but after a long night in Delray do yourself a favor and walk up to this place. Love it, but be prepared to feel the guilt . read more

Pretty close to the real thing. I am a Pat's guy not Geno's in Philly (In case you care) Sitting outside on Federal Hwy sucks and you can not eat inside. If you take it to go it loses its freshness and gets very soggy. I find it best to eat at the counter in off peak hours. For the novice cheeseteak'r here are the rules. HOW TO ORDER A CHEESESTEAK IN PHILLY: When in Philly, expect your order-taker to have the manners of "The Soup Nazi". Be prepared when you place your order. Cheesesteak shops are not known for their patience and customer service. Act like you know what you're ordering, and don't hesitate while making your choices. Know your order BEFORE you approach the counter, and try and keep special requests to a minimum (but still make sure you get what you want). Ordering a cheese steak can be traumatic in some places. So make your decisions, and be assertive. Some guys can smell a tourist a mile away. Act like you've been there a million times, talk Philly sports, and say "Yo" a lot to try and blend in with the natives. If the menu is numbered, use the number of your selection. And always specify whether or not you want fried onions by saying "Wit" or "Wit-out", this is the Philly way. If you are at Pat's or Geno's, and you want to try your steak with Cheeeez Whiz and onions, just say "Whiz, Wit"-- now that's the proper lingo! read more

god forbid you ask for provolone, lucky if you get 1 slice in your cheese steak also if you want the regs on a cheese steak onions, peppers, mushrooms etc, add $1 for each, ripoff honestly, the dominos around the corner or mellow mushroom does a better job read more

Rude staff Overpriced OK food for a quick bite 2 stars purely on the food. Service is terrible even when you greet them with a smile and ask how their day was. Very rude and condescending staff overall come to think of it. The classic cheesesteak isn't too bad but the bread is very bland and flavorless. If it was 5$ then great but 11$ for a sandwich is a bit much. I have no problem paying for good food but definitely overpriced for what you are getting. Been there twice and the first time I went I told them I'd give them a second chance. I shouldn't have. Happy to say that I'll never be able to see if third times the charm read more

THIS PLACE IS A 0/10. Came here for lunch one day. There were two guys working, one at register and one cooking. When we placed our order all we hear is the guy cooking in the back cursing saying how annoyed he is he has to cook this large order and we ordered all difficult things to cook while the guy at register is laughing along with him. Food was rushed (cause the chef said he didn't feel like making it when there were 0 other customers) and not good. Cheesesteak was barely any meat and mostly bread. Will not return and do not recommend. read more

For 13$ a sub there should be significantly more meat in the sandwiches. It's mainly a heavy bread roll and then a little meat in the middle. I got the triple thread and it was essentially a lot of cheese on top of bread. read more

Not pretentious. We got one cheesesteak, one chicken Philly and shared the Monster Fries. The idea was to split each sandwich so we could try both the steak and the chicken. My friend who got the steak wouldn't give it up. She finally gave me a bite. Both sandwiches were very good. We shared the monster fries which definitely has a full pound or more of potatoes in it. My friend, a picky eater, I assumed would not go near this delicious mess of cheese, onions, peppers and mushrooms; matched me bite for bite. We even had fries left over. I'll be back. read more

Late night food that will hit the spot. Birch beer & Phillys... what more can you ask for at 2:30am? Fast service. Good location as it is right in Atlantic Ave. Their food is good.... not great; however, there are not many places to get a "solid" meal like that so late at night (hence its 4 star rating). read more

Very friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgable staff! The guy behind the counter counseled me the whole way through my order. Lol he even helped me find a great place to grab a drink afterward. Food was excellent! Though, the next time I'm getting double meet and double whiz. The fries were perfect! Crispy outside, soft center and salted perfectly! My only comment is, add a cheese sauce for the fries or at least upsell it. read more

Ordered delivery through Door Dash last night and it was amazing. We ordered the triple threat and the wings . This place has definitely been put into rotation for our delivery orders . read more

On a week long visit, I went to this place a couple of times. Its so good! Certainly the best Philly I've had in a while. Don't even bother with a number 9 or whatever from D'angelos. The meat at this place is far superior along with the bun. I'm drooling thinking about this place right now. It's also open late so its a good savior at night. Certainly check it out, you shouldn't be disappointed read more

Legit Philly cheesesteak! Same rolls they use at genos, they ship them in from philly! All the cheeses even whiz, onions, mushrooms, and a pepper bar. Phenomenal if you've had a few beers. read more

Big Al's Steaks - Sandwiches Near Me - Delray Beach, Florida

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If you find yourself on Atlantic Ave late at night and are absolutely starving, and this is only establishment that is open, I suggest you take the starving route. I'm giving this 4 stars because I am actually impressed by how gross and how awful the food made me feel for the next 24 hrs. read more

Great Philly! Try the Triple. You might need to run a marathon to burn of the calories but trust me it's worth it! Best quick grab and go food. Great after a night of drinking! read more

When I walked up to Big Al's I saw a large stack of cheese Whiz cans in the background, and I knew that this would be a good day :) While the rolls are not of the Amorosa variety, you'll find everything else here is authentic Philly Cheesesteak. You have to order it right (Wit, Wit...or however)...they offer mainly cheesesteaks / fries / and they have tastycakes for sale too. While It wasn't the best I've ever had, it's a close recreation of the philly original. read more

Went to order a hot dog and the worker got upset because I wanted to add condiments ridiculous never been disrespected like that by a fast food worker I have been a customer for years but I will never patronize this establishment again and will tell anyone I not patronize this establishment read more

This is a true Philadelphia like steak and cheese place!!! The food seemed a little more salty than usual. The steak and cheese sub is always good and the fries are delicious. You can't beat Big Al!!! read more

Worse Cheesesteak I've ever had! The meat tasted like it was re-heated, it was gamy and chewy, not at all what I expected from a sandwich stop that specialized in steaks. Also, the cheese wasn't even melted, which I order white American (it melts by looking at it) and to top it off the bread was not even warm, they didn't even bothered to melt the cheese so why would I even be surprised about the bread? Over all the worse sandwich I've spent 10 bucks on! Don't do it! read more

Greasy and tasteless. I didn't like anything about it. Should have went to the pizza shop. Oh and the woman taking the orders was rude and obnoxious. I threw it away. read more

Delray needed this quick and easy hot spot! EATS- With a small menu of subs and phillys, it is a great place to grab a fast bite and sit on the corner to people watch. I wouldn't call it the best philly I have ever had, but it was very good. EXPERIENCE- Food: A- Service: A (very friendly) DAMAGE- For that area- cheapest For a philly- not that cheap OTHER- hard to find parking sometimes.... read more

All i can say is look at the picture. It was inedible and thrown in the trash. It was a slab of meat thrown on a roll. I am from Philly and even if I wasn't I wouldn't eat this. read more

Big Al's Steaks - Sandwiches Near Me - Delray Beach, Florida

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