One of my favorite things to do while Yelping is bookmarking restaurants. Those who know me will say "bullshit", but alas....I am telling the truth! Well, a half-truth. I bookmarked this place months ago when someone mentioned amoroso rolls. The folks in Philly who know cheesesteaks use this type of bread and this adds a flair of authenticity. After getting my locks shorned, I ventured over Philly's Best to see if this place resembled my Geno's and Pat's taste test in May 2006. Philadelphia mementos plastered on the walls give it that "we know Philly" feel. Fake to me..... I ordered the simple cheesesteak with Wiz for around $6. Something was missing here. My hopes were fairly high when I entered, but they came crashing down hard while eating. As of this writing, I still can't figure out what was missing. Was it the ambiance? Was it the fact that it wasn't Philadelphia but the LBC? Probably. My hunger was still there after the 1st cheesesteak, so I ordered another to go thinking I would find the missing link. This time my trip included onions, but nay. I still cannot find what's missing! 3 stars and only 3 stars. read more

One of Long Beaches greatest eats! I always have a good experience coming in here and ordering my food. I usually go back and forth between getting the philly cheesesteak with provolon or just a cheesesteak with cheese-wiz. All the sandwiches are made to order, and when you take that first bite, strings of cheese just stretch out. If you love cheese, then you can get your cheese fix here. The staff is super friendly and are happy to hook you up with whatever you want. I've never been to Philly and always wanted to - to experience the real deal. With all the others around here in Cali, I find this to be best tasting. read more

They nailed it. It REALLY REALLY REALLY tasted authentic. They do a WAY better job than BIG MIKES. Or anyone else for that matter. Plus you can get Newcastle with your meal thats awesome. Reasonable with the prices. The portion sure isnt as big as Pat's but then again the steak isn't $10.00 either. I was actually stunned how authentic this steak was. I used to go to philly once a month in Jersey just for a steak. This is the holy grail this side of the mississippi. It also happens to be the same brand of cheese steak i used to purchase from Restaurant Depot when I had a restaurant. I cant say enough good things about the phillys best brand. read more

Philly's Best makes me want to kick myself in my own ass for missing an opportunity to have an authentic Philly cheese steak while in the Pennsylvania for business. If this restaurant serves up close to what the real deal is supposed to be, I want to try the real deal then, because these sandwiches are a knockout! Get my city of brotherly love reference there? Rocky! Rocky! Anyway, I got the signature Philly's Best, with peppers, cheese and mushrooms. I loaded up with a side of sweet cherry peppers and devoured my sandwich like a Balboa raw egg breakfast! Yo Adrian! Did you get that one? It was fantastic. Service was fast and friendly. What's not to like? read more

Quality has gone downhill. Place needs to be updated. A lot.of the furniture are extremely worn down. Does the owner not care? Table isn't bolted down, almost took out my nephew who was trying to climb into his seat so.please be careful. Customer service still the same, simple. You place your order at the register and wait to be called. As you're waiting for your food to cook, you have the pickle bar to stock up on. Portion is much smaller than what it was a few years ago. And not as cheesy as it used to be. Meat used to bulge out and the juice would drip over my tray.... now the meat is dry and the sandwich isn't as plump as it once on. Disappointed... I will come back another day to see if it was just an off day. The place is in need of an update though. read more

I'm from Jersey so I know a thing or two about authentic cheesesteaks. This is a chain with several locations in LA, Orange & San Diego counties. The meat, bread and cheese were good. I didn't see the cans of Cheez Whiz but OK. I've always gotten mine with American White or Provolone. I wanted onions but they were cut too think for my liking. Usually, onions back east on steak sandwichs are long, thin and carmelized. What is cool is that they offer a selection of Tasty Kakes and Frank's soda pop and if you're from the tri-state area, I don't need to say anymore. Since I don't get home as often as I should, this will do for now. read more

Came with a friend so excited to cone here arrived 45 minutes before closing to find locked doors and cleaning workers.

I am riding high on Philly nostalgia (and Phillies fandom! Beat L.A.!) and hit this spot up last Friday after Win #2. Look. I get back east about twice a year. And you're telling me I can get 1) Amoroso's rolls AND 2) Tastykakes less than two miles from my pad in the LBC?! As I'm a veggie these days, I ordered the vegetarian (all the fixins). If you're going this route go all the way and get sauce and onion in addition to cheese, peppers and mushrooms. That's what you should get on the meat version, too, by the way. Then sample a Butterscotch Krimpet or Chocolate Junior for dessert. This place gets four stars because they understand that Philly cheesesteak meat is chopped, NOT sliced. This is not a roast beef sandwich, people. This is a culinary journey far, far south on Passyunk Avenue, and Philly's Best is the real deal. Yes, the onions are a bit too thick and the marinara is a little on the sweet side. Trust me, the magic of that roll will make up for a couple of minor imperfections. In a perfect world they would also have soft pretzels and a miniature WaWa in the back, but what can you do? Start small, dream big. Amoroso's, California, Amoroso's. Look into it. read more

Service - N/A Food - 5 stars Value - 3 stars OK, first of all, this is by no means "healthy eating." Now that that disclaimer is out of the way, Philly's Best has the best cheesesteaks available here in Southern California. I'm a fan of the mushroom cheesesteak and I usually order the same thing, the mushroom cheesesteak, on the default Amoroso roll. Not from Philly so I'm sure I couldn't tell WHAT kind of bread it is, but it's really tasty. The price is really the only issue with Philly's Best. Expect to pay about $20+ for 2 large sandwiches, a regular order of fries, and 2 (refillable) sodas. Otherwise, the food comes pretty fast, every monitor has some sporting event on it, and the decorations on the wall (everything Philadelphia-related) is amusing the first few times... but we come back for the food. Seating isn't that feasible for large parties. Most of the stuff is either booths, or bolted to the floor so you can't move tables around. :P read more

Great place overall! Customer service is always great! Neal is the one who always cooks I see and he really knows what he's doing behind the grill! All the subs there are freshly made!! Bomb asf!! Also Analisa in the front is the sweetest! read more

Way better sandwiches than subway! For a dollar more, you get more meat and veggies! They also have this chili spread that they put on your hoagies that make it that much better. My favorite hoagie is the italian, my boyfriend likes the Philly's best. This place is definitely a keeper. :D read more

Having worked extensively up and down the Eastern seaboard, I can most definitely say one thing about Philly's Best... it's as close to eating a REAL Philly Cheese Steak as you can get on the west coast. I would compare the sandwich line-up at this place to be about on par with Pat's in South Philly, except it's not as "juicy" as Pat's. Pat's also leaves the meat sliced, Philly's best chops the steak up before it's loaded up on a roll. Oh yeah, and the sandwich rolls... those beautifully soft yet sturdy Amorosa rolls - they seem to be exactly the same as the ones Pat's uses. May not be from the same PA supplier, but they are a dead ringer duplicate for the original. Chicken steak, pizza steak, mushroom steak, even a roasted pork roll sandwich just like you will find in any joint on any corner in S. Philly. They also sell the same Tasty-cake, Frank's Soda and Wise Chips. All local tastes of Philly. My favorite sandwich at Philly's Best is the Mushroom Cheese Steak with Cheese Wiz and grilled onions... just the way Pat's will make it... to my liking. The interior of this particular Philly's Best is not much more than a white walled room adorned with numerous pictures and sports memorabilia celebrating the Philly lifestyle. Big board menu on the right hung on the wall, order counter adjacent, condiment and self serve soda dispenser bar right beside on the left tucked-in towards the back. One thing I noticed about their condiments, they again use real products from Philly. It's the same sliced peppers and two kinds of savory pickles found in the joints back east. Service here is quite good for a sandwich place. They guy who took our order this evening had no problem customizing the sandwiches to our desires. They were very polite and even called their customers by their proper moniker - Boss. With an attitude like that, they know who they work for. If you do get to this place, check out their specials. Tonight they had a deal for any 3 Philly steak sandwiches for $15. The guy and his wife in a booth said something about it being a special night because the 76ers were in town playing the Lakers on TV. Sure enough, there they were on the flat screen TV bouncing up and down the court. By taking advantage of the deal , we saved $5 on our order. Even without taking advantage of their specials, you can get a good sized sandwich (only one size served) with chips or fires and a soda for about $10 per person. But with these sandwiches going for $5 each when ordering 3 or more at a time... well, you do the math. UPDATE 01/04/08- They were out of the pork roll sandwich tonight... too bad as I had a huge Jones going on for one. My chicken cheese steak and chips were still good though, as was the service. read more

So I've been back a few times at the request of my girlfriend who is lovin' this place... I've now also tried the Italian Hoagie Sandwich with the vinegar / oil / oregano topping and it's really good. Especially with their hot chili spread. Yet another reason to check it out. read more

I was craving a sandwich of sorts and found myself in the parking lot where this place was located. I had been to one of these in the mall - years ago. The menu is simple. I ordered a chicken and cheese sandwich. It was a little greasy and kind of soggy - but I think that's the kind of sandwich. The fries were fresh, crispy, and hot. Overall, I was okay with my lunch. The quality of the chicken seemed okay - chopped up and seemed to be more dark meat than white. The place was pretty crowded, so they get enough business. The employees were kind - they were training someone on the registers, but they took my ordered. I had to wait a while for my order because they do not prepare food ahead of time. That's good, but it did seem to take awhile. On weekends the parking a little crazy because there are a lot of other restaurants and stores in the same lot. Good luck finding a place right out front. Overall, not a bad experience, but I am not sure I am going to be craving that place for awhile. read more

Came here before heading out to the OC Fair with a few friends. This is located in the circle plaza next to Coffee Bean (never knew this was here). I shared half a sandwich with a friend, we got the philly best with steak, mushrooms, and cheese. I was really satisfied with the taste, it wasn't over-powering and the bread went really well with it. There are some places where they use a different type of bread that does not suit the type of food or meat, but it worked really well together. My food wasn't dripping too crazy but it definitely had that nice "ooze" of cheese and the juice from the meat coming out which is what a philly steak sandwich is all about. They have on the side bar some jalapenos with bell peppers, and pickles if you wanted to add it on, went really well with it and gave it a good little spice. Overall, I was satisfied with the taste, service, and cleanliness of the place and the fact that it's not too far from where I live. Would definitely come back to try the different items on the menu. read more

Unbelievable. I went into Philly's Best, got home within five minutes and this is hoagie I open up. The bread is soggy, the tomatoes soggy, and it literally fell apart as I opened it. Taste is two stars as well. Never again. read more

Philly's Best - My soggy excuse for a sandwich. - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Long Beach, California

Been here many times and always great...not sure if we got them on a bad day last week, but everything was just "off" how it normally is. The cheesesteak with onions tasted the same but was almost all gristle. Literally hard to chew and we threw out half of it. Out Italian cold cut tasted fresh but no vinegar kick in the dressing they add. That was what used to make it great. Lastly, we split onion rings and they were greasy...like the oil was too low of a heat. All in all, a disappointing meal from one of our faves. read more

What can I say, I just LOVE this place. Food is always consistently delicious. Got the Philly's Best with a side of onion rings. Highly recommended this place for your next "cheese steak venture" - you won't be disappointed. read more

Philly's Best - Philly's Best with a side of Onion Rings - MMMMMM good. Hit the spot. - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Long Beach, California

Been coming here for years I love the sub and beef Philly. Did I mention they carry the original Tasty Cakes...thn go next door to The Coffee Bean I am in heaven. read more

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Not the best Philly cheesesteak around. Had much better. The cheese that they used was processed. Sorry, didn't care for it. The fries were greasy and limp. But service was nice and friendly. read more

Just ate here on Friday. I've never been to Philadelphia so I can't say that I know what a "real" Philly cheesesteak should taste like. I agree with some of the other reviewers that this place is probably best described as "Philly-style" or "Philly inspired." Based on my "research", the sandwiches served at Philly's Best are probably the most "accurate" depiction of what a cheesesteak sandwich really is supposed to be here in SoCal. For food only, I'd give this place 3 stars. The nostalgia and offering of the much heralded Tastykakes bumped this place up to 4 stars. I finally got to try the legendary butterscotch krimpets that I've heard so much about. Service was okay. Not terrible. The place is a basic fast food type eatery - order at the counter, etc. Nothing special. They weren't rude or incompetent which is pretty good service these days. We ordered the cheesesteak with onions, mushrooms & peppers. This was pretty tasty. The American cheese melts a little too goey for my taste (I have issues with food textures) and the bf thought the cheese was too tangy. They use canned mushrooms which is disappointing from a California stand point but not sure how they are supposed to be in Philly (I imagine they are probably canned there as well). The meat was a bit dry which may be a problem of the person cooking the sandwich and not of the general establishment or their ingredients. The bread was nice and chewy with a crispy crust. I would've enjoyed more peppers on my sandwich and next time I may forgo the mushrooms. The fries were okay. Nothing special here. The order is a bit small for the price. Onion rings were pretty good and seemed quite fresh. They were very nicely battered. They offer up 2 kinds of pickles and peppers as condiments on the side. These make a nice treat while waiting for your order. They've also got a lot of Philadelphia inspired decor which I find cutee, especially the list of famous Philadelphians that goes back to Benjamin Franklin and as far into the present as Reggie Lewis. Hilarious. The thing that pushes these guys into the 4 star league is the fact that they sell Tastykakes, which I am now a fan of. These aren't high quality baked goods but in comparison to Hostess products and in relation to the price, Tastykakes are a great sweet treat (maybe the guilty kind, but great nonetheless). They are not too sweet, greasy, or have that strong chemical taste that many packaged snack foods have. We got the butterscotch krimpets and chocolate cupcakes. The butterscotch are a nice lighter flavor and the choco cupcakes are pretty heavy on the chocolate for a packed food. Yummy! Prices are okay. Its not ridiculous cheap like $1 Hole Mole fish tacos but its not overpriced either. Overall, I would definitely go back, even if just to load up on Tastykakes. Actually now that I think of it, the Tastykakes are enough to lure me in. Once there, I'd probably get a sandwich! read more

Ok I have been to Philly's Best in Irvine and I enjoyed their food. So I was glad to know that there was a location in Long Beach. Went here craving me some meat and cheese. Well people I'm still craving a great cheese steak sandwich! I got the Philly's Best which consists of a cheese steak plus mushrooms and peppers. I got that plus an order of cheese fries and a drink. It was a little over $11...so the price alone left a bad taste in my mouth. The cheese steak was disappointing. I even added some hot peppers in order to give it a kick but it didn't do enough. I think I should have opted out of the canned mushrooms. I won't go into details but I was just not satisfied...my $7 sandwich sucked big time! The one thing I did like were the cheese fries. But then again how can anything be bad when it's smothered with nacho cheese? Me thinks I will pass on this and maybe go elsewhere whenever I'm craving some meat and cheese! Shoot I should have just gone to In-N-Out across the way and gotten a Double Double combo! read more

This is our go-to place when we have family over, for staff meeting lunches, or really any time we're hungry! The cheesesteaks are great and the employees are always so welcoming and respectful! I will always recommend going, have never had a bad experience there. read more

Just had to check this place out when it first opened as they had giant signs saying they imported even the rolls from Philly. Lots of meat on the sandwiches, great prices, and you can even get Tasty Cakes and Pennsylvania Dutch birch beer. Side note: this place has better sandwiches than the place I went to in Philly a few months back. They may not authentic but they're certainly yummy! read more

I never much liked Philly cheesesteaks. I went to college about 60 miles from Philly and they always sounded like they would be good, but the ones i had back east were always too dry and tough. I was roaming around Christmas shopping and wanted a bite to eat and saw this place... in a larger strip mall near the traffic circle in Long Beach. Everyone else was going into the juice place next door. But I ventured in... and it makes complete sense to me that I would have my best Philly cheesesteak in Long Beach. I had the "Philly's Best," in an effort to give them every opportunity to be good... and when asked if i'd like onions, i asked, "grilled?" They said, "of course," and I thought "oh yeah!!" but said, "sure." It also comes with sweet peppers, and cheese. Thank God it was not dry and tough. It was really good and the rolls were that soft but kind of chewy roll that they come on back east. It works. The young staff was very nice. My only objection: listing Thomas Jefferson on the list of Philly things is quite a stretch... we all know he is one of Virginia's more interesting sons. They must have been claiming the time he lived in Philadelphia to write the Declaration of Independence. If you're in the mood for what a Philly cheesesteak SHOULD taste like, run on down to this place in of all places, Long Beach. Oh... every cheesesteak needs a brew, preferably a Rolling Rock, and they've got them too! read more

I came in last night 10/12/2020 to order a Philly's cheesesteak. The lady was helpful in taking my order. My concern is with the chef. The guy making the food was touching everything and has no gloves on. I watched him the entire time and he would grab the bread with his hands and the cheese and meat, and then proceed to touch all the appliances. No gloves on especially with a pandemic going on?! This is why you don't hire kids. I grabbed my food and left and sure enough, I ended up with food poisoning. I had threw up and upset stomach the whole night and forced me to write this review in the morning while dying. If I get covid, I'm shutting this place down read more

yum! I've never been to Philadelphia so I'm no expert on what makes a legitimate Philly cheesesteak...but I know what I like. I've had a couple different sandwiches there. So far they've been major tasty. The soft rolls are soggy with the sauces and grease. The meat is tender and flavorful. They pile on the onions if you want them and I also get the mushrooms. Delicious! It's not the cheapest sandwich on the block at about 8 bucks but it's pretty hefty and a foot long and will fill you up with probably some left-overs. read more

TAYLOR HAM?? I almost cried when I walked it. They have Taylor Ham!!! (they call it Taylor pork roll). For anyone who is confused, it is a VERY local North Jersey thing - kinda salty salami-like processed pork roll...mmmmmm...it just tastes like home. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_roll PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH BIRCH BEER TOO?? I'm impressed. Ok, you got me. Ill be back, lots:) I've been to Genos and Pats, but when I'm here in LB...they make a hell of a cheesesteak!! A Jersey girl can appreciate this place. Freekn' awesome! read more

I've tried all kinds of so called Philly cheese steak sandwiches all around town, and this place is the best I've had. The meat to bread ratio is overboard. The fries are crisp and hot. Whenever I'm in the mood for a chease steak I'll be headin to this place. read more

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I had only been here a few times before. I was already familiar with PB because there is another one closer to where I lived. The quality at this location has been alright, but certainly not as good as the PB by home. However, I went back today for another sandwich, albeit I knew I don't go here often because of the high prices for a sandwich. This time, when I got the sandwich and took it to go, when I finally got to eat my sandwich, I found... not one, but TWO strands of hair in the sandwich. Did I call them back to complain? Well, I told the cashier that I didn't need a receipt, so I didn't have much backing me up. Logic tells me to go and Yelp them! I guess this location must be going through tough times? PB is usually good, but this location isn't as good as the others. Especially after having found hair in my food... I don't think I'm coming back to this one. read more

This review shall get straight to the point. No bells or whistles here, folks. Great food. Great music. Enough said. read more

kindest staff! after a long shift it's really nice to come in and see them, chat for a bit and get a sandwich

I got the cheesesteak...pretty good...way better than most places. You get a good amount of meat...felt like I was eating steakums...again not bad but didn't wow me. Place was clean, staff was friendly and the sandwiches are a good size for the price. I will come back. read more

I'd stop by this place when I was over at CSULB. My favorite was the cheesesteak with mushrooms. Clean facility and service there was just alright. I could have sworn they used to give student discounts, but maybe that has changed? read more

I really like the food, but why does it have to be so expensive?!?! seriously, is flying the rolls in from Philly cost that much? The service is kind of "eh"... but you're in long beach, and these guys probably aren't making the greatest living in the world. Still they make a mean cheesesteak, and I'm not complaining. Plus, they'll always have a hockey game on, and usually have two tv's showing different sports channels. I'd go more often if it wasn't as expensive as it is, but then maybe it's a good thing I'm not going 2 or 3 times a week. read more

I tried this place twice. My sandwiches were okay. Nothing to rave about. It's close and convenient for a philly cheesesteak - usually you have to go to the mall to get an inexpensive one. Not totally against this place but not that impressed. read more

A Philly Cheesesteak restaurant within walking distance from my home? Bless you lord. What's great about Philly's Best is that every edge and corner of the wall represents that great American city, Philadelphia. From the Eagles or the Phillies or even Allen Iverson's 76'ers. It's great. Now lets talk about the cheesteak. I'm not going to say it's the best cheesteak I have ever tasted. (Philly knows best) But it is the closest I will come to on the westcoast let alone Long Beach. They have a happy hour that is under $10 that comes with a bottle imported beer. Beer. Cheese and Meat. That's the real American Dream right thurrr. Staff is amazing and humourous and the attitude is just like Philly all over again. Never change and please stay here for many years. Us locals love you. read more

Be careful to check that they don't shortchange you here. I used a coupon for free fries when ordering a sandwich and questioned why my bill was over $10. Genius said it was because I get taxed on the free item. Well I said, if the sandwich cost $7.50 and fries are $2.00, that should be around $8.50. No says genius after looking at the total bill receipt. Yes says I. After explaining the concept of taxes and addition, she wanted to continue the argument but eventually conceded that the cash register did not take the $2.00 off for the free fries. So... I question how many other people have unknowingly been ripped off by these geniuses??? P.s the meal was awful. Beef was full of strips of fat that I could not get out from between my teeth. Bread was soggy beyond belief and fries were dripping with grease. This was one of the worst experiences that I have ever had. I could gag just thinking about that meal!!! read more

The customer service was nice but the food wasn't so great. The bread was already soggy after only waiting a min to walk to my car to open and eat. I also ordered cheese fries, since I ordered to-go so the cheese was put into 2 small containers. The cheese taste like plastic and looked like mustard. I really liked my bread to be crunchy so if I decide to go again I'll ask for it to be more toasted. I wouldn't recommend a to-go order unless you ask for everything to be packed individually, which is asking for too much. read more

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OK, anybody from Philly would laugh at this place because of its kitschyness. Servers were polite and place was clean. Next time I will just get the regular cheesesteak instead of paying extra for a miniscule amount of mushrooms and peppers. read more