[return to the REVIEWS archives]
reviewed on: February 12, 2010
Not having spent much time in Philadelphia, I’ve never tried to pass myself off as an expert on Philly cheese steak sandwiches. Nevertheless, while I can't vouch for authenticity, I like to think I can distinguish good food from bad. And I have to say, with few exceptions, the cheese steak sandwiches I’ve had in Denver have passed my muster. In general my experience has taught me to avoid those that are available as part of the luncheon fare at the majority of full-service restaurants and, instead, seek out one of the
many restaurants we have in town that specialize in this eastern cult favorite. They’re almost always small, offer counter service, have minimal atmosphere and, most important, are either owned by or influenced by someone who’s lived in Philadelphia.
This week we checked out the new kid on the block, Weiss Guys CheeseSteaks just south of Dry Creek on University. Weiss Guys certainly is small with just a handful of unadorned tables. The walls are covered with bright, sunshine-yellow tiles, the menu is a chalkboard, and the kitchen where all the food is assembled is right there for all to see. No secrets here. Drinks are all bottled and non-alcoholic, chips come in bags, and TastyKakes are available for dessert. In short, it’s the kind of place where you’d expect to find a darned good Philly cheese steak sandwich.
There are seven different cheese steaks on the menu. It begins with the classic with grilled onions and melted cheese, then you have the option of adding mushrooms, marinara sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions, Cheese Whiz (the one topping that’s always made me question the sanity of people from Philadelphia), and finally they offer a southwestern version with green chilies and jalapenos. Names for each variation reflect either Godfather or Sopranos themes, all are made with Amarosa rolls “imported” from back east, and are available in either an 8-inch “small” sandwich, or a 12-inch “large.” I felt, for objectivity's sake I should stay with the classic version, but the siren song of The Paulie, with grilled onions, mushrooms and green peppers proved too much, and turned out to be a great choice. For our second selection we opted for one of the hot subs—The Capone, a generous portion of Italian sausage, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, and cheese. Again, we went for the “small” sandwich which proved to be more than enough food and, with both sandwiches priced under $6, it ended up a very inexpensive evening out.
For lighter eaters, Weiss Guys also offers a nice selection of salads, and there are cold subs available as well, with the usual assortment of cold cuts, veggies, and cheese.
Weiss Guys CheeseSteaks
7593 S. University Boulevard at Dry Creek
303-798-0112
E-Mail
Print
