After living in and around Philadelphia for the past 8 years, I still do not consider myself a ‘cheesesteak expert’. I’ve visited quite a number of cheesesteak places, but still have to visit a lot more. It seems like all my friends and family members each have their favorite place, whether it’s Jim’s, Pat’s, Geno’s, Tony Luke’s, Delassandro’s, or Steve’s. Of course, there are LOTS of other places where people claim have the best cheesesteak. Of all the places I’ve been, so far my favorite is Tony Luke’s. I always get the ‘provolone with’ which is steak, provolone cheese, and fried onions on a roll.

While driving to work recently, I noticed a billboard for the Subway Philly Cheesesteak, so I decided this would be my first review for FFC. Subway claims: “The Big Philly Cheesesteak is every meat lover’s dream. With lots of steak smothered in melted cheese, it’s easy to see why this classic is the taste that Philly is so proud of.”

Lots of steak it does not have, and it certainly is not smothered in melted cheese. When I tried the cheesesteak for the first time, I wondered if I’d be able to order mine with whiz. Typically, you’ll find American Cheese, Provolone Cheese, or Cheese Whiz on a Philly Cheesesteak. I don’t usually order the whiz, but I was curious to see if that would be an option since many of my friends do. Sadly, it was not an option.

I decided that I would order my Subway cheesesteak with the same ingredients, or as close as I could get to a cheesesteak I’d normally buy. I got the provolone cheese, and had to go with red onions, because they don’t offer fried, sweet onions. They heated my steak on a paper dish in a microwave, then put that on top of the cheese and onions. I did not get my sandwich toasted because I never get them toasted when I’m in the city. I can’t even remember having that option at other cheesesteak shops.

What little steak was on the sandwich, actually tasted pretty good. It was juicy, but not greasy. It was very soft, and thinly sliced. Whatever they used for flavoring the steak was awesome. It was a bit salty, but was just enough where it wasn’t overload. The red onions were at times a bit overwhelming and I found myself asking where the cheese was because the onions and steak overpowered the provolone. The Italian bread was even pretty decent. In past Subway experiences the bread has been rather stale, however both times I’ve tried this sandwich the bread was OK.

Why it’s not a ‘Philly’ Cheesesteak - It wasn’t very greasy, which I tend to enjoy. I like when it soaks into the bread. I had to use red onions instead of fried. There was not enough cheese. (of course I could have paid an extra 60-cents for more) There was not enough meat. The six inch was a bit smaller than ones I’ve had elsewhere.

At a price of $4.99 for a six-inch and $8.49 for a foot-long, it’s an expensive sandwich. I’d prefer to stick with the 5-dollar foot-longs they’re offering. I give this a score of C, because that’s what it was, average. If the price was a bit lower, or they put more meat and cheese on the sandwich, perhaps it would earn a better grade.

Price: $4.99 - $8.49 / Website: Subway.com

Fast Food Critic Score: C

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Nutrition Facts - Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak (six-inch).

Calories - 520
Calories from Fat - 170
Total Fat - 19 grams
Carbs - 50 grams
Saturated Fat - 10 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 100 milligrams
Sodium - 1390 milligrams
Protein - 40 grams