Alternative Cheesesteaks: 24 Takes on Philly's Classic Sandwich

When it’s time for a fancy night out — but you’re also hankerin’ for a cheesesteak — there’s one option you can’t pass up. Stephen Starr’s high-end Rittenhouse Square steakhouse Barclay Prime offers an alternative cheesesteak to die for … if you’re willing to shell out the big bucks.

The decadent entree is made from hand-cut Wagyu with black truffle, foie gras, fried onions and Cooper sharp cheese on a fresh-baked sesame roll. And if that’s not enough, the dish comes with a half-bottle of champagne, all for the low, low price of $140.

One of the great things about cheesesteaks: While they are a classic all-American dish, they’re also easily translatable into a meal fused with the tastes of many cultures and cuisines.

That’s part of the story at Pedro Rodriguez’s Empanadas United in Northwest Philly, where one of the menu’s most popular items is the Philly Cheesesteak Empanada — a “Philly Jawn” collaboration with legendary Pat’s King of Steaks — served piping hot and filled with tender steak, melted cheese and sautéed onions.

Don’t let “bakery” in the name fool you — Gilben’s Bakery offers up some of the best sandwiches in the city. The secret? Garlic. Rather than plain rolls, steaks here are served on long, buttery garlic bread baked from scratch on-site.

The highlight at the Black-owned Mount Airy bakery is the massive Ooey Gooey Cheesesteak, served on that garlicky bread and finished with a generous portion of molten white cheese sauce ladled on top. Gilben’s also offers a slew of eclectic cheesesteak varieties like jerk chicken, honey sriracha, garlic parm and sweet chili.

Baltimore Avenue in West Philly is a hotspot for international cuisine, particularly from the neighborhood’s thriving Ethiopian and Eritrean communities. Eatery and roastery Gojjo Bar & Restaurant serves up classic Ethiopian and East African (think Kenya and Tanzania) dishes like doro wats and zilzil tibs, as well as original takes on familiar pub grub.

The killer alternative steak here is the popular Ethiopian Cheesesteak, a traditional chopped beef cheesesteak flavored with quintessential Ethiopian berbere spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin, served on a long roll (also available in chicken).

Many may disagree, but sometimes a cheesesteak doesn’t have to look like a cheesesteak. See: the famous Schmitter at McNally’s Tavern. The renowned sandwich still features the familiar sliced steak, melty cheese and fried onions, but adds grilled salami slices, tomatoes and Schmitter sauce (mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish and Worcestershire), all piled on a soft flash-broiled aiser roll.

Named for a customer who was a fan of the late Schmidt’s Beer (and not for Phillies legend Mike Schmidt), the over-the-top sandwich has been the signature dish at the family-owned Chestnut Hill bar for 50 years.

Take a traditional cheesesteak, then slather it in some authentic Southern hospitality and Texas flavor. Now you have something both alternative and familiar.

Using their old-school Lang reverse-flow offset stick smoker (it’s legit), the Texas-style beef — always smoked the same day — at Mike’s BBQ is the base for the Gritty Smoked Brisket Cheesesteak, which is served with Cooper sharp whiz, fried onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard-based gritty sauce (not that Gritty) and thin-sliced fried potato sticks. Change it up with their signature smoked chicken or in spicy Buffalo style.

It’s two Philly essentials in one savory bite. The signature stuffed special at Reading Terminal Market soft pretzel stall Miller’s Twist is the salty, craveable Cheesesteak Pretzel Roll-Up. A creative alternative to the classic, the dish features sliced ribeye and provolone packed inside a fresh-baked buttery soft pretzel rod that Buzzfeed’s Bring Me describes as “to die for.”

Miller’s “Amish pretzels” — hand-rolled behind the counter, brushed with butter and served slightly warmed — are less dense and chewy than their street-cart counterparts. You should probably get two.

You’re craving a cheesesteak, but it’s breakfast time. What do you do? You head to South Philly’s Nipotina — from the owners of P’unk Burger and Slice Pizza — for the Hangover Cure, a breakfast delight with ribeye steak and Cooper sharp American topped with smashed tater tots, eggs over easy and sriracha on a toasted Liscio’s roll.

Come back for dinner with other alternatives like the Everyday I’m Truffling featuring black truffled burrata, truffle oil and truffled honey or the vegan The Imposter with Portobello mushrooms, vegan beef and vegan cheese.

The flavors of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean permeate the Northern Liberties space at Reggae Reggae Vibes, an authentic spot serving up the flavorful tastes and chill vibes of America’s tropics. The alternative take here is the spot’s Oxtails Cheesesteak, marinated with Jamaican herbs and spices, slow-cooked and shredded, and served with fried peppers, onions and melted cheese on a hoagie roll.

It’s a selection many might balk at … until they try the rich and tender tail section cut, which contains some of the most tender fall-off-the-bone meat you’ve ever tried.

An offshoot of the Lower East Side original, Northern Liberties’ Set NoLibs offers a fun vibe with weekend brunches, DJs and every-game-on TVs for a trendy sports bar feel. The cuisine is just as eclectic, serving an Asian and comfort food fusion.

That includes their cheesesteak alternative: Bulgogi Korean BBQ Cheesesteak sliders with sweet and citrusy sliced Korean barbecue ribeye, scallions, onions, green and red bell peppers, kimchi, Monterey Jack Tex-Mex cheese and house-made sriracha aioli sitting atop a toasted brioche bun.

A high-end steakhouse — but make it a cheesesteak shop. Located in Logan Square just off the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Shay’s Steaks eschews the traditional ribeye for premium hand-crafted steak sandwiches made with beef options like American Wagyu, filet mignon, New York strip and prime rib, plus five cheese choices.

The sandwiches are highly customizable, but Shay’s features a selection of signature offerings like the Philly Special — a New York strip with horseradish and black garlic seasoning — and the prime rib-based The Jerrick, flavored with roasted onion seasoning and topped with crispy potatoes.

Some of the best Louisiana cuisine in the Northeast can be found off Reading Terminal Market’s center court at Beck’s Cajun Cafe, where chef Bill Beck serves up authentic po’boys, jambalaya, gumbo, muffulettas, beignets and more.

But this is Philly, which means their star attraction is the fiery cheesesteak alternative, the Trainwreck. Picture andouille sausage and julienned salami combined with finely chopped steak, American cheese and fried onions with Beck’s special creole mayo and signature Devil’s Dust spice rub piled on an eight-inch French baguette. Grab it with Zapp’s potato chips and an Abita soda.

Philadelphia is one of the most Polish cities in the country, so it was only a matter of time until someone combined a classic cheesesteak with the salty, hearty meats that dominate Poland’s cuisine. Enter Gaul & Co. Malt House — with locations in Port Richmond and Rockledge — a friendly tavern serving up craft beer and crafty pub grub like the Kielbasa Cheesesteak.

The chipped kielbasa creation, with caramelized onions and Cooper American cheese sauce on a long roll, honors the heritage of Port Richmond, often referred to as the “Little Poland of Philadelphia.”

One does not simply talk about cheesesteak alternatives without mentioning the O.G. South Street shop Ishkabibble’s touts itself as inventor of the Original Chicken Cheesesteak, a stake backed up by the “new concoction’s” 1990 Philadelphia magazine award for Best Alternative Cheesesteak.

The now-ubiquitous variant can be enjoyed at either of its two locations just 750 feet apart — a walkup window near 4th Street and a sit-down between 5th and 6th — as the classic with grilled chicken and American, or varieties like barbecue, Buffalo or its house Ishka style with mushrooms, sweet peppers and pizza sauce.

If you like your cheesesteak with a side of miniature golf, have we got a spot for you. At North Philly’s 12,000-square-foot Libertee Grounds, you can knock out a round of indoor putt-putt, play giant Jenga, check out the Philly-themed murals, or grab a drink at the bar or a bite from the friendly pan-Asian fare menu.

The selections, with flavors spanning the Asian continent, include the alternative Lamb Kheema Cheesesteak, a savory Indian-spiced masala-rubbed lamb blend with American cheese and cilantro lime aioli piled onto a long roll.

Philly has been a long-time cheesesteak cultural melting pot, with Saad’s Halal Restaurant, a former food truck turned University City brick-and-mortar shop, at the forefront. Alongside traditional cheesesteaks enrobed in savory halal cheese and mayonnaise, the house’s real star is their alternative selection, the Chicken Shish Tawook Maroosh Way.

What to expect: a zabiha halal grilled chicken skewer (shish tawook) cheesesteak with sautéed onions, tomatoes, curly parsley, pickle spears and whiz-like creamy garlic sauce on a toasted hoagie roll. For alternatives to the alternative, the cheesesteak is also available as beef or fried tilapia.

The nearly decade-old Sheba’s Soul Plate may have been born from American Southern, Caribbean and African roots, but its menu offers a distinctly Philly vibe. Available at both its University City takeout restaurant in Spruce Hill and its popular food cart outside Temple University Hospital on North Broad, the BBQ Salmon Cheesesteak features barbecue-glazed grilled salmon served on a toasted garlic roll.

Also available: a soulful Jerk Chicken Cheesesteak featuring grilled chicken tossed in signature jerk sauce with sautéed onions and peppers and topped with melted provolone.

Open since 1947 in Old City under the famous blue, red and green awning, Campo’s Philly Cheesesteaks’ tiny corner shop is a great spot to sample old-school flavor in old-school environs. But that doesn’t mean the whole menu is old school.

A take on the spot’s signature Heater, the Vegan Heater features Vegadelphia Foods’ whole wheat gluten seitan protein cooked in Buffalo sauce and topped with vegan jalapeno cheddar on a gluten-free roll. For a more traditional experience, the eatery also offers its standard cheesesteaks with an Impossible Steak option.

As one of the nation’s most acclaimed vegetarian casual dining eateries, Nicole Marquis’s HipCityVeg has become a cultural icon, expanding to four area locations (and even one in Washington, D.C.) over the last decade. So it’s no surprise the plant-based chain would take on Philly’s landmark sandwich institution, creating the HipCityVeg Philly Cheesesteak.

The sandwich is made from non-GMO grilled soy-and-grain-based steak seasoned with fresh garlic and herbs topped with oyster mushrooms, grilled onions, mozzarella cheese and hot chili ketchup on a long roll.

Tucked away in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philly, Hibiscus Cafe may be best known for its extensive selection of fresh juices and smoothies, but included in its compact menu is a surprising option.

Quietly listed below Caribbean-inspired plant-based dishes of garden salads and rice bowls is the Philly Cheesesteak Wrap, featuring seitan beef melded with sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms and vegan or mozzarella cheese bundled inside a choice of Spanish, multi-grain or tomato basil tortilla wraps.

Down in Washington Square West sits an unusual vegan monster-themed (you read that right) restaurant. Monster Vegan offers “scary good comfort food” on an extensive menu of starters, bar bites and sandwiches, including the Birria Cheesesteak. This new-to-the-menu Mexican-style selection features marinated seitan and stewed dry rub fable beef, roasted poblano peppers, cheddar whiz, pickled jalapenos and cilantro on a long roll, with a side of 24-hour consomme.

Also available is The CHEESESTEAK with shaved seitan ribeye or Impossible Beef and housemade whiz on a Sarcone’s roll, as well as Impossible Beef Cheesesteak Eggrolls.

True to its name, this Fishtown cafe takes a holistic approach to health, nourishing visitors from the inside out. Nourish offers a diverse menu of vegan comfort food, fresh-pressed juices and fruit smoothies to enjoy in the lush, greenery-filled dining room, including a pair of cheesesteak alternatives.

Try That Philly Jawn, with plant-based gluten steak and Portobello mushrooms mixed with onions, peppers, vegan mayo and ketchup on a whole wheat hoagie roll. For faux fowl lovers, the Chick Un Cheesesteak tops fried chopped Chick’un with onion, peppers, vegan cheese with mayo or ketchup.

Unmistakable and defying imitation, Tattooed Mom is a South Street staple with a vibrant crowd, hip atmosphere, eclectic decor (like the bumper car on the second floor and Voltar fortune-telling machine) and floor-to-ceiling punk art.

Best known for its drag shows and happy hour Citywides, TMom’s also serves up a great vegan take on a traditional cheesesteak. The Philly Vegan Cheese Steak is made from grilled seitan with creamy vegan smoked gouda or vegan Cheez Whiz and fried onions scooped onto a roll from Merzbacher’s of Germantown.

Fast-casual restaurant Unity Kitchen is on a mission, employing and supporting individuals in recovery or those who’ve exited the justice system. But the mission isn’t the only good thing.

As tasty as its name is long, the Bang! Bang! Bird Gang! Vegan Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak is covered with Fresno chilis, jalapenos, vegan bleu cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomato and a ranch drizzle on a toasted roll.

Still hungry?

Now that you’ve explored the breadth of what the wonderful world of cheesesteaks has to offer, learn more about the sandwich that started it all — the classic beef cheesesteak.

What makes a cheesesteak? How did the dish become a civic icon, a cultural obsession and the (un)official sandwich of an entire city? Which restaurants and eateries rise to the top in the cheesesteak wars? All these questions — and more — are answered in our 2025 guide to the best cheesesteaks in Philly.