It seems that that JJs Cheesesteaks--home of the "World's Greatest Cheesesteaks"--will (finally) officially be opening this Saturday at their location on 14th Street just south of U (in the space formerly occupied by the 14U cafe).
Somehow, I maintain some level of doubt as to whether JJ's can actually deliver on their rather grandiose statement; still, this does appear to be one of those "cheaper, sandwich-focused" offerings that people in the neighborhood are always saying we need more of.
Ustreetgirl has a photo of the interior, including their nice brick countertop.
If you get a chance to stop by and check out the sandwiches that will apparently be the envy of Philadelphians everywhere, do let us know how it is.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
"World's Greatest Cheesesteaks" Coming to 14th Street This Saturday
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13 comments:
Hey- they were open last night when I walked by. Didn't have the chance to go in but will probably make it in today. There certainly seems like a lot of excitement over a place that had no line yesterday at 7 pm!
Hey, don't hate! What place doesn't engage in some puffery over what they have for sale? Would you prefer a new place that says "run of the mill cheesesteaks"? For what it's worth, they don't seem to be making the "world's greatest" claim anymore: www.jjscheesesteaks.com
Aw, I'm actually not hating. I think it's great that we've attracted something other than a pricey, small plate fusion restaurant to the neighborhood. They just might want to tone down expectations a bit, that's all.
I went to JJ's two nights ago during their soft opening. They definitely have some learning to do and I think if business picks up they will need to invest in more staff and a larger grill. With that being said, I liked the cheesesteak. The Wiz was not true Philly Wiz but the rolls were great, the portion size was good, cost wasn't too overwhelming and the place is nice. No negatives. I think as they establish themselves here, the product could become equal to a true Philadelphia experience. I am glad to see a sandwich shop opening up on 14th.
A commenter on DCist wrote "tomorrow you can grab yourself a sandwhich for 1.99 rather than a bagel if you want"
I never understood why it was so hard to mimic Pat's or Geno's. All most places are missing is a tub of delicious Wiz. Why can't anyone make this happen?
South Street Steaks in Bethesda has a great cheesesteak. I've seen the real cheez whiz cans on the grill and the Amoroso rolls. Definitely best in the area.
Just got back from there - it's fair to say that the place was a disaster. Dang, I hate to say this. Caveats: It was their first weekend open, and they were running some sort of special on 6" sandwiches. With that said here are just a few of many issues:
- No process - they had probably 20 people standing around waiting for food, and half of the staff was also just standing around - nothing was being produced. At one point there was a line of people wanting to give their order, and the order taker just wanders off to have a conversation with one of the guys in the back.
- Orders wrong - I think this speaks for itself. I ordered the simplest thing - basic cheesesteak (full, not half) and fries. I got a half with mushrooms (not what I ordered) - I only realized when i got home, and at that point it wasn't worth the walk back - besides, they would not have known what I had ordered anyway. There was no apparent control or flow of order tickets - they were piling up randomly all over the back.
- The wait - I was there for 25 minutes - yep, 25 minutes to produce a standard cheesesteak. And the order was wrong. There were a number of disgruntled customers waiting with me.
- The food - just mediocre (unfortunately). Setting aside the fact that they gave me something other than what I ordered, the onions were barely grilled - some were basically raw. The bread was fine, the steak was OK, and the cheese was mediocre. The mushrooms were just canned mushrooms - pretty terrible, but what you would expect as well. Too bad I didn't order them.
I could go on with a number of things that indicate this place was built out on the cheap with relatively poor quality (I used to build fast food restaurants), but there's no point in beating the dead mule.
Overall, there are some really major issues there with process and flow - basically, service. The food could be OK, I imagine, if they would solve the other basic problems. I would think that if you're going to launch a special deal, you would have a lot of the kinks worked out and set up a streamlined menu, and really try to make a good first impression. These guys didn't. I'm not sure half of the people wandering around behind the counter actually knew what to do. Training, anyone?
It's too bad, because I really wanted to like this place, and I wholeheartedly agree that this neighborhood needs more casual and quality takeout places. I am very skeptical that these guys will be able to fix their problems, based on what I saw.
I went there Saturday evening around 8 pm. Waited 25 minutes for a basic steak, american mushrooms without. I'll forgive because it was opening "weekend". I didn't know the special was only 6". I would have gotten the full steak. The special did not satisfy my hunger. No one told me. The cheese steak was ok. Not Philly quality (or anything superb). But I would rather have a place in the neighborhood that is a cheap decent joint rather than some overpriced small plate place. Decent cheesesteak; nothing to write home about, but the staff was working hard.
Hi Mr. 14th and You. I'm compiling lists of outstanding blogs that address homelessness and other social justice topics for Community of Hope here in Washington, D.C. (communityofhopedc.org). 14th and You is great. Any chance I can get a contact email for you? I'd really appreciate it! Please email me at schultheis.heidi@gmail.com. Thanks.
Quick question - this is my first Halloween in the 14th and You area. Do children trick or treat in the neighborhood? Is so, what time do they usually start? Please let me know - katie.austen@gmail.com
Re: Halloween
Most kids seem to go out around 6, if they go around. We've been taking our kids to the block party on Swann (between 18th and RI) for years and I think that's where most of the neighborhood kids are Halloween night. People seem to kind of trick or treat on the way over there.
sweetgreen is coming to the neighborhood. quality food, quality ingredients and a local business.
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