American Cheesesteak Co.

There has been a lot of buzz about this place around town ever since Food Network Canada chef, Anthony Sedlak opened this restaurant dedicated to Philadelphia's Philly Cheese steak. I've had my share of sandwiches with beef and cheese but I entered this restaurant a "cheesesteak virgin." American Cheesesteak Co. aims to bring the authentic Philadelphia tradition to Vancouver.

This restaurant has a great vibe. It's situated on Davie near Howe and has a patio facing onto Davie Street. It feels clean, fresh, and modern, yet cozy,inviting and a bit old school. The decor features brick walls, stainless steel fixtures, large TVs, retro posters, smaller tables and one larger communal table in the centre. There is a large menu board at the counter. You order and pay at the counter, are given a number, then when your food is ready they bring it to your table. Sandwiches are made fresh to order!

No surprise here: the menu is all about CHEESESTEAKS and features a variety of 3 traditional cheesesteaks- all made with "melt-in-your-mouth shaved prime rib, come "with" or "without" sauteed onions, and your choice of cheese: American, Provolone, or Whiz *For newbies, they recommend American cheese. They also offer a few Decadent Specialty Steak Sandwiches that are variations on the classic. Basically, these are either pimped up cheesesteaks (with goodies like double-cream brie, caramelized onion jam, house-made tomato sauce, fontina cheese, truffle aoili, and even wagyu beef) and vegetarian and chicken alternative. 

I really appreciated the details at this place. And by details- I mean the many pitchers of refreshing, ice-cold lemon water and awesome condiment station. Their hot sauce was amazing- spicy, tangy, with a powerful picante kick. I asked our server/cashier and she told me that it is a blend of hot sauces and a few other ingredients. The result is really tasty!

I ordered a regular size sandwich: "The Classic" ($9/11) with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and provolone cheese. It was simple and delicious. Rich and flavourful- the meat is well seasoned, the cheese is gooey and plentiful but they don't overdo it, and the mushrooms and onions were soft, juicy and perfectly cooked. The flavours all blend together quite seamlessly. The bread was perfect- not too soft, not too flaky, not too thick, but thick enough to not fall apart or get soggy when stuffed with the gooey, juicy, fillings. Apparantly, they bake their rolls in house. Pretty impressive. 

Surprisingly, this sandwich didn't feel too greasy. After making my way through half of this sandwich, I did start adding hot sauce because I wanted a bit more of a flavour kick.

Bree ordered "The New Yorker" ($10/12) with sauteed mushrooms and peppers, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and roasted garlic mayo. I had a bite of this and was really pleased. The fresh veggies add a bit of crunch and texture and the garlic mayo adds a bit of a flavour pop to mix it up.

Mel ordered "The Cowboy" ($10/12) with shaved prime rib, crispy fried onions, homemade spicy bbq sauce, bacon mayo and aged white cheddar. Wow- this variation took the cheesesteak sandwich to the next level. The delicious prime rib and cheese get dressed up with added texture and flavour from the crispy fried onions and the AMAZING spicy, tangy bbq sauce (I want a bottle of that!). This was a "busy" sandwich with a lot of different flavours and textures going on (including a fresh chopped herb garnish) but everything worked well together. 

We split a large order of Onion Rings ($4/6) "old fashioned skinny" and ACC Fries ($4/6) "tossed with garlic, parsley and parmesan. These were hand cut fries that were super crispy ( i think they were double fried) and absorbed some great flavour from the parsley, parmesan, and garlic. The onion rings were exactly how I like them: light, crispy, with no heavy oily feel.

American Cheesesteak Co. provides a sold sandwich experience and we all gave our meals an enthusiastic greasy, meaty, cheesy thumbs up!