Gooey Looies Review

In my search for the best cheese steak in Philly, I've received dozens of comments suggesting places. Several have pointed me towards Gooey Looies. It's no excuse but with the establishment being a bit in South Philly, I haven't really had a chance to check it out until fairly recently.

So I stopped by the Pennsport Mall, a nondescript parking lot leading to an iron-arched gate. 

Within, there's a deli shop in the style of a bodega - selling pretty much any food item under the sun. They've got the Food Network show that showcased their cheese steak on constant replay - Jeff Mauro's the Sandwich King if I'm not mistaken.

This is a cash only establishment - and that's OK. Especially when you see how much they put on each sandwich or hoagie. The prices are incredibly reasonable as well. At the time, the bread was from the now defunct Hesh's bakery. You can see the back of Gooey Looie himself in the picture below.

But onto the food! 

Large Turkey Hoagie ($8.15)
 

The GF opted for the turkey hoagie. This came with a health heaping of moist turkey, lettuce tomato, American cheese, and a dash of oregano. But what really makes the sandwich? The fresh bread and the mayo.

But what we're really here for is the cheese steak. As one of the customers said, it's hard to breathe after inhaling this behemoth. 

Large Cheese Steak ($8.95)

 

And indeed, this was a monster of a cheese steak. Unfortunately there's no sharp provolone in this establishment, but the cornucopia of beef and fried onions takes center stage here. The meat was well-seasoned and the bread gets soaked from the grease. It's definitely one of the better cheese steaks I've had in Philly. Quantity certainly takes precedence here, but the quality is not lost. What's even crazier? It's cheaper than Jim's Steaks.

Gooey Looies was on point for a Philadelphia cheese steak. While I still haven't found one that holds a candle to Philly's Best in Chicago, I have no problem continuing my search and enjoying it.