26-04-2025
TOM PARKER BOWLES: I tried America's famous Philly cheesesteak for the first time – is it worth the hype?
As names go, Passyunk Avenue doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. But then this small but ever-growing chain of Philadelphia-accented restaurants doesn't seem overly concerned with the niceties of phonetics, concentrating instead on serving up a Philly cheesesteak sandwich that could stand proud in the city of brotherly love.
Named after the street in which this iconic snack was born (created, they say, in 1930, by Pat Olivieri, whose hot-dog stand has since evolved into the world-famous Pat's King of Steaks), Passyunk Avenue's latest opening is in Kensington Church Street, West London. Which sure is a long way from the mean streets of Philadelphia. But as with any sports bar worth its American mustard, this jawn (a local Philly word that can mean just about anything) has walls plastered with TV screens, blasting out everything from baseball and football (American, of course) to basketball and Nascar.
Usually, when a menu bangs on about 'our famous' anything, it's time to get out. Fast. But here the 'famous' buffalo wings are really very fine indeed, with crisp crust and juicy flesh and lashings of that sharp, buttery, mildly spicy sauce. 'Best I've eaten in London,' says my son Freddy, who sees himself as something of an authority on the subject. 'Beats the hell out of Wingstop.' For those fools who crave something a touch more fiery, the 'Insanity' wings pack a mighty, albeit slow-burning, punch. I just about get through a half dozen before my lips swell up like a lilo and my tongue transforms into a lump of throbbing gristle. Reader, beware.
But I'm here for the cheesesteak – a mass of shaved ribeye 'wit' (with onions), drenched in a flood of warm, neon-yellow cheddar Wiz (their own take on the gloriously artificial Kraft Cheez Whiz liquid cheese) and piled into a long torpedo bun. God it's good, a soothing symphony of savoury, salty and soft. The peppery shards of steak, that judicious hit of grease and excess of luridly gooey liquid cheesy bliss. Each bite is an exuberantly messy delight. It may lack that essential seasoning you'll find at the likes of Geno's Steaks and John's Roast Pork back home. That, though, takes a flat-top grill with decades of use. For cheesesteak-craving Londoners, Passyunk Avenue will do just fine.
