Billadelphia's - An Authentic Philly Cheesesteak in DFW
I am so thrilled. As a Philly-area native, I thought I'd left my beloved cheesesteak 1500 miles away. Fortunately, I was wrong.
In the midst of a downpour, Mr. B made the trek to Billadelphia's in Euless (or Bedford, they all kind of just run into each other out here). He ordered a cheesesteak with American and mushrooms for me and a steak with onions, mushrooms and hots for himself. To be honest, I didn't expect much. Again, fortunately, I was wrong.
Mr. B said that when he picked up the steaks, he told the counterperson that he was taking this home to a native, and she'd be judging their product by what she knew. Her response? "We have nothing to fear."
She was right. They didn't.
This was an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak. Not to sound gross, but the Philly steak has a certain amount of grease. When Mr. B came home and took the steaks out of the bag, the wrappers had grease spots. That was the first good sign. The meat was chopped fine and was tender. The cheese was combined in with the meat and melted. The roll was soft and fluffy, and soaked up the grease and juice of the steak. I could have gone either way on the 'shrooms, but they aren't what makes the cheesesteak. Mr. B's was just as good.
According to their menu: http://www.bestcheesesteaks.com/chees...
they have Amoroso rolls, along with the other Philly items, shipped in weekly for their sandwiches. Some Philadelphians decry Amoroso's as a good cheesesteak roll (prefering something more crusty), but it's the brand I grew up with and it's what I prefer.
Your cheesesteak can come with a variety of cheeses, including American, Provolone, Mozz and Wiz. You can also get sweet or hot peppers, mayo, ketchup, mustard, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, onions and sauce to top it all off.
Billadelphia's also offers hoagies (subs), chicken cheesesteaks, burgers, dogs, pork roll sandwiches, panzarotti and scrapple (yes!) sandwiches. They offer fries, onion rings, poppers, chips and mozzarella sticks as sides. Also available are Philly specialties such as soft pretzels, TastyKakes, Goldenberg's Peanut Chews and Italian Water Ice.
I don't believe they have indoor seating, so it's pretty much grab and go. They may have a table or two outside, for when it isn't raining.
Will I be back? Oh, heck yes. And next time, hopefully it won't be raining, and I can spend some time chatting with the folks there to find out a little more about the business. I'm also ordering a cheesesteak hoagie (steak, American cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and sweets) to see how they fare with that. I'm thinking they'll do it up just fine.
Until then, I highly recommend you make the trek out to Bedford, in the mid-cities by DFW Airport and check out Billadelphia's for the true Philly Cheesesteak experience.
Take it from a native...you won't regret it.
Billadelphia's (the building is not marked as this
)4105 Airport Fwy
Industrial Blvd Exit (Hwy 157) off I-183
Bedford, TX 76021
(817) 684-8607
QueenB
Dec 30, 2006 01:11AM
Thanks for the report! My friend who just moved back from Philly will be glad to hear this.
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Thanks QueenB! I'm from South Jersey and I miss that food more than you know. I've had to ship my Tastykakes and Goldenberg Chews in so that is an added bonus. Go Eagles!
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You're welcome, hope you enjoy!
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Yep but living in Plano Freds is pretty darn good philly. Not only that but the cleanliness of lack there of is quite authentic.
That being said, I think my office is doing a road trip to Euless on Tuesday.
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irodguy, what did you think of billadelphia's vs. fred's?
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Glad to hear about this one. I've been trying to find a good cheesesteak in DFW for a while. Fred's didn't do it for me.
Is the American cheese yellow or white? Is there a difference other than color between the two?
A Delaware Subs recently opened in Fort Worth but I haven't made it out there yet. It was a staple when I lived in Austin. I'm not from Philadelphia, but it sounds the same except for the soft vs. crusty bread.
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white! American cheese is white! Yellow is cheese food product :)
Speaking of subs (sorry if this should warrant a new post)... I really like Jersey Mike's subs (there's one on Greenville north of Lover's).
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They tried to convince me that their cheesesteaks were the real deal and better than the ones in Philly, because they made their own rolls. That is where their problem lies. And yes, American is white if you want something yellow get wiz.
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The American cheese is white...the only way it should be! :-) I don't believe there is any difference but color.
The Wiz will be yellow though...the only way THAT should be.
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Did you end up trying the cheesesteak hoagie? I've always been a huge fan.
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I did, and I won't get it again. As far as I'm concerned, even in the Philly suburbs, only a few places get a cheesesteak hoagie right. It was too dry.
When I eat a cheesteak hoagie, it needs to be a ten-napkin sandwich! :-)
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We got side tracked on our last attempt. We are trying again next week weather permitting. My coworker did make it and thought it was far closer to the joints he is used to in New Jersey, Philly etc.
We are planning on doing a mass order from the office and bringing it back here. I office at 190 & North Dallas Tollway, we find that it's about 20 minutes to hurst, so not a bad trip back and forth to pick up a feast.
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don't get fries - although the cheesesteaks travel well, the fries get really soggy and unpleasant. I recommend chips (and some Peanut Butter KandyKakes for dessert).
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Thanks good point. Will just get some fries to munch on the way back to the office, chips for everybody else :-)
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I went there yesterday for lunch. Good cheesteak. The 'spicy fries' were GD horrible! Way too salty and overspiced.
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Now I know not to get fries. Thanks! I'll stick with the cheesesteaks for sure. And a TastyKake for dessert.
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Are there buttersctoch krimpets?
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Is this that stand alone building along the freeway? I see it everytime i come home (TX expat in Phoenix... returning soon!) and want to try it out, but cheesesteaks are so hit or miss.
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Yes it is.
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yes. the one at 157 and 183. good cheesesteak. did not 'wow' me though.
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Wow. That was amazing. Best cheesesteak I've ever had. Worth the trip.
My kids and dad shared a Panzarotti which was pretty interesting too. It was a folded up pizza that I think was deep fried quickly. Not healthy, but yummy.
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Are you serious? They have panzarotti???!!!! I have to go now, distance be damned.
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They have cheese panzarotti with your choice of extras if you want: pepperoni, sausage, ham, meatball, mushroom, philly steak, chicken, spinach, pineapple, onions, sweet or hot cherry peppers.
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Just got back from the new store on Collins in Arlington, Fair is the best I can give it. Sorry no dice! Not the same as a real Philly. The closest I have had was at Nathens at the Luxor in Vegas last week. ordered with cheese and onion and pepers and it was as close as I have come to Oregon Street steaks in Philly.
Good luck .
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I'll admit I was not impressed either. I've never had a real philly, but if that's what it was I much prefer fakes.
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a friend of mine also tried the Arlington location and was unimpressed, despite that he loves the one in Bedford. Strange, because I thought that the owner himself was working the new location... and all of the supplies are probably from the same source. Maybe training the new employees is going slowly. Anyway, the Bedford location is definitely the real deal... so if you don't like those, then you can forget about making a pilgrimage to Philly :)
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It must have been an off day or something, because it just tasted plain, not bad or off. just plain.
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KOABD, it just may not be to your liking. I find that a lot of cheesesteak places underseason their steak. But in reality, a cheesesteak is a plain thing...cheese, onions, steak, roll. A healthy sprinkle of black pepper never hurts.
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Thanks for the report. I frequently drive by there and always wondered if they were any good. Next time I'll definitely stop by.
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What happened? Billadelphias in Bedford was were to go for a great sandwich. I stopped there yesterday. Although it was a Friday and 2 others were before me, I think to wait 20 minutes for food is ridiculous. The quality has sure gone down. I was there 2 weeks ago and had my #2 combo of sandwich, fries and a drink in about 5 minutes. What happened to the staff, everyone working was different?
I will have to give them another shot but I must say, I hope things improve.
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Well, I finally made it to the Arlington location and my first reaction was WOW.
By the looks of the Philly icons on the walls, I got excited as soon as I walked in the door. Liked the Men's bathroom, that was neat.
But, then came the food. Do they stew their steak? It was a rubbery mess, not much flavor. Staff did not seem very friendly either. I gave both the Billadelphia locations a shot now. And I must say 2 big Thumbs DOWN!!!!!
What other locations can offer me a great or at least a good cheesesteak, Serious replys only.
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well, Pf1, all I can say is that your experiences have been completely different from mine... although I haven't been in a couple of months. I Seriously hope that we just have different taste, because it would make me very sad if Billadelphia has become as bad as you make it sound.
The only alternative that's worth checking is Fred's Downtown Philly - they're in Plano. Also good. Not quite as good as Billadelphia is (or was) but that's splitting hairs. They're both pretty equivalent relative to the alternatives. Fred's refuses to use wiz, which makes me happy :)
please report on your experience if you give it a try.
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http://www.chowhound.com/topics/353144
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I gave it another chance. This was at the arlington location. Very different experience. Everything was much better and much fresher. This had at least 2x the meat of my previous one. The cook explained to me that Bill's brother was running the Euless location for a while and apparently doing things poorly. I would still prefer the meat more seasoned, but I guess I can take care of that at the table. I definitely plan to return now.
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As a new transplant to Texas I had heard that there was a place to get real Philly cheesesteaks down here. I was so excited!! I looked it up and went to the one in Bedford. I have to say that I was disappointed. The cheese wasn't melted and the sandwich left an after taste. It seemed just like all the oher "fakes" out there. I guess I'll just have to find some place else to get the real deal.
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Try out the Arlington one, and out of curiousity, how do you feel about cheez whiz?
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koabd-I like cheese whiz but I much prefer american. To me it gives a good flavor!(or so it should have!) I will have to try the Arlington one to see if it any better. Thanks
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I tried the Arlington location and I must say besides the Philly memorabilia all over the place it still didn't taste like home. It had the same funky after taste and I also agree it was too soggy. I'll have to give Jersey Mike's a try. Is he actually from the Philly area?
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Try Jersey Mike's. It's a chain that sells subs, but their cheesteak is by far the best (non gourmet) I have had in Dallas. I gave multiple tries to Billadelphia's and I just can't enjoy it as much as I do Jersey Mike's. My main distraction with Billadelphia's is that they don't cook their beef long enough to get the moisture out. The meat seems like it was stewed; just too soggy for my liking. The Amarosa roll is alright, but I prefer a softer roll.
6550 MacArthur
Irving, TX 75039
(972) 556- 0900
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Perhaps the Bedford location is going downhill...which makes me kind of sad.
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I have frequented the Collins location 3 times and the cheesesteak is always very consistant with the flavor of the meat, which is well seasoned....The meat is juicy but not excessive. I went to this location on Thursday and to my surprise they were giving away free beer while the Cowboys game was on. I dont know if this is going to be the norm (most likely not) but it sure is worth another shot.
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Oh.My.God. We will drive from Dallas for this in a heartbeat! A wiz wit' on an amoroso roll! NICE!
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We tried the Arlington location tonight and was not at all impressed. We split a Cheesesteak with wiz and onions and mushrooms. Sandwich ended up being a little too soggy the last few bites. We also had chili cheese fries which were decent.
Nizza Pizza makes a better Philly cheesesteak.
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please don't call it a philly cheesesteak. there is and will only be one cheesesteak and it originated in philly, but we don't call it a philly cheesesteak. I have never ordered a cheesesteak and people asked philly or...?
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