There is no one - and we mean no one - whose list of Philly's best cheesesteaks does not have Café Carmela at or near the top. Just one taste and you will understand why.

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At first glance, Café Carmela looks like your typical nice Italian restaurant in a strip mall. Black and white checkered tablecloths. The mandatory picture of Sinatra (the patron saint of every Italian restaurant) displayed alongside those of other luminaries. Even a plaster figurine of that ubiquitous mustachioed pizza box guy in his Chef Boyardee getup.  

 

But then check out the menu and see what they are serving the folks at the next table. Mamma mia. The most delicious-looking pizzas you have ever seen. Truffle fries to die for. And lastly, of course, a cheesesteak so amazing it actually has a name - Don Cheech's Steak, a veritable masterpiece featuring sliced ribeye (or chicken if you wish) and caramelized onions, perfectly blended with your choice of Cooper Sharp, sharp provolone, or cheese sauce. A great cheesesteak is all in the execution, and Café Carmela executes flawlessly.

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Café Carmela, named after the owner's Italian-born mother, serves family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. And you can experience all of it at Café Carmela's original location on Holme Avenue in Northeast Philly, or at the newer location just outside the city on Philmont Avenue in Huntingdon Valley.