JOE'S
A LEGACY LIVES ON
Joseph "Joe" Groh, with his ever-present charming smile and easy temperament, may very well be Philly's greatest living cheesesteak legend. Joe has been slinging steaks his entire adult life, since the age of 16, more than 40 years ago.
Joe studied under the esteemed Samuel "Chink" Sherman, whose popular steak shop in northeast Philly dated back to 1949. He started out cutting meat and peeling onions in the basement, learning his craft literally from the ground up. In 1999, shortly after Sherman passed away, Joe bought the place and has been its hands-on owner ever since then. "We perfected the cheesesteak," Joe proudly proclaims, and it rings true. He is the keeper of a 75+ year legacy.
Back when it was located on Torresdale Avenue, the place was called Chink's Steaks. We won't get into how Samuel Sherman earned his "Asian" moniker. Let's just say that by the early 2010s there was a lot of pressure to rename Chink's. Good guy that he is, Groh decided to change it to "Joe's Steaks + Soda Shop."
Joe's Steaks moved over to the hipster Fishtown neighborhood about a decade ago. It's quite an attractive place, with cool retro decor inside and out, and clean, comfortable seating. Joe's has always been known for its friendly and energetic staff, which invariably includes a number of young, attractive servers and grill chefs. Every visit to Joe's Steaks is an enjoyable one.
The cheesesteaks here are consistently fantastic, and there is even a 100% vegan option. And it gets better, because Joe's is also a "soda shop" where each milkshake proves more heavenly than the last. This place is easily one of Philly's best, but please don't just take Willie's word for it. Joe's cheesesteak has won Philadelphia magazine's "Best of Philly" award, and TastingTable.com saw fit to name Joe's "the quintessential Philly cheesesteak." And Condé Nast Traveler described the cheesesteak as "faultless." Right they are.
If you cannot make it to Fishtown for an in-person meal at Joe's, don't despair - you can order your steak by mail from Goldbelly. (Unfortunately, if you want a decadent milkshake to go with it, you're on your own.)
JOE'S STEAKS + SODA SHOP
1 West Girard Avenue (Girard & Frankford)
(215) 423-5637
