5745 W. 86th StreetYup. Out of town for another weekend. This time, Indianapolis.
A co-worker and I made the drive to Indianapolis late Friday morning for jobs scheduled Friday evening and Saturday night. We were late booking hotels and they were pretty expensive due to an event going on downtown so I looked around and found something reasonable within about a 20 minute drive of downtown. We decided to go to the hotel first, get some stuff down there, then head downtown for our evening assignment.
We got checked in to a hotel on 86th Street on the northwest side of Indianapolis. This is a really commercialized area right off of I-465. There were several restaurants within walking distance. We had grabbed breakfast from Dunkin Donuts in Texas Township before we left but I was already getting hungry again around 2:30.
There was an Arby’s, a Taco Bell, a Wendy’s…all within walking distance. But there was also a local joint too…and you know me and local joints.
Philadelphia Steak and Fries is on 86th Street west of Zionsville Road on the northwest side of Indianapolis. The restaurant looks like any other fast food joint in the area but it’s a locally owned Philly Steak sandwich shop that also serves up breakfast.
The restaurant is set up for counter service with a view in to the kitchen. It almost looks like a sub shop where you go down the line but it’s not quite that. You order at one end then wait on the other end for the sandwich to be passed down. Right before it’s finished, there is an option to add a few veggies but that’s really the only customization opportunity.
I ordered myself the classic Philly Cheese Steak combo which came with fries and a drink. The cost was right around $15.
There is a dining room and again, it’s set up like any typical fast food place. Tile floors, wood tables. Nothing really out of the ordinary. My hotel was literally a 3 minute walk so I just grabbed my food and headed back to the hotel to eat.
I started in with the fries because there was a lot of them and they were kind of on top of the sandwich. The fries were nothing special but they were tasty and plentiful. They may have been better with something to dip in but I despise ketchup and would rather eat plain fries than fries dipped in ketchup. I worked my way though about half of the fries so I could get to the sandwich with the intention of coming back to the rest of them later.
The Philly Cheese Steak I ordered is just a classic Philly There are other options that can be made with other meats and other toppings but I like the classic…well, minus the onions.
The Philly here is made with tender strips of steak and provolone cheese (and grilled onions for you normal people). It comes on a dense, soft bun that has been slightly grilled to give it a little bit of a crunch but it’s still soft throughout. The sandwich was really filling. The meat was soft and had those little bits of crunch around the edges from the flat top. The provolone cheese melted throughout the sandwich gave each bite a gooey, stringy finish.
I was looking for a quick lunch and I found it at Philadelphia Steak and Fries. The sandwich was really good. I don’t claim to be a Philly Steak expert…I’ve never been to Philadelphia, but I do like the sandwiches when I can find them. Is it authentic? I don’t know..but that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m looking for a good, hearty meal when I got to places like this and that’s what I found.