The Big Rinkowski — Restaurant in Greenville

I was so excited to come have a cheesesteak from here because a good one is so hard to find. We were all soooo disappointed. The meat felt, looked, and tasted like the meat from Steakums. I barely had any peppers or onions on mine, like I counted 3/4 small chunks of each. I was hoping for the good gooey melty cheese that seeps into every nook and cranny of the sandwich and was just saddened by the sliced cheese that was melted. We visited Sunday, late afternoon, not many people at the venue and waited for a solid 40 ish minutes for 3 sandwiches and one fry, which also totaled $70! I know everything has gone up so I won’t fuss about that. But I took my grandson elsewhere for his meal and we got his food and he almost finished before we even got our order! I was so sad because I wanted to love this place. I must also mention customer service was less than acceptable. Nobody was “friendly”, like just did their job and that was literally it. My daughter in law went to check to see how much longer and she was completely ignored. She also doesn’t speak up, but standing at the window, one would expect some sort of acknowledgment. She and I are both in the service industry so were familiar and forgiving. But there was hardly any orders, maybe one ahead of us, and none after. I was hoping for the best. And after reading the reviews before writing my own, I give the owner props for taking responsibility and responding to those less than satisfied! Most owners just bash folks that leave reviews, so that shows a lot of character and care for his/...

I gave this place a 2nd try after getting it to go the first time about a year ago. The first time I waited an hour for 2 sandwiches and the Reuben was super soggy from packaging. Fast forward to last night. There were 4 of us , looking forward to a much better experience. Unfortunately it was actually worse than the 1st time even though we were there eating it fresh. The guys ordered Phillies and seemed happy enough with their choices. The other member of our party got the Italian sausage with peppers, she said it was fine. No one was raving just happy it wasn't bad. I ordered the Perogies and Reuben. The perogies were extremely burnt on the outside yet somehow gooey and not in a good way. The Reuben was horrible!!! I asked for no 1000 island, it was on it anyway. It was wrapped in brown paper so it steamed quickly and was crazy soggy. The meat was strangely not shaved corned beef but a thicker cut, and cut into like rectangle pieces and burnt around all the edges. It was so tough. I literally took 3 bites and threw it all away including what they call pub fries, that are just a cheap Sysco batter/coated fry. The vibe is one of not giving a sh*t about the food they're serving or the people they're serving it to with stupid long wait times for easy sandwiches. Could not really be much more disappointed. If I could wave a magic wand I would use it to bring Mike's back...

Let me start by saying, I really wanted to LOVE The Big Rinkowski (TBR)!! That said, my review is strictly for their take on a Philly-Style Cheesesteak. Having lived IN Philly for 20-years, I’ve had the Best! Key critical is the bread… so, the great Philly Bread Debate between Amoroso’s, Liscio’s, and Aversa’s comes to GVL. Notwithstanding, THE one bakery that reigns supreme in Philly is Sarcone’s on 9th St. in South Philly, but I digress. It must be noted, TBR tries hard here by importing Liscio’s hoagie roll’s, although not my favorite. My roll could def have been fresher. Next, the price point is on the higher side (~$20 w/tax), particularly given the sandwich is on the smaller side). The texture of the steak itself was somewhat soupy (as though it was steamed or boiled, not grill fried), and iit lacked real flavor. Would I say it is better than most available in and around GVL… Yes, if they would either lower the price or increase the amount of steak). Would I call it authentic or rate it on a level with Harry’s… Nope! Like I said, I really wanted to love this place because I live downtown. I will try some of their other menu items, but for Cheesesteaks going forward, I’ll have to jump in the car to see the good folks over at Harry’s...