The Philly Special — Restaurant in Mundelein

Excited to try this! Went on Sunday at lunch time. There was a large party inside that had pushed tables together leaving only small 2 person tables along the wall. They were kinda obnoxious. Not really the place for a large gathering. Guy behind the counter was very friendly. We ordered a Philly cheesesteak with mushrooms and a chicken Philly cheesesteak with bell peppers, mozzarella sticks, fries with cheese sauce and Buffalo wings. The food came out fast and hot. Delivered by the guy behind the counter. Fries were nothing special, no seasoning. The cheese sauce was Cheez Whiz, which my hubby did not like. Both cheesesteak sandwiches were beef, not one chicken, as ordered. There was absolutely NO salt or any type of seasoning on the meat. It was flavorless. But in a positive note, the sandwich was well made. The bread was fantastic and the cheese plentiful. The mozzarella sticks were actually triangular wedges and were fantastic! The marinara on the side was delicious. The place was busy and filled up. The large party continues to sit while people are waiting for tables. They even let one person waiting take their picture together but continued to say their long goodbyes while people waited to sit. How rude. We probably won't go back but if I were in the area, I would be tempted to stop for the mozzarella wedges!!!! (Aaannd, it was a little on the...

A Must-Try Philly Cheesesteak Spot—

I stopped by this cheesesteak joint while in the area and was pleasantly surprised by how well they nailed the classic Philly sandwich. I ordered the classic cheesesteak with provolone and onions, and it did not disappoint. The sandwich was generously stuffed with well-seasoned, chopped meat, and the provolone was melted perfectly—evenly distributed and just the right amount of gooeyness. The grilled onions added a sweet, savory balance without overpowering the meat. Having tried cheesesteaks in Philadelphia before, I can confidently say this one holds its own against some of the best.

That said, there were a couple of small quirks. The sandwich wasn’t piping hot—just warm—which was a bit surprising coming straight from the kitchen. The bread, while decent, was slightly chewy, though the flavorful filling made up for it.

Beyond the food, the atmosphere was great: fun Philly-themed decor (including slang definitions in the bathroom—a nice touch!), upbeat music, and even some machine gaming. The service was excellent, and I loved that they had hot sauces, seasonings, and vinegar on the tables. A dash of hot sauce took my sandwich to the next level.

I’ll absolutely be back to try their other cheesesteak variations, fries, and onion rings. This place is now a go-to for me whenever I’m...

Where do I even begin?

Hit up this place with my buddy Nathan after school for lunch via my recommendation to him. We drove up and after one year and for his first time, we had this place. And let me tell you, SOOOOOO good.

I got myself a 12” Classic Steak with Cooper Sharp White American cheese topped with onions and let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS. On top of that, I also ordered a large fry topped with Whiz and bacon and let me tell you, it’s like if they cut up 4 potatoes and slapped them into a basket. Yeah sure the fries were a little pricey at $9 but for the amount of food and the quality, you can’t really ask for anything better.

My buddy Nathan got the 8” Pizza Steak and he says in his own words “Its simple greatness” which speaks for itself.

My meal costed about $30 total primarily because I didn’t eat much today and I was looking for a big meal to last me throughout the day and I will say that despite the high price, it is very very good and I would get it again but probably a smaller steak and smaller fry.

Nathan’s meal costed around $17 bucks and he says the cost to quality of the food matches perfectly which, well, implies it’s worth the money.

Well done The Philly Special, looking forward to eating here again. Maybe with Nathan...