Chunky and Bop's Philadelphia Cheesesteaks and Hoagies — Restaurant in Summerfield

Please pardon me while I rant.

As a native Philadelphian, I am appalled and offended that you would dare compare yourself with any Philadelphia cheesesteak establishment. When placing my order I was told I could NOT get the topping of my choice. I'd initially read a menu option advertised as a Cheesesteak Hoagie which comes with lettuce and tomatoes. I was informed they no longer offered that menu item, but that I could still order a Cheesesteak with my choice of toppings. Okay - so I'd like lettuce and tomatoes please. I was again told no. My face must have spoken a thousand words, because someone who appeared to be a manager came to the front to inquire. I explained that I'd been refused the option of lettuce and tomatoes, and she confirmed "No, we do not put lettuce and tomatoes on our hot sandwiches because customers have complained that it makes the bread soggy." Okay, so I've got the disclaimer. May I please have lettuce and tomatoes? Nope. Should it not be my choice to suffer the possibility of soggy bread if I want lettuce and tomatoes? Nope. I was absolutely refused the right to have soggy bread under my Cheesesteak with lettuce and tomatoes.

So here's the question of the hour: What kind of paper thin bread are you using that you absolutely refuse to add lettuce and tomatoes to a hot sandwich? I've gone to Max's in Philly, ordered several Cheesesteak variations with different combinations of toppings including lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, cherry peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, and EXTRA mayo, took the 2 plus hour drive back home and nobody complained about soggy bread. I've made mini-cheesesteaks at home for parties using hotdog rolls that have survived lettuce and tomatoes. And furthermore, if you're adding lettuce and tomatoes to cold hoagie sandwiches, how is the bread holding up under hoagies that are oftentimes made with oil and vinegar? Do not false advertise Philly food to a native. We know how those sandwiches are made.

With that said, unfortunately I never even got to try the food. If I'm paying $25 for a Cheesesteak, I want lettuce and tomatoes as my topping of choice without having to stop by the grocery store on the way home.

Good luck with your...

I honestly don’t know where to begin, because I’m still in awe of the terrible customer service. I understand there’s a wait for everything; however, waiting two hours for a sandwich is not acceptable.

My first clue should have been finding the place - it’s a ghost kitchen located inside a mini food court. Upon entering, you’re confused because you’re looking for a sign where you can place an order. Well, you can only place orders online or through a kiosk once the hostess informs you how to order. They have a sign saying during peak hours the wait time is “one hour.” I placed an order at 2:47 p.m. and didn’t receive it until 4:50 p.m. I was done, and again, this is unacceptable!

Another issue I have is they bring your food when there are multiple orders done and bring them at one time. I’m sorry; again, unacceptable. They should bring customers’ orders when they finish wrapping them, versus having people wait until they bring seven to ten orders at one time. I got home, opened my order, only to discover my food was lukewarm. I will never visit this place again. Until they realize people’s time is valuable and folks don’t want to sit two-plus hours waiting for food, I can’t see them being the talk of social media for long. So beware: if you have one to two-plus hours to wait on a sandwich - and that goes for placing an order online (as I talked to people who were there two hours and had placed their order online) - by all means, give them a try. It’s not the best cheesesteak, but it was okay…not a two-hour wait okay. I wasn’t impressed. Now, if and when I get a taste for an authentic Philly cheesesteak, I’ll drive to Philly before I ever patronize this...

Chunky and Bops is a solid spot if you’re in the mood for a great cheesesteak and don’t mind a bit of a wait. I’m giving them five stars, not just for the food but for their transparency about the wait time—which makes all the difference in the experience.

I placed my online order at 5:39pm and received a text at 7:05pm letting me know it was ready. The key thing to understand is that you don’t have to physically wait at the restaurant—just order online, go about your business, and pick it up when it’s ready. They clearly state upfront (on their website and in person) that the wait is over an hour, so as long as you plan accordingly, it’s no issue. But if you do want to wait at the food hall, there’s a great bar in the middle and live music, making it a nice place to hang out.

Since Chunky and Bops is a ghost kitchen, there’s no traditional storefront, and interactions with staff are minimal. However, the chef and owner personally came out to hand off orders and even checked in with my mom and me while we were eating, which was a nice touch. He was friendly and genuinely cared about our experience.

Now, for the food—I ordered two cheesesteaks (one regular, one chicken) and fries. Both sandwiches were good, but next time, I’d stick with the regular cheesesteak. The fries were also really tasty.

Overall, if you understand how this place works and plan ahead, it’s a good experience. Just order online, know that it’ll be ready in about an hour, and either pick it up when it’s time or hang out at the food hall...