Philly's Finest — Restaurant in Tucson

Just got back from Philly's Finest at 6210 E Speedway Blvd in the Monterey Village Shopping Center — and unfortunately, it was a major letdown. I used to be a regular at the Ajo Way location, where the food was filling and the staff made you feel genuinely welcome. That location always had a great atmosphere and positive energy.

This Speedway location? Completely different. The vibe was off from the moment we walked in. No greetings, no smiles, barely any communication. The staff seemed to be hiding in the back, and customer service was non-existent. It felt like no one wanted to be there — and it absolutely showed.

I even made it clear when we walked in that it had been years since I visited Philly’s Finest, hoping to spark some engagement or at least a warm welcome. Instead, nothing. If the tall, dark-haired guy is the manager, he clearly has interpersonal issues. He never once checked in or asked how the food was. That’s basic customer service — especially for someone leading the team.

The food itself was just as disappointing. I ordered the Original Philly, and it was tiny. Hardly any meat or cheese, bland in flavor, and the roll felt more like a hot dog bun than a sub. Definitely not what I expected, especially knowing how good the Ajo Way location used to be.

Honestly, the staff needs serious retraining — or replacement. There was zero personality, zero effort, and zero care for the customer experience. As a local business owner, I can say confidently that if this was my team, they’d be let go. Not everyone is meant to work in customer service.

If the owner doesn’t step in and make changes soon, this location is going to lose business fast. Bad reviews are going to pile up, and loyal customers like me won’t...

The restaurant was clean and inviting. It was moderately busy just after Noon on a Tuesday.

Staff members were friendly and helpful. They were happy to answer questions and make recommendations.

Our son enjoyed his first Philly cheese steak (beef), with fries and a little chocolate chip cookie -- and his father's chocolate chip cookie, before we'd realized what he'd done. His order and his father's order had been placed in the same bag. Maybe not the best plan when dealing with a rapidly growing, always hungry adolescent, since he didn't know they weren't both for him. 😂

I had the Sedona Chicken Salad with balsamic vinaigrette, per staff recommendation. The salad was ENORMOUS -- completely filled one of those full-sized, square, styrofoam to-go boxes. It was very tasty too. I managed to eat maybe half, and had the rest for lunch today.

There are tables in the front half of the restaurant and booths in the back half, opposite the kitchen and order area. We chose a booth, and were able to have a nice chat with our friend we'd...

Philly's Finest has been a favorite spot for my mom and I for years. It's a place we can go to have a sandwich, relax and know that the food will be consistently good. It's a nice spot!

The ranch is absolutely amazing and the fries are always great, served hot. The sandwiches here really are big, so you shouldn't be leaving hungry. (I've included a cross-section picture to show it.) You also get a cookie with your meal, and the drink refills are free.

I think low reviews may come from people having different standards for how they like their sandwiches. Everybody has different tastes, but for me, I just feel Philly's Finest does a really good job. If you haven't tried it, you should! Understand they have a wide variety of available sandwiches, just because you don't like one doesn't mean you won't like another.

One of my absolute favorites here is the Buffalo Chicken, which is amazing, but I generally just stick to the #3 Italian Combo. The pulled pork...