The Cheese Steak Shop

The food is ok but nothing special, would much rather have jakes if I am in SF and Stevens Cheeseteak in Sunnyvale is a thousand times better. –4 stars for cleanliness. It was a dump today. The floor, the bathroom, the tables are all filthy. It’s really that bad. Could not find one table that was clean to sit down at and there are tons of tables. Clearly they had no bus boy today and no one was willing to clean tables, clean the bathroom or replenish ketchup and straws and forks etc… so apparently it just wasn’t going to be done today? Weird and Gross. Very disappointing.

Always eat there (as in, eat in the restaurant)! The sandwich gets all soft and… unappealing if you drive it home because of the juices and the bread is all soft (it’s always soft). It’s meant to be eaten hot and fresh! & if you do, it’s amazing! It feels very… heart attack inducing (?) O. O, but what do you expect I guess. It’s great!

The cheesesteaks and twirly fries were so good! Employees were very welcoming and let me know that the soda refills were free. Would definitely come again!

Good solid cheesesteak at a solid price.
The lite spinach/​mushroom 10″ was the right price with the right amount of meat/​veggies.
Too much is not necessarily good and too little is always a problem.
I do have these guys at the top of my cheesteak spots in the City.

MY CREDIT CARD INFORMATION WAS POSSIBLY STOLEN AT THIS LOCATION.
I was visiting SF and ate at the Cheese Steak Shop on Divisadero St Nov. 24, 2015, and I used a credit card to pay for my lunch. It was the only credit card purchase I made in SF. Starting Nov. 25 I had multiple fraudulent charges on my credit card in SF totaling almost $ 1000. While I do not know for certain, I speculate my credit card information was stolen at this location. I never had any fraudulent charges before in my lifetime. If you eat there, I strongly suggest you pay cash.

I’m more at 3.5 stars than 3 but definitely not 4 because of how skimpy they’ve gotten with everything. Been coming here for years and it’s just not the same. They want to give you less but charge you more (cmon guys). Also, after spending about $ 40 I asked for some ranch an they want to charge me 50 cents… really? But back to the cheesesteaks… just scroll through the pics and you can see some disappointing portions. I ordered the King of Philly (10″ extra meat and cheese) and my girl got a regular 10″ and I couldn’t see a difference. I had to ask which was which lol! So now I order a King of Philly with extra meat lol (sad but true). But overall the cheesesteaks here are very tasty. If you have a big appetite like me and want a filling cheesesteak just order the King of Philly with extra meat (about $ 12.50).

I’m willing to try the Cheese Steak Shop again, but my first trip here was just average. The meat in my cheesesteak was not as flavorful as I would have wanted and the green peppers were heavily greasy. The fries are thick cut which are good if you like steak fries, but I definitely prefer crispy. I got the garlic fries and I felt like the garlic was not cooked well with with the fries, more thrown on top. Pros: service was quick, relatively inexpensive, and comes with a frequent customer card.
Their slogan is «habit forming.» I can’t say that after this visit as I was mostly unimpressed, but as mentioned, I’m willing to give it another taste.

Solid cheese steaks, especially in San Francisco. Prices are decent and location is convenient. Good place to come after drinking at the nearby sports bars.

In an era where local establishments are disappearing about as quickly as the city forgoes its building height limits, this San Francisco cheese steak joint still represents the 415 with a little pinch of Philly. The sandwiches are worth 2 – 3 trips around the block in search of parking. Better yet bike, walk or MUNI there. The understated façade on the Divis corridor doesn’t do the delicious product justice, but that’s easily overlooked for the moderate price of cheesy-​steak goodness.
SHWINGS: One of the Beat cheese steaks in the city.
DINGS: Habit forming as advertised.

Phenomenal! Came here on the recommendation of a friend who’s been coming for years and I was NOT disappointed.
He ordered a 15 inch deluxe cheesesteak with almost everything in the kitchen on it. 2 people could easily share it.
I got a 10 inch regular philly with onions and peppers and was sent to heaven. Easily the best cheesesteak outside of actual philly. And super cheap! Have to limit myself to maybe once a month now.

Best cheesesteak I’ve found in SF so far. I’m not sure how «authentic» it is in relation to Philly, but it’s the closest I’ve found in SF.
It seems like the «King of Philly» may be the way to go (more meat and cheese). May be habit forming.

PROS: Food was excellent and served quickly… CONS: the ambiance is definitely lacking!
Overall: Will continue to dine at this establishment because I had an overall pleasant experience.
Thanks Cheese Steak Shop staff!

after a night of partying… this is exactly what my body needed! Soo good!!! I want one now…
Onion rings SLAMMING!

I was originally just going to write an opinion on this place, but after a little thought and a little food I figured that a response to the one and two star reviews would be more useful.
To be fair, this review is based on a morning visit, well before the lunch rush, which may explain some of the discrepancies. Anyhoo, here goes:
1.) «This place is gross and dirty!»
First off, it’s not actually that dirty. It may become dirty when it fills up with people, but right now all the tables are clean and it’s about as tidy as a place like this can be.
Second off… Where the hell have you people been getting your cheesesteaks? The shop is supposed to be old and dingy. That’s how you know the food is good! If you want more sparkle in your atmosphere, you may want to consider a sushi bar.
2.) «The staff are unprofessional!»
My experience here may differ because I beat the rush, but I can’t see a source for complaint here. The woman behind the register was sweet and polite. The gentleman behind the grill was a little gruff, but not rude.
3.) «There’s no cheese!»
Now to be honest I agreed with this one at first, but upon closer inspection it turns out that there actually is cheese on the sandwich… It’s just fused to the bread so it looks like mayo. Not exactly a defense, but at least there’s an explanation.
4.) «It’s too expensive!»
Uhhhh… Again I find myself asking, where the hell have you people been eating?! This is San Francisco, guys. Everything is expensive here these days, and that includes lunch. I got a small sandwich, an order of chips, and a drink for about $ 9. That’s not expensive for SF, unless you use McDonalds as a standard… And if that’s your metric, for the love of all that is holy, WHY ARE YOU ON Unilocal?!
***
That said, one thing I will agree with is that for a cheesesteak my sandwich was pretty barren. The fillings were tasty, but there was almost no cheese and… How can I put this delicately? My hands are clean right now. I can type on my smartphone and the screen isn’t going berserk. That’s not usually the case after I’ve consumed a cheesesteak. Normally there’s grease, onions, cheese residue, and bits of meat all over the place. If I’m not making a mess, my instinct is to think that there’s not enough stuff in the sandwich.
Apparently the sandwiches were not always barren here, so I’m guessing they’ve cut back on their fixin’s as an alternative to raising prices. It seems to be working out for them and I’m actually pretty satisfied (if a little bewildered), so Idunno… Maybe if you want an extra messy cheesesteak you can just ask for extra stuff and pay a little more? That could work.

This place has gone downhill. Practically no meat in the sandwich and the meat was so tough that I had to spit most of it out. Such a shame. Used to be my favorite spot.

I come here often and I enjoy their cheese steaks a lot. Always delicious and fast!
I’m giving 3 stars because I don’t understand why it’s always so dirty inside. Not just the dining area but even the kitchen is really messy. It always seems to be busy so I don’t see why their staff can’t clean up a little to make it more appealing. Atleast wipe down the tables and remove trash.

I laughed to myself, a little, when I saw 4 stars average for this particular shop.
Usually another co-​worker volunteers to pick up the food for us from here. This time I got to experience it myself.
–The atmosphere is not the greatest (smells — not sure if it was coming from the bathroom but it certainly wasn’t the cheese steaks /​some employees fooling around while I am placing my order — it’s great that they have fun but maybe a little too much. I mean, it is a business after all and focus should be on the customer)
–Line forms fairly quick, especially during the lunch hours so don’t expect to be in and out (25min in my experience)
–During the rush it seemed like there wasn’t much communication and a few staff members, 1 of whom I’d think was the manager, kept on with their conversation instead of lending a hand to help move the traffic.
–Going back to the last comment — the 2 staff that were chatting while the store was slammed finally stopped whatever they were discussing when they saw an attractive woman in line /​kicked out the cashier that was sweating while taking orders over the counter and the phone so they could assist her… whatever, but as a bystander it just looks bad. (unprofessional/​perverted/​no team-​morale)
–Food rocks, no doubt about it and probably is the only thing that keeps people coming back.
2 stars is a fare rating — 1 for the food, 1 for the overworked staff
Improvements:
1. clean up the place (I did notice the scorecard with the ‘90’ on it — definitely isn’t)
2. hire more competent staff /​educate on customer perception
3. put in a better/​more efficient process for those rush-​hours (will lose a ton of money by not doing so)
4. possibly remodel the floor plan? (longshot — but it is fairly tight in there, between the cashier, the soda dispenser and the pick up window not any wiggle room especially during the rush hour so you just keep bumping into people.

This is a great Philly Cheese Steak place and I am so thankful it is in my neighborhood.
First off I love everyone that works here… they are always so nice and friendly.
Second I love the people that eat here… I have met many very nice people whilst dining.
If you can, go on Wednesday because all sides are half off… the curly fries, onion rings and steak cut fries are really, really good.
I usually get the 10″ cheese steak with peppers (and of course fries and onion rings) and it is always delicious… a sure thing.
The Free soda refills are always a plus.
I am getting hungry writing this review so I gotta go now!
Ps don’t forget to get a loyalty card for a free cheese steak sandwich.

I absolutely love this place!
It is a place I always visit while I am in San Francisco. It is just around the corner from my friends apartment.
I like to order the «Classic» steak philly, with everything (grilled onions, hot and sweet peppers and mushrooms). So delicious, made fresh and piping hot! Their fries are good as well.
The staff is always friendly. We usually call in our order so it is ready to pick up when we walk over. I’ve noticed that things take a bit long if you just walk in and order, but it’s not big deal.
This isn’t a place I would say to go out of your way for, but if you are hungry and in the area — check it out!

Best place to get a cheese steak this side of South Philly. At this location you get all the vibe and attitude.
Make sure you pick up a frequency card. You might think you’ll never go back, but as their slogan says, Caution, may be habit forming. Want a healthy alternative? They do have Chicken and Vegetable alternatives.
This is not a Wit Wiz type of place. Standard sandwich asks if you want peppers, onions, and cheese. Small is 7″ and large is 10″
A good recommendation is to put them on auto-​dial. Phone orders allow for you to skip the line when you arrive.
This place has been savior for many late nights at the adjacent UCSF clinic while waiting for loved ones. There are many other locations in the Bay Area. I’ve only been to the other one in Berkeley