What Makes Jersey Mike's Cheese Steak Sandwiches So Delicious?

Jersey Mike's has become one of my favorite sandwich chains. The company's sandwiches are always freshly-made, well-crafted, and generously portioned, so when I'm in the mood for a delicious sub, I know that I can trust Jersey Mike's to deliver. For a while, I ordered the company's original Italian, which comes stacked high with ham, provolone, proscuittini, cappacuolo, salami, and pepperoni. The original Italian is so good that I seldom felt the need to stray from it, but as a lifelong cheese steak enthusiast, I eventually rolled the dice. And I was pleasantly surprised. The steak was tender and cheesy, the bread was fresh and fluffy, and the peppers and onions inside were perfectly cooked. From that day forward, I was hooked.

Whether you're a longtime fan or just a curious sandwich lover, you might be wondering: what is it about Jersey Mike's Philly cheese steak sandwiches that makes them so delicious? As it turns out, there are a handful of factors that play a role in making these some of the best chain restaurant cheese steaks around.

Having some extra options on the menu is always a good thing, and Jersey Mike's has plenty of them. While most sandwich shops have only one or two cheese steak options on the menu, Jersey Mike's has a dozen.

For protein, there are steak, chicken, and portabella mushrooms for customers to choose from. When it comes to fillings and sauces, there's jalapeños, onions, peppers, bacon, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, buffalo sauce, and more. All of these toppings and options provide customers with a lot of variety and makes it possible for diners to try different cheese steak variations, which keeps the menu interesting. By offering so many options, Jersey Mike's caters to more preferences so that customers can customize their cheese steaks. Another bonus: Jersey Mike's cherry pepper relish. If you've never had a cheese steak with cherry pepper relish, then it's time to change that, and see what you've been missing out on.

The taste and texture of the meat is one of the most important parts of a sandwich. To save preparation time, some restaurants use precooked meat (looking in your direction, Subway). Precooked meat is just about guaranteed to be a little tough, chewy, and over-seasoned, ruining the cheese steak. In order to make a quality cheese steak, the meat should be raw, shaved thin, and cooked to order, so as to maximize freshness and flavor.

Jersey Mike's makes all of the company's sandwiches to order, including its cheese steaks. Shaved sheets of raw meat are cooked on the restaurant's hot griddle beside other toppings like sliced onions and peppers. Once the steak and veggies are cooked and mixed together, slices of cheese are melted into the filling and the sandwich is wrapped up. All of these fresh ingredients are quickly prepared in a matter of minutes, resulting in a sandwich that's exceptionally fresh and tasty.

Condiments can be contentious. Cheese steak purists often tend to claim that a real Philly cheesesteak only contains grilled steak, melted cheese, and onions — no condiments. But Jersey Mike's cheese steaks are even made with chicken, so the chain is clearly not sticking to tradition. I'm in the camp that simply believes food is meant to be enjoyed however you wish — and I usually do like a little mayo on my cheese steaks. But you know what's even better than plain mayo? Chipotle mayo. And Jersey Mike's makes sure to keep it on the menu. It's part of the chain's Chipotle Cheese Steak and its Chipotle Chicken Cheese Steak.

There's something special that happens when chipotle mayo joins forces with a fresh cheese steak. Chipotle peppers have a smokiness that pairs exceptionally well with beef or chicken, so this is pretty much a match made in heaven. The heat of chipotle peppers can be a bit too intense for some, but the spice level in Jersey Mike's chipotle mayo is very mild and approachable. Plus, subtle smokiness and heat adds a lot of extra flavor to the cheese steaks.

I love all types of mushrooms, but sometimes I'm reluctant to order them at chain restaurants because many of them use canned mushrooms — and I hate canned mushrooms. When I order anything with mushrooms, I always cross my fingers and hope that they're fresh. The good news is, unlike many of its chain restaurant peers, Jersey Mike's opts to use fresh mushrooms in its Portabella Cheese Steak, its Portabella Chicken Cheese Steak.

And it doesn't just use the white button variety that you typically see in most cheese steaks. Jersey Mike's uses portabella mushrooms, which have a thick, beefy texture that perfectly blends with steak and vegetarian options. Portabella mushrooms also have a pronounced mushroom flavor that mushroom lovers are sure to enjoy on their cheese steaks. Jersey Mike's choice to use fresh portabella mushrooms on some of its cheese steaks — instead of exclusively relying on cheaper options like canned mushrooms — is a wise one, and it's part of the reason that the company's cheese steak sandwiches are superior to those of its competitors.

The optimal cheese to use for cheese steaks will be debated until the end of time. The three main contenders are American, provolone, and cheese sauce. While Jersey Mike's doesn't have cheese sauce available, the company does have white American cheese, and American cheese has a miraculous way of developing into a velvety sauce when it melts fast enough.

In fact, the main allure of American cheese is how perfectly it melts, which makes it an ideal choice for cheese steak, since it's cooked very quickly on a searing hot flat top griddle. All of the cheese steaks on Jersey Mike's menu come with American cheese automatically, so the company's meats are primed for luscious, gooey goodness. If you want your cheese steak to be extra cheesy, try out Jersey Mike's Big Kahuna cheese steak, which comes with extra American cheese. And don't forget that you can always add provolone, if that's your preference.

Sure, a lot of sandwich chains claim to use freshly baked bread. The problem is that the quality of that bread can vary greatly from place to place. While Subway bakes its bread from frozen loaves at each of its locations, I think most of us can agree that the end result is less than stellar. The good news is that's not the case at Jersey Mike's.

The bread at Jersey Mike's is fluffy on the inside with a little crispy crust on the outside. The bread is thick enough to hold the company's sandwiches together without them falling apart, but it's also not overly dense. The bread's structure is ideal for cheese steaks, since it can contain the cheesy filling without getting soggy. And, because the bread is freshly baked, it still has a moist and delicate crumb that gives all of its sandwiches — including its cheese steaks — a major boost.

If a sandwich restaurant features cheese steaks, they seldom run seasonal specials that feature different ingredients. I think part of this is because some customers are hesitant to try new twists on old favorites. But sometimes, those specials end up striking gold and creating something truly delicious. Luckily, Jersey Mike's doesn't shy away from rolling the dice on experimenting with different styles of cheese steaks.

One good example of this is the limited-time run that Jersey Mike's did with two different cheese steaks at the same time. The company promoted a Salsa Verde Chicken Cheese Steak and a Smoky Southwestern Cheese Steak. Both of these cheese steaks featured different flavors from the regular menu, which gave them some special appeal. The combination of salsa verde with chicken cheese steak was particularly delicious. By switching it up and offering different types of seasonal cheese steaks, Jersey Mike's broadens its horizons of deliciousness.