While hanging out near my old high school stomping grounds the sweet aroma of steak, cheese & bread met my nostrils. I immediately became aware of a place serving cheese steaks about a quarter mile down the road, at the Green line's Ashland stop. On my walk over I noticed the area itself changed somewhat, with it being cleaner & there being a Divvy bike station (https://bit.ly/2NiidaK) there now. Now's not the time to reminisce though as there's a Philly Cheese Steak calling my name! Arriving at the location I kind of expected a restaurant, but noticed a familiar corner store or "Bodega" as they call them in New York in its place. The large blue sign read "Chicago Philly Stop" in white lettering so I must've been at the right place. Upon entry you're inside a smaller than average corner store (https://bit.ly/36jVNPh). Moving past the ATM you see they have the place outfitted with a small kitchen. The staff themselves are walled off in an all too familiar bullet proof booth (https://bit.ly/2BU5u8Z), giving away the type of neighborhood I'm in & perhaps the clientele they usually deal with. My appetite settled on a Philly Steak & a Double Gyro Cheeseburger. A large smile crept upon my face as I looked at the menu as the combos come with fries & a Wildwood soda, something which I haven't drank in easily a decade. I forgot to check if they had Flamin' Hot Cheetos with cheese & meat though. The prices of the food here is pretty cheap, but average for the type of place it is. The food was packed neatly. Upon opening the packages, you can see lots of "sweat." Chicago Philly Stop chooses the standard cut for their fries (https://bit.ly/2qMmkUO) & even though there's lots of moisture, the fries themselves are disappointingly dry which is typical at these types of restaurants. They also messed up my order as I specifically requested the usual "salt, pepper & mild sauce" on the fries, but upon inspection they only put mild sauce. To those that aren't aware, mild sauce is a cheap BBQ sauce, not a "watery ketchup." Philly Steaks are meant to be cherished & initial impressions here show me that the chef knows this. The sandwich is neatly packed with the meat sitting inside what looks like a buttery soft fresh roll (https://bit.ly/31ZivIJ). I seriously questioned whether or not they actually baked the bread themselves as that is how fresh it was. Afterall, a good sandwich starts & ends with good bread. The meat was lean, seasoned well & the juices were purposely left to soak in the bread (another sign of a person who knows how to make a good sandwich.) The Philly Steak here almost can compete with one of my favorite places, but falls short in some areas. One critique is that the peppers were completely missing on half of the sandwich. On the other hand, every ingredient stands out from the steak to the mayo, mozzarella, caramelized onions & bread as if there's mini Baryshnikovs dancing on your tongue. A surprisingly delectable treat indeed! After experiencing the Philly Steak, I couldn't wait to tear into the double gyro cheeseburger. The burger tempts me, the moist wax paper covering it is slightly ajar revealing its cleavage (https://bit.ly/2NjVf37). I pick up the burger, gently caressing its body while peeling back the layer of wax paper inch by inch...perfection. Once the wax paper is off, I notice the luxurious soft bun &...the single patty. It looks like they messed up the order even more. Looking at what they charged me, I did pay about $15.63 for what should've been a $20 order. Miscommunication happens & as long as I wasn't overcharged or my order drastically different, they don't lose any points. American Cheddar cheese serves as the hairpiece for the patty, which is rather well done (a bit overcooked) while mayo, mustard, gyro meat & bits of lettuce round out the legs of the burger (https://bit.ly/31SwjoE) on an excellent fresh bun. In a surprising twist, mild sauce has been substituted for ketchup which is a bold choice considering these condiments don't exactly work well with BBQ sauce. The beef patty was overcooked to the point of it being rather dry & hard in some areas. Nonetheless upon first bite I quickly realize why I fell in love with this dish as a child. Overall, Chicago Philly Steak gives you bang for your buck. For a humble price you get one of the best Philly Steaks & Gyro Cheeseburgers in Chicago. The chef definitely knows his way around food. Service is acceptable. I wish these places would be more welcoming by being actual restaurants with seating. A good idea would be to repurpose one of the many vacant buildings in the area for such a thing. Though growing up in these areas, I know exactly why they sit behind that bullet proof glass. Times are changing though & maybe it's time these restaurants changed as well. 5 out of 5 stars

I'm only a fan of the turkey breakfast sausage and the eggs. I haven't tried anything else they have to offer. The sausage is only $1.50 for 2 small patties, and it's another $1.50 for an order of eggs. They make it fresh every time and it's good quality turkey sausage. It's not too dry and not too greasy. The eggs are always made to order. I cant tell if they are poured from a carton or shelled eggs. Maybe one day I will have the courage to try something else from the menu, but for now, I'm just sticking with the turkey sausage and eggs.