If you’ve ever been to Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market and had a genuine Philly cheesesteak, you’ve most likely been hard-pressed to find anything similar in the area.
But Mac’s Philly Steaks can give you a taste of the famous sandwich synonymous with the city of Brotherly Love.
I headed to the South Main Street joint with advertising representatives Jenn Bennett and Heather DeLyser, to see how these cheesesteaks compared to the real deal.
The atmosphere
The eatery provides a very casual dining experience. Booths line the walls and the food is served to you on a blue plastic tray. A view of the grill can be seen from the ordering counter, and it’s almost always full of shredded steak and chicken, just waiting for the final touch of provolone cheese.
An eye-catching mural runs the whole left wall, and depicts a dozen cheesesteak joints around the country in vibrant colors (the Canandaigua location is represented).
Friendly, inviting and relaxed, it’s a great place to pop in for lunch. The food is served quickly without feeling rushed.
The TVs situated around the dining area are all tuned to sports channels, so you won’t miss a second of the game.
The food
The menu centers around Philly steaks and hoagies, but there are also quite a few salads to choose from.
Every time I've been to Mac's, I've ordered the signature Philly cheesesteak, so I was interested in what else the menu provided. Although it was hard to resist ordering my usual, I instead got the Country Sweet Chicken Finger Hoagie ($6.89), found under the specialty sandwich menu. The chicken was slathered in country sweet sauce, which was sweet but not too syrupy.
The sandwich came on Mac’s signature Amoroso’s roll — imported from Philadelphia — which was fresh and very soft. The provolone cheese was melted on the chicken; next time I’ll skip the cheese so I can taste more of the finger-lickin’ country sweet sauce.
Jenn went for the classic Philly Cheesesteak ($6.29/8-inch) with onions, peppers, mushrooms and provolone cheese. Hint: If you want to experience an authentic Philly cheesesteak, order it with Cheese Whiz instead (75 cents extra). You’ll gain street cred while getting the real deal.
Jenn noted the steak was juicy and bursting with flavor — no dried-out meat here — and that the mushrooms were savory. She said the sandwich reminded her of her home state, Pennsylvania.
