Dalessandro's Steaks

{{Short description|Restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.}}

{{Infobox Restaurant

| name = Dalessandro's Steaks

| also known as =

| image = File:Dalessandro's Steaks store front.jpg

| image_width =

| image_caption = Dalessandro's Steaks' store front

| slogan =

| logo =

| logo_width =

| established = {{start date and age|1960}}

| previous-owner = William Dalessandro

| current-owner = Steve Kotridis
Margie Kotridis

| head-chef =

| food-type = Cheesesteaks and other sandwiches

| dress-code = Casual

| rating =

| street-address = 600 Wendover St

| city = Philadelphia

| county = Philadelphia

| postcode = 19128

| state = Pennsylvania

| coordinates = {{Coord|40|1|46.3|N|75|12|21.6|W|type:landmark_region:US-PA|display=inline,title}}

| seating-capacity =

| reservations =

| other-locations =

| other-information =

| website = {{URL|http://www.dalessandros.com/}}

}}

Dalessandro's Steaks & Hoagies is a cheesesteak restaurant that was founded in 1960 in Roxborough, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.{{cite book | last=Wyman | first=C. | title=The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book | publisher=Running Press | year=2009 | isbn=978-0-7624-3547-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSqkOAAACAAJ | access-date=December 5, 2017 | archive-date=March 12, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312233215/https://books.google.com/books?id=WSqkOAAACAAJ | url-status=live }}{{Cite web| title = Dalessandro's Steaks & Hoagies| author = Belonger, Jeff| work = myphillyalive| date = 2012-07-19| access-date = 2017-04-25| url = http://www.myphillyalive.com/blog/dalessandros-steaks-hoagies/| archive-date = 2022-03-12| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220312233216/http://www.myphillyalive.com/blog/dalessandros-steaks-hoagies/| url-status = live}}{{Cite web| title = Pittsburgh cheats its way to victory in best-cheesesteak poll| author = Hickey, Brian| work = PhillyVoice| date = 2016-05-13| access-date = 2017-04-25| url = http://www.phillyvoice.com/pittsburgh-cheats-its-way-victory-best-cheesesteak-poll/| archive-date = 2017-04-26| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170426060423/http://www.phillyvoice.com/pittsburgh-cheats-its-way-victory-best-cheesesteak-poll/| url-status = live}}{{cite web | author=Feldman, Leslie | title=Dalessandro's in Roxborough remains top spot for cheesesteaks | website=Montgomery News | date=December 4, 2017 | url=http://www.montgomerynews.com/roxreview/news/dalessandro-s-in-roxborough-remains-top-spot-for-cheesesteaks/article_e7d251d8-6ecf-54a7-ad4e-80a891cdd38e.html | access-date=December 5, 2017 | archive-date=December 7, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207023725/http://www.montgomerynews.com/roxreview/news/dalessandro-s-in-roxborough-remains-top-spot-for-cheesesteaks/article_e7d251d8-6ecf-54a7-ad4e-80a891cdd38e.html | url-status=live }} In 2011, when referring to Dalessandro's, The New York Times declared that "Philly food could be summed up by those cheese steaks".{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Ingrid K. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/travel/23choice-philadelphia.html |title=Beyond Cheese Steaks: A Tour of Philadelphia Restaurants |website=The New York Times |date=2011-01-21 |access-date=2017-12-04 |archive-date=2017-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205042326/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/travel/23choice-philadelphia.html |url-status=live }}

History

Italian American William Dalessandro opened Dalessandro's in 1960 on Ridge Avenue in Roxborough. In 1961, the restaurant moved to its current location at Henry Avenue and Wendover Street. In 2009, former food cart operator Steve Kotridis and his wife, Margie, bought the business from the Dalessandro family.{{cite book |last=Birch |first=Tanya |year=2015 |title=Discovering Vintage Philadelphia: A Guide to the City's Timeless Shops, Bars, Delis & More |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9TRCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |pages=49–52 |isbn=9781493014002 |access-date=2017-12-05 |archive-date=2022-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312233216/https://books.google.com/books?id=t9TRCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web| title = From Dalessandro's to Astra Foods – Greeks Rule Philly Cheesesteak Weekend| author = Kostans, Eleftherios| work = Cosmos Philly| date = 2015-10-24| access-date = 2017-04-25| url = https://cosmosphilly.com/greeks-rule-philly-cheesesteak-weekend/| archive-date = 2017-04-26| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170426062637/https://cosmosphilly.com/greeks-rule-philly-cheesesteak-weekend/| url-status = live}}

In June 2016, the restaurant received national publicity when Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, a known Dalessandro's fan, served future Philadelphia 76ers #1 draft pick Ben Simmons a Dalessandro's cheesesteak on the show.{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Brian |url=http://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/06/22/ben-simmons-cheesesteak-fallon/ |title=Ben Simmons Eats a Dalessandro's Cheesesteak on Fallon |website=phillymag.com |date=2016-06-22 |access-date=2017-12-04 |archive-date=2017-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205043221/http://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/06/22/ben-simmons-cheesesteak-fallon/ |url-status=live }}

Reception

In 2014, Niki Achitoff-Gray and Ed Levine of Serious Eats applauded Dalessandro's meat as the "real prize".{{Cite web| title = The Best Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia| last1 = Achitoff-Gray| first1 = Niki| last2 = Levine| first2 = Ed| work = Serious Eats| date = 3 December 2014| access-date = 2016-02-11| url = http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/best-philly-cheesesteaks.html| archive-date = 2016-02-10| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160210024142/http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/best-philly-cheesesteaks.html| url-status = live}}

In 2016, the restaurant finished runner-up to Jim's Steaks’ South Street location in Philadelphia Business Journal's poll for best cheesesteak in the region.{{Cite web| title = Jim's Steaks South St. named champion of Cheesesteak Madness| first = Kenneth| last = Hilario| work = Philadelphia Business Journal| date = 4 January 2016| access-date = 2016-03-25| url = http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2016/01/04/best-cheesesteak-madness-jims-south-street.html| archive-date = 2020-11-30| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201130022817/https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2016/01/04/best-cheesesteak-madness-jims-south-street.html| url-status = live}}

In July 2017, U.S. News & World Report named Dalessandro's as having one of the top five cheesesteaks in Philadelphia.{{cite web | last=Stott | first=Rob | title=The 5 Best Cheesesteak Shops in Philadelphia | website=U.S. News & World Report | date=July 4, 2017 | url=https://travel.usnews.com/features/the-5-best-cheesesteak-shops-in-philadelphia-locals-picks | access-date=December 5, 2017 | archive-date=December 5, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205093023/https://travel.usnews.com/features/the-5-best-cheesesteak-shops-in-philadelphia-locals-picks | url-status=live }}