Best Cheesesteak EVER

Location: 

Neighbor's Deli ($$)

2142 West Henderson Road

Columbus, OH 43220

Formerly Jersey Mike's, Neighbor's Deli has taken the sub-sandwich/deli concept and catapulted it to new heights.  Their menu consists of scrolls (wraps), monsters (deli sandwiches) and hoagies as well as grilled cheese sandwiches, bologna sandwiches, and soups.  There are also cookies ready at the counter!  Our experience involved one Monster Club and one whole Philly Cheesesteak Hoagie.

The Monster Club was composed of classic club ingredients - turkey, ham, bacon, mayo/tomato/onion, etc.  The method of delivery was thick-sliced crusty-on-the-outside-airy-on-the-inside white bread that may have been made and delivered that morning.  The meats were sliced fresh right in front of us while we waited and piled high.  I would venture to say that this sandwich was at least 4 inches thick, if not 5 inches.  Absolutely amazing... so amazing in fact that my friend scarfed the whole thing down before I could even try one bite!  It came with a spicy kosher dill spear too, the happy usual that always makes my day.

My order for that day was my "usual" - Philly Cheesesteak.  I've never been to Philadelphia, honestly, but I do consider myself an expert on the sandwich.  I don't care about Pat's or Geno's (although someday I'm sure I will!), I just care about a delicious, cheesy, steaky sandwich.  Neighbor's delivered!  The hoagie was, like the deli bread, crusty and airy, but cut by hand right down the middle.  My friend suggested I get a whole one, which was more than a foot long, and since he was paying I went ahead and ordered up.  The man behind the counter said "with everything?" which meant mushrooms, onions, and red/green peppers.  Yum!  Unlike some other sub shops that shall remain nameless, Neighbor's sautéed all the veggies together and then added them to the cooked meat.  I get very nervous around raw meat and veggies ever since I survived having e. coli and then salmonella both in one summer.  The deli man slathered the mayo onto the hoagie perfectly - for the first time in my life I didn't have to ask for more.  He placed tomato and lettuce on top of the mayo and then put the cooked meat/veggies inside and carried the small bundle to the wrapping area where he tightly swaddled the sandwich in deli paper and swiftly slid it into a long paper bag.  By the time we got home the smell had permeated my car and the heat from the meat had warmed my lap.  It was so hard to not dig in immediately!  Once spread out on the floor picnic style, my friend's deli sandwich in its white Styrofoam box looked almost puny in comparison to the beast in front of me.  I picked up the first half and literally dove in teeth first.  The first two bites were messy... the third was worse... I was in heaven.  I didn't speak for almost five minutes and then, finally, the words came: "BEST.  CHEESESTEAK.  EVER."

I will go back to Neighbor's and try their roast beef hoagie and sandwich as soon as Lent is over, and from then on I plan on trying most, if not all, of their menu items.  I'm really interested to see how their fried bologna sandwich compares to my mom's!

Bill:

   $9.00 hoagie

 +$6.50 monster

   $15.50 total

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)

Cleanliness: 4

Value: 4

Accessibility: 5

Friendliness: 5

Menu: 4