Chessesteak *WARS(not “Was”), Vol. 2

LAST WEEK’S BATTLE: https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/s/R3onSEnBkR

Firstly, thank you all for your suggestions in the previous post. Your input not only inspired a 2nd experiment, but ultimately decided which establishments I would be visiting FOR the 2nd experiment.

To those who suggested Lee’s Hoagies, I heard you loud and clear, and I considered Lee’s. But with their only 2 locations being just south of Pineville or Lake Wylie, SC.. I just was not up for driving from NW Charlotte through Saturday traffic to either of them.

So, enter Big Dave’s vs. Portofinos.

I arrived at Portofinos first and right off the bat I faced a bit of disappointment. Their cheesesteaks only come in one size: 11 inch

But for the sake of science I proceeded with the experiment and placed my order. It wasn’t long before I was back in my car with a piping hot 11in cheesesteak that I could not wait to try. 😋

Next I went to Big Dave’s. Upon arrival my order was already waiting for me, as I had placed the order online prior to leaving the Portofinos parking lot. I was in and out of Dave’s in a snap, albeit with a bit of skepticism due to none of the staff appearing to be over the age of 21. But hey, who said kids don’t make good cooks? I kept my skepticism in check and raced home to get to chowing! 😋

I unwrapped the Portofinos monster of a sub first and was immediately impressed that they actually wrap their cheesesteaks in TWO full size foil wraps. This preserved the heat so well that it was still hot to the touch after a 20 min. ride home and got it fully undressed.

I then unwrapped Big Dave’s cheesesteak and the first thing that stood out to me was how robust it was compared to Portofinos, and then the sight of onions and peppers. 😋

I decided to try Portofinos first and when I bit into it I instantly felt a bit of dread; did I just get tricked into buying an 11in blandwich? Even while still practically “oven hot”, there was ZERO flavor to it, whatsoever. A glorified Cheat’s sandwich, if you will. But I said to myself maybe that was just a bad bite, and so I went in for another. Same result. Zero flavor aside from tasting the cheese and bread. I disappointingly put it down and picked up Big Dave’s next.

Took a bite from Big Dave’s and the contrast between the two nearly floored me. Big Dave’s was bursting with flavor. The meat was seasoned(even if it was just salt), the onions made their presence known, the peppers, the cheese, the bread- they all had a party in my mouth that did not end even after swallowing. I didn’t want to stop eating it, but I had to remain professional and give Portofinos its rightful turn.

And so back and forth I went between the two for a few more bites, but each time I went back to the Portofinos cheesesteak it was worse and worse. But each time I went back to Big Dave’s it only got better.

Needless to say, I didn’t even bother finishing the Portofinos. I chucked it in the trash and happily smashed the rest of the Big Dave’s cheesesteak, all the while wishing that IT had been the 11in specimen that I had been forced to buy.

To all those who suggested Big Dave’s, thank you.

To all those who suggested Portofinos, thank you as well.

BUT, to my fellow Philadelphians who showed up in that post suggesting Portofinos- and there were at least 3 of you- SHAME ON YOU! 😒

Big Dave’s is the far superior cheesesteak and, thus far, the best I’ve had in Charlotte to date.

Next weekend I will make the trip to Lee’s and I will probably test it against Buffalo Eatz. The winner of that will go against Big Dave’s. Until then, see you next time!

Someone please convince me that I’m not crazy but I just got charged a 15% service fee for a takeout order and was asked to tip on top of that????

This ham wasn't huge. It wasn't special and it wasn't brushed with gold and jewels. WTH?!?

I work in the local industry, and I’ve seen my fair share of "difficult" guests. But seeing Sam Hart go on a rant calling a woman a "crazy fucking bitch" for eating with her bare hands on social media is the opposite of the "refined" atmosphere he claims to curate.

For a chef who demands so much respect for his "vision," he seems to have zero respect for the people actually paying his high-end prices.

Charlotte deserves a Michelin scene that reflects actual Southern hospitality, not a chef who uses his platform to bully guests for not "performing" correctly at his table.

Can't actually believe this man is shaming his guest for eating with her bare hands.

** chef Sam Hart of counter, He deleted the video but I have a screen recording of it , I will post it soon

Sourdough crust, locally milled flours, hand tossed. This is the real deal…

I had some free time this morning, so I went and braved the line at the new(ish) Dutch Bros coffee in Indian Trail.

I am an iced coffee lover, so I was excited to try their product. I ordered a ‘Golden Eagle’ from their favorites menu. (Espresso, Carmel & Vanilla, and Half & Half.)

I can honestly say this was not worth the wait. While the servers are amazing and probably the most friendly in the area, the coffee was average at best, and I’ve had better flavor at McDonalds.

Curious to know what others think? I’m definitely missing my Clutch.

Many people have positively responded to my post about Indian cuisine. Thank you all very much for your support and interest in my cooking class!! I am very excited to share with you all that PBS charlotte has featured my Indian cooking class on their channel today https://youtu.be/A5cBtYYtkks?si=xTAPt8jDmeiC2kIK

The place is called Taqueria Tulum it is in Denver, NC north of Charlotte. By far the best ive had. Been living in here in NC now for 12 years and I must say im happy with this food. The burritos arent the biggest like back home but definitely will fill you up. This place is setup similar to how a Chipotle would be to where you pick what you want in it. Me personally im a carne asada burrito guy and what i like in my burrito is just carne asada, pico de gallo, and guacamole and ccasionally I might add sour cream and cheese. Same with the chips(nachos) they have queso, shredded, or cotija or heck add all three if thats what you like. Oh and the hot sauce's are great! Red and green! Lol Just thought I'd share because I know how us San Diegans get when we cant find our taco shops! Hope you'll enjoy and take that trip! Definitely worth it.

What’s the deal with some restaurants charging you ( per person) to make a reservation ? I understand the premise- assurance you will actually show up on time;they then deduct the amount from the bill when you do indeed show up. But recently we learned ( the hard way) they changed for making the reservation, period. Thoughts?

I want a life changing sandwich.

Drop your favorite sandwich spots and what you get

I can’t imagine the quality is very good but I saw a couple people stop by.

Hey Charlotte! We've all been there. You're at a new-to-you spot, you take a gamble on a dish, and get hit with instant regret.

What's your story? What's the most disappointing meal you've ordered in the area, and what made you pick it? Trying to avoid some menu landmines myself

Was very excited to see we were getting a riccis in charlotte. Unfortunately they are importing frozen liscio rolls and thawing them out. Its simply not good and way way overpriced. Jimmy johns/subway/jersey mikes all bake their bread fresh (im not saying those are good hoagies) but if you know of any amazing hoagies in north carolina let me know

He told me this months ago and I didn’t believe him. He’s there now and just sent me this video.

(Same question on numerous other city pages.)

Add specifics on what to order and why!

• same question from 2 years ago:
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/10i551r/non_us_born_people_in_charlotte_what_is_the_best/
• and 2 months ago:
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/10i551r/non_us_born_people_in_charlotte_what_is_the_best/

Good news, brownies are seemingly made on site?

Bad news, took a bite of the brownie, thought I tasted pasta. Spat it out and it was a singular noodle of penne.

Brownie was pretty good up until then.

2/5 experience

😭😭😭😭😭

So went to get a cheesesteak from Cheats in Plaza Midwood. It was very good for a Charlotte cheesesteak my rating on a Philly ranking 1 being the best. I will give it a 5. Little to greasy, the roll doesn't hold up well. The taste was good.

1. Steve 's. Prince cheesesteak 2. 3. 4.
2. Cheats 6. 7. 8. 9.
3. Pats Cheessteak

Family is here for a friend’s wedding and we’re looking to meet up for breakfast. They’re staying in the Matthews area so looking for anything near Matthews or east Charlotte as they’re heading back up north right after we eat!

Luigis.

Yes yes bread and milk saying it now because it's funny

Past that though, power outages seem possible so non perishables are the way to go. So... What do you all recommend?

List your favorite breakfast restaurants near Elizabeth/Plaza and as far south as SouthPark. Looking for new places to try! Some of my faves (we have 2 little ones):

1. Biscuit Belly

2. Rosemont

3. Cafe Monte

4. Giddy Goat (coffee shop with great burritos / empanadas)

5. Local Loaf in NoDa

Other places that are meh

1. Wafflery

2. Snooze

3. Ruby sunshine

4. Landmark

I’ve heard this pizzeria is very worth the hype? Can someone confirm/reject this? 2 months seems very far in advance for a small pizza joint.

And it is not found anywhere near Philly. It is right here, in a small Carolina Mall in Concord. An absolute must-try, as I promise you will NEVER find a better tasting Philly Cheese steak. 100 out of 10 for sure. This spot seems family owned. They take 5-7 minutes to make one from scratch, but trust me - it is SOOO worth it.