Critic's Review
Review 1/20/20
Big Louie's has closed without my ever considering trying it; and while this place is named Wicked Pizza, they also claim to have authentic Philly cheesesteak.
Inside the place looks like a typical take out pizzeria; half of the space is an ordering counter.
There's limited seating, but if your other choice is eating in your car you could eat here in a pinch.
I ordered a cheesesteak, onions mushrooms and provolone. I asked if the mushrooms were extra since it's not included on the menu, and he said he'd figure something out. I think they're extra if you don't say something.
The menu offers "sliced steak" or "chopped chicken" and I could hear him chopping away in the back. It took a while to make the sandwich; made to order has it's inconveniences. I went home and opened it up.
Here's the menu description of the sandwich:
Authentic Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich prepared with a heaping half-pound portion of your choice of grilled thin-sliced beef steak or grilled chopped chicken breast, grilled chopped onions, and melted provolone and mozzarella cheeses, served inside a famous Amoroso's hearth-baked hoagie roll (shipped down from Philly). Comes with a side of A1 steak sauce. Additional grill-ins, sauces, and sides are available.
I kind of knew that it was different from all the chopping. This is what I was expecting.
That's a real Philly cheesesteak. Note that Geno's charges $11 for a cheesesteak; here it's $12.99.
You can't eat this whole; take out lunch food should be ready to eat at your desk; do most people have big knives to cut a sandwich these days?
It certainly was enough meat. It also comes with enough A1 steak sauce (or so they say) to drown a hamster. I didn't even taste it; who would put A1 on a cheesesteak? It looked like there might be some peppers in there, even though I specifically said I didn't want peppers.
I ate 1/2 the sandwich as prepared and I wasn't happy with it. The roll was top notch but the meat wasn't seasoned well and provolone never has enough flavor for me. I doubt there was any mozzarella on it, per the menu.
For the 2nd half I made some cheese sauce and it was much better:
As a "first time customer", he also threw this thing from the counter into the bag. I wasn't sure what it was.
Sort of like a muffin with icing. Not enough sugar to be a cake or a cookie. One taste and in the garbage. If you like low-sugar cake you might like it.
Conclusion
Something interesting is that the prices for online ordering are higher than the prices on the menu. Heros are $9.99 online and the menu says $8.99; and there's no way to pre-order a cheesesteak online as it's not even on the menu. Their Wicked Pizza website is parked; they also operate as Wicked Cheesesteak; the guy behind the counter is wearing a Red Sox cap and is from Maine.
Charging more than the real thing in Philly is one thing if the product is as good; but this isn't. To me the point of a cheesesteak is the cheese; it should burst with flavor. This sandwich was just "OK".
This just seems like a disorganized business that took over Big Louie's space and kitchen sink menu. The fact that you can't order a cheesesteak on Grubhub and the product/menu mismatch shows a lack of attention to basic detail.
At first I was excited that they offer 18" pizzas (the correct size for a large pizza), but a large pie with 1 topping is $22; and they have Big Louie's conveyer belt pizza oven. So I won't be getting a pizza from here.
