Philly Cheese Steak Express
701 N Milwaukee Ave,Ste 104 & 108, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061
Philly Cheese Steak Express Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Vernon Hills for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Vernon Hills for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Vernon Hills for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
701 N Milwaukee Ave,Ste 104 & 108
Vernon Hills, IL, 60061 - Phone (847) 816-4000
- Website https://philly-express.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Kimberly S.
Philly cheesesteaks are pretty authentic and. Tasty...i enjoy the birch beer also.. I only had one negative experience at this restaurant... I just so happen to order cheese fries and the cheese was absolutely horrid, do not ever order those cheese fries he will be sorely disappointed!!!!! They were a greasy sloppy mess... Normally cheese on cheese fries is pretty thick and a nice consistency but this was literally Grease poured all over my fries... I ate two fries and that was it.. I could not stomach anymore. I have had the regular fries and they are nothing to write home about... If they had fresh-cut fries with a really good cheese saice...this would be rated a five star for me
(3)Pamela D.
We have to knock off a star from our previous review because they no longer sell Tastykakes. Apparently it was getting too expensive to have them shipped from PA. At least that's what the owner told my husband. It's a shame because this was the only place in the area where you could get them. Otherwise, we still give PCSE a solid 4 stars. Order a large sandwich, skip the sides, be patient while they make it, and you won't be disappointed. There are many steaks to choose from but the Original and Rocky stand out as favorites.
(4)Mike A.
Came in here with jr while we had a 40 min wait for a haircut next door. The dining area is well laid out with multiple flat screens. Having been to Philly and eaten at Geno's; I have a pretty decent recollections of what a truly Philly steak should taste; not to mention the many I have had all over the US and locally. This place goes all out to tell you that meat comes from philly,etc. Who gives a shit? Key is to have high quality ingredients and a decent roll. The food here is a bit on the pricey side: I dropped over $20 for us to get 2 small sandwiches, 2 orders of no-taste fries and 2 cans of soda. The cheese steaks were ok, my son wondered why there was no au-jus(my words, he just said "sauce") which was understandable as they were pretty dry. Service was basically non existent and the girl taking our order did not offer any advice,etc. Many places have a relish bar of some kind to allow for customization, but not here. Will we come back? Maybe will give them one more shot.
(2)Howard C.
It's just pretty great and this is 4 years past my first review. Every time it's delicious. That's all I got. DO IT!
(5)Gisell M.
This place doesn't even deserve one star. I ordered lunch for myself and a few of my co workers, I called in placed the order the girl said it would be 10-15 min. Mind you this is the first time I've gone to this place and the same for my co workers. I work about 2min away so I left about 20 min after the order was placed with one of my co workers....we get there and have to wait another 10 min. (We didn't mind) ...then when the order was ready the girl gives us the cups. We ordered 5 and she gave us four, I said we were missing one cup. She responds in an attitude and tells me no, I asked her to check the receipt. She realizes I was right and in a rude manner gives me the cup. I didn't say anything and just took the cup. Another girl that was bagging up our order gives us the bags...we get our drinks and leave...well when I got back to work and giving everyone their order we find out they gave us three sandwiches when we ordered FOUR. I called to complain and the girl was very rude and said there wasn't anything she could do BUT SHE CHARGED ME FOR FOUR SANDWICHES...I then told her that I wanted to talk to a manager she said ok and hung up on me!!! I'm sorry but this is the first and last time I will ever come here. Not to mention the food was DISGUSTING! BEWARE OF THIS PIECE OF SHIT OF A "RESTAURANT"
(1)Jeremy G.
Incredible food. I never knew a sandwich could be so good. Only possible downside is the parking isn't the best. Don't listen to the spiteful ex employee or the woman that can't take we're closing for an answer. A little pricey, bit with the trip.
(5)jim s.
two stars for at least trying to bring something unique from another part of the country.... i used to go to philly for business a lot and have had some great cheese steaks there, but these really do not measure up.....and they are expensive ....and they go out of their way to insult chicago beefs which are great in their own way.... ...if you are near here and you have a huge hankering for a philly cheese steak then maybe you will like it.... .....but if you are used to flavorful chicago style italian beefs then these will seem greasy and bland... ...sorry, i wanted this place to be good, but it is meh
(2)Igor C.
Sandwich was good but I made the mistake of coming in right after they took a 10 person order. So while my order was taking quickly it took aver a half hour to get it and fries to go. Ordered two original cheesesteaks, steak with American cheese and onions. They good but a little pricey and the wait was a killer with a teenager waiting for lunch.
(3)Alan G.
I was sooo excited. I lived in Philly for two years and love a good cheesesteak. I've had many and would drive 15 miles one way to get my fav. So yesterday I noticed this restaurant and made sure to get back for dinner today. Well, what did i think? Don't dismiss the lower rated reviews, they are on the mark. First on a two item order with no one else in the restaurant, they gave me the wrong side dish. So I over paid for what I got. To the most important part. The sandwich. Overall Bland, needed to add salt. Meat almost dry. Bread was tasteless and almost stale. For me, doubt I ever go back.
(2)Chai K.
I'm a fan of keeping it simple. CheeseSteak, garlic bread, and Whiz. Sitting on the counter, eating a great sandwich, hot fries, and a can of pop. What more can you ask for? Good stuff!
(5)jerry s.
Rude ~ I received two $10.00 gift certificates from a co-worker when I retired on 12/19/2012 but I left the gifts at work by accident. One of the folks I worked with returned them to me in June 2013. I've been trying to contact the manager/owner for over a week, and just got in contact with him. I told him that I grew up in the Philly area, and my daughter, that was born here in Illinois should have an opportunity to try one. I asked him how should I handle this, since the gift had an expiration date of just 12/31/2012, just 12 days after I retired, and he told me, in no certain terms that He would not honor them, and basically to have a good life. (in other words, I should just go F@@K myself) What an idiot. Just goes to prove there is no honor among thieves. I'll be telling all my friends in the area about this rude owner/manager. Thank Goodness we have Philadelphias' Best Cheese Steaks around here. Much, MUCH better choice, according to folks who've tried both places. UPDATE~ I've decided to report this business to several agencies, as I believe he is in violation of multiple laws. I just wish I could give this JERK less than ONE Star. Too bad there are no Negative Stars here. He'd certainly have a MINUS 5. If you REALLY want a good place for a REAL Philly Cheese Steak, I'd suggest going here. At least they treat you with RESPECT. youtu.be/CDlBOC9HV58
(1)Madeline L.
Update** I just went in today and the service has improved a lot. The woman at the counter was very friendly and sweet. However the sandwich wasn't as flavorful. I'm hoping that the chef that day just wasn't great because the way it was made before was delicious. Nothing could compare. It's lost it's flavor and punch. It was more dry and lacked something. Past review: Service here needs a lot of work. The food is amazing, but it's sad that it doesn't seem to be managed well. A must for people who love philly cheese steaks - One of the best I've had.
(4)Ray R.
Just ordered from there. Order was ready for pickup when they said. Girl at counter was very nice. Guy in back cooking even said thank you to me. He may have been owner don't know. The orig cheesesteak I ordered is very good lots of meat and just right amount of cheese. Seasoned fries also good. Don't believe the haters cause you will really like the food.
(5)Jason D.
$10.69 for what's called a "Rocky" with a small fry and a can of coke. Meat was dry and seasoned with like pizza seasoning? Lunch time too and place is dead...what does that tell ya? Especially next a flourish of corporate businesses. Definitely not what I had at Pats King of Steaks in Philly itself...where Rocky actually stood at....this place isn't worth the price and it was freezing cold in there...afraid to turn up the heat cause of the cost or something. Portillos would've been a better choice, or 5 guys....sigh why do I bother
(2)S T.
Don't got there and order something complicated like say a Philly Cheesesteak if you don't have 22 minutes to wait around for a take-out order. It was a decent sandwich but if you can't get a sandwich out to a lunchtime customer in under 10 minutes, then I guess I won't be going back.
(2)Rachel W.
The one star rating is not because the food is bad, the food is great. The one star is because of the staff. We stopped in Saturday, February 23 at 7:40pm. The cashier (who was the manager I think?) said they were only doing to go orders because they close at 9pm. We asked her multiple times why if they were closing in a hour and 20 minutes we couldn't stay to eat. She just kept saying that they were closing. We noticed on the door it says they close at 8 on Saturday nights which is early for the area. Still we were there a solid 20 minutes before closing, and she kept telling us we couldn't eat in. We were on our way to the movies, and didn't plan on staying long anyway but we also weren't going to take our sandwich with us. While we were waiting for our order, a larger group came in to order and she told them the same thing! I have worked at many restaurants and what she was doing is a big no-no! If the restaurant closes at 8 you keep the doors open and keep letting people eat in until 8. At closing you stop taking orders, and give a reasonable amount of time for those still there to finish up, and then you clean up. I have a strong feeling she kept saying they were only doing the to go orders because they didn't want to clean the dining area again. We stayed to eat our food, and the other group sat down as well. I just think it's pointless for you to have a poster out saying to "Yelp Us!" when you have staff that does things like this. Honestly, I probably won't go back for a long time based on the experience with the one girl behind the counter. I hope that someone takes this seriously and talks to her about what she was saying and how wrong it was.
(1)Derek C.
I was going to give this place 3 stars, but "Meh I've experienced better" really fits this place. the cheese steak is very similar in looks to philly's best, but not the taste of it. I love me some Philly's best, but it's too far from where I live, so when this place popped up I was excited to try it out. Their menu is pretty extensive as the different type of steaks you can get, but all I've tried is the original steak. They do have combos available, but it's only for the original cheese steak and not the other sandwiches. The cheese steak itself was ok, but the sweetness of the onions overpowered the sandwich. as others have stated, it's about $10 for a large original cheese steak combo, which is quite steep and all you get is a can of pop and not a fountain drink. I think a small combo was around $7, but the small sandwich is definitely not enough to fill you up.
(2)Justin R.
Authentic philly cheese steaks. Excellent seasoned cheddar fries. I recommend garlic bread and mayo.
(4)Carl F.
In short, nothing special about this place. If your near by and want a philly, then it's an okay place. But, I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to come here. The staff are friendly and the place is clean. The sit-in dinning area is very plain and not very welcoming. My advice is if you have a few minutes to spare, head North on Milwaukee and go to the Jersey Mikes which is not too far away.
(2)Sludge R.
Service was good. Cheese Steak was good. Fries were average. Commercial-free radio is a plus. Three TVs with close captioning. A negative is the place closes at 2 in the afternoon.
(4)Amber H.
Granted I got a small cheese steak (hoagie) without cheese (dairy allergy), but I was pretty disappointed. I'm a big foodie and would much rather have eaten at a great steak or Charley's for the same sandwich, and definitely cheaper than $11. Service was good for a lunch hour but the flavor of the meat just wasn't there for me; especially given the hype about the ingredients coming from Philly and their signs noting they've been one of the best in Chicagoland.. Yikes! Cheesesteaks didn't get famous tasting like this.
(2)Jason Z.
I've been here at least a dozen times and enjoy the food. The only disappointing item on the menu was their 'breadless' combos (I forget the exact name for them), which ended up tasting very dry and bland. I would recommend the Rocky on garlic bread for first timers, and personally would skip the fries. The only potential complaint I have is that the prices do feel a little high for what you get. Even if you get the normal sized sandwich, which itself is somewhat filling, you will end up paying $7-8. The large sandwiches cost over $10 pretty much across the board. I would tag this place as somewhere you should visit at least once to try for the quality of food, but ultimately you may not return due to the small quantity of food.
(3)Sean H.
Bumbling around Vernon Hills during lunch hour, I was looking for a place to eat. Then I remembered the new Philly Cheese Steak place near Five Guys, and decided to go there. They had expanded since last time I visited! (around when they first opened) That was kind of cool. Anyways, I just had the small lunch combo. Cashier was friendly when I switched the order a few times. It wasn't very busy when I came (around 1 PM), so my food only took five minutes or so to come out. I can't say if it's any better than other Philly Cheese Steaks, but I definitely enjoyed it, and thought it was a good value. Got a giant sack of seasoned fries to go with it, too. Will definitely come again if I'm in town.
(5)Jean S.
Had Rocky the King...chicken/beef it was excellent! Owner was really nice went back for two more sandwiches for my elderly parents he gave us complimentary Birch Beer for them. They loved theirs too. Bathroom is spotless too!
(5)Tom R.
An employee of Best Buy around the corner recommended this place to us shortly after it opened, but the lure of Five Guys was too great to overcome. It took a few months before we warmed up to the idea of trying something else after our weekly trip to Best Buy, and the Philly Cheese Steak Express has no become a regular stop for us. I really don't have too many complaints about the place or the food, but I will say that the "small" sandwiches are too small and the large sandwiches are too expensive. This is probably what keeps me from coming back here every Tuesday instead of going to Five Guys. If the large sandwich was priced just a few dollars cheaper then I'd be all over it, but at just over $10 for a large combo (12" sandwich, fries and a can of pop), it's a little steep. The combo itself is actually a good deal, but if you just want the sandwich it's going to cost you almost $10 as it is (combo is $1 more). I just don't feel that I should be paying $10 for just the sandwich, but maybe it's just me. My other complaint about the place has nothing to do with the food, but the bathroom-like smell that hits you as soon as you walk in the door. I'm not sure if it's just the cleaning chemicals used in the open-kitchen every night or if it is indeed the bathroom, but it definitely smells like a urinal cake in the front of the restaurant. Other than that though, the place is always clean, the girls taking your order are extremely nice, although the one always looks like she's angry (she's really not), and the food always tastes good. I highly recommend getting garlic bread, it's worth the extra .50 cents. They also have a large variety of different cheese steaks if you're feeling adventurous and want to get away from the traditional.
(4)Raena W.
The sandwich was NO Philly Cheese Steak. It wasnt gross, but it wasnt delicious either. Also, the cheese sauce that goes on the fries, is pretty bad. I didnt know you could ruin cheese, but somehow they've done it. It tastes like its made with lard or old vegetable oil, its pretty gross.
(2)Derek S.
It's good food. I got the original 12" and I think I should have gotten the 6" because they pack that bun. It's a little costly but you get a lot of food. Very friendly service. The girls name was Maryella? She was very friendly and looked like she enjoys her job. I will most likely come back.
(4)Thomas L.
Tried a mushroom cheese steak with Pam. Wow, it was like being back in Jersey! I would give them 5 stars if they could get Gonella to give them a roll that was more like the ones I used to get in Jersey (a little less roll). For those of you who don't know a mushroom and onion cheese steak is euphamistically known as the "Boardwalk Steak Sandwich", and the one with green peppers and onions is known as the "Philly Steak Sandwich". Me, I prefer the "Boardwalk Steak Sandwich".
(4)Mark M.
I have passed this place by so many times wanting to try their Philly Cheese Steak. I finally had the chance and was not disappointing. I had the mushroom cheese steak with provolone and it was fantastic. Best Philly since i visited Tony Lukes at philly.
(4)Vince V.
A few pictures of famous Philadelphia landmarks are hung on the walls: the Liberty Bell and the Museum of Art among the obvious ones. They say the beef is brought in from Philly as well. Clean place, not much seating (hence 'Express'), they just opened the 11th of October and I'm all about supporting new businesses. I tried their basic take on the classic Philly Cheese Steak, by default it came with white cheddar. The sandwich was okay, a little dry though and for my taste it could use more seasoning. Cans of pop and bottled water are your beverage choices. Since I opted to eat in, a single can was not enough for the foot-long sandwich I ordered. They should consider stocking larger bottles. I plan to try them out again as they are close to work, maybe in a couple of weeks and see if I'm digging them more.
(3)Nicole G.
I'm originally from the east coast so it was really awesome to get an authentic philly out here. I usually get a steak and onion with wiz on garlic bread. It never takes too long and is just really good. Also great hangover food!
(4)B A.
Been in here twice. First time was good, when they first opened. Recently visited and has a nice long hair sitting on/in the one half of the sandwich, and all that was done was a new one made, and an apology. The food, besides the hair, was nothing special.
(1)Patrick C.
Best cheese steaks outside of Philly and they are right here in Vernon Hills. I get the regular cheese steak on garlic bread. The combo comes with good fries, kind of the steakhouse type variety. Highly recommended. Been here enough times they recognize me when I come in.
(5)Irina B.
This place was a very pleasant surprise. A while ago, after a long period of experimentation, I came to a conclusion that the only cheese steaks worth trying are in PA or Philly's Best. Every time I tried it somewhere else in Midwest, it was always a disappointment. So my husband and I were hesitant to go to this one when we spotted it on yelp, but the picture looked pretty good so we decided to take our chances. We ordered Philly Cheese steaks with an order of seasoned fries and seasoned cheese fried. It was absolutely yummy!!! And much like they're made on the east coast. Will definitely be coming back.
(5)Fred B.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this place since I dropped in after shopping at Best Buy right around the corner. Once I ordered I was very glad that I stopped in. This was probably the best cheese steak I ever ate. The bread was nice and soft, the meat was tender, and the onions and red peppers were mixed in perfectly so they didn't overpower the sandwich. This place will be a frequent stop when I"m shopping in the area.
(5)Anita S.
Although we find the food delicious here our complaints would be with the hours open. Specifically closing at 8pm on a Saturday night. Why would you be open later on a Monday or Tuesday and close early on Saturday. That is a night when people tend to eat later and to shut down by 8pm seems like they might lose a lot of business over that fact alone.
(3)