Ronnie’s Philadelphia Cheesesteak & Hoagie Co

February 14, 2010

Palmdale, California – I was attending a concert later this evening but wanted to get something to eat beforehand. I had seen the sign on the building way before they even opened. Since I didn’t know of any other place in the AV that served real Philly-style Philadelphia Cheesesteaks, I knew I’d have to try it once they did open up.

The mall Ronnie’s Philadelphia Cheesesteak and Hoagie Co. resides in is mostly empty. So unless you know exactly where to look, you could drive right by it and not even notice. On the northern corner of the 10^th Street West side building, look for the sign prominently proclaiming the name. That should get you there.

Walk inside and you are immediately transported to a Philadelphia eatery. (Or what I imagine a Philly eatery would look like; I’ve only been there once and that was inside the airport.) The walls are covered with genuine objects from Philly – records from TSOP artists, Flyers, Eagles, Sixers, and Phillies jerseys, and many other mementos from their own collection.

Lending more bona fides to Ronnie’s are Amoroso rolls, Tastycakes, and Hank’s Vanilla Cream and Black Cherry sodas. Featured in their hoagies and cheesesteaks? Boars’ Head meat. All of the above is imported direct from Philly.

Owner Janet Reinhardt and husband Fernando Chavez run the place. Janet does real estate but found time to open the eatery. With one career already going, why start another one at the same time? The desire to honor her mother, for whom the eatery is named. That and the fact that she and her mom could not find anyplace that served decent, authentic Philly Cheesesteaks in California.

There was no question that I’d be getting a cheesesteak. What I didn’t know was what else to get. Deciding, I ordered the cheesesteak and asked for peppers. Onion rings on the side. I got a Hank’s Black Cherry soda to wash it down. Janet told me later that in Philly the only things green are the Eagles’ jerseys so there are no peppers on the cheesesteaks there. But being that this is California, they do offer them here. Chicken cheesesteaks? That, too, is a California thing.

I decided to eat outside since it was unseasonably warm this evening. Janet came out to take a break. We talked for a bit about how she came to start Ronnie’s and about Ronnie herself. She said that they had been open about six months. Time passed quickly while we talked. It seemed like only a couple of minutes had passed before hubby brought my meal out to me.

The anticipation of a long-awaited real Philly cheesesteak was over as the reality now sat in a basket in front of my drooling mouth and itchy hands. But I held off and tried the onion rings first. The onion rings were delicious. Big, not overly greasy. The batter was tasty and slightly sweet. The onion still had a slight bit of crunch so you can actually bite through it without pulling the whole onion out of the batter shell. Score some points there. And they provided Ranch dressing to dip without having to ask for it. Score extra points there.

The Hank’s had a pleasing, natural taste. More like juice than soda. I was so surprised by this that I had to look at the ingredients. Aha! No high fructose corn syrup! Having this served in a cup of ice on a warm evening was very refreshing.

I’ve had my share of cheesesteaks over the last 24 years. Most of them don’t make the grade. How was this cheesesteak from a Philly native? This one passed with a B-. Admittedly the meat was a bit short on flavor. It could’ve been a bit juicier but thinly sliced meat doesn’t leave too much room for that. Still, it was good. Ronnie’s cheesesteaks are more meaty than cheesy, as you can see in the photo. You can definitely taste the difference between a plain cheesesteak and a real Philly-style cheesesteak. Ronnie’s has the goods.

I like the authenticity of the place. The staff is very friendly. I also like that they make your food after you order it. If you live in the AV and are looking for a good cheesesteak, Ronnie’s will fill the bill.

Ronnie’s Cheesesteak – 3.5 forks. Recommended. “Like” them on Facebook to get the latest doings and insider specials.

January 2011: Noticed a sign on the door that said Ronnie’s would be closed for a couple of weeks due to a personal matter. They never opened back up.