January 25, 2008
by Karen Persson of The Columbian

Philly Bilmos Cheesesteaks offers a variety of sandwiches, including the Loaded Cheesesteak, center. Here it's served with a small order of Chili Cheese Fries, Yoo-Hoo and Tastykakes, traditional Philidelphia treats. (JANET L. MATHEWS/The Columbian)

Why: If you're a cheesesteak aficionado, you might recognize the Amoroso bread name. Straight from Philadelphia, the bread has helped make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches famous. Philly Bilmos carries on this tradition with an East Coast-style deli here in Vancouver.

Atmosphere: The walls display "GoodFellas" and "Godfather" movie posters, and prints of New York and Philadelphia skylines, Mets Stadium, and a sprinkling of other sights. A long wall bench, tables and bar stools offer a variety of seating options.

The menu: Philly Bilmos tops the Amoroso bread with premium Boar's Head deli meats. If you're looking to find Philadelphia's own Tastykakes, the deli has those, too.

You may choose Cheez Whiz, provolone or Swiss for your cheese­steaks, which come in 8-inch or 16-inch sizes. The Traditional has thinly sliced steak or chicken breast grilled with onions and topped with melted white American cheese. Others include combinations of mushrooms, tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, banana peppers, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes. The Pizza Cheese­steak has either steak or chicken grilled with onions and topped with mozzarella cheese before it leaves the heat. Then it's topped with red sauce, parmesan cheese and oregano. Salads, hot dogs, chicken strips, fries and cold subs are some of the other menu items. Sometimes homemade chili is on the board as well.

What I tried: I was curious if I might be wowed by any other than the Traditional, so I decided on the Loaded Chicken Cheesesteak with mushrooms, roasted red peppers, banana peppers and white American cheese. The chicken isn't thinly sliced but comes in stir-fry-sized pieces. The bread was very fresh, and not too yeasty or absorbent. The sandwich wasn't greasy and it tasted healthful. I decided that the 8-inch sandwich was worth the $7.25 price tag given the premium ingredients, but it would have felt like a better value if it had included a little more, maybe a bag of chips or a piece of fruit.

Cost: Cheesesteaks are $6.25 to $13. Salads range from $2.50 for a small green salad (romaine, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, black olives, red onions and parmesan, plus a small dressing) to $6.95 for a Greek salad with chicken (romaine, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, red onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, black and green olives, plus a large oil-and-vinegar dressing). Homemade clam chowder is $4.50. Hot subs cost $6.25 up to $12.50 and come in 8-inch and 16-inch lengths. A Boar's Head Brand New York hot dog is $2.25.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Where: 2100 S.E. 164th Ave., Suite D-105, Vancouver.

Telephone: 360-944-1006.