Why I Take Pride in Our Cheesesteaks at Cheeseheads

3-Cheese & Chili Cheesesteak

By Joe Morey Founder/Owner of Cheeseheads & Squeezer's Lemonade

My love for a great cheesesteak goes back about 20 years to a late night in Las Vegas.

It was around 3 a.m. after a long night of playing poker when we stopped at an all-night food stand called P.O.P.S. (Pride of Philly Steaks). Like most late-night food adventures, I figured it would be decent at best. Instead, I bit into one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was a Philly cheesesteak, but not just any cheesesteak. This one was absolutely loaded with flavor, ladled with a pepperoni pizza-style topping that blew my mind. They had all kinds of options too, including a three-cheese version and a chili cheesesteak.

I remember thinking, “This is incredible… but maybe it’s just the hour and the drinks talking.”

So the next day, I went back. This time, no poker haze, no late-night cravings. I ordered the 3 cheese & chili cheesesteak.

And wow. It was just as good, if not better.

That moment stuck with me. And I definitely visited P.O.P.S. over and over again everytime I took a trip to Vegas. Years later, after running food stands, a food truck, and spending time really learning the craft, I finally learned what makes an authentic Philly cheesesteak what it is. It’s not fancy. It’s not complicated. It’s about technique, quality ingredients, and doing it the right way every single time.

That’s exactly how we make our cheesesteaks here at Cheeseheads.

In Philly, it starts with 7 ounces of thin-sliced steak cooked hot and fast on a flat-top, lightly seasoned, and chopped and folded as it cooks. The onions are cooked down until they’re soft and flavorful, then mixed right into the meat. The cheese isn’t just slapped on a bun. It’s melted into the steak so every bite is rich, creamy, and balanced. The whole thing gets scooped straight into a soft hoagie roll that holds everything together without overpowering the sandwich.

That’s the foundation we follow.

Here at Cheeseheads, we use a soft local hoagie roll, and we take just as much care with the prep. I dice the onions and also add diced green peppers, letting them caramelize slowly to build an incredible background flavor that complements the steak instead of stealing the spotlight. I chop the thinly sliced beef and slowly add the peppers & onions and then, depending on the flavor you ordered, some of those extras are added as I continue to chop and fold. Finally, I lay the final layer of cheese on top while still sizzling on the grill and scoop the whole thing with the hoagie roll so that final layer of cheese rests at the bottom inside the roll and melts fresh with the hot sandwich. Yum!

Our classic cheesesteak is made with provolone, unless you order it differently, but I’ll be honest — if you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend the Cheez Whiz cheesesteak. It’s rich, it’s authentic, and it melts perfectly into the meat the way a great Philly should.

And if you’re feeling adventurous, that’s where things really get fun.

We offer a variety of flavors that take that Philly foundation and push it just a little further. The Buffalo Blaze, the 3-cheese and chili, or the jalapeño popper cheesesteak are all must-tries. These are the kinds of sandwiches people talk about long after the last bite, and the kind that bring you back to try another one next time.

From that first unforgettable sandwich in Vegas to food stands, a food truck, and now Cheeseheads, this is one of the things I’m most proud to serve. Every cheesesteak is made with care, consistency, and respect for what makes it great in the first place.

Stop by Cheeseheads today, located in Cedar Mall in Rice Lake, or call ahead at 715-558-5612. Come hungry, be adventurous, and see why our cheesesteaks are quickly becoming a favorite across Rice Lake and Barron County.

Pictured below are a few steps along as I made our 3-Cheese & Chili and then savored every bite. This is 9 ounces of pure delight!

Step one carmelize the peppers and onions while chopping the steak, then add chili and this pic has the start of the cheese wiz, but we also add provolone and American on this one. Scoop it with the hoagie roll and you have the finished cheesesteak.