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Summer of the Steak, Stop #4
Rick's Steaks, Reading Terminal Market
SUMMER OF THE STEAK STOP #4
Rick's Steaks, Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch
www.rickssteaks.com
Click here for the full photo gallery.
Guest Critic - John Slaney
John Slaney has played for the Phantoms for the past seven seasons and has been the team's captain for the past two campaigns. Slaney is the American Hockey League's all-time leading scorer among defensemen and holds a laundry list of other awards, accolades and honors. His family accompanied him on the lunch outing.
DIRECTIONS:
Click here for multiple ways to reach the Market
Rick's Steaks is operated by Rick Oliveri, the grandson of Pat's King of Steaks founder Pat Oliveri. It opened in the famous Reading Terminal Market in 1982 in honor of Pat's 50th anniversary. Rick's also runs a steak outlet in Citizen's Bank Park on Ashburn Alley. Like most places, Rick's has photos of celebrities who have stopped by. Unlike most places, one of the photos is of future cheese steak judge and former Flyer Keith Jones. We won't hold that against them.
Now, on to the steaks.
John Slaney - went with "Rick's Way," which is Whiz, onions, hot peppers and ketchup.
Rating (out of five): 
Summary:
I’ve been to Reading Terminal Market several times and never had a cheese steak at Rick’s, so this was a first for me. Having played in Philadelphia for more than six seasons, I’ve always been partial to Geno’s. When friends come to town we treat them to some South Philly flavor with their steaks and atmosphere. For me, it’s tough to top that combo.
Feelings aside, I had Whiz with onions. I must admit that I usually don’t go for onions on my cheese steak, but this made Rick’s steak even better. The steak was a bit too fatty for my tastes, but it was piled pretty high under the Whiz and onions. I thought it was good and would give it three Golden Hockey Sticks. Plus, how can you go wrong with a place that posts an autographed picture of Keith Jones in a Flyers uniform?
Mike Thornton - American "with"
Rating (out of five):
Summary: Folks talk about certain cheese steak destinations as must-see places for those visiting Philly. I really like Reading Terminal Market, so cheese steak aside, I would recommend going to 12th and Arch to take in all that the indoor public market has to offer. A lot of colors and smells pop from the vendors. It makes for a good time, even if you don’t decide to buy anything. We, however, bought.
I had my standard: cheese steak with American and onions. AKA: American, wit. Several emailers to this site have already scoffed at the fact that I am having a cheese steak with American cheese and still calling it a cheese steak. To be clear, some true cheese steak joints in Philadelphia do not serve Cheese Whiz. I’d be tainting my own rating system and palate if I were going with Whiz at one place and American at another simply because they did not have Whiz. Let’s be honest. It’s a sandwich. I take this seriously whether it is dressed up with Whiz or American.
With that out of the way, Rick’s was solid. I like D’Ambrosio’s bread and Rick’s uses this Philadelphia staple. The bread is soft and with good substance. Like John, I felt the steak was a bit too fatty. A look under the hood confirmed that, but most rib eye’s have some fat and it’s to be expected. The onions were piled on the steak, which sat on the bed of cheese. I was still hungry after eating the steak and sucking down a soda. I rate Rick’s with a firm three Golden Hockey Sticks.
Brian Smith - Mushroom American with, plus ketchup
Rating (out of five):
Summary: Well, Rick has outperformed his grandpa. This was a solid representation of the Philadelphia cheese steak. The beef was just a bit bland for my tastes and could have been chopped up a bit more, but everything is mixed on the grill together, which blends the flavors and makes everything warm. It's a short wait while the sandwich is cooked to order, but they don't do ketchup before putting the ingredients in the roll. But it's a great place to grab lunch in a great location. Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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