Philly Up For Less

I was a cheese steak virgin. I'd never been to Philadelphia, nor had I gone in search of its legendary sandwich. Yet when I kept hearing folks talking glowingly about the subs at Straight Outta Philly, I knew it was time to suck it up and chomp one down.

Located just across from Hoss's in Newport News, the restaurant can be hard to pick out, housed in a generic, grey strip mall. One step through the front door dispels any sense of the humdrum: black-and-white checkerboard floors, a jukebox and a plethora of 50s-esque trinkets conjure up a classic, colorful burger joint.



The lunch crowd was brisk and busy. Cleared tables were wiped down and immediately re-seated, while a steady stream of people kept the door flapping with carry-out orders. As busy as they were, the wait staff proved exceptionally friendly and efficient. Our waitress took our orders, dropped off drinks, and continued on with her other tables.

We'd nursed our glasses halfway down when she came back with our overflowing baskets. I had an original Philly sandwich, the hot roasted pork ($5.95). For just under six bucks, this was eight impressive inches of piled-high pork. The texture and flavor was reminiscent of barbecue, the gravy soaked in to keep every morsel nice and juicy. A layer of provolone melted into the top, while a bottom-layer of hot peppers kept every bite interesting. This was a really lovely sandwich, although I'll ask for more of the spicy peppers next time.

Dave kept it authentic with the classic cheese steak ($5.95). Another sky-high pile of steak was mounded in a hoagie roll and topped with melting white American cheese. You can request any number of additional toppings, and he went for lettuce & onion. I plucked a piece of steak from his roll and was suitably impressed by the rich, meaty flavor. Dave folded up the hoagie and pushed it in my direction, "You've gotta get the whole package!" He was right. This was pure cheese steak bliss.


Both sandwiches came nestled into a golden batch of piping hot fries. With a little black pepper for me, and a little salt for Dave, we were more than pleased.

Aside from these classic Philly-style offerings, you can also find a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs. Pasta, pizza, chicken and fish round out the menu, while soups and salads make for a great retreat to the lighter side. For those who may still be hungry (?!?), adults may find solace in the fried cheese cake or canolis, while younger folks will undoubtedly be swayed by the case of Hershey's assorted ice cream bars and cones.
Lucky for us, one doesn't have to go all the way to Philly for good food at a great value, with quick and friendly service.



Straight Outta Philly
809 Old Oyster Point Road, Newport News
Phone: 595-7860
Specialties: cheese steaks, hoagies
Price range: hoagies/sandwiches: $4.95-$8.50; pasta: $5.95-$6.95; parmigiana: $5.95-$7.95; chicken: $5.95-$9.95; seafood: $5.95-$11.95; appetizers: $1.95-$6.95; soups/salads: $2-$7.95; stromboli/pizza: $5-$15
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.- 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 10:30 a.m.- 8 p.m., Sunday
Alcohol: draft & bottle beer, wine coolers
Smoking: no
Vegetarian: yes
Wheelchair accessible: yes
Payment: cash, credit cards
Noise level: conversational
Atmosphere: diner
Additional Information: catering, daily specials, draft beer, two televisions
Star rating: food 3 1/2, atmosphere 3, service 3 1/2
(out of five stars)