Jersey Mike’s has been satisfying sandwich cravings since 1956 with its array of Philly cheesesteaks and other made-to-order subs. Mike’s Famous Philly sets the standard on their menu with onions, peppers, white American cheese, and a pile of steak, thin-sliced raw and seared to order on a hot griddle. Another 11 types of cheesesteak sandwiches follow, adding twists on the classic with additions like portabella mushrooms, green bell peppers, and a variety of cheese choices. With every iteration of the original Philly cheesesteak, one thing remains the same: the steak.
At least, the presentation of the steak is still the same. Steak sandwiches are icons on Jersey Mike’s menu, and its sandwiches were famous in New Jersey before Jersey Mike’s became a global sensation. The beef in these sandwiches has always been cooked-to-order and served piping hot with plenty of toppings. But where does Jersey Mike’s actually get the steak for their legendary sub sandwiches?
That answer isn’t easily deciphered these days. There was a time when Jersey Mike’s proudly advertised it used only 100% USDA Certified Angus beef, but that label has quietly dropped away from marketing campaigns. Now the company emphasizes quality on its website, dropping clues about privately sourced meat without actually saying where it sources its beef.
Jersey Mike’s doesn’t advertise the source of its steak
You’ll have to dig deep to find any kind of meat-sourcing information on Jersey Mike’s website. The sandwich chain’s website directs focus to its menu, history, and merch, pointing to its dedication to high-quality, fresh ingredients. It is forthcoming about where it gets other ingredients. The pork comes from Farm Promise through the Clemens Food Group and is raised without antibiotics or hormones. Jersey Mike’s uses two kinds of canned tuna for sandwiches, and the turkey is antibiotic-free as of 2017.
But you don’t get much of a story about where Jersey Mike’s gets the steak for those famous Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Nutritional and allergen information simply lists “beef” as the main ingredient in the Philly beef, with added water, dextrose, salt, potassium lactate, sodium phosphate, and natural flavors.
Jersey Mike’s did advertise that all of its sandwiches were made with Certified Angus Beef from 2000 to about 2015. Since 2015, the sandwich chain has stopped advertising what kind of beef goes into their sandwiches. Now, Jersey Mike’s simply states it uses “privately-labeled meats and cheeses” and prioritizes brands with high-quality standards and very reputable practices. You perhaps could assume Jersey Mike’s uses the same care to source beef as it does every other ingredient on the menu, but the sandwich chain doesn’t confirm anything about where it gets its steak.
