See The Florida Restaurant Where Cheesesteak Has Become A Local Obsession

Say cheesesteak around the wrong table and somebody will immediately correct you.

Bread, meat, cheese, onions, timing: every detail becomes an argument. One Florida sandwich shop has been serving Philly-style cheesesteaks since 1998.

The room stays simple because the griddle provides enough drama. Regulars order quickly. Newcomers watch, decide, and usually revise their standards after the first bite.

Nothing about the sandwich is delicate, and nobody expects it to be. It should arrive hot, messy, and worth defending.

Bring an appetite and an opinion. You may leave with less certainty about who makes the best cheesesteak than when you walked in.

A Philly Outpost In Dunedin

The first thing that surprises people is how ordinary the outside looks. No neon, no gimmicks, just a modest storefront in a small plaza.

Then the door opens and the smell hits you. Grilled onions, sizzling steak, and melted cheese do most of the marketing here.

Delco’s Original Steaks opened in Dunedin in 1998, founded by Philadelphia-area transplants Ed Crowley and Cyndi Bowers. That experience shows in how smoothly the counter runs during a busy stretch.

The name Delco points directly to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, where the original concept was based. That connection explains the shop’s heavy Philadelphia identity.

Inside, the space stays snug and casual, with sports memorabilia covering nearly every wall. A long-running collection of bobbleheads adds another playful detail to the compact dining room.

You order at the counter, grab a seat, and watch the griddle do its work. There is outdoor seating too, handy on breezy afternoons.

Find it at 1701 Main St, Dunedin, tucked into the everyday rhythm of the neighborhood.

Rolls Shipped In From Philadelphia

Ask anyone from Pennsylvania what makes a cheesesteak real, and they will say the bread first. Meat matters, sure, but the roll carries the whole operation.

Delco’s built its Florida cheesesteak identity around Amoroso’s rolls brought down from the Philadelphia area. That connection has been part of the restaurant’s formula since its early years.

Soft on the inside, slightly chewy on the outside, these rolls hold up against juicy steak and melted cheese without falling apart. Cheap bread turns to mush in seconds.

The current menu keeps its Philadelphia focus on cheesesteaks, hot roast pork, roast beef, and hoagies. That sandwich-centered lineup has remained central to the business for years.

The open counter setup keeps much of the sandwich preparation visible from the dining area.

Bread nerds will notice the airy texture right away. It soaks up steak juice instead of getting soggy and sad.

Some shops in Florida claim authenticity with a poster of the Liberty Bell on the wall. Here, the supply chain does the talking.

Respect for the roll is the quiet reason this place earns its reputation.

The Cheesesteak Everyone Talks About

Here is the star of the show, and it does not need an introduction from me. Thin sliced steak, griddled hot, piled generously into that soft roll.

The current official menu lists a cheesesteak without publishing a four-cheese selection. Extra cheese and mushrooms are listed separately as available add-ons.

Mushrooms and extra cheese are the add-ons specifically listed on the current official menu. Orders are placed at the counter before diners settle into the casual seating area.

The menu offers mini versions of its steaks and hoagies for smaller appetites. Those give diners a lighter alternative to the regular sandwich. The standard size remains available for anyone wanting a more substantial meal.

The core menu keeps the cheesesteak straightforward alongside variations such as pizza steak and buffalo chicken.

Cheese pulls, steam rising, napkins multiplying fast. That is the honest experience. Florida gets plenty of sunshine, but this sandwich generates its own warmth.

Cash Only, No Apologies

Plastic will not help you here. Delco’s runs a cash only counter, and it has for years.

First timers occasionally pat their pockets and panic. Good news, an ATM sits right inside, so nobody gets sent home sandwich-less.

The cash-only policy is still in place in 2026. It reinforces the shop’s distinctly old-school counter-service feel.

Bring bills, ideally smaller ones, and the whole transaction takes seconds. Then you are back to the important business of choosing cheese.

Hours help with planning. Doors open at 10 AM most days and close at 9 PM, with Sunday running 11 AM to 7 PM.

The restaurant has maintained a strong lunch following for years, particularly among local diners and Philadelphia transplants. Arriving outside the main midday rush can make the stop easier.

The unusual cash-only policy has remained part of the restaurant’s operation for years.

Think of it as a tiny admission fee to a slice of Pennsylvania sitting in Florida. Worth the detour to the ATM.

Old Bay Fries Steal Attention

Sides at most sandwich shops exist to fill space on the tray. Not at this one.

Bay French Fries remain listed among the current sides. Cheese can also be added to that order.

Onion rings hold their own too, golden and crunchy with sweet onion inside. Sharing an order is smart, though sharing rarely goes according to plan.

Cheese fries deserve a spot on your table at least once. Melted cheese over hot fries is a simple idea executed properly.

Mac and cheese bites with pepper jack make a fun starter while you wait. Crunchy shell, molten middle, gone in about ninety seconds.

The side menu includes fries, rings, mozzarella sticks, and mac-and-cheese bites alongside the sandwiches. Several can easily turn a sandwich order into a larger shared meal.

Fries are best tackled while they are still hot from the kitchen. They are best straight from the fryer.

The counter crew moves fast, so hot food reaches your table hot. That matters more than people admit. Side dishes here are not filler.

They are legitimate contenders.

Hoagies Beyond The Cheesesteak

Cheesesteaks grab the headlines, but the hoagie lineup quietly holds serious depth. Skipping it would be a mistake.

The current hoagie menu includes an Italian Special alongside ham and cheese, turkey, roast beef, roast pork, tuna, and other choices.

Hoagies remain just as central to the menu as the restaurant’s full name suggests.

A roast beef club remains part of the current sandwich menu. It gives diners another option beyond the steak and hoagie sections.

Hot sandwiches, burgers, and even cheese dogs fill out the board. Families with picky eaters appreciate having choices beyond one signature item.

The full name, Delco’s Original Steaks and Hoagies, spells out the second half of the mission clearly. Hoagies are not a footnote here.

Philadelphia-area snacks and packaged specialties have long been part of the shop’s identity. They extend the Pennsylvania theme beyond the sandwiches themselves.

Ordering advice, if you visit with a group, split one cheesesteak and one hoagie. You get the full picture that way.

Menus that try to do everything usually do nothing well. This one stays focused on sandwiches and nails the range. Variety without losing identity is a rare trick.

Walls Covered In Philly Pride

Decor tells you the story before anyone takes your order. Philadelphia sports memorabilia blankets the walls from corner to corner.

Jerseys, framed sports pieces, bobbleheads, and Philadelphia memorabilia reinforce the shop’s Pennsylvania roots. The collection has been part of Delco’s identity for years.

A large bobblehead collection adds another visual layer above the dining area. The display fits naturally with the restaurant’s heavy sports theme.

The space stays compact, with tables close together and conversation bouncing around easily. Strangers end up chatting about toppings.

Music, griddle sounds, and the occasional shout of an order number make a soundtrack that never gets annoying. Background noise with personality.

Orders are placed at the counter before customers settle into the dining area or take their food to go.

On game days the energy jumps noticeably, and the room takes on a different kind of buzz. Fun to witness even if you follow other teams.

Delco’s Original Steaks does not chase polished interior design trends. Character beats curated every single time.

Planning Your Dunedin Food Stop

Timing changes everything with a place this popular. Arriving right at opening or during the late afternoon lull saves you a wait.

Dunedin sits close to Clearwater and about a short drive from the beaches, making Delco’s an easy add to a coastal day. Sandwich first, sand later.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport sits within Pinellas County, making Delco’s workable as part of an arrival or departure day. The stop can fit easily around other plans in the Clearwater-Dunedin area.

Parking in the plaza is straightforward, which is a relief in a town where downtown spots disappear fast. One less headache.

Takeout works well if you want to eat at a nearby park or bring food back to a rental. Wrap it tight, the juices are real.

Bring cash, as mentioned, and maybe a friend who doubles as a fry sharer. Portion sizes reward teamwork.

The Pinellas Trail runs through Dunedin, giving visitors another option for a walk before or after lunch.

After more than two decades in Dunedin, Delco’s remains a long-running stop for Philly-style cheesesteaks and hoagies. Its continued popularity gives the restaurant a genuine place in the area’s casual dining scene.