Originating in South Philadelphia in the early 1930’s the original Steak sandwich consisted of chopped steak & grilled onions served on an Italian roll. Provolone cheese was later added and the Cheesesteak was born. Over the years Cheez Whiz was added and has become the most popular cheese followed by American Cheese. This amazing combo of food is then slathered on Philadelphia’s own very popular Amoroso hearth baked roll.

The Hoagie also originated in South Philly. An exact date is unknown, however, a Philly newspaper reported in 1953 that Italians working at the Naval Shipyard on Hog Island brought sandwiches to work stuffed with Italian meats, cheeses, & lettuce between 2 slices of bread. It became known as a “Hog Island Sandwich”, then shortened to “Hoggies”.

Another story dates back to the late 1800’s when South Philly Deli owners gave away scraps of meats and cheeses on an Italian roll known as a “hokie”. Both stories say that Italian immigrants pronounced it as a “Hoagie”. There are other rumors as to how the name “Hoagie” came to be but one thing is for certain, they are delicious.

In August 2010, Bill Fromholzer Jr. (a.k.a. Billy from Philly) opened The Original Steaks & Hoagies in Twinsburg, Ohio–and introduced authentic Philly Cheesesteaks and Hoagies to Northeast Ohio. In the 1980s, Bill’s family owned and operated three Laspada’s Original Steaks & Hoagies Cheesesteak shops in the Philly area. These locations continue to be award-winning steak and hoagie shops today.

Bill & his wife made a family decision to move back to the Philly area, so they began looking for someone to take over and maintain quality and standards. In 2017 new owners Jeff and Chef Josh took over and planned to not only keep that same quality product, but to expand the menu and company. On March 24th. 2018, National Cheesesteak Day, they stayed true to that plan and opened The Original Steaks and Hoagies in thriving Fairlawn, Ohio. Since then The Original has opened additional locations in Ohio giving them corporate locations and franchised locations plus a custom food truck.

We hope you enjoy your Philly dining experience. To help you make the experience complete, here are some tips for ordering your Cheesesteak Philly style:

Step 1…Specify plain (no cheese), Cheez Whiz, Provolone cheese or American cheese.

Step 2…Specify if you want steak with (wit) or without (wit out) onions.

Step 3…Have your money ready. (Do all of your borrowing in line.)

Step 4…Practice all of the above while waiting in line.