Mike's Famous Philly Vs Big Kahuna Cheese Steak: How The Jersey Mike's Subs Differ

Ever since Jersey Mike's opened as a humble deli in 1956, it's been fueling Americans with its hearty, hand-stuffed, Italian-style sandwiches, often served "Mike's Way" (with onions, lettuce, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and seasonings), at over 3,000 locations across the country. Among its many well-known subs, Mike's Famous Philly (a classic cheesesteak on long, soft bread) is one of the beloved templates, but the Big Kahuna Cheese Steak takes things a few steps further.

At their base, the Famous Philly and Big Kahuna share beef steak on top of a fluffy Italian roll with some classic toppings: melted white American cheese, peppers, and grilled onions. The Big Kahuna is consequently a variation of the former, adding jalapeños, mushrooms, and an extra serving of cheese for a more indulgent experience. This makes the two sandwiches similar, but catered to slightly different tastes.

The Philadelphia cheesesteak is a staple and one of the most beloved parts of the American culinary repertoire. Comforting, filling, nostalgic, and closely tied to the Northeast's Italian heritage, it was first developed in 1930 when hot dog stand vendors Pat and Harry Olivieri decided to switch things up and chop some beef to make a sandwich. It's a simple recipe, so the ingredients matter here — make sure you get a good cut of beef, specifically ribeye.

Jersey Mike's has continued this long tradition with its No. 17 Famous Philly, which follows the traditional, age-old recipe. As with other cheesesteaks, Mike's Famous Philly lets the meat and cheese do most of the work. The onions and peppers contribute flavor and texture, but complement the cheesesteak base rather than take it in a whole new direction.

Amid the chain's broader menu, which focuses more closely on cold cuts, the Famous Philly clearly stands out, as it did in our ranking of the chain's subs, where it came in second place. Our reviewer described the sandwich as comfortingly warm, with a gooey, melted cheese base, and found the ratio of bread to beef to work perfectly. It's a sentiment shared by many online, although some question how traditional it is. "If you're asking if it's authentic, no," one Redditor stated. "Is it delicious? Hell yes."

Nicknamed after the 1950s and '60s Hawaiian-derived slang expression used to describe something big or dominant, the No. 56 Big Kahuna Cheese Steak certainly towers over the Famous Philly with its added layers of extravagance and flavor. It takes the base of the Famous Philly and makes it bigger, gooier, and hotter, adding extra white American cheese, mushrooms, and jalapeños. The cheese enhances the richness, the mushrooms provide umami savoriness and extra texture, and the jalapeños provide a noticeably spicy, vinegary touch that stands out.

Whether it's worth dishing out the extra dollars for the Big Kahuna ultimately depends on how much of a cheesesteak purist you are. The add-ons deviate enough from the original recipe that you're getting a different experience, but if you love indulgent sandwiches that mix savory flavors with an extra kick, then the Big Kahuna is the way to go. "[It's] one of the best things I've ever eaten," one Redditor stated.