Local Eats: Phillyhoma
Serious authentic Philly cheesesteaks, stuffed to the brim with anything your imagination can conjure up. That is what Philly Homa is offering the Edmond community and surrounding cities.
Deciding where or what to eat is often a point of contention for people. Philly Homa strives to meet demands for variety with many starters, entrees, sides and a couple of homemade desserts. Delivery is available for a comfy night at home, or patrons can take a seat in the cozy, wooden dining area positioned closely to the energetic open kitchen.
Authentic Philly
“The sandwiches are authentic Philly that you can’t get anywhere else,” owner Charles McEntire said. “You can’t get it in Oklahoma, nobody ships their bread and meats in from Philadelphia. You can get a Philly anywhere, but it’s not authentic.” The steak and chicken are cooked in the traditionally thin style, and double ingredient amounts are stuffed into bread. Philly Homa doesn’t just carry the famous provolone or Cheez Whiz toppings, they offer a variety of 12 cheeses to go with their classic cheesesteaks. Charles said the piled-high sandwiches are fresh and made to order.
According to Pat’s King of Steaks history site, Pat Olivieri created the Philly cheesesteak in 1930. At the time, Pat owned a modest hotdog stand in South Philadelphia’s famous Italian Market. As the story goes, Pat was working the hotdog stand one day and decided he wanted something different for lunch. He cooked up what is now the Philly cheesesteak and the smell drifted into a cab driver’s car, who insisted he sell the sandwiches instead. To this day, Pat’s King of Steaks sells Philly cheesesteaks.
Charles made his start with three restaurants in Dallas, and in 2019, he founded Heifers and Hens in Oklahoma. Much like Pat, Charles realized Phillys were outselling his burgers, and the inspiration for Philly Homa was born. The big question with Philly Cheesesteaks is usually, provolone or Cheez Whiz?
“The Cheez Whiz is more of a Northern thing, and then Oklahoma folks prefer provolone,” Charles said. “We can always tell who’s from where.”
The restaurant offers more variety than the cheese selection, though; 10 popular specialty recipes reign supreme. Charles said the customer favorite is the Southwest Philly. Stuffed with steak or chicken, the sandwich features a mix of grilled green, yellow and red peppers, grilled onions, mushrooms, jalapen����os, southwest sauce, and choice of cheese. Other specialties include the Pizza Philly Steak, Mac ‘N’ Cheese Philly, and Kickin’ Bourbon Philly. Branching out for even more variety, there are several starters, salads, wings and chicken tenders, tacos, a Mac ‘N’ Cheese bowl and a kids menu.
The desserts are made daily by co-owner Sharon Jesse, and give a comfort feel of home-cooking. The cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese icing are devoured as soon as they enter the display case, Charles said.
Stay Calm and Carry Out
“Stay Calm and Carry Out” still hangs in the window of Philly Homa from the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, but as the state reopens, so is the restaurant. Dining is unrestricted and masks are not required. Charles said employees are sanitizing everything after use.
Charles and Sharon opened Philly Homa’s East 2nd Street location seven months ago and also own a location in South Oklahoma City. The plan is to add two more locations with one in the Paseo district and the other on Meridian and Memorial.
To learn more visit www.phillyhoma.com
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