The Great Western Steak and Hoagie Co....my way right away and Mike Tyson's too

1720 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 450-4545
Open everyday 10AM-midnightish

The cheesesteak. It is a deadly food sin that I personally love to commit. Sadly there aren't too many Philly style cheese steak places over here (at least any worth noting) . I look at this as one of the prime big-eater meals, not for weight or mass, but from the sheer way it weighs you down when you eat one. These sandwiches are designed for people with big arteries...so that there's more to fill. Great Western Steak and Hoagie Co. possibly has the cheesesteak in town to beat (don't worry...I'll keep looking) . Last time we went, the guy at the counter told me Mike Tyson had popped in that Monday for a big order. I think of Mike Tyson as man who eats a lot...sometimes he chews off more than he should, but that's another story.

This is a crown jewel of cheese steaks in LA. Oooey and gooey to the core and at the same time brimming with succulent meatstrips. The bread is a flaky roll that compliments this sandwich by soaking up the juices but not becoming soggy. A transcendent sandwich (if you've had this you know I'm not lying) , the stuff addictions are born from (and conveniently open late enough to be a just-before-midnight snack) . This specific specimen had grilled mushrooms and onions, american white, I added mayo and had them leave out the pizza sauce. There's many fixings you can request on it to completely customize your bad boy. Is it juicy? You bet. Is it big? Oh yeah. In fact, dare I say, it's so good you could make this a text book example.

Here's Celeste's cheeseburger...it's not pretty but tastes pretty good. The patty had a very steaky quality to it (maybe cause of all the steaks that have gone over that grill...but who knows) , the thin layer of cheese didn't puddle anywhere (thank you!) , the lettuce was crispy, the tomato was perky and the mayo/onions/pickles infused through the whole thing in a very juicy fashion. My only gripe, they used the same breadtype as they used on the cheesesteaks for the hamburger...and let's just face it, it would have been better on a traditional bun. So, it doesn't go down in the hall of fame of LA's complete package burgers, but if you're there and you find the size of the cheesesteaks intimidating it's an excellent option.

Great Western has been around for somewhere between 40 to 50 years (they quoted me this) . Though the place looks pretty beat up (couple of busted tables on the south side to eat at) you can tell that they put their money into the ingredients they get. They have a parking lot and like I said before, the hours are perfect for those night time cravings. I only suggest one thing, if you find yourself waiting in line with Mike Tyson...let him cut in front of you.

Free drink refills: No
Entree Price Ranges: Cheese Steaks are $6 ish and burgers are $2.50 to $3 ish.