If there was ever an amusement park that was home to the cheesesteak sandwich, it might have to be Dorney Park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In addition to several Chickie’s & Pete’s locations throughout the amusement park side and in WildWater Kingdom, Dorney Park also offers their own cheesesteaks at Chef’s Grille and at Papa Luigi’s.
As discussed in our review of the Chef’s Grille cheesesteak, we love that the park offers their own version of the sandwich, but we would really like to see them add some grilled peppers and onions to the sandwich.
The whole idea of having multiple versions of the cheesesteak available at Dorney Park got us to thinking maybe it would be interesting the compare Dorney’s version with the Chickie’s & Pete’s version. Fortunately, both cheesesteaks are included on the Dorney Park dining plan.
We start out with the Chickie’s & Pete’s cheesesteak. The first thing that becomes obvious, especially when comparing to the park version, is the sandwich is about 75% smaller. Possibly the Chickie’s & Pete’s sandwich is about half that served off the regular menu.
In addition to the classic Chickie’s & Pete’s cheese sauce, the sandwich also included grilled onions and peppers if requested. The meal also includes a side of crinkle cut fries.
The Dorney Park cheesesteak is noticeably larger than that at Chickie’s & Pete’s. The sandwich served at Papa Luigi’s is served with a cheesesauce from Land O’Lakes. Guests are not offered the option of grilled onions and peppers on the Dorney Park cheesesteaks.
The Dorney Park sandwich also does not include a side, at least at Papa Luigi’s. A side of fries is included at Chef’s Grille.
After trying both meals side by side, we thought the meat and cheese on the Dorney Park cheesesteak was preferable to that of the Chickie’s & Pete’s. However, the bread was better on the Chickie’s & Pete’s cheesesteak. Plus the grilled onions and peppers make a big difference in flavor. So we found ourselves picking them off the Chickie’s & Pete’s sandwich and putting them onto the Dorney Park sandwich.
Overall, we give the edge to the Dorney Park cheesesteak in this battle of cheesesteaks.
Fact Sheet
What: Cheesesteak
Where: Chickie’s & Pete’s, Chef’s Grille, Papa Luigi’s (Dorney Park)
Calories: 850-1120
Cost: $14.79 Chef’s Grille & Papa Luigi’s; $11.49 Chickie’s & Pete’s
Dining Plan: Yes
Pros: Better flavor on Dorney Park cheesesteak; better bread with peppers and onions at Chickie’s & Pete’s
Cons: No peppers and onions on the sandwich from Dorney Park. Would like to see alternative side to fries.
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