Gloucester Township Food Tour: Cheesesteaks

When I set out to do this Gloucester Township cheesesteak tour, I was told that the one place I absolutely had to try was Larry's Cold Cuts.

I teach English at Triton Regional High School and several of my co-workers frequent Larry's because it is located right down the street from the school, because it's quick, but most importantly, as they explained, the food is phenomenal. 

So when I headed into last week, I went in with high expectations. Now before you say I was predisposed to like the sandwich because I was told to expect quality, I'd counter that these endorsements put Larry's in a tough spot—could Larry's cheesesteak live up to the hype?

In a word, yes.

Larry's has the feel of an old-school, city-style sub shop. Once you account for shelves with chips, Tastykakes, and the soda coolers, there's hardly enough room to order and wait. So if you are looking to dine-in, Larry's isn't your spot. You get in, order and you get out. 

Still, like I've said all along, this isn't about the amenities. It's about the sandwich. 

After I paid, I hopped in my car and took the eight-minute drive home. Why do I mention this? Because it puts the sandwich at a bit of a disadvantage. I'm not eating fresh off the cooker--there's a little down time involved here. Sometimes the quality of a sandwich can diminish due to a soggy roll or other unforeseen issues.

Fortunately, Larry's sandwich was built for travel, as it withstood the rigorous journey from Glendora to Valleybrook (note the exaggeration). 

I got in the door, opened up my sandwich and bit in. And I wasn't disappointed.

I've mentioned previously my ideal cheesesteak is one that has the perfect blend of grease and cheese evenly distributed throughout the sandwich. Larry's masters that blend. I found the roll to the best I sampled along my tour so far, the faintly seasoned steak to be chopped just right. 

And there's something to be said for what I call the "full factor." Throughout my tour there were multiple days when I was able to put down multiple sandwiches because I wasn't that full after the first. The day I tried Larry's, though, well, forget about it. It was one and done.

So if you are looking to stop in and sit down for lunch, Larry's isn't going to be your spot, but if you are looking for a heck of a grab-and-go option, Larry's is a can't miss.