Steve's Prince of Steaks signals plans for new Wildwood shop

A sign for the Philly cheesesteak business went up this week at the corner of New Jersey and Juniper avenues

Steve's Prince of Steaks' location on Bustleton Avenue is shown above in Northeast Philly. It looks like a new shop is headed to Wildwood, New Jersey in the near future.
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Steve's Prince of Steaks appears to be getting ready to open up a new cheesesteak shop in Wildwood, which would be the first location outside Pennsylvania for the long-running business.

On Thursday, Wildwood Magazine shared a photo on Facebook of a Steve's sign up at 2701 New Jersey Ave. at the intersection with Juniper Avenue. The property was formerly Classic Sandwiches.

A Steve's employee who answered the phone Friday morning at the Comley Road location in Northeast Philly declined to comment on plans for a Wildwood shop.

Steve's Prince of Steaks was founded in 1980 by Steven Iliescu, who opened the first location at the corner of Bustleton Avenue and St. Vincent Street.

In the debate over which kind of cheese belongs on a cheesesteak, Steve's is known for its emphasis on using American cheese — specifically cheese whiz — over provolone on its cheesesteaks. Ordering one with provolone or mozzarella comes with a 50 cent up-charge.

In addition to the two locations in Northeast Philly, Steve's also has a shop in Langhorne, Bucks County. A fourth location that opened in Center City in 2013 on 16th Street, between Sansom and Chestnut streets, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Steve's also has a food truck that has regularly served as a vendor for events in Wildwood.

It's unclear when the new location will open in Wildwood, but it looks like one of Philly's top cheesesteak spots is headed to the Jersey Shore in the near future.