The Wilmington Steak Shop Joe Biden Said Could Rival Philly
President Joe Biden is a man of simple tastes. He reportedly eats soup and chopped salad with grilled chicken for lunch, enjoys a classic pasta with red sauce for dinner, and snacks on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And considering he was born in Pennsylvania but later moved to Delaware as a child, he knows a good steak sandwich when he sees one. But his favorite doesn't come from Philadelphia, as you may expect — instead, President Biden gets his fix just across the state border, at Claymont Steak Shop in Wilmington, Delaware.
According to the president, the Delaware shop's steak sandwiches are good enough to rival classic Philly cheesesteak joints. "The only place where Philadelphia can compete with us is steak sandwiches. Just compete. Compete. Not win," Biden said (via Food & Wine). It seems he's not the only one who feels this way. Claymont Steak Shop has won Delaware Today's Best of Delaware Award in the Cheesesteak category 13 times every year from 2008 to 2020. With three locations currently around Wilmington, the chain features seven types of cheesesteaks on its menu. Standouts include the Pepper Chicken Cheese Steak, with fried green peppers and fried onions, and the Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak, with buffalo sauce and blue cheese.
The president's not bi-den his time until a Philly cheesesteak comes along
President Biden has been a regular at Claymont Steak Shop for years and has made appearances at the chain since his days as a U.S. senator. In fact, the shop is even a stop on tourist itineraries, designating the president's favorite spots in Wilmington. In addition to the legendary steak sandwiches, its menu features an impressive variety of dishes. You'll find everything from nachos to gyros and subs, along with pizza, salads, burgers, quesadillas, pasta, and wraps. To bookend your meal, you can also get appetizers like shrimp baskets, jalapeño poppers, and broccoli bites, along with desserts like baklava, cheesecake, and chocolate pudding.
But while this establishment boasts President Biden's favorite steak sandwiches, it's by no means the only spot he loves in Wilmington. As the president famously claimed in 2013, "This is gonna settle, once and for all, the best sandwich in America is out of Wilmington, Delaware" (via Washingtonian Magazine). The joint in question here was Capriotti's, a sandwich shop founded in 1976 that now operates more than 175 sites country-wide. President Biden's order is an Italian sub with spicy peppers, minus the onions. He's also a big fan of The Charcoal Pit, a burger and ice cream establishment, and Bardea, a James Beard-nominated Italian restaurant where he once celebrated Dr. Jill Biden's birthday.