SOUDERTON, Pa. - A new restaurant is serving up premium cheesesteaks, Italian hoagies and roast pork sandwiches in Montgomery County.
Peppe Steaks, an independently-owned cheesesteak and sandwich shop, opened at 11 a.m. Tuesday at 144 N. Main St. in Souderton.
The restaurant, with seating for about 20 customers, is operated by Joseph Chiaro, who also runs the four-year-old Burger Shop a few doors down at 162 N. Main St. in Souderton.
Chiaro was also a fixture at his family's popular Italian restaurant, Caruso Brick Oven Trattoria, which his retiring parents - Gaetano and Rita Chiaro - closed in late April after 20 years of business on Souderton's Main Street.
At Peppe Steaks, he's presenting a menu of high-quality sandwiches, including signature combinations such as "Go Birds" (chicken cutlet, mushrooms, basil pesto and mozzarella) and a create-your-own option where customers can pick their protein, vegetables and other fresh ingredients.
"We're offering really fresh comfort food," Joseph said. "Our menu isn't huge, but everything that we do offer is made fresh in-house."
Peppe Steaks' combinations, $9-$12, also include "The Classic" (fresh steak, wiz cheese and fried onions), "Veggie Grinder" (fresh sauteed vegetables and melted provolone cheese), an Italian hoagie (ham, salami, provolone, greens, raw onions and tomatoes) and roast pork sandwich (roast pork, broccoli rabe, Cooper sharp cheese and hot long peppers).
Customers wishing to create their own sandwich start by choosing their protein (beef, chicken or roast pork), roll (Liscio's Bakery plain roll or sesame roll) or salad bowl, cheese (American, provolone, wiz, mozzarella, Cooper sharp or Swiss) and sauce (more than a dozen options, including barbecue, chipotle, honey mustard, sriracha, marinara, ketchup, mayo, ranch and salsa verde).
They then can add free toppings such as pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, raw or fried onions and hot and sweet peppers, along with premium toppings ($1 each) such as broccoli rabe, chopped bacon, egg and extra cheese. Custom sandwiches start at $9 for beef or chicken and $10 for roast pork.
"We also have fresh sides like fried mozzarella, Mexican corn, mac and cheese and fries, along with water ice," Joseph said.
Pepper Steaks, which is BYOB, features seating for around 20 customers at half-circular orange booths.
The dining room has an '80s and '90s theme, with a hand-painted, black-and-white wall mural showcasing old-school technology, fashions and other retro images.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with a walk-up window operating later on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant also offers a 10% military discount and delivery through DoorDash and Grubhub.
For fans of burgers, Joseph's Burger Shop - located a few doors down from Peppe Steaks - offers a variety of specialty burgers, including the Yeehaw (with pepper jack cheese, onion ring, bacon, barbecue sauce and coleslaw), along with other items such as chicken fingers, sweet potato fries, guacamole and milkshakes.
In late May, Joseph also debuted a second location of his Burger Shop at the Souderton Community Pool, where customers can enjoy a condensed menu, featuring burgers and cheeseburgers, BLT and fried chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, milkshakes and various sides such as fried mozzarella, loaded fries and onion rings.
For the latest Peppe Steaks updates, follow the business' Facebook and Instagram pages. Info: 267-203-8451.