White House Sub Shop

2301 Arctic Ave., Atlantic City, NJ - (609) 345-1564

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Posted By Akavar Dylutra on 4/5/2006 11:19:00 PM

If you crave a good Philly cheesesteak, Whitehouse Subs in Atlantic City makes a great one. This sub shop was started by a highly decorated New Jersey veteran of World War II immediately after he returned from service in late 1946. They have been making great sandwiches ever since.

I arrived just before the noon rush, and had a chance to watch as the staff prepared for lunch. As I was sitting at the counter, a man rang up a large bag of sandwiches he was taking back to his coworkers for lunch. The bill came to over $215.00. Needless to say, Whitehouse Subs does a huge volume of business. There were between six and eight men, working in close quarters, making sandwiches during the entire time I was there. They struck me as sandwich-making craftsmen who took their work seriously, not just men who were making sandwiches because they needed a job.

Whitehouse Subs serves the freshest bread you will find on any sandwich. The bakery is across the street and delivers bread several times a day. Two large bags of bread were delivered at 11:45 AM for the sandwiches to be made that day for lunch. You cannot get any fresher than that. In order to conveniently fit the cheese steak filling on the bread, the sandwich master actually slightly hollows out the roll for the cheese steak. Then they add an appropriate amount of their slowly grilled steak filling. When closed, the sandwich is much easier to eat because some of the bread has been removed.

Rather than the usual Cheese Whiz used in most Philly cheesesteaks, Whitehouse uses a slightly tangy provolone cheese. This cheese is served in a generous portion and is melted over the steak and onions. It pulls slightly as you eat it. I've become accustomed to Cheese Whiz in Philly, but found that I much prefer the real cheese at Whitehouse Subs.

I think that onions are an important part of a cheesesteak. They are not a dominant part of the White House steak. The onions are mostly hidden under the cheese, but they do make their contribution to the overall taste. You look at the sandwich and wonder where the onions are, then take a bite and find they are there and hold their own.

Whitehouse Subs makes a great version of the Philly cheese steak. The bread is fresh, the meat is moist, and the cheese really ties the whole sandwich together. Do yourself a favor and get to Atlantic City for one of these great sandwiches.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

Cheese Steak

Rate this place

"A cross-sectional view emphasizes the enormous quantity of cold cuts on a White House Special."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"This is HALF a Special (two quarters), fully dressed with tomatoes, onions, and chopped hot peppers. "
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"White House tuna subs are well-oiled, but there's no mayo. These are fantastic!"
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"Just capicola and provolone, for a change."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"The White House Special. These two lengths are only HALF a full-size sandwich!"
Michael Stern

"We always get a White House Special when we visit. But the Special is a special version of what? Well, this sub, a "regular". Same ingredients, less meat. Even this one is more than you can probably eat, but we'd give the nod to the Special anyway. It just seems more... special."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"This is a full tuna sub. You sometimes hear the full-size subs are over a foot long, but in fact they must be about a yard in length."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"The unique thing about a White House tuna sub is that the tuna doesn't seem to be mixed with mayo. We're not really sure how it's prepared; kind of seems like it's dressed with oil. Anyway, this is one of the world's great tuna sandwiches."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"Of all the celebrities honored on the White House walls, none is more revered than The Chairman of the Board. Sinatra, after all, was a New Jersey boy himself."
Michael Stern

"The White House has not franchised, proliferated, or otherwise watered-down its formula for excellence. And if you doubt that, read this notice posted behind the counter!"
Michael Stern

"Formica Brothers Italian Bakery is a major reason for the legend of White House. The bread is impeccably fresh."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"Since 1946, submarine excellence has been defined here."
Michael Stern

"At lunch time, the line for a seat leads out the door onto Arctic Avenue."
Michael Stern

"That's a full-sized chef's knife, not a paring knife. A whole sub is A LOT of sub."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle