Wherever Philly cheesesteaks are served — especially when they are served to people with ties to Philadelphia — the subject of the sandwich invites friendly (or not so friendly) contention.
What is the right roll? How should the meat be prepared? What are the proper toppings (corollary: Is Cheez Whiz correct or cliché)? How far may a cheesesteak depart from classic contours before it’s not a cheesesteak at all?
In Philadelphia, as you might imagine, these questions fuel the perpetual public interest in the sandwich and create a hum of discussion amid which any cheesesteak restaurant must open. In the case of Shay’s Steaks, that hum is one of approval.
Since debuting in February 2024, the sandwich shop has stacked up social media kudos, ranked at No. 3 on Yelp’s list of top steakhouses for 2024 (because of the steakhouse quality and handling of the meat, Yelp said), and garnered praise last year from The Philadelphia Inquirer for its New York strip version, included among the “Philly cheesesteaks we genuinely want to eat.”
In June, Shay’s brought the cheesesteak chatter to Las Vegas with the debut of a Town Square outpost, the first expansion beyond its native city. Todd Grisham, a combat sports announcer who is frequently in Vegas, and Scott DiClaudio, a Philadelphia judge who now splits his time between here and his hometown, own Shay’s.
Their longtime connection to the city, they said, made Vegas the ideal place to offer their modern take on cheesesteak standards, even if there was a bit of doubt initially.
“Are we almost trying to sell Mickey Mouse ears in Orlando? Coming to Vegas? Who’s going to order these? But we saw that there wasn’t that much competition,” Grisham said.
“We don’t need to have five to 10 (shops) on the East Coast,” DiClaudio continued. “We want to bring that authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak to Las Vegas.”
The Shay’s way
There are easier restaurant lifts in Philadelphia than launching a cheesesteak spot, but “we never considered opening another type of restaurant,” DiClaudio said, adding that the business partners were confident the Shay’s approach would set the shop apart from some of its competition.
“We don’t have a freezer or a can opener. We get our meats in every day — the same prime ribs and filet mignons and wagyu you would get at a steakhouse. We’re slicing it thin, shaving it, weighing it to 10 ounces of meat, just like you get a 10-ounce filet mignon.
“We butter the grill. The onions, peppers, mushrooms and steak go on, then we season everything with our own custom blends. We don’t put meat on the grill before you order the cheesesteak. We prep them as we’re making them. They’re made in front of you.”
On the menu
Shay’s menu in Las Vegas is essentially the same as the one on North 16th Street in Philadelphia, anchored by ingredients and items sourced from Philadelphia that range from Liscio’s Italian rolls, meats, cheeses and butter to house seasonings, plates and food wrappers.
Slip into Shay’s with a Classic cheesesteak calling on prime rib, Cooper Sharp white American cheese (prized for its meltiness and bolder flavor), buttery steakhouse seasoning and sautéed onions. Or a Philly Special built from New York strip steak, Cooper Sharp, sautéed peppers and onions, and jabs of red garlic jalapeño seasoning.
Or a build-your-own sandwich stacking choice of protein (chicken, New York strip, prime rib, filet mignon, American wagyu), choice of four cheeses and seasonings, and choice of onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and long hot and hot cherry peppers.
Honoring family and friends
The name Shay’s pays homage to Sylvia “Shay” DiClaudio, Scott DiClaudio’s late mother, who owned a Philadelphia corner luncheonette with DiClaudio’s father for about 25 years. Several Shay’s cheesesteaks take their names from family and friends.
The Great Gabe, named for DiClaudio’s eldest daughter, adds crisp hash browns to the prime rib base in a nod to the classic pairing of steak and potatoes; the Plain Remi James, after DiClaudio’s youngest daughter, keeps things basic: prime rib, Cooper Sharp, buttery steakhouse seasoning.
The Durkin (chicken, Cooper Sharp, buttery buffalo sauce) honors lacrosse legend Tucker Durkin, who lives in DiClaudio’s Philadelphia building.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, DiClaudio said, designed The Shayquon cheesesteak with American wagyu, Cooper Sharp and black garlic and truffle seasoning, while a Dreamchaser from rapper Meek Mill, a Philadelphia native, stars filet mignon, Cooper Sharp and red garlic japeño seasoning.
“Saquon walked in one day; Meek walked in one day,” DiClaudio said of the Philadelphia shop. “We became friends through Shay’s”
Town square and beyond
DiClaudio and Grisham became friends through Shay’s, too.
“I went to Philadelphia to call a boxing event two years ago, and my girlfriend said, ‘Let’s get a cheesesteak,’” Grisham recalled. “We stumbled into Shay’s. I said, ‘This is incredible.’ I met Scott, and I said, ‘If you ever think about expanding, I’m about to retire soon, and where would you like to expand?’ ” They had mutual Vegas ties, “we found a location and here we are.”
The Vegas store, 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Building B, Suite 185, in Town Square, occupies a renovated space that encompasses about 1,200 square feet and seats about 45. The partners said they are planning a second Vegas location on South Commerce Street downtown.
In Vegas, you won’t find Cheez Whiz at Shay’s, but you will find Cooper Sharp melted into cheese sauce. DiClaudio and Grisham aren’t fans of packaged, processed, bright orange-yellow sauce and spread. Good meat deserves better.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at [email protected]. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.