Seven years ago, the Pagan family from Philadelphia took a leap of faith in moving to San Diego and setting up shop with a new restaurant, Steak N Fries, in Pacific Beach.
Glad they did, they’re also thankful they decided to bring authentic Philly cheesesteaks along with them. The cuisine, common on the East Coast, proved to be a new taste sensation for many San Diegans.
“We have had a lot of customers come in and say they’ve never had a cheesesteak before, that this was their first time,” noted Maria Pagan, marketing director and cook for the family restaurant at 1039 Garnet Ave. She added, “Back home, everyone has had cheesesteaks. You almost can’t run into anyone who hasn’t.”
Maria boasted that a Pagan cheesesteak is the best around. Unlike competitors, who usually use frozen rib-eye steaks in their sandwiches, meat in a Pagan cheesesteak is always fresh. “We get it delivered, then we skim the fat off and cut it up and slice it thin,” said Maria. “We cut our meat fresh every day. It’s not frozen. It’s actual rib eye – and good.”
Steak N Fries is the very definition of mom and pop. Eatery co-owners are mom, Angela, and dad, Angel, who is the director of operations. Daughter Maria doubles as marketing director handling social media as well as cooking. Her sister, Zullette, is the general manager.
Two Pagan family members are usually present on every restaurant shift. “It’s a pretty small kitchen so we don’t want too many people back there getting in each other’s way,” pointed out Maria adding, “Definitely less is more.”
Is it tough wearing more than one hat? “I do that every day,” noted Maria adding they have employed people outside their family while noting “It’s a challenge to keep employees, so right now it’s just family working with us.”
It’s taken a while, but Maria noted their family has settled in. “I feel like this is my home now,” she concluded adding, “It was a big transition. But life is much better over here with the nice sunshine and beaches. Philly people are also a little rough around the edges than San Diegans.”
What’s changed over the past seven years for Steak N Fries? “Before the pandemic, we used to stay open until 2 a.m., but we’ve cut back to midnight because the late crowd is not as big as it used to be, though overall our business has been pretty consistent,” said Maria.
Steak N Fries’ core menu remains constant: simple and uncomplicated. But there have been some changes. “We’ve added buffalo and barbecue chicken, as well as some Philadelphia pretzel sticks, a soft pretzel we’ve added that you dip in sauce,” Maria noted.
Steak N Fries’ seventh anniversary is Oct. 18. The family hasn’t decided yet what special event they’ll hold, but stay tuned.
Maria Pagan said the family may ultimately decide to expand, but for right now, after seven years in the restaurant business, the objective continues to be “just focusing on our PB location and probably adding some new things to the menu.”
Steak N Fries
1039 Garnet Ave.
steaknfries.com
