Digging into the Home of the sweet steak
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Despite the Home of the Hoagy's name, steak sandwiches are king. Photos: Monica Eng/Axios
In my ongoing quest to eat at all the restaurants claiming to be the home of something, today I'm diving into the sweet steak sandwich at Home of the Hoagy in Morgan Park.
The confusion: Despite the restaurant's official name, their steak sandwich (aka sweet steak or steak supreme) remains the big draw for many.
The dish: Griddled onions and ribeye, topped with American cheese, relish, giardiniera and tomatoes on a steamed steak roll soaked in a sweet steak sauce ($7.69).
- The late Ed Perkins Jr. created it in the late '60s as Chicago's answer to the cheesesteak after visiting an army pal in Philadelphia, his son Ed Perkins III told me.
- The Perkins family served it at more than a dozen South Side Taurus Flavors restaurants until the last one closed in 2019.
- Home of the Hoagy, run by Denise Brown, remains one of the last purveyors of the sweet steak.
The verdict: Packed full of meat, heat and sweet, this is a sandwich Chicagoans must eat at least once, but be prepared to wait an hour for your order. 🏠🏠🏠🏠