Fans of Philly-style foods don’t necessarily have to head into the city for a cheesesteak fix because Steak Out has got you covered.

Steak Out is a quaint little restaurant tucked in next to Great Cuts in Sewell. Once inside, customers seat themselves, while classic rock plays over the speakers. Out-of-state license plates, cowboy boots, and model cars line the walls. Everything feels cozy and relaxed, like someplace you would expect to see as the setting for a classic TV show, in a small town.

The servers were chipper, and attentive and gave off a “Southern hospitality” vibe. Everything was served very quickly and was still nice and warm when it arrived, which is always a plus. Another bonus is that they had fountain orange soda — a rarity among many restaurants. Unfortunately, the fact that they had fountain Pepsi products instead of Coke almost negated that, but it’s fine because they keep bottled Coke products in the fridge.

As for the actual food, one of Steak Out’s big attractions is their ostrich cheesesteak. It’s a little pricey, with a 10-inch ostrich sandwich being $17, but then again, you can’t really expect exotic bird meat to be cheap. Besides, it was well worth the price.

The sandwich was filled with cubes of richly seasoned ostrich meat. The actual texture of the meat is closer to that of venison or buffalo, and despite being very dense, it remains tender. Plus, ostrich is surprisingly filling, with half the sandwich being enough to fill me.

Of course, if ostrich isn’t your cup of tea, Steak Out’s more classic options are equally delicious and plentiful. They have pizza steaks, chicken steaks with spinach, barbecue chicken cheesesteaks, and just about any other combination of cheesesteaks you can think of. They also have a few different burger and hoagie options as well. Their portion sizes are rather large; while their Cheeseburger Deluxe will cost you $9.75, you get a decently sized burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles, a small side of their homemade macaroni potato salad, and a huge side of fries.

Steak Out’s appetizers are very tasty, as well. They have plenty of loaded french fry options, including pizza fries, pepperoni cheese fries, bacon cheese fries, and chipotle fries. I tried the garlic fries, which were $5. The fries were smothered in garlic sauce, but somehow the garlic wasn’t overpowering, nor did it make the fries soggy. The large portion remained nice and crispy— definitely worth the $5. There are plenty of other appetizers to choose from — like toasted ravioli and broccoli bites — which is good because personally, I believe that appetizers are the best part of any dining experience.

Overall, Steak Out has a lot to offer, from burgers to specialty pizzas. Really, the only unappetizing options were the Cheese Whiz cheesesteaks. The idea of orange cheese from a can just doesn’t sit well with me.  Steak Out is a BYOB establishment, as well, so if you’re over 21, it’s just far enough from campus to let you escape from midterms and relax with a beer and a quality cheesesteak.

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