Famous Philly's Beer and Beef Family Sports Pub in Port Orange, Florida

Famous Philly's Beer and Beef Family Sports Pub in Port Orange, Florida has been one of our favorite places to dine since relocating to the area in 2006. Founder, Joe Trapuzzano and his staff offer a family friendly dining experience and the best Philly cheese steak sandwich along central Florida's east coast.

Famous Philly's in Port Orange isn't a fancy restaurant with linen tablecloths, crystal glasses and china serving plates. Instead, the walls and ceiling are covered in visitors' signatures and written messages. There is a mish-mash of sports memorabilia, neon signs, celebrity photos, and a variety of alcoholic beverage manufacturer flags scattered around the restaurant and bar.

A multitude of TVs are strategically placed so visitors can watch football games and racing events. Famous Philly's is a sports pub and whenever there is a popular sporting event the locals gather to support their team and devour cheese steak sandwiches, deli sandwiches, wings, and beer.

A recent visit to Famous Philly's has permanently moved the restaurant to the top of our favorite Florida restaurants. But, it isn't for the food. It was for the compassion and kindness given to us by bartender, Amy and several staff members.

On Saturday, August 7th, my husband and I were faced with the excruciating decision to have our elderly female Shar Pei, Ajah, euthanized. After leaving the Veterinarian's office with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, we were sitting at the stoplight at the corner of Nova Road and Ridgewood Avenue. My husband and I looked at one another and at the same time said, "I need a drink." Instead of turning onto Ridgewood, we headed for the parking lot of Famous Philly's.

It was 11:30 a.m. and while I rarely drink alcohol, I never drink in the morning. Amy, the bartender, could tell things weren't quite right with us when she greeted us. She had a look of concern on her face and all I could eek out of my mouth was, "I can't believe I'm ordering a beer at 11:30 in the morning." She smiled and said, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" and we started to laugh.

When Amy delivered our beers we told her about losing our dog and how distraught we were. One of the staff members overheard our conversation and came over to offer his condolences. A customer sitting nearby joined in and mentioned she had recently lost her dog and understood our pain. A few minutes later, a group of four people came in and sat next to us at the bar. We began sharing stories and raised our glasses to toast our beloved pets that had gone to doggie and kitty heaven.

Our decision to go to Famous Philly's helped eased our pain. It's not every day that you can walk into a restaurant and obtain exceptional service and great conversation. It is even rarer to engage in conversation with customers and make new friends. That's the type of atmosphere that occurs daily at Famous Philly's.

During our visit we noticed a large banner on the wall touting the Monster 22-inch Belly Bustin' Philly Cheesesteak Challenge. Similar to a Man vs. Food event, customers who consume the entire sandwich in 22 minutes or less receive the sandwich for free.

I can barely finish the 7-inch cheesesteak and wouldn't even attempt 22-inches, but I'd love to watch this competition! My husband has wanted to participate in an eating competition since Man vs. Food began airing on the Travel Channel. The 22-inch cheesesteak competition has officially been pushed to the top of his 'things to do before I die' bucket list.

Famous Philly's Belly Bustin' Cheesesteaks are available in 7, 9, 18, and 22-inch sandwiches. Diners can choose from thirteen varieties ranging from steak only to the Philly Special loaded with steak, sweet peppers, hot peppers, onions, marinara sauce and American cheese. There is also a Vegetable Philly packed with fresh sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet peppers, onions and topped with American and Provolone cheese and marinara sauce.

While Famous Philly's is famous for their Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, their menu offers a variety of hoagies, deli sandwiches, reubens, chicken wings, hot sandwiches, salads, and side dishes including their unique malt vinegar Philly fries. They also offer a kids menu, jumbo Philly pretzels, and three TastyKakes desserts.

TastyKakes are fresh baked goods produced by the Philadelphia-based Tasty Baking Company. They only use the freshest ingredients and do not include any preservatives, so TastyKakes are only distributed to states along the east coast.

My personal favorite TastyKake dessert at Famous Philly's is the Famous Philly Filler. This monster dessert is perfect for sharing and consists of peanut butter KandyKakes, cream filled Tasty Kakes, Tasty Pies, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. For those who desire a lighter version of this dessert, try the Tasty Pie Alamode consisting of your choice of any Tasty Pie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

Famous Philly's participates in a variety of community events including their upcoming "Tail Gate Party from Hell." A chartered bus will take fans to the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars football game hosted in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday, September 26th.

Tickets can be purchased at Famous Philly's for $160 per person which includes roundtrip transportation, stadium seating game tickets, and all food and drink. Tickets must be purchased no later than September 1st and details of the event are provided at FamousPhillys.com.

Whether you are a resident or tourist visiting the Port Orange and Daytona Beach area, be certain to include Famous Philly's as a dining destination. The prices are affordable, the atmosphere is friendly, and the service is exceptional.

Famous Philly's Beer and Beef Family Sports Pub
5901 S. Ridgewood Avenue
Port Orange, FL
Phone: 386.767.6338
Website: www.FamousPhillys.com
Hours of Operation: 7 days a week, 11 a.m. 'til late (according to their website!)

Sources:
TastyKakes
Famous Philly's Tailgate Party from Hell