I visited Jack in the Box HQ to make (and eat) the new Philly cheesesteak

Anyone in San Diego will tell you that you can’t go too far without seeing a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant. It’s been a staple of my fast food rotation for decades, offering a mix of familiar staples like the Jumbo Jack and Curly Fries alongside unexpected, but still delicious items like tacos and French toast sticks. For as much as Jack in the Box is known for its signature spokesperson and its unique commercials, what I always come back to is the variety. You can fill a craving that you typically can’t fill in other places at Jack in the Box, and now that includes a trip to Philadelphia.

I had the opportunity to visit the Jack in the Box headquarters in San Diego recently – a place I’ve driven past many times but never thought I would ever get the chance to go inside. At the time, it wasn’t clear what I was visiting Jack in the Box for, but eventually I learned that we were going to be making one of the restaurant’s newest limited-time offerings, the Philly Cheesesteak.

This wasn’t just your average tasting, though; we were actually going to make the new Philly Cheesesteak. After instructions from Jack’s head chef, Ciarán Duffy, we were put to work. Our mise-en-place was prepared ahead of time – shaved ribeye steak, an onion and pepper mixture – and then we took to the flattop grill to put some color (and added flavor) on the trio while toasting the pre-buttered hoagie roll.

After a quick cook, we went back to our stations to assemble, putting the meat, peppers, onions on the roll with three slices of Swiss-style cheese and something unexpected. Duffy said that he likes his sandwiches a little sauce-y (and who doesn’t?), so Jack's version of the Philly Cheesesteak gets a little spread of mayonnaise on the bread. This might be a little sacrilegious, but it offers a Jack in the Box twist on a classic.

To me, the addition of the mayo pays off, as the Philly Cheesesteak was absolutely delicious. The combination of the melted cheese and the ribeye sold me on this being a high-quality cheesesteak, but the added bit of fat pushes it over the top. The onions and peppers do get a little lost in the creaminess of the cheese, mayo, and meat, but there were little pops of flavor anytime I got a bite of that mixture.

I can definitely say I am a fan of the Philly Cheesesteak that Jack in the Box has put together. The softness of the roll brings everything together, and the quality of the meat was outstanding. I always appreciate it when Jack takes a big swing, and for me, that usually means a visit to the drive-thru to see what they are cooking up. In this case, though, it was me doing the cooking, and I'll admit there’s something special about getting to make your own version.

I’ll always go back to Jack in the Box for the classics – the Sourdough Jack, the Breakfast Jack, and the incredible deal that is those two tacos. But I appreciate it when they offer something unexpected and give it a slight twist. The Philly Cheesesteak is exactly that, and I'm not ashamed to reveal that I’ve had another since leaving the headquarters, and I’ll probably get a few more before its time is up.