The New Jersey Restaurant Bruce Willis Swears Has The 'Best Cheesesteaks On The Planet'

While many people are quick to assume that the most delicious cheesesteaks are found in Philadelphia (the city where the original cheesesteak was created), those with extensive experience in the region know that the city has strong competition directly across the Delaware River. In fact, iconic actor Bruce Willis has long maintained the opinion that the very best cheesesteak is made at Roman Pantry, an establishment located in Penns Grove, a South Jersey suburb mere minutes away from Willis' childhood hometown of Carney's Point.

Roman Pantry is known for selling a wide variety of foods, from pizzas to sub sandwiches, but the remarkable establishment often gets lauded for its cheesesteaks. For Willis, Roman Pantry's cheesesteaks are great, essentially a fact rather than an opinion. The restaurant proudly mentions that the "Die Hard" actor once called its signature menu item "the best cheesesteaks on the planet" on its website. While one might suspect this strong praise from Willis to be biased considering he has known the restaurants owners, the DiMarco family, for several years, he's far from the only big fan of the establishment; not only do Roman Pantry's cheesesteaks get mentioned frequently in positive reviews of the restaurant online, but it is also consistently included in conversations regarding the best cheesesteaks in South Jersey.

Now, while Roman Pantry didn't rank on our list of the very best cheesesteaks outside of Philadelphia, there's no doubt it is of incredibly high quality and has a unique allure. More specifically, Roman Pantry's rendition bears many more similarities to a modern Philly cheesesteak than a Jersey cheesesteak. For those unaware, many New Jersey establishments that sell cheesesteaks (such as Anthony Bourdain's favorite Donkey's Place) make them on a round, poppyseed kaiser bun rather than a hoagie. However, Roman Pantry sticks to the hoagie bread for its cheesesteaks, giving it a much less Jersey look and vibe. Plus, because the restaurant allows you to customize the sandwich, you can ultimately replicate a cheesesteak you'd find in Philly more easily than you can a cheesesteak found elsewhere in New Jersey.

Nevertheless, straying from the typical Jersey cheesesteak formula hasn't diminished the excitement surrounding the restaurant. According to a discussion between one member of the DiMarco family and NJ.com, Roman Pantry goes through between 700 and 800 pounds of steak each week. So, if you want to try a cheesesteak that Bruce Willis and many other locals swear by, don't sleep on Roman Pantry's version of the legendary sandwich.