The Lunch Break - Angus Cheesesteak at Arby's

Much has been said about Arby’s latest addition to their menu: the Angus Cheesesteak. If I’m choosing not to mince words, not a whole lot of it has been very positive. Every social media post I’ve seen recently that has reviewed the Angus Cheesesteak has, in fact, been negative. More ass than gas.

But at some point, that starts to feel like a pile-on for a fast-food chain that I already feel like does not get the praise it deserves. After all, at Arby’s they have the meats. Why shouldn’t they have a cheesesteak?

That’s why I set out to discover for myself what the truth of the matter was around this new limited time offering. The cheesesteak itself comes with thinly-shaved steak and Cooper cheese with caramelized onions on a toasted sesame sub roll. On its face, this is perfect. This is what you want a proper cheesesteak to have.

None of that nonsense with lettuce, tomato, and mayo that other, ahem, fast-food chain restaurants often offer. I will allow mushrooms and green peppers, though I know that’s non-traditional. But also I will allow whatever you want, because ultimately, it’s your food, and you shouldn’t let gatekeepers decide how you can and can’t enjoy your food.

The cheesesteak (honestly, to be fair, like any cheesesteak) looks like a disaster. The cheese is melty and it’s everywhere. And the cheese has considerable spread. It has blown out the back and the sides, an avalanche of cheese that has swept up any steak and onions in its path.

The bread is visually lovely. It looks good. How often can you say that? And the best part: looks were not deceiving. The bread was, by far, the best part of this sandwich. It had a respectable outer crust with a pillowy inside that was soft to the touch and yielded just enough when you bit into it. And because it was so soft, it sopped a lot of the salty flavor from the melty Cooper cheese.

That unfortunately is where the good ends. The rest was disappointing. Not because it didn’t go through the motions of what one would expect from a cheesesteak. It did. It was a cheesesteak. For that Arby’s hit the mark.

But it was bland. It just seemed like an idea that died on the vine. The pieces are there. They are emulating a true cheesesteak, but they forgot to add the part where the food actually tastes good.

It’s likely not the most offensive limited time offering I’ve ever had. But it’s surely going to be among the most forgettable. Imagine blacking out for about four minutes and coming to and realizing nothing about your life has changed. That’s what I felt when I finished the cheesesteak. I was there for it. I know this because I feel bad about myself for having eaten it, but it did nothing to excite me.

Fast food does not need to reinvent the wheel every month. But either surprise me with new sandwiches or surprise me with a well-executed version of a classic. Either way, surprise me. This did neither.

And honestly, I’m tired of Arby’s only being fit to answer the question, “Do we have the meats?” when they should really be addressing: “Should we have the meats?”. The Arby’s Angus Cheesesteak is not lunch break approved.

Restaurant: Arby’s

Item: Angus Cheesesteak

Verdict: Not Lunch Break Approved