Whit or Whitout Cheesesteak (and more) take-out restaurant is open in West Deptford New Jersey, on Route 45 in the Southwood Shopping Center.
42Freeway was fortunate enough to be invited to the weekend preview on Saturday, but I thought I’d give them a day or two to get used to things before I shared the experience with 42Freeway readers.
That being said, based on their Facebook posts seems folks have already found out they are open, as Monday’s first full day was an early sellout (ran out of fresh rolls)!
On Saturday I chatted with the owners Dakota and Tasos, who currently live in Mullica Hill but are originally from Northeast Philadelphia.
Their goal is to bring the true Philadelphia cheesesteak experience right into South Jersey… without having to crossover the bridge.
Amazing cheesesteaks are obviously the signature item at the new shop, but they menu also offers chicken sandwiches, burgers and wings.
They also have delicious appetizers including French fries, chicken fingers, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, Nuggets and more.
it’s a great balance of selection and simplicity with the menu choices. All the key things you would expect from a cheesesteak focused menu are there. Dakota said something along the lines of… Keep it simple, and do it right!
As mentioned the location is in the Southwood Shopping Center on Route 45. Some consider this to be Woodbury but technically it is West Deptford.
Within the center, Whit or Whitout is located on the left side, in that indented plaza area. The shop is close to the back left corner of that plaza.
The shopping center will soon be “getting some love”. I reported previously on Whit or Whitout back in October as part of larger post on Southwood. The new owner will soon implement a shopping center upgrade, to bring it back to being an attractive and modern looking shopping center.
Several new tenants have been signed on, and more are on the way. Be sure to stop in at the also new Froogie’s Too which 42Freeway covered last year.
Keep reading for more on this soon to be iconic South Jersey cheesesteak shop, and dont forget to “like” their Facebook page for updates!
Whit or Whitout: The Experience
During my Saturday visit I got a chance to try several varieties of cheese steaks, as well as their signature Philthy sauce which is a combination of a sweet, hot cheese sauce.
A variety of cheeses are offered including Kraft cheese whiz… But one of my surprising favorites was an American cheese sauce which made a sandwich where the cheese was just deliciously dripping from the fresh Liscio’s rolls.
Whit or Whitout is a take-out only restaurant, and the interior does an amazing job of recreating that Philadelphia cheesesteak shop experience.
While there aren’t any tables to sit and eat they do have several original Veterans Stadium chairs to relax on while waiting for your food.
There is a decent size waiting area in front of the counter, but the largest portion of the space is dedicated to the kitchen.
Everything about the restaurant is brand new. The two owners started with basically an empty shell and created all aspects of the build out.
All of the kitchen grills, fryers and refrigeration units are new to the space.
I really like what they’ve done with the interior of the restaurant. The counter space has a front façade of brick-face, while the back wall is a multi-toned wood plank surface.
Adorning the walls are iconic Philadelphia sports photos, graphics, and memorabilia to give you that true Philadelphia experience.
A neon sign in the left corner lets you know exactly where you are at… Whit or Whitout!
They use freshly sliced ribeye for the steak, and provide a generous portion of meat and the Liscio’s roll.
I’ll be honest… I prefer a softer roll such as Liscio’s and with the tender meat I found the sandwich not only delicious, but also a pleasure to eat. No fat. No chew. Just tasty tender goodness.
With my Saturday visit being the “friends and family” preview, Dakota and Tasos made the smart decision to take the full sandwiches and slice them up into party-sized pieces, which allowed me to try a variety of the combinations.
I am a fan of Cheez Whiz and absolutely I had more than my share of that classic sandwich combination!
I also tried a mushroom with American and fried onions, the Philthy Sauce steak and yes I even had rokm for the American cheese sauce (which became one of my new favorites).
I definitely did not leave hungry because during my visit… well yeah I even tried a couple chicken wings, and a mozzarella stick.
Everything was delicious, fresh, and prepared the way you would expect!
They officially opened on Monday but according to their Facebook page they’ve already been overwhelmed with eager new customers!
They get in fresh rolls each day so that becomes a limiting factor in how many sandwiches they can sell, as they figure out consistent demand levels.
On Monday they sold out much earlier than they thought… early afternoon! A Facebook posting says they were ordering double the amount of rolls for today!
All this customer business has happened even before I put up my coverage at 42Freeway.com, be a little patient with them as your order may take a little longer… or give them a few days before you reach out and try one of their sandwiches and other delicious products.
Links and Locations
Whit or Whitout
875 Mantua Pike
Woodbury (W. Deptford), NJ 08096