Philadelphia, PA - March Cheesesteak Madness is a bracket-style tournament of cheesesteaks. We have 64 Cheesesteak entries broken into four regions, so Let's have fun and virtually eat cheesesteaks alone together!!
"I'm Jim Pappas from Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure. I've eaten over 550 different cheesesteaks in the last 22 months. I am hoping to use my new found Cheesesteak knowledge to help fill the void in our lives left by the canceling of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament". - Jim Pappas
Back to Main Page: The Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure March Madness
Bracketology NJ/DE Region Round One
- Angelo’s Pizzeria vs. 16. Carmen’s Deli of Bellmawr
Angelo's Pizzeria is representing their birth state of New Jersey. Angelo's should win this region, but they can’t sleep on Carmen's Deli. When I walked into Carmen's Deli, I knew I was going to get a good cheesesteak. I was so confident I was going to get a good cheesesteak that I bought my chocolate covered. Carmen made pretzels before I ate my cheesesteak. With that said, a focused Angelo’s should have no problem getting out of the first round.
- Meatheadz vs. 15. Jersey Joe’s
Jersey Joe's makes a delicious traditional cheesesteak. Jersey Joe goes the extra step and serves his meat on a Liscio’s seeded roll. Unfortunately, they are up against Meatheadz dripping steak, which goes a couple additional steps with provolone cheese and a house-made au jus sauce. The Dripping Steak was my favorite cheesesteak in 2019. I think the Dripping Steak will go far in this tournament.
- Tenderbones Rib Shack vs. 14. Simaron Pizza & Steak Shop
Tenderbones massive 3 lb cheese steak versus Simaron’s massive community service, who makes a perfect traditional cheesesteak. But what really impressed me about Simaron was the newspaper articles on the walls showing them cooking and serving Thanksgiving dinner to families in need. This is a Cheesesteak competition, and Tenderbones makes a pretty great 3 lb cheesesteak. Giant cheesesteak vs. massive community service. This one could be interesting.
- 322 BBQ vs. 13. Steak-Out
This is a saddle up big boy matchup!! As the name implies, 322 BBQ is a barbecue, and barbecue suggests manly men. Steak-Out with their western motif and meaty cheesesteak is up to the challenge. 13 may be a low seed for Steak-Out, and I wouldn't be surprised by an upset here. Answers this is definitely a matchup to watch and probably an excellent boys outing.
- A & LP vs. 12 Jersey Jerry's
I have a lot of problems remembering A & L P. I want to remove the ‘&’ around. Jersey Jerry makes a delicious solid fundamental cheesesteak. When comparing Jersey Jerry’s NCAA men's basketball tournament teams, I think of Princeton teams that used a fundamentally sound slow pace of play to win games and get into the tournament. Jersey Jerry's makes a fundamentally sound game-winning cheesesteak. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be enough to upset A & L P. A & LP makes a solid Cheesesteak and isn’t afraid to throw a little pizzazz on it. I think A & LP will move on to the second round.
- Donkey’s Place vs. 11 Amato Bros
If Condoleezza Rice had shown up to our selection committee meetings, this probably would have been our 5 vs. 12. All due respect to Donkey's Place. I think Donkey’s Place should be on everybody's cheesesteak bucket list. But, if you look at Donkey’s poppy seed roll and my crooked teeth, you instantly know that I am not a match for this cheesesteak. Amato Bros makes a darn good cheesesteak. Amato Brothers don't have the history that Donkey has, but they are a cheesesteak making family. I would not be surprised by an upset here.
- Italian Kitchen vs. 10 Meding & Son
Italian Kitchen has a special place in my heart. Italian Kitchen is a good old fashioned family restaurant/deli/pizza shop. They have tables, a bathroom, plenty of drink (non-alcoholic) choices, and, most importantly, dessert options. Allegedly Bruce Willis's favorite place even though I saw his picture hanging in their sister location, Roman pantry. They make an excellent big meaty traditional cheesesteak. Unfortunately for the Italian Kitchen, I left my heart at Meding & Son. The surf and turf cheesesteak. I paid the $8 for the broiled crab cake and then asked them to mix it in with my cheesesteak meat. It was delicious! For me to pay $8 and like it, you know it had to be good. This match-up has upset written all over it.
- Prima’s Pizza vs 9. Gaudiello ‘s
This is a traditional pizza shop cheesesteak versus new-age cheesesteak. Prima's Pizza did some kind of Jedi mind trick because they made my cheesesteak precisely the way I would make a cheesesteak. It had outstanding amounts of everything, excellent ratios, and perfect cheese melt. Unfortunately for them, Eric from Gaudiello is a well-schooled chef and puts his flair on a traditional cheesesteak. Can I go as far as to say Eric makes a classic Cheesesteak better? I like this matchup.