766 Fort St
Victoria, BC

Hours: 11 am to 9pm daily
Website: https://www.serenas.ca/
Phone: (778) 433-9696

Throughout my search for a proper Philly Cheesesteak outside the City of Brotherly Love, my quest is not over. Even though Serena’s Pizzeria and Hoagies certainly deliver in taste, the best greasy spoon diner style I had was while making a stop in South Lake Tahoe. If I remember right, I ate at Little Philly Cheesesteaks, and it was so sloppy, slippery and oh so good left an impression. Sadly, they closed a long time ago.

But the further away one gets from the State that gave rise to this sandwich, any operation’s claim needs to be tested against those memories. What I sampled warmed me all over. On the chilly day my buddy and I visited, we were searching for crispy fried chicken and found the advertising for House of Chicken, misleading. The offerings may have been for Doordash delivery rather than in-house. Although we looked at the menu, we were not in the mood for Pakistani style food and opted to leave.

And it was straight to downtown to check out this year old sandwich/pizzeria stop. The space was familiar because it was once home to Tacofino, and different as the new owners did not have to change the space by much. The only difference is that it felt more vibrant! And for those wanting to buy a slice of pizza to go, that’s the first thing you see upon entry. The square-shaped pizzas, labeled in the window display, are a real crowd-pleaser. Some operations often forget to label or put the card out about what’s being served, but the fact they reserve a space for specific pizzas and call out to the open-air kitchen when it needs a refresh says a lot.

While my friend grabbed a flatbread, I targeted the sandwich. They even had a pizza style, which is tomato sauce on top rather than cubed–or crushed so the claim went. It was mushed down into more of a soft consistency, and I hoped for some chunks I could firmly chew. The amount of sautéed onions was generous, so I couldn’t complain by much. When the hot parts of the sandwich were still steaming, I feel that’s a good sign. And next time I’m in town, I’ll stop by to feast on the steak & frites along with the Chicken next!

Although this operation claims to be “fuelled by a deep passion for bringing the authentic flavours of Philadelphia to our community,” I always take those claims with a grain of salt. I’m well aware of Philly’s food culture, but sometimes you just gotta be there first before accepting the delights of the Delaware can be recreated elsewhere.

Overall, when I’m in town, to borrow a phrase from the Terminator, I’ll be back. Besides a terrific selection of sodas to have alongside that lunch, I saw plenty of other style bites to tempt. They also have a Philly style version of poutine and Cheetos mozzarella bites too!

3½ Blokes out of 5