J. Michael's Philly Deli

Oleander restaurant. By far the WORST meal I have ever had or sat through in Wilmington. If I could give it zero stars i would. It felt like we were actively being filmed for a prank show. We ordered 5 sandwiches. 4 half’s and 1 whole. After 45 minutes of waiting, we received 4 sandwiches. Only two were correct, BUT they were ICE COLD. Two sandwich's and one set of fries were sent back due to being wrong and cold. It took them a HOUR to bring out chili cheese fries. It took an additional hour for the 2 remakes and an entire sandwich we didn’t receive earlier to come back out. We had to remind them 40 minutes in what was on the sandwiches. While we were waiting for our food, a table next to us found a hair in their sandwich. The manager LAUGHED at them and then tried to tell them it was the customers hair. The hair was embedded in the meat. Not a single cook was wearing a hair net or a beard net. The service was absolutely HORRIBLE. The hostess was the only nice once and trying to make things right. We saw our sever twice and she avoided us for the remainder of the 2 hours we were there. Almost the entire staff was rolling their eyes at customers. The manager was useless and a huge part of the problem. 3 different tables got up and walked out in a hour span of us being there. If you are the owner of the establishment……. Save your name and close the doors. Fire them all, they don’t want to be there. Ps. An Environmental Health Concern has been filed with New Hanover County Health Department.

Cool little spot my daughter introduced me too. Tried the steak Philly and it was amazing! It was tender, well seasoned, good serving size. The fries were good and the service was amazing! Check them out!!

First time here and I LOVED it! Our waitress was Christina and she was great! We had the Philly Cheesesteak which was SO good, tender steak and all the melty cheese on a perfect soft roll! I had the sweet potato fries which had the perfect crisp and they were served whith a Marshmallow fluff that was super yummy! This is a Definite do again!

After bragging to my daughter how good JMPD is, she took us there for lunch, Sunday Oct 26th; we got 15 feet from the front door when an employee ( I think her name is Mimi, works front counter) opened the door and spit a large ball of mucus right in front of us, we had to step around it to get in the door. We almost left right there but decided to go on in. The food was decent, the service was okay but the waitress was less than thrilled to be working. I ordered a sandwich to go ahead of time, was told it was waiting at the counter where I would pay, they couldn’t find it and we had to wait another 10-15 mins for them to make another one, which was made wrong but I didn’t know until I got home. I usually frequent a different location but it is temporarily closed, but I won’t ever go back to this one. Somebody needs to get a grip on those employees, the only friendly one was the one that spit out the front door ….

I loved the atmosphere and service from the people! They were so kind and patient. But one problem was that I caught food poisoning from my 'Chicken Steak.' I can understand it not happening a lot, so I hope no one else gets it in the future.

It’s been a while since I’ve been but it’s just like I remember. Great food with awesome friendly service!

Filthy: I had to ask my waiter 3 times to wipe down our table and the menus were sticky and had mayo smeared all over. Who knows how dirty the kitchen is! Service: The waitress acted like she did not want to be there and it was a hassle to her to serve us. Food: A Cheese Stake is supposed to have cheese in it. There was barely any of it. A simple cheese stake with onion is $15 anything else costs extra. A side of fries is $3.50 so this makes a meal with out a drink 17.50 and it's not even anything close to a real original Philie Cheese stake as advertised. For that money I'll go somewhere else next time. It's an absolute dump and a complete rip off. Save your money.

I moved here from the Philadelphia area 4 years ago. My family and I are all from Philly. I drove an hour to try this place. The cheese steak had about a full cup of cheese on it. It was a soup sandwich. I picked it up and it completely fell apart. There was a pool of cheese below it. I couldn’t even taste the meat, what little meat there was. Hands down the most disappointing sandwich, I’m not going to even call it a cheese steak again, I’ve ever had.

The food has always been excellent. spent many years eating there. BEST philly cheese steak there is . We moved to Texas so no more J Michaels for me. Im so sad. Have started making them at home , they are good, they are close but NOT the same. Everything they have on the menu is yummy. Alison S

I've only been to Philadelphia once but when I did I had some of the greatest cheesesteak I've ever imagined. A friend of mine told me about this place and it's about the closest you can get to a real Philly cheesesteak in North Carolina. The bread is shipped down from Philadelphia. I was in Wilmington recently so I stopped by and it looked like a Philly institution on the inside. The people were all super nice and I was immediately taken to my seat and brought my drink. I was disappointed that they did not have cheese whiz as an option as that is the best option when you're in PhiladelphiThey said they did make their own provolone cheese mixture to go on the steaks I was I ordered that to go on the steak. I was not disappointed at all as the food was just simply amazing. I can't recommend this place enough and if you're in Wilmington or even in North Carolina looking for an authentic Philly cheesesteak you definitely should go here

I made a group order with my co workers. We all ordered cheesesteaks with cheese fries and a drink. The cheese steaks were soggy and the fries didn't have the cheese on them. I hate when I have to dip my fries in the cheese. My coworker is allergic to onions and they put onions all over his cheesesteak. I always have a way better experience when I dine in. I'm very disappointed in how this pick up order turned out. When I dine in the service is great, the food is great, and the ambiance is great. Idk what happened today. Very disappointed.

Won't be back again was recommended to try them for there Philly but I was let down it's sit yourself when you come in .the waitress do stay on top of you to make sure that you're hydrated and if you need anything else service was good now just get to the food. Let's start with the appetizer appetizer. We got fried mushrooms, 3 out of 10 fried mozzarella sticks 3 out of 10 Onion rings 7 out of 10 Chicken fingers 7 out of 10 Chicken Philly, 1 out of 10 (taste it like canned chicken no flavor at all) Philly cheesesteak 3 out 10 same no flavor or seasoning

We were in town for a couple of days and were looking for a really good Philly Cheesesteak. Although others were closer, google and locals were pointing us to J Michael's...so we drove the extra 20 minutes. There is not one good thing I can say about the meal we received. The steak was chewy and bland and the french fries had very little taste and what they had, was not impressive. I'm not sure what other people have experienced to make this place "number 1" but that was not our experience.

I like an air conditioned place, but this place was freezing cold; which made our food cold in an instant!! I don't not like cold fries and onion rings!! We had to ask our server to speak up several times... what's up with the whisper? Very disappointing service, ambiance, and cold food!

The dining room isn't anything special, but the cheese steaks are delicious. I recommend getting your food to go, but definitely give it a try. I also recommend the fried mushrooms and don't forget the pickle spears!

Very rude over the phone many things missing from a big order ordered two ham and cheese and they were cold missing chicken off a chicken salad missing chilly cheese fries. ordered a philly and egg and it came with no egg. they didn't have the drinks even listed and told me i HAD to order them with the combo meals very disappointed and will NEVER come back

Called in a order to the monkey junction location.... they were out of ham. Ordered grinders and cheese steaks and Italian subs. Italian was good even without the ham. Chees steaks are great. But when I got to the location I was told that their oven was broken...so no grinders...they became subs. you couldn't tell me on the phone when I placed the order?! I'll give them another shot, but not that location.

Great Philly sandwiches, great service and atmosphere. Onion rings, mushrooms top it off perfectly.

On my search for the best Philly Cheesesteak in North Carolina I tried out J Michael's Philly Deli in hopes to find a find a great Cheesesteak. I will start by saying the seasoning they use on the steak is delicious, but the beef they use was definitely lacking a good beefy flavor. The cheese sauce was made of white American cheese and was pretty tasty. The bun was soft and could have used a slight toast, but was good nonetheless. The fries were quite disappointing, they were warm when I received them but were lacking seasoning and tasted a bit like old potatoes. The service was great and we got our food fairly quickly. Overall I would rate the food as average and nothing that blew me away, but at a fair price point.

don't be fooled by the underwhelming decor, this is a legit east coast deli diner with above average food. we loved the philly frips, wedge fries, tasty hoagies and attentive service. we will be back and are already looking forward to it!

It has been a few years since I have eaten at J. Michael's. I have always loved their chicken cheesesteak. I compare every other one I have tried to J. Michael's. My waitress seemed rushed. There was a gentleman, I guessed he was the manager, that kept checking on everyone and was very nice. My food was really good. Fries & sandwich were hot. The only thing I noticed is that my sandwich did not have as much cheese as I remembered.

My wife and I had a craving for cheesesteak and gave J Michael's a try. (Please be aware, the shopping center is being renovated but JM's is going still open and going strong. Great cheesesteaks and wedges delivered quickly. Amazing service. Felt like I was back on South Street! Can't wait to return!

No more roast beef on the menu?!! Got a ham sammich (2nd fav) and ewww. How do you mess that up??

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I love their fried mushrooms, and our mozzarella sticks are all-time favored. Is the Philly cheesesteak with ham and add the ranch which is homemade they make their homemade ranch with their secret recipe. You have to try.

Good food. Great prices friendly staff. Its a sandwich shop that always consistent Its a regular stop for us

I can't believe my favorite Philly Cheesesteak is in NC rather than Philly. And believe me, I've had a lot of them. In fact, less than 24 hours before I had this, I was in Philly being disappointed by another well-known Philly cheesesteak place. Service is pretty slow, but I wouldn't chalk a point off because it just looked like they were very short staffed. In addition, our server always kept on checking up on us and was very nice.

Me and my boyfriend LOVE eating here, Amira (i think that's how you spell it) is an awesome waitress she has 10/10 service! Favorite location too.

I have been in Wilmington all my life and have NEVER received the TERRIBLE SERVICE that I received today!! We waited over 20 minutes to be acknowledged. Meanwhile a Caucasian party came in and were attended to in less than 3 minutes of them sitting down! Our money is green just like theirs!! The qualittle of the food had fell off in the recent years and now the service is UNACCEPTABLE! They will NEVER get my money again!!

Very cozy and nice ambiance. Seems family oriented which is always a good sign in my opinion. It's seat yourself which is cool. Service was good. Servers walk around and make sure everything's good along with staying on top of drinks. Menu is easy to read and food came out quick! The food itself was pretty good. Mozzarella Sticks had the best cheese pull and were very hot when they came out. Marinara sauce was full of flavor and also very good! Got a turkey and provolone sandwich was also, very very good. They did not skimp out on the turkey which was very nice. Kinda hard to eat just because there was so much on a small roll but still, ate down! mozz sticks forever

they are too busy to take an order at 4:25 in the afternoon. They hung up on me twice don't waste your time. They don't want your money.

We had lunch at the Monkey Junction location today. The food was delicious and portion size, lets just say they don't skimp. The waitress we had, Jessica was totally awesome. We will definitely be going back.

Convenient location with good basic sandwiches. Service was fast and reasonable prices.

This continues to be a mixed review- the staff here were all super nice and my order was fresh and delicious. However, the front of the restaurant feels super crowded- I sat on this bench waiting for my food (I ordered when I arrived) and felt like I was stuck in a corner. The restaurant is crazy busy which means they're staying (yay!). My small Philly cheesesteak salad was absolutely perfect, the mozz sticks were warm and crispy, and my boyfriend's sandwich was massive and filling. I'll definitely get food here again but will probably order ahead.

Has really gone downhill over the last few years honestly. Got lunch yesterday and brought home the leftovers, went to eat it today and there was a big hunk of a black latex glove in it. Absolutely disgusting. called manager and was offered a refund, but still that shouldn't happen.

To be honest, when walking into the restaurant I didn't have high hopes. It's not dirty or anything it's just nothing special and kind of boring-looking. BUT our food was INCREDIBLE! Best Philly I've had in a long long time and tasted like a genuine Philly. Not to mention they are HUGE. The melted provolone is ‍ Our waitress was super nice and I liked that I could see who was cooking my food. The staff are exactly the type of people you'd want cooking your food overall fantastic experience and we will definitely be back.

Worst hoagie if we can call it that ever. Apparently, they are using a cheese whiz type of pump instead of sliced cheese. The sandwich was drenched in the cheese sauce so it made the bread soggy which in turn caused the sandwich to fall apart. The fires had no flavor bc they didn't bother to salt them. I grew up eating at this place from childhood; it has changed drastically. They use to wrap the sandwiches in foil, this was thrown in a take out tray. I don't know if they are under new management or changed recipes or suppliers BUT this was trash. My hoagie was so soggy I couldn't finish it. I didn't bother with the fries; the best part of the meal was the pink lemonade. This place has gone down hill.

The word delicious does not adequately describe the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich here. I ordered a half-sandwich while my son and his wife ordered a whole one to split. When the waitress put a sandwich in front of me, I said "No, this is theirs." She giggled and said, "No, this is your half-sandwich." I was blown away, and the damn thing was huge and just sooo good. Keep in mind that I am a native Burgher (that's someone born and raised in Pittsburgh) and we rarely say anything good about Philly I'll add that the onion rings, which Philly certainly cannot claim, were just spectacular as well. If you are a displaced Pennsylvania Yankee you will love J Michaels and if you are from anywhere else you will discover true culinary bliss.

It's totally wrong that this place has only 2.5 stars. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to write reviews. This place is amazing! Based on the reviews I read I got the half steak and cheese. I added onions and peppers and got fries too. The sandwich is SOOO GOOD! And the fries are excellent. They're like a steak fry, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My husband got the whole sandwich and it was almost too much for him but he enjoyed it so much he finished it off. We're not from around here, just passing through and I'm so glad we have this place a try. It was busy inside so that told me all I needed to know. We'll def be back!

Worst food and customer service I've experienced in the state. You can almost always tell when someone has an attitude. The young girl at the counter clearly didn't want to be there, got the order wrong and when the food was ready didn't acknowledge it as I hear my name get called out and watched my order go into a storage container for her to go get it 5 minutes later after sitting there doing nothing. Told the girl we heard our name get called, she said "yeah" and stood there not doing anything for a few more minutes till she decided to go get it. In the front there is a sign that says to check and make sure your order is right... I never have seen a food spot promote incompetence like that. The food wasn't great. Bad vibes here, it makes sense though. Wouldn't recommend anyone helping keep this place in business 1/13/24

Worst Cheesesteak Hoagie I have ever had! Meat was bone dry and it had hardly any cheese. One slice of tomato cut in half for an entire sub.

workers just don't care. forgot my cheese burger and just threw my wife's philly in the to go box upside down meat all off the sandwich. they were nice with giving me a refund but probably because they have to all the time. they should've gave me the refund let me keep the food and fixed there mistake.

Honestly the food here is pretty good. I have just had one too many issues with their takeout. I think of the three times we've gotten to-go food it has been wrong twice. Part of this is our fault for not checking the bags before we left however it still shouldn't be happening this frequently. If you're going to get J Michael's I would do dine in as the food is good. We have just ordered delivery and it was wrong again. Called and they basically said we could come pick up what was missing. What is the point of delivery then? I will never spend my money here again.

I love J Michael's and order frequently from the Piner road location, this location however, seems like a completely different restaurant. It was a mess to put it simply. Service was all over the place, there was bickering amongst workers and work place drama in the kitchen that came into the dining room. The sandwiches were not good like they normally are. Service may have been better if our server was not doing the job of a manager by handling all the issues, btw where was the manager during all this? I know it wasn't our server because he expressed loudly how frustrated he was having to deal with the issues. I feel bad for the employees, I hope the setting gets less stressful for them. I will be sticking to the Piner Road location & encourage everyone who has had a bad experience here to give another location a try, because food is actually really good.

Upon walking in we instantly were seated which is a plus but they only had 2 servers. I asked for fries and never received them, other guest on my party also received items we didn't order and was never able to tell anyone as the waiter never returned. I finished my drink and ended up waiting over 30 minutes before getting a refill.. TL;DR : the service was quite lousy for having 5 parties only, the food was very plain, and not what we ordered, had to wait long times for drinks edit: got home to realize my drink had a hole when I got it and leaked all over the car

Closest thing to a real Philly cheesesteak down here. They actually use the right bread unlike most places here! Don't pay attention to the negative reviews, this place is my new go to when I need to get my cheesesteak fix.

If the actual food was not solid this would be my only 2 star review on Yelp. Service and sanitation were not acceptable.. and multiple guests around us agreed and left before their food was delivered. Our group waited it out. Perhaps it was a bad day with server coverage issues, as the food that arrived very late was above average with good flavor and presentation.

Just ate here and was so please. Great sweet attentive staff and delicious cheese steaks. The jalapeño poppers were absolutely delicious too! Food came out so fast. Definitely Recommend !!!!

Words can't express how comforting it is to have grown up in Wilmington, and come to visit family all of these 40+ years later .... and get a J. Michael's Philly Cheesesteak, an order of Fried Mushrooms with Ranch dressing to dip them in, and a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda. Same location/storefront, same dining room -- heck, even same menus!!! This place is an ILM institution! And I am so grateful to everyone there! SO TASTY and a nostalgic meal every time!

I believe this is my third review for this specific, J. Michael's Philly Deli location because, sometimes, you just gotta have a good cheesesteak. FOOD: Last evening we chose to order takeout for many reasons and decided that it been a little while since we've enjoyed a cheesesteak. The last review I did for J. Michael's was not what I wanted to write, but was what it was when it came to their Reuben sandwich. The cheesesteaks, though? J. Michael's has the goods. We ordered and split a regular-sized Philly Cheesesteak hoagie, a side of fried mushrooms and a half portion Meatball Hoagie for our son. The cheesesteak was glorious. The heaping mounds of shaved steak, bound by all that melted white cheese...just oozing out over the sides of the bread, begged to be devoured. And devour it, we did! delicious. The fried mushrooms at this Oleander location are also something that is a must order for us each time. The newest feature for last evening was our son's meatball hoagie. Our son likes to try new things and meatball hoagies are one of his favs. He ate all of the sandwich, said it was good but wasn't the best he's had. But, that is a 12-year old's perspective and not one of my own. I'm just happy I got the cheesesteak I expected and at a reasonable price. SCORE: 4.8 STARS!! SERVICE: We placed a call-ahead order over the phone for takeout. The phone was answered promptly and I was greeted by a welcoming female voice. I do not believe she offered her name when she answered, but she was kind, courteous and efficient. It was quoted that the order would be ready in 20 - 25 minutes for pickup and arrived exactly 20 mins later. There was a small wait due to many orders coming in during a busy time but was still acceptable and the food was hot. SCORE: 4.5 STARS!! OVERALL SCORE: I enjoy this J. Michael's Philly Deli on Oleander Dr. for their wonderful cheesesteaks, fried mushrooms and value. I have ordered a few different items from here and have been disappointed before, BUT...they are always consistent with their staple sandwich...The Philly Cheesesteak! 4.6 STARS!!

Walked in for a to go order. Young lady behind counter did not acknowledge or look at me. Young men behind counter and in kitchen were occupied with a video on a phone. As the Young man tried to take my order while also trying to see the phone video, I walked out. It was a bad experience as soon as I walked in the door. Used to love this place. ​

Sat for iver 15 minutes right in the middle and no server ever came over. Tables around us had server. We.tried to get the attention of any server with no luck. Disappointed

I was born and raised around the Philadelphia area, So I've had a few cheesesteaks in my time. I had J Michaels back in 2019 at another location and was honestly disappointed, but I'm a person who doesn't shy away from a second try. I ordered the typical Philly cheesesteak and the Philly Fries. Fries were sub par and needed some salt, however, the cheesesteak was on another level. Not the best cheesesteak I've ever had, but it sure was smack dab on the target of being a Philly cheesesteak. 8/10 rating for the cheesesteak. If you're from the Philly area and want a good cheesesteak, come here! The taste and flavor of the sandwich makes it feel just like I'm back in Philly. Good work!

Can't go wrong with a Philly Cheese Steak after a day at the beach! They also have Mozzarella sticks and the GOOD Ranch.

I eat here all the time... The Philly cheese steak is great. Jalapeño poppers are amazing with all their jalapeños chopped inside a fried popper vs using a whole jalapeño. This restaurant is nothing out of this world but just an average consistent crowd pleaser.

I have been coming here for yearssss, I can't even remember how long. They never disappoint!

I went here today and was highly disappointed. It took forever to get my food, the server never refilled my tea, and the Philly sub had no taste!!! I had to keep putting salt and pepper on it for some taste. The servers were in the corner talking loudly and bickering like crazy. It took a long time to get my ticket and other tables were offered pickles but I didn't get any. Such a shame since it was pricey for what I got. I did tip because I know how it can be. But I honestly won't be back.

We moved from the area over 20 years ago, but come back to visit family. J Micheals was a staple for us. We stopped for lunch today and it was like stepping back in time. We got the usual Philly cheesesteak with extra cheese and banana peppers with fried mushrooms and fried pickles, and jalapeño poppers! The service was top notch and the food was hands down, AMAZING. Thank you J Micheals for staying true to who you are and sticking to the foundation of your success! #classic