J. Michael's Philly Deli

I only recommend Oleander location. Im 47, born and raised here. Friday nights were dinner here starting around 1986. The food is still soooo good. They had dropped the ball for a couple years but seems to be back to top notch. Atmosphere not so great. I wish they would give the staff some personality and freshen up the place. The only happy person to be there was the sweet girl at check out. Also, there used to be a line wait to get in. We were there on a Saturday during peak lunch hour. Barely anyone there. Just trickles. Guys what happened? I am still singing your logo song in my head.

The food was wonderful! The fried mushrooms and cheese steak were on point, as usual. The service was not good. The server let our drinks run out, then only brought enough water to fill 1 glass. We watched her check on one of her tables 3 times before she ever came back to us. She checked on the table next to us and started to walk right past our have, we had to call for her to get more water. Once she dropped off our food, she didn't check on us until we stopped her. We will return for the food, but this isn't the 1st time the service was bad.

The absolute worst experience we have ever had. That used to be mine and my daughter’s favorite place to eat but today ruined that for us. We ordered mushrooms, a sampler, an order of fries and 2 cheese steaks. The mushrooms came out 30 minutes before the sandwiches . Our fries never came and when we asked the the waitress who informed us that she was the asst general manager very rudely said they come out with your sandwiches my daughter looks down and said our sandwiches are here but no fries. The fries were for my granddaughter and she said that’s all you ordered for her. None of her business by the way. My daughter asked for to go boxes because this lady was so rude and disrespectful and she started talking to other customers and employees about us by the way my daughter did absolutely nothing wrong. We were leaving and she followed us to the register still being very rude and purposely antagonizing my daughter. Worst experience. The two young men clearing the tables and refilling our drinks and the cashier were awesome. My daughter was trying to pay the bill and sign the check and she was telling her to leave. Sadly her appearance matched her attitude horrible. If this is the type of management Michael has running his business I know why they can’t keep help. It is nothing like it used to be which is very sad.

Man, I love this place! Maybe part nostalgia but all good food. I went back to Wilmington for the first time in a long time. And it was as good as I remembered in college. Cheesy cheesesteak, good fries, as simple as that. Some things don’t need to be improved and this is one of them. I’ve tried the famous places in Philadelphia and they don’t beat J Michael’s. 20 years later and still going strong! Keep it up!

I’ve been waiting to try this place for years and it didn’t disappoint. We were immediately greeted when we arrived and seated. Our drinks were refreshing and constantly refilled, it was a lunch hour rush so I expected a wait but once we ordered we had our food within 10 minutes. Everything was hot and fresh. The fries were delicious! Perfectly salted. I tried two of the John’s Islands! It’s a recipes my brother had me try and man it was dynamite! I’ve tried to recreate it, without success! It’s an unusual combination of peanut butter, Mayo and onions to top off your dog, and absolutely delicious in every way. Each bite is packed full of flavor. Their sweet tea brought back memories of my childhood when that’s all we had to drink! It wasn’t too sweet and had a good tea flavor. If you are interested in trying a different foods that are dynamite out of this world you have to stop into Grab a Johns island hot dog! We will definitely be back to visit whenever we are in the area! Definitely make sure you try the pickle wedges and ranch! Mmmm they are absolutely delicious! Thanks for the wonderful experience and being so good to my brother. He is always meeting new friends, and this is a good bunch of people. Added bonus: this is a family run business. Stay local and support local! Keep up the good work! We will be back!

Authentic philly spot in Wilmington. I felt right at home. The rolls for the steak were on point and reminded me of amoroso's in Philly. Best meal I've had while in Wilmington. I would highly recommend it.

I’m from the Philly area, so after moving to Wilmington l finally found this place. And naturally I had to have a cheesesteak. I got mine “wit out” (aka no onions) and with provolone cheese. I can honestly say it’s the closest thing to a cheesesteak you’ll find down here. It’s not a 100%, but close. The Amoroso rolls are not a true Italian roll, but again it’s the best you can get down here. I had a second one a few days later with green peppers and onions, but l really didn’t notice a difference. I think next time l would skip them and save the money. I can recommend this place.

This place has been here for a hot minute. Still awesome steak and cheese subs. It is kinda busy at lunch, go figure. It is a must eat at place in Wilmington.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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!!

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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. ​

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 !!!!

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

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.

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!!

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!

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 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!

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.

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

This visit was the first and last for us. It didn't take long for a server to take our drink order which was good. However, it was at least 15 minutes before she actually brought them to us. We each ordered a 1/2 sandwich. The waitress asked what sides we wanted. I asked "Do the sandwiches come with a side?" She said yes and pointed out where they were. Naturally we each picked a side since she said it comes with our sandwiches. The food took at least 30-40 minutes to come. We noticed 4 baskets sitting under heat lamps for at least 15 minutes. They were ours and the server finally brought them out. Sandwiches were cold. She never came back to check on us or refill our water/soda. I saw where the to go boxes were and got them myself for leftovers. Waited at least 15 minutes for the server to bring our check. Never saw her. Finally just went to cashier to pay. She said we had to have the check from the server. Explained that we couldn't find her so cashier looked up our order. I had already calculated what the bill should be because I had zero confidence that the sides really were included. Guess what - the bill was $7 more than I calculated. Because - wait for it! Sides were NOT INCLUDED! We told her what the server told us and the cashier said "Will you take into consideration that she was new?" I replied that is not my issue. Finally, a manager came to hear our story and charged us the correct price (no sides). Considering the bad service, cold sandwiches, bad information about sides, I still left the server a decent tip. Hopefully, she will get better training. Also, saw a group of 3 come in and wasn't waited on within a reasonable time. They got up and left. I sure wish we had done that!

I was back home this weekend and couldn't leave without going to J Michaels. I'm originally from Wilmington and lived right behind the Oleander location. Have eaten there hundreds of times over the years but I have to say that Sunday was an awful experience. It took us over 2 hours to get waited on and our food delivered! Then it came out cold!! Our waitress was awful. She had her food constantly sitting in the window. We watched as other tables were seated and ate their food before we even got ours. The food was cold but still good but would have been so much better hot!! I will always continue to go there when in town but I hope and pray that I don't have that experience again!! It still gets 4 stars because no one makes a cheesesteak like they do! Also don't get me wrong, our waitress was nice but incredibly out of it. Not able to prioritize and handle more than one thing at a time. Food service isn't for everyone!

Had dinner at the Hanover center location was very disappointed my dinner companion ordered the BLT the bacon was nothing but crumbles it was like bacon bits. and I ordered the chicken cheesesteak and the chicken had no flavor it was like the meat was not seasoned never had any complaints in the past not sure what happened. now did have lunch at the monkey junction location and was pleased with the food and service.

If I could give no stars I would . Called and tried to place a order the lady said I couldn't unless I paid with a credit card. And that I must come in at 11am , 11am comes the doors are still locked and she informed me they would open the doors when they're "ready" . Will not waste my time here again

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

My husband there tonight and placed our order. There was some arguing in the cooking area between the cooks and a couple of them left. The waiter came over and gave us our beverage and that was it. I was hoping to get our pickles but didn't at that time. The guys were still fussing and went into a back room of the restaurant. They were in there for a long time. There were 2 female waiters and one male waiter. The 2 female waiters stayed in the room. The male waiter finally brought us our mushrooms but not our sandwich's. I was getting pissed at this point. We had now waited 20 minutes for our food and no sandwich's. After another 15 min he finally gave us our sandwich's, we ate and left, leaving him no tip. I won't be going back in there any more.

Jessica ! Jessica! Jessica! thank you so much for an amazing experience! the food was yummy, definitely did not disappoin! and your hospitality was spot on! if we ever 'venture' off this way again, we will be back to see you !

I have been going to this spot since high school and visit every chance I can when i'm in town. The Philly with the fried mushrooms. The best.