February 21, 2013 - South of Philly - Sylva, NC

This great, new deli is a must on your list of local eateries. It is a new joint, open less than a year. The owners (Kirklands) are local, from Bryson. They learned the trade of making authentic Philly's from their relatives in...where else? Philly! Their relatives have a deli there and they have spent considerable time up there working in the deli, learning how to make authentic Philly's, even down to what kind of bread to use. They have brought that knowledge back here for us to enjoy.






And I for one, am grateful! On most

days, you will find mom,  Lynn Kirkland and son, Justin there working away. The deli, South of Philly, has taken off in a big way. It has become popular and does a bang up business during lunch and after the movies let out. They are strategically located in the Quinn Theater parking lot and this location is convenient to the hospital and the theater.

A

 There is only one drawback to the deli. That is the lack of seating. There is a small counter which seats about 4 or 5 and two tiny tables, which seat about 4 or 5. They do a mostly carry out business. However, if you are going to eat in, they will do all they can to accommodate you. This was the case on the night we went. There were already several folks in there we only made it more crowded. Lynn pushed the two tables together and we crowded around them. We made do as we can do... no problem for us.

 As you can see, the girls were eager to get in the joint. I think Rosemary was making her bull horn sign.... a signal that she was ready to eat a Philly steak! Bring on the meat!

And I think Lisa is excited too!! She must have ordered something good. She is eagerly awaiting her cheesesteak and Onion Rings!! Go Lisa! I couldn't get a picture of her happy dance afterwards.. she was moving too fast. 

Order of Onion Ring as a side. 

SOP has really good onion rings. They just started selling them. Almost as good as Nabors in Bryson City. 

Mushroom & Provolone and Onion Philly with Crinkle Cut Fries

Philly cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz (Greg added the Hot Sauce)

 I KNOW!! Cheese Whiz!? but actually this is a true blue addition to the authentic Philly Cheese steak. I tried it and it was not to my liking. I never liked Cheese Whiz as a kid either. According to Pam, they used to love just squirting it straight from the can into their mouths. I think that is what everyone did. Bypassed the cracker.

Chicken, Onion, Cheese Philly.

We all really and I mean, REALLY enjoyed our Philly's. The bread was fabulous. Straight from Pa. Shipped in fresh on a regular basis. Hand made and hand cut. Who does that anymore? Apparently some little old folks in Pa. do.
You can get your Philly in a variety of ways. Steak, with a choice of cheese - American, Cheese Whiz, Provolone, Swiss. And you can get Fries or Onion Rings or Sweet potato Fries.

The sandwiches are served hot, right off the grill. Steaming meat, melted cheese and piled high on a warm, soft toasted hoagie roll. The portions are HUGE! Way too much for one person and very sharable. Believe me.. you will get full and yet.. want to eat more.  But.. save up.. skip a meal and head to South of Philly.
Only one drawback, besides the scarce seating. They do serve drinks, but there is no ice so no cups. I am from the south and like my ice. But.. oh well... what's a girl to do?

We all had a good time and enjoyed our meal immensely. I do believe this one deserves a do over.

Check it out and let us know what you think. Tell Lynn, Justin and Wayne howdy!