The Quaker Steak ($16.95), an homage to Philly Flats' predecessor food truck, represents the "authentic" Philly cheesesteak, the restaurant's owner said. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
The Quaker Steak ($16.95), an homage to Philly Flats' predecessor food truck, represents the "authentic" Philly cheesesteak, the restaurant's owner said. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
It means something for Scott Boyer, owner of Philly Flats in Katy, to offer “authentic” Philly cheesteaks.
The inspiration
Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, Boyer moved to Katy in the early 2010s. Boyer opened his food truck, Quaker Steaks, in 2017 because he said he couldn’t find any cheesesteaks in the Houston area that reminded him of home.
“The restaurant cheesesteaks, they want to make them fancy. There's nothing sexy about a cheesesteak,” Boyer said. “When you roll it up and the roll gets crinkly, that's what a cheesesteak is. It's supposed to [be] crinkly, a little soggy, with a little steam coming off it.”
Scott Boyer, owner of Philly Flats in Katy, takes pride in his Reading, Pennsylvania, roots. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
He credits his success to his quality of ingredients and his Katy regulars who got to know the brand as a food truck at No Label Brewery. From this, he was able to open a food stand at the NRG Stadium in 2021 and establish the brick-and-mortar location in April 2023.
On the menu
What constitutes an authentic cheesesteak depends on the region in Pennsylvania, Philly Flats owner Scott Boyer said. Some may say a cheesesteak has wiz cheese—a melty, Kraft cheese—instead of provolone or American. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
What constitutes a cheesesteak as authentic varies by region in Pennsylvania, Boyer said.
“One's provolone cheese, one's American cheese, and one's the wiz—a yellow, melty, Kraft cheese,” Boyer said. “They're all good; they're all different tastes; they're all different styles.”
The cheesesteaks at Philly Flats have provolone cheese, either ribeye steak or chicken breast, and a choice of onions, sweet or hot peppers, and mushrooms.
Boyer highlights Philly Flats' wings with the same intensity as his authentic cheesesteaks, claiming they are "the best in the city." (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
But Philly Flats pays equal attention to its wings, Boyer said. Wings are available naked or breaded and paired with the customer’s choice of sauce, which includes Buffalo, lemon pepper, sweet red chili, garlic parmesan, barbecue or Texas heat.
“When you’re thinking about classic American cuisine, think about us,” he said.
Asia joined Community Impact in February 2022. As a features reporter, she covers the South Houston area, including the Heights-River Oaks-Montrose, Bellaire-Meyerland-West University, Katy-Fulshear, Sugar Land-Missouri City, the Bay Area, and Pearland-Friendswood editions. She studied journalism and creative writing at Missouri State University. Before relocating to Texas, Asia was a reporter for the Seattle Medium, one of the city's eldest African American publications. When she's not writing, she's likely trying a new restaurant, practicing self-care or traveling.
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