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“Let’s Keep the Beef on the Grill” – Pottstown Cheesesteak Drama Appears to Have Been Settled
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Disclaimer: I don’t have all of the facts on this one and have been cobbling together background information from degenerate Montco friends and adjacent Boyertownians, but there was a BIG hubbub in Pottstown when Gazzo’s Steaks went after a competitor on Tuesday, posting this on Facebook:
“It’s a shame we even have to make a post like this — but it’s necessary.
Over the past week, we’ve noticed an unusual wave of negative reviews that didn’t sit right. After looking into it, we discovered that individuals connected with Deezy’s Famous Cheesesteaks and Artillery Brewing Pottstown on High Street have been leaving these reviews — including members of their management and friends — in an attempt to hurt our business.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time. Since we opened our truck in 2022, Deezy’s has been throwing shade our way for no apparent reason. Ironically, when they closed their Hanover Street location, we bought equipment from them, shook hands with their team, and wished them the best on their food trailer journey.
For nearly three years, we’ve poured everything into building a brand and business that we hope helps revitalize Pottstown. We’ve stayed transparent, taken our craft seriously, and built strong friendships with many local businesses — both new ventures and longtime staples. This town is growing, and as it does, business owners should learn how to coexist. There are plenty of customers to go around. Undermining others for your own gain isn’t just bad business — it’s unethical.
Our focus remains on our product, our team, and the amazing community that supports us. Our growth has been humbling, and with that comes challenges — including envy from others. But we’ll continue doing what we do best: serving a great product with integrity and transparency, no matter what.
And on a lighter note — we’re always up for a competition. If Deezy’s wants to meet up on High Street with a Blackstone and go cheesesteak for cheesesteak, we’re game. Let’s keep the beef on the grill.”
“Let’s keep the beef on the grill” is a fantastic line, maybe written by artificial intelligence,* but no matter. Sometimes the robots come up with better stuff than we do.
The post stirred a lot of reaction, almost 700 comments, but it appears as though the two joints got together later in the day and settled their differences, writing similar statements on Wednesday morning:
And Gazzo’s:
We met with the management of Artillery Brewing Pottstown (Artillery Brewing Co.only) this morning to discuss the concerns at hand, and the conversation was productive. We are satisfied on the way they stepped up and handled the situation.
On a lighter note – the cheesesteak challenge remains on the table.. #keepthebeefonthegrill
Gazzo’s stressed that they did not want their customers to leave negative reviews for Deezy’s or Artillery. Artillery’s general manager, Riley Connell, took to Facebook to explain that the review bombing was the work of a rogue employee, who “no longer works for us.” He went on to say that he wants both businesses to succeed and supports all small business in the Pottstown area.
Anyway, the context is that I keep hearing about this place, Gazzo’s. Russ has mentioned it before. Everyone in the Montco hinterlands keeps mentioning it. It’s the work of a couple of South Philly natives, who opened in the suburbs back in 2022. Apparently it started as a food truck and now they have a couple of trucks and a location right off High Street. Russ says Deezy’s was a food truck operating in the Audubon/Norristown area, then later moved to Pottstown and is now sharing a building with Artillery, which is two blocks from Gazzo’s. So it’s not exactly Geno’s and Pat’s, but close enough.
What’s most important at this point is the possibility of a Pottstown cook off. We should get all of the food trucks and cheesesteak joints and breweries in the house. We can do it in the parking lot of the now-defunct Coventry Mall. Could be a great event! Crossing Broad will get involved, but we don’t have any sponsorship money. At best, I could send Kyle Pagan up there for Man on the Street: Pottstown.
LET’S KEEP THE BEEF ON THE GRILL!
*Crossing Broad staff thinks this is AI because of the prevalence of em dashes. But we can’t say for certain. Not that it really matters. The statement is comprehensive.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com