Tuesday, August 18, 2020

[Dijeet?] Roy's Cheesesteaks is a Goner in Smyrna

Beloved eatery Roy's Cheesesteaks in Smyrna has closed for good.  The restaurant, located at 2900 Highlands Parkway, just off I-285 at South Cobb Drive, did not explain its closure but did recently update its website to confirm the disappointing news. "ROY'S CHEESESTEAK IS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED." All other components of the website i.e. About, Menu and Media are seemingly disabled, with the website now essentially just a splash page with the closure notice. 

A sign on the restaurant's front door indicates that Roy's closed as of July 31, and that American Deli will be opening in its place.  "Thank you for inviting us into your your neighborhood," says the sign from the owners of American Deli.  

For those unfamiliar, American Deli got its start at South DeKalb Mall in 1989 and today has several dozen locations across Georgia and more than 100 franchises nationwide.  The restaurant serves a wide variety of food, ranging from wings, salads, burgers and Reubens to gyros, fish fillets and even fried rice and Philly cheesesteaks!  That said, it's hard to have faith in the quality and authenticity of a restaurant with such a dizzying variety.     

Roy Brostrand, the South Jersey native who founded the Philly Connection in the early '80s, opened his namesake eatery in 2007 and quickly grew to have an almost cult-like following.  The restaurant by no means had an "in your face" location, but his authentic food and generous portions drew fans from Smyrna and the greater Atlanta area.  

While Roy's may have closed, locals still have several options for authentic cheesesteaks in metro Atlanta.  Options include Woody's CheeseSteaks in Midtown and Buckhead, The Mad Italian in Chamblee, and Big Dave's Cheesesteaks downtown at the Healey Building on Forsyth Street, among others. 

For those wishing to give the Philly at American Deli a shot, they plan to open their new location in October. 

Are you sad that Roy's Cheesesteaks has closed? Have you ever been to American Deli?  Who in metro Atlanta do think makes the best Philly Cheesesteak?

Please share your thoughts below  

14 comments:

Mark said...

Roy's was very good and I'll miss it. My favorite cheesesteak for quality and quantity is Weeyum's in Stone Mountain. They had a second location in Elenwood with a dining room but it recently closed. The original Stone Mountain location is a counter with chairs where one can wait for an order to be prepared.

Anonymous said...

I liked the food, but the place always smelled kind of funky - almost moldy.
I think Philly Connection has the best, most consistent cheese steaks around.

Bryan Marquardt said...

We will miss you, Roy. I was just singing your praises to coworkers last week. Sorry I could not have had one last meal with you. Philly Connection is gross.

Anonymous said...

I'll miss Roy's. They had good cheesesteaks. Now I'm hungry for a cheesesteak for lunch ��

Anonymous said...

Sorry to see them go, but the best cheesesteaks in Atlanta for over 2 decades is the aptly named Cheesesteak Place on Cheshire Bridge (at corner of Faulkner). They have huge cheesesteaks with great tasting steak, best fries in the city, and very good chicken parm and other subs that can't be beat. Same owner that operated at Ansley Mall for over 15 years that relocated 7 years ago to the current location. A true gem.

Anonymous said...

Publix has a very good cheesesteak sandwich that is not advertised. You order it at the fried chicken case in the deli. The Monkey Barrel on Whitlock in Marietta is a dive bar with a good one as well.

oden said...

I liked Roy's but i live close and i love cheesesteaks and i didn't visit often. So i guess i didn't like it that much.

Weeyums is fantastic, but it's a trek. The Mad Italian is the only other one i care for.

Big Dave's is very overrated and not worth the wait. Woody's is just gross. The rest are ordinary at best.

Anonymous said...

I live just down the street. I guess it's time to sell my townhouse. You know your neighbor is trending Ghetto when an American Deli opens up nearby.

Anonymous said...

NO! Say it isn’t so. I LOVED their cheesesteaks! The staff was so sweet. What will happen with them? Will they run the American Deli? I’ve heard it isn’t all that great for food. But I guess I’ll have to try it out and see for myself. But I rather see the people and eat the cheese steaks I have come to love!

Tres said...

This is sad to hear. I used to work nearby on Atlanta Road and would grab lunch from here on occasion.

Anonymous said...

I liked Roy's, but my favorite in Atlanta is Mad Italian. Big Dave's is second although a little salty at times. Woody's is an actual joke, they need to travel up to Max's in Philly (Broad St and Erie) to find out what a cheesesteak is supposed to look and taste like. Philly connection is mediocre at best, and Publix actually makes a good cheesesteak with guidance. Once they actualy tried to put mustard on my Chicken Philly...

Anonymous said...

It's a shame. It's been a few years, but they definitely knew how to make a mean cheesesteak and keep it afforadble!

CloseOTP said...

Try Fred's in Krog Street Market. Best Cheesesteak ever!

Unknown said...

I started a new job up the street from Roy's. Born in Philly I couldnt wait to try it.
I am so bummed!

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