The Original Freeway Steakhouse 914 North Olden Avenue, Trenton (609) 393-4646
(Directions) Hours: Closed Sundays. Opens at 11 AM Tues-Sat. Closes 9 PM (MT), 11 PM (WTh), Midnight (FS)

Freeway makes one of the best cheese steaks in Trenton. They’re also open late: until 11 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Since Freeway shares premises with a bar, you can wash your sandwich down with a draft beer, and watch the game on a TV.

Like all real steak sandwich joints, Freeway slices its own from top quality steak. No pre-sliced, pressed beef shavings here. Their “standard” steak sandwich is really a cheese steak hoagie, with fresh tomato and and lettuce, and sautéed onions. The onions interact with a subtle seasoning (I thought it was a marinade, but apparently not), and produce a flavor that is out of this world.
I have only two quibbles with their sandwich: 1) the Italian roll is only OK (nothing special) and 2) there’s no provolone option (just whiz or American).

Notwithstanding these quibbles, Freeway’s steak sandwich is up there with Trenton’s cheese-steak leaders in both quality and value.

Compared to Pete’s, the meat quality seems to be about the same, Freeway’s onions and seasoning are better, and the sandwich is a little bigger. On the other hand, Pete’s has more options, better bread, and will do a sharp Provolone.  Pete’s is also more fun…a handsome retro dining room rather than Freeway’s funky-bar atmosphere.
Compared to “PD’s Outfield”, Freeway’s meat seems a little better, and the onions and seasoning are tastier. PD’s bread is better, their sandwich is bigger, and they offer marginally better cheeses (Swiss in addition to American and whiz, but no Provolone).
All in all, it’s pretty close, but if I had to commit, I might give Freeway co-mention as Trenton’s best – the seasoning’s that good. All I can say is give it a shot. If you go in and out of Trenton via Rt. 1, Freeway’s Olden Street location is right by the exit.

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