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• Balboa's

A piece of Philadelphia here in Indy... an exterior of Balboa's. (Frank Espich / The Star)

A Chicken Philly half (left) or Philly Steak half, each $5.98 with chips and a drink, deserves a Tastykake for dessert. (Frank Espich / The Star)

There are too many varieties of Tastykakes to list, but Balboa's can carry just a few select options because the manufacturer will ship only certain sweet treats. (Frank Espich / The Star)

Not long ago, 2208 N. Meridian St. housed a typical Subway restaurant. It's now home to Balboa's, an authentic East Coast eatery Ben and I decided to try.

I enjoy my 6-inch turkey on wheat, but that's so blah compared to the delicious Philly cheesesteaks we came across at Balboa's -- until now, one of the city's best-kept secrets.

The mood

It looks like a Subway -- yellow booths, brownish flooring, and the same glass case for the sandwich fixin's.

But the high point of Balboa's is not only the amazing food, but the amazing service. Taking the place of upscale or even mid-scale design was the overflowing personality of our two servers.

They took our order at the counter and delivered the food. But, unlike most places, they also chatted about the genuineness of the food and the flow of customers, inquired about our work, and cracked a joke or two.

The food

Balboa's teeny-weeny menu is offset by the authenticity of the ingredients. Nearly everything is brought in from Philadelphia.

Can you get a Philly cheesesteak in Indy with Philly steak? I don't think so, and, if you can, it can't be better than these.

Hoagies and pizza are also offered, but ..... c'mon. Ben chose the Philly steak (half-sandwich with chips and a drink for $6.98). I chose the chicken Philly (same deal, same price).

Starting from the outside in, even the bread is the real deal -- squishy Amoroso rolls straight from the bakery in, yeah, you guessed it, Philly.

Strips of thinly sliced steak or seasoned chicken were tossed on the griddle with our choice of toppings.

Forget the Swiss -- only American and provolone cheese are available here. Oh, and Cheese Wiz, of course. We both chose the provolone. Ben added onions, green peppers, mushrooms, banana peppers and A.1. It was strictly onions and peppers for me.

Our sandwiches, which arrived in plastic baskets, were drippy, warm and prepared with as much Philly as you can get this far away.

No Philly steak meal would be complete without Tastykakes. If (like me) you've never heard of or had these, think glorified Little Debbie snacks. They're so popular that you can find them for sale on eBay (or you could just visit www.tastykake.com).

There are too many varieties of Tastykakes to list, but Balboa's can carry just a few select options because the manufacturer will ship only certain sweet treats.

Ben tried the peanut butter Kandy Kake. I had the butterscotch Krimpets ($1.49 each).

The drinks

Two fountain sodas (included with our combo meal).

The damage: $18.29

There is a lot of Philly packed into Balboa's. Check it out and take advantage of something new, delicious and cheap.