Donkey’s Place is a Camden dive bar that quietly serves one of the best sandwiches in the Philly area. They call it a cheesesteak, though we would call it a “cheesesteak” in air quotes. Where cheesesteaks are griddled on a hot grill and chopped as they cook, Donkey’s are more gently steamed, with whole slices of Original Philly Cheesesteak Company steaks stacked high. Where cheesesteaks are served on a long roll (duh!), Donkey’s uses an oversized round poppy seed Kaiser. The result is a meaty, juicy, giant indulgence. If Nick’s roast beef sandwich and a Del Rossi’s cheesesteak made a baby—apart from being really fun and messy to watch—it would look like a Donkey’s cheesesteak. In addition to cheesesteaks, there are just a few other menu items: solid wings, fries, onion rings, and pickles. Every table gets a condiment tray of “black oil” (fried peppers in oil a bit like the oil from a chile crisp), chopped cherry pepper relish, and ketchup. There’s a plan for this, according to the seasoned bartender: black oil for the wings, cherry peppers for the steak and ketchup for the fries. Trust him. It works. The atmosphere is friendly and well worn, filled with signs, posters and merch. Donkey’s is open Mondays through Fridays only during the day, because cheesesteaks and beer is the breakfast of champions (though they also serve a pork roll vodka bloody mary which sounds like a vegetable to us). Go to Donkey’s Place to catch up with a friend or sneak out for an affordable date lunch. Share a cheesesteak (they are big enough for two), an order of fries, and an order of pickles.