Authentic Philly Cheesesteak Eatery Opens In Prince George's With Hoagies, Pizza, More

RIVERDALE PARK, MD — A new vendor will open its doors June 1 at Le Fantome Food Hall at The Station at Riverdale Park.

Chunky & Bop's is a cheesesteak and hoagie shop offering a Philadelphia flare to the DMV. The menu features official Philadelphia cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks, hoagies, fries, onion rings, Philadelphia soft pretzels and vegetarian options. Chunky and Bop’s signature menu item is the 18-inch “Philly Big Boy” cheesesteak.

"The menu at Chunky & Bop's is a standard menu of a Philly cheesesteak hoagie shop and reflects the flavors I grew up with. In Philly, we’re blessed with a plethora of culinary influences—from the Italian community to the Asian community—and it all comes together in our fantastic food scene. Looking at our menu, you’ll notice that the ingredients are quite interchangeable. The ingredients we use can easily go into other items. For example, our stromboli is like a pizza wrapped around a cheesesteak (supreme or royal, with onions and green peppers). It’s the best of both worlds," chef and owner Todd Mitchell told Patch.

"To me, a hoagie is a cold sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion, oil, vinegar and oregano. But here’s the twist: when you come to Maryland, people add lettuce and tomatoes to their cheesesteaks as if it’s a given. In Philly, it’s not a given. So a cheesesteak with lettuce and tomato on top is a cheesesteak hoagie. And if you want a steak sandwich without cheese, we’ve got you covered, too. And let’s not forget about the roll—it’s a crucial element. I even had a baker around here try to recreate the Philly roll, but it just didn’t taste right. The joke is the secret ingredient is the Schuylkill River water - ha ha! Now I source my rolls for Chunky & Bop’s directly from Philadelphia," Mitchell added.

For newcomers, Mitchell recommends trying the sage sausages.

"They’re not your average sausages; they’ve got a whole story behind them. They’re made by a family in Philly for 90 years and are part of the city’s soul. You know the Rocky movie and the street he runs down with all the vendors? That’s where these come from. They’re ground, not linked, and we serve them up as patties. Trust me, they’re something special. We have a whole section of the menu devoted to sausage burgers: quarter-pound of ground beef or turkey handmade Italian sage sausage, mild or spicy with toppings of your choice on a Brioche roll," Mitchell told Patch.

As a pepperoni pizza lover, Mitchell added that his flatbread pizza is a must try. Fans of hoagies should try the G-Pop's Special stacked with corned beef, roast beef, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion and hot cherry or sweet peppers.

"And, of course, our cheesesteaks are the real deal. Around here, some might say 'steak and cheese,' but we’re talking about a proper cheesesteak. Nothing fancy, just delicious. Everyone’s loving our signature dish – the 18-inch Philly Big Boy cheesesteak. You can share it with your friends or have it all to yourself – I won’t tell," Mitchell said.

Cooking in his dorm room

The restaurant - which bears the monikers of Mitchell's daughters Kennedy (Chunky) and Tai (T-Bop) - has been a dream of Mitchell's for years. A Philadelphia native, Mitchell began cooking in college in Virginia when he couldn't find authentic cheesesteaks. So he started whipping them up right there in his dorm room and selling them to others as a fun business while a full-time college kid working his way toward a degree in education.

Mitchell taught in his hometown, then switched to a role in Prince George's County and Washington, D.C., while continuing to cook and cater events as a side hustle during his 30-year education career.

"When I left Philly and headed to Virginia State University in 1986, I assumed that cheesesteaks were a universal staple. To my surprise, I discovered that a staple part of my diet wasn’t as widespread as I thought. Ribeye steak was easy to find, but white American cheese? Not so much. In Philly, we steer clear of yellow American cheese unless it’s the famous 'wiz.' Back in my college dorm, I had a red electric wok—a trusty companion for cooking. I’d whip up sandwiches and one time, I even made a special trip home to get the right ingredients and came right back," Mitchell told Patch.

"With a small refrigerator like you find in college dorms, I had to use up the ingredients before they went bad. I started cooking and everyone in the dorm got hooked. When I moved to Tennessee to finish school, I started the whole process over again—bringing the magic of Philly cheesesteaks to new places."

Mitchell learned an abundance of his cooking skills from his grandmother, Evelyn. His dad also played a role in his culinary upbringing.

"(She) was quite the cook. She showed me what food is supposed to taste like and her skill set in the kitchen was amazing. Honestly, I don’t find cooking difficult, it comes naturally to me. If you know how the food is supposed to taste, you can get creative with it," Mitchell told Patch. "As a kid, I was always the one finishing everyone’s plate. My dad, a police officer in Philadelphia, was also quite the cook. Whenever he was off duty, he’d be in the kitchen whipping up something delicious. And my grandfather, who was a hunter, knew his way around wild game—venison, squirrel, even possum. Cooking seems to be in my blood."

Teaching to cooking

As a certified history teacher, Mitchell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in education administration, complete with a principal certification. He began his education career as a history teacher then once he had earned his master's degree, his took on various leadership roles including dean of students, assistant principal at a charter school, and for the last decade, he's filled several positions at Ballou High School.

"Although I was initially hired as a history teacher, my passion for freelance photography and videography led me to take charge of the mass media program. Over my nine years at Ballou, I’ve served as dean, mass media teacher, coordinator and even taught financial literacy. And I’ve always been the head coach of baseball," Mitchell said.

Despite how much he loves teaching and coaching, Mitchell realized that with cooking as his passion, it's time to step away from the classroom.

"I'm the go-to guy when it comes to food. Thirty years is a long time for anyone to do anything. The hard part is that I had to come to terms and choose between these two passions. I’m officially retiring next month in June," Mitchell said. "There was a lot of self-reflection. Cooking has been a passion of mine all my life. I thought, at the age of 55, if I don’t do it now, when will I do it? I would’ve been mad at myself if I never gave it a shot. At this time in my life, I still have the energy and creativity to get the business off the ground."

Mitchell's new eatery can be found at Le Fantome Food Hall, located in 4501 Woodberry St. in Riverdale Park. Mitchell said he and his partner, Darren Brown, were trying to open a brick-and-mortar eatery but that came with a high cost.

"A friend who’s also in the restaurant business suggested looking at food halls. I checked one out in D.C. but the space was full. Someone told me about Le Fantome Food Hall at The Station at Riverdale Park – I came over to check it out, met the team and never looked back. We’re so excited to open officially on June 1 but are doing a soft opening up until then," Mitchell told Patch.

Le Fantome Food Hall holds 170 people. Mitchell will be hosting a grand opening celebration Saturday from 6–10 p.m. Learn more about Chunky & Bop's and see the menu on their website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.