A Cooper Sharp cheesesteak has become a conspicuous order on Philadelphia menus, but claims that it is “great cheese” remain subjective. The available evidence points to something less mystical: a regional American cheese product, described as highly meltable and made with aged cheese, gained new visibility after Danny DiGiampietro put it at the center of Angelo’s Pizzeria’s sandwiches.
Philadelphia Magazine reported that DiGiampietro posted an Instagram photo of a Cooper Sharp-topped steak at Angelo’s original Haddonfield location on November 23, 2013. He told the magazine that he had encountered the cheese while delivering bread to delis that carried it, and chose it for his restaurant because he liked it.
That was not the cheese’s invention story. Cooper began in New York, according to the company and Philadelphia Magazine, and moved its headquarters to Philadelphia in 1918. The brand is now owned by Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods. Its place in the region predated the current wave of attention by decades.
Why is Cooper Sharp used on cheesesteaks?
Philadelphia Magazine describes Cooper Sharp as an upgraded American cheese whose sharp, nutty flavor comes from aged cheese blended into the product. A Newsweek report republished by Yahoo calls it a highly meltable, processed American cheese. Cooper itself markets the product as made with milk and aged cheese and says it melts smoothly. Those are product descriptions and marketing claims, not a lab test or a universal ranking against Whiz, provolone or other American cheeses.
The more recent status attached to the cheese is largely a restaurant story. Philadelphia Magazine reported that Angelo’s relocation to Bella Vista in 2019, combined with the shop’s large social-media following, brought Cooper Sharp wider attention and helped make it a named choice for cheesesteaks. The magazine also reported that restaurants, creators and chefs posting about the cheese online increased awareness in the last five years, citing Cooper brand manager Michelle Spoerl.
David Wesolowski, identified by Newsweek as a food blogger and Delicious City podcast co-host, said DiGiampietro helped drive a recent Philadelphia cheesesteak resurgence through Angelo’s use of fresh-baked bread, high-quality meat and Cooper Sharp. Angelo’s partner Pino DiMeo told Newsweek that the shop’s fresh bread and freshly cut ribeye create a noticeable difference in each sandwich. That is a claim about Angelo’s ingredients and consistency, not evidence that cheese alone determines a sandwich’s quality.
Use has spread beyond one counter. Newsweek reported that Pat’s King of Steaks now offers customers Cheez Whiz, provolone, American or Cooper Sharp. That menu choice is better evidence of wider adoption than any grand declaration about the one correct cheesesteak cheese.
Cooper’s reported commercial momentum should also be read with the label still attached: Spoerl told Philadelphia Magazine that regional sales had risen 30% year over year. The figure was not independently documented in the material reviewed.
So the case for Cooper Sharp is narrow but credible. It has a reported aged-cheese flavor component, a reputation for meltability, a long Philadelphia-area history and a modern boost from Angelo’s and social media. Readers can decide whether that adds up to “great.”
This story draws on original reporting from Daring Fireball.
