New owner of Pete's Fish & Chips in Cape Coral finds success with unexpected menu item

Pete’s Fish & Chips has been bringing a taste of Great Britain to Southwest Florida since 2012.

At first glance, the menu at the small, no-frills restaurant in a strip mall off Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral is exactly as you would expect.

Deep-fried beer-battered fish (Atlantic cod) is served with chips (aka fries), on a roll, in a wrap, by itself in one or two pieces, or in a combo with shrimp, chicken or all of the above.

You'll find shepherd’s pie and cheese & onion pasties, pork pies and sausage rolls in the freezer by the door.

But when Jim Jackman took over the fast-casual restaurant July 17, he added an unlikely item to the existing menu.

“A week after we opened I added the cheesesteaks,” said the New York native who owned Famous Philly Cheese Steaks in Denver for 23 years. “Now I have people coming in and saying someone told them about our cheesesteaks. That makes me happy.”

Why add cheesesteaks?

Jackman is more than confident in his subs.

“I honestly think by mid-season they will be right up there with the fish & chips in sales,” he said.

And he’s not the only one.

According to Jackman, Pete Rushton — yes, the Pete who opened the restaurant in 2012 with his wife Dianne and sold it in 2019 to Tony Marchese — said, “If you do them right, they’re going to smash.”

But why take over a fish & chips joint and add cheesesteaks instead of just opening a place that solely sells the Philly favorite?

“The location is great,” said Jackman who left the original décor in place and just added his logo to the door and his grill in the open kitchen. “It’s near the hospital, a school. There’s a lot of traffic going by.”

Philly cheesesteaks done your way

Customers coming by that location will find several of Jackman’s award-winning cheesesteaks at $9.29 for a regular and $12.29 for a large.

“Most go with ‘The Works,’” he said, referring to the cheesesteak served with onions, mushrooms, and a choice of green, jalapeno, hot sweet or pepperoncini peppers.

There are also plain cheesesteaks, and bacon, pepperoni, pepper, mushroom and pizza cheesesteaks.

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All come with white American, provolone or Cheez Whiz and are served on Amoroso’s rolls Jackman has brought in from Philadelphia.

“I’m a cherry pepper guy,” said Jackman, who left Colorado and came to Cape Coral two years ago. “It gives it a little kick but not too much. I really recommend them.”

His favorite, which he eats a couple of times a week, with those cherry peppers, mushrooms, onion and provolone to “see the stretch of cheese.”

He’s also happy to customize cheesesteaks to meet diners’ requests.

Menu changes may be coming

Returning customers will also find all of the original Pete’s menu items available.

“I’ll keep that going at least until April or May and see how season goes,” Jackman said. “I can make 20 cheesesteaks in 12 minutes. The fish & chips are a little more labor intensive.”

He’s thinking about adding wings and sausage and peppers sometime down the road too.

But for now, cheesesteaks are the focus.

“I honestly feel, and I’ve been saying this for 20 years, if I can get someone to try one just one time, they’ll be hooked,” Jackman said.

Pete’s Fish & Chips, 311 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral; open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday; (239) 458-2447; petes-fish-chips.com or follow on Facebook

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to rhgeorge@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: New owner of Pete's Fish & Chips adds menu twist with cheesesteaks