In the 1980s, Odysseas Akranis and his brother-in-law, Stathis Rafailidis, were both working long hours in Philly kitchens and running their own restaurants. As first-generation Greek immigrants building a life through food, they dealt with the same problems every operator knew well: inconsistent product, sudden price hikes, and suppliers who couldn’t give a straight answer when something went wrong. They believed operators deserved better — something dependable, honest, and built on real service.
In 1995, Ody and Stathis decided to create that better option. They started Philly’s Best Steak Company with a simple goal: make a product they’d trust in their own kitchens and treat customers the way they wished they’d been treated. With hands-on experience and a commitment to doing things the right way, they earned trust one customer at a time, growing from a small operation into a respected name.
Today, Ody’s three children — Zafeiris, Georgia, and Niko continue the work he and Stathis began. They grew up in the business, working every job in the plant and learning firsthand what restaurants truly value. That experience keeps them grounded and focused on what matters: consistency, honesty, and showing up for customers.
They stay close to distributors and operators, solving real problems, helping improve yield, and offering straight answers — even when they’re tough. Whether it’s choosing the right cut or talking through the day-to-day realities of running a shop, the approach hasn’t changed since day one: be reliable, be consistent, and stand by the people who rely on you.
That’s how the Akranis family continues to do business. Philly’s Best, nothing less.
Where pure Philly passion meets firsthand flat top experience. This business was built by people with decades of operator experience in real working kitchens. We know what it’s like to have a ticket rail 20-deep, and we know how important high-quality, consistent product is to keeping your restaurant running smoothly. We’ve engineered every step of our operation to serve the line. No shortcuts. No half measures. Philly’s Best isn’t just a brand, it’s a promise.
In Philly, brotherly love isn’t about being nice. It’s about having your people’s back. It’s about celebrating the culture, and championing the community. It means we cut steak with the same care we’d use in our own kitchens. It means we treat our customers like partners, showing up when it matters most, with tips, training, insights, whatever we can do to help them succeed. We’re not just about selling the meat, we’re about standing behind those who make it matter.
In the food business, time and trust matter, so we keep it simple and shoot it straight. Quality ingredients, clear specs, and products that perform every time. No gimmicks. No guesswork. Every case is labeled with exactly what’s inside. Ribeye means ribeye. Sirloin means sirloin. No mystery blends. No cheap substitutes. When a chef opens a box of Philly’s Best, they know exactly what to expect.
In the Philly steak game, your reputation rides on every bite. At Philly’s Best, we earn our reputation every day, by never cutting corners, and obsessing over craft, quality, and cultivating the genuine Philly flavor that defines the cheesesteak culture.
We’ve spent decades proving ourselves to the people who know quality best—the operators behind the grill. From delivering on time to delivering on taste, we do what we say, every single time. That’s how real respect is earned in working kitchens, in growing businesses, and in the City of Brotherly Love.
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