Broccoli rabe on a NJ cheesesteak? Locals are losing it over The End Boss

Is broccoli rabe on a cheesesteak a bold NJ twist or culinary controversy?

That’s the question that immediately popped into my head when I saw a brand-new South Jersey cheesesteak getting some serious attention — and not just because it’s named after a world poker champion.

Darren Elias, Medford, New Jersey resident, BetMGM Poker Ambassador, and literal world champion at the poker table, was recently honored by a newly opened local restaurant, The Feed Mill Eatery in historic Medford, which named a cheesesteak after him: The End Boss. That name alone is a flex — a nod to Darren’s well-known poker nickname. Around here, in the Philly–South Jersey food ecosystem, getting a cheesesteak named after you is a big deal.

Broccoli rabe sparks debate among cheesesteak purists

But this isn’t just any cheesesteak. This one has broccoli rabe.

Broccoli rabe is a topping you expect on a roast pork sandwich, not a traditional cheesesteak. Its presence alone could be considered a little bit of rage bait — the kind of detail guaranteed to spark conversation (and maybe even outrage) on both sides of the river. Darren himself leaned into it, sharing the sandwich on social media along with a photo of the full cheesesteak menu highlighting The End Boss and its unconventional lineup.

A personal journey into the bitter greens

Now here’s where I have to be honest: I love broccoli rabe.
Which is funny, because being of Sicilian heritage, you’d think I would have grown up eating it. But I don’t remember my mom, my grandmother, or my aunts ever serving it when I was a kid. My appreciation came later in life — helped along by a boss I once had here at NJ101.5 who extolled its bitter virtues like a proud evangelist.

Since then, I’ve had broccoli rabe every which way: with sausage, tossed with pasta, alongside roasted pork, stuffed into roast pork sandwiches, paired with mushrooms and polenta, and my absolute favorite — pasta with broccoli rabe and sautéed calamari. That bitter bite? I’m in.

Can tradition and innovation coexist on a cheesesteak?

But on a cheesesteak?
That’s where my brain short-circuited.

Because my go-to cheesesteak is sacred in its simplicity: a fresh roll, ribeye steak, American cheese, fried onions, and green peppers. That’s it. No experiments. No curveballs. When I first heard “broccoli rabe cheesesteak,” my immediate reaction was a hard, instinctive, “No way.”

And yet…
This is New Jersey. We innovate. We argue about food passionately. We try things, complain loudly, and then sometimes admit we were wrong.

So while The End Boss might raise eyebrows — and blood pressure — I’ll say this: I’ll give it a try. Because if there’s one thing worse than broccoli rabe on a cheesesteak, it’s not being open-minded enough to find out whether it actually works.