Sometimes the best places aren't the ones you plan to visit — they're the ones the locals tell you about.

While exploring Camden, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I asked a simple question: Where should I go for a really good Philly cheesesteak?

That question led me to Donkey's Place, an unassuming neighborhood institution in Camden that turned out to be exactly the kind of place I love discovering.

I walked in expecting a cheesesteak. I walked out with a story.

In this short, on-the-spot episode of The Pauline Chilton Show, you'll come along as I order my first Donkey's cheesesteak and strike up a conversation with some wonderful people I had just met.

One of them, John, was approaching his 89th birthday and shared memories of eating cheesesteaks in South Philadelphia going all the way back to the 1950s. His stories about neighborhood dances, gathering over cheesesteaks, and the way people connected with complete strangers around a table turned a quick food stop into something much more memorable.

And his review of Donkey's?

He told me he'd "drive a thousand miles to eat a cheesesteak here."

Then I discovered something I hadn't known when I decided to visit: Anthony Bourdain had been here too.

Donkey's Place was featured in the New Jersey episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Bourdain praised its distinctive Jersey-style cheesesteak, served with fried onions and American cheese on a round seeded roll.

I didn't follow Anthony Bourdain to Donkey's. A local sent me there.

And that's probably my favorite part of this story.

I love visiting the places people who actually live in a community tell me I shouldn't miss—the neighborhood restaurants, small businesses, historic places and unexpected gems that don't always make it onto a carefully planned itinerary.

Sometimes you just have to talk to people, ask questions and follow your curiosity.

That's how I found Donkey's.

And once again, it led me somewhere pretty special.

This episode is part of my Camden, New Jersey & Philadelphia, Pennsylvania travel series, where I'm sharing some of the people, places, food, history and unexpected experiences I discovered along the way.

If you enjoy discovering local gems and the stories behind the places we visit, subscribe to The Pauline Chilton Show and come along for the next stop.

Featured in this episode: Donkey's Place — Camden, New Jersey
On the menu: The famous Donkey's cheesesteak
Also featured on: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown – New Jersey

Donkey's Place official website

The Pauline Chilton Show
Meaningful conversations, interesting people, and experiences that inspire healthier living, purposeful leadership and intentional growth.

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