The Definitive Guide to the Philly Cheesesteak

A Philadelphian’s Expert Advice about the Area’s Favorite Sandwich

“A provolone steak with,” as Philadelphians like to call it.

Every day tourists in Philadelphia search for the ultimate cheesesteak, and it’s high time a guide was posted on the Internet so people can research this regional delight that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

A proper Philly cheesesteak is comprised of an Italian torpedo role, preferably Amoroso brand, enough thinly sliced and diced quality meat to properly fill the roll and real cheese.  Some say it’s not complete without onions, but that’s a personal preference.

The key qualities for a cheesesteak are that it be juicy, meaty and cheesy.  If any one attribute is missing, it’s an inferior cheesesteak.

Top Cheesesteak Vendors

There are three places to have an “authentic” Philly cheesesteak in the city.  There are thousands of people who sell cheesesteaks, but for visitors who are intent on having a cheesesteak that all will agree as being a definitive Philly cheesesteak, there’s no substitute for the following three.

Jim’s Steaks - The corner of 4^th and South Streets near Olde City is home to Jim’s Steaks and the epicenter of Philadelphia nightlife.  The steaks at Jim’s have very high quality meat, perhaps the best in town, but they don’t fill the roll as generously as the other two competitors.  There’s an indoor dining area upstairs with a rapid turnover, and its location close to the historic district makes it a very good choice for visitors without their own transportation.

Geno’s Steaks - The intersection of 9^th Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia hosts two keen cheesesteak competitors on opposite corners and is reputedly the birthplace of the sandwich.  Geno’s claims to have the better quality steaks while their cross-street rival has the distinction of being the original cheesesteak inventor.  Both assertions are somewhat dubious and of little interest to people in search of a quality steak however.  Geno’s tends to be favored by motorcyclists, because the family owns a motorcycle store directly across from their cheesesteak shop.  Geno’s steaks are high quality, but they tend to be just slightly less generous with meat than Pat’s.

Pat’s Steaks - Pat’s is arguably the “king” of cheesesteaks, because their claim to having invented the cheesesteak based upon an old Italian recipe is difficult to refute.  (Are salt and pepper considered Italian spices)?  The establishment that first opened in 1930 does make a very good cheesesteak with a nice balance of meat to roll.  Pat’s and Geno’s are slightly more remote from Center City, but visitors without transportation can take the number nine bus for a short ride south.  Ask the driver to let you know when the Wharton Street stop comes up, then walk one block east after departing the bus.

Visitors should also know that neither Pat’s nor Geno’s has indoor dining facilities or restrooms.  Patrons eat their steaks out on the sidewalk at any time of day or night.  This is an experience that isn’t to be missed if one is truly a cheesesteak purist.  Millions of Philadelphians eat their cheesesteaks outdoors all over the city during pleasant weather.  For many in the Philadelphia region, outdoors and the cheesesteak are nearly synonymous.

Part of the reason so many of us eat our cheesesteaks outside is because they’re frequently purchased from street vendors during lunchtime.  Philadelphia has a long and proud history of hosting lunch trucks along sidewalks in the business district.  These cheesesteaks are certainly very good also, although they generally don’t have the same quality of meat or the variety of available cheeses.

How to Order a Cheesesteak

On a nice day, especially during a weekend, hundreds of people descend upon the three vendors listed above for the region’s top lunchtime delicacy.  Visitors shouldn’t be discouraged by the formidable lines, because they’ve developed a procedure for processing orders that makes the wait quite reasonable.

The way to request your steak is by the type of cheese and the presence or absence of onions.  For example, a person wanting a cheesesteak with provolone cheese and onions would say, “Provolone with.”  If you don’t’ want onions, finish the previous statement with the word “without” or “no o.”  The latter expression is rather ‘70’s however, so unless you’re older than 35 or desire to be retro, use the former.  (Yes, I’ve been eating these things for more than 30 years).

A word about cheese is appropriate here, because there are generally three choices, although many places throughout the region offer more.  At the three restaurants above, the choices are Cheez Wiz, American or provolone. 

Although there is no official data about the preferred type of cheese, this reviewer finds the Cheez Wiz steaks saltier than normal and less enjoyable.  With all due respect to Kraft, the Cheez Wiz product just doesn’t have the texture or taste of a proper cheese, and I therefore don’t recommend the Wiz steak with or without.  Hot Cheez Wiz is very good on fries though, and that I do endorse.

The Swiss steak is also not the same, because Swiss cheese doesn’t melt and make its way throughout the meat the way other cheeses do.  Both the Wiz and Swiss steaks are tasty, but for those looking for a real Philadelphia cheesesteak, these are not the best options in this reviewer’s opinion.

When ordering from a street vendor, the default cheese is American, but many have provolone.  It’s exceptionally rare for a street vendor to offer Cheez Wiz for their steaks unless they also offer cheese fries on the menu.  The ordering changes slightly with the addition of the word “steak” after the choice of cheese, because street vendors offer a wide variety of other foods.  The proper nomenclature is thus, “Provolone steak with (or without).”

Other popular toppings for cheesesteaks are mushrooms, peppers and tomato sauce.  These toppings are usually offered at diners or pizzerias, although Pat’s has many of these options.  Steaks with tomato sauce are generally referred to as pizza steaks.  If unsure whether a pizza steak is available, ask the counter person, “Can you sauce it?”

By following the guidelines above, any visitor to Philadelphia can order a cheesesteak with confidence and will be completely undetectable as a tourist. 

However or wherever in the Philadelphia region you have your first cheesesteak, be prepared to order a second at some time during your visit.  It’s a taste that’s truly unmatched by any other sandwich anywhere, and Philadelphians are rightly proud of their cheesesteaks.