This post has been sitting in my drafts for FIVE months. I’m usually the kind of person that turns posts around within a couple of weeks, max, but somehow this one from our Philly trip just slipped under the radar. But, I couldn’t hold y’all back from cheesesteaks forever, so finally, I have pulled together my very professional analysis of two of the most famous Philly cheese steaks in Philadelphia, Pat’s v. Geno’s.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHEESE STEAK?
Before we get into this, let’s discuss what makes a good cheese steak. I’ll be honest, I’m not a cheesesteak connoisseur. I would never order one at a restaurant. They are certainly not my preferred sandwich. But, when I was in Philly early last fall, it felt like an essentially Philadelphia experience to try out their city’s most famous dish.
So, what is a cheesesteak and what makes one the best? Well, it’s a long, crusty sub roll filled with thinly sliced steak, cheese – the gold standard is Cheez Wiz, and sometimes onions and hot peppers. If you’re getting fancy, the cheese may be Provolone, but let’s stick to the Cheez Wiz. From my personal experience, what makes an excellent cheesesteak is a roll that’s soft, chewy, but with a bit of crustiness to the exterior, meat that’s juicy…or greasy, and plenty of cheese. I prefer my other toppings on the light side, but the tanginess of the hot peppers does take it to the next level.
PAT’S KING OF STEAKS V GENO’S STEAKS
As outsiders to the Philly cheesesteak scene, obviously I had to try both Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. They are also conveniently located directly across the street from each other, which makes for an easy taste testing afternoon.
We started with Geno’s, and truth be told, this might have been my first ever official cheesesteak. That means it could have been first-time bias, but this was the best cheesesteak I’d ever had! The hot peppers were plentiful, the cheese was gooey, and it was perfectly greasy. I wished I’d had this sandwich at 2 a.m. – but I was still more than happy with it at 3 p.m.
One cheesesteak down, we walked across the street to Pat’s. The vibe felt a little more frenetic over here and it was difficult to grab a table which means two things. First, it took away from my ambiance. But second, it means it’s a hot spot to be on a Sunday afternoon. I took my first bite and it was…fine, but lacking a bit of the kick I found at Geno’s. We asked for our cheesesteaks prepared exactly the same way at each, but something about the Pat’s cheesesteak was underwhelming.
JUST TO THROW YOU OFF: PAT’S V. GENO’S DEBATE
Clearly, the winner in my book was Geno’s, but just to throw you off, I’ll let you know that my cheesesteak partner for the afternoon (yes, we split one at each place – we did not each eat two whole cheesesteaks) preferred Pat’s hands down. So, where does that leave us in the Pat’s v. Geno’s debate? You’ll have to try them both for yourself.
