Two words: Philly. Cheesesteak. I traveled to Philly recently for a music festival, and being a food blogger I of course had to go to two of the most famous Philly Cheesesteaks spots in the city. Although there are a couple of famous cheesesteak places, when people talk about cheesesteak in Philly, you mostly hear about the Pat’s vs. Geno’s rivalry. Located on the corner of 9th st. & Passyunk Avenue in South Philly, the two cheesesteak rivalies face off 24 hours a day right across the street from each other. Naturally I had to get to the bottom of it and see which one I thought was better, and like many other tourists, I had Pat’s & Geno’s back to back at the same damn time lol. Both places use grilled rib-eye steak, grilled onions, a fresh Italian loaf, and three main cheeses to choose from. See below which won in my book 😉

Established in 1930. Two important steps when ordering at Pat’s, straight from their menu:

Step 1 Specify if you want your steak with (wit) or without (wit-out) onions

Step 2 Specify Plain, Cheez Whiz, Provolone, American or Pizza Steak

*Pat’s recommends Cheez Wiz- A classic Philly Cheesesteak.

 I asked the workers at Pat’s what the best cheesesteak combination was, and they said Cheez Wiz, grilled onions and American cheese. Done. That’s exactly what I did, and it’s definitely the way to go. Cheez Wiz might be my favorite thing in life lol. Can’t imagine it any other way. It’s a must!

 The process. Added some peppers…

 And of course some hot sauce lol….

 This was absolute sandwich heaven for me. The shredded rib-eye steak was perfectly charred and flavorful, and the cheese mixed in perfectly with the shredded steak. Every bite was oozing with cheese with just the right amount. The hot sauce added a spicy kick which I loved. and the grilled onions added even more flavor. There is nothing better than meat and cheese together, (I’m a very bad Jew! lol). The bread was soft and fluffy, but not too bready. I really liked the meat though… I like that it was shredded and not in long strips. Pat’s makes a damn good cheesesteak. I was in a state of pure happiness while eating this…lol

Started in 1966. Geno’s actually recommends Provolone cheese over Cheez Wiz. Also, the steak is not “frizzled” and shredded, it’s more in long, thin strips. It also comes wrapped neatly in paper, while Pat’s is served open and unwrapped.

 How it’s served…

 Added some ketchup and peppers at the condiment bar. Geno’s was also good, but not as good as Pat’s. The steak was a little cold, and didn’t have as much flavor. Geno’s had more cheese than Pat’s, which the cheesier the better for me, but it wasn’t mixed in with the meat like at Pat’s. This tasted more like a grilled cheese sandwich, rather than a cheeseteak…the steak got lost with the cheese and bread. Pat’s won because I simply liked the meat better.

So there you have it. The battle of the cheesesteaks, and in my opinion Pat’s won. They are both great and a must try if you are ever in Philly though, so don’t miss out! Classic Philly experience 🙂