Steaker Bater: The Ultimate Cheesesteak Debate

Philadelphia is famous for it's cheesesteaks. And there are two cheesteak meccas in constant competition with each other for who has the best cheesesteak- and they're right across the street from each other. Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks in south Philly commence in daily battle for who has the best cheesesteak. I've been to both of these food palaces, and here's a review of them, and  a New Yorker's opinion on who makes the best Philly cheesesteak.

We'll start off by comparing the two places. They both have outdoor seating only on picnic-style benches protected by a ceiling that protects diners from the rain; they both have rules for ordering- the type of cheese you want either wit or wit-out onions; they both have separate ordering windows- one window for steaks, and another for sides and drinks;and they both have lines that stretch around the block. Now comes the hard part: choosing which steak to try.

Geno's Steaks is a glowing, neon-lit attention grabber that draws people in instantly. Photos of celebrities who have visited Geno's line the interior of the ordering station from top to bottom- even the tables have pictures on them. Everyone from porn stars to musicians to actors, even Oprah has visited Geno's to sample their famous mouth-watering cheesesteak.

Nothing says "welcome" like neon lights.

Just a handful of the celebrities who have visited Geno's

All of the tables at Geno's look like this, all with different pictures.













Pat's King of Steaks has a less flashy approach to welcoming guests- just a simple blue sign featuring a crown and a Pepsi logo. The photos of celebrities who have visited Pat's are old and faded black and whites whch gives diners of Pat's a view into yester-year.

 Simplicity is the theme at Pat's.

Some old time photos and the rules for ordering.















Both of these wonderful places have great cheesesteaks. But one tops the other by just a slight edge. Here's why:

Geno's and Pat's both use high quality Italian rolls for the steaks. Pat's is far more generous with the cheese than Geno's does, which gives them a slight edge. What takes away from that edge is the overall greasiness of the sandwich. Pat's steak is also a little more chewy than steak on a sandwich should be. The overall winner of the Ultimate Steak Debate is Geno's, with a cheesesteak sandwich that overall top's Pat's cheesesteak sandwich.

I hope you all get the chance to go to Philly and try both of these cheesesteaks for yourselves. They're both worth a taste and totally worth the wait in the long lines. Until next time..

Keep Smilin' :)