I’ll be driving to Philly tomorrow for the weekend. I know Geno’s and Pat’s are the tourist spots, and it will be hard to talk the others out of going there, so my question is two part.
If there is someplace that gets a huge outpouring of support other than these two I’ll try to talk people into it… if not and you have to settle… which one of the two?
Here are a few more. I’ve heard John’s, Tony Luke’s and Campo’s are all good. I’m sure a native will be along shortly.
They are right across the street from each other-if you get them to go you can order half from one and half from another, then let your guests try both. Could be fun.
Last time I was down that way, many years ago, I preferred Pat’s, though they were both good.
Great idea… I didn’t know you could order a half. That probably won’t be an issue for most though since I will be with a group of 15/16 year old boys who are lacrosse players so having too much food probably won’t be an issue.
There are lots of places to get a good steak sandwich. There is only one place to get the original and that is Pat’s. It is not a tourist trap, it attracts tourists because it so popular with the locals.
Pat’s and Geno’s are right across the street from each other. I suggest your group buy sandwiches from both places and each person can have a half from each place.
You don’t buy half - you share. 
You don’t order a half-you cut them in half. This way your guests can say that you treated them to the top two cheesesteak locations in Philly.
Another question for locals… we’ll be staying/playing in Malvern. We’ll get in around 3 or 4 and don’t play until 3 so have Friday night and Sat morning free. What is the best way to get around to the touristy things (need to see the cracked bell, etc.) and I’ve heard that parking is horrible and tickets are easy to get.
Go to Tony Luke’s and get a cheesesteak AND a roast pork. The latter is, IMHO, a sandwich that should be more well-known. It’s better than a cheesesteak.
Another vote for Tony Luke’s. Pats & Ginos are for tourists.
You could try a walking tour.
Looks fun, and I guess if we start walking Friday afternoon, we may make it to downtown and back to Malvern by noon on Saturday 
Actually, I was more wondering if there was a train or bus to take to downtown or if the horror stories of parking are over exaggerated. Maybe someone knows of a good parking garage that is central to several things.
SEPTA regional rail connects Malvern to center city. It’s probably about a 20-30 minute train ride, and you can catch the subway to get around center city without too much trouble (or you can just walk).
There is a SEPTA train from Malvern to Center City. It is referred to as the Thorndale-Paoli line. Round trip is about $10 or so, per person. You usually pay the ticket taker on the train.
Honestly, I find it easier to drive in and park. If you want to go to the Liberty Bell, there is a parking garage right there. It is faster (modulo traffic) and much cheaper if there is a group of people. Parking is about $15 for all day Saturday parking.
Note that I am fairly new to the Philly area, so I am not a seasoned veteran. I also came from the NYC area, so this area is much easier to deal with than NYC.
Yes, there’s a SEPTA station in Malvern. Take the train to Market East, then either walk about 7 blocks to Independence Mall or take the Broad Street subway. The train will be faster than driving on a Friday afternoon, but you won’t be near any of the cheesesteak palaces.
My suggestion is to train it on Friday and do the historic stuff, then drive in on Saturday morning when traffic isn’t so bad and hit the cheesesteak. You should be able to find street parking near Pat’s/Geno’s, and if you leave the city by 1:00 you should have no problem making it back to Malvern for the game.
BTW, my wife and I live in the western suburbs, she works in the city, and we go into the city for recreation 3-4 times a month.
Campo’s makes fantastic hoagies but their cheese steak is not among the best ones, IMO.
However, I’d give one of my kidneys for an italian sandwich from DiBruno Brothers right now.
There’s no resolution to the question of who makes the best cheesesteak. People have different preferences, restaurants change over time, the popular style varies by locality. I did extensive research on cheesesteaks in the past, and all I can say is the research was worth doing even though the results were inconclusive.
Follow this advice as though it were read from the holy scriptures…
There are differences?
Also, I think a U17 lacrosse team would have more fun at the Rocky statue than the liberty bell.
Funny… someone mentioned going to the historic sites and right away one of the boys shouted out the Rocky Statue. As long as I get a good sandwich I’m fine either way.