Depends if you want a good cheesesteak, don’t go to Geno’s, if you want to go to one of the Philly Cheesesteak centers of fame, go to Geno’s and suffer the cheeze whiz.
Or pass on the “authentic crap” and go to the Mutter Museum as suggested above and The Franklin Institute instead. Maybe take a photo op with the Rocky statue if it is still around.
Best cheesesteak I ever had was the teriyaki cheesesteaks from Steak Escape, too bad they don’t have any locales left in Florida. They also had the same exact fries Five Guys does now, with the same cajun seasoning.
Reading Terminal is magnificent. I think I could pretty easily eat there for half a year without getting bored. I regret that I only had a few opportunities for meals during my last visit but my roast pork from DiNic’s was probably my best bite in Philly.
I don’t think there’s any kind of cheese that would be “inauthentic” on a cheesesteak. American and provolone are probably the most popular overall, and my preference is American (though Prov is less greasy, if that’s what you want).
The two most important things are the roll, and the simplicity. Amoroso’s is what most places use, and it’s a good one (I won’t say it’s the best, because I haven’t tried them all, but it’s good). A cheesesteak roll needs to be firm enough that you can eat the sandwich with one hand, without it falling apart.
And it is, at its essence, a very simple dish. Nothing but roll, meat, and cheese, makes for a very good steak. Chopped onions (and maybe mushrooms, if you like them) mixed in with the meat can enhance it. You can maybe add peppers to the final product, but that’s it. Lettuce and tomato belong on other sandwiches, but not this one, and any other toppings, fuggetaboutit. This is what most imitations get wrong: They try to go overboard on added toppings, and detract from the core ingredients.
That’s exactly what Dalessandro’s is, a little shop in a neighborhood, away from the touristy areas. I’ve repeatedly seen it on a list of best steaks in the city.
Jim’s is reopening soon after a devastating fire & was good previously.
Pat’s originated them so it has that going for it; not really sure why people go to Geno’s, & yes, the then (now long-deceased) owner put up a sign - “This is AMERICA,” it read. “When ordering, speak English.”
BBC Travel agrees with you.
Hubby grew up with the Lehigh Valley style cheesesteak which has marinara, sour pickles, onions, and cheese. The cheese is usually provolone or mozarella or a mix.
And for the peppers? Banana peppers.
No matter what the ingredients, they have to meld well. I happen to like tomato and lettuce on mine. But I can’t stand mushrooms in a cheesesteak because they just don’t fit. And I normally like mushrooms.
On the subject of Cheez Whiz, allow me a small digression to reiterate a few points I made before elsewhere:
Cheez Whiz is not cheese by any rational definition.
If it wasn’t artificially coloured bright orange, it would make a reasonably good drywall repair compound
The mix of artificial ingredients it contains are probably bad for your health, particularly your arteries
I would never inflict it on any real food. But …
It’s actually quite tasty on a cracker, esp. if topped with one or two halves of a green or black olive.
I don’t consume it often. I bought a jar a few days ago just to try. The last time I bought any before that was probably 40 years ago.
Philly cheesesteaks sound good. Not sure I’ve ever had one, but if I did, I’d want real cheese on it. My current fad is hot roast beef subs with melted white cheddar and Dijon mustard, lettuce, and optionally some red onion.
I’ve had a so-called one. It was when I did my undergrad at the University of Toronto, and Hart House had Philly Cheesesteaks on the menu in the Great Hall.
Well, what I got was missing two things: cheese and steak. Okay, in fairness, there was a little bit of cheese, and a scrap of shoe-leather steak, but it was mostly sauteed onions and green peppers between two halves of a roll. “Disappointment” doesn’t begin to describe what I think of Philly Cheesesteaks, based on that experience.
However, I’d like to try them again, give them another chance; this time, from somebody who really knows what they’re doing.
The first Philly Cheesesteak I ever remember having was at Ned’s Cafe at Victoria College UT. This would have been around the late 2000s following a renovation. They were great and did not skimp on the meat and peppers.
I don’t think they would be a regular item on the menu, though as of last report, they had a changing daily menu, as I recall.
I agree re: Pat’s and Gino’s. Has Delly’s quality deteriorated? It was best in the city IMO, but it has been years and years…
I’ve shared this in other threads. Never order a “Philly Cheesesteak” way outside of Philly. There may be exceptions, but for the large majority what you will be served does not closely resemble what it purports to. It may or may not be tasty. But it will not be a Philly Cheesesteak.
If you see this on the menu in Des Moines, order the tuna melt.
Good advice. Not a fan of tuna melts, but next time I’m in Denver, or Des Moines, or Lincoln, or Kalamazoo, I’ll just order a BLT. In all my travels by road, and having eaten in any number of diners, a BLT is a trusted go-to that any diner can make, even if it’s not on the menu. A Philly Cheesesteak—not so much.
But. I’ll look forward to visiting Philadelphia sometime. In addition to running the Rocky Steps, which is on my bucket list, I want a real Philly Cheesesteak, in the city that birthed it. Hey, after running the Rocky Steps, I’ll need some nutrition!
My son and I ran the Rocky steps when he was a little guy. It must be done if you live here!
I have a book around here somewhere of interviews someone conducted with people after they ran the steps (and you must “Rocky about,” fists in the air, after you scale the steps!). It was very cool—cancer survivors, bachelor parties, lots of bucket list completions, “in memory of” runs, all kinds of stuff, and with people from all over the world. The movie meant a lot to everyone interviewed, and the run produced joy and tears for many of them.
My go-to for cheesesteaks is in Upper Darby, but I haven’t been there in decades.
Seconding the roast pork as the superior Philly sandwich. It’s got some complexity and contrast to it with the succulent pork, bitter broccoli rabe and sharp provolone. Cheesesteaks are great but a bit monotone.
Luckily there are a lot of restaurants in the area of the art museum. I would suggest Pete’s famous pizza.
It must have been good at some point, because they’ve won all sorts of awards. But the one time I went there, some time in the late 90s, they tasted like cardboard.
OK, marinara, mozerella, and onions, that’s fine, that’s a pizza steak. Really not the same thing as a cheesesteak, but it’s a thing. But pickles with marinara? I can’t see how that would work at all.
And the one place I’ve ever found outside the Delaware valley that does a cheesesteak right is a place just off campus in Bozeman, MT, called Pickle Barrel. Their default steak sandwich has a sauce on it, but if you order it without the sauce, it’s a fairly close approximation (the roll isn’t quite right, but it’s close). I told them that once, and they said “Oh, no, we don’t do Philadelphia style cheesesteaks. We don’t put lettuce and tomato on them.”. I said “Yes, exactly!”.
Y’all made me go out and get a cheesesteak.
Not in Philadelphia so I went to the recently opened local Charley’s (founded and HQ’d in Ohio) and got an Old School (steak, American, fried onions).
Haven’t been to Philly in a while so I don’t really have anything “legit” to compare it to, but it was still a pretty good sandwich. My only major fault with them is the fully enclosed fries box that guarantees limp soggy fries, but I’ll just skip the fries in the future.
I love steak sandwiches. But was underwhelmed by my experience visiting a buddy in Philadelphia. In my smaller home city, there is a great burger shop which sells what they call “Philly cheesesteaks”. They give you 7 oz. of freshly sliced ribeye or, on request, 10 oz. of chopped steak, use provolone and Swiss, add grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms, and your choice of other toppings. Throw it on a beautifully soft but resilient bun. No default sauce but you could add several.
So maybe it isn’t “authentic”, being made from great ingredients instead of Cheez Whiz, which I dislike on anything and especially nachos and Mexican food. But it’s so good, who cares? No racist rants required, and reasonably priced too.
But I am willing to give the roast pork a shot next time round.
Like with many iconic foods, part of the appeal of the cheesesteak is that it gives you a way to turn subpar meat into something good. Sure, you could use high-quality ribeye, but if you have that, why not just eat it as a ribeye?