The best cheesesteak in Pennsylvania is in Camp Hill, but only when Airman is working. 
I’ve had cheesesteaks in Philly and they’re not nearly as good as the ones he makes.
Robin, who likes hers with provolone, sweet peppers, mushrooms and onions.
Refer to my post above, #10, for a short lesson.
Note that by going to a place that requires you to use a certain parlance to order your cheesesteak, you’re automatically going to a place that’s more tourist trap than genuine local restaurant.
At a normal place, just ask for a cheesesteak with provolone and onions and peppers. No one’s going to bat an eye.
ricks is at the reading terminal for a limited time and will be tony lukes soon.
gino’s and pat’s are a bit away from rittenhouse square. y’all would have to drive, taxi, or take a couple of buses.
the reading terminal is walking distance, but unbearable on the weekend, heckacrowded.
if time is crucial, i would go with tony lukes. i’ve lived in philly for quite some time, i usually get my steaksandwiches on the street from a vender. i’ve never been to pat’s or gino’s. sometimes i’ll get one in a diner or at liberty place. i am amused by the fellow wearing a steaksandwich hat in liberty place.
If you must have a cheesesteak at the “famous” joints in Philadelphia, go to Tony Luke’s. Pat’s and Geno’s are exceptionally overrated.
**Don’t be a tourist. Enjoying a town means a reality tour.
Born and raised South Philly guy.**
http://www.johnsroastpork.com/
Philadelphians eat cheesesteaks from local joints. There are many varieties. Philly people have to be in the mood for a Pats/Genos/Jims steak – these are popular and while still local, we don’t rank them at the top consistently.
Cheesesteaks are NOT just about food. It’s beyond that. Some things are soooo local and if you aren’t born and raised you will never ‘get it’.
I will NEVER get the Boston Red Sox fans’ gay excitement, the Chicagoan thrill for their hot dogs and pizza.
I recommend that you get three things in Philly AND EAT THEM WHERE YOU BOUGHT THEM. Do NOT transport the food and DO NOT LEAVE THE CORNER. EAT THESE AT NIGHT ONLY:
Cheesesteak
Roast Pork (preferably with provolone and maybe long hots or italian greens/brocoli rabe)
Veal Cutlet sandwhich with sharp provolone and roasted peppers.
BTW - our geographical terms:
South Philly - NOT ‘‘south side’’ - NEVER ‘little Italy’
**Center City **- NOT ‘‘downtown’’
Carry on.
Amen. And frankly, the tourists can have Pat’s and Geno’s all they want.
The Cheesesteak has to be in the top ten overhyped food items in history. You do not have to eat it with Cheese Whiz, you don’t have to eat onions on it, and you don’t have to speak like Sylvester Stallone having a mild stroke to order one. Its chopped meat on a roll with cheese. Its greasy. Its bad for you. It tastes phonomenal when you are drunk at 2AM.
I order my cheesesteaks with pepperoni because it tastes good. That probably upsets the faux purists at the Inquirer to no end and if its a slow news week with no scandals at City Hall, there will be an article on cheesesteak heresy. Order it any way you want with anything you want. If anyone questions you, hit them over the head with a stale roll.
For the record, I generally will trek over to Pudge’s in Norristown if I have a big appetite. A full size will get me a couple of meals.
Oh, I’m so jealous. My husband and two youngest boys are going up to Philly tomorrow, and I’ve begged my husband to bring me back a real cheesesteak, but we’re not sure it would survive the trip. He’s a South Philly native, and introduced me to proper cheesesteaks.
So far, my opinion is that the worst one you can get anywhere in South Philly is better than the best one you can get anywhere else.
Forget both Pat’s and Geno’s. Both were mediocre, overrated tourist traps. I had a better cheesesteak at the place in the train station. They reminded me of the tourist trap pizza places in Chicago - Uno’s and Gino’s East.
Gino’s was great at 2am when I used to drive a cab.
One think I remember the most was the hot sauce in the gallon tub with the pump top was killer. I love hot wings and such being a Buffalo native, but damn that sauce was hot!
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society.
Results:
My girlfriend told me to disregard the comments in this thread. :dubious: 
She insisted that my education had to begin with the basics, i.e. the famous names. So in one day, we got samples from Pat’s, Geno’s, Ishkabibble’s, and Jim’s.
I can definitely see how Pat’s and Geno’s would be considered overrated tourist-trap fare. The decor on Geno’s was ludicrous. Their bread was okay, but the meat was middling and the portion was skimpy. Pat’s was a bit better. Ishkabibble’s was pretty good. Jim’s was the best of the bunch, but was still just pretty good. We also got a local’s recommendation for Dalessandro’s but we didn’t have an opportunity to get out to Manayunk.
But this is just the first round, and I’m viewing it as educational, Cheesesteak 101. Now that I have a general expectation of the sandwich, I know what to look for.
Thanks for the comments, y’all. Sorry your efforts turned out to conflict with my girlfriend’s agenda.
Nitpick: Roxborough. And about 2 minutes from my house.
I’ve always liked Rick’s in the Reading Terminal, and it now has the added “limited time only” cachet, if you’re into that. One thing Rick’s does that I like is grill the meat pretty flat with the cheese layered in, instead of chopping the meat into a zillion little pieces that dribble out of the sandwich all over you and everything else within range.
Lately I’ve been getting my steaks from my neighborhood pizza joint, which serves the only sandwich on earth more decadent and delicious than a cheesesteak: A cheesesteak with bacon.
Gasp! Why did I not know about that before I went?
What are they seasoned with? (I realize this is Philadelphia but cheese is not, technically, a spice. :D)
Uno’s on Ohio (and Due’s) actually are very good baselines for Chicago-style deep dish, in my opinion. I’ll agree with you on Gino’s, though. The only deep dishes in Chicago I’ve had as good or better than Uno’s are Lou Malnati’s, Pequod’s, and Burt’s (in Morton Grove).
Anyhow, I only visited two places in Philly: Pat’s and Jim’s. (Jim’s was on the recommendation of a local.) I much preferred Pat’s, and thought it actually was really good. My philosophy entering a town for a first time with a famous specialty is to hit the spots that originated the foods (Pat’s in the cheesesteak case) for a baseline. Sure, locals will tell you it’s not the best, yaddayaddayadda (and I am guilty of doing this as well), but let me tell you there certainly isn’t any lack of locals of Gino’s and Pat’s. I take mine with onions and Whiz. It’s the only time I ever eat Cheese Whiz, but I like it on a cheesesteak, although provolone is good, too.
Another reason I like and recommend Pat’s is because that street that runs into Pat’s (what is it 9th?) is lined with absolutely wonderful Italian markets selling fresh seafood, homemade sausages, imported cheeses, freshly baked bread. I had a feast just walking up and down 9th and tasted the best soprasetta and aged provolone I’ve ever had.
So I’d say, try Pat’s, then try a small, local joint for variety. If I ever get back to Philly, I really want to try the original Tony Luke’s (which seems to be universally admired) and John’s Roast Pork.
The franchise Charley’s has that sandwich. Sure, it’s franchise food that I get in Arizona, but, you know…bacon.
Tony Jr’s… crapola
Geno’s… hype
Pat’s… used to be good, but going down hill fast
Dalessandro’s… overrated, and they use american cheese by default, which I’m not a fan of. Not a bad steak and they serve it super quick, but I don’t know why they have the cache they do.
Jim’s… damn good, go with whiz here
Ishkabibble… also not bad, but not quite as good as Jims
John’s Roast Pork… insanely good, and inconvenient. It’s only open a few hours a day and the whole place is inside one small trailer, but its worth the trouble for hard, crusty semolina rolls that soak up the grease, delish. Go with provolone here. And get one steak and one roast pork to split between two people.
Tony Luke’s… it’s a toss up between Tony and John for best in the city. The Italian style steak with marinara, provolone, and broccoli rabb is the way to go.
But the best cheesteak in Philly? It’s not in Philly actually…
**The White House **in Atlantic City… so good I think I shed a tear. They get their bread from a bakery right next door so it’s always fresh. You only need a half and then wash it down with an ice cream sandwich from across the street.
Runner up is **Dino’s **in Margate… not quite the White House but right up there with the best in Philly.
It’s also worth noting the big bread controversy in Philly. It used to be that all my favorite cheesesteaks and hoagies were made with hard, crusty Sarcone’s bread. The only place I prefer a soft Amoroso is Jim’s because I think it goes better with the whiz. Anyway, Sarcone’s expanded their bakery into a chain of delis and subsequently only sell their bread in their own stores. I hear their hoagies and steaks are great, but I wish they would share the wealth.