It has been done hundreds of times by hundreds of people, but we finally took the opportunity to experience the Philly Cheesesteak battle for ourselves.  We are visiting Philadelphia for work, and after taking care of some administrative duties with the City of Philadelphia we decided we deserved a treat.  (An interesting aside: the Health Department inspection for food-trucks is done out of the same building as the Medical Examiner’s Office/Morgue) Since we were only a couple miles from the famous intersection at Passyunk Avenue we went for it.  We drove our tour vehicle right to the corner across from Pat’s and parked illegally with the flashers on.  This taste test wasn’t perfect, but we believe there was enough information gathered to form a decision.  For anyone who isn’t aware of the contenders they are Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks.  Both exclaim their specialty to be “steaks” but it’s really a steak sandwich or cheesesteak that makes Philly and these businesses famous.  So on with it already…

First, you have to know how to order. There’s no time in line for dilly-dallying or fumbling around for your money.  Here are the instructions posted at Pat’s:

Step 1 – Specify If You Want Your Steak With (WIT) or Without (WIT-OUT) Onions
(If You’re Not A Rookie This Should Come Naturally.)

Step 2 – Specify PLAIN – CHEESE WHIZ – PROVOLONE – AMERICAN CHEESE or a PIZZA STEAK

Step 3 – Have Your Money Ready
(Do All Your Borrowing in Line)

Step 4 – Practice All of the Above While Waiting in Line

If You Make a Mistake, Don’t Panic, Just Go Back to the End of the Line and Start Over

First, we sampled a cheesesteak with (“wit”) provolone, onions, hot sauce, cherry peppers and roasted chili (methinks chile de arbol) peppers from Pat’s King of Steaks.  Pat’s has been on the corner of Passyunk and Wharton since 1930.  Just a little background, I REALLY enjoy spicy food so this was right in my wheelhouse of flavor and heat. Pat’s chops their steak while cooking it on the flat top, then stuffs meat, cheese and onions into the roll.  After receiving your sandwich you are free to add items from their condiment bar.  The standards are there like ketchup and mustard but the two kinds of peppers and hot sauce made it stand out. The cherry peppers were amazing!

After splitting the first sandwich we said to each other it would be a shame to leave the neighborhood without sampling both sandwiches. It would only be fair.  Next was Geno’s.  So Tamara hopped back out of the truck and head down the block.  She came back a few minutes later with another specimen to be examined.  This time a more basic sandwich- meat, onions and cheese wiz.  There was no condiment bar in sight at Geno’s so this was going to be your traditional Philly Cheesesteak.  Geno’s slices their meat so there is a difference in the texture of the sandwich. The cheese whiz probably made the meat seem more moist as well.

The Verdict-

With both parties agreeing on an overall winner, there were a few other factors besides taste.  Pat’s customer service was decidedly more polite.  Geno’s meat seemed to have a little better flavor.  Also there were a number of stickers and signs at Geno’s that were a bit over the top and put offish.  Example- Press “1” for English and press “2” for deportation.  I’m sure Geno’s family spoke perfect English when they arrived, right?  Those items added to the overall experience as well as the cheesesteaks themselves, and we concur that Pat’s has the superior product.  As with any restaurant it comes down to consistency and who is actually cooking when you visit.  The point is to try them out for yourself and enjoy the South Philly Experience!