Jaunted

Pat's and Geno's are the two traditional giants of the Philly cheesesteak scene. Geno's makes theirs with sliced beef and Pat's makes theirs with chopped meat, but the differences stop there. Both places serve traditional Philly cheesesteaks with either onions, peppers, American cheese, provolone or cheese wiz.

Relations between the two restaurants are far from friendly. While I was standing in line at Pat's, a man who came up to his friends while holding a Geno's cup was angrily told by the Pat's chef to "Get that away from my counter." To be a true Philly cheesesteak aficionado, you have to take a side.

I ordered the same thing from both places: a cheesesteak with onions and provolone. The line at Geno's was much faster, but I was annoyed by signs advertising "freedom fries" and T-shirts commemorating the restaurant's English-only policy.

Both sandwiches were made with thin dry steak that was far too well done for my tastes. I was also disappointed by the raw, cubed onions. My vision of a cheesesteak involves cheddar and caramelized onions, and the authentic Philly version did not live up to my expectations.

Though both restaurants were underwhelming, the food at Pat's was slightly better. The biggest difference is the fries. Geno's patriotic potatoes are soft and mushy, but the fries at Pat's have an excellent crispy crust. The steak at Pat's was also more moist and well-seasoned. Hey, they do have a sign proclaiming themselves the "King of Steaks."

If Geno's is really their best competition, I guess that's sort of true. But on my next trip to Philly, I'll be looking for a third option.

Related Stories:
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Cheesesteaks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Hunter Walker]

Where: Philadelphia, PA, United States

Tags: Cheesesteaks / Restaurants

by Hunter Walker