“Which is better, Pat’s or Geno’s?” 

If you are from Philadelphia and ever left the tri-state area, it is quite probable you heard this question before. The question refers to the cheesesteak giants Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks, which sit directly across from each other at the intersection of Passyunk and 9^th Street in South Philadelphia.

My answer, much to the questioner’s disappointment, is that my favorite cheesesteaks come from Pepper Mill Pizza, a shop near where I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. While it really isn’t too hard to find a good cheesesteak anywhere in Philly, it isn’t quite as fun as weighing in on a debate that spans over 50 years.

So last weekend, when I needed to drop by a jewelry store in South Philadelphia, my husband and I decided to conduct our own little taste test. After just a short walk from South Street, we arrived at the famous corner where Pat and Harry Olivieri opened their hotdog stand back in 1930. The duo is credited with inventing the now famous Philly cheesesteak in 1933. It was not until 30 years later in 1966 that Joey Vento opened Geno’s Steaks directly across the street. The rivalry that ensued over which has the best steaks in Philadelphia has no doubt been highly profitable for both businesses. Their neighborhood location and South Philly slang ordering style only adds to the attraction for both tourists and locals alike.

With a long line extending into the street at Geno’s, we opted to start our taste test at Pat’s. We planned our order well in advance: “one wit-out (onions) and American.”  Who knows if we revealed ourselves as tourists, but we got what we ordered. What we noticed? The steaks are smaller than those from the typical Philly pizza shop. The bread was amazingly fresh, and the thinly sliced ribeye steak was a higher quality than most.

Then we went on to Geno’s. As I said, there was a longer line and a longer wait to be served. The size of the steak was comparable and the difference really minimal. I read Pat’s chops their steaks and Geno’s does not, but I can’t say I noticed. In the end, our group of four agreed, we are joining team Pat’s. You can imagine with a statement like this, we already lost a few Facebook friends. 

For those traveling to our city, it is well worth the trip to make your own decision and experience the fantastic steaks and a true Philadelphia experience.  

— Danielle Hudena Pitonyak, executive vice president