When most people think of a Philly cheesesteak, they immediately bring up Pat’s: King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. They have become huge tourist destinations, with most people trying both to decide what one is the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia. So which one is it? Let me answer that for you simply: neither. Between the two, Pat’s is certainly better, but that doesn’t make it the best cheesesteak in our city. Instead, they are relying entirely on name recognition.
Now, I’m not saying Pat’s is a bad cheesesteak. I think it’d be near impossible to create a something filled with meats and cheese wiz and have it be bad. Pat’s cheesesteaks have a lot of good qualities. For example, the meat is great. Rather than biting into thick, rubbery meat, Pat’s has whole pieces of thinly sliced steak with minimal fat cooked to perfection. Like any steak, you get a couple stringy pieces every once in a while, but for the most part, it’s good meat. The bread is also great. Rather than biting into your sandwich and having it be 70 percent bread and 30 percent meat, there’s just enough. The bread and the meat are equal to each other, creating a symphony of carbs and proteins.
So where does Pat’s go wrong? The cheese. If I wanted to eat a steak sandwich, I would have ordered it. Instead, I ordered a CHEESEsteak, so I expect every bite to at least have a little cheese mixed in. Instead, Pat’s gives you a steak that is at least 50 percent dry, and it’s like trying to chew through a tire on bread. Between the bread and the meat, your mouth is so dry while you’re eating it that you better be prepared with a beverage or you aren’t getting that sandwich down your throat. There’s so little cheese that you’re left scraping the cheese off the wrapper like a savage. Let this be a PSA to all cheesesteak joints and pizza shops: cheesesteaks should be slathered in cheese. I shouldn’t have to pay an extra dollar for the correct amount of cheese. End rant.
Overall, Pat’s is just a “meh” cheesesteak. Sure, it may be the original Philly cheesesteak, but maybe it’s time to start putting more effort into making a good sandwich rather than relying on being a tourist hotspot. Just saying. If you want to see more about our thoughts on Pat’s: King of Steaks, check out our video below.
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