Who’s got the best cheesesteak in Philly?

The term ‘there’s one on every street corner’ certainly comes to mind here. Cheesesteak sandwiches are definitely something that is always better in Philadelphia, and there’s very good reason for that, but we’ll get to that in just a second if you’ll bear with me, dear readers.

The cheesesteak sandwich is a plain-as-they-come sandwich with thinly sliced cooked beef, onions and of course, the coup de grace…cheese and lots of it. But plain doesn’t mean boring. These sandwiches pack a lot of flavor. Of course, depending on location, the recipe varies a tad.

The sandwich first appeared in the 1930s in Philadelphia and has come to be known as the city of brotherly love’s main export. They do it best for sure and there are definitely a plethora of locations in the great city that do it justice, but there’s only one that makes the greatest Philly cheesesteak sandwich you’ve ever eaten.

We’ll get to that location in just a second. First, let’s take a look at some of the honorable mentions if you will.

Read on to find out where you can get the absolute best Philly cheesesteak sandwich when in the beautiful city of Philadelphia…

The term ‘supply and demand’ also comes to mind here, giving me flashbacks from economics class back in college. Never really my forte; after all, I became a writer of all things, and being a master of the financial universe never really made the to-do list whilst trying to write the next great opus or article, but understanding capitalizing on a public demand is pretty much 101 when it comes to economics, and restaurant owners in Philly have capitalized big time on the demand there is in the city for one of the world’s most popular sandwiches, the Philly cheesesteak.

There are many locations that have the sandwich in question and perhaps even more than we will mention here, so do a little digging when planning to visit. Rest assured though, if you hit any one of these aforementioned honorable mentions, you’ll be in for a treat. Of course that’s when you can’t make it to the best place of all, which I’m saving for last…

Anyways…if you’re anything like me though, you’ll try them all, or at least as many as you can. Are you up to the challenge??

Honorable mentions include: Geno’s Steaks, Reading Terminal Market, Shank’s Original, Cosmi’s Deli, Angelo’s Pizzeria South Philly, Gilben’s Bakery (very original product here—very different from the norm, and includes a jerk chicken sub, which I know isn’t cheesesteak but well worth mentioning here).

Now like I said, there are many others…and they’re pretty much all worth trying out. I mean foodies are adventurous, right? We’ve all had a miss now and again, so when in Philly, really try them all if you want my opinion. Besides, you’re not really going to Philly for surf n’ turf or pizza (even though those dishes are also great in the city, as are others); you need to get all the cheesesteak you can get your hands on.

Now conspicuous by its absence, especially for those of you that have been and/or even live in the great city, is a very famous location and that’s for very good reason, dear readers, because it is the King himself that is at the top of this list and garners for itself the title of having the absolute best cheesesteak in the city and the world. None other than Pat’s King of Steaks.

According to Wikipedia, it was Pat’s that first brought the cheesesteak to Philly and the rest of the culinary world back in the early 1930s, and the original family involved back then is still at the helm: The Olivieri family.

Specifically it was Pat and Harry Olivieri that invented the sandwich that would have made the Earl of Sandwich very proud indeed.

The first time I set out for the city, I definitely had Pat’s on my mind, had of course done my research, and yes, when I got there, alone, I stood in the street and looked up at the iconic building I had seen so many times on TV and film; really to take it all in, and that first bite was more than I had expected.

You do not want to miss out on the absolute best cheesesteak in the world,dear readers, and these sandwiches are well worth the trip, no matter where it is you hail from.

What are some of your favorite sandwich shops in Philly, dear readers?