Here in Philly, cheesesteaks are more than just a sandwich.
They’re a civic icon, tourist draw, cultural obsession and acceptable for any meal. While often imitated around the world, an authentic cheesesteak is rarely duplicated successfully outside Philadelphia. (Sorry, not sorry.)
Our mission: Help you find amazing cheesesteaks in the city.
What Is a Cheesesteak?
A traditional cheesesteak — one word (and no need for “Philly” or “sandwich”) — consists of sliced or chopped rib-eye beef, melted cheese and optional sautéed onions on a soft-but-crusty long roll. For many, the cheese of choice is “Whiz” (melty cheddar-style cheese sauce, not spray cheese), with white American and provolone as admissible alternatives.
Toppings can often include ketchup, mushrooms, mayo, sweet peppers or Italian “long hots” peppers. (Bell peppers are typically shunned.) And most shops offer common alternatives like chicken steaks, pizza steaks, vegan steaks or cheesesteak hoagies.
To help guide you to some of the most essential steaks in town, here are a few top spots around Philly to grab one, including the famous, the essential, the new and the buzzy (but all seriously delicious).
If you’re interested in a deep dive into cheesesteak history or looking for tips on how to order, click the banner below first.
Click for Cheesesteak Pro Tips
How to Order a Cheesesteak
You may have heard the stories or seen the videos. At many spots in Philly, there’s a very specific, very Philly way to order a cheesesteak to keep the lines moving. So when that cheesesteak craving hits, first consider two critical questions before you get to the counter:
- What kind of cheese?
- Grilled onions or no grilled onions?
Once you decide, Philly cheesesteak culture has a shorthand language all its own to convey your order. First, ask for the kind of cheese you desire, Whiz or otherwise. Then say your onion choice: “wit” means with onions, and “witout” means without.
For example, if you order a “whiz wit,” you’ll get a steak with Cheez Whiz and onions. Asking for “American witout” scores you a steak with white American, no onions. (If you’re ordering a specialty variation like a pizza steak or cheesesteak hoagie, mention that first, as those often come with standard topping options.) Finish up with “here” or “to go.” If they’re in different spots, quickly move along from the ordering counter to the register to let the next customer order.
Don’t feel intimidated, it’s easy.
Cheesesteak History
The cheesesteak’s origin dates back to 1930 when, during one fateful lunch hour, South Philly hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri cooked up some leftover beef on his stand’s grill and slapped it on a bun. A cabbie driving by sniffed something delicious, leaned out his window and requested his own.
It didn’t take long for news of the creation to spread. Other taxi drivers came to the vendor requesting their own steak sandwiches. Soon after, Olivieri opened a permanent shop on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue — Pat’s King of Steaks — to sell his invention to the masses.
The steak sandwiches featured grilled onions from the start, but what about the cheese? It took another decade before a bored and hungry manager at Pat’s named “co*cky Joe” Lorenza threw some provolone onto the creation, and (as the oft-disputed legend goes) the cheesesteak was born. Cheese Whiz was invented in 1952 and it didn’t take long for that to make it onto a cheesesteak as well. The popular chicken cheesesteak alternative came along in the 1980s, most commonly attributed to Ishkabibble’s on South Street or the former Billy Bob’s in West Philly.
Note: This article is arranged alphabetically by section.
