I tried cheesesteaks from Pat's, Geno's, Jim's, and Tony Luke's in the span of a few hours to discover the soul of the city of Philadelphia.
The humble cheesesteak is Philadelphia's most iconic meal.
Raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, cheesesteaks were a fairly regular staple of my childhood diet. Trips into the city, whether for concerts, movies, or Phillies games, were often capped off with a trip to one of four spots for our favorite sandwich — Pat's, Geno's, Jim's, and Tony Luke's. Sandwiches were $13 each — a bit steep, but hardly unreasonable when accounting for the stadium tax that accompanies any purchase at a ballpark.Tyler Lauletta / Business Insider
The ratio of meat-to-cheese was sound, and while it wasn't as fresh as you'd typically desire a cheesesteak to be, the ambiance of the ballpark and a Phillies win went a long way to make Tony Luke's a positive experience. While many heated debates have been had over which reigns supreme, I can tell you with total confidence that both make a fine sandwich. If you have a strong preference either way, by all means, patronize one over the other, but should one line be absurdly long, shuffling to the other side of the street won't come as a disappointment if you're in a rush.
When I was younger, I was confident that an incorrect order at the counter would be met with a court-order and a month-long stay at the jail underneath Veteran's Stadium. But in reality, as long as you know what you want and are communicating your order, things will be fine. The bread was superb, allowing for all parts of the sandwich to meld together in harmony, and the steak came a bit more chopped than that of Geno's or Tony Luke's, but still offered plenty to chew on.
For some peculiar reason, the magic disappears outside of Philadelphia's city limits — venture to New York, and suddenly you'll be offered cheesesteaks with lettuce and tomato or some other terrifying configuration of an already perfect sandwich.
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