When you think of Philly, you think of a savory cheesesteak, the kind smothered with Cheez Whiz and brimming with peppers and onions. The hallmark of the colonial capital is a tasty, overstuffed mess, which is why so many tourists pay a visit solely to get one. People who are new to the city often ask where to find the real deal. Thanks to the sightseeing of our very own tobert, we think we can give them an answer.
Natives of the mid-Atlantic know all about Geno's and Pat's, the local icons with a bitter (and decades-old) rivalry. When tobert got a cheesesteak at Geno's, he weighed the options and added his thoughts to the fray: “As far as the steak, we were a bit disappointed in the size of the cheesesteak given the price, but with the onions and "whiz" Geno's had the best taste. We all agreed that this one was the worst value (due to the small size) and probably had the lowest quality ingredients, but it was the most flavorful of the three. Geno's also has the exact ambiance that we were looking for in a Philly Cheesesteak joint, so we had to declare Geno's the winner.”
He also made sure to visit a lesser-known venue. At Jim's, he enjoyed the service, though not the epic wait: “Jim's stands out as having the best service of the three. There was an extremely long line that went outside the air-conditioned building. The line went quickly and the men manning the grill and the register were quick, but were helpful and allowed you to ask questions about the menu. They even cut our steak three ways allowing us to split. This is something that Pat's wouldn't do.”
His journal made us yearn for a reason to head to the city. If you've got a moment, we urge you to go check it out.
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Posted by tdbeckwith (Thomas Beckwith)
Comment by dyw123 on September 21, 2025
As a native of the Philadelphia area, I have to disagree with tobert on voting Geno's as the best cheesesteak in Philly. Geno's is not the best steak in town. Jim's by far has the best mix of taste, service, location and friendly guys workin' the grill. I will give Geno's, and Pat's for that matter, since it is across the street, a double thumbs up for having the true neighborhood ambiance. It is of course the 'city of bortherly love'. As I now live in Colo., any trip back to Philadelphia always includes a stop at Jim's.