After a long day exploring the sights of Philadelphia, it was now time to satisfy my hunger. I was craving a Philly Cheesesteak so I went off in search for the best in town. The locals directed me to two places, Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s.

Located in South Philly at the intersection of Passyunk and 9th street near the famous Italian Market, these two restaurants make up the Mecca of Cheesesteaks. Pat’s King of Steaks was formed in 1930 by Pat Olivieri and is still family run to this day. They claim to have invented the cheesesteak. As I got in line to place my order, I could smell the onions and peppers and hear the sizzling of thin slices of steak. While observing others order their sandwiches, I quickly learned to order mine like a native Philadelphian. Ordering a cheesesteak is as simple as saying a couple of words. First, decide on what cheese you want, American, Provolone, or a Philly favorite, Cheese Whiz. Once you decide on the cheese, specify whether you want onions by saying "wit" or "witout". By the time I got to the window, I was ordering like a pro with my "Whiz Wit."

Across the street is Geno’s, Pat’s rival which continues to cause debates as to have the best cheesesteak. Geno’s is easily located by the bright neon lights lighting up the building as if resembling something off of the Las Vegas strip. While Pat’s King of Steaks claim to have invented the famous sandwich, Geno’s claims to have revolutionize it by adding cheese to it. When Geno’s was founded in 1966, they claim there were steak sandwiches but no cheesesteak. So they threw some cheese on it and whoolah the cheesesteak was born.

Whether you like Pat’s or Geno’s, they both make one great cheesesteak. There is no indoor seating at either place so keep that in mind on hot days. Cravings can be satisfied morning, noon, or night as both places are open 24 hours a day. A sandwich and drink will run about $8, making it a great cheap meal.

After eating at both restaurants, I can say with certainty that the best one is… It is not going to be that easy. You decide?

www.patskingofsteaks.com

www.genosteaks.com

True Philly experience. Kids loved eating outdoors with the Pigeons (who were also dining on cheese steaks). Try the classic "steak wit wiz" (cheese steak with grilled onions and cheese whiz). Pats seems grittier and more authentic, Genos is cleaner and brighter. Pat's was busier, though, if this means anything.

Two local Philadelphians recommended Pat's or Jim's as having the best Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. Each had a line wrapped around the building so we chose Pat's because it was the only one of the two where we could find a place to park. The cheesesteak wasn't what I'd dreamed of but it was good (or maybe I was just starving to death). Anyway, it's a Philly tradition that I'm glad I'd taken part in.

After trying the three top locations for Philly cheesesteaks (Pat's, Geno's, and Jim's), our favorite is Pat's! The sandwich was tender, flavorful, and we wanted to take a truckload home with us!

Pat's was actually the third place we tried, and we expected we'd be tired of cheesesteaks by that time, but the flavor was definitely the best, especially with the Cheez Whiz!

The ordering process was fun and easy - no line, even around noon.

We will definitely go back (I only wish it could be sooner, rather than later!).

Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks each claim to be the originator of the world-famous cheesesteak sandwich. I heard about both of these on the Travel Channel, and on our trip to Philadelphia, of course I wanted to try an authentic Philly cheesesteak sandwich. We drove all over side streets, down dark residential areas, until finally we saw it. Actually it is Geno's that you see first. You can't miss it; it is lit up like Christmas. Of course, we had to try them both, so me and my children got in the line for Geno's and my husband made the trip across the street to Pat's. Outside the window at Pat's where you order are even step-by-step instructions on how to order your Philly cheesesteak the proper way. Now, being so close together makes them rivals as well.

Me and the kids sat down at one of the outside tables at Geno's and my husband joined us, then we divided up sandwiches and began the taste test. Both places are very good and will ruin you for eating them anywhere else, but we all agreed that the sandwich from Pat's King of Steaks was the best. While sitting there, my husband took his Pat's sandwich up to the sauce counter outside of Geno's to put some sauce on it, as he had forgot to get any over at Pat's and did not want to walk across the street. One of the workers behind the counter at Geno's saw him and said, "Hey, you can't put our sauce on their sandwich" - just an example of the rivalry between the cheesesteak sandwiches here in Philadelphia. Both places are open 24 hours a day.