Today, we are reviewing Pat’s King of Steaks cheesesteak. Situated in Philadelphia, this establishment is one of the most iconic places in the world to enjoy a cheesesteak. Pat’s was founded by Pat and Harry Olivieri back in 1930. The Olivieri brothers take credit for the invention of the cheesesteak. Initially, the Olivieris opened a hot dog stand. In 1933, they opted to try something different for lunch. They got some steak, thinly sliced it, then grilled it with onions, and the steak sandwich was born. As the story goes, it caught the attention of a local cab driver, who, after trying one, told the brothers they should start selling the steak sandwiches instead of hot dogs. By 1940, the primary focus of the business became steak sandwiches.
Today, Pat’s is run by Harry’s grandson, Frankie Olivieri. Pat’s King of Steaks is not a franchise. It is located at the intersection of South 9th Street, Wharton Street, and East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, directly across the street from rival Geno’s Steaks. As I’ve said previously, I usually don’t review products from smaller chains or single stores, but Pat’s King of Steaks is a Philadelphia institution. It turns out I was able to visit Pat’s during a visit to Philadelphia.
We will save the rivalry with Geno’s for another day.
The Construction
While Cheese Whiz is a Philadelphia institution when it comes to cheese steak, I prefer Provolone cheese. Ultimately, that’s what I went with on my Pat’s cheesesteak. In Philadelphia cheesesteak folklore, a cheesesteak with onions is called “wit,” and without onions is called “wit-out.” I went with the “wit.”
I opted for the small size based on recommendations.
- Cheese: Provolone
- Ordered: Wit (Grilled Onions)
- Sandwiches Eaten: One
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Price: $14.95
Note: Because I conducted this review away from my home base, weight and measurements were not taken. Pat’s cheesesteaks typically use bread in the 9—to 10-inch range.
The Experience
The following is the scoring that was used for this assessment. Cheese was decided to be a condiment. In our Turkey Quest sandwich reviews, we included the cheese with the meat, but in this case, it was more of an ancillary component.
- Steak: 4 points
- Bread: 2 points
- Condiments (Onion, Cheese): 2 points
- Intangibles: 2 points
Meat
The meat really stood out here. It is grilled to be just about well done. This was a very tender and flavorful meat—Pat’s uses ribeye steaks here, which shows in the end product’s quality. From what I understand, the earlier days of Pat’s used more budgetary meats, but that was primarily because it was the time of the Great Depression.
As far as quantity of meat goes, the portion provided will more than fill you up.
Score: 3.25 out of 5.00 points
Bread
The bread for Pat’s Cheesesteak was tasty. Pat’s bread is made from locally sourced ingredients, and it has a distinctly fresh taste. The issue I have is that the bread was softer than I prefer. If you have read my food assessments when it comes to sandwiches, you know I prefer a harder bread with some more crust. At the same time, this was not an overly chewy bread, so that was a plus.
Score: 1.00 out of 2 points
Condiments
As mentioned, the cheese selected for my Pat’s Cheesesteak was provolone. You have an option between provolone, American, or Cheese Whiz. Cheese Whiz is what Pat’s is known for, but I opted to go with my favorite cheese – provolone. The provolone is not as overpowering as the Cheese Whiz and has a nice flavor. The photo below shows how the cheese wraps around the meat.
The onions are absolutely the way to go. They are fried just enough to get a nice caramelization effect, which really enhances the overall flavor.
There were just enough onions and cheese to satisfy.
Score: 1.50 out of 2 points
Intangibles
One key thing I look for is how the sum of the components exceeds the individual components. In the case of Pat’s Cheesesteak, which made use of some outstanding ribeye steak meat, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The combination of the steak, bread, provolone, and onions works—and works quite well. On top of that, this was not a messy sandwich, which is a plus in my book.
The proportions also scored quite well here. The ratios of the ribeye, onion, and cheese worked great together. Most importantly, this sandwich was filling.
Score: 1.50 out of 2 points
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
The question of the best cheesesteak constantly comes up in Philadelphia. Despite its iconic reputation, I see Pat’s overlooked – which is a shame. Pat’s delivers a great cheesesteak and really shines in a department that matters most – the steak. The ribeye steak used is excellent. Getting it “provolone wit” really delivers an excellent sandwich experience.
Pat’s scores a nice 7.25 out of ten points, easily putting it in an above-average category. I also challenge you to find a place at 2 a.m. that can deliver a cheesesteak better than Pat’s (or its across-the-street rival) Geno’s (both places are open 24 hours). I have no problem having this cheesesteak again or recommending it to someone else.
Summary
| Meat | 3.25 |
| Bread | 1.00 |
| Sauce | 1.50 |
| Intangibles | 1.50 |
| Total | 7.25 |
Score: 7.25 (out of 10 points)
Value: Above Average
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
December 6, 2024 @ 3:15 pm
To each his own, and thus here is my experience with Pat’s and Geno’s in the summer of 2005. My wife and I ordered sandwiches from both places, went to our car and each ate a half of both sandwiches. Bread was soggy at Pat’s and dry at Geno’s. Meat was flavorless, dry and chewy in both sandwiches. Onions were steamed rather than grilled. Not a bit of seasoning on the meat at either place. Bland. bland. bland. For the amount of meat, both sandwiches were overpriced. Nearly every local restaurant with a cheese steak on the menu was of better quality and flavor than these two stands that get all the press. They got me once and never again.