Pat Olivieri claims to have invented the cheesesteak in 1930, selling them from a hot dog stand at 9th and Passyunk. The current Pat's King of Steaks has been on this corner ever since, open 24 hours a day, serving chopped beef and cheese on a long roll to an unbroken line of Philadelphians and visitors. Directly across the street is Geno's Steaks, founded in 1966, whose neon-lit exterior and claims to superiority have been fueling one of the most durable fast food debates in American culinary history.
Ordering at Pat's requires knowing the protocol: state your cheese first (Whiz, American, or provolone), then with or without onions ("wit" or "witout"). Hesitate and you will be told to step aside and think about it. The sandwich itself is exactly what it is — fatty, salty, hot, immediate — and eating it standing at the outdoor counter in South Philly at midnight is one of those Philadelphia experiences that makes no sense to describe in advance and makes complete sense the moment you're doing it. The debate about Pat's versus Geno's is real but ultimately beside the point. Both are fine. The corner is the thing.