{"id":265940,"date":"2026-08-15T14:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T14:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/265940\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T14:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T14:44:10","slug":"i-have-family-visiting-and-they-want-an-authentic-philly-cheesesteak-can-i-just-order-takeout-from-our-local-pizza-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/265940\/","title":{"rendered":"I have family visiting and they want an \u2018authentic Philly cheesesteak.\u2019 Can I just order takeout from our local pizza place?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s question (Have your own? Submit it here<\/a>.):<\/p>\n

I have family visiting and they want an \u201cauthentic Philly cheesesteak<\/a>.\u201d Should I take the entire day, battle traffic and parking, and shuttle them down to South Philly? Or can I order takeout from our local pizza place in the burbs? Is there that much difference?<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr, features columnist<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to start any beef, but I\u2019m a big believer that wherever you get your cheesesteak (as long as the shop is in Philly, the burbs, or from certain portions of South Jersey) it\u2019s probably just fine for an authentic Philly cheesesteak meal to an outsider.<\/p>\n

Now, if they want the authentic Philly cheesesteak experience \u2014 standing in a ridiculous line, overhearing people argue, seriously pondering whether they want liquid cheese ladled onto something they will consume, now that is a different story. What do you think, Tommy?<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan, programming editor and cheesesteak connoisseur<\/p>\n

That\u2019s totally cool! You can find good sandwiches anywhere. But I\u2019m a snob, and I want a certain type of roll, and a certain type of cut of meat, and certain cheese options. So I\u2019m the kind of person who would brave the traffic and parking to get something that tastes as authentic as possible.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

Great, now I feel terrible that I just ordered my dad a cheesesteak from our local pizza shop when he came to visit last year! Missteaks were made, obviously.<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan<\/p>\n

You should not feel terrible! If he enjoyed it, that\u2019s all that matters! <\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

Let me ask, if your out-of-town guest wants an authentic cheesesteak experience and requests to go to Pat\u2019s or Geno\u2019s, as a cheesesteak snob, would you take them or try to convince them to let you take them somewhere else (and, if so, where)?<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan<\/p>\n

I would absolutely convince them to go otherwise. At its best, cheesesteaks from John\u2019s Roast Pork, Angelo\u2019s, or Shay\u2019s offer an authentic taste of home: a fresh-baked roll worth its salt, tender meat with taste, and cheese that doesn\u2019t soak the whole thing into submission. And, to your excellent point, all three offer an interesting experience. All three are in uniquely Philadelphia buildings, in uniquely Philadelphia spots, and you can pick them up on the way to the ballgame. And the people you meet will add to the experience of eating an authentic sandwich.<\/p>\n

\"John’sJohn\u2019s Roast Pork cheesesteak at the Inquirer studio on March 5, 2025. Food styling by Emilie Fosnocht.Monica Herndon \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

I fully support your last point. The people you meet when ordering a cheesesteak in Philly definitely flavor the experience.<\/p>\n

Would you feel the same way if this reader was asking about another of Philadelphia\u2019s gastronomical delights: Is the hoagie from your local pizza shop the same as one from say a Cut Above Deli or Fink\u2019s or Paesano\u2019s?<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan<\/p>\n

Absolutely!<\/p>\n

But again, I\u2019m picky with these things. And variety is what makes life great. What is your favorite spot to get a steak, Steph?<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

My local pizza shop! I\u2019m really not very picky about my steaks and I don\u2019t eat them often, maybe once or twice a season (is eight cheesesteaks a year a lot? When I write it out it sounds like it, but I feel like I\u2019m below average).<\/p>\n

Now hoagies on the other hand, I do think it matters where you get those if you\u2019re trying to impress someone with the local culture. I find serious hoagie shops seriously impressive. I\u2019ve definitely called some hoagies works of art before, but I can\u2019t recall ever doing the same for a cheesesteak.<\/p>\n

As a cheesesteak snob, do you go for taste or presentation when trying to impress an out-of-town guest? I feel like a lot of folks I\u2019ve taken for cheesesteaks don\u2019t find them as aesthetically pleasing as they\u2019d imagine (where I come from cheese is usually placed on top of the steak and toasted, not mixed all up in it).<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan<\/p>\n

I get it! I think cheesesteaks are to me what hoagies are to you. If you are passionate about something, you have rules. <\/p>\n

The cheesesteak is a heavy sandwich, but there is definitely an art to the composition. And the best places keep an eye on both taste and look. The key is making sure it\u2019s not a soggy mess.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

I feel like the key to cheesesteaks, hoagies, and life is to make sure it\u2019s not a soggy mess!<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan<\/p>\n

Amen!!!<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

Out here in Delco, I love the hoagies at A Cut Above in Newtown Square<\/a> and Pagano\u2019s in Drexel Hill<\/a>, but this conversation has made me realize I need to try some new places \u2014 both for cheesesteaks and hoagies. I\u2019m a creature of habit, so I tend to find a place I like and stick with it, but there are so many options in the region and so many I haven\u2019t tried yet it\u2019s embarrassing!<\/p>\n

Tommy Rowan<\/p>\n

We may have to do a part II. I\u2019ll go with you to a few hoagie places and you come with me to a few cheesesteak places and we can compare notes!<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farr<\/p>\n

Oh I am so in! Lettuce proceed on this noble quest before us!<\/p>\n

\"Tommy<\/a><\/p>\n

I am a programming editor who helps oversee The Inquirer’s homepage, alert notifications, and social media channels. You’ll also see me regularly writing about cheesesteaks, Philly history, and the Jersey Shore. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week\u2019s question (Have your own? Submit it here.): I have family visiting and they want an \u201cauthentic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[112261,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-265940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-cheesesteaks-advice-chat-worth-travel","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}