ref=”https://thinktasty1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Genos-cheesesteak.jpg”>The last week of April we took two of our teens on a combined work/pleasure trip to the mid-Atlantic region.  With a schedule of a few meetings here, a little sightseeing there, we were able to enjoy the kids’ week off from school while maintaining a relaxed business schedule.  Journeying down the Atlantic coast, we made stops in Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Of course, one of our purposes for visiting Philly was to see historic sites.  However, I’d be fibbing if I didn’t admit that an equally as important purpose was to eat cheesesteaks at Geno’s and Pat’s.  I know, a cheesesteak covered in Cheez Whiz doesn’t really sound like a dish that I’d crave, nor does it sound like something that our vegetarian would want, but it seemed like a vital stop for a group of foodies.

In keeping with the current societal theme of everyone winning a prize, I am pleased to say that both Pat’s and Geno’s were winners in our taste test.  No, this isn’t because we couldn’t decide; rather it was due to the vegetarian in our midst.  At each restaurant we ordered a cheesesteak with onions and cheese fries.  Let the comparisons begin!

Cheesesteak winner- Geno’s

Geno’s steak is cut thinner, which makes it more tender.  They provided a greater amount of onions on the sandwich, enough so that you could enjoy both the taste and texture of the topping.  They also used a roll that was softer.  Between the thinly sliced steak and the soft roll, it was easier to eat this sandwich, though eating a cheesesteak is a messy endeavor no matter the ingredients.  At both Pat’s and Geno’s the amount of Cheez Whiz seemed to be nearly equal on their sandwiches. 

Cheese Fries winner- Pat’s

Pat’s uses a more thickly cut french fry, not that it is a steak cut, but it is just slightly bigger, which holds up well against the liberal amount of Cheez Whiz.  In addition to being a thicker fry, it also had a crispier exterior.  Although the fries at the bottom of the box were slightly soggy from the cheese sauce, they still were firmer than the fries from Geno’s.

I am glad that we made a visit to the dueling steak shops during our time in Philly.  It was fun to share the judging of these items with the kids and to eat something quite different from our everyday menus.  If you ask me or our vegetarian, we are all set on visiting both Pat’s and Geno’s.  However, if you ask my husband or son, I’m pretty sure they’d be glad to return today.

While I think our determination of the winners is accurate, I’d encourage you to visit for yourself.  It can make a fun way to dine and pass some time.