The Legend

This past weekend my journeys once again brought me to the home of the cheese steak. This time, however, I did not intend to roam around Philadelphia in search of a sub joint. This time, I was on a mission. I knew exactly what I wanted and where I was going. No, not the original Geno's restaurant, but one that I consider to be just as renown, Pat's King of Steaks.

Pat's King of Steaks, like most places you can get a cheese steak from in Philadelphia, has some of the best cheese steaks in the world. What is it that makes these subs so delicious? One obvious answer is the roll, another is the recipe. Both of these help Pat's become a step ahead of the others. Started in 1930, Pat's has been providing high quality subs from a quaint little restaurant in Southern Philadelphia. Even now, 77 years later, their lines are still huge.

After waiting in the long line I got my sub, and of course, a coke. Looking at the sub, it looked a little different from most because a different ingredient that Pat's uses. Tasting the sub, it tasted very different from most subs. It was clearly superior to most, if not all that I have ever had. The bread was fresh, and you could pick to have it toasted. The meat, also fresh, was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and chopped into small bits. Finally, the special ingredient: the cheese. Not just any kind of cheese, but Cheese Wiz. Yes, Pat's King of Steaks puts Cheese Wiz in their subs, and it is delicious. I did not get anything else on the cheese steak, but it was amazing the way that it was.

There is one minor issue that some may have with Pat's King of Steaks. Their cheese steaks are a bit on the small side. This does not affect the taste at all, just merely how much is needed to satisfy one's hunger. If one sub is not enough, it is clearly worth it to buy a second. It is due to the fact that Pat's has such minor flaws that a great controversy surrounds the restaurant. It is the long standing question of which is better, Pat's or Geno's? Many people have many, many different opinions, but there may never truly be an answer to this question. Therefore, I will put it upon myself to visit Geno's again in the future, provide a review, and do my best to answer solve that great mystery.

Previously, the best sub that I have tasted and reviewed was from Hemo's subs. Thinking about it, I am not sure whether or not Pat's was better. During the time that I spent eating it, my mind was constantly changing. The Cheese Wiz was a great addition, but the meat seemed to be better at Hemo's. The location of Pat's was clearly historic and somewhat a monument, but the service is simply much better at Hemo's. (Pat's is extremely quick, but they will not converse with you like Hemo himself does.) Therefore, like with Hemo's, I will not give a perfect rating because it did not truly stand out as the perfect sub, although it was quite delicious. For those who have tasted both, this may seem like an odd choice, but I award Pat's a 9.5 out of 10, just like Hemo's received.

Subway, Eat Fresh

Almost every one has either heard or knows of the slogan, "Subway, Eat Fresh", or know who Jared is. Subway takes pride in having 28441 restaurants in 85 countries. This fast food chain is considered to be one of the best sub/sandwich chains in America, with most of its competition coming from the also popular Quizno's Subs. Despite having such a large number of restaurants, Subway is just now beginning to sell the greatest type of sub: The Big Philly Cheese Steak.

Subway's new cheese steak of course has some of the natural qualities of a cheese steak, but is lacking others. The sub comes with the basics: bread, steak, and cheese. Next, when ordering, you can request onions, peppers, ketchup, mayonnaise, or even lettuce or tomatoes, even though they are not on the typical cheese steak. You can also pick what type of bread you want: White, Wheat, or Italian. Finally, there is one major thing that makes it different from a regular cheese steak: the meat. The meat is more like slices of steak instead of diced up steak. Although it may not seem like a big deal, that is important.

I had previously only seen this sub on the frequently aired Subway commercials, and did not consider it much. Soon enough, however, I began hearing good things about the sub from many people and decided to give it a try. I went into the restaurant and placed my order. Of course, I had to answer the typical questions of what type of bread, cheese, toppings, and sauce. Having to answer what type of sauce I wanted on the sub caught me off guard a little bit, how many different sauces do people put on cheese steaks? I have always thought that it was ketchup, occasionally mayonnaise, and if you're extremely lucky, Hemo Sauce. Finally, I was also offered if I wanted it toasted or not. Then, after going through all the typical steps, I got my chips, Coke, sub, and was ready to go.

Looking at it, it looked delicious. Biting into it, it was pretty good. Subway has always had a steak and cheese sandwich, but that is nothing special. This, however, is better. The meat, although a little big, and a little chewy, was very good. The toasted roll was a very nice touch, not something that one would normally expect from a fast food restaurant, but then again, Subway does not consider itself a normal fast food joint. Overall, it was a typical, satisfying Subway sub.

Although I was a bit confused about the whole sauce thing and ordering it (I didn't know how many different things could be put on a cheese steak), I was satisfied. It was not extraordinary, but it was not bad. It was good. In fact, it was better than the average sub. I award the Big Philly Cheese Steak from Subway a 6.5 out of 10. This of course brings up the question, where is the better cheese steak from, Subway or Quizno's? At that, which is better in general? That is something no one can answer.