Product Code Database
A cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak (often rib eye) and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular regional fast food, it has its roots in the United States city of Philadelphia.
Philadelphians Pat Olivieri and Harry Olivieri are often credited with inventing the sandwich by serving chopped steak on an Italian roll in the early 1930s. The exact story behind its creation is debated, but according to many accounts, Pat and Harry Olivieri originally owned a hot dog stand, and on one occasion, decided to make a new sandwich using chopped beef and grilled onions. While Pat was eating the sandwich, a cab driver stopped by and was interested in it, so he requested one for himself. After eating it, the cab driver suggested that Olivieri quit making hot dogs and instead focus on the new sandwich. They began selling this variation of at their hot dog stand near South Philadelphia's Italian Market. They became so popular that Pat opened up his own restaurant which still operates today as Pat's King of Steaks.
The sandwich was originally prepared without cheese. According to Pat's son Herb Olivieri, American cheese was first added by "Cocky Joe" Lorenza, a manager at the Ridge Avenue location in March of 1951. (However, other Olivieri members may say it was provolone.) There is some dispute over whether Pat's was the first to add cheese, though to date no concrete evidence has emerged to disprove Olivieri's story. (2024). 9781540265364, The History Press. ISBN 9781540265364
Cheesesteaks have become popular at restaurants and food carts throughout the city with many locations being independently owned, family-run businesses. Variations of cheesesteaks are now common in several fast food chains. Versions of the sandwich can also be found at high-end restaurants. Many establishments outside of Philadelphia refer to the sandwich as a "Philly cheesesteak".
Common additions include sautéed onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper.
Food distributors often suggest or sell sandwiches which are inspired by the classic cheesesteak. For example, Pillsbury provides a recipe for "Philly Cheesesteak Wraps" which substitutes a tortilla for the bread. Nestlé offers a "Philly Steak and Cheese" made in the form of a Hot Pocket.
Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan said, "Provolone is for aficionados, extra-sharp for the most discriminating among them." Geno's owner Joey Vento said, "We always recommend the provolone. That's the real cheese."
Cheez Whiz, first marketed in 1952, was not yet available for the original 1932 version (or the 1951 version that first added cheese), but has expanded in popularity. A 1986 New York Times article called Cheez Whiz "the sine qua non of cheesesteak connoisseurs." In a 1985 interview, Pat Olivieri's nephew Frank Olivieri said that he uses "the processed cheese spread familiar to millions of parents who prize speed and ease in fixing the children's lunch for the same reason, because it is fast."
Cheeze Whiz was first added at Pat's South Philadelphia location by Frank Olivieri Sr. in the late 1950s. By that time cheesesteaks were already popular at the Ridge Avenue/Strawberry Mansion location, but Pat and Harry Olivieri were hesitant to serve them in South Philly because they had a lot of customers who kept Kosher in that neighborhood (and mixing cheese and meat on the grill would have been problematic). Frank Sr. got the idea to surreptitiously add the Whiz after the sandwich was made, and the idea eventually took off.
Cheez Whiz is "overwhelmingly the favorite" at Pat's, outselling runner-up American by a ratio of eight or ten to one, while Geno's claims to go through eight to ten cases of Cheez Whiz a day.
Cooper Sharp, a "Pasteurized Process American Cheese", is gaining ground as a new cheese option as of 2023. Made from aged cheddar and having a higher milkfat content, the product is sharper and creamier than ordinary American cheese. According to Kosuke Chujo, who runs a cheesesteak shop in Japan, the cheese "was very creamy and delicious with the perfect balance of salt".
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