Pat's King of Steaks

History

Pat's King of Steaks traces to 1930, when hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri grilled some thin-sliced beef on his cart and a passing cabbie asked for one of those instead. Cheese came later — provolone first, then Cheez Whiz — and the cheesesteak was born. The walk-up stand at 9th and Passyunk has run around the clock for decades, spawning rival Geno's directly across the street and a citywide ordering etiquette ('wit' or 'witout') that still trips up tourists.