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That first cheesesteak was made wrong. A good cheesesteak has the cheese melted throughout the meat, there is sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms on them. Sorry but that was a lousy excuse for a cheesesteak. I wouldn't have eaten the one you were served either.
I'm from PA and both of those restaurant are nasty next time you come to Philly you need to get with somebody that's from Philadelphia y'all have horrible experience
I hope you didnt fly to the US just for the cheese steak. The area of Pats and Genos, especially in wi ter must really have sucked. Notice, yous were the only people there. Lol. The City center in philly is amazing though.
They did the same at Chick-fil-A... and most restaurants they try 🤣 they order to what they think their liking of food will be instead of starting with the simple direct reason each place is so famous & popular.
@@mermaid1717 True that. When trying a new place with a reputation, I always try the thing that made them famous. Experiment later, but give their mainstay a shot first.
They are very different and it all depends on the quality of the ingredients. Pats/Genos are the tourist traps. Locals don't go to those places. They are pretty much the worst you can get.
This is one of the rare cases where you created a disaster from start to finish. Bad choice of restaurants, done in freezing temperatures, with one of you already predisposed to dislike it. It would be the equivalent of an American going to London, finding the cheesiest tourist trap restaurant, ordering a Shepherd's Pie, and saying "it's just meat and potatoes done different". You made a video, but you really didn't do the subject justice.
Honestly, when the food is basic meat in bread then it's not going to be dramatically different wherever they got it from. BTW, same deal with Shepherd's pie, it's real basic so it makes little difference where you get it from.
@@futurez12 I'll simply say this: if you live in the Philly region, you know the difference. When done right, so the cheese is literally melted between all the steak, with just the right amount of ketchup, it doesn't even need the fried onions. That simply becomes a bonus. Done correctly, it's the nectar of the gods. Done wrong, it's how you described it, just meat on bread. Btw, I'm hungry now (lol)!
@@futurez12 I used to think that way, and I am honest enough to say that I did not know what I was talking about. I experimented with simple mushroom pizza from different shops all within a few blocks from each other. The differences were day and night.
Pats and Genos are probably the worst choices considering what the city has to offer. It's a shame they couldn't sample a steak from Chick's in Chery Hill (New Jersey). Delassandros would have been a good way to go as well
I drove up to Philadelphia one Sunday morning to have a cheesesteak and I went to Gino's instead of Pat's which is their competitor right across the street. It was terrible. It was dry and tasteless. Next time I'll try Pat's Cheesesteak
Agree. I also think New Jersey pizza is highly underrated. Much better than N.Y. pizza IMO. And I won't even get into Jersey style Italian samiches. OMFG!!!! Amazing.
From someone who is born and raised in philly. Pats and genos are only for tourist. Philly residents usually dont ever buy pata or genos. We usually go to a "corner store / papi store" and get a cheese steak there
In an earlier video you mentioned the possibility of taking an Uber to Dalessandro’s. Rather than settling for true tourist traps with materially lesser reputations, you should have exercised that option. However, I admit my favorite location is Jim’s on South Street, despite the fact it is touristy as well (and, indeed, have enjoyed Jim’s cheesesteaks shipped overnight to my residence on the west coast).
You should have picked a different restaurant if only for the indoor dining option in that weather. You could have gotten those sandwiches within walking distance of your AirBnB. (probably better tasting too) And the biggest part of Pat's and Geno's hype is that they are open when the bars close, so they're often the only option for something substantial to eat after a night out drinking.
I'm born and raised in Philly, been eating cheese-steaks my whole life. I get a craving for one now and then but realistically not much more than a couple of times a year. I think they are best during the "partying" part of your life, the 3am after a night at the clubs, that is a go-to stop. I don't know why people think they are like a delicacy or such a focus of Philly culture. It's iconic status, I think, comes from the fact that every neighborhood has their special place but really it's just a tasty, quick stop, local fast food. To me it's all about the bread, Philly "hoagie" rolls are what makes them special.
From Philly and remember the drive from North Philly to Pat’s in South Philly on a hot summer night for a midnight cheese steak. It was a something to do with friends from your “corner” back in the 70s!
The bread is extremely important! You cannot get good Italian rolls outside of this part of the country. I've eaten my share at Geno's at 3:00AM after a night of drinking.
I’d fond memories of hitting Pat’s with my friends after closing whatever club down on Delaware Ave. and heading to Revival, Black Banana, or whatever after hours place. Drowned in ketchup and Wiz. Tasted fricken amazing at 3 in the morning. Took my family down into Philly to celebrate my birthday and demanded everyone needed to try my old favorite, gettin’ sh;+ faced, as long as I get home by 5, I can still get up by 6 to get to work by 8, I’ll be good to go, steak. Sadly, it just didn’t taste nearly as good I remember. Guess I should’ve taken them to Jim’s on South. Decent cheesesteak with indoor seating (it was chilly and windy). All that to say, your totally right. Cheesesteaks taste so much better at 3 AM.
Born and raised in Philly. Have fond memories of the drive from North Philly to South Philly on a hot summer night for a midnight cheese steak. It was a something to do with friends from your “corner” back in the 70s!
I am def triggered by this! I wish you'd had a local (like me!) with you. Because at 8:16 in the background you can see a place called Rim Cafe. The. Best. Hot. Chocolate. It would have sorted you right out on that cold day!
What troopers you two are! Freezing conditions and Ubering to the cheesesteak shops to have disappointing sandwiches is gold star worthy. This spirit of adventure you both have is awe inspiring. I've never had one of these myself but I would have definitely added cheese whiz for lubrication if for no other reason. Well done, J&L.
I love these food reviews by Joel and Lia! Makes me realize that it’s so important to avoid the touristy restaurants if you want authentic food tasting 😄
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philly and the cheesesteak and Hoagie debate is real! Everyone you meet has a favorite. It comes down to personal taste and preference. The bread is important; fresh and brought in that morning from a local bakery like Conshohocken Bakery. The steak needs to cook up quick and the cheese (not wiz!) is added right before the steak is taken off the grill and put into the fresh roll. I don’t care for onions but mushrooms are always part of my cheesesteak. There is a big debate about adding or not adding ketchup to the cheesesteak. I like ketchup on my cheesesteak but there are people who would argue against it! Pats or Gino’s are meh. Dalessandro’s, Jim’s, Tony Luke’s and some local places are my go to for cheesesteaks and chicken cheesesteaks. I hope if you are ever back in Philly you give one of these places a try and do a redo cheesesteak challenge.
Hello Joel and Lia. I am from philly and those are not the cheesesteaks most people from philly eat. Those places tourists try but you guys should try other places that chop up the meat like Max's, Jim's steaks, etc. There are so many others that better than geno's or pat's. Much love❤💜💙
You missed the Speakeasy Insomnia Cookie lab. You had to give a secret password and you could go to the back and create custom cookies and milkshakes! It is in the store next to Pats and Genos.
It's a comfort food. A good cheese steak that's almost at the same price as a hamburger meal(especially the premium ones). It's affordable, good, comfort food. It's good in that sense where inexpensive and tasty meet. If you can't compare to anything, then you won't immediately like it. People need time to acclimate to new foods. Especially if it's been hyped. It's the equivalent of fish and chips, which is literally the only British food I know but it works here. It's a good workhorse of a sandwich. You need to have a few to appreciate it's deliciousness. And like pizza, most places make a decent one. Also most places have a meal set with fries, sometimes a drink. That puts it over most burger chains(and one could feed two people). It's quite tasty. But with how high the sodium is ect, it really is best for the young.
I have no idea why you'd want to visit the northeast when it's freezing cold. For your own sake, don't visit the south in the summer. 🤣 Next time do the opposite. Northern summers are quite pleasant, and southern winters are quite mild. Jus' sayin'.
LMAO! I don't know when the last time you spent a summer in the Northeast part of the country but I can tell you that it gets pretty hot in the summer. Philly, New York, Baltimore, South Jersey are all pretty much in the 90s in the summer especially during June and July plus it's freaking humid to add to it. If you really think that's Pleasant, I question your ability to accurately judge the weather
Pat's and Geno's are terrible. Try John's Roast Pork. They're famous for the truly Philadelphia sandwich, which is the roast pork sandwich, but their Cheesesteak is also quite awesome. I went there for the Cheesesteak, but ended up having both when I asked why they were called John Roast Pork. They knew right then I wasn't from Philly. I'm from California. They told me Cheesesteaks are a "tourist" thing. Roast Pork is the sandwich Philly natives want. I was "schooled".
Ha you were lied to. By a place that sells roast pork sandwiches. Cheese steaks are the opposite of touristy. Most have that sort of reaction because cheese steaks are such a common food. That's where and when they shine. I'm sure a roast beef place would have said the same. And those places aren't bad at all. So it's no loss.
A Philly Cheesesteak is sauteed chip steak and fried onions put on a lightly crispy Italian hoagie roll, some people also like fried peppers, sauteed mushrooms, hot peppers, if you put tomato sauce then it becomes an Italian cheesesteak. You can have provolone cheese, American, Cheddar, swiss or cheese whiz. I personally like to eat my Cheesesteak with Heinz Ketchup, another Pennsylvania invention.
@@bbranett2188 They can only be made well outside of the Philly area IF you have the right kind of roll. A proper cheesesteak roll has a crisp crust with a soft but chewy interior. Making them on a baguette or similar looking but different "mouth feel" roll won't work. And no bell peppers! The only peppers on a Philly cheesesteak are pickled spicy peppers, like a banana pepper.
So sorry you guys had to brave the elements just to try the cheesesteaks. ☹️ I do think it is more an American thing, cause a lot of Americans do love red meat, but if you do come back (which I hope you do!), Jim’s on South Street really is the best, as others have said. Either way, you guys make us smile no matter what you do. And I applaud the effort (3 claps for J&L)! 🙂 ❤️🙂❤️🙂
Jim's, Pat's,Geno's, D'Allesandro's, all good, many more,about equally good. I love Philly, I love cheesesteaks (4 or 5 x per year). Man, I would never eat outside under those conditions. I heard that Philly accent at the 2nd window. Come back in the fall,before snow and frost.
13:31 About not putting the meat in “foreign” bread...there are food safety rules that can get restaurants in trouble with the food inspector. Idk about every state, but in TX you can’t take food into the kitchen if you don’t know everything about the food. The food could be bad, or have allergens that could contaminate other’s food. If the food came from the kitchen, but is being “sent back,” this is fine, as the quality of the food should be known. But fast food joints usually won’t take food back, especially at the drive through. You should just get fresh food. If a place demands the food back, it’s thought of as a little janky, y’know? The public often accuse fast food places of being unsanitary, so it’s better not to take handled food back into the kitchen.
While I think it’s more an American thing, if you’re ever back I’d suggest going to Jim’s on 9th and getting it with whiz. It’s not the canned cheese but a melted mix of cheeses & some spices that ends up coating everything in the sandwich. Also just wanted to add that health code prevents any food service establishment from touching outside food/ingredients because it could contain allergens and they would need to re-sanitize everything being used for food production afterwards before they could continue serving others. I worked at a coffee shop for 10 years and we couldn’t even use sweeteners or protein powders that customers brought in because it could be an allergen or contaminate our machines & equipment.
As someone who took a road trip to Philly with the primary reason being to try a cheesesteak, I feel like they were duped. I had friends in the area who recommended Max's Steaks. Amazing sandwich. Worth the drive. Ruined anything you can get on the West coast now though..
Gaglione Bros here in San Diego is the best cheesesteak. Dare I say even better than you can get in Philly. You can get a regular (8 or 9") large (12") and giant (18"). They even use the correct type of bread Amoroso. My go to is a large wiz wit.
They could have literally gone to almost any other shop in town and got a better steak. Jim's, Abner's, Chickie and Pete so many better places. Plus they should have asked a couple of regular people on the street and they would have been solid. They knew going in they would not like the food. It's a poor review situation.
I drove through Philly once on my way to New York and I just had to try and authentic Philly cheesesteak. I went to Pat's and I made sure to get the cheese whiz. I feel like that's the only way to really get it. It was delicious. You definitely should have gotten the cheese whiz on it Also, when you went over to Gino's, you didn't even get a Philly cheesesteak. I thought you were going to compare the two. You might have liked it better. If you're able to, next time get a local to go with you to help you. Not specifically just talkin about in Philly but anytime you're trying something that an area is famous for
i love phily cheese steak but the ones i had didnt look like that, they had more cheese and it was melted within the meat, i had green peppers, onions and mushrooms in mine as well as seasonings
Cheese steaks are good pretty much everywhere I've tried them, but these ones are pretty traditional "Philly" cheese steaks. I prefer green peppers in mine as well.
One thing I'll agree with is that it was odd that it wasn't melted. Usually you can't see the slice at all. It melts unrecognizably. The reaction of where is the cheese made sense until they actually showed it.
Oh so you had a bastardized version and still had the balls to call it Philly? I got one in TX and the fckers put LETTUCE on it like it was a cheesteak hoagie
@@hot2warm oh I don't mind if they call em that but hot damn it's a variation! All over this country are ''''Philly'''' steaks with just anything on em
Still looking forward to seeing you try out a Chicago Italian beef with sweet peppers, a Chicago hot dog, and a Chicago dep dish pizza, and a Chicago Eli's cheesecake..
Love Joel and Lia. But, I paused the video at 42 seconds and thought, "if Joel has something other than a cheesesteak, I'm going to be annoyed." He seems to always get something other than what the establishment is famous for. Love em anyway but come on Joel. Edit: 4:00 minutes in and at least he tried it.
There are certain sandwiches that you just don’t make any changes to like a Rueben or a Cuban. A Philly cheese steak is one of them. You might choose to have it wit or witout but the line is drawn at the bread. Also found it funny that Joel didn’t like the Philly but had no problem with the meatball sandwich. Were they not both beef? 😂
Awwww NOOOOO! Not Geno’s and Pats!!! That’s such a bad look smh, not even close to the best cheese steak spot in Philly 🤦🏻♂️😭 Anyone going to Philly for a good cheese steak go hit up Dalessandro's or John’s Roast Pork. Geno’s and Pats are tourist traps.
This triggered me as much as when they tried Chick-fil-A and said it was like KFC. WTF? KFC and Subway are basically the bottom of the food chain when it comes to chicken and sandwiches. Apparently, that’s all they have in the UK to compare it to.
Chick-fil-A is overrated, so no. But otherwise, yeah, their attempts to try popular American foods are frequently ridiculous. Why go to a place famous & popular for a dish and not order that. Dumb.
Kind of hilarious that they said tons of people told them not to go to those garbage touristy places, then they go there and don't like it😂😂😂. I've grew up in Philly and now I live in the suburbs they do it better in the burbs then they do in the city.
@TylerLarew yeah if I was gonna send someone to a tourist spot, I'd send them to Tony Luke's, before pats or genos. But I'd rather go to a million other places, honestly.
Education!!! For cheesesteaks, it really depends on the quality of meat and the way it is prepared and, of course, seasoned. I don't think Pat's and Geno's have the best quality and are pure tourist traps. And the hoagie you got also depends on the quality of meat, condiments, and additions. For Joel, if he wanted cheese on his meatballs he would have to order a grinder. It is the cheese version of any hot sandwich. Hope that helps next time you are in Philly (hopefully sometime warmer).
Yeah, the mistake is going to pats/ginos, tourist junk. Saying they all look the same so they MUST taste the same is like saying all fish and chips look the same so they all must suck because I went to "Great British Fish and Chips" and it was like eating garbage, so therefore all fish and chips are garbage. Very cringe outlook on choosing the wrong place and claiming "they all must be the same!".
Definitely need Whiz, I make my own here in Michigan and that is the way to go. It needs a creamy cheese (sauce) for me, maybe even a Mexican queso would work. 12 degrees cold, you definitely need to avoid where I live from December to April, 12 would be shorts weather.
The Health Department doesn’t allow restaurants to bring outside food or trash into the restaurants… most likely why they wouldn’t take that woman’s bread
Yes, not just an added inconvenience for employee. Plus this is a culture of lawsuits. You just never know and they can, and do, occur against those that show goodwill. Unfortunately they are the easiest to target and for the simplest of items
I used to live a few blocks from Pat's & Gino's so I found this nostalgically amusing. I always got extra white American cheese and extra onions. The sandwiches are nearly identical since they both use the same bakery in the neighborhood. Amoroso's rolls are actually the best in Philly but I don't know who uses them any more... moved to Saint Paul MN in 1998.
Amoroso's rolls are a must. We have them in our cheesesteak shop here in California. We also have the pickled peppers and Cherry peppers that are required.
Amoroso rolls taste pretty terrible now since they moved to New Jersey. They add all these chemicals in their bread now. Liscio’s bakery rolls tastes like the old amoroso.
@@TranceRevolved Oh dear! They were wonderful. Soft and tasty inside, just crusty enough on the outside with a buttery flavor. I guess everything changes. I also remembered a great hole-in-the-wall Mexican place that had rickety chairs and a working Ms Packman. The food was super fresh and reasonably priced. Was it on Chestnut Street a few blocks East of Broad? I miss South Philly sometimes but St. Paul is home now and I love my life here.
@@amysheppeck1278 If you visit Philly, a whole lot has changed. Neighborhoods, downtown. A lot of gentrification going on. Hipster restaurants and bars everywhere. Newish mall in Center City replaced the Gallery, etc.
I went to pat's a couple years ago and it definitely disappointed me. I thought it was going to be the best cheesesteak I ever had but it was not very good. There are much better cheesesteaks in Philly than pat's. I live in New Jersey and we have some really good cheesesteaks over here too! I hope you guys have a great rest of your trip in the US, stay safe and I'm looking forward to seeing the test of your videos!
I live in illinois, but there's this small mom and pop shop that has the beeeeest Philly cheese steak sandwiches. I don't know if people would really consider it authentic, since it has green peppers, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and vinegar and oil with some cheese. But the meat is soooo juicy and tender. The guy that cooks there owns the shop as well, and won awards for his cooking in the past. It's just a tiny little sandwich shop. But it's the best place I've ever been to! So, if you guys can, try to find the local mom and pops shops that aren't really advertised. They're always the best by far! Even if I go out of town, I always ask the locals where the best food spots are. Specifically ask for the little shops that no one really knows about! It's always the best. Even local bakeries. Flippin delicious and well worth the money spent.
OMG what a miserable day to stroll around trying sandwiches! 😆 And the car spinning its wheels in the slush next to your picnic 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Did you know about delivery by Uber Eats? Well you had a true taste of freezing Philadelphia! That is what it's like there 1/3 of the year! Just an FYI - ALL of the midwest is like that in the winter. I'm from Michigan.
When you guys visit Chicago...everyone is going to tell you to try an Italian beef...if you hate cheesesteaks I expect you will hate Italian beef. Italian beef is a beef sandwich with hot or sweet peppers on a very soaked and messy roll.
That sounds like a cheesesteak I used to get at a diner in New Hampshire; they just called it a cheesecake. It had the steak, American cheese, fried onions, and hots on a soaked roll. I wonder if it was a combination of the Philly and Italian beef. I thought it was a Philly Cheesesteak until I moved to Maryland, about an hour away from Philly, and had the opportunity to visit the city and sample a true Philly Cheesesteak.
@@shadowkissed2370 The Chicago Italian beef is sliced from a heavily seasoned cooked roast and unlike a French dip sandwich with au jus on the side, the entire Italian beef sandwich is usually dipped in the heavily seasoned gravy from the roasted beef with giardiniera added on top . A combo is also served with both Italian sausage and Italian beef on the sandwich. It's delicious too. I've only had Al's on Taylor Street which was always highly recommended. A Philly style cheese steak is made from thinly sliced raw beef that is then usually cooked to order on a flat top with cheese and grilled onions added and tomato ketchup is the preferred condiment. Joel and Lia's vlogs should be retitled "What not to do in Philly".
The key is finding the cheese YOU like. Everyone has a preference. You basically have to try them all to figure it out. For me I am a provolone guy through and through, but whiz every once in a while is good to. I also have to add jalapeno's to mine to give it some extra flavor. Some people like red or banana peppers. I prefer places that let you pimp and customize your philly as much as possible and that have good bread.
Hey you're a good sport for trying the beef sandwich. I love a meatball sub with cheese and green peppers. You're reviews are funny, stay bold and honest! The hot dogs in Chicago are really good. In Boston try the lobster roll.
I think that you would have enjoyed the sandwiches more if you had gotten them and just tasted them at home, and if you wanted condiments you needed to ask for them ,otherwise you get it plain, and I don't understand Joel not liking beef ,but eating a beef meatball sandwich.I would have thought that he would have ordered something else,if he doesn't like beef. As for the cold it was a typical winter day in the northeast area of the United States. The hype is the rivalry between two long-term businesses on the same corner, serving the same items.I hope that you enjoyed your trip anyway.
@@TwistedSisler He has said several times that he doesn't eat beef, including hamburger, which IS ground beef. He has said it on his individual channel.
@@Yasemin_Sky I agree I only stated that I thought he would chose something else on the menu that he would like more. Because he himself has stated several times he doesn't eat ground beef or as they say in England minced meat.
i like adding ketchup to mine. lol but if you're not a beef fan, this isn't for you. you're better off trying a "fat darryl". we used to have these food trucks that served up "fat" sandwiches at rutgers university in new jersey. a fat darryl had chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, french fries, and marinara sauce.
Hi guys, I love your videos! I noticed you often go to restaurants that people suggest but you don't often order the most popular items on the menu...so you're not really experiencing what makes the restaurant most appealing to their usual customers (Americans). I don't like cheese whiz either, but when in Rome🤷🏾♀️ lol Imagine if I went to a fish n' chip shop and ordered a hamburger😁 Oh well, still love you guys and it's all very entertaining. Safe travels!
I think for future travels you guys should definitely avoid tourist traps and support smaller and tastier local businesses. Better quality ingredients, fresher, better seasoning and made with love ❤️
The steak shavings were way to big! I'm from Boston, we call them Steak and Cheese, here. I order mine with extra cheese, extra mayo and lettuce! Yummy!!! 😋😊
Andy, hate to correct you, but as a Philadelphian it is my duty. When you say "With" in Philly it means Onion. "Without" means no onion and then you say the cheese you want. So it would be like "Wiz with" or "Prov without," which is what I get and that is provolone with no onion. 👍
Cheez Whiz on a cheese steak came about many years later in the 1970s as a way to increase profit margins since it is much cheaper than provolone or mozzarella. Cheez Whiz is not authentic at all.
I still like Geno's, tourist trap or not. It's definitely better than Pat's. But I don't eat Cheesesteaks much because they are super unhealthy. Incidentally, I think an Italian hoagie , like Lia had, is the better local sandwich.
Some people from the area are beyond loyal to a certain place (similar to how "passionate" they are about sports teams). Just figure out what you like and get that. Personally, I like provolone on my steak. Probably because it adds some salt to it and I like the way it melts. I also like places where the rolls are a bit softer. And yeah, I like ketchup on it, otherwise it does seem a bit dry to me.
I appreciate Joel trying Cheesesteaks given he doesn't like beef. Subway comparison was most spot on than you realize. Most people in the Philly metro consider Pat's & Geno's to be like Subway, barely edible facsimiles of sandwiches far better someplace else & not worth the $.
I agree. I can't even believe subway is still open. It's like the McDonalds of sandwiches. I remember hearing their bread had the same substance as what they pave playgrounds with and I always thought the bread at Subway smelled like some sort of paving/black top material.
@@thetruthhurtsyou147 Yeah. Definitely something like that. I think they stopped using that ingredientit several years ago after it came out in the news. I think I've eaten twice at subway. I thought it sucked and never went back. The college I use to get sandwiches from closed their delicious sandwich shop and let Subway in. I was sooo disappointed.
try another place next time you’re there! Pats and Genos are probably the worst cheesesteaks out there, definitely just a tourist trap. You’ll get a delicious one at Reading Terminal!
When in Rome… Why do people avoid wiz especially after it’s recommended to them??? I’ll never get it. Wiz adds great flavor and keeps it juicy!!! I HATE wiz on everything but a cheesesteak because that’s what makes the sandwich great!!!
What man doesn't like beef? Every man I ever met loves beef. Humans have been eating it for thousands of years. I could just see prehistoric man, a cave full of cavemen devouring a deer or a bison, and little joel sitting in the corner gnawing on a little bird. HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Joel, your sandwich was giving me flashbacks of when I was pregnant with my daughter. I got a meatball sub, took one bite and spit it into a garbage can and then threw the sub in. I haven't been able to look at one or even think about one since. A lot of foods were making me get physically ill, and I didn't even have to eat them. Seeing them smelling them or just thinking about them.
Cheese steaks taste different everywhere. I've had a few in different places cheese steaks here in Louisiana and they were all different. I'd imagine the ones up there are way under seasoned compared to anything here so I probably wouldn't like it either
Lettuce and tomato on a steak sandwich is called a cheesesteak hoagie. Joel should have tried a chicken cheesesteak since he doesn't like beef. I've lived in Philly all my life and never had a Pat's or Geno's steak sandwhich. I do like Dellasandros. When I was young back in the 60's and 70's we went to Jim's, at their original location.
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Only Jesse Smollett gets sandwiches in the snow
guys you shoulda got with onions and peppers and provolone cheese lol
That first cheesesteak was made wrong. A good cheesesteak has the cheese melted throughout the meat, there is sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms on them. Sorry but that was a lousy excuse for a cheesesteak. I wouldn't have eaten the one you were served either.
I'm from PA and both of those restaurant are nasty next time you come to Philly you need to get with somebody that's from Philadelphia y'all have horrible experience
I hope you didnt fly to the US just for the cheese steak. The area of Pats and Genos, especially in wi ter must really have sucked. Notice, yous were the only people there. Lol. The City center in philly is amazing though.
Joel & Lia: *orders the wrong things at the wrong cheesesteak spots*
Also Joel & Lia: "I don't get the hype"
They did the same at Chick-fil-A... and most restaurants they try 🤣 they order to what they think their liking of food will be instead of starting with the simple direct reason each place is so famous & popular.
@@mermaid1717 I wish they'd let me be their foodie tour guide! Lol
They always seem to order the wrong thing.
@@mermaid1717 True that. When trying a new place with a reputation, I always try the thing that made them famous. Experiment later, but give their mainstay a shot first.
right? it's simple: hey, i heard you guys have great philly cheesteaks. first time, so make me a delicious one.
Joel: I don't like beef.
Also Joel: This meatball sub is amazing!
A lot of times Italian meatballs are made with a blend of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal which gives a less "beefy" taste
I was like, ummmm what are the meatballs made from????
From a previous video.Joel: I don't like meat.Also Joel 5 minutes later: I love some sausages.Ha Ha!
He didn't say he didn't like meat. He said he doesn't like steak.
@@mattthornton8474 he said he doesn’t like beef.
I think what killed me was Lia, a Greek, not understanding olive oil on a sandwich and preferring mayo 💀
They are very different and it all depends on the quality of the ingredients. Pats/Genos are the tourist traps. Locals don't go to those places. They are pretty much the worst you can get.
My son's thought the food was shitty and the chain Jersey Mike's Philly cheese steak was way better.
This is one of the rare cases where you created a disaster from start to finish. Bad choice of restaurants, done in freezing temperatures, with one of you already predisposed to dislike it. It would be the equivalent of an American going to London, finding the cheesiest tourist trap restaurant, ordering a Shepherd's Pie, and saying "it's just meat and potatoes done different". You made a video, but you really didn't do the subject justice.
Honestly, when the food is basic meat in bread then it's not going to be dramatically different wherever they got it from. BTW, same deal with Shepherd's pie, it's real basic so it makes little difference where you get it from.
Still makes for an entertaining video!
@@futurez12 I'll simply say this: if you live in the Philly region, you know the difference. When done right, so the cheese is literally melted between all the steak, with just the right amount of ketchup, it doesn't even need the fried onions. That simply becomes a bonus. Done correctly, it's the nectar of the gods. Done wrong, it's how you described it, just meat on bread.
Btw, I'm hungry now (lol)!
Spot on, I'm glad your more well spoken than i am!
@@futurez12 I used to think that way, and I am honest enough to say that I did not know what I was talking about. I experimented with simple mushroom pizza from different shops all within a few blocks from each other. The differences were day and night.
“Oh my gosh it looks foul” I expected nothing less Joel 😂
🤣🤣🤣
These are best eaten, late at night...after more than several cocktails and/or beers. As you see nobody is there during the day.
Pats and Genos are probably the worst choices considering what the city has to offer. It's a shame they couldn't sample a steak from Chick's in Chery Hill (New Jersey). Delassandros would have been a good way to go as well
I agree with delassandros
Pat's and Geno's are definitely the worst in Philly. I've had better steaks at random corner stores.
I drove up to Philadelphia one Sunday morning to have a cheesesteak and I went to Gino's instead of Pat's which is their competitor right across the street. It was terrible. It was dry and tasteless. Next time I'll try Pat's Cheesesteak
The worst steaks.
Agree. I also think New Jersey pizza is highly underrated. Much better than N.Y. pizza IMO. And I won't even get into Jersey style Italian samiches. OMFG!!!! Amazing.
From someone who is born and raised in philly. Pats and genos are only for tourist. Philly residents usually dont ever buy pata or genos. We usually go to a "corner store / papi store" and get a cheese steak there
In an earlier video you mentioned the possibility of taking an Uber to Dalessandro’s. Rather than settling for true tourist traps with materially lesser reputations, you should have exercised that option. However, I admit my favorite location is Jim’s on South Street, despite the fact it is touristy as well (and, indeed, have enjoyed Jim’s cheesesteaks shipped overnight to my residence on the west coast).
Jim's is legit.
I've tried so many different spots and Jim's is still my #1
They could've went to Dalessandros and then to compare, go to Chubby's across the street. They could've eaten inside.
Jim's is definitely NOT touristy. It's legit a top spot.
You should have picked a different restaurant if only for the indoor dining option in that weather. You could have gotten those sandwiches within walking distance of your AirBnB. (probably better tasting too) And the biggest part of Pat's and Geno's hype is that they are open when the bars close, so they're often the only option for something substantial to eat after a night out drinking.
I'm born and raised in Philly, been eating cheese-steaks my whole life. I get a craving for one now and then but realistically not much more than a couple of times a year. I think they are best during the "partying" part of your life, the 3am after a night at the clubs, that is a go-to stop. I don't know why people think they are like a delicacy or such a focus of Philly culture. It's iconic status, I think, comes from the fact that every neighborhood has their special place but really it's just a tasty, quick stop, local fast food. To me it's all about the bread, Philly "hoagie" rolls are what makes them special.
From Philly and remember the drive from North Philly to Pat’s in South Philly on a hot summer night for a midnight cheese steak. It was a something to do with friends from your “corner” back in the 70s!
The bread is extremely important! You cannot get good Italian rolls outside of this part of the country.
I've eaten my share at Geno's at 3:00AM after a night of drinking.
I may be weird but I gotta have horseradish added
The cheesesteak is to Philly as the coney is to Detroit 🙂
I’d fond memories of hitting Pat’s with my friends after closing whatever club down on Delaware Ave. and heading to Revival, Black Banana, or whatever after hours place. Drowned in ketchup and Wiz. Tasted fricken amazing at 3 in the morning.
Took my family down into Philly to celebrate my birthday and demanded everyone needed to try my old favorite, gettin’ sh;+ faced, as long as I get home by 5, I can still get up by 6 to get to work by 8, I’ll be good to go, steak.
Sadly, it just didn’t taste nearly as good I remember.
Guess I should’ve taken them to Jim’s on South. Decent cheesesteak with indoor seating (it was chilly and windy).
All that to say, your totally right. Cheesesteaks taste so much better at 3 AM.
Born and raised in Philly. Have fond memories of the drive from North Philly to South Philly on a hot summer night for a midnight cheese steak. It was a something to do with friends from your “corner” back in the 70s!
My mom was from North Philly also (K&A) and always taught me about Pat's & Geno's. She moved here to North Carolina with my dad in '73.
I am def triggered by this! I wish you'd had a local (like me!) with you. Because at 8:16 in the background you can see a place called Rim Cafe. The. Best. Hot. Chocolate. It would have sorted you right out on that cold day!
Reminds me of when they came to my home town (Austin) and put ketchup on their breakfast tacos 😆
To be fair, as a Pennsylvanian I’m not a big beef eater myself but I love a good cheesesteak from the right place.
What troopers you two are! Freezing conditions and Ubering to the cheesesteak shops to have disappointing sandwiches is gold star worthy. This spirit of adventure you both have is awe inspiring. I've never had one of these myself but I would have definitely added cheese whiz for lubrication if for no other reason. Well done, J&L.
I love these food reviews by Joel and Lia! Makes me realize that it’s so important to avoid the touristy restaurants if you want authentic food tasting 😄
I don't know if this is a coincidence but today is National Cheesesteak Day.
EVERY day is cheesesteak day for me! Hahahahaha ;D
Hoagies are everything to us Pennsylvanians! We love them.... especially the cheesesteaks. Ahhh you guys are breaking my heart! 🤣
Yeah Joel and Lia can be mean at times.
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philly and the cheesesteak and Hoagie debate is real! Everyone you meet has a favorite. It comes down to personal taste and preference.
The bread is important; fresh and brought in that morning from a local bakery like Conshohocken Bakery. The steak needs to cook up quick and the cheese (not wiz!) is added right before the steak is taken off the grill and put into the fresh roll. I don’t care for onions but mushrooms are always part of my cheesesteak. There is a big debate about adding or not adding ketchup to the cheesesteak. I like ketchup on my cheesesteak but there are people who would argue against it!
Pats or Gino’s are meh.
Dalessandro’s, Jim’s, Tony Luke’s and some local places are my go to for cheesesteaks and chicken cheesesteaks.
I hope if you are ever back in Philly you give one of these places a try and do a redo cheesesteak challenge.
Hello Joel and Lia. I am from philly and those are not the cheesesteaks most people from philly eat. Those places tourists try but you guys should try other places that chop up the meat like Max's, Jim's steaks, etc. There are so many others that better than geno's or pat's. Much love❤💜💙
Joel didn't like the steak sandwich - so he orders BEEF meatballs instead??
That's what I said was it turkey meat or sum
@@Miguel-nj6en No turkey meatballs at Geno's.
Steak and ground beef taste nothing alike to be fair and he did say specifically that it was steak he didn't like.
Italian-American meatballs are usually blend of ground beef, ground pork and ground veal
I thought the same thing!!!!
You missed the Speakeasy Insomnia Cookie lab. You had to give a secret password and you could go to the back and create custom cookies and milkshakes! It is in the store next to Pats and Genos.
It's a comfort food. A good cheese steak that's almost at the same price as a hamburger meal(especially the premium ones). It's affordable, good, comfort food. It's good in that sense where inexpensive and tasty meet.
If you can't compare to anything, then you won't immediately like it. People need time to acclimate to new foods. Especially if it's been hyped.
It's the equivalent of fish and chips, which is literally the only British food I know but it works here. It's a good workhorse of a sandwich.
You need to have a few to appreciate it's deliciousness. And like pizza, most places make a decent one.
Also most places have a meal set with fries, sometimes a drink. That puts it over most burger chains(and one could feed two people).
It's quite tasty. But with how high the sodium is ect, it really is best for the young.
I have no idea why you'd want to visit the northeast when it's freezing cold.
For your own sake, don't visit the south in the summer. 🤣
Next time do the opposite.
Northern summers are quite pleasant, and southern winters are quite mild. Jus' sayin'.
Cheaper flights.
They were just in Florida beforehand
LMAO! I don't know when the last time you spent a summer in the Northeast part of the country but I can tell you that it gets pretty hot in the summer. Philly, New York, Baltimore, South Jersey are all pretty much in the 90s in the summer especially during June and July plus it's freaking humid to add to it. If you really think that's Pleasant, I question your ability to accurately judge the weather
Pat's and Geno's are terrible. Try John's Roast Pork. They're famous for the truly Philadelphia sandwich, which is the roast pork sandwich, but their Cheesesteak is also quite awesome. I went there for the Cheesesteak, but ended up having both when I asked why they were called John Roast Pork. They knew right then I wasn't from Philly. I'm from California. They told me Cheesesteaks are a "tourist" thing. Roast Pork is the sandwich Philly natives want. I was "schooled".
Ha you were lied to. By a place that sells roast pork sandwiches. Cheese steaks are the opposite of touristy. Most have that sort of reaction because cheese steaks are such a common food. That's where and when they shine.
I'm sure a roast beef place would have said the same. And those places aren't bad at all. So it's no loss.
A Philly Cheesesteak is sauteed chip steak and fried onions put on a lightly crispy Italian hoagie roll, some people also like fried peppers, sauteed mushrooms, hot peppers, if you put tomato sauce then it becomes an Italian cheesesteak. You can have provolone cheese, American, Cheddar, swiss or cheese whiz. I personally like to eat my Cheesesteak with Heinz Ketchup, another Pennsylvania invention.
These can be made well, outside of Philadelphia, If they don't provide cooked peppers, onions, it's a crap sandwich.
@@bbranett2188 They can only be made well outside of the Philly area IF you have the right kind of roll. A proper cheesesteak roll has a crisp crust with a soft but chewy interior. Making them on a baguette or similar looking but different "mouth feel" roll won't work. And no bell peppers! The only peppers on a Philly cheesesteak are pickled spicy peppers, like a banana pepper.
Normally I am not a peppers person, but yeah. Gotta have them in a Philly. As Lia said, otherwise it is just a roast dinner in a roll.
Gravy is a pizza steak.
@@kelly1827 we have tons of places that make cheesesteaks. Pats and Genos are tourists traps
So sorry you guys had to brave the elements just to try the cheesesteaks. ☹️ I do think it is more an American thing, cause a lot of Americans do love red meat, but if you do come back (which I hope you do!), Jim’s on South Street really is the best, as others have said. Either way, you guys make us smile no matter what you do. And I applaud the effort (3 claps for J&L)! 🙂 ❤️🙂❤️🙂
I find that dining preferences are quite often regional and generational.
Jim's, Pat's,Geno's, D'Allesandro's, all good, many more,about equally good. I love Philly, I love cheesesteaks (4 or 5 x per year). Man, I would never eat outside under those conditions. I heard that Philly accent at the 2nd window. Come back in the fall,before snow and frost.
@@Jim-bh7gs Pat’s and Geno’s steaks are disgusting. Only people that recommend those places are tourist or non tristate people. 😑
It’s just junk food. Glorified highly processed junk food
Because you went to the wrong places😂😂 It's ok. When you come back to Philly, you can go get a proper cheesesteak
I'm thinking its very unlikely they'll try these again. Work on getting them Roast Pork. Maybe they'll try that.
13:31 About not putting the meat in “foreign” bread...there are food safety rules that can get restaurants in trouble with the food inspector. Idk about every state, but in TX you can’t take food into the kitchen if you don’t know everything about the food. The food could be bad, or have allergens that could contaminate other’s food. If the food came from the kitchen, but is being “sent back,” this is fine, as the quality of the food should be known. But fast food joints usually won’t take food back, especially at the drive through. You should just get fresh food. If a place demands the food back, it’s thought of as a little janky, y’know? The public often accuse fast food places of being unsanitary, so it’s better not to take handled food back into the kitchen.
Great point. I wouldn’t want to order a sandwich right after they accepted someone’s personal bread of dubious origin onto the food prep area.
I was about to say the same thing (health code issues), but decided to look to see if someone else already took care of it. Glad you did!
You ruin my city. Leave.
GayDicks420 tf? Who dafuq is your city bro?
While I think it’s more an American thing, if you’re ever back I’d suggest going to Jim’s on 9th and getting it with whiz. It’s not the canned cheese but a melted mix of cheeses & some spices that ends up coating everything in the sandwich.
Also just wanted to add that health code prevents any food service establishment from touching outside food/ingredients because it could contain allergens and they would need to re-sanitize everything being used for food production afterwards before they could continue serving others. I worked at a coffee shop for 10 years and we couldn’t even use sweeteners or protein powders that customers brought in because it could be an allergen or contaminate our machines & equipment.
Jim's ❤❤❤❤
As someone who took a road trip to Philly with the primary reason being to try a cheesesteak, I feel like they were duped. I had friends in the area who recommended Max's Steaks. Amazing sandwich. Worth the drive. Ruined anything you can get on the West coast now though..
Gaglione Bros here in San Diego is the best cheesesteak. Dare I say even better than you can get in Philly. You can get a regular (8 or 9") large (12") and giant (18"). They even use the correct type of bread Amoroso. My go to is a large wiz wit.
They were not duped. They were advised not to go there but they did anyway.
I love cheesesteaks, but they are not all made the way they should be. Tsk, tsk...should've gone to D'Alessandro's 😂😉
Oh, and y'all are brave going out in that weather. I moved to Florida from DC to get away from it!
They could have literally gone to almost any other shop in town and got a better steak. Jim's, Abner's, Chickie and Pete so many better places. Plus they should have asked a couple of regular people on the street and they would have been solid. They knew going in they would not like the food. It's a poor review situation.
I drove through Philly once on my way to New York and I just had to try and authentic Philly cheesesteak. I went to Pat's and I made sure to get the cheese whiz. I feel like that's the only way to really get it. It was delicious. You definitely should have gotten the cheese whiz on it
Also, when you went over to Gino's, you didn't even get a Philly cheesesteak. I thought you were going to compare the two. You might have liked it better. If you're able to, next time get a local to go with you to help you. Not specifically just talkin about in Philly but anytime you're trying something that an area is famous for
Cheese whiz isn't even cheese. No self respecting person puts cheap whiz on a cheese steak.
Ha I don't get why people think whiz is like the typical way. It's all authentic in the area.
@Rashad Eaton Provolone is the move.
@@gemoftheocean American cheese isn’t real cheese either
Cannot believe you two did this at 12°F ugh lol, that would definitely make any Philly cheese steak not worth it
LauraSigns:. I agree. If anything I would have taken it somewhere warm so that I could enjoy it.
@@beaujac311 and put the sandwiches in a heat-retaining bag so they would remain toasty warm until when I get there.
The cheesesteak at Jim's would be worth it, even during a blizzard
i love phily cheese steak but the ones i had didnt look like that, they had more cheese and it was melted within the meat, i had green peppers, onions and mushrooms in mine as well as seasonings
Cheese steaks are good pretty much everywhere I've tried them, but these ones are pretty traditional "Philly" cheese steaks. I prefer green peppers in mine as well.
One thing I'll agree with is that it was odd that it wasn't melted. Usually you can't see the slice at all. It melts unrecognizably. The reaction of where is the cheese made sense until they actually showed it.
Oh so you had a bastardized version and still had the balls to call it Philly? I got one in TX and the fckers put LETTUCE on it like it was a cheesteak hoagie
@@SuperRat420 cheesesteak hoagies are all I buy now since 1982. Only time I've had a regular cheesesteak since is when mooching off someone else.
@@hot2warm oh I don't mind if they call em that but hot damn it's a variation! All over this country are ''''Philly'''' steaks with just anything on em
Still looking forward to seeing you try out a Chicago Italian beef with sweet peppers, a Chicago hot dog, and a Chicago dep dish pizza, and a Chicago Eli's cheesecake..
Also the pizza pot pies from the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Factory on North Clark Street is something to have. Oh so good!
@@LlyleHunter , true. Unfortunately, we're not located on a coast or in the south.
Chicago thin crust, too. D’Agostinos and Aurelio’s.
Love Joel and Lia. But, I paused the video at 42 seconds and thought, "if Joel has something other than a cheesesteak, I'm going to be annoyed." He seems to always get something other than what the establishment is famous for. Love em anyway but come on Joel. Edit: 4:00 minutes in and at least he tried it.
There are certain sandwiches that you just don’t make any changes to like a Rueben or a Cuban. A Philly cheese steak is one of them. You might choose to have it wit or witout but the line is drawn at the bread. Also found it funny that Joel didn’t like the Philly but had no problem with the meatball sandwich. Were they not both beef? 😂
Most traditional meatballs are made with beef, pork, and veal.
To be fair, ground beef and chopped steak taste completely different from one another so I can see how you could like one and not the other for sure.
Tell that to Tampa! A Tampa Cuban (influenced by the Italians working alongside Cubans in the cigar factories) way better than Miami Cuban.
If Joel ever is logical in his thinking................ Take cover. The end is nigh.
All Americans love a Philly cheese steak
Awwww NOOOOO! Not Geno’s and Pats!!! That’s such a bad look smh, not even close to the best cheese steak spot in Philly 🤦🏻♂️😭
Anyone going to Philly for a good cheese steak go hit up Dalessandro's or John’s Roast Pork. Geno’s and Pats are tourist traps.
Dalessandro's is good, but John's Roast Pork is the Best.
@@johnbernstein7887 I agree 100%
This triggered me as much as when they tried Chick-fil-A and said it was like KFC. WTF? KFC and Subway are basically the bottom of the food chain when it comes to chicken and sandwiches. Apparently, that’s all they have in the UK to compare it to.
Chick-fil-A is overrated, so no. But otherwise, yeah, their attempts to try popular American foods are frequently ridiculous. Why go to a place famous & popular for a dish and not order that. Dumb.
@@kakarikiyazoo Overrated to you, not everyone. :-)
I lived in England a few years, and to be fair KFC in England was some of the best I've ever had. It shouldn't be better than here, but it seems to be
@@jackhackett80 KFC is the Dollar General of chicken. Lol.
A lot of Americans love beef. My favorite steak sandwich is made on garlic bread, with mayo, provolone, grilled onions and spinach.
I have never had a tasteless Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Not even when buying one from a gasoline station.
Kind of hilarious that they said tons of people told them not to go to those garbage touristy places, then they go there and don't like it😂😂😂. I've grew up in Philly and now I live in the suburbs they do it better in the burbs then they do in the city.
especially if you can find a good pizza spot that makes a good cheesesteak. There are a few by me that do a pretty good job.
@TylerLarew yeah if I was gonna send someone to a tourist spot, I'd send them to Tony Luke's, before pats or genos. But I'd rather go to a million other places, honestly.
Education!!! For cheesesteaks, it really depends on the quality of meat and the way it is prepared and, of course, seasoned. I don't think Pat's and Geno's have the best quality and are pure tourist traps. And the hoagie you got also depends on the quality of meat, condiments, and additions. For Joel, if he wanted cheese on his meatballs he would have to order a grinder. It is the cheese version of any hot sandwich. Hope that helps next time you are in Philly (hopefully sometime warmer).
People say Angelo's has the best pizza AND cheese steak in Philly hands down.
Yeah, the mistake is going to pats/ginos, tourist junk. Saying they all look the same so they MUST taste the same is like saying all fish and chips look the same so they all must suck because I went to "Great British Fish and Chips" and it was like eating garbage, so therefore all fish and chips are garbage. Very cringe outlook on choosing the wrong place and claiming "they all must be the same!".
Oops
Did you purposefully post this on National Cheesesteak Day??
Next time you come to Philadelphia you need to go to Jon’s roast beef they have the best cheesesteaks. Geno’s and Pat’s tourist trap
But they are the quintessential experience.
It seems that they’ve been around longer but not as good as the newer joints
I believe you mean John's Roast Pork.
@@ericsierra-franco7802 look up the word quintessential please.
Joel doesn't like beef but gets a meatball...hmmm???
I love Lia’s little spirit sparrow behind her at Gino’s.
Definitely need Whiz, I make my own here in Michigan and that is the way to go. It needs a creamy cheese (sauce) for me, maybe even a Mexican queso would work. 12 degrees cold, you definitely need to avoid where I live from December to April, 12 would be shorts weather.
Great video! I’m glad you were honest that you didn’t like it. Keep it real!
The Health Department doesn’t allow restaurants to bring outside food or trash into the restaurants… most likely why they wouldn’t take that woman’s bread
Yes, not just an added inconvenience for employee. Plus this is a culture of lawsuits. You just never know and they can, and do, occur against those that show goodwill. Unfortunately they are the easiest to target and for the simplest of items
Don't think I ever heard anyone saying they don't like steak.
My husband is 1 he hates red meat the most. He is a vegetarian like Joel so...
I used to live a few blocks from Pat's & Gino's so I found this nostalgically amusing. I always got extra white American cheese and extra onions. The sandwiches are nearly identical since they both use the same bakery in the neighborhood. Amoroso's rolls are actually the best in Philly but I don't know who uses them any more... moved to Saint Paul MN in 1998.
Amorosos is still turning them out!
Amoroso's rolls are a must. We have them in our cheesesteak shop here in California. We also have the pickled peppers and Cherry peppers that are required.
Amoroso rolls taste pretty terrible now since they moved to New Jersey. They add all these chemicals in their bread now. Liscio’s bakery rolls tastes like the old amoroso.
@@TranceRevolved Oh dear! They were wonderful. Soft and tasty inside, just crusty enough on the outside with a buttery flavor. I guess everything changes. I also remembered a great hole-in-the-wall Mexican place that had rickety chairs and a working Ms Packman. The food was super fresh and reasonably priced. Was it on Chestnut Street a few blocks East of Broad? I miss South Philly sometimes but St. Paul is home now and I love my life here.
@@amysheppeck1278 If you visit Philly, a whole lot has changed. Neighborhoods, downtown. A lot of gentrification going on. Hipster restaurants and bars everywhere. Newish mall in Center City replaced the Gallery, etc.
The oil is usually like an Italian dressing (oil and vinegar with spices) and is typical on “hoagies” in PA.
I went to pat's a couple years ago and it definitely disappointed me. I thought it was going to be the best cheesesteak I ever had but it was not very good. There are much better cheesesteaks in Philly than pat's. I live in New Jersey and we have some really good cheesesteaks over here too! I hope you guys have a great rest of your trip in the US, stay safe and I'm looking forward to seeing the test of your videos!
You picked the wrong places to go to, I mean the worst… Tourists go there cause they hear Pat’s and Geno’s😆The trip to Dalessandro’s is worth it
Oh man. Video isn't out but you should have went to Jim's on south street. It was AMAZING!!!!
I live in illinois, but there's this small mom and pop shop that has the beeeeest Philly cheese steak sandwiches. I don't know if people would really consider it authentic, since it has green peppers, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and vinegar and oil with some cheese. But the meat is soooo juicy and tender. The guy that cooks there owns the shop as well, and won awards for his cooking in the past. It's just a tiny little sandwich shop. But it's the best place I've ever been to! So, if you guys can, try to find the local mom and pops shops that aren't really advertised. They're always the best by far! Even if I go out of town, I always ask the locals where the best food spots are. Specifically ask for the little shops that no one really knows about! It's always the best. Even local bakeries. Flippin delicious and well worth the money spent.
OMG what a miserable day to stroll around trying sandwiches! 😆 And the car spinning its wheels in the slush next to your picnic 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Did you know about delivery by Uber Eats? Well you had a true taste of freezing Philadelphia! That is what it's like there 1/3 of the year! Just an FYI - ALL of the midwest is like that in the winter. I'm from Michigan.
OMG you guys are troopers. You look like walking popsicles !!! LOL
When you guys visit Chicago...everyone is going to tell you to try an Italian beef...if you hate cheesesteaks I expect you will hate Italian beef. Italian beef is a beef sandwich with hot or sweet peppers on a very soaked and messy roll.
Al's!
That sounds like a cheesesteak I used to get at a diner in New Hampshire; they just called it a cheesecake. It had the steak, American cheese, fried onions, and hots on a soaked roll. I wonder if it was a combination of the Philly and Italian beef. I thought it was a Philly Cheesesteak until I moved to Maryland, about an hour away from Philly, and had the opportunity to visit the city and sample a true Philly Cheesesteak.
Dipped Italian Beef with sweet peppers is magical
@@shadowkissed2370 The Chicago Italian beef is sliced from a heavily seasoned cooked roast and unlike a French dip sandwich with au jus on the side, the entire Italian beef sandwich is usually dipped in the heavily seasoned gravy from the roasted beef with giardiniera added on top . A combo is also served with both Italian sausage and Italian beef on the sandwich. It's delicious too. I've only had Al's on Taylor Street which was always highly recommended. A Philly style cheese steak is made from thinly sliced raw beef that is then usually cooked to order on a flat top with cheese and grilled onions added and tomato ketchup is the preferred condiment. Joel and Lia's vlogs should be retitled "What not to do in Philly".
The key is finding the cheese YOU like. Everyone has a preference. You basically have to try them all to figure it out. For me I am a provolone guy through and through, but whiz every once in a while is good to. I also have to add jalapeno's to mine to give it some extra flavor. Some people like red or banana peppers. I prefer places that let you pimp and customize your philly as much as possible and that have good bread.
I prefer provolone as well.
Hey you're a good sport for trying the beef sandwich. I love a meatball sub with cheese and green peppers. You're reviews are funny, stay bold and honest!
The hot dogs in Chicago are really good.
In Boston try the lobster roll.
You should have cheese and green peppers and onions on that thing. I laughed when you said “chicken-based Italian beef.”
I think that you would have enjoyed the sandwiches more if you had gotten them and just tasted them at home, and if you wanted condiments you needed to ask for them ,otherwise you get it plain, and I don't understand Joel not liking beef ,but eating a beef meatball sandwich.I would have thought that he would have ordered something else,if he doesn't like beef. As for the cold it was a typical winter day in the northeast area of the United States. The hype is the rivalry between two long-term businesses on the same corner, serving the same items.I hope that you enjoyed your trip anyway.
He said he didn't like steak, not beef. Steak and ground meatballs taste absolutely nothing alike.
@@TwistedSisler Steak is a BEEF product as the both are from cows.
@@TwistedSisler He has said several times that he doesn't eat beef, including hamburger, which IS ground beef. He has said it on his individual channel.
Hardly a crime to eat a sandwhich he wants. People have their preferences and dislikes with food. It doesn't need to be over- analysed.
@@Yasemin_Sky I agree I only stated that I thought he would chose something else on the menu that he would like more. Because he himself has stated several times he doesn't eat ground beef or as they say in England minced meat.
i like adding ketchup to mine. lol but if you're not a beef fan, this isn't for you. you're better off trying a "fat darryl". we used to have these food trucks that served up "fat" sandwiches at rutgers university in new jersey. a fat darryl had chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, french fries, and marinara sauce.
Hi guys, I love your videos!
I noticed you often go to restaurants that people suggest but you don't often order the most popular items on the menu...so you're not really experiencing what makes the restaurant most appealing to their usual customers (Americans). I don't like cheese whiz either, but when in Rome🤷🏾♀️ lol
Imagine if I went to a fish n' chip shop and ordered a hamburger😁
Oh well, still love you guys and it's all very entertaining. Safe travels!
I think for future travels you guys should definitely avoid tourist traps and support smaller and tastier local businesses. Better quality ingredients, fresher, better seasoning and made with love ❤️
The steak shavings were way to big! I'm from Boston, we call them Steak and Cheese, here. I order mine with extra cheese, extra mayo and lettuce! Yummy!!! 😋😊
Lettuce and Mayo for me personally
That is why Jim’s is best. The meat is sliced and diced into smaller sizes with wiz.
That's like tomatoes in your clam chowder. :)
The steak looked perfect, I like big pieces. Mans sandwich.
Joel, you are very brave to try something you know you don't like. I appreciate your sacrifice!
I already know that if you didn’t get it “with” (Cheez Wiz) then you didn’t have the authentic Philly Cheesesteak experience.
Andy, hate to correct you, but as a Philadelphian it is my duty. When you say "With" in Philly it means Onion. "Without" means no onion and then you say the cheese you want. So it would be like "Wiz with" or "Prov without," which is what I get and that is provolone with no onion. 👍
Wiz is not original and doesn't taste good IMO. It was added many years later.
@@AndrewJDuddy I've never heard it meaning onions, been here 45 years.
@@3DJapan said it right in the video. Wit or wit out. Meaning onions.
Cheez Whiz on a cheese steak came about many years later in the 1970s as a way to increase profit margins since it is much cheaper than provolone or mozzarella. Cheez Whiz is not authentic at all.
Poor Joel and Lia! Suffering for their Art!
I still like Geno's, tourist trap or not. It's definitely better than Pat's. But I don't eat Cheesesteaks much because they are super unhealthy.
Incidentally, I think an Italian hoagie , like Lia had, is the better local sandwich.
You must not be from Philly. Anybody from Philly will tell their out of town friends that Pats & Genos suck. They're strictly tourists traps.
Some people from the area are beyond loyal to a certain place (similar to how "passionate" they are about sports teams). Just figure out what you like and get that. Personally, I like provolone on my steak. Probably because it adds some salt to it and I like the way it melts. I also like places where the rolls are a bit softer. And yeah, I like ketchup on it, otherwise it does seem a bit dry to me.
I knew they were going to hate it. From watching their videos they are very pretentious about food.
You should have asked for double whiz - it would have made a whole world of difference.
Come to New England and try Kelly’s roast beef. Or clam chowder?
They hate clam chowder
Americans just love, love, love beef! I was drooling when I saw your sandwich!
I enjoy a good Philly every once in a while. Honestly I prefer it with Chicken though, I think you missed out on that one!
I appreciate Joel trying Cheesesteaks given he doesn't like beef. Subway comparison was most spot on than you realize. Most people in the Philly metro consider Pat's & Geno's to be like Subway, barely edible facsimiles of sandwiches far better someplace else & not worth the $.
I agree. I can't even believe subway is still open. It's like the McDonalds of sandwiches. I remember hearing their bread had the same substance as what they pave playgrounds with and I always thought the bread at Subway smelled like some sort of paving/black top material.
@@brianwalsh1401 The rubber they put in door mats.
@@thetruthhurtsyou147 Yeah. Definitely something like that. I think they stopped using that ingredientit several years ago after it came out in the news.
I think I've eaten twice at subway. I thought it sucked and never went back. The college I use to get sandwiches from closed their delicious sandwich shop and let Subway in. I was sooo disappointed.
You "hate" steak really?
Cheese whiz, they use a paint stirrer stick. Dip it into melted cheese, put on open cheese steak. Close cheese steak, pull out stick.
Oh noooooo! Not Genos or Pats!!! They're terrible lol. Dallasandros, John's or Jims!!
try another place next time you’re there! Pats and Genos are probably the worst cheesesteaks out there, definitely just a tourist trap. You’ll get a delicious one at Reading Terminal!
When in Rome…
Why do people avoid wiz especially after it’s recommended to them??? I’ll never get it. Wiz adds great flavor and keeps it juicy!!! I HATE wiz on everything but a cheesesteak because that’s what makes the sandwich great!!!
Wiz is fake cheese.
If it NEEDS whiz to be good, then maybe buy the whiz on its own, and put on something that already tastes good to make it great.
@@rookmaster7502 it is???
Bottom line is, do you want to try an authentic Philly cheesesteak? Then order it with wiz.
@@patrickandrews5166 why do you think they spell cheese incorrectly as cheez?
7:53 I honestly had no idea Gino’s had hoagies😂😂😂
What man doesn't like beef? Every man I ever met loves beef. Humans have been eating it for thousands of years. I could just see prehistoric man, a cave full of cavemen devouring a deer or a bison, and little joel sitting in the corner gnawing on a little bird. HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Joel, your sandwich was giving me flashbacks of when I was pregnant with my daughter. I got a meatball sub, took one bite and spit it into a garbage can and then threw the sub in. I haven't been able to look at one or even think about one since. A lot of foods were making me get physically ill, and I didn't even have to eat them. Seeing them smelling them or just thinking about them.
Both sandwiches looked delicious! Edit: all 3 including the meatball looked good!
All three looked fantastic. I think the cold made them cranky.
Guys, other places are more seasoned. I personally believe that this is one of the main reasons that people pointed you elsewhere.
Lol that face...someone might not be sold on philly cheese steak
I thought the same thing. She’s not liking it!
This is stupid to have a guy that says he REALLY don't LIKE beef, to be the one to give an "honest" opinion on a cheesesteak!
Cheese steaks taste different everywhere. I've had a few in different places cheese steaks here in Louisiana and they were all different. I'd imagine the ones up there are way under seasoned compared to anything here so I probably wouldn't like it either
Lol but Philly is authentic. Louisiana isn't. So I'm not sure if that would really be an argument
@@AyeeeItsCam no Louisiana is not an authentic place for cheesesteaks , just saying they probably plain af as far as seasoning up there🤷🏻♂️
The Hoagy is called a Grinder in Connecticut, where it was invented in New London. Oil is the peferred addition to the sandwich.
I think you enjoy putting down American food. You should open your mind ad not judge everything
Lettuce and tomato on a steak sandwich is called a cheesesteak hoagie. Joel should have tried a chicken cheesesteak since he doesn't like beef. I've lived in Philly all my life and never had a Pat's or Geno's steak sandwhich. I do like Dellasandros. When I was young back in the 60's and 70's we went to Jim's, at their original location.
That looked like a very poor-quality cheesesteak.
Pat's and Geno's are the tourist armpit of Philadelphia cheese steaks.
I was gagging watching the size of the meat shavings. Pat and Genos are both GROSS. the meat was so big! Yucky