The cheesesteak is the local Philadelphia specialty. The cheesesteak consists of thin strips of steak that are served in a long bun. On top of the grilled meat are onions and a cheese sauce. The fast food can be found all over the city, here they just call it steak. Outside of Philadelphia, it's called Philly Cheesesteak. It was invented around 1930 by Pat and Harry Olivieri at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. At that time Italian provolone cheese was used, today the cheese is industrially produced. In some cheesesteak restaurants you can choose between different types of cheese. The artificial yellow cheese is a Kraft brand and is called Cheez Whiz. The provolone is real cheese and rather white and hard.

The Philly Cheesesteak is available in many different variations and combinations. In the photo you can see the variant with green peppers.

Pat's King of Steaks is the most famous fast food restaurant in Philadelpia because this is where the "Philly Cheesesteak" was invented. Pat Olivieri had a hot dog stand at the south end of the Italian Market. When he made himself a fried meat sandwich during his lunch break. A taxi driver asked what he was having for lunch and wanted one of those sandwiches. He liked it so much that he told Olivieri to sell this sandwich rather than hot dogs. The original steak consisted only of meat, onions and a bun. The cheese was added some years later. The restaurant is still located on the Italian Market on the corner of 9th St and Passyunk Ave.

1237 E Passyunk Ave

Geno's Steaks is just opposite. Philly cheesesteaks are also sold here. Both restaurants are on triangular grounds and the tips point towards the other. Competition stimulates business and as a result, both restaurants together attract more visitors. Geno's steaks has a more extravagant design and is a real eye-catcher. A clear advantage in times of social media. In terms of taste, many see Geno's ahead. But when asked who makes the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia, there is no straightforward answer. Just try it out and decide for yourself.

1219 S 9th St

The Bourse Food Hall is located in the former Philadelphia Stock Exchange, which was built in 1895. The Hamburg stock exchange served as a model for the building. When the stock exchange was sold in 1960, the building was converted into an office block. In 2018, a food hall with 30 restaurants was opened on the ground floor. Since then, the Bourse has been a popular place for the lunch break. As Independence Halland the Liberty Bell are nearby, the elegant food court is also a great stopover for tourists in the historic center.

111 S Independence Mall

Reading Terminal Market is the largest indoor market in central Philadelphia. It is located between the Pennsylvania Convetion Center and Market Street. There used to be a market over which a Reading Railroad station was built in 1891. The station and the market were mutually beneficial. The railroad business came to an end in 1980 and the station was no longer used. The market also lost many customers due to shopping centers on the outskirts of the city. The Reading Terminal Market was taken over and modernized by the Pennsylvania Convetion Center. Since then, business has been running again and the Reading Terminal Market has become a tourist attraction due to its diverse range of groceries. There is a very large selection of food stalls with specialties from all over the world.

51 N 12th St

https://readingterminalmarket.org