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Old 05-08-2014, 06:06 AM
 
Location: Rittenhouse, Philadelphia, PA
182 posts, read 375,609 times
Reputation: 118

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Yes, I had to admit it, I am a native Philadelphian and I have never been to Pat's or Geno's...does this mean that I don't have the right to call myself a native Philadelphian? I have read the reviews on both restaurants (and they all seem to rate it average or below average -- the only people giving good reviews are tourist), so I guess I never really made anytime to go to any of them. Growing up I was told that they were basically tourist traps so I never went.

Should I go to these places, just for the sake of saying I went? Or does it make me even more of a native Philadelphian by not going?
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Old 05-08-2014, 06:19 AM
 
8,982 posts, read 21,096,513 times
Reputation: 3795
If I've ever been to Pat's or Geno's, it would have been as a pre-teen kid and I probably wouldn't have recognized the "significance" of visiting either establishment. I definitely haven't visited them as an adult although I went by there a few years while checking out how the Passyunk Ave. area had changed since I had left town. If I thought the lines at Jim's Steaks on South Street (which I did frequent as a teenager until I realized their food didn't agree with me ), then they would have been a light day compared to the lines I saw snaking around both Pat's and Geno's on a brisk early Saturday afternoon in winter.

As others may have said on other cheesesteak threads, I might take a visitor who's heard of these joints and wants to cross it off their bucket list but I wouldn't go out of my way to experience it if on my own. So I think you're okay.
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Old 05-08-2014, 08:28 AM
 
50 posts, read 91,386 times
Reputation: 48
They should change the name of this forum from City-Data to Cheesesteak-Data... since that's what every thread is about.

Last edited by Charlie Cheesesteak; 05-08-2014 at 09:14 AM..
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Old 05-08-2014, 09:11 AM
 
Location: Phila & NYC
4,771 posts, read 3,271,913 times
Reputation: 1946
Myself being born and raised in South Philly will tell you back in the day (the 70's) Pats was the place. Then Genos came along and both were by far the most popular places in the city to get a steak sandwich.
Today with hundreds of places that serve steak sandwiches there is nothing unique about either.
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Old 05-08-2014, 09:21 AM
 
8,982 posts, read 21,096,513 times
Reputation: 3795
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Cheesesteak View Post
They should change the name of this forum from City-Data to Cheesesteak-Data... since that's what every thread is about.
Then this would be a slice of heaven for you, eh Mr. Cheesesteak?
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Old 05-08-2014, 09:34 AM
 
Location: Cumberland County, NJ
8,631 posts, read 12,945,584 times
Reputation: 5766
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whatdoesthefoxsay65 View Post
Yes, I had to admit it, I am a native Philadelphian and I have never been to Pat's or Geno's...does this mean that I don't have the right to call myself a native Philadelphian? I have read the reviews on both restaurants (and they all seem to rate it average or below average -- the only people giving good reviews are tourist), so I guess I never really made anytime to go to any of them. Growing up I was told that they were basically tourist traps so I never went.

Should I go to these places, just for the sake of saying I went? Or does it make me even more of a native Philadelphian by not going?
I didn't go there until my late teenage years.
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Old 05-08-2014, 09:56 AM
 
Location: Manayunk
513 posts, read 796,197 times
Reputation: 1206
I have only gone there at 3-4 AM after a night of heavy drinking because nothing else was open.

Not the greatest but wont kill you either.
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Old 05-08-2014, 11:36 AM
 
Location: Philadelphia
221 posts, read 398,287 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whatdoesthefoxsay65 View Post
Yes, I had to admit it, I am a native Philadelphian and I have never been to Pat's or Geno's...does this mean that I don't have the right to call myself a native Philadelphian? I have read the reviews on both restaurants (and they all seem to rate it average or below average -- the only people giving good reviews are tourist), so I guess I never really made anytime to go to any of them. Growing up I was told that they were basically tourist traps so I never went.

Should I go to these places, just for the sake of saying I went? Or does it make me even more of a native Philadelphian by not going?
We used to drive down to Pats late at night in high school when we had nothing better to do. They're both good places to take visitors to if you want them to get the touristy Philly experience. I personally like Steve's in the Northeast but i recognize that it's not as exciting for people from out of town as heading to South Philly and doing the bs Pats vs Genos taste test. They're both worth going to for the sake of saying you've been there. The steaks are okay. Nothing mind-blowing but not horrible either. Genos is an experience itself just for the fact that it looks ridiculous haha.
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Old 05-08-2014, 11:50 AM
 
4,416 posts, read 9,106,062 times
Reputation: 4307
Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzy jeff View Post
Myself being born and raised in South Philly will tell you back in the day (the 70's) Pats was the place. Then Genos came along and both were by far the most popular places in the city to get a steak sandwich.
Today with hundreds of places that serve steak sandwiches there is nothing unique about either.

That's a good point. As I have previously stated the whole cheesesteak discussion has been boring me for quite some time. The fact that there are so many businesses offereing cheesesteaks further detracts from the novelty of a cheesesteak. Even here in the Lehiizle for Shizzle people continually begin these conversations with me about cheesesteaks and I'd much rather talk about the Indian Buffet. The op should not worry about this at all.
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Old 05-08-2014, 12:07 PM
 
154 posts, read 214,318 times
Reputation: 150
Keep up the good work. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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