Pat's King of Steaks
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Pat's King of Steaks (also known as Pat's Steaks) is a Philadelphia restaurant located "where 9th street crosses Wharton & Passyunk Ave." in south Philadelphia. It is across the street from Geno's Steaks.
There is no indoor seating for the public.
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[edit] History
Pat's King of Steaks was founded by Pat Olivieri in 1930. He was joined in the business by his younger brother Harry Olivieri. Pat Olivieri claims to be the originator of the sandwich most people associate with the city of Philadelphia, the cheesesteak.
Originally a hot dog vendor, Olivieri told the story that he decided one day for his own lunch to use chopped-up steak bits instead of a normal wiener. At the suggestion of a cab driver who sampled and enjoyed the new sandwich, he opened Pat's Steaks to sell steak sandwiches.
The Olivieri family still owns the establishment.
[edit] Oliveri family feud
In October 2006, Pat's operator Frank Oliveri Jr. sued another Philadelphia steak shop, Rick's Steaks, run by his cousin, Rick Oliveri. In dispute are Rick's references to Pat's in its signage and literature (Rick's advertises and promotes its connections to the Oliveri family).
Herbert Oliveri opened Rick's in 1981 inside Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, with son Rick Oliveri taking over in 1995.
The lawsuit stems from Rick's gain in notoriety after it opened a second location at Citizens Bank Park in 2006, a spot Geno's Steaks abandoned after two seasons.
[edit] The "cheese" steak
The innovation of adding cheese is claimed by rival Geno's Steaks, which opened across the street in 1966. The rivalry between the two establishments has gained public attention and fueled debates over who serves a better cheesesteak.
Pat's King of Steaks follows the South Philly tradition of using Cheez Whiz, also offering Provolone or American.
Cheez Whiz[1] was introduced at Pat's in 1952.
[edit] Ordering technique
When ordering a cheesesteak at Pat's, one "must know how to do so properly" [2] as there are tales of customers being sent to the back of a long line for ordering incorrectly. It's also improper to order anything but a steak at the first window. Seasoned patrons know to order fries and drinks at the second window.
Typical orders consist of two or three words per steak ordered.
The first word specifies the cheese wanted for the steak: "American," "Provolone," "Whiz" for Cheez Whiz or "Plain" for no cheese, and for a pizza steak, "Pizza."
The second word indicates if the steak should be made with or without fried onions, customers often saying it as "wit" or "wit-out."
This ordering format contradicts the famous "posted rules," which instruct that the onion preference should be made first, but typical orders are: "Whiz wit," "American wit-out," and not the other way around.
Three-word orders come into play for such orders like "American mushroom wit," though "mushroom American wit" would not be out of line. Pizza steaks (steaks with cheese and pizza sauce) will be made with Cheez Whiz unless ordered as "Pizza American" or "Pizza provolone."
Regardless, the last word is almost always "wit" or "wit-out." For non-standard toppings such as lettuce or tomatoes one could say "Whiz wit, with lettuce and tomato," and not be admonished.
Finally, have money ready. The cashier will expect to be handed it as soon as an order is placed. It is also normal to step slightly to the left after paying, since the cashier will make your change while already taking the order of the next customer.
Unless a large order was placed, the cook or a third person working the main window will provide the steak, usually within seconds.
When ordering fries and drinks at the second window, remember there is one size for both. Ordering a "small" or "large" almost always prompts a swift correction by the cashier. Cheese fries consist of a healthy dollop of Cheez Whiz, though they do have "extra cheese fries," and pizza fries also add pizza sauce. Plastic forks are provided.
Hats, T-shirts and sweatshirts are also sold at the second window.
[edit] Beverage selection
Pat's serves Pepsi products after a long affiliation with Coca-Cola (pictures at official Web site Pat's King of Steaks website are outdated). One notable beverage selection is a unique and popular "Cherry" soft drink, different than Pepsi Wild Cherry, which is also available.
[edit] Prices
Menu prices at the official Web site are outdated. As of February 12, 2007, prices are: plain steak ($6.50), cheese steak ($7), pizza steak ($7.50), soda ($1.50), french fries ($2.50) and cheese fries ($3.50).
[edit] Trivia
- A brief scene from the 1976 movie Rocky was filmed on location here. In the scene, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and loan shark Tony Gazzo (Joe Spinell) discuss Rocky's title bout. A plaque on the ground near the "fries" window commemorates the eatery's small role in the film.[3]
- Numerous celebrities, including N'Sync singer Chris Kirkpatrick, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, talk show host Larry King, Senator John McCain, Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush have dined at Pat's.
- Once, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Season 1, Episode 5), Will Smith's character says Pat's has the best cheesesteaks in Philadelphia.
- During a campaign stop in Philadelphia on August 11, 2003, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry requested a cheesesteak with Swiss cheese at Pat's. In political terms, this nontraditional choice was a serious miscalculation, as it could help reinforce images of Kerry as effete, aloof, and out of touch with the average American, or at least the average Philadelphian. The owner of Pat's Steaks convinced Kerry to change his order, but the incident nevertheless earned Kerry some ridicule in the press.
- Featured on the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.
[edit] External links
- Pat's King of Steaks website
- Fortune magazine story on Pat's and Geno's
- An opinion on the relative merits of Pat's and Geno's
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
[edit] References
- ^ The New York Times, 1985, op. cit.
- ^ Pat's King of Steaks: How to order a Steak sandwich. [1] Retrieved 2006-08-09
- ^ "Filming Locations for Rocky". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on May 31, 2006.
