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Geno’s has been slinging its famous cheesesteaks from the same location since 1966.
The shop stays open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, satisfying hungry patrons at all hours.
Don’t be disappointed if the line looks long at first; Geno’s cashiers and cooks speedily handle the endless flow of customers with ease.
The intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia serves as the epicenter of Philadelphia Cheesesteak tourist lure, with Pat’s King of Steaks on the north side of the corner and the always illuminated Geno’s Steaks representing on the south side.
For more than 50 years, the two shops have waged a friendly competition to win the title of best cheesesteak in town, with Geno’s founder, Joey Vento, claiming it was he, not Pat Olivieri, who first added cheese to the cheesesteak.
Next to the Italian Market, Geno's Steaks is perhaps one of the most iconic attractions in South Philadelphia. — Photo by P. Meyer for Visit Philadelphia
When ordering a cheesesteak, the idea is to clarify as concisely as possible the requested type of cheese and whether or not to add onions.
Locals have become so adept at this practice that they basically have it down to three words: saying “one whiz wit” to the person behind the counter means that one cheesesteak [denoted by the “one”] with Cheez Whiz [denoted by the “whiz”] and fried onions [denoted by the “wit”].
Similarly, saying “one provy wit’out” means a single cheesesteak [one] made with provolone cheese [provy] and without fried onions [wit’out].
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia) and overnight hotel accommodations.
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