The Philadelphian icon known as Philly cheesesteak is an extremely popular sandwich consisting of thinly sliced pieces of steak and tender, melting cheese in a long and crusty hoagie roll. It was invented in the 1930s in what is now a Philadelphian institution called Pat's King of Steaks.

Pat's started as a regular hot dog stand in South Philadelphia, and one day Pat had decided to make himself a sandwich consisting of thinly sliced rib-eye steak and cooked onions placed into an Italian roll. When a hungry cab driver stopped by and smelled the beef, he forgot about the hot dogs, and Philly steak sandwich was born.

Originally, the sandwich was made without cheese, which only started to be added during the 1960s. Some claim that the cheese (ideally, Cheez Whiz or Provolone) was added by Pat's friendly rival Joey Vento, the owner of Geno's Steaks, located across the street from Pat's joint.

Today, it is one of the most popular fast foods in Philadelphia, ready to satiate even the hungriest customers with additional toppings such as sautéed mushrooms, ketchup, and hot or sweet peppers.