After years of cheesesteak debates here, Pat's is coming to State College
- Thread starter PSUJam
- Start date
Hopefully Gino’s won’t allow this expansion to go unchallenged. The hallmark of fine American dining is its ability to provide consumers with multiple selections of the same product. Have we learned nothing from the Hamburger chain wars?
yuck. One of the worst cheesesteaks sold in Philadelphia. State College deserves better, but it will probably be a hit there, especially if it's open 24x7, as their South Philadelphia establishment is.
I’d much rather someone open up a Philly Roast Pork joint.
Agreed - Dalessandro’s rules.
Wawa will put them out of business with these kids. Half kidding.
Years ago, when they were just a one-store operation on Cheltenham Ave., I did like Lee's cheesesteaks. I'm not as big a fan of theirs since they changed their business model to allow franchises. Better than Pat's, for sure.
A Philadelphia institution. And one of the few cheesesteak stores that maintained their quality even after changing ownership, which they did in 2016 when the Dalessandro family sold the business to Steve & Margie Kotridis. (Though you could argue that the Kotridis re-invigorated the store, as many consumers felt it was slipping the last few years under the Dalessandro family.)
I’ll never understand a cheesesteak with cheez whiz on it.
I didn’t realize that Wawa did roast pork. I think a lot will depend on the location of Pat’s. If they can afford rent downtown is the main question. The Wawas are not going to be anywhere near downtown.
Would you have believed me 15 years ago if I told you they were going to put a target downtown?
So is Steve's Prince of Steaks apparently they are going to be bringing their Food Truck up for games and have a location. Heard this at the Comly location
They need to leave the fecking cheez whiz in Philly. I ate a lot of cheesesteaks in my day Jim's, Delassandro's, Chubby's, Fusco's, Pudge's, and many other places in and around Philly and never during that time was there cheez whiz on my cheesesteak. CC Peppers used to do a good job and never cheez whiz. The cheez whiz started somewhere in the late 90s early 2000s and it seems like the restaurants serving cheese steaks are taking the cheap way out but using that horrid sludgy excuse for cheese!!! I think it is time for a revolution against the cheap bastard cheese steak places that use cheez whiz!!!
My wife and I finally ventured down to Philly a few years ago for a side-by-side comparison of Pat’s and Geno’s. We both preferred Geno’s. Better meat flavor. ( 
) Given that, Penn State deserves Pat’s. 
) Given that, Penn State deserves Pat’s. 
So a tourist trap is coming to state college. Hooray. Now if it was Jim’s then that would be something. Of course we wouldn’t have Jim there to sweat on it. What can you do.!
Wait till I open up my shop in SC! People can come in and watch me smoke meat! Will BLOW Pat’s away!!!My wife and I finally ventured down to Philly a few years ago for a side-by-side comparison of Pat’s and Geno’s. We both preferred Geno’s. Better meat flavor. (
Provolone or White American cheese for me.
No, no, no! We've done several side-by-side comparisons and Pat's wins every time. Geno's slices their meat on the thick side so it's harder to bite through so you have to "tear" it apart.My wife and I finally ventured down to Philly a few years ago for a side-by-side comparison of Pat’s and Geno’s. We both preferred Geno’s. Better meat flavor. (
On a side note, Marzoni’s has opened a place off Atherton. We dined at the one near Altoona a few years ago when staying for the Auburn game. Pizza and beer were both good.
https://www.statecollege.com/articles/business/marzonis-set-to-open-state-college-location/
https://www.statecollege.com/articles/business/marzonis-set-to-open-state-college-location/
How much is a mail order going to cost?Lot 34 Shotclock Steaks can open right next door to you.
I grew up in the Melrose Park section in Cheltenham Township . We were regulars at the original Lee’s. Next to Dalessandro’s the original Lee hoagie was the best that I ever had. When I fly into Philly from DFW on business several times a year the guy who drives me around automatically stops at Dalessandro‘s before heading to the airport. Still make an excellent cheesesteak after all these years.
If all goes well in SC, then you can franchise one for Huntington Stadium!How much is a mail order going to cost?
You know a sandwich is good when the police are there…
Considering that the small format Targets have only been around for about ten years, no. But once they placed one near the UMinn campus a few years before State College, it made perfect sense. What is Wawa's track record with locations that do not sell gas?
Much needed. Tater tot hotdish (casserole to the rest of the world) gets old.If all goes well in SC, then you can franchise one for Huntington Stadium!
I drove by the Marzoni near WNEP a million times and never stopped. My wife's work party was set to be there then COVID then they closed.
I'm not sure but when on vacation my teen girls would have me drive 45 minutes out out the way to get Wawa. Now that they both drive, I get to my destination and tell them they can drive themselves. It's a real phenomenon with kids that didn't grow up with it. To me, it's another gas station rest stop takeout. Not to them.
The track record non-fuel operations stores is actually quite good (outside of center city Philly where they closed due to theft and security isssues). This is mainly because they either own the property or the location is conducive to paying a higher lease rate. I wouldn’t rule out a downtown state colllege Wawa at some point, but it’s not in the plans at this point.
Sorry - the Philly Cheesesteak, while ubiquitous and very delicious (it's the bread folks!), is so commonplace and overdone that new cheesesteak shops open up every five minutes. And to be honest, you can get one as good or better than the 'OGs' at any pizza place in Bucks County. The Primanti Brothers sandwich has a rich, working class history and is unique - often imitated, never duplicated, even in/around Pittsburgh. You get a variety of hot tasty meat, sweet/sour colesaw, delicious Italian bread, cold tomato, and fresh cut fries. So, you're getting a lot of umami from the coleslaw and tomato, lots of texture/flavor profiles from everything else. Top it off with Red Devil hot sauce and you're set.
Capicola and Egg FTW. Always.
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Capicola and Egg FTW. Always.
Speaking of worst sandwiches...how is Primanti brothers doing?
We need the Stage Door Deli back.
Better than the slop shops in Philly! I mean, folks here pining for Wawa. Talk about a low bar...
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What???? I'm a huge cheesesteak fan, and also a history nut. Your statement that I bolded is incorrect.
When cheesesteaks first appeared, they were steak sandwiches, as cheese was not put on them. Over time, provolone and American cheese were added, and thus was born the cheesesteak. (in the late 1930s, early 1940s).
In 1953, Kraft introduced Cheez Whiz in the US (it was first sold in Britain in 1952). By the mid-50s, Pat's started offering Cheez Whiz as an option at their store. In time it became the leading way they sold cheesesteaks. (Perhaps that's part of why I was never a big fan of Pat's cheesesteaks.)
It's not something that all establishments offer. John's Roast Pork doesn't offer it as an option. Leo's Steak Shop in the suburbs (another great place to buy cheesesteaks) doesn't offer Whiz as an option. I never order a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz, so I haven't made note of all the places I've been to that don't offer Whiz as an option.
On a sidesteak note, has anyone tried Campus Steaks on Pugh St., where Bradley's used to be? I tried it on Sunday, American wit. I was disappointed as the steak was a bit dry and tough. Was also not impressed with their homemade potato chips which were really hard. Perhaps it was a bad day, so I shall be trying their steaks again, but the next time I will be going with their onion rings.
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