Pick your rival before anything else. If you want a tried and true Philly steak, you need to go to South Philly to the corner where rivals Pat's and Geno's duke it out. Here you'll find true cheesesteak tradition and everyone ordering with some Philly slang. There are certainly other options around Philadelphia, but this corner is the landmark.
Take your place in line. Make sure you have cash in hand. The cheesesteaks are a bit expensive.
Decide what you want before you get to the front. There are four basic elements to a cheesesteak: roll, cheese, meat and toppings. You don't need to make any roll decisions, though, as Philly favorites all stick to classic Amoroso long rolls. Just consider the last three in placing your order.
Stick to the meat first. Typically, it's either beef or chicken, with chicken being the ugly stepsister. If you want to eat like a local, go with beef. When piecing together your order, it is assumed that you want beef, so you dont have to include this in your order. If you want chicken, you'll need to throw this in first.
Decide on cheese next. Depending on where you go, the cheese selections changes, but the mainstays are typically Cheez Whiz (or just "Whiz"), American and Provolone.
Pick your toppings. Onions are the most common, so if you want them, you just have to say "with" or "wit" if you want to sound local. If you don't want them, make sure you say "without" or you may be biting into a mouthful of them, depending on your vendor of choice. Other acceptable toppings include mushrooms, sauce and peppers. Check the sign for other additions. Toppings are the last thing in your order request.
Practice. It's meat, then cheese, then toppings. If you want a beefsteak with American cheese, onions and mushrooms it's: "American wit and mushrooms."
Place your order, then step to the next window to pay. Pay and then get out of the way! They'll call your order up.
