Geno’s Has Some Thoughts on Cheesesteak Cheesecakes: Not For Us, But To Each Their Own

When it comes to a dish as ubiquitous as the cheesesteak, it’s easy to find a take on this Philly favorite just about anywhere you travel. The problem is that our fine city is known for its cheesesteaks and we’ve got some hard and fast rules on what should (and should not) be sandwiched between that fresh torpedo roll. Geno’s customers accept no substitutes and our Philly cheesesteaks are made the right way: thinly-sliced rib-eye steak, fresh onions, fresh bread and just the right amount of cheese. If you want a cheesesteak pound cake, we suggest you look elsewhere.

Questionable Combinations: According to a 2019 article from PennLive.com, another cheesesteak shop teamed up with a local bakery to offer a cheesesteak between pound cake slices. “It’s a combination you wouldn’t think you like, but it is,” the shop’s owner told the website. We’re all for creativity – and this certainly falls into that category – but we can assure you that no such sandwich will ever grace the grills of Geno’s.

Taking the Cake: Keeping with our sweet-palate theme, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported in a July 2019 article that it’s possible to prepare a cheesesteak cheesecake at home. Yes, you read that right: a cheesecake base topped with “meat and vegetables and finishing with a generous drizzle of Whiz.” Would we ever offer this to Geno’s customers? No, but here’s to folks experimenting with ingredients that have nothing to do with desert. To each their own!

Minor Tweaks: According to Delish.com, the “classic” Philly cheesesteak contains “sautéed peppers and onions, steak cooked on a griddle, and gooey provolone cheese on a hoagie roll.” Celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and Jamie Oliver naturally wanted to tweak the old stand-by and did so through the incorporation of mushrooms, a baguette instead of a roll, home-made cheese sauce, and arugula. It’s not difficult to find unique takes on a cheesesteak and each corner of the country touts a true-to-form Philly version and takes too many liberties in the process.

We’ve been slinging cheesesteaks at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue since 1966. We truly encourage fellow cooks to create cheesesteaks as they see fit; all we’re saying is that what’s going to be offered at Geno’s is what we’ve been doing for decades now. We’ve got ketchup, mustard and relish available for those who want to dress up our sandwiches — but we can assure you no cheesecakes and baguettes will be used in our shop.