09/30/07

Spread the word: Geno's is NOT the best in town.

by hbronsky

I feel it is my civic duty to join in the chorus of boos.

Let's start with the food: The steak was totally dry and bland and the cheese in short supply. The only thing that kept this thing from sticking in my throat was the moisture of the onions. The bread was decent, but a cad in a nice suit is still a cad. The fries were also terrible; mushy and flavorless. And what kind of place charges full price for refills?

The service was also unpleasant. Unfriendly, unclean people who make no bones about their displeasure in serving you.

I'm inclined to think that this place survives on reputation alone. I honestly can't see anyone walking away from that place and recommending it at all, let alone claiming it to be the best in town. Maybe twenty years ago it was awesome, when Joe Votto was younger and less self-satisfied or something, but now its an unnecessarily (and absurdly) politicized vendor of over-priced cafeteria food.

The one bright spot of my visit was overhearing a spiky-haired youth in a wife-beater telling his older brother that he's TRIED to quit smoking but he just can't do it. The adolescent fatalism in his voice was priceless. World-weary and broken at only fourteen...sigh.

• Pros: People watching
• Cons: Everything else

10/16/09

Not as good as it is famous

by Zakar

The beef chopped into to big pieces in the stake. I don't like it that way.

• Pros: Good location
• Cons: The beef chopped into to big pieces in the stake.

09/13/09

Over rated Philly cheese steak

by mass1000

I am visiting Philadelphia from Miami with high expectation on Philly Cheese steak. Geno’s place was busy as usual with tourists like myself (holding a camera) here is my take on the cheese steak:

1. Steak: they cook the steak halfway in advance and they pile them up so steam would finish the cooking. (if you like a tasteless steak mainly due to steam cooking, then this is the steak for you).

2. Mushroom: no can do.

3. Green Pepper: no can do.

4. Cheese: they take the cheesewhiz right out of a jar at room temperature and added to your sandwich at your request.

5. You order your cheese steak and pay for it and pick it up in less than 15 second.

6. Very clean place.

7. Nice lights

Geno’s motto is to serve as fast as they can…quantity vs quality I would not recommend to eat at the Genos’s, but if you must try a cheese steak, get it from Genos, they are better than Pat's but if you are looking for a high quality freshly made cheese steak look for Jersey’s Mike sub, they make each Philly cheese steak to order using fresh mushroom and fresh green pepper as well as extremely freshly baked bread

• Pros: Fast service better than Pat's
• Cons: Lack of mushroom and green pepper, tasteless steak

09/01/09

WARNING!!!!!

by ksky

Be careful where you park. If you park south of them, they think you're coming from visiting Pat's and will turn you away on sight.

Philadelphia has many great and better places for this, so why suffer the abuse of the encrusted tradition?

The workers, some being relatives, are doing a disservice to Geno and to Philadelphia.

• Pros: tradition
• Cons: Sheer rank arrogance

05/19/09

America First

by CSMobileUser

Great Ads!!! When in America be an American, first! Stand for what our country was founded on!

03/12/09

Its just not a FATTY

by johnbb098

Geno's is ok but if you want a different kind of cheesesteak on a south philly sarcone roll try 6th and Oregon. Pizzi Pizza FATTYs! They are awesome.

02/18/09

Can you spell P-R-E-J-U-I-C-E and TERRIBLE People's Skills and not so good food

by juanitaRsecor

My first impression as I stood in line was looking at a bumper sticker saying order in english and then two other signs stating marines died so you can speak english and another one but the best sign was the plaque dedicated to a cop that honored him and then saying murdered by someone, whose name is either synomous with being black, arabic or african, you make the call. I decided to eat there despite this bc I thought well maybe the service and food will make up for the ignorance but I was THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED!!!If you are visiting and want to know what you can order besides steaks, the guy behind the window is of no help! When I got my steak sandwich, it was a two pieces of meat, a slice of provolone on the biggest piece of bread. BLAND! So I had to search for the meat and cheese inside a hard, unsoft big as hell piece of french bread or italian bread. The cheese fries were fantastic but come on, if you mess up frying potatoes and putting cheese on fries, then houston we got a problem...i wouldn't recommend geno's at all but there is a place on south street Steaks's on South Street...great steaks, nice big and juicy and tasty!! Nice service and just a place to sit and eat and grab a steak sandwich! I will go back there, me and my ethnic self!

• Pros: Cheese Fries
• Cons: Poor Service and Terrible Steak Sandwichs

02/08/09

Over Rated

by TheGreatFoodSeeker

Ever since Will Smith (Fresh Price of Bel-Air) had aired, I could not wait to get to Philadelphia so I could try an "Authentic" Philly Cheese Steak... you know just how Will described in on television.... ?ewie goowie with lots of cheese and artery clogging grease and stuff!? Well, I was taking my son to the 2009 Presidential inauguration so I scheduled our flight into Philly. I googled "The best Philly Cheese Steaks in Philly" and up came Geno's. It was not easy to find but thanks to GPS we finally found it. I was excited and taking photos in front of the bright orange structure; just like a tourist. There was a long line that moved rather quickly. I placed my order for two cheese steaks and paid $15 bucks for a few flat DRY meat slices (don't even know if it could be called steak!) on a hoagie with some cheese and onions. Then had to step down to another window and pay for our $3 sodas separately. My son and I actually sat outside with blowing snow to eat this gross, tasteless, hoagie with cheese and onions!!! Someone had to have been PAID to have Geno's identified as "The Best Philly Cheese Steaks!" Seriously, they had some autographed photos of celebrities posted all around the outside of their establishment (no indoor seating) as if these were all personal friends of Geno?s. Some of the photos looked as if the celeb was just being nice and posing with the guy. Very disappointed, we left and headed for DC. I was still determined to find this wonderfully ewie goowie cheese steak so on the return trip home, we visited downtown Philly where our noses were drawn to this little cart serving up some Philly Cheese Steaks. Skeptical at first, I only ordered one $4 steak. Oh it probably will never make anyone's ?best? website but by far the BEST cheese steak my virgin taste buds had ever experienced! I ended up going back for seconds! Don't know the name of the little cart, just a man making a buck, but he definitely got my vote!

• Pros: The long lines moved rather quickly.
• Cons: Flat, dry, tasteless meat on huge hoagie; outdoor seating only; limited parking; hard to find

01/26/09

The people working there should really "Sweeten Up"

by Machinist

Being rude and arrogant to a man and his small children is no way to run a business. I would not recommend Geno's to anyone, especially family types. The nasty and impolite service certainly reflects in the food and prices.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Not real friendly people, Not very good food.

12/14/08

They "No Hablo" cheesesteak

by HockeyFan16

Geno's had it's 15 minutes of fame when the whole world found out that the owner of Geno's posted a sign saying "When ordering, speak English". I have a better idea for the owner: Instead of worrying about what language a customer speaks, why don't you spend some time learning how to make a cheesesteak? This place, just like Pat's across the street from it, is simply a tourist trap. When visiting Philadelphia, ask a local where to go when you want to experience a cheesesteak. I guarantee you that you will be sent to someplace much better than Geno's (or Pat's).

• Pros: Absolutely none, unless you like rude people taking your order.
• Cons: Many, but their cheesesteak is the biggest con in town.

11/15/08

RIPOFF!

by JonL46

Geno's is fine when you're drunk and hungry at 3am and nothing else is open. Otherwise John's Roast Pork makes one of the best chessesteaks in the city. Anyone who tells you Geno's or Pat's is the best is either :

1. Not from Philly

2. Mentally challenged

Geno's is highly overrated. Tourist and drunks are the reason it's still open.