What Cheese Typically Goes On A Classic Philly Cheesesteak?

Cheesesteaks are Philadelphian icon, and like all great iconic foods, they have it all: There's the long-standing rivalry, the storied history, the faithful fans who insist their way is the best way, and of course, the varieties. Over the years, there have been any number of changes made to this incredible sandwich, including one regional cheesesteak variety that features tomato sauce.

For Philly cheesesteaks, its semi-eponymous cheese is one of those key ingredients that can be swapped out, replaced, and upgraded to add some variety to the typical sandwich. In some cases, a cheesy swap can add so much that it quickly steps up to become a fan favorite. Anthony Bourdain's favorite cheesesteak wasn't even from Philadelphia, and he cited the use of American cheese as one of the reasons Donkey's in New Jersey was serving up the very best ... at least, as far as he was concerned. But that definitely wasn't the OG cheese. So what was?

In 2024, Philadelphia magazine spoke with all those in-the-know when it came to the history of cheesesteaks. That included Frank Olivieri, whose great-uncle is cheesesteak creator Pat Olivieri. As Pat explained: "The first cheese was a provolone cheese. We had a manager named Joe Lorenza [who] was the first person to put cheese on the sandwich." More recently, though, there's another cheese that reigns supreme.

There's plenty of discussion when it comes time to talk about what the best meat for a Philly cheesesteak is, but what about cheese? After all, the cheese is just as important. It's also a really surprising part of this sandwich's history.

The widely accepted version of the birth of the Philly cheesesteak is that Pat Olivieri was working the Philadelphia streets as a hot dog vendor when he became tired of having his own hot dogs for lunch. He sent his brother to a local butcher for some scrap meat, grilled it up, put it on a hot dog roll, and Philadelphia hasn't been the same yet. What wasn't on the sandwich? Cheese!

Olivieri's hot dog stand was popular in the 1930s, and by the end of the decade, other places selling similar sandwiches started popping up. The cheese didn't come until the 1950s. (Weird, right?) Early advertising shows that they were just called steak sandwiches, and over the years, Philly residents have become pretty particular about what's right and what's wrong. When presidential hopeful Senator John Kerry stopped in Philly in 2003 and ordered his cheesesteak with Swiss, The Washington Post reported a local food critic observed, "It will doom his candidacy in Philadelphia." The right way? The original provolone, American or the favorite — Cheez Whiz.

Cheesesteaks really skyrocketed in popularity throughout the 1970s, but Cheez Whiz had already dethroned provolone as the go-to for many. Back in 1985, Frank Olivieri spoke with The New York Times about growing up in Philadelphia and in the family business, and when he mentioned that the choices being served up on Pat's cheesesteaks were provolone, American, and Cheez Whiz, he explained why there was a clear favorite, saying, "American cheese takes longer to melt. [Cheez Whiz], that's the best you can buy."

And it's remained a go-to. In 2024, a spokesman for Kraft Foods confirmed to Philadelphia magazine that about a quarter of their national Cheez Whiz sales were made in the area of Philadelphia and South Jersey — and that same area bought about half of all the American White Cheese Slices sold in the U.S.

Olivieri added that there were a few additions and changes that were viewed as acceptable, such as the option to add hot peppers, relish, and mustard. There's limits on cheese for a good reason, though, and that comes down to meltability. Similar to what you might expect from a bodega-style chopped cheese, a Philly cheesesteak is only the real deal when it's made with meat that's free of fat and questionable hunks, and cheese that melts down into all the nooks and crannies. For that? It's Cheez Whiz, provolone, and American all day, every day.