Yesterday, my brother mentioned it is almost impossible to find an authentic Philly cheese steak outside of Philadelphia. This is mostly true. Even in Princeton, which is only 45 minutes away, you can’t get a real cheesesteak. Hoagie Haven (Princeton, NJ) is good, but not authentic.
There are, however, some exceptions. One is Southside Steaks in Pittsburgh:
This is the mushroom cheese steak. Notice the stringy provolone mixed in with the finely diced meat. Yum yum yum.
The ambiance is pretty nice, too.
They have some cool retro 80s memorabilia on display:
And finally, a random list of other places to get a “real” Philly cheesesteak, if you’ve never had one:
Moochie’s Meatballs and More, Salt Lake City, UT
Big Mike’s, Hermosa Beach, CA
Philly West Bar and Grill, Los Angeles, CA
Great Western Steak and Hoagie, Venice, CA