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I had a goal for this eight-day work trip to Philadelphia. It’s not a lofty goal, but it’s important we set goals. Mine: eat a Philly cheese steak at least once a day. I want to find the best, or more specifically, my favorite.

First out, we have Geno’s. It’s 1 am and Trade Show Lyle and I are on the way to the hotel from the airport. We have the cabbie stop at Geno’s. Order, the sandwich (steak wit whiz) at one window, and the soda and fries from the other. And make sure you order in English. Why? Because they’re grouchy and think it’s funny. This place is across the street from Pat’s (more later). Two competing cheese steak places on opposite corners of the same intersection. The area has a miniature Time’s Square feel to it: lots of neon, a diagonal intersection and plenty of pedestrians milling about. The sandwich was disappointing. Dry sliced beef and semi-melted provolone cheese. The fries were nothing special. I almost wonder if my expectations were so high, Geno’s was doomed for failure.

Trip two, we walked by Rick’s, near the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This is a touristy part of town. Rick’s is billed as a third generation steakhouse. Somewhere I read that companies being run by third generation family leadership have an 80 percent failure rate. Rick’s is a good example. If it wasn’t in a tourist haven, Rick’s would really have little reason to live. Fatty, pre-sliced beef and cheese whiz. Sub par fries and cheap ketchup. This is strike two.

Third on the list is Jim’s. This was a good steak! Jim’s on South had a long, but quickly-moving line, and when it comes to cheese steak establishments, lines are important. Jim’s does it right: tasty chopped steak with optional peppers, onions, whiz and mushrooms. A fair amount of grease. NO fries. Just a fabulous sandwich. Indoor, upstairs seating with a view of the busy street below. Tons of celebrity photos. Oh, and this is the only place that’ll serve you a beer with your steak. The standard has been set.

Next is Pat’s, across the street from Geno’s. Again with the two windows for ordering. Like ordering your soda with the sandwich will affect the quality. Chopped beef on a roll. It’s good, but second-place good. If I lived in the neighborhood, I might come back again. Otherwise, there’s not much to say.

At Ishkabibble’s you order on the street. It’s in view of the standard setting Jim’s, and comes highly recommended by D.J. Jazzy Jeff. If you want to eat inside, you have to secure one of the eight stools or stand at the tiny counter space lining the walls of the skinny dining area. Decent steak. Chopped beef and an interesting dish: Spanish fries. They toss some raw peppers and onions in with the fries while they’re cooking. It’s a little spicy, and pretty good. I guess you’ll notice I paid more attention to the fries than the sandwich.

On day five, we get in the taxi and head out to Johnny’s Hots. It got five out of five grease stains from an online reviewer. $12 into the ride, we discover, Johnny’s Hots is closed. The building is still there, with a sign and everything, but there’s an empty parking lot and boarded up windows. So we move down the list of joints. $20 into the cab ride, we find Gooey Looies located in the middle of a sketchy looking strip mall, with one employee and absolutely NO line. We pass. But the cab driver came to the rescue with his favorite place: Tony Luke’s.

Tony Luke’s is right next to the freeway, in the vicinity of the Philadelphia ball parks. This was a really good sliced-beef steak. The sandwich was on the greasier side of this week’s steaks, and I went through a respectable stack of napkins. Deciding how this compares to the standard of Jim’s, I have to think about it. I would definitely come back for this. But no beer. : (

On our final night, it’s back to Jim’s for a repeat visit. Confirming our previous steak experience, this is SO good. Sandwich, beer, view, pictures, bought the T-Shirt. Done.

Cheese Steak Ranking:

1. Jim’s Steaks
2. Tony Luke’s
3. Pat’s King of Steaks
4. Ishkabibble’s
5. Geno’s Steaks
6. Rick’s

Final note: Philadelphia is Sandwich Town. Dinic’s, in the Reading Terminal, is the sandwich place. I ate there four times (partially due to it’s proximity to the convention center, but mainly because their sandwiches are completely addicting). Get there for lunch, because if you show up for an afternoon sandwich, they might be out of meat. It’s reassuring to know they don’t have an endless supply of suspicious meat. And they don’t offer a cheese steak.