To chop or not to chop: Pat's King of Steaks owner shares viral message after cheesesteak criticism

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philliest of Philly debates is lighting up on TikTok over -- of all things -- the correct way to make a cheesesteak: to chop or not to chop.

Entering the ring is Frank Olivieri, the 4th generation owner of Pat's King of Steaks and patented inventor of Philly's first cheesesteak.

There are many amazing cheesesteaks in this city, but it all started at the iconic triangular intersection of 9th Street and East Passyunk Avenue.

"There's no chopping, no noises. It doesn't sound like a railroad crossing in here," Olivieri said.

Olivieri says food influencers started coming up to the window to tell them they were doing it wrong and that the steak needed to be chopped.

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Why aren't they chopping it?

Well, Olivieri says -- with admittedly a fiery little comeback - "Are you trying to tell the inventor how to make a cheesesteak? Hold my whiz"

"At Pat's Steaks, we use real ribeye meat. We don't chop it up. We don't do all that stuff that people do to make it look like there is more meat in the sandwich. It's real," Olivieri, said. " You don't need to chop it up like baby food, like all the other places that chop the sandwich up -- like baby food."

That's what Pat's has to say about chopping the cheesesteak meat.

Olivieri told Action News that this is the way they invented it so, don't tell him how to make it.

"We've been selling these since the 50s. If you don't like it, don't eat it!" Olivieri said.

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