Cheesesteak Incident at Pat’s King of Steaks

Philadelphia is renowned for numerous tourist attractions: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Art Museum, just to mention a few. But when it comes to cheesesteaks, one establishment stands out—Pat’s King of Steaks.

This iconic eatery, with a history nearing a century, is located on East Passyunk Avenue and is even a filming location from the classic 1976 movie “Rocky.”

Despite the fierce debate over who serves the best cheesesteak, one approach this past Wednesday went awry when an unhappy customer escalated matters.

Tom Francano, the general manager who has dedicated nearly 50 years to Pat’s, recounted to KYW-TV how the customer placed an order for a cheesesteak. About ten minutes later, the customer returned, brandishing the sandwich and declared, “This steak’s garbage,” according to Francano.

After some back-and-forth regarding the sandwich’s quality, Francano polled nearby patrons, who affirmed their satisfaction. This seemed to aggravate the customer, who then threw the cheesesteak at Francano, raising suspicions that the individual might have been trying to go viral on social media—he was seen capturing footage with a phone selfie stick.

Francano described the unsettling experience: “I was pretty pissed off, you know. I’m not used to getting a steak thrown in my face. If you don’t like the steak, be a little nicer about it,” he shared.

Shop owner Frank Olivieri reviewed footage of the incident showing the customer tearing the cheesesteak apart before confronting the staff. Olivieri labeled the offender a “coward” for throwing the sandwich and fleeing the scene. He expressed intent to track down the assailant, boasting of a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Interestingly, an arrest occurred shortly after. A man turned himself into the Philadelphia police the following day and faced harassment charges.

One observer commented on social media: “This whole Streaming for Clout thing is getting out of hand… stuff like this needs to be stopped. This guy just messed with South Philly… we don’t forget!”