Frank E. Olivieri

Pat's King of Steaks

Pat’s King of Steaks is where the iconic American culinary creation, the Cheesesteak, was invented! Pat’s started in 1930 when Pat Olivieri, a hot dog vendor in South Philadelphia, wanted to switch up his lunch. He went down to the local butcher, picked up a steak that he sliced and cooked, placed it on a crusty, Italian roll and added onions. He shared his new sandwich creation with one of his regular customers, a cab driver, who loved the sandwich and became an ambassador spreading the word about the new Pat’s steak sandwich.

The now, third-generation owner, Frank E. Olivieri was born in the Packer Park neighborhood of South Philadelphia and started helping out his family at Pat’s shop when he was just 11 years old. He has run Pat’s for the last several years, after co-owning it with his father for years prior. Carrying on the family tradition wasn’t what he planned for. Upon graduating from high school, he dreamed of attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He was accepted and ready to head to France but his plans got sidetracked when the family business called. Frankie made the decision to dedicate his life to helping run the shop. He did eventually earn a Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Food Science degree at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College later in life!

Thanks to Frankie and his wife Nancy, Uncle Pat’s legacy lives on. Pat’s King of Steaks is now 95 years old and still owned and operated by the Olivieri family running 24/7, 363 days out of the year! It’s been visited by rock stars, sports stars, actors, and countless politicians who have stopped by Pat’s for a classic American experience.