Where To Find The Best Philly Cheesesteak In The US According To Alton Brown (It's Not Philadelphia)

Certain foods and drinks are so completely connected to their place of origin that we don't even realize it. Some people may not know that the "Champagne" variety of sparkling wine or "Buffalo" sauce for chicken wings are actual places on a map. Other foods, like Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, are so common in their home city that they're referred to solely by their primary ingredient. In Chicago, you go out for "a beef" or "beefs." Similarly, a Philly cheesesteak is called a "cheesesteak" or just a "steak" in the City of Brotherly Love, but the sandwiches haven't so overshadowed their hometown that outsiders forget where they're from. Celebrity chef Alton Brown, however, isn't respecting the cheesesteak pedigree, claiming that the best Philly cheesesteak in the U.S. isn't in Philadelphia at all. It's in Georgia.

In a post on Instagram, Brown claimed that Fred's Meat & Bread in Atlanta is the top dog of the sautéed steak, onion, and cheese sandwich game, stating, "I'm so sorry Philadelphia, but the best cheesesteak is now in Atlanta." The photo says it all — super moist, thin steak mixed and chopped perfectly with gooey cheese on a wonderfully chewy-looking hoagie roll. While it may seem like an abomination for someone from Philadelphia, if you've not yet tried a Fred's Philly cheesesteak, Brown's favorite is quite possibly the best you can get your hands on.

The standard Philly cheesesteak at Fred's Meat & Bread comes with perfectly seasoned, tender ribeye sliced nice and thin, which blends beautifully with the caramelized onions and American cheese. The filling is packed tightly and held together by a classic, slightly spongy hoagie roll. At $16.25, it's not really a budget option, but you're not likely to leave disappointed. Fred's was awarded a Bib Gourmand rating from the Michelin Guide in 2023, 2024, and 2025, so its menu items are considered a high-quality deal for the price, with the cheesesteak, in particular, making the Michelin Guide Inspectors' list of The Best Sandwiches in North America. 

Not everyone is buying it, however. Many considered Alton Brown's Instagram post about Fred's incomparable cheesesteak an incendiary shot at Philly, and responded with distaste. One Instagram user wrote, "You must have terrible taste @altonbrown." Another said, "Hmmmm, I'm skeptical ... highly doubt it can beat #genos," presumably referring to Geno's Steaks, a Philly landmark and member of the Mashed list of the best cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. One user simply wrote, "Lies!" indicating that the classic sandwich couldn't possibly travel so far from home base. It might be difficult for Philly loyalists to separate the steak from the city, but they may need to give an Atlanta cheesesteak a go.