根据一本1987年费城图书馆公司(Library Company of Philadelphia)出版的展览目录以及费城历史学会(Historical Society of Pennsylvania)表示,费城牛肉起士三明治发源自20世纪初期,“在一小条面包上添加香煎牛肉、洋葱和起司”。[4]
费城居民,帕特与哈利(Pat and Harry Olivieri)常被认为是费城牛肉起士三明治的发明者,他们在1930年早期,贩售一种碎牛肉夹入义大利面包做成的三明治。[5][6][7]但实际上仍有争议,帕特和哈利原本经营一个热狗摊,某天他们做了一种加碎牛肉和烤洋葱的新款三明治。确切的故事众说纷纭,但据其中一种说法,帕特正在吃这个三明治的时候,一个计程车司机刚好路过,而且对这个三明治很有兴趣,所以也点了一份。吃过以后,计程车司机建议他们不要再卖热狗,只卖新的三明治就好了。[6][8]于是位于费城南边义大利市场附近的热狗摊,就开始贩卖这种牛排三明治。他们生意越来越好,帕特之后就开了名为Pat's King of Steaks的餐厅,至今仍在营业。[9]原本的三明治不含起司;店家表示:最先把波罗伏洛起司加进三明治的人是店址还在瑞吉大道(Ridge Avenue)时,一位名为Joe "Cocky Joe" Lorenza的经理。[10]
Pham, K.; Shen, P.; Phillips, T. (2014). Food Truck Road Trip--A Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes Collected from the Best Street Food Vendors Coast to Coast. Page Street Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62414-087-7.
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Hines, Mary Anne; Marshall, Gordon; Weaver, William Woys (1987). The Larder Invaded. The Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. ISBN 0-914076-70-1.
Stuhldreher, Katie. "Rick's Steaks takes Reading Terminal Market dispute to court". Philly.com. Philly Online, LLC. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
Stuhldreher, Katie (30 July 2007). "Rick's Steaks takes Reading Terminal Market dispute to court". philly.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
Fiorillo, Victor (15 December 2008). "The Cheesesteak Cometh". Philadelphia Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-07-18. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
Brookes, Karin; et al. (2005). Zoë Ross, ed. Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings (Second (Updated) ed.). APA Publications. ISBN 1-58573-026-2.