In The City of Brotherly Love, the cheese steak is both a beloved icon and cultural obsession. Born by accident in 1930, when two Philadelphian brothers who sold hot dogs were improvising with their leftovers, the genuine Philly cheese steak combines frizzled beef, onions and cheese tucked inside a perfectly crusty Philadelphia roll. In 1953, Kraft created Cheese Whiz, which became the choice topping of true steak connoisseurs and revolutionized the cheese steak sandwich.



So you may be wondering, can you find a decent cheese steak outside of Philly? Ask a Philadelphian and they'll tell you that you can't get an authentic cheese steak an hour outside the city. Long ago, this may well have been the case. But nowadays, sandwich shops all over the country are able to ship in fresh Philly rolls, which are key to producing a crave-worthy cheese steak.

From DC to LA, here's the lowdown on the best spots for cheese steaks outside of Philly:

10. Philadelphia Mike's in Bethesda, Md.
There's no whiz at Philadelphia Mike's, but they serve up a delicious cheese steak sandwich served on house-baked bread and filled with finely chopped meat and American or provolone cheese.

9. Gut Busters Cheese Steaks in Atlanta, Ga.
These hearty steak sandwiches are whipped up quick for on-the-go convenience that keeps locals coming back for more.

8. Hoagies & Wings in Los Angeles, Calif.
This small café is well known among L.A. natives for serving up some of the best artery-clogging cheese steaks in town.

7. Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory in Washington, D.C.
This famous sandwich spot is a favorite among Washingtonians and Georgetown University students. The lines at this place are always out the door, especially late at night.

6. Carl's Steaks in New York, N.Y.
The owner of this sandwich shop is married to a native Philadelphian. Maybe that's the secret recipe for cheese steak success?

5. Rocky's Cheesesteak in Miami Beach, Fla.
After a long day on the beach, nothing beats a cold beer and a steak sandwich from Rocky's.

4. Philly's Best in Chicago, Ill.
The best thing about this place is you can place your order online and have Philly cheese steaks, hot oven grinders and baked spuds delivered right to your door.

3. Calvin's Cheesesteaks in San Jose, Calif.
Back and better than ever after a 17-year hiatus, these "world famous south Philly cheese steaks" are satisfying to the last bite.

2. Big Al's Steaks in Delray Beach, Fla.
Big Al and his son Adam hail from Philadelphia. And that means they know how to prepare their hometown's authentic sandwich with excellence using real Philadelphia bread and only the finest rib eye steaks.

1. The Philly Way in Milwaukee, Wis.
Philadelphia Magazine names this place one of the best cheese steak shops in America outside of Philly. We can't disagree.