National Cheesesteak Day: When It Is & How To Celebrate (2024)

Here’s our detailed guide to National Cheesesteak Day, including when it falls on the calendar and tons of awesome ways to mark the occasion. Whether you’re a self-described cheesesteak enthusiast, a resident of Philly (home to the world’s most famous cheesesteaks, as we’ll explain in this post), or simply looking to indulge in a delicious meal, this post has you covered with practical tips for celebrating this tasty holiday!

Key facts about National Cheesesteak Day

Before we learn when National Cheesesteak Day is and how best to celebrate it, let’s check out some facts concerning Philly’s favorite hoagie.

What is a cheesesteak?

A cheesesteak is a popular regional delicacy, sometimes referred to as a “Philly cheesesteak” because it originated in Philadelphia and continues to be immensely popular there. In fact, it’s probably Philly’s most famous local food. The sandwich contains thin pieces of chopped and fried steak with lots of melted cheese and sautéed onions on a hoagie roll. 

In addition to the classic cheesesteak, there are also variations like mushroom cheesesteaks, sautéd pepper cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks (which use chicken instead of steak), cheesesteak calzones, and more!

Who invented the cheesesteak?

Although the origins of the cheesesteak aren’t 100% clear, many people credit the sandwich’s invention to Harry and Pat Olivieri, who were a pair of brothers running a hot dog stand near South Philly’s famous Italian Market during the 1930s. Their original cheesesteak started without one of its essential ingredients—the cheese!—and only contained grilled steak and onions on a roll.

This sandwich was already quite popular without the addition of cheese, but it didn’t become a true Philly cheesesteak until a manager at their restaurant, Olivieri’s, had the bright idea to add provolone in the 40s. Since then, cheesesteaks have been incredibly popular, and more and more restaurants have popped up around Philadelphia to offer their own take on the cheesesteak. 

When is National Cheesesteak Day?

The United States celebrates the cheesesteak—which is not only a sandwich but an important piece of our country’s culinary heritage—on March 24th every year.

According to Charleys Cheesesteaks, March is also National Cheesesteak Month, but this isn’t as widely known or accepted as National Cheesesteak Day.

How to celebrate National Cheesesteak Day

There are tons of ways you can celebrate National Cheesesteak Day yourself, whether you’re willing to travel all the way to the cheesesteak’s homeland of Philly, or even if you’d prefer to have a celebratory cheesesteak event closer to home:

Visit Philly for a cheesesteak tour of the city

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to visit Philadelphia, let National Cheesesteak Day be your reason. One of the best ways to spend your day is by sampling the city’s best cheesesteaks.

Wondering what the aggregated reviews of thousands of real reviewers say are some of the most delicious Philly cheesesteaks (and by extension, some of the best cheesesteaks on Earth!)?

The best Philly cheesesteaks can be found at the following restaurants:

• Sonny’s Famous Steaks
• Dalessandro’s Steaks and Hoagies
• Cleavers
• Max’s Steaks
• Steve’s Prince of Steaks
• John’s Roast Pork
• Tony and Nick’s Steaks
• Woodrow’s Sandwich Shop
• Oh Brother Philly
• Joe’s Steaks and Soda Shop

Be sure to do your research before you embark on this exciting culinary adventure!

Or try a vegan cheesesteak in Philly

Are you a vegetarian or vegan who can’t eat a “real” cheesesteak because it contains meat and cheese? The next best thing is one of Philly’s best vegan cheesesteaks. These sammies are made with plant-based ingredients like soy, wheat, mushrooms, and other meat alternatives. They manage to approximate the taste and texture of steak so well that you might be shocked your cheesesteak doesn’t contain meat!

Although there are fewer vegan cheesesteak options overall, there are actually more than you might expect for a food that normally contains steak. 

Here are the city’s top-reviewed restaurants for vegan cheesesteaks:

• Hip City Veg
• Hibiscus Cafe
• Luhv Vegan Deli
• Joy Cafe
• The Tasty
• Monster Vegan
• Triangle Tavern
• Algorithm Vegan Grill

Even reviewers who don’t normally eat vegan food rave about the vegan cheesesteaks at these locations, so they’re definitely worth a try.

Make your own cheesesteak at home

Perhaps you live somewhere without a great cheesesteak restaurant and you can’t make it to Philly this year to try the city’s best. Or maybe you enjoy cooking and you’d simply like to try making this famous sandwich for yourself.

Either way, preparing a cheesesteak for yourself at home is a pretty simple process. But rather than try to explain the recipe ourselves, we’ll let the food experts at Delish guide you through the process of making amazing Philly cheesesteaks for yourself. 

Plan a cheesesteak-themed party

Whether you live in Philly or elsewhere, one of the best ways to celebrate National Cheesesteak Day is with a themed party on or near March 24th! Your friends and loved ones are sure to be tickled by the concept of such a specific celebration. They’ll also enjoy eating cheesesteaks and other tasty snacks while they’re there.

Craft a menu featuring an array of mouthwatering variations on cheesesteak. Include not only the classic Philly-style sandwich but also creative twists like chicken and vegetarian options. To make things easier and avoid making individual sandwiches for every guest, you can even make a variation on a cheesesteak for lots of people at once, like this easy cheesesteak party sub or this cheesesteak for a crowd recipe. 

And if you’re looking to get a little more creative, here are 21 ways to switch up a classic Philly cheesesteak. These include an easy cheesesteak casserole, a giant Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak potato skins, and other mouthwatering variations on the sandwich.

Although cheesesteaks will be the star of this celebration, don’t forget to serve side dishes that go well with cheesesteaks, too. Here are 21 suggestions from the Toasty Kitchen, including potato salad, roasted potatoes, kale avocado salad, spinach pasta salad, and other delicious side dishes! Offering your guests at least one salad is a particularly great idea to balance out the heavy, rich cheesesteak.

You could even incorporate cheesesteak-themed activities for your party if you want to fully embrace the theme! For instance, consider planning a cheesesteak-eating contest, a cheesesteak or Philadelphia-themed trivia contest, or a blind cheesesteak taste test. Having activities like these will keep your guests engaged and entertained. 

As for decor, that’s up to you and depends on the vibe you’re going for. But you might want to consider using Philly-inspired decor, like a replica of the Liberty Bell, memorabilia from Philly sports teams like the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers, or a backdrop of the Philadelphia skyline. 

Rent an amazing cheesesteak party venue through Peerspace

If you’d like to rent a venue for your cheesesteak-themed celebration, look for party venues near you on Peerspace. As the largest online marketplace for renting venues and other spaces by the hour, the site can connect you with tens of thousands of listings in hundreds of cities across the United States as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, Australia, and beyond.

In and around Philadelphia alone there are more than 250 incredible party spaces to choose from. Some of our favorites include this stunning art gallery that’s blocks from the Liberty Bell. There’s also this interactive warehouse loft for events and this central restaurant space with a beautiful interior. 

To make browsing these extensive options easier, use Peerspace’s intuitive search filters to narrow down your search.

These optional filters include:

• Hourly price
• Number of guests
• Date/time of your event
• Listing keywords
• Outdoor and indoor spaces
• Style/aesthetic of the space
• Space type
• Instant booking availability
• Amenities
• And more!

This way, your search results only contain listings that fit your specific criteria. You won’t waste time browsing options that are out of your budget or too small for your needs, for example.

After you’ve finished filtering your search, it’s time to browse individual venue listings. Luckily, every Peerspace listing contains the detailed info you need to make this key decision. Listings include high-resolution photos of the venue and in-depth written descriptions from the hosts. Many listings also include reviews from past renters of the space, providing even more insight into the venue rental experience.

If you have any questions or requests, it’s easy to reach out to the host of the space by clicking the “Message Host” button that can be found near the top of every listing. Most Peerspace hosts will get back to you with a response fairly quickly. 

National Cheesesteak Day: conclusion

It’s a simple concept for a holiday, but an undeniably great one: National Cheesesteak Day celebrates the innovative spirit of the Philadelphians who invented the now world-famous sandwich and helps to spread the joy of biting into a delicious and satisfying sandwich with savory steak, crispy onions, and gooey cheese on a toasted roll. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine anything more delicious.

We hope that you’ll use at least a few of the celebratory ideas above and that you’ll spend your next March 24th enjoying this amazingly tasty delicacy with friends and loved ones!

Book the perfect cheesesteak-worthy party venue on Peerspace