Alton Brown's Favorite Cheesesteak Isn't In Philadelphia

Some of America's most famous foods are closely associated with certain cities. Deep-dish pizza makes you think of Chicago, for instance, and bagels instantly bring New York to mind. For cheesesteaks, it's Philadelphia. A multitude of shops there sell the iconic cheesy beef sandwiches, including famous rivals Geno's and Pat's King of Steaks, among the hot spots where you can get them 24/7. But although it may be blasphemous to Philly residents, there are some cheesesteaks outside the Pennsylvania city that may be better. The late Anthony Bourdain favored one a few miles away in southern New Jersey, while fellow celebrity chef Alton Brown's winner is located in the heart of Georgia.

Brown offered his opinion with an apology to Philadelphia, saying that the best cheesesteak is at Fred's Meat & Bread in Atlanta, and talking it up on a sandwiches episode of Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." Skeptics might accuse Brown of favoritism since he grew up in Georgia and lives in Marietta, just 20 minutes outside Atlanta. But he's far from alone in his praise of Fred's version. It's celebrated for being juicy with tender steak and bread that absorbs all the drippy flavors well.

Most prestigiously, Michelin recognized Fred's with its Bib Gourmand designation for good quality and value in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and named its cheesesteak as one of its best sandwiches in North America in 2025. Michelin applauded the ingredients' quality, and that it doesn't have too much on it to overshadow them.

Fred's is located inside the Krog Street Market food hall, where the sandwich shop stall opened in 2014. The cheesesteak created by executive chef and owner Todd Ginsberg has 10 ounces of sliced beef ribeye (the ideal cut of meat for making them), white American cheese, and grilled onions on a soft nine-inch hoagie roll. The bread is made fresh each day at Atlanta restaurant The General Muir's in-house bakery.

Three other versions are also on the menu. The Chicken Philly has chicken, American cheese, onions, cherry peppers, and garlic aioli, and the 'Shroom Shire Cheesesteak comes with ribeye or chicken, American cheese, provolone, mushrooms, onion, aioli, and shroom shire sauce. For an even bigger twist on the classic, the Korean Cheesesteak includes ribeye or chicken, American cheese, green onion, candied jalapeños, garlic aioli, and Korean gochujang sauce. Other sandwiches include a Burger Stack, Shrimp Po'Boy, Italian Grinder, and Cauliflower & Eggplant Banh Mi. There's also hand-cut fries with different seasonings and sauces, like garlic fries and ranch, and Old Bay fries and tartar sauce.

Atlanta Braves fans can get the shop's regular and Korean cheesesteaks during games at its Truist Park stadium locations. Fred's also teamed up with Wonder, which cooks food in one location for different restaurants it partners with, and offers it for pickup and delivery, currently in 11 Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. A limited number of its most popular items are available, including the regular, 'Shroom Shire, and Korean.