CHEESESTEAKS • 5 min read
Cheesesteak vs Burger
Both are hot beef sandwiches. The difference is how the meat is cooked — and that changes everything else.
A cheesesteak is thin-sliced beef griddled loose in a long roll, so every bite is much the same. A burger is a formed patty with a seared crust on a round bun, giving you layers and contrast. Pick the cheesesteak for richness, the burger for texture.
Both are hot, both come with fries, and both will fill you up. The difference is texture and how the meat is cooked. A cheesesteak is thin-sliced beef griddled loose and folded into a long roll with melted cheese, so every bite is broadly the same. A burger is a single formed patty on a round bun, so you get a defined edge, a crust and whatever you stack on top. If you want something to eat quickly and consistently, take the cheesesteak. If you want contrast in each bite, take the burger.
How the meat is handled
This is the whole distinction. Cheesesteak beef is sliced very thin and cooked fast on a flat top, often chopped as it cooks. There’s no single piece of meat to bite through, which is why a cheesesteak eats softly and why the cheese can melt right through it.
A burger patty is formed and seared, so it develops a browned crust on the outside while staying juicier in the middle. That crust is a big part of the flavour, and it’s something a cheesesteak can’t replicate.
| Philly cheesesteak | Burger | |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | Thin-sliced beef, griddled loose | Formed patty, seared |
| Bread | Long soft roll | Round bun |
| Texture | Even and soft throughout | Crust outside, juicy centre |
| Cheese | Melts into the meat | Sits on top of the patty |
| Toppings | Usually onions, peppers, mushrooms | Lettuce, tomato, pickles, bacon, sauces |
| Eats best | Straight away, while the cheese is molten | Straight away, but travels slightly better |
| Good for | Something rich and uniform | Layers and contrast |
Which is bigger?
It depends on what you order rather than on the food itself. A 12-inch cheesesteak is more food than a single burger; a double burger is more than a 7-inch cheesesteak. If you’re comparing like for like, a standard cheesesteak and a double cheeseburger land in roughly the same territory.
Our burgers are built to order — cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, a smokehouse burger available as single, chicken or double, and a fish burger — with cheese, peppers, bacon and mushrooms available as additions. The Philly side of the menu runs to nine variations.
Which one is easier to eat
A burger, on balance — it is compact, it is round, and it is designed to be held in two hands and worked through from the top down. A 12-inch cheesesteak is a long object with a filling that moves, and it needs more attention.
The 7-inch closes most of that gap, which is worth knowing if the eating conditions are awkward: standing up, in a car, at a desk. At that size a cheesesteak is roughly as manageable as a burger and considerably less likely to lose its toppings.
The cheese behaves differently on each
Worth pulling out, because it is the least obvious of the differences and one of the most consequential.
On a burger, cheese is laid on top of a hot patty and melts downward over it. It forms a layer — a distinct thing you can see and taste as a separate element, which is why a cheeseburger and a plain burger taste like related but different sandwiches.
On a cheesesteak, cheese goes onto the meat while it is still on the griddle and gets chopped and folded through it. There is no layer. The cheese stops being an ingredient sitting on the sandwich and becomes part of the filling itself, which is why the choice of cheese changes a cheesesteak more than it changes a burger.
The practical upshot: on a burger, pick the cheese you like the taste of. On a cheesesteak, pick the cheese that will behave the way you want — something sharp to cut the richness, or something mild that melts all the way in.
Which one takes toppings better
A burger, and the reason is structural rather than culinary. A patty is a flat platform: whatever you put on it sits in a layer, stays where it was put, and can be tasted separately. That is why burger menus run to long topping lists and why people have strong opinions about the order things go in.
A cheesesteak has no platform. The filling is chopped and folded together, so anything added is distributed through it rather than layered on it. Peppers, mushrooms and cheese do not sit on a cheesesteak, they become part of it.
Neither is better. It decides what kind of eating you get: a burger gives you variation bite to bite, a cheesesteak gives you the same thing from end to end. If you want to taste what you added, order a burger. If you want it integrated, order a cheesesteak.
Which travels better?
Neither is designed for a long journey, but a burger holds up marginally better, because the patty and bun stay distinct. A cheesesteak relies on the cheese being molten, and it loses something as it cools. If you’re taking food home rather than eating it there, that’s a genuine point in the burger’s favour.
Ordering both for a group? Cheesesteaks cut into halves share far better than burgers do, so a mixed order usually means fewer sandwiches overall.
How to choose
- Want melted cheese through the whole sandwich — cheesesteak
- Want a seared crust and defined layers — burger
- Eating in the car or taking it home — burger
- Sharing across a group — cheesesteak, cut into halves
- Want to build it your own way — burger, with add-ons
Neither is the “better” sandwich. They solve different cravings, and the honest answer is that most people who like one also like the other. If you’re new to cheesesteaks, our explainer on what goes into one covers the cheese options, which matter more than any topping.
A note on the burger itself
The hamburger’s route to becoming an American staple is longer and less tidy than most origin stories suggest, with several competing claims from the late 1800s. Britannica keeps a short entry on the burger and its history if you want the background.
Order either one made to order
Nine Philly variations and four burgers, all built when you order.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cheesesteak healthier than a burger?
Not meaningfully. Both are beef, cheese and bread; portion size and what you add matter far more than which sandwich you pick.
Which has more meat, a cheesesteak or a burger?
It depends on the size you order. A 12-inch cheesesteak beats a single burger; a double burger is closer to a 7-inch cheesesteak.
Can you get a cheesesteak without cheese?
Yes, though at that point it is a steak sandwich rather than a cheesesteak.
Which is better for taking away?
A burger, marginally. Cheesesteaks are best eaten while the cheese is still molten.
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