Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, may have earned some side-eyed glances in Philadelphia on Monday after he asked workers at Pat’s King of Steaks why they didn’t serve Swiss cheese on their sandwiches.
Vance, who was in Philadelphia campaigning, made the pilgrimage to the famous steak sandwich joint on Monday after a speech at a waste management facility. Pat’s, alongside its South Philly cross-street rival Geno’s Steaks, is one of the most famous steak sandwich shops in the City of Brotherly Love, and a frequent campaign stop for presidential candidates.
“I don’t like Swiss cheese either, but everybody says it’s insulting,” Vance asked at the Pat’s register. “Why do you guys hate Swiss cheese so much?” Both Pat’s and Geno’s only serve steaks with American, provolone, and cheez whiz.