The dogged debate between Pat’s and Geno’s in South Philly took a detour into the ‘burbs

when we asked, “Who has the best cheesesteak in the area?”

The age-old query went out via our website, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail and good old-fashioned, face-to-face, man on the street interrogation.

By far the latter venue provided the greatest response, with a dozen votes going to Pudge’s Steaks & Hoagies in Blue Bell.

“Pudge’s, no two ways about it,” said Joe from East Norriton. “Been going to Pudge’s for 20 years and I will try others occasionally but they’re still No. 1.”

“Pudge’s is the best, because the steak is chopped, as opposed to bigger pieces,” said Jake Wallace of North Wales, via Facebook. “I like the roll too, and the price is very reasonable.”

There’s no competition, noted Matt Grisafi.

“Pudge’s and Pudge’s II,” he e-mailed. “Honorable mention goes to Papa Guido’s in Norristown.”

Though many preferred cloaking their cheese steak preferences in anonymity,

they were largely an opinionated bunch nonetheless.

“The DeJohn’s Special at Franzone’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Bridgeport,” one woman said.

“The sandwich has provolone cheese, mushrooms and a special red sauce, not the sauce they use on regular cheese steaks. They will toast the roll if you request it. It’s wonderful!”

Tom Harari gave a thumbs-up, via e-mail, to Steve’s Prince of Steaks on St. Vincent in Northeast Philadelphia.

“But ‘wit’ or ‘witout’ is making a strong case,” he added.

Brian Kukulka of Bridgeport said that Angelo’s in the Sweetbriar Shopping Center, King of Prussia, was the A-1 hands-down winner:

“It’s good because they have the right mix of steak and cheese. Some places have too much of one and not enough of the other. And the rolls are always fresh and soft.”

Guiseppe’s Pizza & Family Restaurant in Hatfield garnered four votes.

Greco Roman Restaurant, Jeffersonville, has a fan in Lisa Seifert, though her 9-year-old son likes the sandwich at Talarico’s Sandwich Shop in Boyertown.

“We just moved out that way,” she explained.

DiMeo Pizza Kitchen in Conshohocken snagged a pair of votes — one of them from a self-described cheese steak connoisseur, a transplanted South Philly-ite now living in Blue Bell.

“Their Cheeze Wiz Steak is the closest I found to the real thing,” he said, giving runnerup status to Rocco’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in the Sandy Hill section of Norristown.

“Sometimes it’s overcooked and dry at Rocco’s, but when they nail it, I give them second place.”

Though famous for zeps, Eve’s in Norristown was not forgotten in the cheese steak department.

“They seem to use better quality meat and the sandwich has an authentic taste,” a fan said.

Ray’s Pizzeria and Steaks in Lansdale gets the juices flowing for two individuals who named it the best in Montgomery County.

Carnivores may obviously rule when it comes to cheese steak argumentation, but the “awesome” Philly Pepper Steak Sandwich at Govinda’s Gourmet Vegetarian in Philadelphia is a non-meat contender that could win over a few converts, a devotee noted.

Gary Puleo can be reached at 61-272-2500, ext. 205, or gpuleo@timesherald.com.