You can put the fight over Pat’s vs. Geno’s to rest.

New Jersey has the best Philly cheesesteak — or, so says newfound food connoisseur, Jim Pappas, a Wilmington, Delaware man who has spent the last year eating and grading nearly 300 cheesesteaks in the tri-state area.

Before this journey began 13 months ago, Pappas was laid off from his job in financial services following the market crash and was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia — all in the same day back in 2009. Pappas began running a small company with his wife for 9 years, and driving for Uber and Lyft, but then the two separated.

Jim Pappas is an Uber and Lyft driver, and in between his rides he reviews cheesesteaks. He's eaten 295 of them just this year. His favorite is at Meatheadz Cheesesteaks in Lawrence township. Thursday June 27, 2019. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media) Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comAristide Economopoulos | NJ Adva

“I knew I wanted to do and create something different,” Pappas said.

It was over lunch with a friend that he came up with the idea to taste-test as many cheesesteaks as he could.

The best overall? The ‘Drippin Steak’ from local food joint, Meatheadz Cheesesteaks, in Lawrence Township, which he hailed as having “the best cheesesteak at the top of the cheesesteak world”.

Meatheadz’s owners, and brothers, Joe and Jeff Weintraub, have only been in business for slightly over a year and have already harnessed the title of “best cheesesteak” by Pappas.

“We wanted to bring a quality Philly cheesesteak to New Jersey. Our preparation and quality are unmatched,” said Joe Weintraub.

We met Pappas at the drive-up, order-at-the-counter restaurant on the side of Route 1 to see if the place lived up to his word and even got to try the colossal sandwich. Alas, it had all the sauce-y, hearty, melt-in-your mouth goodness you can wish for in the ultimate cheesesteak.

Jim Pappas is an Uber and Lyft driver, and in between his rides he reviews cheesesteaks. He's eaten 295 of them just this year. His favorite is at Meatheadz Cheesesteaks in Lawrence township. Thursday June 27, 2019. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media) Aristide Economopoulos | NJ AdvaAristide Economopoulos | NJ Adva

What can you tell me about your life before the “Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure?"

My wife and I separated after 25 years of marriage. I moved back to Wilmington, Delaware, and I didn't know what to do at 55 years old. My kids were in college, and I was used to being a dad, so I was trying to figure out what to do.

So, what led you to cheesesteaks?

I was with a friend talking over a cheesesteak, trying to figure out what 55-year-olds do, and we said, “the answer is right here in our hands.” I’ll ask people where their favorite cheesesteak place is, and then I’ll go try them and do ratings in different areas. I started asking my Uber and Lyft passengers about their passion for cheesesteaks and some great spots they knew of. It kind of grew legs of its own from there.

Were there any realizations in your life that led you to make this decision?

I never liked financial services. I figured between the 2008 market crash and having leukemia, I wanted to do something different. So, I tried to grasp technology. The idea of using the internet and blogging as a platform, tied in with the Uber/Lyft driving where I was able to hear peoples’ opinions led me to do this.

Can you remember a time early in your driving career where a passenger inspired you to take this quest to find the ultimate cheesesteak?

I remember an older woman from South Philly who loved the idea. She even wanted to do tours with me around Philly, naming the best places to try. Aside from that, everybody I drove had a favorite place, everybody was passionate about the topic of cheesesteaks. I also noticed younger passengers were some of the biggest foodies. All together, people made me realize I should pursue this journey.

How did you construct your rating system? What do you look for?

I always had five categories: roll, meat, cheese, extras, and overall experience. I started rating cheesesteaks on a 45-point scale system, allotting 5-10 points for different categories. Luckily, I have a friend who enjoys telling me I’m an idiot. He told me if I were to give a place, say, 38 points, that wouldn’t mean anything to anyone. I switched to a 100-point system, 5 categories, 20 points each. The “overall” category is a catch-all. If it’s a place I really like, but I just got a bad roll, or if they’re just having an off day, this is where I can make up a few points when it’s a nice place and they’re working hard.

What kind of toppings do you go for? Whiz/ no Whiz?

Never Whiz. I would always get American cheese, fried onions, mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato. I got a lot of grief [about adding lettuce and tomatoes to the sandwich] from followers. We did a poll and it was a 60/40% ratio between people who thought those toppings belonged, and who didn’t. Personally, I think it speaks of the freshness of the place. I’ve loosened the reins a little bit on getting the same standard sandwich in the same routine. When a place has a special sauce or a special feature, you say “I want that.” I spread my wings when it comes to things like that, and I also like switching it up with garlic bread.

Have you gained weight from this journey?

Compared to what I used to eat, someone might consider this food to be healthy. I’ve gained a couple pounds, but I think that’s also because I eat a Tastykake a day. I try to walk every day, do sit-ups and push-ups every other day.

On average, how many cheesesteaks do you eat in a week? Do you eat one every day, a few in one day?

I try for one a day. It looks like I miss one day every 3 days. On a very rare occasion I eat 2 or more in a day.

The cheesteak that Jim Pappas loves which has provolone cheese and Meatheadz Cheesesteaks special sauce. Jim Pappas is an Uber and Lyft driver, and in between his rides he reviews cheesesteaks. He's eaten 295 of them just this year. His favorite is at Meatheadz Cheesesteaks in Lawrence township. Thursday June 27, 2019. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media) Aristide Economopoulos | NJ AdvaAristide Economopoulos | NJ Adva

I heard that you eat one half of the sandwiches you try and give the other half away. How do you go about doing this?

Usually, I’ll eat half of the sandwich and give the other half to the homeless if I can find one in the area.

How much has this journey cost you so far?

This journey has cost me at least $3,000. I’ve eaten, rated, and graded cheesesteaks everywhere from Delaware and Pennsylvania, to New York and New Jersey.

What’s so different about Meatheadz compared to every other place you’ve tried?

I order “The Drippin steak." It has shredded Ribeye, homemade steak sauce, provolone, fried onions, and a roll that holds it all together perfectly. On this cheesesteak, they use provolone which, after trying this, has become my recreational cheese. It’s a much heartier cheese, so with that, you need a good sauce to loosen it up. They add their house-made au jus sauce, and with this much juice, you need a good roll where the bread inside will soak it up while the crust is able to hold it together without falling through. With the fresh meat, provolone, and homemade sauce, this sandwich does all those things.

(And it’s served on an Amoroso roll from Philly.)

Jim Pappas waits to place his order. Jim Pappas is an Uber and Lyft driver, and in between his rides he reviews cheesesteaks. He's eaten 295 of them just this year. His favorite is at Meatheadz Cheesesteaks in Lawrence township.Thursday June 27, 2019. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media) Aristide Economopoulos | NJ AdvaAristide Economopoulos | NJ Adva

Are you tired of eating cheesesteaks yet? When you’re finally done, will you be able to look at another cheesesteak in the face ever again or will it be salads for a while?

Never. I had salad on Sunday and it was very bad. I’m not tired of eating cheesesteaks, and I plan on taking this journey much further.

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You can follow Jim’s Philadelphia Cheesesteak adventure on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

Bianca Velazquez may be reached at bvelazquez@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her Twitter @byBiancaVel. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. NJ.com/tips.