Philly Fevre
Category: Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: Central District2332 E. Madison Street
Seattle, WA 98112 (206) 323-1000
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
24 Reviews for Philly Fevre
K...this place needs to have a Warning Sign in front of the door...warning people that anything they consume here may lead to irreperable fat ass syndrome...or some kind of corresponding health risk.
For some reason after three years on Cap Hill, I never got to the Fevre till my last week in Seattle. This being the case I decided to go out with gusto and order three sandwiches....Yes...please Gasp, I know I was heaving for air after eating one of said sandwiches. The lights should have gone off when I got home and pulled the sandwich out of the bag....The covering was wet, and no water did not get in there....this was dripping in oil and grease and pure goodness.
Yes, its disgusting if you think about it...But
JUST DON'T THINK AND EAT IT!....I promise.
This may be a once a year thing, but damn its worth it.
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Cheese steak was good, don't get me wrong... but after having the cheesesteak at Tat's in pioneer square, it makes this place feel (taste) like Charley's Grilled Subs.
Fries were ok but they served too many, sounds unusual but it's true ended up eating too many of the plain tasting fries and ended up regretting it.
Definitely my #2 place to get cheese steaks, esp. if tat's deli is closed.
I'm originally from Philadelphia, and have been on a futile quest for an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak here in Seattle. Fevre gets points for using Amoroso bread, and having Dr. Brown's and Tastykakes. But, this was not really a Philadelphia cheesesteak. I didn't have to practice the Philadelphia Lean to keep the juice from running onto my pants. And there just wasn't the Philly ATTYTOOD! Don't get me wrong, it was tasty, but my futile quest continues.
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Best cheesesteak I have had on the west coast. I mean nothing can beat a Pat's King of Steak "cheezewit" in Philly but this comes damn close. Its next to get the true authentic east coast flavor ambiance, but they do come pretty close here.
Sitting in the dining area reminds me of being back in a small philly suburb grabbin a steak from some dingy little mom and pop store. They even fly the meat from philly on a weekly basis. Dont get me started on the Tasty Kakes because anybody from the philly area will tell you that the TastyKakes beat the crap out of Hostess any day!
The balance of grease, meat, cheese and "other toppings" if you so choose really helps to make this the best cheesesteak on the west coast.
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I've never been to Philly before, but I've had my share of Philly cheesesteaks here and there. When a buddy of mine first took me here, my first reaction was: how the hell did you find this place? This is a total hole in the wall joint. I really felt like i was sitting in a mom and pop hoagie place in Philly. All he told me was to get the cheese whizz. It was DELICIOUS! So no matter what, ask for cheese whizz on top of your cheesesteak.
According to the owner, he has a an aunt that sends him all the supplies directly from Philly. Not sure how they do that, but I believe him.
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The cheese steak was a huge disappointment! I grew up in Philly and understand every corner shop has it's own flavor idea of what a cheese steak should be. A true Philly cheese steak is made on a fresh baked daily amoroso roll. The Hoagie I got seemed to have the right bread it was just stale by a week, judging from my dental bill. The steak seemed ok, it was a lean cut or minute steak, but the cook grinded and crushed the meat until it was like the beef jerky dust left in the bottom of an O'roy bag. Yuk! However on the good side, the cheese was fine, a white American just the way Philly intended her to have melting the meat to the bread.
My message for Philly Fevre... The service here was just like the authentic Philly hospitality that I've grown up with, terrible that is. Congratulations! The bathroom should have had a flushing chain to pull on the outside of the door because the whole thing was used as an urinal.
Finally, just call it a cheese steak, because Philly isn't a part of this sandwich no mo!
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let me be totally honest with you:
as a the son of a man who grew up in north philly, i have had the pleasure of knowing the greatness of tasty cakes, cheeze whiz'd fries, scrapple, italian hogies, and the almighty cheese steak.
i know, i know, supposedly the best cheese steaks are made in SOUTH philly, but let's not get into that debate right now.
expecting philly fevre to have the authenticity or the taste of a real "brotherly-love" cheese steak is like expecting a two-bit crackwhore from the central district to give you the same mind-exploding head that can only imagine angelina jolie might give you.
ain't gonna happen.
whether it's the old rumor that there's just something in the water in philly that makes the bread better or that our cuts of meat aren't as good, the taste can't really be replicated.
but that's not really the point here, right? i mean, we're all the way across the fuckin' continent. that being said, i think philly fevre stacks up just fine, especially considering our location, relative to the east coast.
they have a pretty good spread of choices for your cheese steak, without all the kitchy "wit/ wit out" bullshit. my personal favorite is the seahawk [sweet/hot peppers, bbq sauce, mushrooms, etc], but if you want the full experience, order the fevre.
"but joey, why should i order the fevre?" you ask. i say, don't question me, you little prick. the fevre is a monstrosity. a behemoth. it will, beyond all rationale and possibilities, swallow you whole. it's double-meat, double-toppings, and all the goodness you can handle.
the biggest qualm i have with philly fevre is its bread. i'm not sure where they get it, but i don't really like it. back in the day [when i first went there] their bread was pretty okay, but then they switched over to this stuff that resembles the stadium rolls you can buy safeway. i'm not sure if you've ever had a real philly cheese steak, but if you have, you'll have to agree that the bread does count a lot for the sandwich.
the service is usually pretty nice, although you can expect a little wait seeing as there's usually only one cook on a smaller grill.
all in all, this two-bit crackwhore gives the best blow-jays-- everrrrr! [with it's mouth!]
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The Philly Fevre has no business using the name "Philly" in their name. I have been wanting to go to the Philly Fevre ever since I moved from Philly to Seattle in 2000 but I avoided it for health reasons. I finally broke down one weekend and went there with my husband (who also lived in Philly for 4 years). We could not have been more disappointed. He got a cheesesteak and I got an Italian hoagie. His cheesesteak was on the right kind of bread but it tasted like the bread was about 3 days stale. It really wasn't even a close call. My hoagie wasn't even on the right bread nor did it have the right types of meat. It was more like a regular ham sandwich - and not a good ham sandwich. We both ate less than half of our sandwiches and threw the rest away.
While we were there we read the story of the original owner and how she had retired and sold the restaurant several years earlier. The original owner was from Philly so I'm guessing that the cheesesteaks and hoagies were awesome when she was overseeing everything. But the owners are really not holding up the standards.
Totally agree with the comment by another reviewer that the ambience will take you back to Philly but unfortunately the food will not!
I've had cheesesteaks all across our great nation and nothing, that is absolutely nothing, compares to the awesomeness of Philly Fevre.
Quick, hot and great - that's the only way to describe a cheese steak from this down-to-the-floorboards authentic Philly cheese steak establishment.
I hit this place up for lunch at least once a week since I work in Madison Park and get tired of the boring, old-money types filling up the restaurants around my office.
Walk up to the counter, order a combo 2 and enjoy.
Absolutely the best Philly Cheese steaks! I just moved to Seattle from NE Pennsylvania and was pretty disappointed to find that very few places in Seattle have cheese steaks. So far this is the best place I've found. They are a little pricey but definitely worth it. I'd say that these cheese steaks are better than some I've had in PA! They have just the right amount of meat, cheese, and grease. They also have Tastykakes which is nice when I'm missing my roots.
I just miss making my own cheese steaks.
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Gearing up for what I knew was going to be a long alcohol fueled Yelp Elite Party I stopped into Philly Fevre for a preemptive gut-bomb strike.
When my cheesesteak was delivered I knew I had chosen the right place for my mission. This thing was huge, with more shaved meat than...oh....who even needs a joke, I just said shaved meat, anyway, it had the appropriate amount of onions, grease, and fake cheese, all served up on a white hoagie bun.
The people working behind the counter were super friendly, so I guess that's the only unauthentic thing about this place, generally I get a cheesesteak thrust at me with a demand for money when I'm in Philly. The guys here even told me about the combo meal which got me a can of soda and a snack pack of fritos along with my cheesesteak for about $9.50.
I must say I'm not sure if it's worth the increase in daily caloric intake but if you're in a "whothefuckcaresjustgivemesomefoodnowdamnit" kind of mood you would do well at Philly Fevre for some authentic Philly Cheesesteaks in Seattle.
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Gut bombs are a necessary evil. You likely walk around most of the time thinking about your health, and least considering what goes into your body, but every now and then you have to throw caution to the wind in favor of taste and that satisfied bloated feeling. That's where the Fevre comes in.
Don't let anyone fool you - this is THE place to get a cheese steak in Seattle. A friend and I did a pretty comprehensive survey last summer, and while Tat's wins in most categories, it lost a lot of points for location, so the Fevre topped our rankings. And rightfully so. It's not the cheapest cheesesteak, but their variations on the theme provide something for most every taste, and they're all brought fresh to your table. It's damn tasty, with just the right amount of grease (as opposed to way too much like some of the other places).
So if I'm willing to sing the praises of this place so much, why not give it 5 stars? Well, the drink selection is a bit lacking. They used to have Snapple, now they don't. Snapple went so well with cheesesteaks. If they brought that back, 5 stars all the way.
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Because I don't eat beef it's hard to find a good chicken cheesesteak anywhere. Yes I know when you use chicken it's not really a cheesesteak but after my horrible incident at an In-N-Out burger (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) years ago I stopped eating beef.
I'd been on a search for a good chicken cheesesteak and driven by Philly Fevre a handful of times and finally decided to stop in and try them out. I walk in and am greeted by the nice young man behind the counter with a "Hello ma'am how has your day been?" Followed shortly by a "what can I get for you today?" There was an older gentleman cleaning tables and he too was full of the pleasantries as well, it gave a very warm and welcomed feeling that a lot places around town seem to be missing these days. I placed my order, a chicken cheesesteak with mushrooms. I sit at the counter and watch the young man get to work, it smells wonderful, my mouth is watering I can't wait for it to be done.
Finally it's all mine, I can't wait to sink my teeth into it. It's greasy and cheesy and mushroomy and amazingly good all at the same time. I was extremely happy with my cheesesteak and I now know where to bring my brother and father next time they are in town. This was another seven napkin sandwich it's messy but boy is it good. Not something you can do every day or every week for that matter but a nice greasy treat you should enjoy every now and again.
If you are an East coast transplant you'll be happy to hear that they also have Tastykakes for sale here, I was good and didn't get one but next time I just might.
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A bit of a letdown...
Plenty of people have recommended this place but I just don't see it. I thought maybe I caught them on a bad day so I went back again and still found the cheesesteaks to be average. They were a bit on the small side and kind of bland overall.
Not a bad cheesesteak, but not great either.
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Oh boy, this place is great. I intentionally do not read other reviews prior to posting my own, so this may have all been said already.
First of all, where in Seattle can you get a REAL Philly cheesesteak? (I know it's supposed to be rhetorical, but the answer is 'nowhere'.) There are elements beyond my own understanding as to what makes a real cheesesteak. What is known is that a real cheesesteak is not just any meat and any cheese. Preparation is important, as is the quality of meat.
I took a Philadelphia native here with me and according to her, this is almost as good as you would get in Philly, but easily the best in Seattle. The meat was lean and high-quality, the cheese was rich and melty, and the peppers in my sandwich were grilled to perfection, both sweet and hot. The onions were cooked down to completely transparent bits of delicate flavor (if you go anywhere and see uncooked onions on your cheesesteak, ask for your money back).
I give it 5 stars because it's the best example of this type of food in Seattle. If I were in Philly, I'd make it more of an average review.
Prices are about $7.50 for a massive sandwich, which I think is pretty fair, especially given the high quality.
Unfortunately, this is not a food that will catch on in Seattle. This restaurant has been here for years. People love it, but no one will try to imitate it (excepting perhaps Tat's in pioneer square, which doesn't come close). This is not a starbucks phenomenon here.
So get in and enjoy a cheesesteak. The fries and onion rings are pretty good, and their assortment of sauces at the counter can't be beat. Try a few and see what you think. Then get another one to go.
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There are very few good spots to get an authentic cheese-steak outside of Philly, and this just isn't one of them. It's still pretty good, but it's just not the same. The portions are decent, but the prices are very high. It's basically a steak sandwich without the right cut of onion, cheese, and Amoroso out of the picture. So for this is the best I've found in Seattle, but it's still not the real deal. They do have tastykakes for the transplants, that's a plus!
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My god I love this place! The only thing I have against it, is having to smell the food cooking while just sitting there waiting for it. I would eat there every day if I thought I could survive it.
A friend of mine turned me on to this place and I've since taken at least five of my friends there. I know most of them have started doing the same. I can't think of any higher praise. If you like cheese steak, this is the place. Drive, bike, walk, run, bus or cab it there, but if you like cheese steak, this is where you need to go.
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Are you an East Coast transplant looking for that cheesesteak that doesn't make you groan? Philly Fevre is the real deal. No mayonnaise, no extra condiments that aren't deemed worthy by true cheesesteaks, no funny business. Just pure, thin, meaty goodness, freshly grilled onions and peppers, and the melted cheese you dream about.
Hold the mayo, please. Thank you.
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UPDATE: I'm knocking off a star. Last time I went, the sandwich was not so great. I've decided they are also definitely overpriced.
The cheesesteaks are pretty damn good. Not quite Philly-quality (yes, I've been to Philadelphia several times and eaten both great and practically disgusting cheesesteak sandwiches).
They also now have wifi. Great! I for one will be bringing my laptop nowhere near that grease.
I'm giving it four stars for coming closest to making a great no-frills cheesesteak here in Seattle. They lose a star for being slightly overpriced.
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Not only do they have the best cheese steaks in town, you can also buy the owner's chocolate-tinged romance novels. Win-win situation for everybody.
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I'm no Philly native, but I have had the pleasure of sampling authentic cheesesteaks in Philly (at Pat's, Gino's, and Jim's). This place comes pretty darn close! Contrary to what the other reviewer said, they DO in fact have Cheese Whiz. As they should. Otherwise, it's really not a true cheesesteak, is it? I got the one with mushrooms and Whiz and boy was it good! The smell of it drove me insane in the car! I could not wait to get back to my office and devour it. If I lived or worked closer, I'd go there once a week.
The only bad part is it's in sort of a sketchy neighborhood and parking is sometimes hard, if not impossible. I parked illegally and kept my fingers crossed that a meter maid would not come by while they made my sandwich.
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Kenny is a great guy and he serves you up a cheese steak with a smile. But the food was rather bland.
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Great cheesesteaks for transplants looking for a fix.
So they are missing the whiz and the Amoroso, but the steaks themselves are really good. Plus the Philadelphia paraphernalia helps with their ranking.
The people that run the place and friendly real people that care about making a decent sandwich. Chess boards to play on while you wait. If they decided to upgrade the rolls to Amoroso they would be set for a 5 star rating.
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So friggin tasty. Sweet peer cheesesteak. Fresh grilled. God so good with onion rings.
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