Fred’s Downtown Philly

I had lunch there today and the steak sandwich was delicious. They had one with banana peppers on special today with fries and a drink for $ 8.40. I am big guy and I was full from my meal. Restaurant was clean and the two people working were friendly. The only down side was their fountain Pepsi machine was messed up and my drink tasted bad. I will be back for sure.

The food is great. Fresh, hot, made to order and delicious. Fred suggested I order the Ben Franklin and it was outstanding. Soft roll, perfectly cooked meat piled high with veggies and seasonings. It hit the spot. Very clean. The owner and staff are always smiling and know you when you walk in the door. Couldn’t ask for a better experience.

This is the real thing. Mushroom Philly cheesesteak with banana peppers. Skinny fries. Yum yum yum! We’ll be back!

It was my first time, but I could smell the philly cooking before I pulled into the parking lot. I came for a Philly Hogie but Fred suggested I upgrade to the Ben Franklin 10″. It had been months since I had a really good philly but I didn’t know if I could handle 10″ of that much beef. I was hard but I managed to get all of it in me. This by far the best Philly Cheese Steak around. I highly recommend.

I’ve spent years traveling in the Philadelphia area, have had some good steak sandwiches as well as some that were basically factory-​style. I’ve been to Geno’s (tourist trap), Pat’s (the original, turned touristy), Capriotti’s (nice chain, Delaware-​based), and probably close to fifty other mom-​and-​pop places in Philadelphia and surrounding cities. It’s hard to know what an authentic steak sandwich is unless you’ve had several in that area and know the essentials.
Fred knows the essentials.
Can’t go to Philadelphia? For the first time in years, I finally found an authentic steak sandwich shop who brings Philadelphia to us.
It’s got the mom-​and-​pop feel of the best places I’ve been up there, from the décor to the food. Utz chips, Tastykakes, and a menu that is definitely Philadelphia all the way.
I ordered something traditional — a 10″ steak sandwich with cheese and sautéed onions, and a side of French fries. Took about 7 – 8 minutes to serve it, which was fine because I was enjoying their cable tv there.
The fries.
Light and crispy, no kidding they were the best fries I’ve had in a long time, possibly ever. I hate to get too many superlatives going in a review and hope they are that consistent all the time, but I’m going to get those every time if they are.
The sandwich.
Served on a piece of paper with the fries in a metal cookie sheet, the sandwich was laid open, smelled good, but I was hooked on the fries.
Once I calmed down and tasted the sandwich, I was able to appreciate the meal. The bread is really just right, soft white with the lightly crispy outer shell. The real deal, no exaggeration.
The meat was tender and juicy, lightly caramelized on the flat grill like it’s supposed to be (if you need to ask what I mean, you need to go to Fred’s to sample it). The sautéed onions were there, yielding their flavor without getting lost — but not dominating; the true sautéed onion taste being almost on the sweet-​savory side. The cheese flavor was all in there as well, subtle but unmistakable. All the favors intermingling makes it what it really is — a REAL Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich.
I was so impressed, I talked to the folks behind the counter; turns out it was THE Fred and family. Nice folks who apparently share a passion for serving it up right, for representing Philadelphia as such.
If you really want to know what a steak sandwich is, go to Fred’s Downtown Philly. If it’s slow, have a conversation with the folks there. They aren’t serving just sandwiches — they’re serving a slice of Philadelphia.

Great Philly Cheesesteaks! I come here twice a month for lunch and never a disappointment. Down to earth, relaxed staff as well to get the job done!

I used to live in Philly and I have to say that this is the closest thing you will get to a real cheesesteak. You should also get yourself an order of the crab fries, they are great too! Not only is the food great but the guy who runs the place is very nice and he always makes sure you are satisfied.

I’m kicking myself for not eating here earlier. The lunch special is cheap, fast, and delicious. Try their sauces.

Dang I have been here Friday Saturday and monday… I guess there closed for good… I’m glad there’s 1 in Bedford/​euless

I miss the old sweet potato fries.
other than that, there is nothing bad to say about the food or the fun guys here. try the #6 with white American cheese & banana peppers. heaven.
oh…no more Jean Claude Van Damme movies. how ’bout Transporter instead next time?

Love this place. The Philly Cheesesteaks are so good and the people that work here are very nice. I love the broad street Philly. If you are looking for a good philly this is definitely the place to go.

I am going to give these guys a solid four stars. The thing is that you are a long ways from Philadelphia when you live in Texas and it really seams like these guys are trying to make an authentic cheese steak sandwich. Now the truth be known, I have never been to Phily to have a cheese steak, except for in the airport so who am I to compare.
I just thought that the cheese steak with mushrooms tasted great. I liked the bread and the melted cheese. I was very pleased with my meal and all the rest of the family members enjoyed it as well.
We will be headed back for another great sandwich.

Based on Unilocal I went to this location. They have a wide selection of Philly sandwiches. The item I ordered happened to be on for the lunch special. I asked them not to include jalapeños and banana peppers because I don’t like them and didn’t want to throw them away. The cashier said we allow no exceptions and forced me to take these condiments on the side to give me the lower price. The food was good, the atmosphere left a some to be desired, the service dropped this rating. Just plain ludicrous to have to have a sandwich prepared a certain way to get a discount considering it was the only Chicken based philly they have on their menu.

Not impressed. Service was good very friendly staff food wasn’t as good as a service a bit overpriced had better sandwiches for a lot less, thought I’ll try it but definitely won’t be back.

First of all the workers here are very friendly and provide exceptional service from the moment we walked in. The décor is NFL themed and of course they have plenty of eagles decorations. The restaurant is very well kept and the whole place seemed to be clean. Everything here is served a la carte and my SO and I shared a 10 inch Philly cheesesteak plus fries and an order of wings. The sandwich was amazing and the meat was very moist! I recommend adding the hot sauce because it complements it well. The fries are good, not too salty but they throw on generous amounts of pepper. The wings were not bad at all for a place that features Philly cheesesteak sandwiches as their main specialty. Overall it was a pleasant experience and we will definitely come back here again!

So, I somehow let the friendly check out guy talk me into the Fat Fred, a burger with Philly meat on top of the burger. Sounds horrible but he gave a good sell. Omg, so good. Hamburger meat and cheesesteak meat somehow mix to make a wonderful flavor. I’m now laying under my desk at work taking a nap, but damn that was good at the time!
Great new place in a center that seems to be really turning around after looking very slow for a while. I’ll be back, with my sleeping bag.

This was just OK… my friend and I each ordered a philly with whiz, onions and mushrooms. I think I would have really enjoyed it if the bread had not tasted like it had been microwaved. It was tough and chewy. The onion strings were almost unedible, very greasy and overcooked. We will not be back.

I work near the 15^th Street location in Plano and I was both thrilled and a little freaked out that they opened one so close to my house. Because cheese steaks are at the top of my list for «desert island food.» In other words, I could eat one every day… Correction, I could eat a GOOD one every day. These are not only good but the best Philly I’ve had this side of the Mason Dixon Line. While I grew to love these in Plano, this location made my sandwich even better than the original. It just seemed to be put together with more care (and maybe more meat?) I always get the #15 and a side of hockey pucks (fried jalapeño slices.) I always think I’m going to try a new one, but in the end I gotta have my #15.
The manager (Carlos, I think?) came and talked to us when we were done eating. Super friendly. The place is clean and cute (ignore all the Eagles paraphernalia, it’s easier that way.) They weren’t very busy when we were there on a Sunday evening, so get out there and buy some sammiches, people. We need this place to stay open.

HANDS-​DOWN BEST PHILLY CHEESESTEAK in the DFW.
I went to the original one in Plano but all the restaurants scattered around the metroplex is still all Fred’s and the taste doesn’t stray.
This guy is from Philly and the authenticity is there (it must be the bread).
TIP: Grab a tasty kake on the way out.

They just opened and are working out some kinks. Their heater wasn’t working well when we went there but there was a guy there fixing it but their grill was working which is what we cared about.
This Fred’s is a cleaner, nicer version of all the other Fred’s locations around town. I am sure it will weather in nicely with age and they will put more of those obnoxious Buddy Ryan pictures up on the wall.
To the main event, I think their cheesesteak is great, they have lots of variety but I like their classic cheesesteak. Their onion straws are my favorite side. They are basically onion rings but they don’t come apart when you eat them like onion rings sometimes do.
I wouldn’t say they are going to beat out some philly place on broad street in Philadelphia but for being in Texas and for their prices, it is a good cheesesteak.