The Portly Chef

For my first review, I start close to home. Two blocks from home, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at Phreddy’s Phillies. According to the Journal Star’s review of Phreddy’s, the new downtown lunch shop is owned by Rob Burns, who currently owns soon-to-be-moved-or-defunct Wasabi!. Being that I eat downtown nearly every day, and that I’m a self-proclaimed connoisseur of Philly Cheesesteaks, this seemed to be a good place for a first start.

First, let’s be clear about what Phreddy’s is and is not. It is not Pat’s or Gino’s [I prefer Pat’s]. Nor is it a place where you’ll see Mario Batali or Gordon Ramsay checking the service window. But it is a great place for a sandwich, even if a few other things are lacking.

So let’s go in…

Phreddy’s is located right in downtown Lincoln, approximately 30 yards south of 14th and O Street. The restaurant has glass front with a small hanging sign above the door.

As you walk in, you can’t help but be confused as to what type of door you’ve just opened. On both sides of the entryway are black and white Japanese floor screens, creating a pathway seemingly leading nowhere. On the wall in front of you are paintings that appear to be Asian watercolors, but on closer reflection looks like some sort of psychadelic art.

But then you look around, and you are clearly in what is, or at least once was, some type of a greasy spoon diner. Think Benihana’s meets the Route 66 Diner. Phreddy’s has roughly 15 tables or booth-table combinations, with red and white picnic tablecloths, seating approximately 75, along with a ten-stool counter. But just when you come to the “O.K., this is a diner” mode, you see a sushi display case on the countertop.

Once your visual trip ends, you can hear the chatter of customers behind you (the sitting area of the restaurant may be 400 square feet) and the sizzle of the grill. But above all of the din rises the sounds of music. Where does it come from, you ask? But of course — the karoke station. While I’m ordering, the machine is blaring “It’s Raining Men.” Hallelujah.

On the decor, maybe Phreddy’s needs to do what I did at the beginning of this review — decide what it is and what it is not. Because if you get past the mindtrap of interior decoration, you’re in heaven.

Make no mistake about this: Phreddy’s is the best Philly in downtown Lincoln, bar none. You can have your Philly with beef, gyro meat, or chicken. It’s cooked with both green and red peppers, diced small enough that they aren’t in the way, but they aren’t lost either. They also are functional, delivering a sandwich with a kick. If this isn’t enough, you can add jalapenos. I didn’t.

The Philly is served with swiss, rather than Cheez Whiz. Importantly-this is very key-the cheese is not laid on in slices but is allowed to melt and permeate the entire sandwich. You don’t have cheese on top of a steak. You have a true cheesesteak.

I also ordered fries, which were quite tasty. They may have been frozen Steak Fries at one point, but they were perfectly cooked and seasoned extremely well. This whole trip was a major deviation from the South Beach diet, but well worth it.

However, as the name indicates, Phreddy’s has more than just Phillys. The menu also includes omletes, sushi, and various Greek cuisine, including a Greek omlete. Wasabi! is known for stellar sushi, and Papa Johh’s (the predecessor in location to Phreddy’s) was known for the Greek omlete, so I can’t imagine either would be too bad.

So here is the summary, remembering that this is a diner (I think) and not Le Cirque, on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high).

Decor and atmosphere: 6. It’s a mess. But at the same time, it’s an amusing sort of “where the heck am I?” feel. Improve this, and you’ve got a Grand Slam.

Service: 7. Nothing flashy, but I was in for lunch and the takeout was very prompt, with my order taken within 60 seconds and the food delivered inside of 5 minutes, piping hot. Further, when the waiter learned it was my first time in the restaurant, he genuinely thanked me for giving it a try. Caring, appreciation, and speed. Nice job.

Food: 9. I can only speak as to the cheesesteak and fries I had, but it was fantastic. Make replace the swiss cheese with Cheez Whiz, and you’ve got a bona fide 10.

Value: 8. I had an 8 ounce cheesesteak and fries for roughly $8.50. It was more than I could eat. Daily specials (Tuesday was Reuben and fries) was $4.25. Not bad, especially for downtown Lincoln, where there is a captive audience.

Overall: 7.5. The food rocks, the service and value are good, but first impressions are everything, and Phreddy’s is rolling the dice with the decor. I’ll be back because I can’t stay away from a cheesesteak that gets a “9,” but others might not be so forgiving.

All told, a welcome addition to downtown Lincoln. Here’s to hoping that improvement continues.