Pat LaFrieda

Always in search of authentic quality food in the franchised played out-​cookie cutter Penn Station area. All I can say is Thank God for Pat La Frieda’s. A+ for cleanliness, well trained staff, consistency, and of course — the food. Black Angus Sandwich my favorite, Meatball — 2^nd place. Can’t go wrong either way. Ken is very hospitable and maintains highest standards. This place rocks! Do yourself a favor and check out what great food tastes like…

I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty Grandpa’s Meatball sandwich is! It was a very basic sandwich but the flavors were all there. Between the cheese, bread, sauce and meatballs the textures worked great together and left me satisfied.

Really unnecessarily confusing and inefficient setup for what I imagine is a very profitable company*, leaving most potential customers perplexed as they wait past the pointless host (ess) stand and stare at the menu yet remain ignored until they turn around and order and then head back to the very same spot to wait, or in my case insist on paying before the food is served because the whole setup makes no sense. Fortunately the short rib (meat plus celery root slaw only, the only non-​sandwich) was superb.
*The famous meat purveyor’s first B&M spot inside the Pennsy is not doing well in Unilocal search, and is 1 of 2 places in the food hall with rainbow cookies.
Staffer’s full name on your receipt is a very awkward touch.

The original steak sandwich was amazing. Up there with the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.

Amazing short rib sandwich but at $ 15 maybe they could reconsider bilking their customers $ 3 for a damn 8.5 oz Coke? Total highway robbery. I’ve noticed all the other places here at The Pennsy charge smiler prices for tiny beverages. Sure rent is high but cmon guys. Oh how far we’ve fallen from our earnest food truck roots into a borderline tourist trap… I’d say anyone w some time on their hands to just go to Chelsea Market instead. It’s pricey here all in all even for NYC. Honestly the whole Pennsy thing just feels like a semi-​cynical cash in on an aging movement started by more sincere, forward thinkers. But I’ve lived in Brooklyn for a long time so I’m pretty used to that. At any rate, if you work around here like me and feel like splurging on a gourmet sandwich, go for it. Pat LaFrieda makes an awesome one. The other vendors do too. I’d just suggest just to BYOBev if you don’t want to feel like a total rube. (And be prepared to have to request a bag from the slack jaw employees when they’ve already wrapped your sandwich ‘to go’. Oh I’ll just stick that greasy object in my pocket! No problem.)

Stopped in here before the Knicks game last night. My wife and I both agreed it was the best steak sandwich we’ve ever had. The bread on the sandwich they said was from a Brooklyn Bakery. Its unbelievable! Great atmosphere with all the other restaurants and bar at the end. Cant wait to go back.

Pat LaFrieda is one of 5 lucky food vendors to occupy the newly opened Pennsy food court above Penn Station and next to MSG, in the former Borders book store. Previously the only way to get some of Pat LaFrieda’s products you had to either go to a restaurant that the butcher supplied their meat to, or head over to a Mets game at Citifield. It’s great to see them expand to an actual reliable location in the city. The menu consists of a handful of sandwiches and sides and you can either get your food wrapped to go or on a tray to grab a seat in Pennsy if you can find one (the place can get really packed during lunch time). They do take cards and have a pretty good system in place. You order up front and pay and pick up at a second counter. The downside is their prices, I’m aware the expensive real estate and high quality ingredients have to add to the cost but there’s only so often I can justify spending $ 16.33 for a sandwich for lunch.
I had the sandwich they’re known for, a steak sandwich. To be specific it’s a prime angus beef filet (cooked medium-​ish), with caramelized onions, and monterey jack cheese on a ciabatta roll. Never have I had such a tender steak sandwich with so much flavor and the bread was perfectly fresh with the right about of exterior crispiness without it being tough. The natural au jus and juices of the steak was all the moisture the sandwich needed and it wasn’t at all lacking a sauce nor was it ever soggy in the least. Simply put, they make a perfect steak sandwich. I was afraid the portion would be too small but it was a decent size. Yes I could always have used a bigger sandwich but I wasn’t still hungry after. The only way I would have been happier is if I would have been able to get the sandwich for closer to $ 12 after tax.
I also tried their brussel sprouts. Which are described as being roasted with bacon and tossed with a mustard vinaigrette and lemon zest. I thought these were good but didn’t blow me away. The side of the dish was a great portion and they didn’t skimp on the crispy bacon but the brussel sprouts would have been better roasted quicker at a higher temperature giving them a more caramelized browned exterior and a better flavor. They also could have been a bit warmer. I personally can’t stand mustard and am very sensitive to it and there was little to no mustard flavor present so if the «mustard vinaigrette» interests you I would keep your expectations low.
In addition to the steak sandwich they also have an incredible sounding turkey sandwich as well as a roast beef sandwich, a pressed meatball sandwich, a pressed ham and cheese sandwich, and a roasted chicken sandwich (all priced at $ 12 + tax) Aside from sandwiches they also have a few sides, salads, and snacks.

When you walk into Pennsy, the first place you’ll notice is Pat LaFriedas. It looks like old school deli counter meet butcher counter and it couldn’t be more on point for what they serve. An angus beef sandwich, roast beef and turkey (for you non-​red meat eaters) sandwiches on one side. Pressed sandwiches including a meatball sandwich and chicken sandwich on the other and a slew of sides in between.
Walk in, place your order and follow the line. You’ll see drinks just to your left — unsweet tea, lemonade and sweet tea. Grab one or skip it and eye the fridge full of tempting sides and treats right before the counter. As you pass the open kitchen, use a tissue to sop up the drool falling from your mouth as you eye the sandwiches in the making.
As for the taste? I opted for the roast beef. It was nothing like I expected and that was a good thing! Thankfully, it was not a hoagie filled with roast beef and drowned in au jus. Instead, the roast beef set on a fresh Italian long roll, with blue cheese, onions and greens. The meat was top notch and didn’t need to be drowned. The roll was fresh as can get. Even the sesame seeds tasted extraordinarily fresh. The blue cheese mixed with horseradish was not overbearing and offered the right complement to this sandwich.
Hopefully this is a first day growing pain but that line… it was my only gripe. Mainly because they had to enter all credit card numbers by hand. Hopefully they pick up another machine now that they’ve gone through first day learning curves.