Fabulous Freddie's on Harlem Ave [Pictures]

Fabulous Freddies Italian Eatery
3910 S Harlem Ave, Lyons
(south end of the strip mall)
708-447-5000

As promised at this post I did stop by but not on Thursday but Friday.

I had guessed it would be in the same strip mall as Cue Time but what I didn't expect was that it had taken over the same space as Cue Time. Cue Time used to be a pool hall.



They have sliced off a section of the north part of the space to create a kitchen and a carryout counter and the large leftover space is now lounge in the back with a bar separating the dining area in the front.



Not sure of the protocol I ordered my breaded steak sandwich at the counter and relaxed on one of the window seats watching customers and deliver men come and go. They were doing a pretty brisk business. It took a short wile to get my order and I took a seat in the dining area where the bartender asked if I needed something to drink and my water was brought right away.

The sandwich was heavy in the bag (I ordered the large) and upon opening it I noticed the sandwich was cut in half.



Pretty sloppy! The bread didn't stand a chance and most of the breading had washed off the half that I ate.



The breading on the other half fared much better which I took home to My Bride as there was a lot of sandwich there.

About typical for the current breaded steak offerings in Chicago nowadays. The meat was extremely tender with a good flavor and without a lot of connective tissue that can make eating it a chore. The sauce just about perfect as were the green peppers. The cheese was on the light side and did not contribute to the sandwich that much.

Talking with the owner after my meal she mentioned that they have been open about a month and they were going to print menus just for the dining room in about a week or so (as of now they are using the standard carryout menu). They were (starting that evening) going to provide about 5 daily specials of standard Italian fare such as pasta dishes and Chicken Vesuvio.

The owner was very pleasant to talk to and inviting.

All in all a very good sandwich of this type considering what is available currently in Chicago! If I was in the mood I would stop again.

Thanks for the report and pictures, P!

I used to frequent the Freddie's on Union in the early '90's for their breaded steaks. After my Uncle hipped me to la Milenesa I never went back. Now, years later, I live in Berwyn and Freddie's opens this out-post an Harlem. I go in try a breaded steak, it was nice but reminded me why I switched to la Mil. Flash forward to this week. I'm on the run and need to grab something quick. I stop in for an italian beef. I had never had one at Freddie's before. Very good sammich. The beef was lightly seasoned - the flavor of roast beef comes through more than almost any other IB I've eaten. The sweet peppers have some char and are very sweet. A very good sized sammich for the money as well. Freddie's has just jumped up my list for beef contenders.