Primantis Sandwich

Last nite on the Travel channel, a show featuring the top ten places in the U.S. to "pig out" featured this Pittsburgh landmark as one of the best.
The sandwiches served with french fries, cole slaw, tomato etc. looked so good.
Has anyone out there eaten at Primatis?
Whats it like?

quote:

Originally posted by howard8
Has anyone out there eaten at Primatis?
Whats it like?

I've not eaten there, but every Pittsburgher I know says it's not to be missed...

I've eaten at three Primanti's...Pittsburg Warehouse district, Three Rivers & Ft Lauderdale (that's right...Florida). There may be more. Great sandwiches, with all the toppings, including fresh cut french fries loaded on top. Truck drivers needed a sandwich & fries they could eat while driving with one hand and the idea of everything on the sandwich was invented or so I was told. Florida shop has pizza, in addition to sandwiches, along with Iron City beer. Nothing fancy about the decor;just the food.

quote:

Originally posted by Bona

Truck drivers needed a sandwich & fries they could eat while driving with one hand and the idea of everything on the sandwich was invented or so I was told.

You are pretty close, Bona, according to their website: http://www.primantibrothers.com/realstory.htm

As a Pittsburgh native, I can highly recommend Primanti's. For the authentic experience, go in the wee hours on a weeknight to have a sandwich and a beer with the truck drivers bringing fresh produce into the Strip District. I'm a fan of the hot sausage (locally made) but also have a soft spot for the wonderful pastrami. Fries are fresh cut, slaw is crisp, vinegary and slightly sweet, tomato slices generous, and the fresh Italian bread puts the finish on a great mouthful.

I imagine it's become gentrified with franchising, but the original Primanti's had a definite shot-and-a-beer ambiance. Many years ago, we went to the original Primanti's in the Strip with a group including a rather whiny individual I'll call Tom. Tom ordered an iced tea. When our waiter brought it, he apologized that they had run out of the brewed iced tea and that this was from a mix, and he'd bring Tom something else if he liked. Tom, in his whiniest voice, said "I'd like a Perrier." The waiter narrowed his eyes, leaned over, slammed the table with his fist, and growled "Drink your ----- iced tea!"

Now I think I need to meander over there for dinner!

Lauren

Here's a poor-quality picture of one:

Most of us "locals" who have been eating there for years swear that the sandwiches taste better between midnite and 4am. I wonder why that is???

Of course, they are still great other times of the day.

There are many other locations in the greater Pittsburgh area, but the original location in the Strip District should not be missed.

I've never been to Primanti's, but someone opened a place in central Ohio serving sandwiches Primanti style -- with french fries and such on the sandwiches. It last almost a whole three months before dying a well-deserved death.

howard8: I've been to Primanti Brothers in the Strip District and had the pastrami sandwich. I loved and love it! It is not to be missed!!

Don't knock the Primanti's in Fort Lauderdale, actually there are 2, one right on A1A just south of Sunrise Blvd. that has all the late night feel of the Strip District original and maybe even more, open 24 hours. They serve great Pittsburgh stlye pizza as well as the familiar sandwich menu. Pittsburgh style for me just means it has a very fresh yeasty taste to the crust, and a very tomatoey sauce with chunks of tomato. It's better than 90% of the pizzas out there. The second location is more a sit down family place for after the little league game, located on Oakland Park Blvd, just east of I-95.

The operative word in Primanti Brothers is brothers. The Florida locations were opened and I guess still run by the Primanti family.

By the way Howard, what were some of the other places featured on the Travel Channel show? Unfortunately my cable company doesn't offer that channel.

quote:

Originally posted by signman

By the way Howard, what were some of the other places featured on the Travel Channel show? Unfortunately my cable company doesn't offer that channel.

I found this listing on a message board. I've pared it down some, but this is the list.

Pig Out Places - list

10. Big Texan, Amarillo, TX - 72 oz steak - finish steak plus potato and veggies, in 1 hour and its free.
9. Cluck U Chicken, Newark DE - hot wings
8. Pointers Pizza, St Louis MO - 28 " pizza - 10 lbs, 2 meat toppings - if 2 people can eat one in an hour you get $500. Only 6 teams have ever done it. (http://www.pointersdelivery.com)
7. Primanti Brothers - Pittsburgh, PA (http://www.primantibros.com) - a big hunk of grilled meat and chilly cole slaw and hot fried egg and fresh tomato and crisp French fries between two slabs of chewy Italian bread that you could hardly fit into your mouth?
6. Ben and Jerrys - Vermonster - 20 scoops of ice cream, etc...
5. Acme Oyster House - New Orleans LA, all you can eat oysters - someone ate 12 dozen in 5 mins
4. Beths Cafe - Seattle, WA - 12 egg omelette
3. Seiad Valley Cafe, Seiad Valley, CA - 5 16? oz pancakes
2. Eagles Deli, Boston MA
6 - 8 oz burgers & 5 lbs of fries is called a "Reilly burger"
7 - 8 oz patties, and 5 lbs of fries is the "COLLETTE burger"
1. Lamberts cafe - Sikeston, MO (Throwed Rolls)

The only one that didn't strike me as appetizing was Lamberts. From the looks of things they just slop it all together on your plate. Pigging out is fine if the food is worthwhile, but gruel is gruel.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I've never been to Primanti's, but someone opened a place in central Ohio serving sandwiches Primanti style -- with french fries and such on the sandwiches. It last almost a whole three months before dying a well-deserved death.

Actually, there is a place here in Nashville that was opened by a couple of former Pittsburghers doing the same thing, though it has survived for a good while already. The copycat nature of the place even extends to the name (Pirahna's Bar & Grill). Ironically, it just received a very favorable review in our local alternative weekly. See link to the review below...

http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?story=This_Week:Columns:Food

quote:

Originally posted by pogophiles

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I've never been to Primanti's, but someone opened a place in central Ohio serving sandwiches Primanti style -- with french fries and such on the sandwiches. It last almost a whole three months before dying a well-deserved death.

Actually, there is a place here in Nashville that was opened by a couple of former Pittsburghers doing the same thing, though it has survived for a good while already. The copycat nature of the place even extends to the name (Pirahna's Bar & Grill). Ironically, it just received a very favorable review in our local alternative weekly. See link to the review below...

http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?story=This_Week:Columns:Food

The guy who opened the place here was a former Pittsburgh Pirates player. After his Primanti's-like place shuttered he opened a couple of night clubs, then killed himself by driving his Lamborghini into a concrete wall after leaving one of his places following a night of imbibing.

Yikes!!

I think that's what he said.

The first time I went to Primanti's, I stayed pretty conventional and had the pastrami (which I probably shouldn't admit, given my living in New York with pastrami purists). My friend Marc, afraid of nothing, had the sardines. Now that's some serious. BTW, while Primanti's has forks, they don't have knives, so byok if you think you moght need it.

So what did Marc think of the sardines?

We stopped over in Pittsburgh one night and had the Primanti's for dinner and breakfast the next morning. A great place -- I second the hot sausage recommendation -- delicious

After reading these threads I'm thinking I have to find a Primanti's for a pastrami, sausage and, well, maybe not the sardines, sampling of sandwiches.

quote:

Originally posted by Brent Kulman

So what did Marc think of the sardines?

He loved them, but he always was a bit perverse.