Review Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks - Fitzroy

Having lived in the US before, I can confirm that the Philly Cheese Steak here is legit AF and easily the best I've had in Australia. This is the real deal. The Buffalo Wings are up there too, as the sauce tastes right (unlike most places that think it's just fried chicken). Highly recommended and will definitely be back!

Amazing cheesestake loved the flavour I highly recommend adding tomato sauce to make it complete. I ordered the regular cheesestake. Bit on the expensive side and if there was some complementary fries 🍟 it would be worth the price. Overall a great experience. Will be back to try out the rest of the menu.

Recommend coming in on Mondays for the cheaper cheesesteaks and wednesdays for the 50c wings! Paid $7.50 for 15 fantastic buffalo wings today!

Its a nice and cosy! Staff are friendly and welcoming! The sandwich and fries were okay, could be better! Overall 8/10 and will be back

Been here a number of times and the philly cheesesteak never fails to impress. The live music out the front doesn't hurt.

Waited 40 mins for takeaway. Buffalo wings are good, cheesesteak is bland and dry. The pepper cheesesteak was missing jalapeño, and pizza cheesesteak was missing provolone cheese.

The best and only good Philly cheesesteak in Melbourne. 🙌🏽 Missing American food since I’ve moved here and this has been my go to place. I’ve made all my friends try it and the love it! No frills just goodness.

Lots of cheese steaks to choose from.. love the classic with extra jalapenos..

Had a regular cheese steak with fries. It tasted good enough, but the serving size was far too small for $18 with not much meat and a bit of liquid cheese drizzled over the top of onions. The bun was nice, just needed to be bigger and the fries were nicely salted. There were only 6 customers due to corona and a few uber orders were picked up, but the guy working the floor was clearly flustered and unable to handle the ‘rush’. If I was drinking here and needed a feed, it could work, otherwise I wouldn’t come back solely for the food.

4.0 Very Good<br/><br/>Located inside Catfish is a kitchen pumping out Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, their speciality item. Order at the window and wait for your name to be “called”, you don’t want to be eating near there as it can be quite loud. We ate at the bar counter as all the main tables were already taken and we came close to midday!<br/><br/>The Philly cheesesteak (mine with peppers) came on top of a bed of fries in a basket, it was weighted to one side and tipped over. Bartender mentions he’s seen it happen quite often, luckily it didn’t roll down and I was able to salvage it. The bun is soft and held it’s integrity quite well which melded well with the thinly cooked steak and sweet peppers. The melted American cheese added a salty creaminess to it and might not be to everyone’s preference as it overpowers the steak. An alternate mild provolone cheese (I didn’t know this was an option) may tickle you in the right places.<br/><br/>They’ve got other variations, my colleague’s bourbon bacon deluxe looked amazing and was well received. They also operate a food truck which you can follow on social media.

Nothing but compliments for these cheese steaks. I had the Hot pepper steak and the sweet pepper steak which were both really good but I probably enjoyed the sweet pepper more. We also had the onion rings which were great with a good thick batter on them. <br/>The good thing is this place is out the back of a bar so you can stop and grab a drink. Also I must mention bloody Marys are $10 on a Sunday

Seemed an interesting idea and have never had a cheesesteak before but I’m afraid we probably won’t have another. Just didn’t think it was tasty and the texture was rather strange. Partner thought the same so not just me. We seem to be the odd ones out given the ratings so maybe give it a go. Personally I like hamburgers more. Onion rings OK but nothing special.<br/><br/>Staff friendly and a very interesting venue.

The food at this place is amazing! 🤤 we got the basic Philly cheesesteak add bacon and cheese fries. It seriously was so good. Only let downs is that we weren’t aware this place is located inside of a pub at the back so you have to pass through the loud bar to get there. You also have to buy drinks at the bar if you want a soft drink to go with your food. We had our daughter with us and the staff were yelling out to another staff member to come and get the food but obviously over the top of the music and loud bar he couldn’t hear so they started shouting and screaming his name which scared my daughter. They should have like a pager or something like that if it’s a noisy atmosphere and the staff can’t hear you yelling from the kitchen on the other side of the bar.

This was everything I hoped it would be. Delicious and very filling. We got the Bourbon Bacon Deluxe and the Hoagie Steak. Both very good and very flavourful. The service was also fantastic, the two ladies behind the counter were polite and very cheerful- top notch service. Looking forward to going back and trying more cheesesteaks.

Holy moly Batman, we were not let done by this place! It was exactly what they said it would be and more. It wasn't crap meat (big killer for me) and it was literally oozing cheese (which is never a bad thing for me!). There is no 'fluff' attached to what they do and that is exactly what you want from a place like this, you get what you ordered without any pretense. <br/><br/>The ordering desk is tucked away out the back which adds to the experience, and then the way they 'announce' your food is ready is the cherry on top of in creating the atmosphere!<br/><br/>I also have to mentioned a shoutout to the bar Catfish! What a place they have created; grungy and character melting off the walls. Special mention to the bar tender with the epic beard who made an epic Bloody Mary.<br/><br/>This place is a must try on anybodys greasy food experience, and I would be absolutely amazed if it isn't from that point on at the top of your list!<br/><br/>Give it a shot, try it out and just be blown away but what they serve!

The restaurant we wanted to have dinner at was full and we didn't have any reservations so we decided to eat here instead after searching on zomato.<br/>This place shares the location with The Catfish bar...Sparrow's is located behind the bar.<br/>We tried the regular steak, onion rings and the buffalo wings. The cheesesteak was just average, but I really enjoyed the onion rings- crispy! and buffalo wings-tender and saucy.

Ordered the regular Philly Cheesesteak from the truck at The Ascot Lot Food Truck Park, delicious tender scotch fillet with authentic American Cheddar and onions in a soft roll which they call 'haogie', really good can i say and so generous with the meat. Fries were nice and crunchy and also ordered the loaded fries which were also good. Finished with delicious pumpkin pie with whipped cream though it had a very strong cinnamon taste which overpowered it a little. All up the authentic philly cheesesteaks will have me going back again!!

They ran out of onion rings :( Sparrows is nestled in the back of a dark bar so you can team the cheesesteaks with a bevy! We ordered fried chicken, fries, loaded fries, the regular steak and the bourbon bacon steak. I wouldn’t recommend the regular steak, it’s a little bland the meat needed some seasoning, the fries were tasty on their own but again the loaded fries were missing some flavour. The fried chicken had a great crunch but really needed some salt or spice to make them more interesting! All in all I saw so much potential and by adding some sauces and salt was a fairly tasty meal, but with a little more thought into seasoning in the kitchen the meal would have been so much more satisfying! I’d maybe come back to try the onion rings...

I actually really loved my experience here. The staff in the kitchen tonight we're so friendly and sweet, it was a man and woman. Food was sooooo good, my only critique is that a small slice of pumpkin pie cost us $10.... Don't get me wrong it was absolutely delicious but it was really just a small slice of pie, probably wouldn't order it again until the price makes a little more sense for the quantity given. Overall the prices just need a little more reason for whatchya gettin. <br/><br/>Definitely give it a try though :)

Good idea and nice staff, however, the sandwitches were quite small for the price. My classic cheesestake was tasty but nothing I would pariculary remember about it... In my personal opinion St. Kilda spot makes the same sandwitches taste somehow better. I loved the range of hot sauces though!

Delicious and Authentic! Cheesesteaks were full of flavour. Fries were crispy and salty. Lunch special was an absolute bargain. We’ll be back!

Awesome Phillies! Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks are great with beautifully cooked meat tossed with sauteed onions and capsicum, molten cheesy provolone and a soft hoagie bun to boot. Onion rings and chips are good. Plenty of nice hot sauces available too. And to top it all off, these guys are serving these delicious sandwiches from the back of the Catfish, a local Fitzroy bar serving a pretty good selection of beers. Recommended.

Sparrow's Philly Cheeseteaks is living proof that late night eats don’t have to be inferior from Melbourne’s usual standard of dining.  Situated in the Fitzroy pub Catfish, whilst the venue itself is nothing overly surprising for a Northside pub, Sparrow's authentic Philly cheesesteaks and loaded chilli cheese fries are definitely something worth talking about.

One of the best places to get onion rings! There's so much cheese in the cheesesteaks (obviously) and it's heavenly.. Also ordered the Buffalo Wings and chilli cheese fries. I'd you can eat spicy (or even if you can't), I highly recommend!!

Good vibes, nice atmosphere and good range of beers. Range of Philly Cheesesteaks was good but execution was poor. The kitchen wasn't under pressure as there were few customers and the presentation was super sloppy. Cheese wasn't melted properly, meat and toppings were piled on only one side of the hoagie, bun was delicious.

Tried Sparrow's at the Big Burger Biannual in St Kilda last night. We got the regular, the bourbon bacon cheesesteak, and fries. The regular was okay, but the bourbon bacon cheesesteak was yum!! Fries were also good. Love that they also give you lots of different sauce options to add yourself. Would definitely come back.

If you want food that will tantalise your taste buds then you have to give sparrows a go. Bite after bite I kept on asking myself how can something so simple taste so good. Sparrows can be found tucked away in the back of the catfish pub. The setting is dark and the atmosphere on a Friday was cool and chilled. A word of warning The seats are limited. Do your taste buds a favour and give this place a go

Sitting here waiting for my cheese steak and two staff members have been talking for five minutes and the food isn't even cooking. They told me my order would be ready in five minutes yet five minutes has gone. So infuriating. They then served me a cheese steak to dine in instead of takeaway which caused me to be late. Avoid this place if you care about service.

EDIT 4/1/2018: ordered today. They changed the roll! They used to have a custom roll that is a very good replica of the Pennsylvania/New Jersey "Amoroso roll". Tonight, instead, we got an off the shelf normal local bread roll. Completely kills the authenticity. I'm hoping this was just because it's the holiday period?? For now I'm not downgrading my rating, but if this is a permanent change, I will no longer eat here because a cheesesteak without an Amoroso roll is just not that great!<br/>---<br/>Original review:<br/><br/>I used to live in Philly, and can comfortably declare this the best cheese steak I've ever had outside of the Northeast! The bread is spot on. For the authentic experience, I do recommend getting double meat, it's worth the money.

I was so excited to come here but I was so disappointed. The cheese on fries was cold and congealed. The whole thing was greasy and ingredients were super poor quality. The roll just tasted like a soggy mass with no finesse to it at all. I love cheese and meat and bread, so yes, I'm bitter.

Loved the softness in the roll and the melted cheese within the beef. Works all so perfectly together. I ordered the mushroom and it was just soo good! You also get a generous amount of wings too so if you're keen for a mix, get them both!

Came here on Friday night with some friends and we all absolutely loved the Philly Cheesesteaks. I tried the regular, and the bacon bourbon and both were fantastic. The cheese was absolutely perfect. I've been to Philadelphia before, and Sparrow's have nailed the flavours perfectly!

Came here to celebrate the 4th of July, being American I had a craving for something from the motherland. Sparrows did not disappoint. My partner and I both got the Sweet Pepper with double meat and double cheese because ya only live once. The hoagie roll was filled to the brim with delicious tender steak, gooey cheese, delicious grilled onions and sweet Italian peppers. We didn't get any sides so I can't comment on those but we will definitely be coming back!

Personally, I've discovered that Philly Cheese Steaks aren't quite my kind of food - it's all just a bit too heavy, meaty and cheesy! Although I don't doubt that's how they're meant to be!

I eat a LOT of food and so long as there's no meat in it I'm fairly thrilled with it all. Up until the horror that came with this coronary hardening frozen aisle of the supermarket style slop. Avoid.

As soon as you step in, you can tell there is poor seating as there weren't that many tables. Lighting is minimal and dark inside. <br/><br/>The Philly cheese steak itself was pretty underwhelming which was a slight disappointment as many of the reviews were favourable. The bread wasn't soft and hard to chew and the cheese was very plastic like. The overall flavour was actually ok. 6.5/10<br/><br/>The buffalo wings were the most sour things I've ever tasted- would rather eat a lemon. 1/10<br/><br/>Only saving grace were the fries which were decently priced and well portioned. 10/10

My experiences with the Sparrows truck have varied - the first time was absolutely incredible but then the next was less so - still good though! It being a truck, I understand that the quality differs so this wasn't a huge issue for me.<br/>I'm a big fan of the mushroom cheesesteak and the bourbon bacon one - keen to try the rest of the menu!

So if you want to have philly cheesesteak you need to go to the back of the bar to order and collect it. Overall it's a nice place to have some drinks and food is quite cheap. Just not up to the philly cheesesteak I had before...hardly any beef and it was really dry.

A bit dark, a bit smelly, a bit of a poor sitting situation. However, you are not here on a date. You are here because these are the best damm Philly Cheesesteaks in town :)

<br/>Man even hours later I'm still thinking about this made my way to sparrows in Fitzroy and I was not disappointed actually it was better then I thought went in for the bourbon bacon steak with a splash of extra cheese add a side of chips and a grapefruit pale ale from the catfish and you have a meal you'll want to all your friends about <br/>highly recommend 10/10 all round amazing food amazing service go check em out

An UberEats order.<br/>Being on the other side of the CBD, their cheesesteak travels really well. I have had other versions of this in Melbourne and this is by far the best. I can't imagine a better bread to have for a cheesesteak. It was pillowy soft, not dense, almost steamed consistency. The fillings were tender and oozing with cheesy goodness. It was very easy to eat. Flavour wise, for what I ordered (hot peppered steak) the cheesesteaks could benefit with a little bit of salt, but it was still very good. <br/>I would Uber this again. <br/>EDIT: I ate at the place in Fitzroy and I discovered that the cheesesteak actually tastes better delivered than it is to eat there. The bread feels stale, the beef was quite chewy and the cheese didn't melt completely. Because it was wrapped in foil, the steaming process from the delivery really helped the ingredients come together.

The fries are great some of the best I've had, service was friendly and fast but the cheesesteak doesn't live up to and actual one from Philadelphia

This is a sometimes food, not an always food... so deliciously cheesy.<br/><br/>Have never gone wrong with a standard hoagie from Sparrows.<br/><br/>(this was going to be short and sweet but had to add a line to meet character req's)

UberEATS - a contributor to obesity in Australia and parts of the world where UberEATS are available. We were too lazy to move our tooshie from the comfort of our couch to whip up something for dinner. Instead we whipped out our phone and ordered two cheesesteaks and some fries to go with it. Healthy active lifestyle? For my fingers probably yes but definitely not for the rest of my body. Anyway, the cheesesteaks were "cooked" swiftly and their arrival at our humble abode was even quicker thanks to the delivery fellow driving a car and not a bicycle. This stroke of luck meant the fries were still hot and crispy, the cheesesteaks still warm and the cheese still somewhat gooey. Score! Settling back to our couch, we started devouring our meal. The skinny fries were just that. I'm not going to wax lyrical about them nor tear them apart. I'm just going to say that they tasted like store-bought fries that have been fried well. The cheesesteaks, on the other hand, deserves a bit more compliments. The BBQ sauce in the bourbon bacon cheesesteak was flavourful, the beef was tender and the smoked bacon bits added a hint of smoky and deep flavour to the lot. There was ample melted cheese to not make me question its name. Same goes for the mushroom cheesesteak in relation to the generosity of the cheese. However I must ask, does mushroom refers to mushroom or mushroom sauce? There was not a single mushroom pieces in the cheesesteak and the sauce only had a subtle mushroom flavour to it. I felt misled by its description. If it was a beef cheesesteak then it would garner a satisfactory score but it was advertised as mushroom cheesesteak and I couldn't detect them mushrooms! Now, while this sounds serious, the more serious matter at hand is the bread. You guys couldn't source a better bread? Calling it bread from Coles and Woolies is an insult to the bread from Coles and Woolies. The bread used by Sparrow tasted stale, was limp and deflated to touch and was definitely not something I would serve to guests at my house. It might however be awesome in a bread pudding but that about it. The bread pretty much doomed Sparrow, which is a shame because we did enjoy the fillings of one of the cheesesteaks. Some improvement to the rest of the ingredients perhaps?

Ordered cheese steak and nearly Philly. The cheese steak is good from a comfort food point of view. The steak very thinly shaved topped with generous amount of cheese. It's nothing amazing that will blow your taste buds out of this world. But if you feel like having safe, cant-go-wrong kinda meal, the cheese steak is something you want to order. Nearly Philly on the other hand is something a little different - Tofu instead of meat. It's good that the tofu is cooked well but I have to dig around to pop a single tofu to actually find out simply because the olives were overpowering. It drowned out the tofu completely. It was as if I ordered an olive sandwich.

Awesome place for a Philly Cheese steak. Well I don't know many other places you can get one. But the hot pepper steak with double meat and double cheese is top notch! I almost couldn't find the place the first time I went. It's actually inside and out the back of a bar.

Ordered the sweet pepper chilly steak. It was served at the perfect temperature. The beef was high quality and tender. However, I found the taste very mediocre. The combination was bland; I found the peppers and onion lacked character, and the cheese – the supposed star of the dish – couldn't save it. The bread appeared to simply be a heated bun from Woolies.<br/><br/>Since Sparrow's is only one of a few local cheesesteak joints, you'd be better off choosing its more well-known cousin from one of the numerous burger joints around Melbourne.

并没有觉得很好吃，cheesesteak淡而无味，牛肉太硬不好咬，跟质感半点关系都没有，面包又干又柴，其他配料也是无趣。洋葱圈还可以，但也是回锅炸所以脆过头油过头的那种。啤酒还不错，但好像不关sparrow什么事…<br/>We didn't like the cheesesteaks, bread was dry, beef was hard to chew, the whole cheesesteak was not enjoyable to eat at all. Onion rings were ok, a bit too crispy and may hurt your mouth.

sparrow is hiding inside the catfish , behind bar area.<br/>All cheesecake are worth to try and tasty like 80s American . Band room upstairs and live music . <br/><br/>Staff attitude are very rough and difficult , like person release by prisoner , mad , bigger and scary .<br/><br/>Food full of caloire， not heathy at all

Sparrows philly cheesesteaks is a joint that will provide you the closest thing from an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak. This place is a must go for those who are craving a philly cheesesteak. <br/><br/>I've had the Korean cheese steak which has bulgogi beef and kimchi and the cheese steak which is the most basic with steak, grilled onions and American cheese.<br/><br/>This is a perfect place to hang out with your friends to enjoy a beer and have a few bites. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!?

We discovered this hidden gem while searching for new places to eat around Melbourne. We've passed by Gertrude St for many times but didn't realised that this awesome place exists and we're so glad we found it! We ordered mushroom cheese steak, onion rings and bbq chicken wings for $31 for 2 person. Everything was well seasoned, perhaps one of the best onion rings and chicken wings we've ever tasted! We'll definitely come back for more!

A friend of mine said this place was good, so he took me to try the food. First up I have to say, that the attitude of the server/cook was not great. He was very unfriendly and kind of rude when I asked if I was able to get half and half cheese-wise on my cheesesteak. The answer was no, by the way. I don't see the big deal, but if that's their policy, he could have at least been nice about it. Anyway, we ordered and our food came out. I ordered the sweet pepper steak. The cheesesteaks were good, but nothing amazing to rave about. Overall, nothing great about the food or the service. probably not a place I'd go again.

Sparrow is a little eatery is hidden at the back end of ‘The Catfish’, a pub venue that also supports local comedy and live music. The cheesesteaks here are delicious and definitely worth trying out. Try them on a Monday when the steaks are on special (if you don’t mind a wait). Mushroom Steak with beef, mushroom, grilled onion and cheese $8 (Monday special)

A group of us got these at a pop-up store, but the quality was still great! Steak was fresh, cheese was disgustingly fake and American as it should be, and the options of extras, such as mushrooms or jalapeños was plenty! Great value for a decent size meal. Chips were plenty too, a little too salty for our liking but that's the only fault really. Great place for a quality and authentic American cheesesteak :)

Everything was made fresh to order. The beef was cooked just right, with good flavour and was tender and juicy. The American cheese though was probably the highlight, which was extremely aromatic, flavourful and just filled with cheesy goodness. Combined with the grilled mushrooms and the super soft roll, this was a winner combo.<br/> <br/> <br/>Overall one of the best Cheesesteak one can get in Melbourne. I strongly suggest the mushroom or the plain Cheesesteak as both the pepper varieties weren’t nearly as delicious.

Awesome. From the steak, bread, cheese and way that it's cooked, it was just awesome. I've had a lot of great cheese steaks back in the states, and this challenges even those for top five.

Still coming in 2018...<br/><br/>Here's my 2016 review....<br/><br/> Came here for a Philly Cheesesteak.  Got one with a pint of good lager.<br/><br/>Total satisfaction.  Absolutely delicious.  This place is a winner, really nice bar staff too.<br/><br/>Going back very soon.

If you're gonna sacrifice your arteries, there's probably no better way to do it than with one of these cheesesteaks. The spicy wings are damn good, too. <br/><br/>It's the kind of food that prompts you to start a six week detox, sure, so probably not one for the health food brigade - but come on, it's cheesesteaks, what do you expect?<br/><br/>Quality selection of beers, too, and the vibe is great.

Came in on a Thursday night and sat inside, service was good and the food was out pretty quickly. Had the mushroom steak and some cheese fries, everything was tasty. I'm not a cheesesteak expert but I think it's a fun idea and there's a fairly good range of beers on tap supplied by the Catfish as well. Good vibes and music. Would recommend for a few casual drinks and snacks 👌

Enjoyed my experience, the bartender and the workers were welcoming. The hoagie was large in portion, filling and the combo it came in had a huge side.

Only been here once.<br/><br/>Service was friendly but a bit slow, despite it not being busy. <br/><br/>The cheesesteak itself was tasty but not the best that I have had. <br/><br/>Still, would probably return to give it another crack.

Stumbled across this place by accident, tucked inside The Catfish... pleasantly surprised with quality of Philly Cheesesteaks! If I'm in the area, will def. duck in for a bite again. I'm old fashioned and boring, all I do is mushroom steak with provolone... didn't really look at rest of the menu... happy to get the same thing time and again here.

Holy shit. I've never had a cheesesteak in Philadelphia, but if they don't do them like Sparrow they're doing it wrong. This was god damn amazing and I can't wait to move over that side of the Yarra just to be closer.

Top Notch! Growing up near Philadelphia I have witnessed many failed attempts to replicate the Philly cheesesteak. Sparrow's is so close it's almost too good to be true. The soft fold of the bread with the feel and weight of the melted cheese in your mouth made me feel right at home. If you're okay with a little spice, the Hot Pepper Steak will not disappoint! They are also very reasonably priced

The Cheesesteak with Fries ($15) came hot off the griddle, on top of a pile of golden fries. Aside from the slight disbelief that I am actually eating something so unhealthy, this was pretty great. The glossy, buttery bun was stuffed with a mess of fried steak and onions, melted through with gooey American cheese.

Best philly cheese steak in Melbourne!! I've tried Merryweather, Bowery and others but this is by far the best and closest to the real thing I've had in the states.

Came across this one by accident, sort of. Boyfriend wanted a sit down steak dinner, misunderstood the title and thought this was the place for us! But no. These things are still pretty cool, just not what we came out for. A big hot dog bun, filled to the max with gooey cheese and the steak and filling of your choice. I had the mushroom one and it was pretty tasty! Just so much cheese, which made it impossible to finish! The catfish is a bar, and the kitchen is hidden behind it. You walk around the corner and place your order with the kitchen staff, and when it's ready they scream (or in our case, sing) out your name when it's ready! That aspect was pretty cool! <br/>The place overall had a bit of a dull, underground bar kind of feel...pretty quiet for a Saturday night. Probably wouldn't go back, but it was a cool experience!

It was quiet at first but got busier as the night went on. I was eager to try to the Bulgogi one as I love Korean food – but I thought it’d be better to experience a more traditional, American item.<br/><br/>The Bourbon Bacon sounded like it was made for me! Smoked bacon, beef, bourbon BBQ sauce and cheese – all I need to make me happy.

We ordered the mushroom steak as one of the reviews recommended. I've never been to the States so I wouldn't know how authentic this is but my friend and I enjoyed them regardless. And their fries are one of the best I've ever had! All just for $15. We will be back for more!

This place is awesome best cheese steak Iv had by far. Bit of an odd layout with the catfish bar in front of where you order, but at least you can have a drink while waiting for your meal. Onion rings and chilly cheese fries are great as well.

Their Philly cheesesteaks is great.<br/>Portions are good.<br/>Price is well worth it.<br/>Service is good as well.<br/>Decor is nice.<br/>Ambience is fine.<br/><br/>I don"t know how a Philly cheesesteak is supposed to taste like but I can say that the ones served here is gloriously delicious.

The nearly phillly vegetarian steak is delicious! I discovered this place 2 months ago and I've been here at least 10 times! The onion rings are amazing too

Wandered into this place from the Melbourne Museum. The bar tenders were both super friendly and welcoming guys and the beer selection was great. We ordered a couple of cheese steaks and fries and sat waiting - the cook on the day was quite intimidating and made a bizarre show of screaming at the top of his lungs a customer's name for the order - I guess it was his friend and the situation was a joke but it created a pretty awkward vibe. <br/>The cheese steaks didn't have a whole lot of meat for the price and we had to load them up with some sauces to pack a bit more flavour. The American cheese I wouldn't recommend for anyone who doesn't like the "Plastic cheese" taste and with the white roll was a little artificial for me - but the meat quality, fries, selection of sauces and friendly staff were all pros in my books.

I'll admit I've never had a Philly cheesesteak before, but this place blew my socks off. The bread was super soft and slightly crispy on the outside, and the meat (of excellent quality) was almost cooked to perfection - I'd have loved a touch more seasoning. The cheese was incredible, though my friends thought it was too cheesy. There were enough fries to satisfy, but don't get them if you're not that hungry. The bun will tip you over the edge! Overall, this place is outstanding. I'll be back to try the bacon one again soon. I didn't have any mulled wine, but it smelled excellent. I'll be getting a glass of that next time too.

Amazing! Friendly service, great range of hot sauces and best onion rings I've had in a long time. Will be coming back ASAP to try the bacon wrapped Reece's Pieces...

Just went here for lunch with the family. Great cheese steaks, I had the pizza cheese steak and wife had original. Huge amount of fries for $3 and the best onion rings I've eaten in Melbourne. Courtyard out back is really good and friendly barman turned on heaters for us without prompting. If in the area, check this place out!

Welcome to the Catfish, one of Melbourne’s many pub venues located on Gertrude st, Fitzroy, the heart of North side cool. Saturday night is their blues night and before the band comes on you’ll hear a mix of grungy old school, covers and a some new stuff. Like many places, Catfish is dimly lit and sparsely decorated, there’s a mix of young and old patrons and a sometimes obvious clash of style and culture between them. Walking through you’ll wind past tables and the kitchen to a beer garden out the back, a second bar upstairs, or simply situate yourself at the bar or out the front. Catfish serve up drinks and food, and though we were here for the blues, the fabled Philly Cheesesteak from Sparrows was a significant draw card for us. Never had a Philly cheesesteak? Well it is as it sounds, thinly sliced steak, melted cheese, served in a bun and hailing from Philadelphia in the US. The food is all made by Sparrows and you order and collect your food from a window halfway through the building. They run a pretty tight ship and get the meals out fast, ours was less than ten minutes. Now before we get to the steak, we couldn’t resist some sides, electing wings and onion rings. Both were served with a crumb we found unusual, but were well seasoned, hot and crispy. The wings could have done with some spicy, sticky sauce though! It’s not real buffalo wings without it! Now the Philly Cheesesteak! The traditional was served in a fresh, soft bun with real American cheddar, slightly sweet onion and plenty of bbq sauce. With that lost of ingredients how could it not be delicious? It was even served on a bed of thin cut fries, again nicely salted, served hot and crispy. You can also go more fancy with the bacon and Bourbon, it’s more meat, more alcohol (well flavour at least) and more goodness packed into the same tasty bun. Catfish is well worth a visit, if you don’t go for the blues, at least go for the Philly cheese!

Sangers are excellent, rings are even better. Sparrow’s has the cheesesteak thing DOWN -- right to the authentic spongey whitebread roll. That’s one of the essentials for a classic Philly cheesesteak, because it soaks up the grease from the meat and the grilled onions. Sparrow's steak had that classic flavour from being chopped up and fried with onions on a massive flat-surfaced grill that’s been seasoned by having a dozen different types of meat and veg sizzled on it. These things might be too good to pass muster in Philadelphia, though, because they’re hardly greasy. I ate mine and didn’t feel guilty for clogging my arteries with fat! They could have done with a bit more meat. The cheesesteaks I remember eating on the Atlantic coast of the U.S. had mounds of thin, cheap beef on them. Sparrow’s meat is higher quality, but not as abundant as what you’d get in Pennsy or Joisey.<br/><br/>What I’ll remember most from this place is the onion rings, though. As other reviewers have pointed out, those things are out of this world. They’re made from scratch using thick onion pieces in a cornmeal-type breading that’s speckled with herb and spice bits. Whenever I find a joint that does its own version of onion rings, instead of deep-frying pre-fab stuff from McCain’s, I order some. These are unlike any I’ve had, and rate in my Top 5. Make sure you get some!

Yum. I'm from NY and have had a few cheese steak in my time. Sparrows was delicious. The sandwich was packed full with meat cheese onions and peppers. Absolutely delicious. Soft roll with a nice crisp outside. Chilli cheese fries were the best ever. Highly recommended - great value, filling, delicious food !!

So disappointing.... I'm from Philly and grew up eating and making my own cheesesteaks, so when I heard about this place and read the reviews, I thought I'd try it out. What a mistake. The cheesesteak was served on a soft hot dog roll with the tiniest amount of meat and cheese. Completely not worth the $12 price tag. Apparently the owner is from Philadelphia - is he trying to pull one over the Aussies who don't know any better? Any self-respecting Philadelphian would know better than to call that a cheesesteak. Fair enough if you can't get a roll that matches what you get from Amoroso's in Philly, but perhaps put a little more of an effort into what fills that roll. I would have been happy enough if the cheesesteak had actually had CHEESE and STEAK in it, no matter what the roll. But, a basically empty roll with meat that was cut too thickly, and not chopped properly, for a ridiculous price? I wanted a taste of home, and now I wish I'd stayed away. Perhaps I should have known better when the owner is quoted as saying that Pat's, Geno's and Jim's are the best cheesesteak places in Philly. What a joke. I will definitely NOT be a return customer.

Pure Indulgence. Went down with my wife the other sunday for a cruzzy sunday arvo bite to eat and I tell ya what this place rocks the onion rings are amazing and the cheesesteaks are fab, the guys are super friendly and the atmosphere is quite relaxing with nice tracks playing in the background.<br/><br/>Buck list item this place get on it Melbourne !!!

This is simply awesome!. Wow! Went there on a Sunday arvo after a big night at a wedding....got the chilly cheese steak and onion rings and my wife matched hers with a Bloody Mary. This food was the tastiest thing I've had in a long time...and that American cheese...so sticky and delicious. Very well priced. Great bar too, awesome service and selection of beer.<br/>I want one right now.....

So good

Sadly dissapointing. Probably wouldn't recommend going here again. Overpriced drinks and the food wasn't that great. Disappointing sadly. :(

Disappointment. Simply got charged 58 dollars on my card for 2 average cheese steaks. Should've noticed it myself but it was an infuriatingly bad mistake by their staff. Lame as. Ya blew it.

Want someone to be your best friend. Tell them to go here.. While spending the weekend in Melbourne i ask my local friend for some bar recommendations. This was the first place he suggested and it has earned him best friend status. I normally refuse to discuss the quality of chips at a venue due to my general boredom with potato (unrelated I just thought you should know). But f**k me the onion rings at this place. I'll get to the star in a second but these onion rings should have a poster out the front dedicated to them and an onion ring appreciation event in their honour. Getting onto the cheesesteak i tried, which i feel is representative of all the options, it was happiness. Leading me to send a message to another friend of mine declaring "I am the bourbon bbq cheesesteak" which he then told the crowd of people about that he was performing in front of. To sum up, go to this place and thank whoever sent you here cause they are a true friend!<br/><br/>Note: The taps and beer fridge are a who’s who of boutique wonders!

Absolutely delicious!!! Best food I've had in my life

Amazing. Friendly staff and amazing cheesesteaks.

These guys have cheesesteaks nailed down! The traditional with American is fantastic and the bourbon bacon stellar! Get the onions rings and hit the bar up for some Bloody Mary mix to dip them in! The beers on tap leave you wanting to try the next. All in all, definitely check it out for a tasty, heart clogging love you too good time

Stupidly delicious. My partner and I went to the Gertrude Street Projection festival and stopped in to the Catfish for a drink and a bite. A few of my chef friends had recommended the Philly cheesesteaks and particularly the onion rings so we ordered both and were not disappointed. In case you don't know what a Philly cheesesteak is its a hot dog bun with shaved steak and onions done on a hot plate with your choice of additional toppings. My topping was jalapenos and my partners was mushrooms, we were both happy but the onion rings took things to a whole other level. I am talking serious addictive material here, so crunchy, so delicious ...... mmmmmmm onion rings. The staff were friendly, the vibe was cool, the music was great and all in all a really lovely experience

Cheese steaks are hit and miss. I've eaten Cheese Steaks at Sparrow's on 4 separate occasions on a variety of days (the first being at lunch time, there were few patrons and the cheese steaks were delicious and piping hot). On another occasion, I ate there in the middle of the week in the evening; and it was a success. Two subsequent times, and the cheese steaks were not up to standard. The first time we were waiting at the kitchen for our steaks, so there was no delay from the time they were cooked to the time we received them but the cheese was solidified, the onions were not cooked, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. On another occasion, we had a similar experience. I think it must depend on who cooks your cheese steak; the owner knows what he's doing but some of his staff do not and unfortunately need better training. You have a 50% chance of getting a decent cheese steak at Sparrow's, but when they are good they are certainly good.

Nice spot for a mid week feed and pint. Had the sweet pepper cheesesteak with American cheese. Roll was nice and soft and the filling was nice, especially with the oozing cheese sauce. The beef was slightly under seasoned and could've used a bit more of it in the filling honestly. Sautéed onions and grilled peppers went nicely.<br/><br/>Not as greasy as the cheesesteaks I've had in the US. Onion rings were a hit. Would've been nice to have some smokey BBQ sauce to dip them in to, but didn't see any available. Wide selection of beers so it's a nice place to catch up with a couple of friends for a feed and a pint.

Amazing. Go here! I'm from philadelphia and have had my fair share of cheesesteaks. Sparrow's is the best I've had in a while, maybe ever, and certainly above and beyond what I expected for the other side of the world. Get the American cheese for a close to the real thing (whiz) experience. I also recommend jalapeños and mushrooms. Geno, you're doing Philly very, very proud.

Firstly, the staff at Catfish and Sparrow's are super friendly and very helpful. Secondly, the food is amazing. We had the fries, sweet pepper cheesesteak and hot pepper cheesesteak. All delicious. The best cheesesteak I've had in Melbourne so far! Thirdly, amazing beers on tap. What more do you need?

AWESOME!. Great bar and friendly staff! Melt in your mouth Philly Cheesesteak,s., Great Beers!

We tried the 'special' cheesesteak for the night. I gotta say, I thought the pizza cheesesteak was damn tasty. A friend & I shared one and loved it, goey, cheesy sweet white roll, great beer food and the beers are solid too.

Beer, meat and cheese Heave.... Beer, meat and cheese<br/>Heaven on earth<br/>My life is now complete

Veggie chilli cheese'fake' FTW. I tried the vego cheese steak on a quiet Sunday arvo. At first I wasn't sure of the protocol. This place works like a tuck shop. Make your order then come back in 5 minutes to pick up your meal. The chilli beans were spicy and delicious with American cheese as were the french fries I drowned in mustard. So many condiments I felt spoilt for choice. Will definitely make a habit of visiting the Catfish.

Put it in your face and know joy.. I've eaten lots of food in my time. In fact I'd consider myself pretty good at it. Telling good food from lame food is something i don't suck at. And let me tell you, if there was a scale from really ridiculously good to amazing; Sparrow's cheesesteak would be at the amazing end of the scale. Healthy, no. Delicious, yes. I suggest you order the pizza flavour from one of the friendly staff.

In a word, AMAZING!! Im American and it's the best cheesesteak I've ever eaten! Seriously!! I had the sweet pepper cheesesteak with provolone. The bread roll is so soft, it melts in your mouth. French fries and onion rings are delicious. I came in from Sydney just to try this place and it didn't disappoint. Will definitely be back to try the jalapeno cheesesteak next. Can't wait!!

How tough is it to serve your food hot?. The place was empty on a sunday afternoon. I ordered two steaks and fries to take away. Dude making steaks said it would take five minutes. He made my food and put in baskets to eat in, then four keen guys walked in and dude let my food sit for 15 minutes while he took four guys order and took their money. My steak didn't have mushrooms and couldn't even grab a can of coke to go with my steak. Everything was cold and sad. How tough is it to take pride in what you do and serve food hot.

Hmm not sure if I am writing this review in the right place... called into the catfish after a stressful day. Was greeted by a friendly barman and was given a delicious beer at a reasonable price. good vibe. Will call im again next time I need an after work pick me up

Perfection in Melbourne!. Great food, great service...great place! One of our regular haunts since it opened, highly recommended.

Simply perfect. Great place, just great. Food was great. Beer was great. Did I mention it was great?

Late night greasy food = win. Never had a Cheesesteak before but me and my mate decided to drive down and try it out..and we def were not disappointed.<br/><br/>The place is a lil kitchen connected to the bar Catfish with a friendly dude named Reggie who cooked us up some American cheesesteaks and some tasty as fried onion rings which hit the spot at 11pm..It's pretty much steak, onion baked in melted cheese in a soft bun that melts in your mouth.<br/><br/>Def recommend if you want late night american feed!!! <br/><br/>Vim & Sam - shoutout to reggie lol.

Phenomenal. I used to live in Philadelphia. This is the best cheesesteak I've had outside PA. Get double meat, it's worth it.<br/><br/><br/>-----11 Jan, 2014-----<br/><br/>Totally legit cheese steaks! I am from near Philly and it's really hard to find a good cheese steak outside of Philly let alone the US. These are the REAL deal. Highly recommended. I ate two in a row the first time I went here!

Damn these are good, and I can't believe they're open until 12:30 at night!<br/>My mate says its just like the ones back in Philly!

Wow!!!! Perfect Saturday 4pm hangover cure. I thoroughly recommend this experience for anyone who loves a meal that their gym membership will hate!!!!

Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks in Melbourne. As a Phiily girl, I've eaten plenty of cheesesteaks and Sparrow's is the real deal! The cheesesteaks are fresh, delicious and wonderfully filling. If you've never had a Philly cheesesteak, you are in for a real treat! And, while you're at it, order a side of the onion rings. I swear that they are better than the expensive onion rings at Rockpool. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The ambiance is casual. It really is a cozy neighborhood hangout where you can catch-up with friends and enjoy a meal and a pint.

To be honest, I’m just happy that there’s finally somebody who’s serving up quality Philly Cheesesteak in Melbourne.

I must admit that prior to our visit to Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks my consumption of Philly Cheesesteaks had been woefully lacking.  Nil consumption in fact.  High time to change that stat I figured. Nestled at the back of Catfish on Gertrude St, a bunch of gregarious ambassadors for this famous sandwich slave over the grill to provide hungry drinkers with hearty grub. We grabbed a couple of drinks from the bar (Catfish have a great range of beers on tap), ordered two classic cheesesteaks with provolone cheese, a basket of fries and waited for the fun to begin. The basket of fries won points the second I laid eyes on it.  Plentiful, crispy and dry.  You just can't beat a good french fry.  I loved how you could help yourself to a variety of condiments at the counter. T sauce overload! The cheesesteak was large.  The bun was soft and malleable, the perfect vessel for the thinly shaved steak, sweet chunks of onion and mild, stretchy provolone.  We liked the compilation of the sandwich,

The Catfish (formerly Miss Gertrude's Brown Couch) acts as the Hub for the Festival. Yet another venue with American-style food (by Sparrows), the Catfish is a dungeon-style pub with lots of exposed brick and wood, friendly service, a pleasant back courtyard, and an upstairs band room.

The Philly Cheesesteak is something that I’ve not come across since I was actually in Philadelphia and got one at the famous Jim’s. I remember it being embarrassingly indulgent and tasty so when I heard about Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks opening up inside on of the back rooms of craft beer venue Catfish I was intrigued to see what they were serving up.

Think tender chunks of steak topped with onions and melted provolone or American cheese in a soft bun. You can get your sandwich fix at Catfish on Gertrude Street. There are also pizza, mushroom and hot pepper steaks on offer which can be washed down by their good selection of craft beers on tap.