Nick’s Old Original Roast Beef

This place is a solid casual place to get dinner and/​or drinks. Their menu is small and the place does get crowded as does the tiny parking lot, especially on a Friday night around 6:30. I always get the same thing: the roast beef combo (roast beef sandwich with provolone cheese) and the beef gravy fries. I have yet to be disappointed. We went this time with my sister and her bf who also come here often and are huge fans of the mozzarella sticks. My sister is a mozzarella stick snob, so her love of your mozzarella sticks is a very high honor, Nick’s. The service is fast and the food is very reasonably priced. This is definitely a great place to stop in for a quick, no fuss bite or just a few beers when you’re in Springfield.

Love this place! Great food and great service !

You can’t go wrong here. The sandwiches are delicious and the gravy fries are even better. The combo is strange as it means put cheese on my sandwich but otherwise awesome roast beef sandwich restaurant.

Incredible. Go here now.
Had a late dinner at Nick’s. The roast beef is amazing. Best I’ve ever had. And they stuff the sandwiches with thick slices of yummy meat! Had the roast beef combo which is a roast beef sandwich with provolone cheese. I loved the cheese. My mom had it without and she loved it that way. You really can’t go wrong.
The fries are super crispy and delicious. The gravy fries come topped with au jus and pieces of roast beef. I recommend adding cheese whiz to that. The mozz sticks are good.
They have a short menu with 5 or 6 types of sandwiches, fries and mozzarella sticks. But everything is delicious. Best roast beef in the Philadelphia area!

Have seen and heard about this place for some time so dropped by for dinner. Roast beef is as good as advertised. And the gravy fries are not covered with gravy but the pan drippings from the beef… Really good. My only complaint is the bun. Just not a big fan of Kaiser rolls.

Let me start off by saying the sandwich I received at Nick’s was good, but it was lacking some meat. My wife’s sandwich was loaded, but mine looked more like a sand-​wish rather than the hyped up sandwich I was anticipating. I do honestly believe this was a fluke, and I will be back. The beef gravy fries were fantastic, and the beer was ice cold. For these reasons I am giving Nick’s 3 stars, but I will update upon re-​evaluation.
P. S.: Be sure to put plenty of the table horseradish on your sandwich! NOT! that mess is HOTTT! LOL

Awesome food! Great service! I died and went to heaven over the gravy fries! Perfect sandwich!

The bartenders John & Jeff are the best always keeping our beer cold and are just great people. The sandwiches are still the best around.

No decisions here. No need to change a thing.
Operation (inside out) roast beef and gravy fries. No sharp prov for me, but I wouldn’t blame you if you went there.
Calling this dish gravy fries is an insult to it and overly complementary towards «gravy». You’ll never know how these beef shavings hit it off with fries if you don’t try them at Nicks.

Gravy fries and a roast beef combo is the way to go. Great food and a nice little neighborhood bar.

Mediocre and expensive. I could not find prices listed anywhere when we ordered. This is also the first place I have ever encountered where a sandwich «combo» means with cheese, instead of a side of fries. They also charge you extra if you want gravy on the side. Roast beef «combo» was okay. It was tasty but very little meat compared to the HUGE bun. Onion rings were burnt. Fries were terrible. Mozzarella sticks meh. Oh and charged for peppers that I specifically said I didn’t want but was given non the less. Will not frequent again, and I would strongly advise you to do the same.

The original is at 20^th and Jackson, but I didn’t want to fight the Schuylkill. Nick’s is a legendary Roast Beef joint. If you thought «Cheez wit’ or plain wit’out) was the end of Philly culinary jargon, you have not been to Nick’s. This is a «Beef Combo, operated, on-​the-​outs, overboard.) Translated, it is a beef with provolone, Kaiser roll scooped of excess bread, enhanced by the crispy charred «bark» from the round and slathered in gravy — including the roll. Gravy fries are the traditional side. Fries are nothing special without the gravy.
You can order the sammy «dry» (no gravy) for $ 6.60 but the combo is an extra $ 00.80 for good sharp Provolone. You DO get ¼ lb. of real Prime beef. My issue is that it is cooked so well-​done that the end-​result (even with gravy) is … average. I couldn’t imagine it without the gravy. I went at 12:30 — They open at 10:30 so I’m pretty certain the line cook (they are visible behind the bar) who operated my roll (with his bare hands) probably had clean fingernails by then. smile emoticon
This place should be on your bucket list of local legendary sandwiches to try, but I can think of plenty of bars that will serve a fresh RARE roast beef sandwich with less ritual involved. Service was friendlier than their reputation suggests, but I got a younger female bartender as opposed to the grumpy old guy about whom all the Unilocalers complain. Worth a try for the experience, but I wouldn’t go out of my way again.

Yum! Yum & yum! I ordered sandwiches over the phone for a party. The man I spoke with on the phone was very accommodating. I had many requests. We wanted the world famous gravy fries, but we didn’t want them soggy. We were given frozen fries, & extra gravy with the meat. Rolls & the sharp provolone cheese (the stinky cheese, u know what I mean, right?) lots of roast beef, long hots & the gravy & horseradish. I’d forgotten to ask for the horseradish & was so happy it was included in box of goodies. The gravy is something that food dreams are made of, rich, flavorful & cannot b duplicated by a mere mortal. Thank you nicks roast beef, you made our night! Our meal was Delicious & we are all very happy!

Simply heaven.
20^th and Jackson shows up in Springfield.
Doesn’t get much better then that.
Let’s go down the check list of heaven.
Cold beer… Check
Dive bar. Check
Friendly people… Check
Roast beef sandwiches dripping with nectar that only the gods could have provided. … Check
It’s just an awesome place to get a sandwich and a beer. I get here as often as I can.
If you haven’t been here yet, and are a local. Get on it

What’s the difference between Roast Beef and Pea Soup? Read on.
There is no pea soup on the menu but there are the best roast beef sandwiches in the Western burbs! I have a friend that calls them FIVE NAPKIN sandwiches. Aficionados of these masterpieces know what I mean. Unless you specify differently, your sandwich will be served wet. Expect savory juices to be dripping from the meat and down your hands and chin and generally everywhere. For about $ 6.50 including a slice of sharp provolone it’s a damn fine sandwich.
If you want you can add fries or onion rings. Expect them to be hot and crispy but they are from a bag. You can go wild and crazy and order gravy fries and they will be covered with gravy and bits of beef. For $ 3.70 they are OMG amazing as long as know that your cholesterol goes up twenty points just by looking at them!
If you are craving an adult libation there is a full bar with the emphasis on cheap beer. If you are looking for high-​end craft brews you are in the wrong place.
The atmosphere here is a quirky combo of dive and sports bars with emphasis on the dive. It’s very small and a little dark. If you are craving a four star sandwich and a brew, this joint should be on your list.
So what is the difference between Roast Beef and Pea Soup? That anyone can ROAST BEEF, but no one can PEA SOUP. Keep staring at it and you’ll get it eventually!

December 19,2014 Don’t be swayed by previous reviews complaining of it being loud and devoid of ambiance. This is a bar that has some restaurant seating in order to peddle their fabulous sandwiches. They are not trying to be a 5star. The 3 or 4 times I’ve been here we’ve only ever come for the sandwiches. My 3 dining companions thoroughly enjoyed their visit and thanked me for turning them onto this place.
The second you open the door you are greeted with the smell of roast beef and sharp provolone. YUM!
Very Small menu but who cares when you can have one of their incredible roast beef sandwiches. They serve roast pork as well If you order a «Combo» that means it comes with provolone. There are other terms on the menu to use when ordering which are described, most of which pertain to how dry or wet you want your sandwich.
Take a bite and you will be unable to stop the «OMG’s» that escape your lips.
Try the broccoli rabe. It is true, south Philly prepared rabe.
And the gravy fries which are fried topped with brown gravy and some shreds of roast beef— to die for!
The beers are also very reasonable.

It’s a typical sports bar. Loud, decent service, and hearty food.
I ordered the Turkey sandwich. Bland, and ‘meh’ meat. Tables weren’t as clean as they should have been. It was almost impossible to hold a conversation. Sitting in the outside sitting area doesn’t help since waiters don’t serve that area as often.

Meh.
My coworkers and I ordered about 10 roast beef sandwiches today. I have eaten here in the past. The quality went down considerably. The cheese on my sandwich wasn’t even melted. They skimped on the meat and overall it wasn’t a very good sandwich. Even the horseradish tasted bland. It added some moisture but barely any heat.
I got the impression that this place has turned into another American business trying to increase its margins by sacrificing quality.
But then again food in this entire area is pretty terrible.

The sister to the more popular South Philly location is a gem in its own special kind of way. A smaller place with about twenty-​five seats at the bar and room for approximately 50 more in the dining area.
I love a few things about this place:
1. The pork and roast beef combos (which means with provolone cheese) are fantastic! Personally, I usually option for the beef.
2. The gravy fries are highlight reel material. Fries generously topped with Nick’s mouth watering roast beef gravy.
3. Broccoli rabe as a topping option: Absolutely delicious and you get to feel a little better since there is vegetable inclusion. Everyone knows broccoli rabe is a great source of phytochemicals!
4. People watching: first you have «Johnny» the bartender, who doesn’t appear or come off as the friendliest guy in the world but he runs the ship here. The customers in the bar area are always entertaining, quite a mix of people, and friendly conversations always seem to ensue.
5. Ice cold draft beer: Part of their «secret» to the frigid temp of the draft beer is that they submerge their pint glasses in ice-​water immediately after washing them. The options however, are your standard mix.
6. Condiments: each table comes properly equipped with a jar of banana peppers and horseradish. You know as well as I do how annoying it can be to ask for more of something that you need to enjoy a great meal.
Take-​out is prepared very quickly. My suggestion would be to order your take-​out while on-​site vs. call ahead. Not only will this decrease the amount of time the sandwich is prone to hitting that state of sogginess, but also affords you with the opportunity to enjoy the aforementioned ice cold beer. Be sure to get some hot peppers and horseradish sauce to take with you.
It looks like a 3^rd location may be coming to the Goshen/​West Chester area along Rt 3. There is a banner up on the building announcing «coming soon, «however construction does not seem to be moving along very swiftly.
If you are a fan of the hot roast beef sandwich, you owe it to yourself and your friends to give this place a shot. Just do not try them on a Sunday as the doors will be locked.

Love this place. A must try if you’re in Philly. Both locations are great, though Springfield is newer so feels a little cleaner.
Staff is very friendly and the food is on point. Roast beef sandwich on the outs with cheese and gravy fries. Perfection.
Not exactly goods for you but worth the calories every now and then.