Famous Ernie’s Steaks

Well, just ordered from Famous Ernie’s after quite some time debating getting an order in and I have to say it was entirely underwhelming. Not only that, but they decided to send us the order incorrect as we placed one for a small and one for a large and both came small, they def didn’t forget to charge for the large though.
That being said, the steak, while being real steak, was so chewy and fatty that you could bearly saw thru it with a knife, which is a shame, because the rest of the ingreds were actually decent, even the bread which is generally the place you expect a drop in quality in central pa.
All that being said, won’t order from here again, nor would I recommend it to anyone looking for a good cheesesteak in town. Given the students aren’t here, you’d expect a better experience, but like it’s counter part downstairs, you get what you’d expect, why be surprised.

Nothing too special. Although the steak was good there was nothing outstanding about the sandwich. Save some money and go to Bradley’s down the street.

Dunno wsup wit all the bad reviews as I think this is the BEST cheesesteak spot in state college. Steak wasnt none of that cheap crap it was real AF steak. This place OWNS bradleys like its not even close. Also the cheese is melty and gooey. You can taste it in every bite.
Only con is that a large is ten bux so its roughly 3 bux more than bradleys or any other cheesesteak but its mad worth it cuz of the quality. I wont go anywhere else for cheesesteaks ever again, but if i must im def holdin it to this gold standard.

Pretty darn good! Got the philly with fries and engulfed the whole thing in minutes. Wings were okay.

Amazing cheesesteaks! Rolls are sooooo fresh and the fries are amazing! The food is always consistent, and the employees are friendly!

Awful, owner is beyond disgusting! Gross — should be closed. Needed to eat, our daughter was in a car accident and we drive up from NY and they were the only place open. They screamed at us that she could not come in. The police sent us there to eat, owner said no way. He was so disrespectful and crazy like on drugs. Stay away!

Ernie’s is a great place to stop once you’ve been kicked out of the Phyrst for being too drunk. Nothing subdues an oncoming blackout quite like a greasy chicken cheesesteak and side of fries. You may find yourself wanting to regret it the next day, but you know deep down inside that you regret nothing. And you will be back.

First off I want to start by saying I LOVED the place til tonight but I am no longer impressed. Cheese steaks were good but not made how they were ordered. Next the fries that I crave with the wiz, even ordered extra only to her home and find the usual generous portion of fries not so generous, no wiz AT ALL and they r fried to a crisp… Am I gonna break a tooth? So me being me and in the food industry as something close to management I decide to call and let them know, hey these r way over cooked and there’s no wiz nor extra and I was charged for it. I simply wanted a credit for my next visit which probably would have been tomorrow or for them to send me a coupon in the mail for the amount of the fries and extra wiz. We’ll there is no manager type person so the put some not very professional guy on the phone, we’ll call him c. Anyway I just explained about the fries and wiz, them being over cooked and being charged for wiz and extra and getting none. Keep in mind I am disabled and walked there and back home and my body physically will not allow me to do all the walking again tonight. We’ll he proceeds to tell me that there’s no manager but he’s as close as I’m gonna get and ppl call up all the time and make stuff up so he will not b able to do anything for me without evidence and they don’t send out coupons or take down names or any of that so either I come back there sometime tonight or I’m just screwed. I got the managers name but then am told he’s never there or reachable and this c guy is magically a manager by the end of the conversation. I didn’t say a thing about the 2 screwed up cheese steaks cuz they were still edible.
If u want to get technical, my whole order was wrong. I paid for things I didn’t receive. I was called a liar and discriminated against cuz I’m disabled and can’t physically walk back there then back home to give some unprofessional might b manager proof that the fries r small and over cooked and there’s no wiz and I was charged for it. Oh and I’m also embarrassed because my health issues r none of anyone’s business but I had to disclose what they were and y I couldn’t come back to the store, not that it got me anywhere… Maybe that’s a lie too. Maybe ppl r liars everywhere about everything. Even so, who r u to question my integrity? We’ll here’s pics of your super extra small over cooked fries with no wiz. Is that proof enough for u? I’ll put them in a bag and save them til tomorrow and bring them by to them after work with my receipt. FYI c, it’s not cuz they got cold on my walk home it’s cuz they weren’t prepared properly!!!
I have never been made to feel so belittled in all my life. Who in their right mind is petty enough to lie about fries and extra wiz sauce? I know I sure wouldn’t b!!!
Depending on how this incident is handled, they may have just lost a very loyal guest that’s a townie not just here for a few years.

See my tip. Terrible service and ridiculous wait time (more than 19 mins) is indicative of a place to avoid.

First off I want to say that yes their cheesesteaks are much better than Bradley’s. I gave up on them due to the last 3 orders being skimp on meat and also being wrong. That being said this is the place to go for cheesesteaks in State College. Plenty of meat and not the kind that you find in the freezer aisle of Walmart. I always order with onions and whiz. It’s 8 bucks for a large but the sandwich is pretty massive. As others have said the tray of fries is large and cheap.
Another gem from this place is the grilled cheese and tomato soup. My friend made me go to the Second just so she could order it. I decided to try it and it is by far the best I have ever had (no others can even compare). The catch is it’s 9 bucks so I will only have this delicacy if someone I’m with can’t finish their meal.

This is the only place i will ever walk to if im sober, drunk, tired, etc. for their steaks are THE BEST… dude with cool beard funny/​entertaining as shit while you’re waiting. Their beer to go are also priced on the DL, cheaper than most places for 6-​packs. Overall, great food & cheap beer.

DO NOT VISIT UNLESS YOU HAVE NO TASTE
Update:
Famous Ernie’s has taken a turn for the worst, thanks to their partnership with «The Phyrst» bar and grill. This used to be a decent place, but DO NOT BE FOOLED.
They’ll charge you for services not received. Friend got kicked out for NO REASON. He was a grad student minding his own business! Undergrad lowlives complained to the dimwitted waitresses and he was toast. I’ve never seen anything like it. Someone who actually is charged with teaching classes dragged out (not putting up a fight or anything, mind you) without even being able to wait for the rest of his friends to close their tab), for no reason at all.
Absolute dive establishment.

The bread makes the cheesesteak, and the bread at Ernie’s is mediocre at best. Too soggy for my taste.
Maybe Ernie’s is great when you’re drunk, but it’s not for the sober.

Best cheesesteak in State College without question. I order mine with provolone, onions, and hot sauce. must’ve done so upwards of 50 times my senior year in college. Once I tasted it the first time, I couldn’t kick the addiction. I would walk miles through the most punishing winters for an Ernie’s cheesesteak. and trust me, I have.

Everyone always says «GET THE STEAK GET THE STEAK».
Not to be mean against cheesesteaks, but no, you don’t want the steak.
Assuming you just started your drunken night, you want the baking sheet o’ fries with a side of whiz. Take one of these down into the bar with your drinking buddy to a table and you’ll make instant friends. I met numerous people over a lava hot baking sheet of them.
Towards the end of the night after you’re having trouble standing up straight and find women looking at you funny as you slur your speech, go back up and get exactly TWO Suzie Wongs. No more, no less. Wait for them to cool for a minute or two after getting them, then chow down on the first one.
Congratulations, you are now instantly sober enough to at least make it home! Chow down on the second one on the way home, and that grease and asian flavor will keep you going just long enough to hit a bed.
Never fails.

Ate here the other evening, it’s spring break so the town was dead at night.
Got the large cheesesteak WIT onions, sweet peppers and whiz.
It WAZ GUD!
no place to sit so I just ate it standing up
dude working there was cool too.
they have a lot of cool beers in the fridge though the prices seem slightly high but what do I know I’m from Florida.

Ernie’s is a very small cheesesteak counter /​bottle shop right above the infamous Phyrst bar.
They offer:
— cheesesteaks
— chicken wings
— suzie wong eggrolls
— fries
There’s a mini counter-​top for you to eat on, but I don’t think there are any stools. they don’t want drunk kids to hang around when the place is so small.
The steaks are good quality, and cooked fairly quickly (5−7min per steak). One steak with onions and whiz is a full meal for me. And I’m pretty sure it’s only $ 4 + taxes.
The fries are also a great deal. For $ 2 you get a full takeout box of fresh fries, definitely enough for at least 2 people. Tell the cook/​cashier to go easy on the salt… most of the time, they put WAY more than needed.
Finally, make sure to be ready to wait if you try to go there around closing time. This place gets packed… and they aren’t any faster.