On Sunday night I met up with some friends for a late night dinner at The Abbaye in Northern Liberties.

It had been a long weekend, so we ordered a bottle of red zinfandel and relaxed a little bit.

We started with an appetizer of nachos with vegetarian chili ($10). The chips were fresh, there was plenty of cheese and the chili was really good. One friend complained of too much sour cream, but I thought it was the perfect amount.

We also ordered a side of mac and cheese ($3) to try, but it was pretty terrible. The elbow macaroni was extremely overcooked, and the cheese was grainy and bland.

We all ordered cheese steaks($8), two with real steak marinated in beer, the other with seitan. All of them came topped with grilled tomatoes, onions, Gruyere cheese and roasted garlic aioli. I really enjoyed my sandwich, you could taste the beer on the steak and the grilled tomatoes added a pleasant sweetness. The frites that accompanied my dinner were thin, crispy, and skin-on, all things I like. The pickle was also fresh, cold and garlicky. Not as excellent at the pickles served at the Bishop's Collar, but still good.

Overall, a good meal. The Abbaye is also open late Monday through Saturday, so it's a good place to hit if you're hungry at a later than normal hour for dinner. Just stay away from the mac and cheese.


The Abbaye
637 N. Third Street
Between Fairmount Ave & Green Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Phone: 215 627-6711
Hours:
Lunch
Mon-Sat: 11am-3pm
Sun: 11am-3pm
Dinner
Mon-Sat: 5pm-1am
Sun: 5pm-11pm