In Short: If you have a hankering for a damn good sandwich usually filled with lashings of meat, you must try Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches in Parramatta Square. We tried both the Philly Cheesesteak and Beef Dip and fell instantly in love! With old school cream soda, and house made ice cream sandwiches you’re in for a good feed!
I write this blog post sitting at home, as here in Sydney we are in lockdown and the only thing to do is think back to our most recent meals and write about those experiences. We took a nostalgic trip to Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches to try their delicious sandwiches. Nostalgic, as Harvey’s revives the old milk bar concept in 21st century trappings. Located underground and adjacent to the ticket gantries of Parramatta Station, it is sparkling new, yet the banquettes and plush leather chairs with gleaming chrome treatment, really gives a nod to east coast America of 40 years ago.
Think Harlem or Manhattan! While I waited for my Philly cheesesteak, I really enjoyed perusing the photos of Sydney from the 50s, 60s and 70s and the milk bars and old cafes that once dotted streets all over Sydney. There is also a walk down memory lane with pictures of Parramatta as it grew up to be Sydney’s second biggest city.
When our order number is called through the microphone, we are presented with a tray of the sandwiches wrapped in their Harvey’s printed paper. I had eyes only for the Philly Cheesesteak. It’s a colourful sandwich with the shavings of the scotch fillet steak accompanied by Provolone cheese, grilled onions and hot sauce. I loved the balance of the steak and the cheese. I find quite often, one can be overcome by the mounds of melted cheese (great for cheese lovers) yet, here at Harvey’s it’s the flavour of the steak that is prominent with a soft, mild flavour of provolone coming through. A nice touch for me, is the hot sauce which delivers a spicy kick!
For Mavis, this is definitely a nostalgic foodie adventure as it brings back memories from her holiday travels when she studied at college in the U.S. She opted for the Beef Drip. It’s a novel sandwich as it is presented in two parts. The sandwich and a tub of gravy. Grilled beef is mated with a horseradish sauce, grilled onions and of course melted Provolone cheese. Grilled beef was superbly tender, packed with beefy flavours and the grilled caramelised onions cutting through the richness of the beef. Dipping the sandwich into the gravy does two things. Firstly, it softens the already deliciously pliable sub type bun and secondly it delivers bags of beef flavour. It really is beef squared with this hot sandwich and really took Mavis back to the delis of New York.
Our final sandwich was one we shared and it was a Cookie Cream Sandwich with milk chocolate ice cream, pecan and Gaytime crunch. It was sensational. I loved how the crumble held the ice cream together. Nutty flavours of pecan mixed with Harvey’s house made ice cream was just the perfect pairing. It stayed together for the 15 minutes we spent slowly chipping away the sandwich blocks.
Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches delivers a ton of flavour with the sandwiches we sampled. There is a menu of 10 hot sandwiches to choose from. If you are an early riser, there are 3 breakfast rolls you can sample until 12pm. A great spot that is just metres from the station makes it easy to just jump on a train to Parra. I can vouch these are some of the best sandwiches you will find in the city and with a list of 10, Harvey’s will have you coming back to try their other offerings, we definitely will!
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