fette sau

ordered their smoked and brine turkey for thanksgiving and thought we would do a dry run and check out their food. found it no problem and love the cool vibe and great atmosphere. staff behind the counter were very helpful and friendly as it was our first time and not sure how much food to get for four (they sell most meats by the pound and sides and such separate) the pork belly was outstanding, the brisket juicy and flavorful, the sausage juicy and deviled eggs were smoky and delicious. all this was only about $60, which is what one would pay at famous dave's and other spots but so much better!! do not miss the mac and cheese! they have a great happy hour too!

so for lunch or dinner or just some good grub, the fette sau is not to be missed. please open one up in l.a. soon!!!

great atmosphere, great bar, and even better food. i'm so glad they brought this place to philly. i used to frequent the brooklyn location when i lived there. their happy hour is a steal on both food and drinks. the pulled pork is always a sure go to.

fette sau blends in well with the northern liberties neighborhood. it’s facade includes distressed wood on the outside with exposed bricks. fette sau inspite of being one of stephen starr’s restaurants come across as approachable to people living in the area which is full of dive bars. don’t be fooled by the paper towel rolls serving as napkins or the farm tables of distressed wood. it’s still a high-end operation with the state of the art point of sale system. meat is ordered by the pound. a quarter pound is a good 1 serving.

yum! great happy hour ($5 old fashioneds) and awesome food. i've never seen it *too* packed, so i've never had to wait long for my food. this is a great spot for a chill summer dinner.

is there a cuisine that restaurateur stephen starr hasn't taken on? from cuban to comfort food, from steak to seafood , the one-time philly concert promoter has developed a trendy-restaurant portfolio that spans four states and the district of columbia. one of his newest eateries, fishtown's  fette sau  (1208 frankford ave., 215-391-4888), is a bbq concept imported from new york city . fette sau - german for "fat pig" - is a collaboration between starr and joe carroll, who opened the original restaurant in the williamsburg section of brooklyn in 2007. like its northern sister, the philly outpost has a communal vibe, with a wide bar and picnic tables. the exposed ceiling beams and unfinished walls give the interior a warehouse-like look. my wife and i approached the counter with trepidation, since the smoked meats are sold by the pound rather than a set amount per order. we ended up sharing a few proteins: half a rack of st. louis-style duroc pork ribs, a serving of berkshire pulled po

great bbq/atmosphere. the bbq was great at fette sau. i went with a group of friends and shared 1lb of brisket, 1lb of pulled pork, a large potato salad, and a large baked beans. all told it was very affordable, coming out to approximately $10 per person when all was said and done. since you can order by the pound (or increments of a pound) it is very customizable. this isn't your run of the mill bbq. expect to get some legit smoked meats at this place that are utterly delicious with a choice of vinegar, spicy, and sweet sauces at the table. all of our food was hot and flavorful. i liked the potato salad as it was more of a german style with a vinegar/mustard marinade instead of mayonnaise. we always pass this place on our way to frankford hall (also a must go if you're in the area) and was very happy we stopped in. come with friends and share some food or come by yourself and enjoy a great meal. there's also a great selection of whiskey and bourbon at the bar.

nothing else like. nothing compares. incredible.

worst bbq ever. food was cold and no taste. baked beans were disgusting & had a bay leaf in it.

the wait is so long you can't even stand it any longer, there's no meat available so we have to wait in a 30 person line just so the first person can start ordering? so we need to stand here for the next 15 minutes just until the line can start moving again. plus people keep jumping in line so staff helps those people reserve tables instead of doing anything about it. zero stars wow i'm still here and about to leave...

lots of fun.... this is an awesome space for groups and the bbq is some of the best i've tasted in philly. they provide sauce for you, but trust them when they tell you that the food doesn't need it.

we tried *almost* every meat on the menu, and everything was warm, smoky, moist, and full of good flavor. the prices are a little higher than you might find elsewhere, but it's because the meat is quality and local (you're not getting ribs or brisket from some anonymous farmer through sysco).

i've noticed some of the other negative reviews and what i would say to alleviate their concerns is this:
1. bbq is more fun with friends, don't go it alone.
2. folks who work there are walking around to clean up after you (i felt a little self conscious at first, but i never really felt pressured - we were there with 9 adults and nine kids (3 and under).
3. per number 1, share with your friends.

there are a lot of restaurants who try to do the "family thang" in philly, but this one really succeeds a lot better than most. if, for nothing else, i think it's because you have access to the plates and cutlery yourself. my wife often feels stressed out when we go somewhere with our toddler, but she said she felt pretty at ease here - and the folks who work and patronize the place seemed at ease too. i also appreciate that beers are sold by the 1/2 pint for dd's or for folks (like me) who like to drink lots of different beers.

if there's any downside, it might be some of the sides. i wasn't big on the baked beans, though i never am. i liked the potato salad fine. i thought the slaw was pretty tasty.

all to say, i can't wait to go back. i had leftovers for lunch and the smoky goodness is still tasty.

not worth the price. although the meat was decent i don't anticipate eating here again. everything is sold by weight and 1 piece of brisket and 4 ribs wound up costing me over $30. after adding pickles and two drinks to my night i spent $50 just on myself. i enjoy the atmosphere and the beer list is decent so i would possibly go back there for drinks if meeting friends out but i won't make this an intentional destination again.

still working out the kinks.... went there last friday night around 7pm. the pulled pork and sausage were excellent. the beef brisket was fatty. i mean really fatty. so, we ordered more pork. the sides were good, not great. the sauces were really good. the space takes me back to texas... they have really captured a laid back almost "austin" feel... here is the frustrating part... as folks started lining up outside the door, these two "manager types" started swarming the floor looking for open tables. there were none. so they hovered. and swarmed. and hovered some more... if they want folks to sit back, relax and enjoy whiskey and bbq, they need to keep those manager bees off the floor and back in the kitchen cutting the fat off the brisket...

my husband i were excited to try this bbq joint on its opening weekend. we tried bubbas (which opened the same weekend) on friday night- since fette sau had a line out the door, and headed over to fette sau on saturday night. my first impression of fette sau was that the ambiance was awesome. the place really embodies an old school vintage bbq place with a hipster twist. loved the mason jars for beer, growlers for pitchers, chalk boards, dim lighting and family style seating. i had high hopes for the food itself. he bbq looked amazing as it was being sliced off and weighed to be placed onto your platter. the baked beans were overflowing from the container in which they were placed. the staff was ultra friendly and my husband and i truly felt we were in for a treat. after we found seating in the indoor section of the restaurant and began to dig in, we weren't as impressed. the meat (pork belly, ribs, pulled pork) was cold- not even luke warm. the pulled pork lacked flavor and was dry. the ribs were flavorful but again, cold. the beans, although the only 'hot' item, lacked flavor and were hard like they weren't cooked long enough. the potato salad remained virtually untouched by the end of the meal, it was o.k. at best. in a positive note the beer was great. not sure we will eat here again unless its at the beginning of the evening when the meat is fresh off the grill and not cold. will definitely stop in for a drink- or just go to frankfurt hall, loved the atmosphere. there are better places to get good bbq.