Liscio’s Bakery, Cooper cheese, Dietz & Watson and Thumman’s deli meats, Bassetts ice cream, Via Veneto “water ice” and Victory craft beer — if those names give you the warm fuzzies and make your mouth water, chances are you’re from Philadelphia or spent some time there.
Philly transplants no longer need to pine for the flavors of the City of Brotherly Love and the greater Delaware Valley. Nicky’s Undefeated can be their home away from home.
This fast-casual sandwich shop is the latest project from restaurateur Michael Lo (Ramen Station, Salaryman and Suzy Siu’s Baos), who has teamed up with friend and former co-worker Walt Gebelein to create a dining destination in downtown Tucker that caters to folks who share their hometown ties.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“Yo, Philly’s in the house!” shouts a worker at the order counter when a patron mentions their roots in that area of the Northeast. Ding goes the bell and a chorus of other staffers chime back in unison — the Philly version of the “irasshaimase” welcome at Japanese restaurants.
Philly natives need no introduction to Nicky’s lineup of Italian American comfort foods, but the menu, with its suggestions and descriptions, makes it easy for the rest of us to navigate the selection of cheesesteaks, hoagies and fried chicken cutlet sandwiches.
Cheesesteaks, available as 6-inch or foot-long sandwiches, are build-your-own and feature thinly sliced beef, chopped chicken or Impossible plant-based meat substitute as protein options. You can opt in or out of fried, diced sweet onions and decide the type of cheese, roll and add-ons, such as hot cherry peppers, pickled jalapeños and Italian long hots.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
When in doubt, order the Founders Special. It was a stellar combination of juicy, not overly chopped, griddled rib-eye, fried sweet onions and melted sharp white cheese, piled on a seeded roll with a firm crust and tender interior. The quality of these Philly-sourced ingredients shone in this greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts sandwich.
I tried other variations — beef, onions and provolone on an unseeded roll; and Impossible meat with onions and vegan cheese on gluten-free bread — but neither surpassed the perfection of the Founders.
There was an easy winner among hoagies, too: the Italian. It was crammed with deli meats and cheese, plus it was made the “Philly Philly” way, adding shredded lettuce, tomatoes and onions along with salt, pepper, oregano, oil and red wine vinegar. It was an artful sandwich that delivered all the flavors in each bite.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
On the other hand, the cooked vegetables in the veggie hoagie — a combination of broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers and provolone — made the sandwich a soggy mess, and the densely packed rapini was supercharged with salt.
A sandwich that was a lovely mess, however, was the Rocky Balboa. One of four fried chicken cutlet handhelds on the menu, it featured pounded, breaded, fried chicken Parmesan with melted mozzarella and marinara sauce. In contrast, the Nick Foles, which paired the cutlet with broccoli rabe, provolone and roasted red pepper, was overpowered by the sweet tang of balsamic vinegar.
“It’s a different kind of chicken sandwich,” Lo said in a phone interview. “We’re trying to make cutlet a thing. The word ‘cutlet’ is not in the Southern vernacular.”
That’s the beauty of having a place like Nicky’s Undefeated in metro Atlanta. It isn’t just a gathering place for Lo’s “displaced transplants” who want to feed their gastronomic and sports souls. It’s also a place for the rest of us to get acquainted with the culinary equivalent of the Phillie Phanatic.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
NICKY’S UNDEFEATED
2 out of 4 stars (very good)
Food: Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks, hoagies, fried chicken cutlet sandwiches, Italian American comfort foods from the Delaware Valley
Service: speedy counter ordering and table running; friendly staff
Noise level: low
Recommended dishes: beef cheesesteak (especially Founders Special), Italian hoagie, Rocky Balboa fried chicken cutlet sandwich, mozzarella squares, crinkle-cut fries (with “crab” and whiz sauce), steak salad, Italian white bean salad, water (Italian) ice
Vegetarian dishes: Impossible cheesesteak with vegan cheese, veggie hoagie, crinkle-cut fries (sauces vary), pasta salad, Italian bean salad, cheese pizza, soft pretzel bites, mozzarella squares, water ice, ice cream
Alcohol: full bar; specialty cocktails are spins on Italian classics; boozy slushies feature water ice; craft beer selection includes Pennsylvania brews
Price range: $25-$40 per person, excluding drinks, tax and tip
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Accessibility: ADA-compliant (ramp near entrance)
Parking: free on street
Nearest MARTA station: none
Reservations: no
Outdoor dining: no
Takeout: online ordering and delivery via website
Address, phone: 2316 Main St., Tucker. 404-736-1407
Website: nickysundefeated.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
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