Cheesesteak News
Diner dishing out Philly cheesesteaks debuts in north Fort Worth
Philly Dave's cheesesteak with a side of onion rings.
A new restaurant slinging Philly cheesesteaks has debuted in north Fort Worth: Called Philly Dave’s, it’s now open at 5500 N. Tarrant Pkwy., in the former Stevie’s Diner space, which sadly closed in April after 13 years.
Philly Dave’s is from a Philly cheesesteak veteran: David McCurtain, who previously owned The Burger & Philly Shack in Watauga, which he opened in 2009 with his wife, Charlotte.
McCurtain, who is in his 70s, sold his old restaurant in 2022, with every intention of retiring -- but found that he missed the energy of owning and running a restaurant.
"I tried it, it was good for a while, but I can't just sit at home," he says. "I had to find something else to do, according to my wife."
That meant returning to what he knew best, and when the Stevie's space came open, he dove in with a concept similar to what he'd done at the still-popular Burger & Philly Shack, with cheesesteaks, burgers, breakfast, and wings.
Philly cheesesteaks are the signature, and come in regular or half sizes, served on Amoroso's rolls — the famous brand name used (and manufactured) in Philadelphia, which McCurtain imports to make his sandwiches authentic.
He uses shaved ribeye, which you can get with onions, mushrooms, pickled banana peppers, provolone, or melted yellow cheese whiz.
But there are also gyro sandwiches and half a dozen Angus beef burgers, priced from $14-$16, including a Philly burger — topped with everything you'd get in a Philly cheesesteak.
Fried sides include French fries, plain or topped with chili and cheese, plus sweet potato fries and battered onion rings. Breakfast includes eggs, pancakes, biscuits, omelets, Belgian waffles, oatmeal, and French toast, all priced from $10-$14.
It's a small operation, but they make nearly everything in-house.
"We also do fried catfish — all of it is house-made," McCurtain says. "All of our hamburgers fresh and handmade, and we make our sauces in-house."
The place feels a little like a diner, although there is no table service — you order at the counter from a menu board overhead. The dining room, still new, boasts Texas touches such as corrugated tin, a wrought-iron sculpture of the state of Texas and horseshoes, and an image of the Texas flag, executed in weathered wood.
Though it might sound strange, McCurtain, a lifelong Fort Worth resident, has never even set foot in Philadelphia, the birthplace of Philly cheesesteaks.
“I don't like traveling to begin with — I'm a hands-on owner, I'm up here 15 hours a day," he says. "I think I saw one on TV years ago and said, 'That looks like a good sandwich.' And yet I have a lot of customers that lived in Philadelphia or been there, and they're repeat customers."
