Hey Paison!

I really liked the spicy Philly cheesesteak sandwiches here. It was a nice little restaurant and it was sad to see them go, even though I had only eaten their food two or three times.
In my experience, the best places in Burien for Phillies nowadays are Elliot Bay Brewhouse and Jersey Mike’s.
You will be missed, Paison!

No big loss on the closing. Tats in Seattle is better. I live in Federal Way and tried this place three times. After that I kept going out of my way to Tats. Ya,… it’s that good.

They are officially closed, according to their FB page:
«Well Paisan’s,
This is the hardest post to put out. After 7 years of trying to make it work we just couldn’t do it. Hey Paison has shut its doors for good. It has been very emotional for me, I have made friends and met a lot of good people. I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support over the years. Even being voted The Best of Western Washington 2 years in a row, getting written up and being on tv just wasn’t enough to sustain us. This breaks my heart. I wish you all well and happiness

Thank You again
Ronnie»

Will forever be the best Philly Sandwhiches outside of Philly. Thanks Ronnie!
Just a heads up that this place is Closed as of April, 2013

Woohoo! As good as it gets!
This place FEELS like it is suppose to feel in a sub shop like this! The people are great as well.
It is going to cost you two to four dollars more than a chain of the same sandwich but you get SO MUCH MORE here in taste, amount and experience!
If you are in Burien and you want a Cannoli or a Cheesesteak sandwich COME HERE! :D

My husband and I went here the other day and ordered the Italian Stallion sandwich and the Hoagie. The hoagie was pretty good but the Italian Stallion was too oily. I should have just ordered the regular philly cheesesteak. If in the area I would go back just to try the original philly cheesesteak because that way I can fairly gauge the quality of food. :)
On the upside, the girl that was working was really nice and provided great service! :)

The Service is good & the atmosphere is good. That’s where the two stars come from.
On to the food. I’ve only had sandwiches here, but no matter the sandwich, the bread turns into mush. The ingredients are a little on the bland side and the bread collapses under the weight of the toppings.
Also this place is on the spendy side. I think I’ll save my east coast sandwich love for Tat’s and Calozzi’s

I had a cheese-​steak, and food poisoning.
I had read all your lovely reviews and lived down the street from this place for over five years but had never gone in. Now I’m sad I did, I’ve spent the last 12 hours in the bathroom. My companion had the meatball sub, she said it tasted ‘fine’.

As an individual who spent 48 hours in Philadelphia and has experienced East Coast Cheese-​steaks, I feel like an expert in this arena… so let’s get ready to rumble.
Hey Paison… I think you misspelled your restaurant’s name — it should have been named «Hey Poison!» I was truly excited, I was stoked for my (overpriced) Mushroom Cheese Steak, but in the end, the only thing that was more sorry than me was the men’s restroom at my workplace.
First of all, the bread was soggy. I’m sure the restaurant was aiming for adjectives like «flavorful» and «juicy» but overall, it was just too much wetness and made the bread lackluster.
The «sirloin tip» was questionable at best. There were multiple bites that had a rubbery consistency and a couple of bites where the meat was just rock solid — meaning that I could not even chew it.
I was able to finish about half of the sandwich and 30 minutes later I was locked in the bathroom playing Words With Friends and regretting my lunch decision. Not sure what happened with my meal — I was expecting so much more from this 4.5 star place. Oh well, you win some, and you poop some.

For years I have searched for East Coast sandwiches in the Seattle area — subs, cheesesteaks, etc. to no avail. Sandwiches in Seattle are like sports teams in Seattle — the ingredients all try to stand out on their own and fail to meld into a cohesive unit.
Finally I found Hey Paison in Burien. They make true Philly cheesesteaks (choice of provolone or Cheese Whiz), dripping with meat, peppers and all kinds of goodness. Not only is it one of the best cheesesteaks I’ve ever had, they also make an impeccable meatball sandwich — veal, pork and beef meatballs drenched in tomato gravy.
Staff are friendly, the owner is usually on the grill and you can tell he loves what he does. The place is decorated in Rat Pack memorabilia, with Sinatra and Dean Martin dominating. It’s homey, comfortable and the sandwiches are everything you could want if you’re looking for a taste of Philly on the West Coast.

Ever had crack? Me neither, but based on my taste buds I just ate it.
I worked backwards, because anyone claiming *actual* NY Cheesecake — you know, the kind that dents your fork when you try to it eat because it’s so dense — you have to start here to ensure you have room left. I stuck my fork in it, and surprisingly it didn’t bend the tines, but damn close I tell you. It was indeed good, however I would recommend a flavored one, as the plain, although tasty, was a bit much without a second flavor (like strawberry). This is still a recommended go!
Next, I had the potato salad, as it was homemade. Done very well, with visible chunks of baby red potatoes, and a well done effort indeed.
Finally, the main course — a mushroom steak with cheese wiz. I gotta say — you guys win. They make their own bread fresh daily, and it’s shaped like a pointy sub — perfect for holding in the cheese as you consume this awesome. Also, everyone else at the table was swooning and groaning in ecstacy — a clear sign of a) enjoyment, or b) a roman orgy.
Eat. Here. Now.

My friend talked about this place for a long time and I finally got my chance to try Hey Paison!‘s Philly Cheesesteak! I tried mushroom one and it was not bad at all! Prices were reasonable for a delicious sandwich with juicy meat and mushroom covered with melted cheese. Man, I’m salivating from just describing it.
I was surprised to find such a great sandwich place in downtown Burien and will try go back and taste other sandwiches when I’m in town.

Me and my boyfriend really were in the mood for Wonton Soup but decided to go to this place that we saw on Check Please. The restaurant is right in the middle of the block and unless you know about the place or can hear the music playing you might drive right past it. There are about 8 tables so seating is pretty small. I gave my order while placing my purse at one of the tables before someone else grabbed it.
The walls are filled with pictures of the Rat Pack and old Sinatra flair while the music playing. Very homey and invitiing. After about 5 minutes I choose the Goombra, (meatball sandwich with provolone and mozzarella cheese) and my boyfriend got the hot pastrami sandwich after changing his mind from a cheesesteak. I also got a small pasta salad for me and him to share. I didn’t hang around for the total because remember my purse was holding a table.
My boyfriends pastrami sandwich came out first. For me, it tasted just ok. He felt it was salty and just ok as well. My meatball came out and I did like it but didn’t love it. I should have only gotten the provolone because it was way too cheese for my taste. My boyfriend thought it was great and flavorable.
Overall, we will go back for the cheesesteaks and hopefully I can give them a better review.

I would give this place 4.5 stars if that was available. The only reason I’d take off half a star is because it is rather pricey.
The great things about this hole in the wall, mom-​and-​pop shop:
1. location: it’s in the old downtown of Burien. I have this thing about downtowns. Quaint and adorable.
2. friendly staff: the Italian-​American lady (she looks like she could be a part of the cast on Jersey Shore if they had any class) yells out, «Hey, Paison! What would you like today?» to every customer with warmth and delight. It’s adorable.
3. the ambience: this is a personal preference thing, but I absolutely love little mom and pop places that have a certain style. This one, true to its name, has an old school Italian-​American entertainment décor. Autographed pictures of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra everywhere; even a picture of Frank Sinatra’s mug shot (the dude was a hood when he was young) on the wall. A gold record autographed by Blue Eyes himself, etc. Super fun to look around as you wait for your food.
4. THE FOOD: seriously the BEST Italian cold-​cut I’ve ever had. Made with mortadell, salami, hot capicola, sopressata, provolone, marinated tomatoes, roasted peppers, and the bunch of seasons and such… OMG, even though it’s almost $ 9 with tax, it was worth every cent. If you’re a big eater, I highly recommend you double the meat for $ 12.90 without tax. I actually think it would be worth it.
Potential mishaps:
1. The place is small. I would NOT bring more than 3 other people here. We went during lunch hour, and since everything is made to order, the line got a little longer. We were lucky — we got there before the bigger crowd. And good luck seating a group more than 4 — they don’t have a table bigger than that!
2. Parking CAN become an issue when the weekend comes, or if this place gets any more popular. But so far, it’s not bad.
Overall, I absolutely adore this place and I will definitely make the hour trip to go get it when I’m in Washington next summer. The elderly gentleman who owns the joint sat outside like Al Paccino at the end of The Godfather III, except looking a lot more chipper in his yellow long-​sleeved polo. He told us to come back and I told him we will and that as particular as I am about my sandwich, «You have a fine establishment here, sir.»
He gave me a small little smile; I figured he thought it funny a little Asian-​American woman would tell him how much she appreciated a good hoagie. =)
Recommendations:
1. If you are going with someone, I highly suggest you get two DIFFERENT sandwiches and split them. We did that with the Italian hoagie and the mushroom cheese Philly steak, and I’m so glad we did. One cold, one hot, and both delicious!
2. Go in an off-​hour (like 11 AM or 1 PM, but not 12 PM).
3. Try the cannoli! For $ 3.50, it was a tasty treat and a nice way to finish the meal. I shared one with my husband and it was just perfect.

Go on Saturday. …they have a porkette sandwich. It will melt in your mouth. The meat just falls apart and is super juicy, but it’s only saturday.
The phily cheese sandwiches are ok, but I’ honestly have had lots of better ones, I think the problem is just that he over chops the meat, which makes the sandwich feel not as meaty.
The meatball sandwich is pretty awesome, I tend to not like meatball sandwiches all that much because I think they’re boring, but he makes the meatballs out of pork, beef, and venison, which makes for a pretty awesome meatball.
I would give 5 starts if it wasn’t so pricey. It’s about 8 – 10 per person…, but if you want something good… it’s definitely a place to try out.

Downtown Burien is one of those areas that all grew up in one burst of construction, block after block, with business after business shouldered together under one roof, Main-​Street-​USA-​style. There’s that angle-​in parking, and a general sense of Eisenhower-​era aesthetic preserved in motion. Hey Paison (is that actually how that’s spelled? Isn’t it a-​n? No matter.) is right in the heart of this good old business district, with tons of latin restaurants blowing up around the corner on Ambaum.
What this place has to offer is a solid wave in the direction of a neighborhood italian sandwich shop from the east coast, well befitting the 50s Americana exterior. Everywhere you look on the wall, there are framed album covers of records by Sinatra and Dino. There are tons of pictures of Frank and Dino, too – and a lot of them are really, really cool. But, still, even with Old Blue Eyes blasting on the hi-​fi, it still doesn’t exactly feel like a neighborhood Italian joint back east, but they’re trying so hard that you just go with it. They even say «hey, paisan!» to everyone coming in. There’s a big menu on the wall, with smaller laminated copies here and there. Order at the counter, next to the drinks cooler.
What you’ll get will be a straightforward hot sandwich. I had the meatballs with provolone and mozz. The meatballs are fresh and juicy with deep explosive flavor, with a savory brown gravy everywhere. The cheese melts completely before it gets to the table, which means it melts completely in a couple minutes. This is a fair approximation of home style cooking – they’re keeping stuff hot all day. The bread stands up to the mess; it’s not turning into mush by the end, and you’re not losing bits of sandwich on your shirt or the table.
All this is delicious, and could easily get to be addictive if it were nearby. It would easily merit five stars if the value were a bit better – for a sandwich with no garnish or sides, along with a can of pop, was over $ 12. Not a ripoff by any means, and maybe not even all that high a price for such a good hot sandwich served so quickly. But a little tweak to the pricing would take this place out of the realm of great places and into the realm of no-​brainer places.

I finally ate here today, and I am so satisfied! I got the Philly Cheese steak wid onions, mushrooms and American cheese. Meaty, cheesy flavorful yum! I ate the whole thing, even though I am 8 ½ months pregnant and my stomach is squished.
My boyfriend had the Sage, a Cheese steak with spicy hot pepper cheese, hot peppers and hot sauce. He said it was delicious and actually spicy. He loved it!
I also grabbed a giant pickle to try, and it was crunchy and refreshing, went great in between bites of sandwich.
We called the order in, and picked it up 20 min later. Also got a cream soda and black cherry soda, went great with the meal.
Loved it, and we will be back again!
I plan to try the meatball sub next time!

It has been a long time since I have had a Philly cheesesteak. Nor have I actually visited Philly. Technically I onced had an airport transfer there, but that does not really count.
I did have some memorable made to order cheesesteaks during my short undergraduate stint at Penn State in Central Pennsylvania. Not a whole lot of those years really stick with me, but the memory of beef, green peppers and mushrooms on the grill on top of a hoagie roll melted with cheese did. They were so good and it was dormitory food!
I was headed to Burien to pick up some baked goods, when I recalled reading about Hey Paison! and their cheesesteaks on Unilocal.Since the shop I was visiting was just 2 blocks away from here, I thought it fitting to take a trip down memory lane.
Hey Paison! is a small little place with a handful of tables. The walls are decorated with entertainment memorabilia of the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc. The menu consists of mostly Italian sandwiches. In addition to cheesesteaks, you will find meatball, eggplant parmesan and pastrami sandwiches to name a few menu items.
I wanted to try a cheesesteak as close to the ones I had in PA, so I got the mushroom provolone cheesesteak with onions ($ 8.75). The size of the sandwich is quite large. If you are not that hungry, you could probably eat half of one and leave the other half for another day.
Upon taking a bite of the sandwich, I waxed nostalgic. Totally legit. The sandwich is really meaty, in a good way. The cheese is melted into the roll which is how I like it. The mushrooms and onions are mixed with the beef and helps to accentuate the flavor even more.
For some reason, most of the cheesesteak shops are clumped together in Seattle. So if you live in the south end, Hey Paison! is probably your best bet to get the real thing unless you want to drive down to Tacoma.
I don’t know how the cheesesteaks here compare to Tat’s or Calozzi’s (yet), but I do know now that I have at least one good place to go when I want to reminisce while eating a Philly cheesesteak.

Wow!
Let me repeat… WOW!
I have lived in Burien for almost two years now and am just getting around to trying all the local haunts. Goodness Gracious Me is this place fantastic!
I put in a phone order for their Mamaoch sandwhich which was waiting for me, wrapped up tight in plain white paper. I was greated warmly with a smile, handed my sandwhich, (I paid handsomely for it too… that is my only issue with the place, the $$$) and sent on my way. It was great service!
I wish I had stayed to experience the atmosphere… or some of that decadent looking potato salad but there will be a next time!

I’m glad I found out about this place (thanks to Vino Bello). This Italian sandwich joint has got it down. Super tasty hoagies and cheesesteaks with plenty of sides and desserts to round out your meal.
The Goomba meatball (veal, pork and beef!) hoagie was delicious and my girlfriend really liked her Philly cheesesteak. However, she was disappointed that they did not have lettuce and black olives to put in her sandwich. But all in all she thought is was really tasty and was happy with their bun choice.
I also had a fresh-​piped chocolate cannoli and I was blown away, so good.
I’m going back!!!