Sign up for The Dish
Stay up to date on the latest food and drink news from Boston.com.
Where do you go for the best roast beef sandwich?
If you prefer your roast beef the North Shore way, at a place in Greater Boston, or even with controversial toppings, we want to hear from you.
Bay Staters have their pick of delicious regional foods — fried clams and buttery lobster rolls, to name a few — but no food arguably sees the kind of passion (or obsession) that the roast beef sandwich receives.
Its origin, claimed by Kelly’s Roast Beef, dates back to the 50s. Another roast beef landmark, Bill and Bob’s Roast Beef, was the first to use James River barbecue sauce as a topping, which is now almost as ubiquitous on the sandwich as the roast beef itself.
Most shops do — and must — serve the traditional North Shore “three-way” roast beef sandwich, made with James River barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, cheese, and of course, thinly sliced rare beef. The order of these toppings and the ratio of sauce matters as well.
Advertisement:
The North Shore roast beef sandwich is the only way you’ll find it at The Modern Butcher, a favorite among the 36,000 members of the influential and unfiltered Facebook group North Shore Beefs. The whole animal butcher shop only serves the sandwich on Saturdays, and there is almost always a line outside their door.
Most roast beef shops, like Billy’s Famous Roast Beef, offer three sizes, the biggest being the Super Beef that typically comes on an onion roll. Though the star of the menu is the roast beef sandwich, these shops also often serve chicken finger dinners and seafood platters.
Advertisement:
The North Shore roast beef may be the tried and true way to its fans, but it doesn’t mean it’s the only way the sandwich is made in the region. The popular Jamie’s Roast Beef shop serves a traditional “three-way” sandwich as well as roast beef sandwiches with other toppings, like garlic aioli made in-house and onion rings.
Meanwhile Cutty’s in Brookline ditches the “three-way” sandwich ingredients for a roast beef sandwich in Thousand Island dressing and shallots.
As the name of the sandwich would suggest, the North Shore is dotted with roast beef eateries, and many of the greats come from there. But cross that unofficial boundary line of the North Shore, and you’ll also find favorites like Skampa in Cambridge and Hot Box in Somerville.
With that in mind, we’re inviting the North Shore roast beef purists and those with controversial takes alike to share with us their favorite roast beef sandwich restaurant, and why.
Is it that they stick to the North Shore “three-way” style of the sandwich? Is the James River barbecue sauce to mayonnaise ratio just right? Do you prefer your favorite shop’s creative toppings? Is it found on the South Shore?
Advertisement:
Tell us what makes theirs so special, the quality of the beef, what the bread is like, and the toppings. Share with us in the survey below, or e-mail us at [email protected]. We may feature your response in a future article or on our social media channels.
Sorry. This form is no longer available.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address