Only In MA: Why Is The State Obsessed With Roast Beef Sandwiches? Or, more to the point, why is the North Shore obsessed with roast beef sandwiches?

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[mylife]

When People said Nick's Famous Roast Beef in Beverly had the best roast beef sandwich in the state, the Internet chimed in. Nick's, critics argued in more colorful language than I'm allowed to use here, didn't even serve its "super" on an onion bun, and its three-way was missing the mayo that is standard on the most common order of the sandwich.

Origin Story: According to legend, a couple from Revere called off their wedding at the very last minute. We don't know the name of the bride and groom, which of them got cold feet or why. What we do know is that the Carey family, who owned a function hall in Revere, was stuck with a giant roast beef that was to have been served at the reception. Not wanting the beef to go to waste, the roast was given to their son, Ray, who had just opened a hot dog stand with his friend Frank McCarthy on Revere Beach.

The two men sliced the roast beef as thinly as possible, stacked it high on hamburger buns and started a craze that has been ongoing for the past 70 years.

Within a decade, Kelly's had changed its name to Kelly's Roast Beef and dozens of imitators had popped up all along the North Shore, in the Merrimack Valley and across southern New Hampshire. Some people —most notably Arby's, which admits to modeling its sandwich after Kelly's —tried to expand the concept regionally and nationally.

But most of the chains failed when they couldn't find a foothold outside the North Shore. And, with apologies to Arby's, the only versions of the sandwich worth eating are those made by the small, family-owned shops in northeastern Massachusetts.

[mylife]

onion roll and horseradish sauce

Hell to the yeah!

[IndispensableDestiny]

Pit Beef in Maryland. I like it rare with bbq sauce and some horseradish. Chap’s Pit Beef is good. The original is at 5801 Pulaski Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21205.

[raccoonradio]

Oops! Yes I meant Rusty Can. Not sure if
meat is smoked. The roast beef 3 way
was billed as prime rib roast beef or
something

[raccoonradio]

And as the guy at the Bill and
Bob’s roast beef drive thru will
repeat your order back to you,
that’s a soopah beef, cheese,
lettuce, tomato, mayo...
For some reason they have had
soda only, no thick shakes

[daniel1212]

"I grew up close to Revere Beach. All through my childhood, we would occasionally drive past Kelly’s Roast Beef. Insane lines every single time. I never ate there. My family never tried to eat there. It seemed like waiting in a line at Disney World — for what? A roast beef sandwich? People are stupid."

Actually I think they served more than that, as they did in the 80's, and had/have the prime spot and little in way of close competition.