These chains serve hot roast beef sandwiches with tender meat and rich gravy.
Anyone who has watched The Bear knows that hot roast beef sandwiches can be a culinary masterpiece. The deli-style sandwich, recently popularized by the hit FX show, doesn’t seem very complicated, but is actually quite difficult to perfect. After all, you need tender, tasty, perfectly cooked roast beef, a freshly baked, soft-on-the-inside, flaky-on-the-outside roll, and a savory gravy. Where can you get the piping-hot version? Here are 5 chain restaurants serving the best deli-style hot roast beef and gravy sandwiches.
Portillo’s Italian Beef
Portillo’s Italian Beef sandwiches are a Midwestern treat. “I had Portillos when traveling for work. I ended up getting it 3 more times in like a 3 day trip. I’m so upset my state doesn’t have it. The Italian beef is a true wonder,” one Redditor said. “I always get mine double hot and dipped. It’s a f***ing mess, but absolutely delicious,” another added.
Lion’s Choice King Meal
Lion’s Choice, a St. Louis favorite, is a regional great. The small chain is known for fresh-sliced, high-quality roast beef and is considered a top-tier experience.
Roy Rogers Roast Beef
Roy Rogers is serious about classic roast beef sandwiches. It starts with “slow-roasted, top (inside) round USDA Choice beef sliced to order, drizzled with au jus and served on a buttery Kaiser roll,” the chain says. “Roy Rogers does make a pretty decent roast beef sandwich for a fast food chain,” writes Facebook group Jersey Sandwich Joints. “It’s all about the FIXEN bar!” a Redditor says.
Arby’s French Dip & Swiss
The French Dip at Arby’s is your best fast food option for a roast beef sandwich. Chris Shott, our reviewer, writes that the chain’s Classic French Dip & Swiss, served on a sub roll with a cup of au jus, is “surprisingly tantalizing.” “The sandwich looked freshly made and piping hot, oozing with melty white cheese and piled high with thinly sliced meat. The accompanying jus appeared rich and dark in its pearly white cup,” he says. And the taste? “Deliciously light. The razor-thin roast beef was meltingly tender, practically dissolving on the tongue with a consistently savory and not-too-salty flavor. The molten Swiss added some mild tang, and the robust jus only upped the richness factor, while the warm roll was virtually cloud-like in its softness.”
Hillstone and Houston’s French Dip
Hillstone and Houston’s have been serving the most delicious French Dip for decades, made with super-tender roast beef on a soft, warm bun with the most delicious horseradish sauce and au jus I’ve ever had. It is a must-order, even for someone like me who rarely craves a steak sandwich. It is delicious with the chain’s trademark shoestring fries. According to a former employee, “this sandwich is cut to order from their prime rib on bread that is made in house each morning.” Others agree with my opinion. “Hillstones is the answer by a mile,” a diner writes.
Leah Groth