Though I have been on the North Shore for roughly four months now, I am ashamed to say that it has taken me equally as long to try my first North Shore roast beef sandwich. And who would I be to try these famous sandwiches and not write about them?
Marblehead is home to two great roast beef sandwich shops in Mino’s and Village Roast Beef and Seafood. It was a messy, but tasty experience, and just like I expanded my palette, I expanded on each sandwich and broke down what I liked about each one.
Mino’s
As soon as I unwrapped the sandwich, I knew I was in for a burst of flavor. But more importantly, I knew I was in for a challenge. It was a true three-way roast beef sandwich, drenched in mayo and barbeque (which was totally fine because those just happen to be two of my favorite sauces) and was loaded up with melted cheese.
Despite the sandwich being smothered in sauce and cheese, I was impressed with the fact that I was still able to find the savory taste of the roast beef in almost every bite. Though I was very careful in keeping the sandwich intact, it was not as messy as I was expecting. The onion bun (literally and figuratively) held everything together, with its buttery taste that paired well with the flavor of the beef.
Village Roast Beef and Seafood
I said I was in for a challenge with the previously mentioned sandwich, but this one from Village was a true behemoth. This sandwich was dissimilar to Mino’s sandwich in almost every way that a roast beef sandwich can be, but it tasted just as good. There was still a large presence of barbeque sauce and mayonnaise, but this sandwich really wanted to let the roast beef do the talking. Because of its sheer size, this sandwich was definitely messier, but that made it all the more fun.