Roseanne's favorite sandwich is a local favorite in a lotta places
By Paula Forbes Updated March 26, 2018
loose meat sandwich
Credit: Photo by bhofack2 via Getty Images
Loose meat sandwiches. The name, unlike the actual sandwich, is not especially appetizing.
Unless you’re from a certain part of the country, you’ve probably only heard of loose meat sandwiches from the TV show Roseanne. The Conner family operated The Lanford Lunchbox starting in the show’s fifth season, and the Lunchbox specialized in loose meat sandwiches.
If you are from the loose meat part of the country—Iowa and Western Illinois—you probably don’t call them loose meat sandwiches. You call them Maid-Rites, after the ubiquitous Maid-Rite chain of restaurants that claims to have invented them. You might call them tavern sandwiches. Or just plain old loose meats.
And just what are loose meats/Maid-Rites/taverns? Imagine a sloppy joe without sauce, or a burger that fell apart during cooking, or not-spicy ground beef taco filling. A loose meat sandwich is cooked, seasoned ground beef on a steamed bun, typically with diced pickles and onions. (Here’s a recipe from The Sioux City Journal by Marcia Poole.) Sometimes you can get loose meats with cheese on top. Maid-Rite calls this a “Cheese-Rite,” obviously. You may also add ketchup or mustard, should you choose to do so, although some think ketchup is sacrilege.
Legend has it (and by legend I mean Maid-Rite’s corporate history website) butcher Fred Angell of Muscatine, Iowa invented the loose meat sandwich in 1926 because he was bored. The name comes from a delivery man who tried Angell’s creation and declared it was “made right.” “Fred was quite a sandwich maker,” says Maid-Rite, “but not much of a speller.”
But according to Jane and Michael Stern’s Roadfood Sandwiches, loose meats were actually invented two years earlier in 1924. According to the Sterns, David Heglin of Ye Olde Tavern in Sioux City, Iowa invented the loose meat sandwich. That’s why you will often see them called “tavern sandwiches” or “tavern burgers” or just “taverns” on menus, particularly at more mom-n-pop type establishments.
Iowa isn’t the only place you can find loose meat sandwiches. The NuWay chain based in Wichita, Kansas serves what they call “Crumbly Burgers,” including one variation topped with Kansas City-style barbecue sauce that creeps treacherously close to being a sloppy joe.
But the Lanford Lunchbox of Roseanne fame is allegedly inspired by an Iowa restaurant. The Canteen Lunch in the Alley, a cafe in Roseanne Barr’s then-husband Tom Arnold’s hometown of Ottumwa, has been open since 1927 and in its current location since 1936. They are famous for their pies and—you guessed it—their loose meat sandwiches. What do they call them? Canteens, of course.
FAQs
Depending on where you are in the Midwest, the sandwich can be called a Nu-Way, Steamer, Big T, loose hamburger sandwich, tavern sandwich, or just a Maid Rite. Since the 1920s, it has been made with sautéed (sometimes steamed) ground beef and onions, served on a bun and dressed up with ketchup, mustard, and pickles.
What other name is the Iowa loose meat sandwich known by? ›
Iowa's loose-meat sandwich — perhaps second only to the pork tenderloin as the state's most famous culinary concoction between two buns — is known as a Maid-Rite after the brand of franchise restaurants that sell the sandwich.
Is a sloppy joe a loose meat sandwich? ›
Sloppy Joe: America's Quintessential Loose Meat Sandwich.
What is the origin of loose meat sandwich? ›
Carroll Dietz of Missoula, Montana, created the precursor to the tavern sandwich in 1920, referred to as a "steamed hamburger." In 1926, Fred Angell began selling his version of the sandwich at the first Maid-Rite restaurant in Muscatine, Iowa, under the name "loose meat sandwich." The name "tavern" for the sandwich is ...
What's another word for sandwich meat? ›
Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, sandwich meats, delicatessens, and deli meats—are precooked or cured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served in sandwiches or on a tray.
What is considered loose meat? ›
These simple sandwiches — crumbled, cooked ground beef, onion, and little else besides salt and pepper, scooped up and piled high on a hamburger bun.
What is another name for a sloppy joe? ›
Manwich, slush burger, yum yums, dynamite, spoonburgers, tavern sandwich; a Sloppy Joe can be called by many other names. The most well-known however is Manwich.
What is a dead Texan sandwich? ›
Two Texas toast grilled cheese sandwiches with 1/3 lb. burger, 1 egg, 2 slices of bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapenos, and peppercorn mayo in between.
What's the difference between a Maid-Rite and a sloppy joe? ›
While both are made with seasoned ground beef, Sloppy Joes feature a rich tomato-based sauce. The meat mixture is slightly sweet and often enjoyed without additional toppings. Loose meat sandwiches like Maid Rites, on the other hand, have no sauce at all.
What even is a Sloppy Joe? ›
At its core, the Sloppy Joe consists of three basic elements — ground beef, tossed with a sweet, tomato-rich sauce (made with ketchup, chili sauce, or actual tomato sauce), and piled on a squishy white bun.
The sandwich may have begun as a variation of the loose meat sandwiches that were popular in the 1950s. According to legend, a cook named Joe at Floyd Angell's café in Sioux City, Iowa, added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. Some believe this is how the sloppy joe sandwich was born.
What does Sloppy Joe mean in slang? ›
a man or youth whose appearance is habitually slovenly.
What is the famous loose meat sandwich in Iowa? ›
Maid-Rite. Maid-Rite might be a popular colloquial name for a finely-ground loose-meat sandwich, but the only official Maid-Rites are sold at one of around 30 eateries — 17 of which are in Iowa, along with corporate headquarters.
What is the difference between a tavern and a sloppy joe? ›
A Tavern Sandwich, also known as a Loose Meat Sandwich, is remarkably similar to a Sloppy Joe, but without the tomato sauce or ketchup. Sloppy Joes are a must-try for meat lovers looking for a great, uncomplicated sandwich to enjoy on any occasion.
Why is it called sandwich? ›
The sandwich is named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an eighteenth-century English aristocrat. It is commonly said that Lord Sandwich, during long sessions of cribbage and other card games at public gambling houses, would order his valet to bring him salt beef between two pieces of toasted bread.
What is another name for a Sloppy Joe sandwich? ›
Manwich, slush burger, yum yums, dynamite, spoonburgers, tavern sandwich; a Sloppy Joe can be called by many other names. The most well-known however is Manwich.
What are the four 4 different types of sandwiches? ›
Types of sandwiches include:
Closed-two pieces of bread with filling in between. Open-faced-one piece of bread with the fillings put on top. Finger Sandwiches-small fancy closed sandwiches in shapes, the crusts are usually cut off. Wraps-flat breads wrapped around fillings.
What's the difference between a Maid-Rite and a Sloppy Joe? ›
While both are made with seasoned ground beef, Sloppy Joes feature a rich tomato-based sauce. The meat mixture is slightly sweet and often enjoyed without additional toppings. Loose meat sandwiches like Maid Rites, on the other hand, have no sauce at all.
What is the difference between a tavern and a Sloppy Joe? ›
A Tavern Sandwich, also known as a Loose Meat Sandwich, is remarkably similar to a Sloppy Joe, but without the tomato sauce or ketchup. Sloppy Joes are a must-try for meat lovers looking for a great, uncomplicated sandwich to enjoy on any occasion.
