Kelly's Roast Beef — Restaurant in Danvers

I absolutely loved my time at Kelly's! I've had a roast beef you get at the deli, I've had a thick roast beef you'd get at Arby's, but this was like something I've never felt before! A group of friends walk in, with it being new to 5 of us, with 2 to spare. Without any prior knowledge aside from hearing it's the best roast beef ever, we drove well over an hour away, took time off work 3 weeks in advance, and made a day trip just to go get this sandwich. I walk up to the counter, 2nd in command, and more than likely looked dumbfounded at the train of a menu above their hulk of a counter. I took way too long to order, but I went with the Large Roast Beef sandwich, with pickles and pepper Jack cheese melted on it; and a Dr Pepper. We walk past their fishtank filled with Surgeon fish and knife jaws, and sat down in a corner booth with a diamond table. The aesthetic was really nice, everything was a muted moss green and a medium darkwood finish. There were old carnival pictures and carousel memorabilia scattered throughout the building, even housing a piece from a carousel! After waiting for a few minutes, our food came to us pretty quick, and then the moment I'd been waiting for... I grabbed the massive block of beef between 2 bubs with both hands, extending my jaws like a cobra and sank my teeth in. I pulled straight through the sandwich, with the only drag coming from the pickles who were more resilient than anticipated. I chewed for a moment, and as the final verdict I compiled everything it took for me to get to this sandwich in my hands. The weeks of planning, the convincing of coworkers, the dodging traffic, and the long day of shopping; the entire journey has been all for this sandwich, this exact moment, and it was absolutely worth it! That sandwich was big, but my determination was bigger, and my teeth cut through that beef like a blade into overgrown grass. It was thick, juicy, tangy, and salty (from the pickles), which gave it a well respected crunch to an otherwise already powerful sandwich. Every flavor was felt on your tongue, and every ingredient on your gums, it was a sandwich filled with ambrosia that only the gods could create, and for $14.28, a large sandwich, medium drink, and half hour later, I had finally concluded and it was time to go home. It's been 2 days now and as I write this I recollect the same feeling I felt that whole car ride home, that night while I lay in bed, yesterday whilst at work, and now writing this, I miss that sandwich, I crave it! I crave the taste, the feeling! It is not just a sandwich but a sandWitch, and it has placed its hex on me, for I'm not sure if I'll ever be the same... after eating the world's...

So today's visit to Kelly's in Danvers was the nail in the coffin for me, I will never visit any of their locations ever again. I've heard horrible things lately about them and haven't been for some time because they've just gotten way too pricey. I wasn't even upset about the price jump because i know everything's gone up. But if you're going to charge over $50 bucks for 2 adult cheeseburger plates and 1 kids cheesburger plate then you should make absolutely sure their perfect going out the door. Let's start with the frie portions on the adult meals absolutely insulting they gave us the same amount of french fries they did in my 6 year old sons kids cheeseburger plate litterally about 8 french fries smdh!! Now my wife and i get charged extra because we add cheese to our fries they never put enough cheese to cover the fries so we always ask for a few sides of tartar sauce, well i was told and very rudely i may add we can't give you tartar sauce unless we charge you, I said you already did charge me for 3 meals and you over charge already so you mean to tell me your really going to charge me for a few sides of tartar sauce, girl says yes its only free with seafood. (CONDIMENTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE FREE) an additional $2.15 after being charged over 50 bucks for 1 kids meal and 2 adult meals. I was already aggravated at that. We get home I start digging into my burger first and a few bites in I look down at my patty and my stomach litterally turned, hamburger is completely raw, I ask my wife to check hers and my sons and same thing, all 3 burgers had to be thrown away. Dont quote me on this but isn't it illegal in the state of Massachusetts for restaurants to send any raw burgers out the door??? So then I grab a mozzarella stick and take a bite still cold in the middle cheese not even melted, those were thrown away as well. So the girl working there was SOOOOO WORRIED ABOUT CHARGING FOR TARTAR SAUCE, WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE PUT THAT SAME ENTHUSIASM INTO MAKING SURE OUR ORDER WAS ACTUALLY COOKED!!!...

I will not go back. The lady at the counter knew just enough to carry a conversation about the gluten free items. I was told the roast beef and chicken are gluten free and that they have a dedicated fryer for the fries. They told me they get special GF buns (these are the kind that crumble as you eat) and that they are kept separate from other bread. They change their gloves and use a separate (but right next to) section to make the sandwiches. They use the same toppings from what I can tell.. She was seemingly nice until the moment I said, I'm sorry but I didn't see her change her gloves, did she? (I watched her clear the entire board of all the other orders before completing mine.) She literally would have to of been a ninja to change her gloves... The cashier's response was "She's worked her for 30 years, of course she changed her gloves... What do you just want your money back!". It was very rude. Working some place for 30 years doesn't mean she understands how cross contamination works or what gluten actually is. I ended up getting sick shortly after I left. So, this location is a hard pass due to the service I received. They indicate allergy on the receipt. Fries were served hot and fresh, roast beef was good but not worth the risk of getting sick again. 15 dollars...