Roasty's — Restaurant in Portland

An honorable rendition of a Chicago-style / Italian beef sandwich. Certainly the best I have had outside Chicago.

I was a little hesitant when I got back to work and the bag wasnt soaked in beef juice with the sandwich trying to free itself through the hole it created in the bag. How unfamiliar. How could it be? I got it “wet”, or as they say at my favorite stand in Chicago: “juicy”… That said, as soon as I unrolled the paper, the juices started flowing all over my desk and the familiar sweet savory smell got me salivating. Just like home. It turns out they used some black magic called “foil” to pre-wrap it before wrapping it again in its traditional garb of white deli paper. Apparently juices cannot permeate this inner membrane… Interesting. The upholstery in my car certainly appreciated that.

The beef itself was great, a little thicker than tradition, but I actually like it that way. It was a tad dense in the middle of the sandwich and I dont think the juice they soak it in was able to penetrate to the core as a result, so it was a little cooler in temperature in the middle than the exterior.

The bread was great, although dimensionally different than most places in Chicago. Just the right amount of give when biting in. Not too chewy or too soft. Nice crust too.

I was pleased to see the giardiniera was actually Chicago-style. Let’s be real… this is Maine. I was expecting a vinegar based giardiniera, but when I split that bun apart and saw the glistening oil-soaked bits of peppers, cauliflower, and carrots, I realized that everything was fine in the world and that this sandwich could be my stepping stone toward nirvana.

It could have been a little juicier. I got it “wet” and even by the last bite the bread was still holding together. Half way through there was a small island of crunchy crust that was unfamiliar to me. Usually halfway through, a beef sandwich disintegrates and one has to finish by eating pinch by pinch. A little beef, a little sopping bread, a little giardiniera. If you are uncivilized you could also use a fork, but I do not recommend.

My only disappointment was that the giardinera wasn’t hot. Sacrilege. When I go back to Chicago, the city where I cut my teeth and stained many a pant with beef juice, I order a “juicy beef, sweet and hot.” (The cashier should correct and shame you in front of everyone else in line if you say those words in a different order, thats how you know you’re at the right spot). In lay terms, this means a soaking wet beef sandwich with sautéed sweet green bell peppers and hot giardiniera on top. The heat really takes a great sandwich to the next level, and most places don’t even offer mild giardiniera. The only thing worse than mild giardiniera on a beef, is ketchup on a hot dog. Just don’t do it kids. Just say “no”.

The fries were unexpected. They are TRUE shoestring fries, basically chips with how crunchy they are. They were delicious though and I’d definitely order again.

Despite my nitpicking some of the finer details to construct a humorous review, this sandwich was really good and I cannot wait to go back to explore the menu. They make a truly honest and good representation of a traditional Italian beef. All they need is some hot...

This is the most incredible Roast Beef shop I have ever been to in my life. Walking in, it’s immaculately clean, not overly big and crowded, with something like a 50’s nostalgia-type style. After trudging down the street trying to find someplace to eat before the show, opening the door felt like being raised up to the pearly gates, and they just continued to raise the bar from there.

They have just a couple sandwiches, but it was still all but impossible to decide what to get, so that was our first sign. The French Dip was a revelation. I think I literally heard a choir of angels when I first bit into it, it was that good. And the au jus was served perfectly hot and so delicious I almost asked for a second cup. The shoe-string fries are unlike anything I’ve ever had— almost like they were 70% of the way to being potato chips, so thin and crispy and utterly melt in your mouth. Great selection of local beer and a couple of local seltzers, plus fountain sodas. Not to mention, a small but mighty selection of different sauces to swirl your fries in or compliment your sandwich of choice. As promised, the special garlic sauce was addictive.

Service was unhurried and very personable. The gentleman at the counter was friendly, patiently answered our questions, and humored me after our meal as I gushed about just how amazing everything was.

One of the best parts of the experience was the music selection— a blend of rocknroll classics that made me feel like I was hanging out in my dad’s garage, which somehow perfectly complimented the sandwiches. Come to think of it, that choir of angels might’ve just been Fleetwood Mac.

Altogether, we loved it. This place is seriously major. If like roast beef sandwiches, you cannot miss this. Mr. Roasty’s, if you’re reading this, PLEASE open a second location, preferably in our home town of Manchester, NH., whenever’s good for you. And maybe start...

I went here one time as I live on the same block. Ordered the Philly cheese and the French dip. The meat on both sandwiches was all red and pink which really grossed me out and is definitely not what I want in either of those types of sandwich. The garlic (Parmesan?) fries I ordered had no hint of garlic whatsoever and I had to go home and add garlic powder to them. I ordered over the phone so I wasn’t aware the fries were going to be shoestring fries and I personally found that disappointing because they dont absorb much au jus. The au jus wasn’t salty which was also very sad to me. I’d say that everything I ordered needed more salt. I won’t be going here again personally but am glad to see that there’s always people inside eating when I go by, as opening a restaurant seems like hard work and it seemed like a lot went into this. Good luck to you all over at roasty’s

I ordered from them again tonight just to solidify my review. Last time I remembered not having enough au jus but that was only because I was dipping my fries as well. Tonight I didn’t order fries because shoestring is not my preference. I ordered extra au jus thinking I would need it… I did not need it, but I paid for it all the same. The server forgot to add my extra au jus, saying ‘it slipped his mind because it already comes with au jus’. Not impressed. Got back to the top floor of my apartment just to realize I had to go back in this slippery unpaved weather.

Having the extra au jus allowed me to sip on the uncontaminated extra and it made me realize that this au jus tastes like it is mixed with some water and vinegar. Not how I prefer it. Some people may enjoy that but I personally do not and this solidified my review that I do not want to...