71 of the best roast beef sandwich shops in Greater Boston and beyond (2024)

Readers Say

Whether you like your sandwich plain or the North Shore three-way, there are plenty of restaurants to grab roast beef in Greater Boston, according to readers.

By Katelyn Umholtz

April 25, 2024

When asking a room of Bay Staters what’s the best roast beef sandwich, brace yourself for a flood of opinions.

That’s exactly what we get every time we ask readers for their roast beef sandwich recommendations.

For some, what makes or breaks a roast beef shop’s sandwiches are the amount of sauce and other toppings they dress it with.There are some diners who are roast beef purists, preferring the old guards, while others say to hell with nostalgia when opting for the newer additions.

Location can matter, too. Many roast beef devotees swear you can’t find a good sandwich outside the North Shore, while others argue they’ve found their go-to shops outside the beef boundary lines.

But there is one really important rule when it comes to how Bay Staters designate shops as their favorite.

“Your first roast beef is always going to be your favorite,” said Kevin from Newburyport, who gave his favorite, now closed Beef Corral a shoutout.

We heard from 184 readers who shared their favorite roast beef shops. Some staples — all on the North Shore, no surprise — received several votes, so we featured them at the top of our guide.

Many of you mentioned Harrison’s, which we unfortunately can’t include in the list. The decades-old roast beef restaurant in North Andover closed last year.

Whether or not it was their first beef, or the beef that is always solidly made, here’s a countdown of readers’ top six favorite roast beef shops and what they had to say about them. And in case you have a roast beef road trip planned, we included all 71 roast beef sandwich shop recommendations — some with multiple locations, like Kelly’s — in an interactive map and full list below.

The 6 best roast beef sandwich shops, according to readers

6. Bill & Bob’s Famous Roast Beef

While they don’t claim the invention status of the entire sandwich like Kelly’s does, Bill & Bob’s is a beef OG for another reason: this store is the reason most roast beef sandwiches are served with a generous serving of James River BBQ sauce. Some relatives and former employees have also gone on to open their own roast beef shops, cementing the influence Bill & Bob’s has had on Greek-owned roast beef sandwich restaurants.

Multiple locations

What readers say:

“How can you beat the one that started it all?”

—Patrick M. from Salem

5. Tessi’s Pizza & Roast Beef

If you’re new to the roast beef fandom, you’ll probably notice something about these shops instantly. Most are someone’s name, either followed by the word “famous” (Nick’s), or sometimes roast beef isn’t the only food in their name — they may also sell seafood, pizza, subs, or a combination of the three. Tessi’s is no different, with its extensive menu of pizza, subs, seafood dinners, and of course roast beef sandwiches. But why it stands out among roast beef devotees is the beef piled high and drenched in condiments. We recommend grabbing plenty of napkins.

910 Andover St., Tewksbury

What readers say:

“The beef is amazing and stacked.”

—Jeff D. from Tewksbury

4. Londi’s Roast Beef & Pizza (North Andover)

The store’s namesake, Ted Londi, opened a new restaurant in Peabody after our Boston.com readers’ form ran, but nine fans of the Londi’s name showed up to give the North Andover shop a shout out. They specifically love the buttered rolls and the three-way sandwich.

350 Winthrop Ave., North Andover

What readers say:

“Hands down the best North Shore-style roast beef. The roast beef melts in your mouth, and somehow their buttered and grilled roll never falls apart. To top it off, their restaurant is immaculate.”

—Jim A. from Bedford, New Hampshire

“One of the best Junior three-ways on the [North Shore].”

—Johnny V. from Georgetown

3. Bella’s Roast Beef

Making roast beef sandwiches runs in the family at Bella’s, where owner Harry Kanellos told Boston.com he grew up working in his dad’s roast beef shop in South Boston. Now, his restaurant is a favorite on the North Shore, highly ranked by the Facebook group North Shore Beefs, and was worthy of a shoutout from 10 readers.

1211 Osgood St., North Andover

What readers say:

“You can sometimes see the owner in the back putting the sandwiches together, and it’s like watching an artist create. The care and attention to detail he puts into the sandwich is obvious, and the sandwich somehow remains a sandwich throughout despite the generous amount of meat. The beef is the star, of course, and it’s always perfectly cooked and tender.”

—Don C. from Haverhill

“Great sandwich, nice rare roast beef, (and) just the right amount of sauce — a lot, but it is still the right amount!”

—Chris C. from Andover

“It’s Bella’s, and it’s not even close.”

—Ron H. from North Andover

2. Kelly’s Roast Beef

Even further back in time in roast beef history goes Kelly’s, the claimed birthplace of the roast beef sandwich that Bay Staters know and love today — by accident, as the story goes. Some say Kelly’s dropped in quality when it expanded beyond its original Revere Beach location to several stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, even Florida. But the 19 readers who called it their favorite will tell you differently: tradition is just as important an ingredient as the James River BBQ sauce.

Multiple locations

What readers say:

“There is no other choice. I like it plain with a little salt, and it is scrumptious. The meat is cooked fantastically, but the best part is that it is sliced not too thin or too thick — it is perfect! I miss Kelly’s since I have moved.”

—Steve L. of Pittsburg, Kansas

“What makes them so special is tradition; they are the OGs of roast beef joints.”

—Stan of Jamaica Plain

“I will always order (the) junior beef, extra sauce. No three-way for me — just beef and BBQ.”

—Anne V. of Natick

“Especially the one on the beach in Revere. Sea air and waves makes it extra special — with horseradish mayo.”

—Eric T. of Watertown

“We love the thick stack of very thinly-sliced rare roast beef with just deli mustard, no cheese, and no sauce on the grilled bun. Just delicious!”

—Rich C. of North Truro

1. Nick’s Famous Roast Beef

There were 34 readers who said Nick’s, which has been in the roast beef sandwich-making business since 1975 stands out above the rest. Readers rave about the tender beef and the perfect balance when it comes to a classic three-way — with cheese, James River BBQ sauce, and mayonnaise.

139 Dodge St., Beverly

What readers say:

“They give a huge portion on every sandwich.”

—Doug T. from Peabody

“(The) beef is made in house, rare, and tender. (The) three-way on an onion roll and a side of shoestring fries is a work of art.”

—Robert C. from Marshfield

“(It’s) not only the best beef around, but the french fries and onion rings are top of (the) game. There are some other great North Shore beefs, but their sides pale in comparison.”

—Torin T. from Manchester

“Always quality, clean, and friendly. Been going there through thick and thin for 50 years.”

—Gary from Gloucester

“The roast beef is always consistent: medium, rare, slightly warm, with only the frills you want to add.”

—Julianna K. from Hamilton

Map of all reader-recommended roast beef shops

The complete list reader-recommended roast beef sandwich spots, 2024

• Alamo Roast Beef & Seafood: 21 Salem St., Medford
• Bedford House of Roast Beef: 328 Great Rd., Bedford
• Bella’s Roast Beef: 1211 Osgood St., North Andover
• Bentley’s Roast Beef: 134 NH-101A, Amherst, NH
• Big Beef: 1399 Main St., Millis
• Big-N-Beefy: 415 Broadway, Lawrence
• Bill & Bob’s Famous Roast Beef: Multiple locations
• Billy’s Famous Roast Beef: 1291 Main St., Wakefield
• Brother’s Roast Beef: Multiple locations
• : Multiple locations
• Cutty’s: 284 Washington St., Brookline
• Flint’s Corner Pizza & Seafood: 150 Westford Rd., Tyngsborough
• Geo’s Roast Beef: 143 Elm St., Amesbury
• Georgio’s Roast Beef & Pizza: 1041 Pearl St., Brockton
• Glen’s Roast Beef: 325 Bennett Highway, Revere
• Greenland Famous Roast Beef & Seafood: 381 Portsmouth Ave., Greenland, NH
• Jamie’s Roast Beef: Multiple locations
• Jasmine’s Famous Roast Beef: 178 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, NH
• Jimbo’s Famous Roast Beef: 454 Main St., Reading
• Kelly’s Roast Beef: Multiple locations
• Kings Famous Roast Beef & Seafood: 145 North St., Salem
• Land ‘N Sea Restaurant: 67 Lynnfield St., Peabody
• Londi’s Roast Beef: 350 Winthrop Ave., North Andover
• Londi’s Roast Beef: 515 Lowell St., Peabody
• Louie’s Pizza & Roast Beef: 1600 Main St., Weymouth
• Major League Roast Beef & Wings: 503 Washington St., Auburn
• Mak’s Roast Beef & Pizza: 20 Central St., Norwood
• Maria’s Submarine Sandwich Shop: 47 Front St., Scituate
• Mark’s Pizza & Subs: 10B Washington St. #16, Wellesley Hills
• Michael’s Deli: 256 Harvard St., Brookline
• Mike’s Roast Beef: 115 Broadway, Everett
• Mike’s Roast Beef: 459 MA-28, West Yarmouth
• Mikey’s Famous Roast Beef & Pizza: 250 Elliott St., Beverly
• Mimi’s Roast Beef & Seafood: 447 Main St., Watertown
• Mino’s Roast Beef: 27 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead
• The Modern Butcher: 36 Maple St., Danvers
• New England Roast Beef: 33 Park Ave, Worcester
• Nick’s Famous Roast Beef: 139 Dodge St., Beverly
• Nick’s Place: 197 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington
• Niki’s Famous Roast Beef, Pizza & Subs: 208 Sutton St., North Andover
• North Beverly Roast Beef: 10 Enon St., Beverly
• Pete’s Roast Beef: 100 A Winn St., Woburn
• Ramzi’s Roast Beef: 139 Lynnfield St., Peabody
• Route 110 Roast Beef & Seafood: 66 1/2 Haverhill Road, Amesbury
• Royal Roast Beef & Seafood: 752 Bennington St., East Boston
• Sam LaGrassa’s: 44 Province St., Boston
• Simard’s Super Roast Beef: 279 Main St., Wilmington
• Steve’s Famous Roast Beef & More: 741 S Main St., Haverhill
• The Stones Common House & Kitchen: 380 Main St., Stoneham
• Superior Roast Beef & Seafood: 200 Lynnfield St., Lynn
• Supreme Roast Beef: 18 Maple St., Danvers
• Tessi’s Pizza & Roast Beef: 910 Andover St., Tewksbury
• Timmy’s Roast Beef: 198 MA-28, West Yarmouth
• Zeno’s Roast Beef & Seafood: 40 Central St., Ipswich