# Tell me about "loose meat" sandwiches **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461 "2008-08-27T19:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/41 "2008-08-28T15:40:47Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] “Loose meat” was used as a term for the sandwich as early as 1951. It was also referred to(in Sioux City and other places) as a “tavern.” So, Roseanne certainly didn’t originate the name. And a feature to the hamburger was that it was steamed(or boiled), not fried. But most folks in those early days just called it a maidrite. [/QUOTE] Ha! My grandmother - South Dakotan born and raised - called them taverns, when they were really sloppy joes! Used to confuse the hell out of me as a kid, because my mother - her daughter - never called them taverns, only sloppy joes. People, people, get your terms straight! fluiddruid - I’ve never seen a Maid Rite here in Nebraska, but I’m going to find one. I know they have them in Missouri, too. ETA: Wow, two in the Omaha metro area. In new developments. Well, I now have a quest for the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/42 "2008-08-28T15:45:07Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I guess I’m missing something. In its simplest iteration it’s just plain ass crumbly cooked meat on a hunk of bread? [/QUOTE] Looks like it. With lots of bits of sauteed onion mixed in with the meat. I can see how modern palates could go for a bit more seasoning in the mixture, but I’m going to try it in its plainest form tonight. If it’s too austere, I can tweak the recipe in the future to ramp up the flavor a bit. I stopped at the supermarket this morning and got plain ol’ “white trash” cheapy hamburger buns. I may have been born and raised in California, but both of my parents came from the midwest. Sometimes, when I crave comfort food, I think I their taste in cooking came to me in their genes. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/43 "2008-08-28T15:48:59Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] No, it’s ground beef with stuff in it not formed into a patty. [/QUOTE] Around here we call that a taco. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/44 "2008-08-28T15:54:45Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] The [Maid-Rite in Springfield, IL](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maid-Rite_Sandwich_Shop) was still open the last time I checked. [/QUOTE] YAY! I was just about to page you to see if the Maid-Rite was still in Springfield! Is it still over close to Springfield High School? I grew up in Spfld, and we went to that Maid-Rite all the time when I was in high school. They used to make their own root beer in a big wooden keg too. I didn’t know until today that Maid-Rite was a chain. I always thought it was one of the very few non-franchise places in town. I just looked at the one pictured in your link. That is definitely the same one I went to as a kid. Although, it used to be painted red. (Thanks for the nostalgia moment) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/45 "2008-08-28T16:57:18Z")
Punxsutawney-style loose meat sandwiches AKA Carlino burgers a just a couple spoonsful of hamburger chopped up very fine while frying served on a hotdog bun with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and minced onions. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/46 "2008-08-28T17:23:48Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] As you can see, there are no healthy or vegetarian or trendy options to be had [/QUOTE] You missed the Carb Rite Cup and the Maid Rite Salad – not to mention, the Maid-Rite Maiden (I wonder if they administer a test?) informs me that they use no trans fats. [http://www.maid-rite.com/food/nutritionalposter.shtml](http://www.maid-rite.com/food/nutritionalposter.shtml) It’s basically a health-food joint. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/47 "2008-08-28T18:42:12Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] Around here we call that a taco. [/QUOTE] God, I want a taco now. Thanks a lot. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/48 "2008-08-28T18:47:28Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] The basic model I know is from the Made-Rite chain, which is browned hamburger with some chopped onion added. [/QUOTE] Good lord, that’s a blast from the past. My grandmother used to take me to a Made-Rite in Chicago in the early 70’s. I had no idea they were a chain, or still around. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/49 "2008-08-28T18:53:41Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] God, I want a taco now. Thanks a lot. [/QUOTE] Seems this would lend itself much better to a tortilla, wrap, pita, at least as far as ease of eating . . . . ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/50 "2008-08-28T19:07:17Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] Around here we call that a taco. [/QUOTE] No no no, far too exotic. Too spicy. Remove any sign of chili powder, cumin and oregano, get rid of any tortillas, tomatoes, chilis, cheese or lettuce and scoop it onto a white hamburger roll and you’re nearly there. Remember, this is WASP food. I’m sure someone’s Grandma figured out a way to work mayonnaise and/or jell-o in there at some point, but thankfully, they stoned her to death with the potato rolls, so it’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/51 "2008-08-28T19:39:29Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] According to my lord and master, Alton Brown, so is the ground beef in the supermarket. It’s bits and corners of everything the butcher dealt with that day, from t-bones to tenderloins. It’s all skeletal meat, no entrails or organ bits, and actually quite high quality stuff, just all ground up. [/QUOTE] I couldn’t find too much info about “whole cow ground beef”, but apparently it is called “fancy ground beef”… [QUOTE=Gaspar Farm] We offer 100% grass-fed beef as bulk freezer beef, cuts, and fancy ground beef. This is a full, rich tasting ground beef made from the whole cow rather than what is left after taking the nice cuts. [/QUOTE] [Source](http://www.eatwild.com/products/kansas.html) > **[Gasper Family Farm - Local Pastured Meats and Dairy for Kansas City](http://www.gasperfarm.com)** > > Gasper Family Farm, Pastured Meats, 100% Grassfed Dairy, 100% Grassfed Beef, Pastured Pork, Pastured Chicken, Pastured Duck and more from Kansas. Which is apparently even fancier than Taylor’s Maidrite ground beef, because, although front and rear beef quarters contain many of the best cuts of the beef, I don’t believe they include the short loin which breaks down into the Tenderloin and NY Strip (Porterhouse or T-Bone). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/52 "2008-08-28T20:10:28Z")
[QUOTE=abbeytxs] YAY! I was just about to page you to see if the Maid-Rite was still in Springfield! Is it still over close to Springfield High School? I grew up in Spfld, and we went to that Maid-Rite all the time when I was in high school. They used to make their own root beer in a big wooden keg too. I didn’t know until today that Maid-Rite was a chain. I always thought it was one of the very few non-franchise places in town. I just looked at the one pictured in your link. That is definitely the same one I went to as a kid. Although, it used to be painted red. (Thanks for the nostalgia moment) [/QUOTE] Inspired by this thread, I stopped by Maid-Rite for lunch today. Yes, it’s still there, still the same, still looks like the picture in the link, still close to Springfield High School (although that may change—one of the big local issues right now is whether or not to build a new high school on the far west side of town to replace the current SHS). They still make their own root beer. According to the signs, they’ve been there since 1924 and have the nation’s oldest drive-up window. I didn’t see anything about the place that would indicate it’s part of a chain or franchise. There’s not much on the menu but Maid-Rite sandwiches, though they do offer a Maid-Rite horseshoe. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/53 "2008-08-28T20:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I guess I’m missing something. In its simplest iteration it’s just plain ass crumbly cooked meat on a hunk of bread? [/QUOTE] Yeah, you’re forgetting the best ingredient: the delicious, delicious griddle grease, from which all the flavor swells. In my memory, at least. ---
**Author:** ![NicorGasMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@NicorGasMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicorGasMan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/54 "2008-08-28T21:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] Just to clarify, since nobody’s posted explicitly, Maid-Rite is a regional fast food chain. They used to be extremely common but are now somewhat less common but still fairly prevalent in central Iowa. One of the ones closest to me is part of a gas station but mall stores are also common. They are widely considered to be old fashioned and tend to be frequented by older patrons, or more rural people. [Here is their website](http://www.maid-rite.com/). As you can see, there are no healthy or vegetarian or trendy options to be had; they’re a ‘traditional’ fast food franchise. [Here is their page about loose meat sandwiches.](http://www.maid-rite.com/aboutus/unique.shtml) **jali** , according to their website, there is only one location in Texas - Arlington, opening soon. It’s really an Iowa thing with a few in Nebraska and Illinois. [/QUOTE] Holy Cow! After seeing that there are some in Illinios I figured i would check the site to see where. They just opened this month two blocks away from my office. I am definately checking them out!!! ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/55 "2008-08-28T22:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Inspired by this thread, I stopped by Maid-Rite for lunch today. Yes, it’s still there, still the same, still looks like the picture in the link, still close to Springfield High School (although that may change—one of the big local issues right now is whether or not to build a new high school on the far west side of town to replace the current SHS). They still make their own root beer. According to the signs, they’ve been there since 1924 and have the nation’s oldest drive-up window. I didn’t see anything about the place that would indicate it’s part of a chain or franchise. There’s not much on the menu but Maid-Rite sandwiches, though they do offer a Maid-Rite horseshoe. [/QUOTE] Mmmmm horseshoe sandwiches! I haven’t had one of those in years either. Stop by the Cozy Drive-in for corn dogs and fries and you will have pretty much reached the Springfield trifecta of food. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/56 "2008-08-28T22:56:22Z")
[QUOTE=abbeytxs] Mmmmm horseshoe sandwiches! I haven’t had one of those in years either. Stop by the Cozy Drive-in for corn dogs and fries and you will have pretty much reached the Springfield trifecta of food. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Okay now, wait. What in the world is a horseshoe sandwich? Sounds kind of tough. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/57 "2008-08-28T23:04:13Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] Okay now, wait. What in the world is a horseshoe sandwich? Sounds kind of tough. [/QUOTE] > **[Horseshoe sandwich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_sandwich)** > > The horseshoe is an open-faced sandwich originating in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It consists of thick-sliced toasted bread (often Texas toast), a hamburger patty or other choice of meat, French fries, and cheese sauce. > While hamburger has become the most common meat on a horseshoe, the original meat was ham. The "horseshoe" name has been variously attributed to the horseshoe-like shape of a slice of bone-in ham, or to the horseshoe-like arrangement of potato wedges around the ham... (I hope the link works) Essentially it is two slices of thick toast, covered with either ham or hamburgers, then covered with french fries and then all of that is covered with a cheese sauce. It is served open faced, and as I am sure you can tell, very heart healthy! It actually is better than it sounds, it really is. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/58 "2008-08-29T12:44:36Z")
Had them last night for dinner. Okay, that was seriously yummy junk food. I think I’m going to prefer them to hamburgers. I made them thusly: Finely chopped half a large onion and sauteed it in vegie oil, then added a pound of high-quality, lean burger and chopped it up as it cooked. Added a cup of water and a dollop of “Better Than Bouillon” and let it boil rapidly. When the mixture reached the almost-dry stage, I added a couple of good squirts of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Served it up on warm white buns with mustard, ketchup, and dill pickle slices. Mr. brown devoured two large Maid-Rites and I one, although it was all I could do to keep from having a second. He gives it two big thumbs-up, as well. This will be in my dinner repertoire due to its simplicity and yumminess. **silenus** , did you carry through with your loose meat plans? ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/59 "2008-09-02T17:31:45Z")
Growing up in Bettendorf, IA in the 60s and 70s, we had maid-rites quite frequently. They were always called that, regardless of whether we got them from the eponymous establishment, the school cafeteria, or Ross’s Diner. ISTR a few Maid-Rite restaurants being around in the early 70s, but they disappeared by the end of the decade, only to enjoy a resurgence in this one – I’ve been to a couple in the QC over the last few years. As for sloppy joes, which are at best a distant cousin to maid-rites, I made a batch Sunday night, using BBQ sauce, deli mustard, salsa, & picked jalapeno slices – a distinct improvement over Mom’s ketchup/mustard-based recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461/60 "2008-09-03T06:18:13Z")
[bump] because “subscribe” ain’t working. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-loose-meat-sandwiches/461461.md?page=2)