# Who makes loose meat/Maid-Rite sandwiches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915 "2017-03-11T03:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/1 "2017-03-11T03:44:42Z")
Lotsa people heard about these from Roseanne. I heard about them from Johnny Bravo cartoons. They sound good, and I’d like to try to make them at home. I’ve read a dozen recipes online, but I’d like to hear from some smart people. Who can cook. Include embellishments…cheese, pickles, yellow mustard, etc. What works and what doesn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/2 "2017-03-11T05:50:13Z")
Is there anything more to it than browned ground beef? Cuz if not, then I love it. The way I’ve begun enjoying a loose meat lately is: Hot dog bun Loose meat Smothered in Madras Lentils from Costco Topped with diced white onions and yellow mustard. Eat it with a fork and knife. Tastes _exactly_ like a Detroit-style loose meat Coney. Those Madras Lentils taste ridiculously like the brick chili used on Coneys. On a side note, when I was working in Ottumwa, IA about 13 years ago for about a month, I made it a point to eat at the Canteen Lunch as often as possible. I believe that’s the place Roseanne (or rather Tom Arnold) based the Lanford Lunchbox on. Ottumwa was Tom’s hometown. Pretty tasty little loose meats. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/3 "2017-03-11T11:05:14Z")
Wow, it’s just hamburger meat? I had pictured it as like a [BBQ sandwich](http://www.clipartkid.com/images/173/bbq-pork-sandwiches-11-fMhAok-clipart.jpg). Doesn’t it fall apart when you pick it up? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/4 "2017-03-11T13:06:46Z")
Most recipes I’ve looked at call for browning the meat with onions, then adding broth and simmering till it thickens. I imagine it’s not something consumed while in one’s best white linen suit. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/5 "2017-03-11T14:49:01Z")
Our mother would make us “Maid Rite” hamburgers all the time when we kids. I later learned she grew up in Greenville, OH, home of the famous [Maid Rite Sandwich Shoppe](http://maidrite-greenville.com/), and she somehow got the “secret” recipe while living there. I should ask her for it. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/6 "2017-03-11T15:08:34Z")
A friend was raised in Ottumwa and ate at Canteen for years. I’ve never been there, but I do have the coffee mug. Closest we come around here is Krumbly Burger. He says it’s pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/7 "2017-03-11T15:12:57Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Wow, it’s just hamburger meat? I had pictured it as like a [BBQ sandwich](http://www.clipartkid.com/images/173/bbq-pork-sandwiches-11-fMhAok-clipart.jpg). Doesn’t it fall apart when you pick it up? That’s what I always thought too. I just went back and looked at some screen shots from Roseanne and it does sort of look like ground beef. I agree, I would think it’d be like dry sloppy joe or meatloaf, even in the pictures it’s just sort of falling off the bun. Looks difficult to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/8 "2017-03-11T15:58:54Z")
I think the name “made rite” is a fairly narrow regionalism. For many years, I made sloppy joes for the department pot-luck, and one of the other students who was apparently from that region asked who made the made-rites. She called them by that name, not “ground beef sandwiches” or anything like that, so I conclude that a “made-rite” is exactly the same thing as a “sloppy joe”. As for my recipe: I include a heck of a lot of things. The main component is the beef, of course, but the solids also include sauteed onions, relish (both pickle and green tomato), garlic (both sauteed and nearly raw), peppers if I have them, and so on. The sauce is mostly ketchup, but also with BBQ sauce, maybe a sprinkling of Tabasco-like sauce, a variety of spices, etc. I do add a little yellow mustard, but more as an indicator than for its own sake: Some of the ingredients like chili powder and garlic are problematic if too concentrated, so I add the mustard last and stir a lot. When I can’t see the mustard color any more, I know everything else is stirred enough, too. For final assembly, I consider the ideal to be a toasted onion bun, with a slice of American cheese melting over the top, but it’ll still work with just plain white bread and nothing else. I don’t usually put pickles or separate condiments on the final sandwich, but you’re welcome to if you want. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/9 "2017-03-11T16:02:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think the name “made rite” is a fairly narrow regionalism. For many years, I made sloppy joes for the department pot-luck, and one of the other students who was apparently from that region asked who made the made-rites. She called them by that name, not “ground beef sandwiches” or anything like that, so I conclude that a “made-rite” is exactly the same thing as a “sloppy joe”. A “maid rite” is not exactly a “sloppy joe.” I’ve been to actual Maid-Rites; they are basically sloppy joes without the sauce. I don’t get the point, myself, but they are not sloppy joes a la Manwich or whatnot. It’s possible that it is a regionalism that applies to sloppy joes in some places, but they are different. I like sloppy joes. Maid-rites I only eat because it just seems the right thing to do when in Iowa. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/10 "2017-03-11T16:41:07Z")
[Wikipedia’s write up on loose meat sandwiched](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavern_sandwich) under the other regional name, “tavern sandwiches” or “taverns” described it about right: > [@](#): > > A tavern sandwich is a sandwich originally consisting of unseasoned ground beef on a bun, mixed with sauteed onions, and sometimes topped with pickles, ketchup and mustard. > > […] > > Maid-Rite began selling their version of the sandwich in 1926 under the name “loose meat,” predating the name “tavern sandwich” > > […] > > The tavern sandwich is unlike a hamburger, because a tavern’s meat is cooked loose rather than formed into a compact patty. It more closely resembles a sloppy joe, without the tomato sauce. Maid Rite’s meat is somewhat seasoned, from what I remember, but no tomato/barbecue sauce like a sloppy joe (which often also have bell peppers and sometimes other vegetables besides onions in them.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/11 "2017-03-11T16:57:43Z")
In my corner of the world, such sandwiches are called “hot tamales”. We even had a thread on that phenomenon, including [my mom’s recipe](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12169735&postcount=26). We haven’t made 'em since my kids were young, but now that you mention it, maybe it’s time to whip up a batch . . . ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/12 "2017-03-11T17:11:38Z")
Wouldn’t a meatloaf sandwich be very similar? We don’t use any veggies in our meatloaf. Just hamburger, tomato juice, oatmeal, and spices. Makes wonderful sandwiches. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/13 "2017-03-11T17:49:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Wouldn’t a meatloaf sandwich be very similar? Not really. As others have noted, it’s like a sauceless sloppy joe. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/14 "2017-03-11T17:59:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Wouldn’t a meatloaf sandwich be very similar? Not at all, unless you make your recipe for meatloaves without actually forming them into a loaf, without the tomato juice, and no filler. Did you read the Wikipedia description above? [This is what they look like](http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20090813-taylors.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/15 "2017-03-11T18:03:59Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > In my corner of the world, such sandwiches are called “hot tamales”. We even had a thread on that phenomenon, including [my mom’s recipe](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12169735&postcount=26). We haven’t made 'em since my kids were young, but now that you mention it, maybe it’s time to whip up a batch . . . A Wisconsin “hot tamale” is a sloppy joe, not a Maid-Rite/loose meat sandwich. Your mom’s recipe has tomato sauce and green pepper in it. That’s what the US calls a “sloppy joe” or, in your neck of the woods, “hot tamale,” and even “barbecue sandwiches” (as my northwest Wisconsin parish cookbooks call them.) [Here’s another explanation of it](http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2014/04/a-sandwich-a-day-grown-up-grilled-cheese-at-blue-door-farm-stand.html): > [@](#): > > Of course, it doesn’t look much like any burger I’ve ever eaten before. As Hamburger America author and TV host, George Motz, once explained, the Maid-Rite is “basically a deconstructed hamburger, or a sloppy joe without the slop. The recipe is simple: fresh ground-on-premises beef is steamed and crumbled in a cast iron cooker. Nothing is added but salt.” I thought I had remembered a little bit of seasoning and onion in it, but maybe not. ETA: And I was going to say, I had no idea we had a Maid-Rite in Lincoln Park but, from what I can tell, it’s not there anymore, so their foray into Chicago seems to have been short lived. Still, how did I miss that news? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/16 "2017-03-11T18:11:32Z")
[Here’s a video of them, with footage of them being made (start at around 2:15 if you want to get to the meat of it).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdTXimJi7pQ) They _do_ add a seasoning mix which seems to be mainly salt, sugar, and onion powder, but that’s all it is: ground beef cooked and broken up + these seasonings. No onion even in the way they make them except for the powder. (Other versions of loose meat/tavern sandwiches may contain actual onion.) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/17 "2017-03-11T18:22:45Z")
They do sound delicious. Especially if made with fresh ground and low fat burger meat. Could be a lucrative business if franchised nationally. I’m surprised Maid-Rite hasn’t added restaurants in more states. They’re currently in 5 states. > **[Maid-Rite Corporation - Locations](http://www.maid-rite.com/locations.php)** > > Maid-Rite's loose meat sandwich franchise has been making delicious Maid-Rite sandwiches since 1926. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/18 "2017-03-11T18:33:05Z")
> [@](#): > > a sloppy joe without the slop. :eek: mind blown. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/19 "2017-03-11T18:37:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > They do sound delicious. Especially if made with fresh ground and low fat burger meat. > > Could be a lucrative business if franchised nationally. > > I’m surprised Maid-Rite hasn’t added restaurants in more states. > > They’re currently in 5 states. > [Maid-Rite Corporation - Locations](http://www.maid-rite.com/locations.php) I think you need a reasonable amount of fat to keep them tasting good, but they do pour most of it off after cooking. Low fat meat would be a really dry sandwich. Low fat meat is terrible for burgers and this sort of thing. I don’t think they’d be too popular outside the areas that grew up with them. (And the fact that the one in Chicago closed down doesn’t surprise me.) They are a pain-in-the-ass to eat and I think most people would rather have a sloppy joe. As I said above, I don’t understand their appeal at all. Although, now, do to the suggestive abilities of the Straight Dope, I kind of want one. Nah. I’ll just make a sloppy joe later instead. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915/20 "2017-03-11T18:58:22Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > They’re currently in 5 states. > [Maid-Rite Corporation - Locations](http://www.maid-rite.com/locations.php) Not on that list is the [pre-franchise Maid-Rite](http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150829/NEWS/150829458) in my home town. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-loose-meat-maid-rite-sandwiches/781915.md?page=2)