If you grew up on the North Shore or anywhere near Boston, you already know the sacred combo: rare roast beef, tangy BBQ sauce, cheese, and mayo piled on a toasted bun. That order has a name around here, and it is the three-way, or 3-way beef.
It is a Massachusetts food tradition that outsiders discover and never forget. This list rounds up eight shops across the state that do the three-way right, each with its own twist on the sauce, the roll, and the pile of thin-sliced beef.
Some sit right on the beach, some stay open late, and some quietly serve one of the best sandwiches in New England. Grab plenty of napkins and read on, because this is one you will want to save and share.
1. Kelly’s Roast Beef, Revere, MA
Few sandwich stops in Massachusetts come with a beach view like this one. Sitting right on Revere Beach Boulevard, Kelly’s serves meat-filled sandwiches, fried seafood, and burgers with the Atlantic just across the road.
The star is the Kelly’s Original Three Way Roast Beef, with the beef carved thin and piled on a soft, buttered, toasted roll. Add the sauce, mayo, and cheese and you have the sandwich locals swear by.
There is more here than beef, though. The menu runs deep with a lobster roll, fish plate, clam roll, and clam tenders, so the seafood crowd is covered too.
Just know the lobster roll comes plain, which surprises first-timers.
Open daily from 11 AM to 9 PM, it works for both lunch and dinner. Expect a wait since reservations are not a thing here, but there is usually plenty of free street parking.
Bring the family, order big, and eat with a million-dollar view of the coast.
2. Nick’s Famous Roast Beef, Beverly, MA
Serving hot roast beef sandwiches since 1975, this Beverly counter has had decades to perfect its craft. That kind of longevity says plenty on a coast full of beef shops.
The signature move is the three-way, built on melt-in-your-mouth roast beef sliced paper thin. It gets that hard-to-place barbecue sauce, creamy melted cheese, and a buttered, toasted onion roll holding the whole thing together.
People make detours off their route just to try the beef here, and many call it the best on the entire North Shore. Portions run generous, prices land in the ten to twenty dollar range, and the service moves fast even when it gets busy.
The menu stretches beyond beef with pastrami, a junior beef, chicken sandwiches, and Greek salad if you want variety. Open daily from 10 AM to 9 PM, with a restroom, high chairs, and plenty of parking.
Afternoons midweek through the weekend draw the biggest crowds, so plan around that if you want quiet.
3. Mike’s Roast Beef, Everett, MA
Night owls, this one is for you. Mike’s in Everett keeps its counter open until 2 AM every single day, which makes it one of the rare spots where a proper three-way is still an option long after other kitchens close.
The roast beef comes cooked to a tender medium rare, layered with cheese on a toasted onion roll, then finished with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce that carries a peppery kick. Fans rank the beef here above plenty of bigger names.
Beyond the sandwiches and wraps, the menu covers shakes, seasoned fries, onion rings, a grilled chicken sub, and clam chowder. It is unassuming from the outside, but the fresh beef does the talking.
You will find it at 115 Broadway with dine-in seating, a restroom, and easy parking. Friday and Saturday nights get busiest, while Sunday and Monday mornings stay calm.
Prices sit in the friendly ten to twenty dollar range.
4. Pete’s Roast Beef and Pizza, Woburn, MA
Order the Super Beef 3 Way here and you are looking at roughly eight to ten ounces of roast beef, cooked to a perfect pink and stacked ridiculously high. That is a serious pile for a counter shop.
The build lands on a toasted onion roll with cheese, mayo, and a BBQ sauce that carries a nice peppery taste. The beef-to-bun and sauce-to-mayo ratios are dialed in, and the meat comes out fresh, pink, and warm.
Since the name promises pizza too, you can round out the order with a Hawaiian or souvlaki pie, an Italian sub, mozzarella sticks, or a roast beef wrap. It is a no-frills, casual operation built for speed.
Find it at 100 A Winn St, open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 9 PM and closed Sundays. There is a restroom, wi-fi, outdoor seating, curbside pickup, and plenty of free parking.
Friday and Saturday evenings pack in the crowds.
5. Bella’s Roast Beef, North Andover, MA
The onion roll here earns loud praise, and that is the foundation of the whole sandwich. Bella’s crisps the bottom bun in butter until it holds up to a big pile of beef.
The Super Beef 3 Way arrives on that butter-crisped onion roll with roast beef shaved just right in true North Shore style. It runs on the medium-rare side, juicy and tender, and the BBQ sauce hits a nice balance of tangy and sweet with a little burn on the back end.
Alongside the beef you will find the Big Beef, pastrami, pizza, chicken tenders, and crispy onion rings. It is an authentic, no-fuss beef spot that regulars rank among the best in the state.
Note the schedule before you go: closed Mondays and Sundays, open Tuesday through Saturday, with a 9 PM close on Fridays. It sits at 1211 Osgood St with a restroom, free parking, and a kids’ menu.
Friday afternoons and evenings are the busiest stretch.
6. Jamie’s Roast Beef – Peabody, Peabody, MA
Picture three layers of perfectly cooked, tender roast beef stacked high on a soft, buttery onion roll. Top it with a signature tangy BBQ sauce, gooey cheese, and a generous dollop of mayo, and you have the reason people keep coming back to Jamie’s.
The bun is grilled and buttered to a delicious crisp, and the beef itself comes out so well cooked it is almost subtle. The Jr. Three Way is a smart pick if you want the full experience in an easier-to-handle size, though it still gets pleasantly messy.
The kitchen also turns out steak tip bombs, fried chicken sandwiches, wings, chicken fingers, beef salad, and some of the best fries around. Breakfast and catering are on the table too.
Located at 44 Margin St, it is open daily from 11 AM to 8 PM. There is a restroom, curbside pickup, and free parking.
Weekends and Sunday afternoons draw the biggest lines, so Tuesday mornings are your quiet window.
7. Hot Box Pizza & Roast Beef, Somerville, MA
Two hyper-local Boston food traditions live under one roof here. Hot Box pairs North Shore roast beef sandwiches with South Shore bar pizza, which is a clever mashup you do not see every day.
The roast beef three-way features rare beef, cheese, and a tangy, spicy BBQ sauce on a buttered and griddled bun. That griddled potato roll gets its own fan base, and the beef-to-sauce-to-cheese ratio is nicely balanced.
The junior roast beef three-way is the crowd favorite.
On the pizza side, the thin, crispy bar-style pies come in flavors like classic, pepperoni, buffalo chicken, and even a spicy pickle. There is a full vegan and vegetarian menu too, which is unusual for a beef joint.
You will find it inside Bow Market at 5 Bow Mkt Wy in Somerville. Hours vary by day, with a midday and evening split early in the week and longer weekend hours.
Street parking is paid and can be tight, so budget a little time to find a spot.
8. 110 roast beef Bradford, Haverhill, MA
Value hunters, take note. The toasted roast beef sub here runs around thirteen dollars, which stands out in an area where similar sandwiches climb toward eighteen for less beef.
The 3-way roast beef pairs fresh, tasty beef with a BBQ sauce that regulars call unbelievably good. It comes on a nice crispy, toasted bun, comes out fast, and holds up as one of the best roast beef sandwiches in Haverhill.
Beyond the beef, the menu covers pizza, sandwiches, onion rings, dessert, and other comfort fare, all served in a clean, casual setting with friendly staff. Some folks say the 3-way beef is good enough to belong on any North Shore list, even though Haverhill sits a bit inland.
Located at 691 S Main St in the Bradford section, it is open daily from 11 AM to about 8:45 PM. Delivery, takeout, and catering are available, it accepts reservations, and there is a free parking lot.
Evenings are the busiest stretch across the week.
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