Roast beef sandwiches have a quiet kind of loyalty in Minnesota. Once someone finds their spot, they tend to keep the address to themselves.
Around here, thin-sliced beef piled on soft bread, sometimes topped with cheese sauce or dark gravy, is treated like a family secret worth guarding. The eight places on this list all do roast beef a little differently, from strip mall counter joints to old-school diners and craft delis.
If you love a good beef sandwich and want a few new stops to try, this is a list you’ll want to hang onto.
1. Maverick’s Real Roast Beef, Roseville, MN
You would not expect a strip mall on Lexington Avenue to hold one of the most talked-about roast beef sandwiches in the Twin Cities, but here we are.
Maverick’s Real Roast Beef leans into its name. The beef is thinly sliced, tender, and cooked to a texture that reads more like medium-rare steak than the dry, overcooked beef you find elsewhere.
The menu keeps things focused on meat, with roast beef, brisket, and pulled pork all on offer. The Beef N Cheddar is a favorite, and the cheese sauce here has earned its own following.
The Open Face Roast Beef is another way to get your fix, and the mashed potatoes and gravy round out a plate nicely.
It is a counter-service spot with a calm, casual feel and no table service. Prices run about $10 to $20 per person, and it is open every day from 11 AM to 8 PM.
Parking is easy, and it works well for a solo lunch or a group. Saturday afternoons draw the biggest crowds.
2. Wally’s Roast Beef, Bloomington, MN
Long lunch lines are usually a good sign, and Wally’s in Bloomington has them.
The setup is a bare-bones counter-serve joint with seating, the kind of retro diner that trades on doing a few things very well. Roast beef is the headliner, sliced thin and perfectly cooked instead of overdone.
Pair it with the onion rings and a vanilla malt or chocolate shake, and you have a lunch that regulars return to over and over. The blue plate hot open-faced roast beef sandwich is a comfort classic, and the menu also stretches to a Reuben, Wally’s Meatloaf, and Boston Clam Chowder.
One thing to note is the schedule. Wally’s runs a tight lunch window, open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM and closed on Sunday.
If you are counting on that sandwich, plan your timing.
Service is fast, prices land around $10 to $20 per person, and parking is generally plenty. Weekday afternoons get busy, so an early lunch helps.
3. Corktown Eatery & Bar, Duluth, MN
Craft delis are having a moment, and Corktown in Duluth shows why the format works so well for roast beef.
The kitchen builds sandwiches with fresh deli meat and homemade bread, and it is not shy about layering in flavor. A smothered and stacked roast beef sandwich comes with garlic mashed potatoes and plenty of gravy, and a side of gravy for dunking is part of the appeal.
The rest of the menu shows the same creative streak, with a Pastrami Reuben, the Butcher on the Rye, a Classical BLT, and beef tallow fries. The deli case itself is worth a look before you order.
It is a little more of a sit-down experience than the counter joints on this list, with prices around $20 to $30 per person. Hours run daily from 11 AM to 9 PM, with Friday and Saturday evenings drawing the crowds.
Free wi-fi, a welcoming vibe, and takeout options make it flexible for however you want to eat.
4. Buffalo House, Duluth, MN
A campground cafe might be the last place you would look for a standout roast beef sandwich, and that is exactly what makes Buffalo House fun.
Set on Guss Road in Duluth, it serves up comfort bites, burgers, steaks, and a menu that wanders into Mexican dishes and pasta too. The roast beef star here is the Doc Holiday, a roast beef and cheesesteak style sandwich with meat that pulls apart easily and a well-seasoned au jus.
The bread matters too, since the kitchen bakes its own buns in house. Portions run large, and the broader menu covers prime rib, a smoked brisket burger, and homemade onion rings.
Buffalo House keeps late hours, open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 1 AM and weekends starting at 9 AM. Weekend breakfast and brunch are on the table as well.
It is casual and roomy, welcomes families, and takes reservations. Prices sit around $10 to $20 per person.
5. Grandma’s Kitchen, Rochester, MN
If you have been chasing that old-school greasy spoon feel in Rochester, Grandma’s Kitchen holds down the classic diner tradition.
On North Broadway, it serves homestyle fare like pancakes, burgers, and roast beef, plus a soda fountain for good measure. The hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy is the plate to know, tender and flavorful and generously sized.
You can order it open-faced, and there is even a half portion if the full plate feels like too much. Breakfast runs strong too, with chicken fried steak and eggs and biscuits and gravy pulling in the morning crowd.
Hours are diner-friendly, opening at 6 AM Monday through Sunday and closing later on weekdays. Saturday mornings are the busiest stretch.
It is family-friendly and quiet, with fast service and prices around $10 to $20 per person. Reservations are accepted, and parking is easy to find.
6. Canadian Honker Restaurant, Rochester, MN
Some restaurants earn their reputation simply by staying busy for years, and Canadian Honker in Rochester is one of them.
It is a veteran eatery known for breakfast and a full menu of American comfort food, and the hot roast beef sandwich has a steady group of regulars. The open-faced version, served with gravy, is the way most people order it.
The kitchen makes its food from scratch, and the roast beef sits comfortably alongside other favorites like the walleye sandwich, fish and chips, and a lineup of homemade desserts including chocolate raspberry cake and peanut butter pie.
Open daily from 7 AM to 9 PM, it covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with fast, friendly service. Friday evenings are the busiest.
The setting is casual and welcoming to families and groups, with outdoor seating in warmer months. Prices run about $10 to $20 per person, and there is usually plenty of parking.
7. Bridgeman’s, Duluth, MN
Generations of Duluth families have grown up on Bridgeman’s, a long-running fixture as well known for ice cream as for its diner plates.
The vintage setting comes with a wide menu, but beef lovers have two reasons to stop by. The hot roast beef open-faced sandwich is classic diner comfort, and the French dip stands out with thick slices of tender beef, sauteed onions, and cheese served with au jus.
Breakfast is a strong draw here too, with options like California Benny Eggs Benedict and a country-style breakfast. And since this is Bridgeman’s, saving room for the creative ice cream is a fair idea.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM, closed on Sunday, with Saturdays the busiest all day long.
It is casual, family-friendly, and popular with college students and visitors alike. Prices sit around $10 to $20 per person, and parking is straightforward.
8. Charlie’s Eatery & Pub, Rochester, MN
Rochester has plenty of options, but Charlie’s has a way of becoming an immediate favorite once people find it.
Set in the Hillcrest Shopping Center, it is a relaxed American eatery with pub grub, daily specials, and karaoke on the calendar. The hot beef sandwich is a reliable comfort order, and the Philly beef sandwich gives you another way to get your beef fix.
Loaded potatoes and other pub classics round out the plates, and the friendly service keeps things easygoing. It is the kind of family restaurant that works for a casual lunch or a late-night bite.
Hours are generous, opening at 6 AM every day and running late into the evening, with Friday and Saturday stretching well past midnight. Thursday through Saturday tend to be the busiest.
The atmosphere is casual and family-friendly, with prices around $10 to $20 per person and plenty of on-site parking. It rounds out this list as a laid-back spot to end your roast beef tour.
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