Roast Beast, a new sandwich shop just past West Campus, may not look like much from the outside. Actually, it doesn’t look like much on the inside, either, but this place is not going for ambiance. They focus on the food. They only offer one item: the roast beef sandwich.
“I grew up on roast beef,” says owner DJ Lawton (SMG ’09). “It’s a food no one has done well near BU.” Indeed, Lawton does his best to make the best beef sandwich he can. Diners have their choice of bread (I recommend the onion roll) and sauce (barbeque, honey-dijon, horseradish) but the real star is the meat itself. “This is a small spot,” Lawton explains, “so you can’t fit a rotisserie oven.” Despite the tight quarters, Roast Beast has their beef made special off premises and brought in regularly.
The supporting players are equally as impressive as the hefty, moist, tender hunk of meat in the middle. Pickles–Wickles, to be specific– are also available. They start off sweet, then get spicy, then cool back down to sweet. In addition, Beast offers several different sauces, rotated daily. Highlights include the honey-dijon or horseradish, but the real star is the aptly named “Beast Sauce.” It’s some sort of spiced barbeque sauce, but Lawton won’t divulge any more information. “I can’t tell you how we make it, because it’s a secret,” he says.
“A lot of people say they don’t like barbeque sauce,” adds John Le, the certified chef at Beast, “But we go through two bottles of that stuff a day.” I have to admit that I was skeptical about the Beast Sauce, but boy is it good. Imagine everything gross about artificial barbeque sauce replaced with an earthy smoke that mellows out to just the perfect amount of heat. It’s kind of ridiculous.
Though it’s only open currently from 12-7 p.m., Lawton has plans of expanding. “By Marathon Monday, we’re going to do a roast beef challenge,” he promises. “Start doing Sunday, late nights, summer drinks.” Among those drinks is the Raspberry Lime Ricky, a refreshing pick-me-up for the impending warmer weather, a brilliant light touch to wash down a big meaty sandwich.
Of course, if you don’t quite care for beef, they occasionally offer sliced chicken or turkey, you just have to know to ask for it.
Roast Beast opened in February in the location that used to be The Joint, which was also run by Lawton. “Food’s a lot less stressful,” he says. “We’re not going anywhere.”
As far as quality, simplicity, and flavor, Roast Beast delivers– and for an unbelievable price. $5 for a regular sandwich, $7 for a large, with no extra charge for sauces or pickles. The guys at Beast are also quick to offer samples of sauce. They plan to make new flavors all the time.
“When you just try to do one thing good, that’s all it takes,” Lawton says. In the case of Roast Beast, they do that one thing on a whole different level.
Roast Beast of Boston is located at 1080 Com Ave (across from Star Market). Open Monday-Saturday, 12-7 p.m. Cash only.
