Pano's Roast Beef, 225 Lowell Rd, Hudson, NH 03051

I have to admit I saw this place and thought to myself I should look elsewhere. It wasn't until I got a recommendation from an acquaintance that I should try it out that I actually stopped. You see Pano's Roast Beef is located in an inconvenient and dumpy looking strip mall. Inside is a desolate (yet extremely clean) dining room with maybe ten tables spread wide apart. The Parking lot is quiet and there is no one waiting to order. None of this adds up to an establishment that is known for it's great beef. But as soon as you meet the husband and wife duo that owns and operates Pano's you want them to be great. They are friendly and hard working. He has a huge fro and she is quick to help you out with a smile. when I told her that I was informed that they made a great roast beef sandwich she quipped back "Don't believe everything you hear!" 

Bun: First bite, no crunch. While there was visible evidence that the bun was grilled there was no proof that it wasn't grilled yesterday. The over all flavor was fine, with good sweet onion bits, but not great. Score: 2

Beef: The highlight of this sandwich by a long shot is the beef. It tastes like your eating a fine steak! Tons of warm, extra rare roast beef that is so juicy that you could use a bib. While the bun seemed old this was 100% shaved for my sandwich. It was loaded with awesome amounts of beef Au Jus flavor and some hints of herbs and spices. Perfection  Score: 5

Sauce: Looked like a decent serving of sauce but I couldn't taste it. I will give it points for the fact that it didn't mask the awesome beef flavor. Also when I received my sandwich she asked if I would like some extra sauce on the side, an offer I was a fool to turn down. I did notice after the fact other diners had a squirt bottle of sauce on the table. Next time, Next time...Score: 2

Overall: While Pano's beef is spot on their roast beef sandwich is not. The dull bun and unremarkable sauce is only saved by the masterfully roasted roast beef and friendly staff. Score: 3

Giovanni's Pizza & Roast Beef, 141 Main St Salem, NH 03079

Giovanni's started out in Lynn Ma back in 1976. Since then they have expanded to 10 restaurants including this Salem location which opened back in 2005. They brag about their pizza, roast beef, and home made salad dressing, stating that it is all "top quality" and made fresh every morning.

Bun: This bun was dense and soft, with an awesome amount of onion flavor. Look at the size of those onions! It reminded me a lot of the buns you buy in the deli section of Market Basket. It needed more toasting as the middle was soggy and there was no crisp beyond the edges. Score: 4

Beef: Super rare and tender but very thick slices (Some sections where almost 1/8 of an inch thick). I found the flavor was lacking anything that made it special, but they did give you an enormous serving of beef. A few fatty pieces made their way into my sandwich so I doubt they are using a great cut. Over all impression here was not much flavor and far too thick. Score: 2

Sauce:  Perfect burn, sweetness, and a decent amount of sauce Score: 5

Overall: Portion size was out of control so come hungry, I had to pick some beef out as it was too much for lunch. This could be a really amazing sandwich with a little tweaking as all the issues I had here were preparation not ingredients, (better grilling, thinner slicing) but as is it is average. Score: 3

Jasmine's Famous Roast Beef & Seafood, 178 Lafayette Rd, Seabrook, NH 03874

Located just over the boarder in tax-free New Hampshire, Jasmine's Famous Roast Beef & Seafood is easily accessible from both Hampton and Salisbury beaches. While not the best roast beef we have reviewed, Jasmine's offers up a quality beef product along with a full menu of fried clams, onion rings, and fresh subs that looked every bit as tempting.

Bun:            

Talk about crispy! This over sized onion bun was grilled perfectly with nice crispy edges. The bun it's self lacks onion flavor, which you could tell just by looking at it. (hard to spot those onion flecks) Score: 3

Beef:  

A little dark and chewy on the corners this beef remained tender and pink in the center. Not ideal but not bad. Serving size on the the super beef was not over generous.   Score: 3

Sauce: 

Where they held back on beef they went gangbusters on sauce and mayo. This made for a messy sandwich that left me wanting for wet naps on the way out the door. The sauce was tangy with strong vinegar and black pepper notes but the burn didn't last long and there is no build up of spice. Score: 4

Overall:       

Over all this is an average beef. Not a place I would go out of my way to get to but you could do a lot worse. Score: 3

Bonus guest review

Kate's Jr Beef Extra Sauce:

Bun:            

"First few bites were nice and crispy"  Score: 4

Beef:  

"My beef seemed really tender but lacked any flavor of it's own" Score: 3

Sauce: 

"Sauce was really tangy, with quick burn, HUGE plus for giving me a ton of extra sauce when I asked for it."  Score: 3

Overall:       

 "Overall a solid roast beef" Score: 3