Review Redo: Jillie's Family Restaurant, 600 Rogers St Lowell, MA 01852

When we last checked in with Jillie's back in November of 2013 they impressed us with a quality roast beef that had some unique flavors. Their regular customers say that their best trait is how consistent they are. Let's see if we can say the same.

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Bun: This bun is still amazing. Extremely soft and fresh with amazing flavor. I have since found out they get their buns from Piantedosi Banking Co. in Malden. Looks like the same company that Kelly's Roast Beef uses except a different bun (Kelly's opts for the sesame bun instead of the onion roll, a mistake.)  No grilling is still the only thing that keeps this bun from a perfect score, Yet again it's not missed in this sandwich, but rules right?   Score: 4 

Beef: Tender beef with still a bit of chew. The fans are right about the consistency because again I got one fatty piece mixed in with my 6 oz of perfection. This beef is SUPER JUICY! They must dip it in the juices before assembly because it was dripping with beef and garlic flavor. Score: 5

Sauce: Sweetness up front with a nice building spice that gives you a great burn! I don't think this is James River as it undoubtedly tastes unique. Score: 5
 Overall: Last time I commented that this might of been a 5, This time it is. Score: 5

Review Redo Outcome: Jillie's has a vibe of their own but this is no light weight. 

Review Redo: Route 110 Roast Beef and Seafood, 66 Haverhill Rd, Amesbury, MA 01913

As you know we like to check in sometimes and do a review redo, especially when its one of the few restaurants to hold a 5 star rating! Let's see if Route 110 is still making a top notch beef. 

Bun: I can't believe how well this bun was executed today. The entire sandwich had tremendous amounts of crunch. Even the center was super crispy. The flavor was a perfect pairing of strong butter and onion with a hint of poppy seed.  Score: 5

Beef:  Tender, but not melt in your mouth, this beef had just a bit of bite in it. Lots of natural beef flavor here.  Score: 4

Sauce: So much sauce. This time the vinegar tang came through, This could be due to the massive quantity of sauce on this thing. Either way its an improvement. Score: 5

Overall:  Still one of the best around. Today's example was much messier and larger than the last Super Beef we received from Rt110. Score: 5

Review Redo Outcome: Route 110 knows how to grill a killer bun! 

Review Redo: Billy’s (Famous) Roast Beef & Seafood, 1291 Main Street,Wakefield, MA. 01880

A good friend from of mine from out of state came into town to visit this weekend. When it came time to pick a place for lunch I suggested a roast beef. His answer of "Like Arby's? I could do that" left my mouth a gasp. I knew what needed to be done... 

Previous review here

Bun:  Taste super fresh today, with lots of onion and egg flavor. They also added poppy seeds. It needed more grilling so minus 1 on this sandwich. Score: 4

Beef:  Melts in your mouth tender! With the beef flavor I dream about. Absolutely cooked and shaved perfectly.  Score: 5

Sauce: Perfect tang and slightly spicier than last time. Score: 5

Overall: Always satisfying. Score: 5

Notes:  This sandwich was piping hot.

Elliot's first real roast beef Super/Sauce/Mayo

Bun: "Soft, good taste" 

Beef: "Nice and pink!" 

Sauce:  "The sauce mixed great with mayo, some parts were nice and spicy"

Overall: "It felt like eating a warm hug." 

Review Redo Outcome:

Absolutely top notch and very steady from one sandwich to the next. 

Route 110 Roast Beef and Seafood, 66 Haverhill Rd, Amesbury, MA 01913

This review marks a first for Beef Day, as it was a take out order. Which makes it even more impressive because the first thing I noticed was how piping hot the roast beef was. Imagine if I had eaten it on location!

Bun: If I wanted to be extra picky (and let's face it we often are here at Beef Day) I could say this bun needed a little more onion. But the fact is the grilling and overall flavor more than made up for a few missing onion flecks. This bun was so crispy that each bite had an audible crunch followed by that delicious buttery flavor we love.  Score: 5

Beef: Perfect beef is hard to come by. It need's to be tender, just out of the roaster warm, and full of it's own beef flavor. That's what Route 110 Roast Beef and Seafood was able to serve up here. The natural beef flavor shined through this sandwich with every bite.  Score: 5

Sauce: If you like sweet, this sauce is for you. Tons of tomato sweetness up front with very little vinegar taste. Which is a little bit of a shame because you loose that tang. The spice seems to be mostly black pepper based, so not much burn up front but a nice build up as the sandwich progresses Score: 4

Overall: Wow I'm impressed. A great sandwich with it's own flavor profile, that's what I like to see! Score: 5

Notes:  Oh serving size was great as well, two bites in and I had beef falling all over the place!

Billy’s (Famous) Roast Beef & Seafood, 1291 Main Street, Wakefield, MA. 01880

Billy's Roast Beef in Wakefield is a childhood favorite of mine. In 6th and 7th grade when we had a half day of school we used to take the bus to Billy's and buy ourselves a super beef with everything. It wasn't until years later that I realized how lucky I was to have this restaurant so close by when I was growing up. One quick note: this is a cash only establishment, so hit the bank on the way over.    

I realize that looks like cheese but its mayo, this sandwich was sans cheese.

Bun: This bun is super crispy, most places just the edges are golden brown, not the case here. The entire bun was crispy. The flavor was great but I think it could use a little more onion. Score: 4

Beef:  First bite into this sandwich the thing I noticed was the beef, so so so tender. There is absolutely no pull to it. and you barely need to chew it just melt away in your mouth. The flavor is nice and understated, you taste the beef here not seasonings. Score: 5

Sauce: Good spice right off the bat. At no point did my lips go numb so I would hold this one at medium spice. Has strong black pepper notes, but isn't overly sweet or vinegary. Very balanced.  Score: 5

Overall: I may be biased but this sandwich was great, exactly what I look for in a roast beef. The balance between sauce, bun, and beef was excellent as well as the portion size. There was beef falling out as soon as you picked up the sandwich. Definitely a sandwich I could and will order again and again. Score: 5

Notes: Billy's has quite posibley the most creamy and tasty mayo I have ever had. Not sure what it is they use but its excellent. Not to mention they are not shy about using it. (see photo above)

Bonus Guest Review

Kate's Super Beef Extra Sauce:

Bun: "Loved the buttery flavor, and it was crispy right up to last bite. I also liked that the onion flavor was not overwhelming." Score: 5

Beef: "So tender. I could easily take a clean bite." Score: 5

Sauce: "It had good spice to it. At first I didn't think they gave me enough but I was surprised as I went. Nothing that made me Ooo and Ahh but solid."   Score: 4

Overall: "Definitely one of the best I've had" Score: 5