I’ve been living south of Boston for quite a few years now. I’ve been in Taunton for 9 years. I lived in Randolph for 6 years before that and a couple of years in Norwood and in all that time I have not found a really good roast beef sandwich down here.
Oh we have great sea food and I found a few adequate prime ribs and steaks but no classic roast beef.
When I lived on the other side of Boston we had Bill & Bob’s, Riley’s and the standard by what all others were measured …Kelly’s Roast Beef.
When I lived on the North Shore the Kelly’s at Revere Beach was the one to go to. It didn’t just offer roast beef either. You could get your greasy fix with awesome fried seafood, onion rings and french fries. It was always mobbed.
A few years before I moved to the “other side” Kelly’s expanded and built Kelly’s in Saugus. I remember it opening but I never went there. Now there are 5 Kelley’s locations. Revere Beach, Saugus, Natick, Danvers, and Medford.
Finally getting a few hours off I felt a craving for a really good roast beef sandwich so I took the plunge and drove through Boston. 1.5 hour drive…like going to NYC for a cup of coffee! Since it was almost 90 degrees out I figured I’d never get near the beach so I headed to location #2, Saugus.
What a neat place! It’s huge and the decor is of a carousel.
They also have a huge fish tank.
You place your order at the counter and receive a plastic number, find a seat and first thing you know someone brings your lunch tray.
The place is sparkling clean and the roast beef turned out to be as good as I remembered….and this is a small!
Now I’ll have to try out the other locations!