A few weeks ago, I drove (in the snow) to Sioux City in northwest Iowa. I stopped at the Tastee Inn & Out, a retro drive-thru restaurant known for its "Tastee" sandwiches. The Tastee is a loose-meat sandwich, or a "tavern" as folks in northwest Iowa call them. (I grew up calling them "maid-rites." My husband, who grew up in far northwest Iowa, calls them taverns.)
Did I mention it was snowing? So I didn't want to leave my car to take the photos. Here's the view of the Tastee Inn & Out neon sign from my car window.
There's a tire store right next to the Tastee Inn & Out. Couldn't help but notice this guy.
I ordered a Tastee and fries for $2. Pretty much can't beat that deal.
Are loose-meat sandwiches a Midwest thing? What does your family call them: taverns, maid-rites or sloppy joes?
I have always called it a maid-rite. If lots of a tomatoe sauce added to it then I call it sloppy joes. I have never heard the term "tavern" applied to this sandwich. I guess we are clueless here in Central Iowa. LOL
ReplyDeleteI also grew up calling them maid-rites, probably because of the Maid Rite chain. The best maid rite, of course, used to be at Taylor's in Marshalltown. On our way home from a weekend trip a few years ago with my mom, sister, and aunt, we decided to detour through Marshalltown for a stop at Taylor's. I had not been there in about 12 years. I was a little disappointed, my maid-rites were not quite as good as I remembered them. The chocolate malts were, however, so it wasn't a total waste of a detour!
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