# Roast Beef Sandwiches in the U.S. Ranked by Customer Preference

McAlister’s Deli Disappoints Despite Premium Reputation

If you’re looking for the most shocking revelation in the world of chain roast beef sandwiches, McAlister’s Deli might just break your heart. The chain I had previously heard nothing but praise for – and one that has a shiny reputation for its high-quality ingredients – was thoroughly dismaying with poor execution, leading to a lackluster showing for the chain’s Horseradish Roast Beef and Cheddar made with Black Angus roast beef, sharp cheddar, red onion, and horseradish sauce on toasted ciabatta, costing $9.79. The sandwich looked absolutely gorgeous on the outside but failed to deliver on taste. Upon unwrapping this bulky beast with what looked like the largest amount of slivered roast beef, initial reactions involved things like “wow,” “amazing,” and “I’m salivating,” but said hopes quickly deflated upon first bite as it may look meaty and rich, but it tasted anything but.

Potbelly’s Steakhouse Beef Falls Short of Expectations

The Chicago-based chain is one of the fast-growing sandwich shops in the country, but based on recent taste tests, quantity does not equate to quality, with another disappointing Potbelly sandwich. Their Steakhouse Beef sandwich features an appealing mix of ingredients that sounds promising on paper. The sandwich was a tasty-sounding medley of Angus roast beef, crumbled blue cheese, provolone, and horseradish aïoli, costing $9.59. The visual appeal was certainly there, but the execution left much to be desired. It’s meaty and looks like good quality with roast beef that appears succulent, and the cut is thicker than the rest of the sandwiches tried.

Arby’s Classic Roast Beef Surprises Critics

Here’s where things get interesting – Arby’s, the chain that’s practically synonymous with roast beef, delivers an unexpectedly impressive product. The biggest shocker of the entire taste test was the reaction to Arby’s Classic Roast Beef, with the author being an Arby’s neophyte who had zero interest in visiting a chain that focuses on deli meat, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the frills-free Classic Roast Beef is well worth the fanfare. The sandwich’s simplicity works in its favor rather than against it. Being quite shocked at how good this sandwich was – fantastic for fast food – with roast beef shaved wafer-thin that was ultra tender, with the actual taste being deeply rich and flavorful without being overly salty.

Jersey Mike’s Club Supreme Attempts Bold Flavors

Jersey Mike’s takes a more adventurous approach with their Club Supreme, packing multiple proteins into one substantial sandwich. The Club Supreme from Jersey Mike’s had a lot of potential, considering its meaty melee of roast beef, turkey, Swiss, applewood-smoked bacon, and mayo, and this bold offering wound up impressing way more than expected, plus the fact that the chain is skyrocketing in popularity has to bode well. The sandwich certainly delivers on visual impact and portion size. True to its name, this thing looked pretty supreme in the sense that it was super meaty and robust, though the roast beef was probably the least visually appetizing component, more closely resembling overcooked hamburger meat, but everything else from the fresh turkey and creamy mayo to the slivers of smoky bacon helped improve the overall average.

Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar Elevates the Original Formula

Sometimes the best improvements come from simple additions, and Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar proves this point beautifully. The two main differences between Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar and its Classic Roast Beef sandwich are the bun and the cheese sauce, with the Classic coming on a sesame seed bun while the Beef ‘n Cheddar comes on an onion bun, and this may seem like a small difference, but the onion bun really does add a lot of extra flavor with caramelized onions that add notes of earthy sweetness. The cheese sauce becomes the star player in this upgraded version. The cheese sauce on this sandwich is really the star of the show here, seeming nearly identical to the gooey, neon yellow stuff you get with movie theater nachos at the concession stand – and there’s something delightful about that. The texture improvements are notable too, making this a clear step up from the basic version.

Premium Deli Meat Quality Matters Most

When examining what makes the best roast beef sandwiches stand out, the quality of the actual meat becomes paramount. Trader Joe’s sliced roast beef has a great, natural texture that makes you feel like this came directly from an animal and not a dubious processing plant, with absolutely the best texture of the deli roast beef tried, and the meat is also just so damn juicy, almost like the brisket itself was brined, resulting in a burst of incredible seasoned flavor. The slicing method also plays a crucial role in the overall experience. It’s sliced really thin, too, which makes it the best roast beef for sandwiches, with thin slices of meat being more flavorful, ensuring tenderness, and also meaning there’s more air around the meat in a sandwich, allowing you to experience the taste better, and there’s a reason all the great delis serve their sandwiches this way.

Regional Variations Shape Customer Preferences

A comfort food staple, the roast beef sandwich often reflects its region, with America offering the best roast beef sandwiches. Different parts of the country have developed their own distinctive takes on this classic sandwich. A local Facebook group with 30,000 people, a strict criteria, and tons of beef will answer the question of where the best three-way roast beef sandwich in New England is. These regional preferences often influence how national chains adapt their offerings to local tastes. There’s nothing like a great roast beef sandwich, with some of the best versions spanning the country from New York to Los Angeles.

Sandwich Chain Market Dominance and Consumer Trends

The roast beef sandwich market is dominated by a few key players, each bringing their own approach to the classic formula. Arby’s is an American fast food sandwich restaurant chain with more than 3,300 restaurants, consistently ranking among the top sandwich chains in the United States, with Food & Wine calling Arby’s “America’s second largest sandwich chain (after Subway)” in October 2017. Meanwhile, Jersey Mike’s has been gaining significant ground in customer popularity. Jersey Mike’s seems to be the one winning the popularity contest right now, earning acclaim even among chefs, and while it’s riding high, the chain decided to try the most popular sandwiches it offers to see what all the fuss is about.

Modern Sandwich Innovation and Flavor Trends

Today’s roast beef sandwiches are evolving beyond the basic meat-and-bread combination as consumers demand more sophisticated flavors. Although seemingly simple, sandwiches can transform meals while satisfying hunger, with long gone days of plain bread and minimal fillings, replaced instead with innovative, authentic, and global ingredients, as today consumers have access to an array of options and want more from their food. The trend toward premium ingredients is reshaping the entire category. Flavors with roasted or grilled profiles have steady growth momentum as well and find suitability across different sandwich and burger fillings, with emerging flavors also having an exciting presence in sandwich trends. These innovations are pushing chains to elevate their offerings beyond traditional preparations.

Arby’s Continues to Lead Despite Controversies

Arby’s is best known for selling roast beef sandwiches, with other menu items the chain is known for including gyros, wraps, chicken sandwiches, and milkshakes, founded in Boardman Township, Ohio, on July 23, 1964, by brothers who thought there was a market opportunity for a fast food franchise based on a dish other than hamburgers. However, the chain faces some criticism regarding its sourcing practices. In a 2024 report titled Serving Up Superbags, Arby’s received an unmistakable “F” grade for failing to adopt any meaningful policy on restricting the use of antibiotics in its beef supply chain, and that failing grade wasn’t an isolated critique either, as Consumer Reports have repeatedly flagged Arby’s for dragging its feet on this public health issue. Despite these concerns, the chain continues to innovate with promotional offerings and maintains its market position.

Consumer Satisfaction and Beef Quality Preferences

Customer satisfaction with beef products remains consistently high across various purchasing channels and preparation methods. 91% of beef roast purchasers claimed to be satisfied with the eating experience from the beef they purchased, similarly 93% of beef steak purchasers and 91% of ground beef purchasers claimed satisfaction, and when consumers are asked to rank various protein sources by satisfaction levels, beef has consistently been ranked as a top protein source, with beef being top ranked for versatility, protein density, taste, and overall nutritional content. These high satisfaction rates translate directly to continued demand for quality roast beef sandwiches. According to Tastewise data, it remains popular as consumers gravitate toward familiar comfort foods, with the trend of adding modern flavors and creative pairings – such as pairing it with horseradish aioli or truffle-infused sauces – opening up opportunities for brands to innovate while honoring tradition.

The Future of Roast Beef Sandwich Rankings

Based on comprehensive taste tests and customer feedback analysis from recent years, the rankings reveal some surprising winners and disappointing losers in the roast beef sandwich category. The results were as eye-opening as they were shocking, with chains ranked in descending order from least favorite to the overall best. What emerges clearly is that brand reputation doesn’t always translate to sandwich quality, and sometimes the most unexpected chains deliver the most satisfying experiences. The market continues to evolve as consumers become more discerning about both taste and sourcing practices. TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, with extensive user ratings for roast beef sandwich varieties.