Maid-Rites are a popular Midwestern loose meat sandwich, and are full of savory goodness. This is my version!
It’s time for another edition of You Know You’re From the Midwest When… (check out editions one and two!)
You know you’re from the Midwest when you don’t say “Maid who??” when I tell you Maid-Rites were on the menu tonight!
Maid-Rite, a popular Midwestern restaurant, specializes in “loose meat” sandwiches, aka seasoned ground beef on a warm bun. I know. Sounds… crazy?! It is, a little, I suppose – but we totally dig them. And NO they’re not sloppy joe’s!
I had to laugh when Ben told me a story about a co-worker who was visiting from the east coast last month and was asking people where she should eat while in town. Someone suggested Maid-Rite and was trying to explain the sandwiches to her…
“So it’s a sloppy joe then…”
“No, there’s no sauce.”
“So it’s just meat?”
“Yeah, but it’s seasoned.”
“But it’s still just ground beef…”
“Right, but it’s really good. Just trust me!”
HA! I can totally hear this conversation in my brain… Anyway, my Mom has a super recipe for Maid-Rites (oh also, you can just call them “maid-rites” and everyone will know what you’re talking about) so I cooked some up for dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef, could use 80/20 - just not super lean
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 beef boullion cube
- 1/2 cup water
- pepper
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons steak sauce
- Buns
Directions
- Sauté beef and onions until cooked then drain and return to pan.
- Add the rest of the ingredients then simmer for 30 minutes and scoop onto buns.
Notes
- Serve like you would a burger - this is more akin to a burger than a sloppy joe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I always get my maid-rites with a squeeze of cold ketchup and salty pickles. Perfection I tell you. Totally a crowd pleaser too – everyone will love these.
Bring a taste of the Midwest to your home, won’t you?
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Fill in the blank “You know you’re from (fill in your city/state here) when…”
Alternatively, do you have any unique local or regional dishes?
Iowa, of course, is know for their corn and pigs. NOT POTATOES – that’s Idaho (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten that!)
Can’t wait to make these! Thanks for the recipe!
Sorta tired of sloppy joes & wanted something different. I “googled” Maid-Rite recipe & up popped a link to IGE! Imagine my delight :-) Can’t wait to give “Mom’s Maid-Rite Recipe” a try. We used to live in a small town in S.E. Iowa & my husband would walk to Maid-Rite for lunch at least twice a week! Can’t wait to surprise him with this recipe!
Oh, Maid Rites are so good! I grew up in Kansas City, MO, (I had forgotten about Maid Rites and Pork Tenderloin sandwiches that are pounded thin and breaded. Want one right now!) and we would get them from a Maid Rite there in the 60’s & 70’s. When I first made these for my Texas family, they didn’t know what to think, expecting them to be like sloppy joe’s. Then they added lots of pickles, and now they love them. I make mine with chicken bouillon, but otherwise the same.
Remember when Roseanne bought a restaurant serving loose-meat sandwiches on her popular sit com? That was the last time I heard of them.
You know you are in Houston when, while eating at your fave Chicken Fried Steak place, they refill your Mason jar of iced tea, and it is so sweet you feel lightheaded. Plain tea is called unsweet. And they offer to heat up your strawberry-rhubarb pie for dessert.
LOVE Maid-Rites!!!! I seriously cant get enough of them when I visit family back in Iowa. I actually found a Maid-Rite restaurant outside of the state, which was incredible and a relief when I was in college.
When my mom makes them at home, we cook the beef then drain it, then add a can of diet coke…it has to be diet and it has to be coke. Then we let it boil off until the meat is dry. I dont know why but it tastes almost the same.
OMG, I will be in Des Moines and then on up to Marshalltown to visit relatives and we are going to Taylor’s Maidrite in Marshalltown. To die for! Thanks for the reminder!! Your recipe sounds delicious though!
You know you’re from Annapolis, MD when you put malt vinegar and Old Bay seasonings on your thick-cut, boardwalk fries. DELICIOUS!
awww, maid rites! I’m from Minnesota and my dad used to make homemade maid rites (or we’d just run off to the restaurant if he had to work late).
I just stumbled onto your blog. Moved to Florida from SE Iowa 25 years ago. I think we go back once a year just to get our Maid Rite, Pork tenderloin sandwich and don’t forget the Broasted Chicken!!
Can’t wait to try your Mom’s Maid Rite recipe, have tried to duplicate it many times and have failed. Hoping this is the one!
Thanks!!
I cannot wait to make this meal!!!!!! My hubs will love it!!!
Northwest Iowa calls sloppy joes ‘Taverns’ after the VFW taverns that served them. I now leave in eastern Iowa and realize the maidrite is NOT a tavern. BTW in SW Minnesota they call it a barbecue.
A long time ago a Maid-Rite owner told my dad one of his secrets to making the hamburger tender and less greasy is to cook it in Bubble Up. I dont think they make that pop (yes I am from Iowa, its NOT soda ha) so I usually use another citrus type pop. As long as its not too sugary like Mountain Dew or something like that. Sprite works ok. All of the grease and bad stuff floats to the top which you can skim off and the citrus in the pop tenderizes the meat. Sounds weird but it works great!
Eating these sweet potato fries at I type this!! Delicious!! Thanks for sharing the idea!
You know you’re in KY/WV when you eat your hot dog with “sauce” and coleslaw. Additionally: biscuits smothered with sausage gravy (made with milk) or biscuits with chocolate gravy. Now I like my hot dog with mustard and relish, and my biscuits with butter and jelly, but what do I know–I’m from Iowa!