Sloppy joe

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For the bar in Key West, see Sloppy Joe's (bar).

A Sloppy joe served with a side of potato chips

In the United States, a sloppy joe is a hot sandwich, typically composed of ground beef cooked in a skillet with highly seasoned tomato sauce or tomato paste and spread between two sides of a bun. Commercially made sauces, such as Manwich, are also available. Textured vegetable protein may be used as a vegetarian or vegan substitute for the meat. Sloppy joes are simpler version of a barbeque sandwich which uses shredded beef or pork and barbecue sauce. A sloppy joe that is made from ground turkey instead of ground beef is also known as a sloppy tom.[1]

The term "sloppy" comes from the fact that eating it as if it were a normal sandwich often results in the meat and sauce spilling out. It may also be served "open face", with the bun halves or slices of bread next to each other and the meat on top of each. A sloppy joe served with no bun at all is known as a saucy beefeater.

According to the "In Mama’s Kitchen" website,

"[R]esearch at the Carnegie Library suggests that the Sloppy Joe began in a Sioux City, Iowa, cafe as a "loose meat sandwich" in 1930, the creation of a cook named Joe..." [2]

In the Midwest, particularly in the state of Iowa, a variant known as the loosemeat sandwich, or a Maid-Rite is found. This version of the sandwich is made with only seasoned ground beef, and does not include a tomato-based sauce.

Sloppy joes are also referred to as wimpies in parts of the Northeast USA, especially northeastern Pennsylvania, and as "yip yips" in parts of southwestern Illinois near St. Louis.

[edit] Variations on the term

In parts of New Jersey, sloppy joe refers to a completely different type of sandwich.^[1] There are a handful of variations depending on the deli, but it will always include some sort of deli meat (turkey, ham, roast beef, or sliced cow tongue), coleslaw, and Russian dressing on rye bread. Legend has it, the sandwich was named after "Sloppy Joe's Bar" in Havana, Cuba. This is where Robert Sweeney, the mayor of Maplewood, first invented the sandwich, you see, "Sloppy Joe's" had a "make your own sandwich bar." Mr. Sweeney in a stroke of genius, asked for these ingredients, and here they are, from bottom to top, Large slice of lightly buttered rye bread (about 4"x10") Ham, swiss, coleslaw, russian dressing, another layer of buttered bread, tongue, swiss, coleslaw and russian dressing, and than another piece of buttered bread to top it off. The sandwich is than cut into eight pieces. When Mr. Sweeney returned to Maplewood he went to the "Town Hall Deli" in South Orange and asked for the same thing he got in Havana it became an instant classic. today the same sandwich is made with an assortment of meats and cheeses. The "Towne Hall Deli" was located on South Orange Ave. in South Orange until it was forced to move around the corner, on Valley Street, where it recently reopened. If you want the Original Joe you Must go to the Town Hall Deli in South Orange.

The version at the Towne Deli across from the New Providence train station historically was prepared sans corned beef or pastrami, as was the version at the Hill City Deli in Summit. Today, the Milburn Deli in Milburn makes many variations of the sandwich including pastrami, corned beef, ham and turkey. But the most popular is the Roast Beef Joe.

During the 1950s, sloppy joe was used to refer to a popular pullover sweater style. They were usually oversized and worn over unironed trousers (usually black), with the sleeves pushed up. It was a popular teenage fashion for boys and girls. This meaning is still used in parts of Australia, though it has come to identify any pullover sweater, for either sex.