A tavern sandwich is a sandwich commonly consumed in Iowa in the United States, originally consisting of unseasoned ground beef on a bun, mixed with sauteed onions, and sometimes topped with pickles, ketchup and mustard. The tavern has a number of different names. Two of the most commonly used are "loose meat" and Maid-Rite.
The sandwich was independently created twice: first in 1920 by Carroll Dietz of Missoula, Montana, and again in 1934 by Abraham Kaled at Ye Olde Tavern in Sioux City, Iowa.[1] It is the latter location which gave the sandwich its name.[1] Maid-Rite began selling their version of the sandwich in 1926 under the name "Loose Meat," predating the name "tavern sandwich".[2] In Illinois, this sandwich is also known as a "loose hamburger sandwich".[3]
The tavern sandwich is unlike a hamburger, because a tavern's meat is cooked loose rather than formed into a compact patty.[4] It more closely resembles a sloppy joe, without the tomato sauce.[4]
The sandwich is well known throughout the Midwestern United States, and is served not only in small, local establishments but also in franchise locations such as Dairy Queen. The Wichita, Kansas-based chain Nu Way Cafe serves a version of the tavern/loose meat sandwich called a "Nu Way".[5]
In later seasons of the American sitcom Roseanne, Roseanne Connor (Roseanne Barr) co-owns a restaurant called the "Lunchbox" in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, which specializes in loose meat sandwiches.[6]