Several months back I came across write ups of the North Shore Beef sandwich common in Massachussets, and I was intrigued. The more I read about the simple components that make up a North Shore beef, the more I thought I would like it, and (this is heresy), the more I thought it sounded like the origin of an Arby's Roast Beef sandwich. Not that they sounded in any way similar as far as execution, but it sounded like the Arby's version probably took inspiration from the original North Shore.

I went as far as to order some James River BBQ sauce online, known to be a required staple for this sandwich, and I confirmed that Arby's sauce has the same general idea. I made a version at home using James River sauce and deli roast beef shaved as thin as my local grocery could do it. And it was good enough that when I ended up traveling to Boston this weekend, finding an authentic Beef joint was high on my itinerary. Fortunately, my non-red meat-eating wife is a very good sport when it comes to my regional food quests.

North Shore Beef in its traditional form (often called a 3-way):
Toasted and pressed onion roll
Shaved roast beef on the rare side
Slice of white american cheese
Duke's mayo
James River BBQ sauce (and a lot of it)

Looking on my route one day between Boston and Salem, I decided on Altha's in Peabody from among the internet's recommended beef spots (Quirky fact - beef sandwiches of the area often are served in shops that sell "Beef and Pizza" or "Beef and Seafood."

Here's my sandwich. It was SO good. I was a little concerned with how rare the meat was, but it was unbelievably tender. Incredibly messy, but I believe that's part of the experience. If you have an opportunity to grab a North Shore Beef and haven't had one before, I highly recommend it.