Steveats: Johnny Pastrami (but really, roast beef)

Debuting a new, semi-regular feature! I tryout questionable food items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)

One fast food item that I think is chronically underrated would be the roast beef sandwich. In Rhode Island, we have a chain called Walt’s, and they provide delicious roast beef on toasted buns, with the same heat-lamp fries that you’d get from Roy Rogers. Even Arby’s, while it’s not a favorite of mine, I still find their sandwiches edible and their deals ($5 for five sandwiches!) delicious.

At the truck stop that houses Sbarro’s and Nathan’s on the border of Rhode Island and Connecticut, there is also some place called Johnny Pastrami’s. I’m guessing this is a chain that is owned by Nathan’s, because they share French fries and some other menu items, but I’d never heard of it before sampling a sandwich on Sunday night.

From the name, I’d guess their specialty is pastrami, but that’s a meat I’ve never cared much for. However, the number two item on the board was roast beef, and I’m always game for that. Even better, they served me a hot, soggy sandwich, which does happen to be my favorite prep when it comes to a roast beef. I want that bun to soak up the juices! Make it an unofficial French dip with au jus.

Oddly, the #3 item on the board was a burger, and someone else ordered one while I was there. They actually got a burger patty out of a cooler and put it on a grill top, which shocked me. Actual cooking at a rest stop?!?! I might have to give that the ole Steveats try next time I’m in the area. For the time being though, I can whole heartedly recommend the Johnny Pastrami roast beef, if you like them soggy roast beef sandwiches. It’s definitely not for you though if you want the conventional sandwich with all the fixings.

Want to support Steve’s blogging? Then purchase something via the Amazon clickthru link for Your Parents Basement, Steve’s other project! If you have a request for a future Steveats, leave it in the comments on here or on my Facebook. To check out some of the past Steveats, go here!

Steveats: Roy Rogers – Master of microwave burgers, heat lamp fries

They certainly look vaguely edible!

Debuting a new, semi-regular feature! I tryout questionable food items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)

When it comes to microwaved cheeseburgers and French fries that stay warm via heat lamp, there is no better store for you than the Roy Rogers “restaurants” strewn about the New Jersey Turnpike. There is no better alliance between a state and a good chain than

New Jersey and Roy Rogers. They just seem perfect for one another.

The food at Roy Rogers reminds me of the warmed-over cafeteria grub I would get in middle and high school, and oddly, I do mean that as a compliment. I think this Steveats feature has proven that I have pretty horrible taste at times, and an affinity for junky, glucose-filled food. Roy Rogers is the closest thing to cafeteria food that an adult can just purchase in public.

I grabbed some shortly after midnight on Sunday, and my body seemed mostly OK with being subjected to a cheeseburger and perfectly adequate fries. The burger looked a little bit sad, so I managed to spice things up a bit with the fixings they offered – namely, ketchup, mustard and some sort of cheap salsa chop.

So then! Conventional reviews are kind of worthless when it comes to Roy Rogers. From my description of them, you should know whether or not they have something that appeals to you. In additional to the burgers and fries, they also have roast beef, fried chicken, chicken patties and chicken nuggets, and really overpriced soft drinks. Again, it’s just like your high school cafeteria!

Want to support Steve’s blogging? Then purchase something via the Amazon clickthru link for Your Parents Basement, Steve’s other project! If you have a request for a future Steveats, leave it in the comments on here or on my Facebook. To check out some of the past Steveats, go here!

Quirky crap I enjoy buying: Sbarro, Roy Rogers and tall-boy Diet Pepsi

So, on the Connecticut and Rhode Island border in North Stonington, there is this funky little corporate truck stop known as American Auto Stop. This makes it sound like an auto shop, but no, it is just a 24-hour store with a Sbarro's, Roy Rogers, a diner and a full store of other miscellaneous crap. According to the three other user reviews of the place, it is garbage and fly-infested, but it has always been clean the half dozen times or so I've visited. This dude wrote a four-page thesis paper on the place, and the comments are also noticeable for complaints about some girl being a crack whore.

I've always been fascinated with stores like this, because they all seem to have the same stuff, yet different. For example, this one is the only place I've seen that has the 16 oz. "Tall Boy" cans of diet soda that I've posted at the top of this entry. They are indeed only $0.99, which is awesome! After normal business hours for the restaurants, they put the excess Sbarro slices and Roy Rogers chicken into the fridges and mark the price down to like $0.69 each. mmm.

Speaking of, I have an unexplainable affection for Sbarro. Whether it is their thin cheese pizza that sells for two-for-$2.22 or the pepperoni stromboli or the pizza with a whole garden salad on top essentially or the super ridiculous garlic bread or the cucumber salad... I love it all. (I have such unbelievably low taste at times.)

The Diet Pepsi picture comes from this site, which seems to just be an aggregator, so don't worry if you don't click it. The piece of Sbarro pizza comes from this site.