I know I’ve now written about Roll-n-Roaster multiple times and, given that it’s a bit of a fast food place (well, the food isn’t fast, but…), this is pretty surprising. But the food is awesome, not expensive, and BF and I love going there before or after a movie at the Sheepshead Bay UA. It’s our place!
Our order rarely varies much – housemade lemonade, which is always tarty, gently sweet, and super refreshing…
Roast beef with jus for him (though I’m trying to convince him to add grilled onions [free] for next time, and I think he’s starting to come around!), an order of fries, an order of corn fritters, and for me, roast beef with cheese, now grilled onions, and I add pickle relish to it, which might sound weird but is actually really good, and a cup of cheese for me to dip the fries. This time, we added onion rings, which were crunchy and perfectly fried. The corn fritters, per usual, were – to quote myself – “crunchy nuggets filled with creamy bits of delicious sweet corn” – seriously, the best corn fritters I’ve ever had. The exterior isn’t over fried or too much batter, just right, with the bestest insides ever. The fries can be hit or miss – sometimes there aren’t enough crunchy ones to suit my tastes and are more of the soft kind, but usually there’s a good mix of super crunchy and regular, which makes both of us happy. And the roast beef is always, always yummy. The bread is soft, while the roast beef itself yields completely when I bite into it, making each bite a meltingly good mouthful of beef, cheez, pickle relish and grilled onions.
Love.
Yvo says: I find each and every meal here – and I’ve easily been here at least 50 times in the 8 years since I first visited – to be great, the same price (nope, prices haven’t been raised in this time), and satisfying. I always want to try something new, but I can never bring myself to move away from the fantastic roast beef sandwich. Are there better places in the city? Probably, but the combination of the great price, the awesome old school feel to the place, and the location right next to the movie theater just really add up to an excellent experience. I know I will return again and again and again…
recommended
Lizz says
I have nothing but love for this place. The boy and I especially love their chicken wings with spicy garlic sauce. Not the best thing to eat during a date but hey at this point in a relationship who cares hehe.
Hungry says
I want those corn nuggets! Is it like cream of corn but fried?
Also, hello roast beef food tour!
T.C. says
This sounds much better than Arby’s or Roy Rogers. 😛
Never been to R-n-R. Pretty far from me.
BeerBoor – can you deep-fry up corn fritters? lol.
BeerBoor says
I could, but I’d have to charge you.
Sounds like an interesting place, but I’ve a feeling I’m stuck with the Lobel’s steak sandwich at Yankee Stadium as my life doesn’t take me to Sheepshead Bay all that often. Granted, one sandwich there is about as much as two entire meals here, but…
John Wozniak says
The Q train to Sheepshead Bay is not that far from anywhere (from 14th Street in Manhattan for example) and the walk along the water towards Roll-N-Roaster is absolutely beautiful — there is even a little park right on the water, with benches, about a block before (it). You can even buy fresh, line caught fish from the inbound fishing boats, right off the docks, with some good timing…
My better half and I regularly (once every two months or so) treat ourselves to some roast beef sandwiches and cheese fries at Roll-N-Roaster — which is, when considering the sum of its parts, one of my favorite places on earth :)! If you want to experience the REAL, non/pre hipster Brooklyn (e.g. no one wears character glasses here) look no further — kitsch with no irony — such a rare thing these days :D.
Nearby Brennan & Carr is OK (too salty, IMO), but I prefer Da Roastah ;). It is like Roy Rogers/Arby’s from Heaven!
Glad you dig the place Fiesty. It’s a gem!
BeerBoor says
I disagree about distance. While the Q train is everywhere, it’s a solid 45 minutes from Midtown to that part of Brooklyn. 90 minutes round-trip, that better be some unbelievable roast beef for me to make the trip more than very rarely.
John Wozniak says
I tend to think that most of what makes life interesting are the in between parts — the journey so to speak. In light of all the slowdowns with any MTA properties, 45 minutes one way does not seem that bad to me, but then again I grew up in the “country”; where driving 45 minutes to a good movie theater was “par for the course” and quite a fun adventure (no doubt the most fun was had in the car on the way back and forth). If you went to Coney for a beach day and popped into Roll-N-Roaster on the way back it might not be too bad (Totonno’s and/or R-n-R in one day would be a “win” I would think)…
It is good and fun, but if you are all hung up on how long it takes, you probably won’t enjoy that much. If you happen to be nearby for some reason and can work it, I would imagine it would meet with your approval. It is a truly (and literally) a one of a kind place.
BeerBoor says
Yeah, I grew up in an area where 45 minutes meant more than 45 miles from home, which meant it was some sort of special trip. Most definitely, if I find myself nearby — this works for pretty much any type of cuisine — I’ll take the relatively small detour.
It’s like, to pull an obvious one that I believe you hold near and dear, DiFara’s: certainly an excellent pizza, but good lord, I can find a pizza nearly as lauded, that I enjoy greatly, much, much closer and with much, much less of a wait. I’m happy to save DiFara’s/Roll-n-Roaster for times when I’m in proximity or can spare the several hours for such a “journey”.
Feisty Foodie says
I think Roll-n-Roaster is far and I drive (though I do live in northern Queens). Actually, I thought it was far when we lived in southern Queens, edge of Brooklyn. But I agree that it’s worth the 20 minute drive from Howard Beach… at least once. It’s hard not to justify going there when the prices are so reasonable, the food so consistent, and just… I love the place. 🙂
skippymom says
I love roast beef sandwiches [almost as much as my kids. hee] With fresh lemonade and corn fritters? Heaven on a tray.
Sadly nothing like that here.