Why North Shore Roast Beef Fans Are Talking About Danvers, MA

If you listen to the radio show - you know I'm obsessed with North Shore style roast beefs - and there's one spot that has exploded in popularity lately that I just found out about.

The Modern Butcher in Danvers, a neighborhood butcher shop, recently earned the 11th spot on Food & Wine magazine's "America's Best Sandwich Shops" list.

They only do beefs one day a week!

Unlike all the other mom and pop roast beef places, The Modern Butcher, at 36 Maple Street, now serves over 300 roast beef sandwiches every Saturday - a dramatic jump from the 20 they were making just a few years ago.

The demand has become so intense that they've had to implement a "beef bouncer" to manage the crowds and inform late arrivals when they've sold out.

I talked to one of their employees on the phone on Thursday - she told me they started offering roast beef sandwiches in 2019 on Fridays, then in 2021 switched to Saturdays.

Their "NSB" three-way features pink-sliced beef topped with white American cheese and James River barbecue sauce, stacked high on a fresh roll. The sustainable, pasture-raised meats come from local New England farms the owners have personally visited.

The shop's rise to fame can be partially attributed to the North Shore Beefs Facebook group, which has nearly 36,000 members rating and reviewing roast beef sandwiches across the region. Stories of their devoted following have become legendary, including one customer who drove from a wedding in Quebec to Danvers before flying back to California, just to grab one of their sandwiches.

While The Modern Butcher may be a butcher shop first, insiders know it's become one of the best sandwich destinations in America. Sandwiches are available Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the famous roast beef served Saturdays only, walk-in only.