Anyone that’s known me for a long time knows that two of my favorite sandwiches are the related roast beef sandwich, and the French Dip. As I discussed in detail with my review of Jamie’s Roast Beef in Peabody a few years ago, roast beef sandwiches are definitely a regional specialty, but the specialty is really focused on Massachusetts North Shore. While pretty much any town between Boston and the NH border has several roast beef sandwich joints to choose from, the density starts to roll off pretty quickly, and by the time you get to central NH, they are getting kind of thin. But a recent trip through the Merrimack valley had us passing right by an old favorite, Beefside in Concord, NH, and we decided to give it one of Offbeat Eat’s “Health Check” re-visits.
You can read my previous review of Beefside from 2013 (which is practically another geological era, as the internet and blogging goes). A lot has actually changed in the almost 13 years since my last Beefside visit: In early 2020, Beefside founders Sue and Billy Ray retired after operating the staple for more than four decade, and long-time employees Lisa Taylor and Jay Corliss bought the place. While 2020 turned out to be a particularly difficult time to take over a restaurant, the place seems to have continued to flourish. And walking in the door, the interior of Beefside is pretty much unchanged since my 2013 visit: the same wood paneling, faux leather booths and tables, and the same fireplace with an ornate “Beefside” stained glass piece above it.
The menu had a bit of a retooling, but it’s mostly been some minor refinement. On a lot of my earlier views pre-2020, in addition to a French Dip (with straight up roast beef), they’d also have an upgraded version, the Prime Rib Dip, made from leftover prime rib. This isn’t a regular menu item any more (although a quick check of their socials shows that this is a regular menu special). Otherwise, the menu is almost entirely the same as I remember, focusing on roast beef sandwiches; the new owners have definitely focused more on “continuation” than “reinvention.”
Starting out my meal, I decided to go with an old school classic of the sort that Beefside is always good at: French Onion Soup. Served up in a cup filled to the brim, with a big slice of cheese melted over the entire top, and some large croutons, this is the exact some of classic presentation I visualize when I think “French Onion Soup”. And most times I get something like this, the overwhelming flavor is “salt”, but the version at Beefside is nicely well-rounded and not overly salted. This is the perfect start to a meal at Beefside.
But the main reason most diners come to Beefside is for their classic, North-shore style roast beef sandwiches. These are classically served, with thinly-sliced roast beef sandwiches, generous portions, and toasted buns. The classic roast beef is offered in three sizes (Junior, Giant, and Colossus), and two levels of dressing (plain, or as a “Super” with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo). And while they don’t have the vast array of toppings available, at, say, Jamie’s Roast Beef, they easily will add cheese or horseradish mayo to a plain sandwich as well. Carol opted for a Super Giant, and everything about this sandwich worked: nice, thin, and perfectly medium rare beef, piled high (there’s an art to piling this just so, instead of stacking slices). A good toast on the bun. And toppings that complement, and not bury, the beef. This is a solid, well-performing roast beef sandwich.
But I didn’t come for the sandwich. I really was craving the next level up, a proper French Dip. Beefside’s classic French Dip is the same beef, and the same portion, as the Giant, but served up plain on a toasted French roll (better for dipping), with house-made au jus, and some fries. This was exactly the sort of French Dip I crave: each bit having a bit of rare roast beef, warmed up nicely by a beefy-but-not-salty au jus, and the roll having just enough toasting to hold up some crispiness through the dunking.
So, how is Beefside doing? Pretty much as well as they’ve ever done. They’ve got a solid menu of beef sandwiches, a good selection of seafood, some good appetizers (including hand-breaded mushrooms), and even a breakfast menu (that I need to come back and explore). It’s definitely worth a stop if in Concord, NH.
