(4/5 stars) $
Opened by a recent Boston University graduate, Roast Beast is a local BU/Allston favorite that specializes in one thing: thin slices of medium-rare roast beef served between lightly buttered soft rolls. When there’s only one thing on the menu, it better be darned good. And Roast Beast’s sandwiches are just that – darned good.
The menu is actually a bit daunting at first glance. “Step one” on the menu is to choose your size (Regular: $6, Large: $8, Mega: $10). “Step two” on the menu is to choose your roll (Deli, Onion, or Wheat). “Step three” on the menu is to choose your toppings – like lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, etc., and sauce. Feeling indecisive? Don’t know what combination to make? Choose from one of their combos, like “the Moondog”, “the King Richard”, or “the Sam Five”. Like any sandwich shop, you can get extras like potato chips and a soda or juice.
You might notice the “thermonuclear sauce” on the menu. This sauce is made from one of the spiciest peppers in the world: the ghost pepper (which is more than 200 times more spicy than a jalapeño pepper according to this chart!). Try their “thermonuclear challenge” – two large roast beef sandwiches combined into one large sub with their thermonuclear sauce. You have to sign a legal waiver to eat this sandwich, and they give you gloves just to eat it. If you finish it in under 5 minutes, you win a free t-shirt. In the past, you would also get your photo posted on the “Wall of Beasts”. When I visited Roast Beast earlier this month, the wall was depressingly barren. I asked what happened to the photos, and they said they were taken down because they weren’t looking too good after being up for a few years.
In any event, you don’t have to partake in the thermonuclear challenge to enjoy this place. It is a tiny basement room with a lot of character. There’s only a handful of wall-facing bench seats for those who wish to dine-in. Most folks come for take-out. You can find Roast Beast at 1080 Commonwealth Avenue on the corner of Naples Road, across from Star Market.
For more details and one person’s account of the thermonuclear challenge, check out this article: peckthebeak.com/2012/03/roast-beasts-thermonuclear-challenge/