The "Sloppy Joe" Sandwich???

[tgoodridge]

[Moved from the Mid Atlantic Board]

Hi,

I used to go to the Millburn Deli (NJ) and get a sloppy joe sandwich
every weekend (roast beef,turkey, or ham) I'm now up in
Boston and everyone has no idea what I am talking about.
Was this just a Millburn, NJ thing, or do other people
out there know what I am talking about?

Ideas/Thoughts?

[janeer]

The Sloppy Joe choulli describes is the one of my NJ youth; I had one every Saturday at "Pal Jr's" near the orignal Pal's Cabin in West Orange, NJ. The original Pal's still serves a Sloppy Joe, but I have no idea, now living in New England (you will NEVER find one in Boston, where I lived for 25 yrs) whether it is still the same as the old Pal Jr's. Divine.

www.littlecomptonmornings.blogspot.com

[wontonton]

I grew up in the same area of NJ and live in Boston now. It's maddening that a simple sandwich like this is so impossible to get. I just returned from LA and was able to get a fix by eating one at a Deli in Beverly Hills.

[choulli]

Hey there! Pal's Cabin is still there on the corner in West Orange!

[mrbozo]

The sloppy joes I grew up with in Montreal were a thick tomato sauce with ground beef (what used to pass for spaghetti sauce before genuine Italian food was discovered) slopped on top of slices of industrial white bread.

[choulli]

Sorry, but this is NOT the sandwich that we are talking about.
The Sloppy Joe you described is something completely different, although I've had that version too. Here, it's aka Manwich.

[mojoeater]

Supposedly Hemingway helped coin the term "Sloppy Joe" in reference to this restaurant in Key West:

http://sloppyjoes.com/history.htm

I've been there, and their Sloppy Joe is ground beef, onions, and lots of spices. Very sloppy, and pretty tasty. Just like mom used to make, and she's from Pittsburgh.

[whyksu]

Heck yea!!! I know about sloppy joe sandwich I grew up on them home made and I still make them today. I make them for my grandchildren and they love them.

[choulli]

I'm so happy that I found this topic so that I can join in the discussion!
Sloppy Joes are near & dear to my heart.
I grew up in Verona, NJ which is in Essex County.
It wasn't until I attended High School that I discovered the alternate universe of the Sloppy Joe: a white roll filled with orange-colored-grease-laden ground meat. Yuck.
For my family & me, a Sloppy Joe was a little piece of heaven, between 2 (sometimes 3) slices of good Jewish rye & contained ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing & cole slaw!
Eppes Essen - located in Livingston - also had a location in the Pilgrim Shopping Center on Pompton Ave/Route 23 in Cedar Grove.
And THAT is where my mom introduced me to the Sloppy Joe of MY childhood, along with garlic pickles & chocolate cream pie :-)
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... Sloppy Joes .... (think Homer Simpson) ...

[jfood]

Welcome to the SJ discussion. Always glad to add the real version versus the "manwich" version (sorta proves that women are smarter sometimes). I would point out that a two-slice sloppy is not a "true" version, and if they just grab some pre-sliced rye bread from the Pechters waxed bag, it sorta looses the effect of slicing and very thin slice in the meat slicer.

Glad to have you and Verona did have some good NJ contributing food if I remember.

[choulli]

Hmmmm ... you know Verona, NJ & Pechters?
Me-thinks I like you! LOL!
I'm a former StarLedger Munchmobile member btw & was in the cover shot twice!

[jfood]

My mom dated a guy from verona, the clairmont diner was the best (bakers went to Don's after it closed), M&M Jfoods first house down the road in Glen Ridge. On of the Pechters owns the deli in Boynton Beach I go to when i visit the IL's.

I grew up way down the hill from Verona

[jzerocsk]

We have these in the SJ Philly 'burbs area, but most places call them some derivative of "special" like a "boardwalk special" or "corned beef special."

[debbar]

We had sloppy joe's in Cleveland. My mom used ground meat, onion, green pepper, tomato paste and a tough of water, salt & pepper too. We loved them.

[malibumike]

As a kid out here on the west coast I remember a sloppy joe we used to get at University High School in West Los Angeles, I absoulety lust for but cannot duplicate. It was the ground beef version served on hamburger buns and had a somewhat sweet with tangy taste. Devourer's mom (up the list) made what sounded the closest, but there were some other ingredents that will remain a mystery too me. And no, Manwich is not it.

[jfood]

Double M -

Yup, there are two distinct and extremely different versions of the sloppy. The one that us NJ'ers refer to in this thread and the one you refer to . The formerr is a work of art and the other, unfortunately, brings back memories of college cafeterias and people saying, "well that's the last time we'll see this beef."

The Millburn deli in the OP would NEVER serve the tomatoey one.

[debbiel]

Well, I was raised with the ground beef variety of sloppy joes. I can look back and recognize that these weren't great food, but oh did I love them. In fact, loved them so much that I actually have attempted to make them with meat substitutes now that I'm not eating meat. Not surprisingly, that didn't cut it. I don't actually remember having these in school, though.

Malibumike...I pass on my mother's sloppy joe recipe. Perhaps it will come close to what you experienced in high school.

1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
28 oz ketchup
1 T worsteshire
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 T mustard (Mom's recipe...I'm guessing yellow prepared mustard of my youth)
1 T vinegar
4 T brown sugar
2 to 3 lb of ground beef

Brown and drain meat.
Saute onion and celery in unspecified amount of butter. (Okay, I admit, Mom's recipe has margerine).
Add ketchup.
Add rest of ingredients, including adding meat back in.
Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Serve on cheap, soft hamburger buns.
Children's addition: Scoop up sloppy joe mix that falls off bun with Jay's potato chips.

Unchowish? Perhaps. Great childhood comfort food? Absolutely.

[jfood]

Not unchowish at all, in fact this recipe looks pretty good. I just wish the two sammishes were called different names to avoid the confusion.

Like to potato chip adder.

[debbiel]

Yah, I had never heard of the Jersey version. That also sounds good, and this entire thread is making me miss meat.

[malibumike]

Debbiel: Boy that sure sounds like it may be it, I will try it this weekend and report back to you. Thanks Mike

[debbiel]

Great! Happy sloppy eating!

[spyturtle008]

I've had plenty good luck making a vegetarian version of this with tvp (texturized vegetable protein).

[debbiel]

I've tried a few different things for the veggie version. They've been fine but just not enough like the original for me to crave it. I think part of the lure is the nostaligia component, and when that's not strong I lose a lot of my enthusiasm for some of my childhood comfort foods. Though, all this chat about them has me thinking...maybe I'll give it another go this weekend.

[chowdreah]

The Town Hall Deli was in SOUTH ORANGE, not Milburn!!!
It has been closed and hopefully will reopen soon. We fedex-ed sloppy joes to us in Memphis, my sisters in CT and CA. No where else in the world makes them like they do....hopefully they still will!

[jfood]

we are all with you chowdreah. no one would say that town hall is anywhereother than SO.

[SunnysideUp]

Now that I live in NYC, when I get a craving for a NJ-style Sloppy Joe I just buy the ingredients and make them myself. Since delis carry all those ingredients, I sometimes just ask them to make the sandwich that way. Not the same, but it will do.

I miss the Town Hall from my Seton Hall days. I love how super-thin their rye is. I even cut mine in three sections (wedges), just like theirs.

[Das Ubergeek]

I remember sloppy joes (the kind with three deli meats, cole slaw, Russian dressing on rye) fondly, though my favourite is still rare roast beef on a hard roll with Russian dressing and onions (and NOTHING ELSE - no friggin' lettuce!!).

In Iowa, the beef-and-tomato kind of Sloppy Joe is called a loose-meats or a Maid-Rite. Maid-Rites are "looser" than most Sloppy Joes and are a brand name, though that didn't stop every school cafeteria in Iowa from having Maid-Rites on Thursdays.

[pcwd]

I grew up in South Orange and love the sloppy joe. Town Hall made them best, and Tabatchnick's was great too - I think Tabatchnick's is closed now also. We used to order a platter of them from Town Hall for family parties - as good as they were fresh, there is nothing better than opening the fridge and seeing leftovers when the dressing has really soaked in. Friends of mine would take boxes of them back to college when home for breaks. Making me very hungry...

[2chez mike]

Yes. I remember loving Manwich's as a kid. Then, after a few decades of going without I recently bought a can and made a batch. Cloyingly sweet! So much so I couldn't eat more than two bites. Definitely kid stuff. I ended up tossing the whole batch.

[NovoCuisine]

Manwich probably ruined me for a real sloppy joe, since that's all I can associate the sandwich with. But if I one day somehow find myself face-to-face with a real one on a menu, I'll order it and get back to this thread ;)

[NovoCuisine]

My mom, ever the culinary star, used to serve my brother and I sloppy joes from that canned Manwich mix once a week:

http://www.walgreens.com/dbimagecache...

I guess kids are supposed to love it. Sometimes I pine for things I ate as a child; this is not one of those things.

[HillJ]

WOW..what a memory jolt. My grandfather was a sloppy joe fanatic! He loved the Millburn Diner, Tabatchnik's was his favorite NJ haunt and Mr. J's in Cranford makes a great sloppy joe platter. Is the traditional sloppy joe made on ryebread?

...now I gotta have one!

[jfood]

Sounds like grandpa kept them to himself. You gotta know that a Sloppy is a rye bread treat or else you were watching from afar which is so sad.

[HillJ]

My bad...I was too young to take notes..but this post brought back a flood of mem's...and it's time to take my turn at sloppy joes. ;o )

[HillJ]

ok jfood-I stopped at Mr J's in Cranford and bought a platter of sloppy joes's...if you're here by 5pm I'll save you a section :o) ...yum!

[jfood]

just got home, sorry but enjoy. Growing up in Elizabeth my normal sloppy was Goodman's on Elmora Ave then lived in Short Hills for years and Millburn Deli/Tabatchnicks took over.

Now the question is, if there are leftovers do you eat them for breakfast? :-))

[HillJ]

Answer: Absolutely! and..DH has wrapped several for lunchbox :)

[alty]

It is not a NJ thing. Sloppy Joe's are very common in Iowa and Illinois and presumably elsewhere in the Midwest.

[jfood]

Think you may be confusing the NJ Sloppy with the Midwest Sloppy. The former is three slices of thinly sliced bread with cole slaw, 3 meats and russian dressing. I think the midwest Sloppy is chooped meat in a red sauce with onions, et. al. I've never seen the former in Chicago.

[fly1cl]

South Orange's Town Hall Deli or Tabatchnik's in Millburn are two great places to get your Sloppy Joe. I grew up in South Orange so I know what I'm talking about. Town Hall is currently closed but Tabatchnik's will overnight the sandwiches. We get ours from Town Hall...I usually order 5 sandwiches and have TH o'nite them to Miami. Turkey, corned beef, swiss, cole slaw and Russian dressing...there's nothing else that comes close!!! Hope this helps!!!

[jfood]

How do these lovely morsels of my childhood travel? I would think the Russian and slaw would get the bread soggy. Do they package the wet stuff separate?

[2chez mike]

They travel really well, let's say for a picnic or an outing. If good, honest rye bread is used they won't fall apart. I actually prefer them made in advance, and let rest for an hour or two before eating.

I too, like the poster above have been eating them since the early 1960's, having grown up in NJ and having lots of immediate family in the Millburn-Maplewood area.

[jfood]

Yup, understand they travel well to picnics within general radius of the deli, but Fly1cl suggested an Overnight Delivery and was wondering if they can handle seats 2A and 2B in fiirst class.

[triplecreme]

There is a new restaurant in LA dling a new kind of sloppy joe - rabbit. Check out the photo on my blog:

http://triplecreme.blogspot.com/2006/...

[jfood]

This NJ-raised chowhound has been eating the deli sloppy joe for over 45 years (in fact they were served at my Bar Mitzvah in 1969). it appears to be a NJ thing as i have never seen it on menus outside the area. The good deli's (yes Millburn Deli is one of them) take a rye bread and slice it paper thin (the Millburn site uses a meat slicer). Then take three slices of bread and spread a good helping of russian dressing on each of them. Then the traditional SJ has a couple of slices of roast beef, either corned beef or pastrami, and some turkey. finished with some cole slaw, erect the triple decker of delight and slice into, you guessed it three pieces, NEVER TWO. The Millburn site changed hands about fifteen years ago and many of us residents were really concerned it would change, but the current owners have been fantastic in keeping the flavors of our youth around.

I doubt if Town Hall in SO invented the sandwich, although they have a pretty good one, and others I have eaten over the years in NJ include Goodman's in Elizabeth, Kartzman's in Union and that fantastic joint Tabatchnicks in Millburn (Vauxhall area) and Livingston. Don's in Livingston used to have a great SJ, but it closed ~15 years ago.

You can imagine my glee turned shock when I ordered my first sloppy joe in my college cafeteria and the served the ground meat from three nights earlier masked with lousy tomato sauce, onion and peppers, BLAH!!!

In honor of this thread, I will have to make one tomorrow for lunch.

Thanks for the great memory lane trip.

[rworange]

No, actually Town Hall is credited often with the NJ version. According to wikipedia

"the sandwich was named after "Sloppy Joe's Bar" in Havana, Cuba. This is where Robert Sweeney, the mayor of Maplewood, first discovered a similar sandwich in 1934 and created a new version which found its way onto the menu at the "Town Hall Deli" in South Orange"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloppy_joe

While some might not rely on wikipedia, this article, "ode to the sloppy joe' has appeared in a number of newpapers including the NY Times.

http://www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/...

I posted this before in this topic but probably got deleted for quoting too much of the above article which is great.

To paraphrase ... because who follows links ...

The NJ version was based on a Cuban ropa vieja sandwich served at, as wikipedia mentions, Sloppy Joes bar, an untidy place that got it that name. Jack Burdorf, the owner of Town Deli said after the mayor returned from a vacation in Havana, he described the sandwich to Burdorf's dad and asked him to make one. And that is one of the alleged origins of the sandwich.

[jfood]

rworange (guess the last 6 letters decribe your locale), thanks for the links, they are FANTASTIC. Brought a smile to my face. I am a big history buff and I now have the history of not one, but two childhood memories.

Now my biggest issue of the day is finding some good pastrami and corned beef in non-deli fairfield county.

[chaddict]

No, we in the Bay Area are very lucky to call her our own.

[fly1cl]

I read your reply re:the Sloppy Joe sandwich and you definitely took me down memory lane. I grew up in Newstead, a neighborhood above SO, and Sloppy Joe's were definitely part of the family menu. Up until 2 years ago I was still having them overnighted to wherever I lived. Am anxiously awaiting the reopening of Town Hall Deli. Thanks.

[greytpyrs]

I live in central PA and when they said they were having Sloppy Joe's for dinner the Central NJ girl got verrrrry happy! Imagine my surprise when they brought out this foreign ground mushy beef thing. I said "whats that????" They said "Sloppy Joe." Not to me it wasn't. Nuf Said!!!

[Devourer]

The "sloppy joes" I am familiar with are the ground beef/sweet tomato sauce (my mom used to make them with ketchup, worchester sauce (spelling?), and a few other things) versions described above. The deli kind sound good, but I think I prefer the gloppy ground beef. Have never tried "Manwich" brand canned stuff, but I might give it a shot since i'm getting all nostalgic :)

jazzsushi: I totally agree about the lack of decent 'wiches in Boston. I was about to swoop in with an impassioned defense of one of my favorite cities, but then I couldn't think of a really great sandwich I had there other than some really good subs in Harvard Square (Pinochio's steak and cheese and Tommy's eggplant parm back in the day).

[jazzsushi]

Yes.....I'm not at all disgreeing here with your point...but be aware the wikipedia is not the "be all end all" of info online........ Funny, there was an "On Point" (90.9) show just yesterday and it confirmed what I always believed - a lot of people believe what they see on wikipedia - and take it as fact. It is a user-friendly site and people are allowed to edit it, add to it freely...so be careful with what you read (and believe) there.

Of course, I love Sloppy Joes and I love the Millburn Deli...so so much for my critique of "wikipedia".

[eimac]

I was in Monmouth Beach, NJ this summer and for the first time had a "sloppy joe"--- a club sandwich made with thin rye, ham,turkey,roast beef and cole slaw and russian dressing. I forget the name of the deli my hostess used. I had never before heard of a sloppy joe in any context except for the "manwich" type with hamburger.

But, years ago there was a deli in South Miami called Sam and Carls. They had a sandwich they called a "Messy Bessy" it was shaved ham. swiss cheese and cole slaw with russian dressing. piled on rye. I thought of that sandwich as soon as I saw what the sloppy joe contained.

[pikawicca]

The only time I ever encountered the sloppy joe was in my high school cafeteria: kind of a ground meat, tomatoey thing on a hamburger bun - not a good thing.

[jazzsushi]

You know I am from NJ and yes....I have been to the Millburn Deli....This is a true deli. Plenty of variety of sandwiches there too. They have this strange tradition and that is that they ring a bell whenever a customer orders a "Gobbler" a turkey sloppy joe descendent. Ummmm..
And the sloppy joe's are so tall, you might have to get your jaw rewired in order to consume it.

I don't know what it is about Boston, but they don't have the sandwich thing down (for some reason). I have had nice sandiches here and there (Chez Henri's "Cubanos" for instance), but nothing like the sloppy joe found in NJ. Maybe it's that it is not valued as much (as seafood, etc.)

Please someone rescue this city from its sandwich void.

[mattrapp]

Sloppy Joe in the Mid West is ground beef cooked with a slighly sweet, tomato based sauce served on a soft hamburger bun.

[welle]

That's the sloppy joe I have heard of and I also have read that it originated during Depression Era.

[foodfosheezy]

yeah that's what my idea of a sloppy joe is....yum i havn't had one since i was a kid

[chaddict]

See, I am a sloppy joe slut...so I am curious: what do people in Jersey call *this* type of sandwich (ground beef variety)? Thanks! In case someone else already answered, sorry! Haven't read all the way down yet...

[SunnysideUp]

Growing up in New Jersey (never "Jersey" if you're from there), we called those Sloppy Joes too. The universal ground beef kind is more of a household word. and something made at home by busy moms. The version discussed here is not that common throughout the state and is rarely made at home (although I have here in NYC when I get a craving). It's relegated to a region in Northeastern NJ around Newark, basically Essex County.

In Bergen County, just north, where I'm from, not many people have even heard of them. If anyone is reading from Bergen or Passaic counties, you can get them at the Market Basket in Franklin Lakes. Also you can get versions at Glatt Kosher delis there too (like Petak's), but they don't call them Sloppy Joe's. They are usually listed as "triple deckers", not to be confused with the club sandwich you get at a diner...a different discussion.

[tuxedo]

Wow! Petak's is still in business? A throwback to my childhood. Do you know if Kosher Nosh is still around? I love a good Jewish deli, that puts the salads and pickles on the table for you!!!!

[SunnysideUp]

It's been a while, but I am pretty sure Petak's is still in Fair Lawn, and Kosher Nosh is still in Glen Rock. I miss Rumpernook's.

[tuxedo]

thanks - will need to road trip for good deli! Forgot about Rumpernooks!

[jfood]

Jfood is the kid from Union County and lived in Essex County as well. Also had Sloppy Joes at my Bar Mitzvah way before most on these boards were born.

When jfood went off to college in the 70's and saw the menu for dinner one night boy was he happy to see "Sloppy Joe." Imagine the sheer disappointment standing on line with his tray,ordering a sloppy and having the lady with the hair net take a hamburger bun and throw that saucy meat all over it (best news about this type of sloppy joe was that it was the last time we would see that meat.) So yes, we NJ'ers bit our lips and called the Manwich type sloppy joe a sloppy joe as well, knowing full well our Sloppy Joe was waaaaaay better.

To Sunnysideup's comment about the triple decker. Jfood thinks that a TRUE Sloppy Joe is slightly different from a triple decker. Yes the ingredients may be the same BUT a TRUE Sloppy Joe has thin bread. If you go to a deli and they grab the Pechter's Rye Bread out of the waxed paper delivery bag its a triple decker. If the deli grabs a large fresh loaf of rye bread and slices three slices of it THIN on the meat slicer then you have the basis for a Sloppy Joe. Millburn Deli does the latter and can be deemed a true Sloppy.

Then we need to decide if a Smokey Joe is a true Sloppy Joe, but that's a discussion for another thread.

Hope this helps. And yes many of us have tried to make a true Sloppy Joe at home, but alas, without a thin meat slicer we can only achieve triple decker sandwich status. But man is it good.

[harrison]

Another born and bred Essex County boy here - Eppes Essen in Livingston makes them as well. When my sister comes from Atlanta, that's a must have for each visit. Since they don't travel, she takes bagels home instead.

[kleinfortlee]

yet another born and bred and educated (upsala college in e.o.) essex county boy here...the town hall deli in south orange was the place to get sloppies and smokies! the truly original s. joe at town hall was made with a layer of tongue...you chose the other meat, usually corned beef, for yourself...they also buttered the inside slices of bread before doing anything else to the sandwich...i remember the town hall's barrels of pickles standing near the sandwich making area...they supposedly relocated...will have to drive down from fort lee some day....does anyone remember the south orange chicken nest? the best chopped chicken liver in the world, and not-so-bad matzoh ball soup, too...those were the days

[jfood]

K

welcome to the discussion.

butter has always been a controversial add-on to the sloppy. did not realize town hall was a yes in this category, usually went with the smokey not the sloppy.

chicken nest had good liver and the chicken itself was pretty good as well. i'd have to give a real good think to go "best" though.

[kleinfortlee]

j

i give their chopped liver "the best" award probably because i try to duplicate their recipe only (without great success...sigh) when i make it at home

[SunnysideUp]

Where are you on the addition of butter? I approve of it, because it acts as a seal between the wet ingredients and the extra-thin slices of bread. If spread too thickly, then it's an ingredient that doesn't belong, because it goes from function to unneccessary flavor.

Another problem for some is that butter introduces dairy to the sandwich, which is why the addition of Swiss cheese really renders it a non-Sloppy.

[jfood]

S

jfood votes negatory on butter with a meat sandwich. the true sloppy has russian dressing (basically ketchup, mayo and relish). Can come up with many combos and have with parties we catered in NJ before moving to CT.

jfood has a hard enough time with butter on a bagel with novey, gotta have a schmear, so even a smokey is tough.

[starlady]

Russian Dressing is Ketchup, Relish and Mayo???
I thought that was 1000 Island Dressing.... And for this chick not a happy taste. Russian dressing in my book is like a spicy Red French Dressing hmmm

[jfood]

Thousand Island is about as close to a bottled dressing can come, but it is not a hole in one.

[starlady]

Learn something new every day. Thx Jfood.

[kleinfortlee]

on the addition of butter and/or cheese to a sloppy joe: the (imho) south orange town hall deli was the originator of this sandwich...the deli was a geman deli and in no way was it considered kosher! sheesh

[jfood]

k

not sure sunny was doing a kosher-nonkosher analysis but whether butter or cheese invalidate the trueness. Jfood would say that butter should not be on a true sloppy, but cheese can be on a true sloppy, but one very thin slice.

[kleinfortlee]

j

true sloppy = town hall sloppy (to me)

i saw them making hundreds in my time...all with butter (very little, just enough to coat)

bro, let's agree to disagree

any great sloppy is a beautiful thing

the manwich thing can be good in a goyisha way (i've made them, but i've never ordered one)

a rose is a rose is a rose

[jfood]

K

butter, no butter, tongue, no tongue, roast beef, turkey, no swiss, smokey, sloppy, once that little sandwich is in front of you the troubles of the world evaporate.

But if jfood were to order his last sloppy it would be russian, corned beef, turkey, swiss and cole slaw. If it were a "nathan" hot dog eating contest or a Bar Mitzvah Sloppy buffet, you and jfood could probably come up with a feast for the ages.

Oh how jfood prays fro a good jewish deli in FFD county, CT.

[kleinfortlee]

j

omg! your last sloppy joe would be my last sloppy too (with a little butter)

good jewish deli is harder and harder to find in jersey now...alas

we all need to say a prayer that jewish delis do not become extinct...

[SunnysideUp]

I agree about the triple decker versus a true Sloppy Joe. That means very few places on the planet make them the true way.

[gudeatz]

Jack Coopers Celeberity Deli... Edison has been making sloppy joe's for over thirty years..New owners have continued this central N J tradition..BTW russian dressing at Jack Coopers is called celeberity dressing...They are still prety good...

[papayagirl]

The Town Hall Deli in South Orange, NJ (which has been closed for the past year as it relocates around the corner) is said to be the originator/home of the sloppy joe. I'm sure if you google it, you'll get the whole store. But yeah, it's definitely regional to Essex County and the surrounding areas. In almost every other part of the world, sloppy joes are ground beef in a tomato-based sauce on a hamburger bun.

[ChinoWayne]

Yeah, I think its a Jersey thing. Our office has had Sloppy Joe's FedEx'd in from Celebrity Deli in Edison. (Not such a good idea, the liquid in the sandwiches from the slaw makes them soggy overnight.)

They don't seem to have a web site anymore, but you can see a photo of one of their Sloppy Joe's here:

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overv...

[jsfein]

The sloppy joes I get at various Monmouth County "Jewish" style delis are different than as described by you. They are a 3 layer sandwich cut into a wedge consisting of corned beef, pastrami, cole slaw and russian dressing. So good.

[CJL]

I'm from canada and have heard of them

[SarahEats]

I've heard it's a NNJ thing. Even us Central Jersey folks haven't heard of it unless we know someone from NNJ.