Why Every Roast Beef Shop Thinks It’s Famous (Blame Paul Revere)
History never tasted so good. Paul Revere rides again, beef in hand.
Image via iStock. Edits by 3Ways North Shore Beef ™.
They all say they're famous. And around here, that's no accident. From the shops to Paul Revere, this post explains why every North Shore beef shop proudly claims the title.
Spend any time in Beef Country, from the North Shore and Cape Ann to the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley, and Greater Boston, and one thing becomes clear: nearly every roast beef shop claims to be famous. It's not a subtle suggestion or a throwaway line. It's right there on the sign, shining in red letters or plastered across the window or menu like a badge of honor.
From Nick's in Beverly to Jimbo's in Tewksbury, these shops don't wait around to be discovered. They tell you who they are, and they mean it.
So how did this tradition take hold? Why does almost every beef spot in Beef Country proudly call itself famous? And what, if anything, does that have to do with Paul Revere's midnight ride through Massachusetts 250 years ago?
The answer is both simple and very Beef Country. It's also one of the reasons this story deserves to be told, searched, and shared, especially by folks looking for the best beefs or wondering what makes these shops so confident in their claim to fame.
Where the legend began. Kelly’s in Revere, 1951.
IT ALL STARTS WITH KELLY’S
To understand why famous became the go-to title for beef shops across the region, you've got to start with Kelly's Roast Beef. Located in Revere, steps from the beach, Kelly's is a local institution and the origin story. And while they don't call themselves famous (they've opted for legendary), their influence runs deep.
According to the story - and yes, it's printed right on their napkins - Kelly's served the first-ever North Shore roast beef sandwich in 1951, back when it was still a hot dog stand run by Frank McCarthy and Raymond Carey. They named the business after their friend Thomas Kelly, who had lent them money to get it off the ground. After a canceled wedding left them with too much roast beef, they sliced it rare, grilled the bun, and served it up. The result wasn't fancy or overhyped, but it was good enough to spark a tradition and shape an entire regional food culture.
Today, every shop that opens in the wake of Kelly's is stepping into a legacy. Some aim to compete, others pay homage, and a few try to carve their own path. But they all build on the basic beef formula, and many of them do it under the banner of fame.
Fame, one sign at a time, served on a bun.
THE RISE OF THE WORD “FAMOUS”
In the mid-20th century, before Instagram followers, TikTok trends, YouTube subscribers, or Yelp stars, calling your restaurant famous was the ultimate marketing move. It was cheap, bold, and it worked. No one needed proof; there was no form to fill out or headline to point to. You said it, you printed it, and the locals ran with it. The word suggested your shop had a story, a following, and some serious neighborhood credibility, even if that fame never stretched beyond the nearest rotary.
It started with one roast beef shop calling itself famous. Then others followed, and no one questioned it. These were local spots like the places people grew up with and never stopped going to. That kind of loyalty was enough to make a shop famous. And so the idea spread one town at a time, like mayo on a grilled bun, because here in Beef Country, word travels faster than Paul Revere on horseback.
Decades later in a different century, the strategy still holds. These shops don't claim fame to get noticed. They do it because they know what they've got, and so do the people lining up for a beef.
Proof that fame in Beef Country is always on the menu.
A ROLL CALL OF THE “FAMOUS”
Plenty of shops across Massachusetts proudly embrace the title of famous from their signage and their napkins to the way the locals talk about them. We'll be featuring more of them in the North Shore Beef Hub. For now, here's a look at a few spots that keep the tradition alive and continue to wear the name with pride:
- Nick's Famous Roast Beef – Beverly (nicksfamousbeverly.com)
- Bill & Bob's Famous Roast Beef – Peabody, Salem, Woburn (billandbobs.com)
- Billy's Famous Roast Beef – Wakefield (billysfamousroastbeef.com)
- Steve's Famous Roast Beef – Haverhill (stevesfamousroastbeef.com)
- Jimbo's Famous Roast Beef – Reading, Tewksbury (jimbosroastbeef.com)
- King's Famous Roast Beef – Salem, Gloucester (kingsfamousroastbeef.com)
- Christina’s Pizza - Salem (https://christinaspizza-salem.com)
"In Massachusetts, you don't wait to be called famous. You decide you are."
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Vintage illustration of Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
Image - Paul Revere’s Ride, Office of War Information / Farm Security Administration, U.S. National Archives. Public domain. Image via Wikimedia Commons. Edits by 3Ways North Shore Beef ™.
WHAT PAUL REVERE HAS TO DO WITH IT
In 1775, the warning that the British were coming did not rely on one man alone. Paul Revere is the name that became famous, but William Dawes and Samuel Prescott rode alongside him, sounding the alarm across Massachusetts.
Revere’s ride began with a signal from the Old North Church, where lanterns were hung to show the British route. One lantern meant by land, two meant by sea. Around here, we like to imagine a third: three lanterns for a midnight ride to Beef Country for a three-way.
He started in Boston, crossed the Charles River to Charlestown, and rode through Somerville, Medford, and Arlington before reaching Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams. He was captured before reaching Concord, but Dr. Samuel Prescott carried the message the rest of the way.
Although we all know the line “The British are coming!”, historians say Revere probably never shouted it. More likely, he warned, “The Regulars are coming out!” which makes us wonder if he might also have been thinking about a regular beef.
Still, Revere’s story is the one we tell. It fit the rhythm of a poem, his name stuck, and the famous myth took root.
That same spirit still rides through Beef Country. Shops here do not wait for permission. They hang the sign, fire up the slicer, and let the beefs from junior to super speak for themselves. Calling yourself famous is not about chasing attention. It is about claiming your place, because like Revere’s ride, the story does not spread unless someone steps up and tells it.
A map of Beef Country, from the North Shore to Cape Ann, the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley, and Greater Boston, where beefs reign supreme.
THE NORTH SHORE BEEF MINDSET
In Beef Country, fame is claimed.
But there's a reason behind it: the people and the sandwich.
Beefs are famous because of the customers who show up week after week. Those who know their order by heart and never need a menu. The kids who grew up on beefs and now get them shipped to college. The parents who grab a few after baseball or hockey games. The late-night regulars. The first-timers who finally walk through the door and realize what they've been missing. And the crew behind the counter who remember every face, every order, and still take the time to chat.
Shops are also famous because the sandwich deserves it. The North Shore roast beef (especially a perfectly stacked super beef three-way) is a local legend. It belongs in the same breath as Boston baked beans, Fenway Franks, and a good bowl of New England clam chowder. This Beef Country creation might be the best sandwich ever, or the best sandwich you've never heard of until now.
This kind of fame doesn't need to go national. It lives in town stories, echoes through neighborhood favorites, and passes from one customer to the next. That's why famous matters here. It isn't about being known everywhere. It's about being known right here, in this corner of Massachusetts, and no one gets that like a beef shop.
That's the mindset. And around here, famous rides faster than Revere ever did.
"In Beef Country, fame doesn't go viral. It goes home in a white paper bag."
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3WAYS NORTH SHORE BEEF™ – PROUD TO BE PART OF BEEF COUNTRY
At 3Ways, we’re not chasing or claiming fame. We’re celebrating what already exists.
We know the culture. We know the sandwich. We know the spirit that lives inside every one of these shops, from the old-school legends to the newcomers finding their place. We’re here to represent all of it through bold gear, authentic storytelling, and plenty of saucy and slightly salty loyalty to Beef Country.
We may not have famous in our name, but we’re right there with the shops that do.
Old school beef shop with timeless Beef Country pride.
COMING SOON: THE NORTH SHORE BEEF HUB™ – YOUR GUIDE TO ROAST BEEF SHOPS IN BEEF COUNTRY, MA
Beef Country isn't a nickname. It's a real place, and soon, you'll be able to explore it for yourself.
We're building the North Shore Beef Hub, a searchable guide to the best Beef Country beef shops, their stories, and the sandwich culture that defines this region. Whether you're a lifer or looking for your first real beef, The Hub will help you find the spots that made beefs legendary.
Want to show your love for the beef that built this region?
Grab some gear, dive into the stories, and stick with us as we bring more of Beef Country to the world.
Stay saucy, slightly salty. That's how we roll.
Beef Country. That’s how we roll.
