Tavern sandwich

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A tavern sandwich is a sandwich commonly consumed in the Midwest region of the United States, originally consisting of unseasoned ground beef on a bun, mixed with sauteed onions, and sometimes topped with pickles, ketchup and mustard. The tavern has a number of different names. Two of the most often used are loosemeat and Maid-Rite. The sandwich was created in 1934 by Abraham Kaled at Ye Olde Tavern Sandwich Shop in Sioux City, Iowa.^[1]

Similar to a hamburger, despite the consistency of the meat, or a sloppy joe, without the tomato soup, the tavern is served throughout the Midwest, but specifically in the state of Iowa. In the later seasons of the 1988-1997 American sitcom Roseanne, Roseanne Connor (Roseanne Barr) co-owns a restaurant called the Lunchbox in fictional Lanford, Illinois, specializing in loose-meat sandwiches. The sandwich is well known throughout the state, and is served not only at the local Tastee-in-and-Outs, but also at fast food restaurants like Dairy Queen and Dairy Dandy. The Wichita, Kansas-based chain Nu-Way Cafe also serves a version of the tavern/loosemeat sandwich simply called a Nu-Way.