This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef

I am very sad this place is gone. I was just telling my friend that I wanted to take him here when we went to NYC this fall.

I’ve never walked into a room, seen a bunch of drunk girls looking completely wasted, recognized one of them, and thought to myself: «this little piggy had my roast beef.» I just don’t think in those terms. Maybe something like «ooh I remember that, so much fun», or «damn I wish that hadn’t happened,» but definitely not «this little piggy had my roast beef.» I mean it’s not that she didn’t, per se, it’s that I don’t think of women as piggies. I think some women think of me as a piggy though but I’d rather not go into that. Instead I’m going to tell you about this sandwich.
But before I tell you why this place is one of my favourite in Manhattan, I have to tell you something awful…
It’s gone. It’s kaput. It’s no mas. It’s RIP. It’s over.
I don’t know why it happened, but sometime between last Spring, when I was thrilled for the third time by their wondrous wares, and last summer, when I took my goddess friend (who found TLP for me in the first place a few years earlier) to try it, and it no longer existed. It was heartbreaking.
Let’s see why they were so good, in numerical format.
(1) The Roast Beef sandwiches were some of the best I ever had. The meat was so tender. The cheese was like heaven (and I don’t even like cheese). The bun was delectable. The juice all over it was a heavenly godsend (and I’m not religious). I don’t know why it was so good, but it was.
(2) It was consistently amazing all three times I got it. «That Way» was the sandwich I had, and let me say, no wonder the Backstreet Boys wanted their sandwich «That Way.»
(3) It was cheap for NYC. Filling and well under $ 8 as far as I can remember.
(4) It was open extremely late at night, when a lot of great places had already closed.
(5) Not only was it open til 2am or so, but they’d actually serve right up until closing. Without the usual attitude.
(6) The customer service was wonderful. The guys in here (usually just one, late at night) was always so helpful and friendly and personable.
(7) One time I hit someone’s bumper in front of the shop. The employee ran out and checked it out and told me it was fine and not to worry. Of course I checked it for myself and he was right, but I felt like he went out of his way to help me, whereas most employees wouldn’t have cared. Or maybe it was just his car… lol.
It was easily one of the best sandwiches in NYC, and one of the best Roast Beef sandwiches I’ve ever consumed. Only «Old Nick’s Roast Beef» in Philly was better in this category. I’m pretty gutted to have lost it, but there are worse things in this world. There’s still room on my wooden horse for two. I was Jonathan to your David. You’re still King. Visions of love recollected. Have we ever been true? I know that I have. It’s time for me to go. It’s all in the stones that you throw. I want you to know.
Rest in peace, This Little Piggy. I hope you found your Miss Piggy and are living somewhere in luxury and happiness. With emphasis on the happiness part. Maybe on Sesame Street perhaps mayhaps? If so, are you making Roast Beef at your place these days? If so, can you tell me how to get… how to get to Sesame Street?

Let me start by saying Katz is my favorite deli.
So when I tell you that this place has a better pastrami sandwich then them means a lot !
Thick and so juicy it blows my mind that something so good can be made in this small place
The roast beef with cheese and au ju
Is fantastic but you gotta order like that au ju on the side and then dip away till you get to heaven
And the pastrami I get it without Coleslaw
It just melts in your mouth
The fries with cheese are a good complement to any sandwich there
Even the aluminum bottles of Coke and diet coke are great
The owner is a guy who knows his food if I was to open a place it would be like this great food great prices and top quality food !

Came by on an early Tuesday afternoon for a quick bite. Ordered the «That Way» on a roll. I’ve been craving a sandwich and the roast beef, gravy and mozzarella smothered between a kaiser roll crushed my appetite. The roast beef was thinly cut and juicy but not too juicy where the roll is soggy.
I will definitely come back again to try the «PopEye» (Roast beef, spinach, provolone with garlic).

This place makes kind of amazing late night food. Their roast beef sliders are absolutely delicious!

OMG
I just ordered the Something Else Sandwich for lunch and I am VERY happy. This roast beef sandwich was incredible. Plus it had fried wedge potatoes within it. This is a meat eaters dream sandwich. All I could keep singing in my head was Ushers song «OMG».
Pros: Delivery was quick, the sandwich held up great and tasted fresh and fantastic.
Cons its not too healthy but who cares indulge yourself once in a while.

Had sandwiches here catered for lunch, and I got the roast beef with mozzarella and gravy on an egg-​sesame roll. Overall it was pretty average stuff — it tasted just like Arby’s traditional roast beef sandwich, although the egg-​sesame was pretty unique, where the touch of egg added a tint of savory peculiarity to the taste. The roast beef was tender and had a good amount of fatty parts, which made it tender and moist, but there was nothing eye popping. The flavoring on the beef was a bit bland, but the gravy and the cheese made up for it. I actually sort of liked how the roast beef made the bread soggy and oily because it made the roll more juicy and flavorful.
Overall, I know it was catered so it was probably difficult to mass produce in quality, but I thought it was just OK, and the meat-​to-​bread ratio was a bit on the lower side.

I met up with a friend one rainy afternoon. Let me tell you, this is a perfect, casual place to catch up with a friend over delicious sandwiches/​sliders (don’t forget the beer!).
Décor: The place is kind of small and dim, but it has a warm cozy feel to it. For seating, the tables were against the wall/​window (bar-​like tables) and had bar stools. I loved how they have dollar bills taped on the walls, windows, and ceiling… forming some sort of path to deliciousness. The place is called This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef, so of course there were some piggy décor such as an outline of pigs on the kitchen doors, pig drawings on the chalkboard, and even a pig’s face on the garbage bin. I love it!
Food: It was my first time there and I couldn’t decide what to get, so I opt for the slider pack with included 3 sliders (This Way Slider, Tuna Melt Slider, Pastrami Slider). On top of that, there was a promo: 1 FREE roast beef slider for every beer purchase. So yes, four yummy sliders for me! Each slider was generously filled with meat (and tuna). There were all so filling, juicy, and finger-​licking good. Out of the four, my favorite has to be the roast beef because who doesn’t like cheese wiz on their food?! yummm

3.5 stars.
I had their «this way roll» and their «that way roll»: they were both rich n soft.
Funky divy place.

THIS WAY IS BETTER THAN THAT WAY!!!
My coworker told me that they have the best roast beef in Manhattan. I guess it’s just not up to what I expected since I have just had the roast beef in roll n’ roaster in Brooklyn. Nothing can compare to that.
I used a scoutmob deal. buy 1 get 1 equal value or less for free during the weekdays. So we got THIS WAY and THAT way!
This way: roast beef, cheez whiz, and au jus.
That way: roast beef, gravy, mozzarella cheese
First bite of This way. Good. cheesy. that’s it. It was really messy. I can’t even hold the burger up. the roast beef was not as tender as I thought. It’s more like mince meat to me instead of roast beef.
That way: too much gravy. same thing. messy. I guess roast beef doesn’t goes well with mozzarella cheese. that’s why this way is better than that way. :)
Overall. it’s great. cheap. but I can’t help by just giving 3 stars because I had the best in the city already. :)

I was torn on ordering the «This Way» or the «That Way». Yet there are so little times I see Cheez Wiz on a menu, so I gave the «This Way» a shot.
The sandwich was actually not that great. The meat was tender and juicy, but the Cheez Wiz-​to-​meat ratio wasn’t even. Way too much Wiz (which was mostly on one side of the sandwich). It would have been nice to have some grilled peppers and onions for added flavor as well.
The Stew fries were actually the part of the meal I enjoyed. Very hearty stew on steak fries that were piping hot. A good meal in itself.
I would go again to try the «That Way» sandwich and will see if it’s better.

DIVE BAR atmosphere where you can enjoy pretty BOMB SANDWICHES!
love how the HERO BREAD holds up to all the JUICES! (i doubt the rolls do)
—«That Way» sandwich on hero bread: BEST ROAST BEEF SANDWICH i’ve had!!! i liked how the meat was juicy and tender!
—««The Other Thing» sandwich on hero: it’s NOT the best pastrami sandwich i’ve had because the coleslaw was kind of sweet, but the pastrami was tasty! (& it wasn’t sliced but halfway between shredded & cubed)
DON’T FORGET THE HOT SAUCE!
NOTE: we used the Scoutmob deal for BOGO free sandwiches!

One of the best things about NYC is that nothing ever closes, or so it seems to someone from the west coast.
Out and about, drinking and walking like a zombie on a Friday night we were led here by some friends.
Lucky us, this was the perfect after hour food.
Roast Beef sandwiches topped with mozzarella were so damn good.
The Man behind the register was kind enough to give us a plate of the roast beef sliders with cheese whiz as we waited.
Another friend had ordered the fries with gravy. At first I thought I had enough food, but later found myself finishing up every last bite of them.
Now this little piggy was content and somewhat sober to make it all the way home.

I am LOVING the food here. Hubby, my son and I came here with a voucher for four sandwiches and some hand cut fries. We had the This Way which is Roast Beef, Au Jus & Cheese Whiz, the That Way which is Roast Beef, Gravy & Mozz., The Other Thing was Pastrami, Coleslaw and Mustard and The Popeye Way was Roast Beef, Au Jus, Provolone & Spinach. All the sandwiches were awesome. They all tasted great and I would have wanted to order more food if I could fit it in my stomach.
My son and I shared the Lobster Bisque and it had a great taste to it. I would have loved if it were a bit thicker but the taste was spot on and it had little pieces of lobster swimming round so I was good.
They have some good beer choices but the seating is a bit tight. This Little Piggy is meant for you to come in, enjoy the food and leave happy. In that order. I love finding these little hole in the wall establishments that offer some damn good and unique food.
Definitely deserving of a revisit.

Came to This Little Piggy to fuel up for a day of thrifting in East Village, and it did not disappoint. First off, there is really cute pig themed décor along with a cool&clean yet divey bar vibe with dolla billz lining the ceiling. This place would be super fun to come to at night for a drink & muchies. The service is super chill, too. The guy at the register was really nice about giving me advice both about the food&places to eat/​shop at in East Village.
Following his suggestion, I got the Pastrami slider with dijon mustard ($ 3.50) and Roast Beef Slider drizzled in cheddar cheese ($ 2.50). Their meat is DELICIOUS. So juicy and flavorful. They cook everything in the restaurant. The only thing bought was the roll of the slider. I started with the pastrami and my mouth went to heaven. The fat on the meat was just the right amount. I might have savored it too much because by the time that I got to the roast beef, the roll was a bit soggy, so I didn’t enjoy it as much. Compared to the pastrami, the roast beef was drier in my opinion, but nevertheless, the slider was delish in it’s own way, too.
For me, the clear winner was the pastrami. 2 sliders was pretty hearty for me, but if you are a bigger set guy or are drunk, I would suggest something more substantial. The guy told me that there are deals at night such as buy a beer, get a free slider. I would definitely be a regular at this joint if I end up in NYU. Until then, THIS little piggy drools when thinking of pastrami…

This little piggy really likes these sandwiches.
The Popeye Way is the best one — really garlic-​y (in a good way), and a delicious combo of flavors with the salty meat and spinach along with the provolone.
That Way is the next best (roast beef, au jus and mozzarella).
This Way comes next (roast beef, gravy and cheez whiz), as it can be a little too mushy from the whiz.
And then comes the The Other Thing (pastrami, cole slaw and brown mustard). This one is definitely delicious too, but it is underwhelming compared to the others and much better versions can be found close by (e.g. Katz’s).
The meat on all the sandwiches was very high quality — really soft, juicy roast beef that wasn’t fatty at all.
The hand-​cut fries are also awesome — they were super hot and crispy which made them 10 times better than they probably are normally. They are very thick and potato-​y, like really thick steak fries, which I don’t normally like, but these were excellent.
I see where some of these reviewers are coming from complaining about the sandwiches being soggy — this seems like it would definitely be the case if you take them to go. So you should definitely go on a weeknight like I did — it was nice and empty, and everything was served hot and fresh and there were plenty of seats in the tiny place to sit and enjoy in a relaxed environment. Definitely avoid coming on a weekend when it’s way too busy — I usually walk by and see crowds of tourists all sitting on the curb wolfing down their sandwiches.

Living social Deal — 4 Sandwiches:
Feasted on the This Way (roast beef au jus with Cheese Whiz), That Way (roast beef with gravy and fresh mozzarella), The Other Thing (pastrami with coleslaw and brown mustard), and The Popeye Way (roast beef au jus with provolone and spinach).
All my sandwiches came out soggy… but thats probably because I ordered to go. They wrapped it in tin foil, which usually traps the steam and moisture of the sandwich in, making the bread super soggy. If they packed it to-​go in a container (which usually has vents on the side, making it breathable) the bread might’ve came out still soggy, but maybe not so much like a we sponge.
The only sandwich that did not come out soggy was the Pastrami on rye. This is a little smaller than what you would get at Katz (and cheaper too), but still, patrami is soft and moist, they put cole slaw in the sandwich which gave it a little twist.
The That Way (roast beef with gravy and fresh mozzarella), This Way (roast beef au jus with Cheese Whiz), andThe Popeye Way (roast beef au jus with provolone and spinach) ALL Tasted almost exactly the same! The only thing different about the Popeye way was that it came on a hero and had some green spinach in it. But all tasted the same!
If they stopped being so cheap on the packaging when you order to go, I might come back and order out again. But I would only come back for the Pastrami on rye when I’m cheap and crave for soft moist pastrami.

Ok, so I’m gonna review this place, even though I don’t eat roast beef. In fact I have never even eaten beef, of any kind, as I’m a life-​long vegetarian (pescetarian if you want to get specific because I eat fish). Now, I understand my roast beef reviewing credentials are suspect… but, rest assured, I base my opinion on my roast beef loving man. I have been watching him eat roast beef for a long time, and I rarely have seen him as complimentary as he was eating his roast beef hero ‘This Way’ style. I have seen him eat a lot of Roast beef sandwiches, and he said TLPHRB was one of the best he has ever had. That is a compliment.
Now, for the vegetarian review, I had a grilled cheese sandwich. I have had this sandwich in many a roast beef/​philly cheese steak shop, and the one I had here was good, even a little better than normal because they made it with mozzarella cheese. Most of the time I get served a hamburger bun with cheese wiz on it, so this was definitely an upgrade.
Service was a little bit of a letdown. They were nice, but a little over it. They kind of had a «yeah I know I have good sandwiches» attitude, which isn’t rude, but if you’re a fan and really excited about something, you’d like to have a little bit of that excitement reciprocated.
Anyway, here’s the breakdown:
Roast Beef Sandwich: 5 stars
Vegetarian sandwich: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars

Playfully named, this fun roast beef sandwich bar focuses primarily on roast beef, with a secondary offering of pastrami, appropriate sides, and a selection of straightforward beer including Porkslap, which would be simply criminal not to include.
Cool space, worn exposed brick on one side, stripped dark wood paneling on the other with old-​fashioned crown mold, autographed dollar bills tacked up on the ceiling in a coiling, snake-​like fashion. Some bar seats but not much seating, better for take-​out. We came at a good time and ended up taking most of the seats to sample their sandwiches. Roast beef, doused in their au jus, was most definitely worth having, so succulent, juicy, and cleanly beef flavored. I liked the Popeye version I had, topped with garlicky, tender spinach and provolone. Others tried This Way (au jus, Cheez Whiz) and That Way (gravy, fresh mozzarella, toasted), to equally great acclaim.
To have the most basic This Way or That Way on a roll, these sandwiches are economical for the quality ($ 5.50). Not a huge sandwich, but a good size; the hero almost doubles it and is $ 9.50. Lots of room for customization on all, or build your own.
Most definitely returning for a roast beef sandwich!

This way, that way, every which way!
This place has some good roast beef. And how is it that everything on their menu sounds so darn tasty? I wanted to order everything!
We got delivery. This took a while, but they are located in the East Village and we were ordering from midtown, so this wasn’t unexpected. Which brings me to another point. Their delivery area is HUGE, which is awesome.
The breakdown:
This Way — beefy, cheesy goodness. I couldn’t really taste the au jus though.
That Way — thick, creamy gravy and smooth mellow mozzarella. My favorite!
Pastrami slider — good flavor, but kind of dry.
Cheese fries — big potato wedges covered in cheese. A meal by itself. Yum!
Also, they stay open really really late. I want to go back and try the beef stew and the lobster fries.