I know the family that paid $10,000 for this recipe. They had a restaurant in Lima Ohio. Maid Rites include steamed ground beef, sugar, salt, and pepper, Chopped onions, sliced dill pickles and yellow mustard. All on a white hamburger bun. They gave me a bag of seasonings once and everyone I know were begging for maid rites.

I recall eating MaidRite sandwiches for lunch while I was in high school in a small Iowa town. The present MaidRite sandwich is not as tasty. In the mid to late 1950s the meat was very nearly BLACK in color. Us high school kids did not worry about blood pressure and gave the sandwich a liberal helping of Lawry's seasoned salt.

My dad is from Winchester, Indiana and grew up on Maid Rites. The guy from Winchester in the above reviews is right! So simple and so yummy! We have tried over the years to make them but they are never as good. When I visit Indiana I always take that 30 minute drive to Ohio for a Maid Rite!

I'm from Minneapolis. The only place I ever ate Maid Rites was about 1955. They served them at a A&W Root stand I believe it was on 26 St at Grand Ave So.

Add dry mustard and some basil.

Fabulous!

My Grandma used to live in Greenville, Ohio. (many years ago) When we would go visit her we would often get Maid Rites. I loved them! I have tried so many times to make them, but have never gotten it right. My husband (who never had one) is tired of me trying. Which one of the recipes is really the best one?

Well I was born in Greenville lived in Winchester, IN and every weekend would get a Greenville, Maid Rite. I have tried both the Iowa and Ohio Maid Rite they are very similar in taste and consistency.

While cruising on a weekend in Greenville I ran across the person who ground Maid Rites meat he said it was an 80/20 mix of chuck they did not put any seasoning in until they started cooking. I am sure this is correct I have watched them take the meat out right at the cooker (steamer) and immediately they start adding white & black pepper I think in the white pepper shaker is a little sugar like 1 tbsp. then they place the loose meat on a steamed bun, add salt then mustard, pickle and onion are all optional. I assure everyone here there is no Coke Cola, Worcestershire or anything else in the mix. The buns come from Sunbeam they are plain white buns.

The only thing missing is the can of BEER that you use. The longer they cook the better. Cook at least like f enough for the beer taste to be gone. Enjoy

Oh forgot to mention ketchup is a HUGE no no. Onion, splash of salt and a spread of mustard is put on a steamed bun.

I used to mow grass for Beatrice Angell in Muscatine Iowa where maid rite originated and she is the wife of Fred Angell who invented the sandwich in 1926 here in Muscatine .. and all these recipes are wrong, if you notice a correct maid rite should carry 1919 rootbeer asyo this is because root beer became available in 1919 and this particular root beer was sold at Freds butcher shop and this IS the secret ingredient, 1919 root beer and onion powder and simmered to perfection slowly the meat was Iowa beef at 75 percent real greasy this is where the taste comes in people used to order their sandwich wet meaning greasy and she also pointed out that the original sandwich had tomato sauce spread on bottom bun but this was quickly done away with catsup was not in his store as this was not a topping and she also said the original sandwich used pickle relish not pickle a pickle was served on the side at his butcher shop where the sand which originated while people waited for their meat bundles.. 1919 root beer onion powder slow simmer and chop fine...

Bryan... my grandma, Margaret Naber, was a friend of Bea's and she told me once that root beer syrup was one of the ingredients. Who knows?

Correct! From Iowa. I have to say that if you didn't want all the grease, you'd ask for the sandwich DRY, they'd squeeze the grease out. They're not as good as they used to be. Thank you, Bryan for writing in to this post.

I have used this recipe. I think it is pretty close to the maid rite we used to stop in Trenton, Mo and eat. We would go to Spickard, Mo to see my grandmother. We would always seem to be in Trenton at the right time to stop. Miss that place.

My family is from Mercer. Ate at Trenton a few times as a treat.

Our Uncle Bob ran the Maid Rite in Trenton.

In the 1930's my family would travel from Waterloo, Iowa to Des Moines to visit my granmother, stopping in Marshalltown to eat MaidRites. All they had on them were steamed hamburger (cooked with salt) chopped fresh onions and mustard on a steamed bun. To this day I still make them that way except I use a double boiler to cook the beef.

Betty you are right about the MaidRite in Marshalltown. I grew up on a farm north of Conrad, IA but had to go to MaidRite for lunch whenever we were in Marshalltown shopping. Cooked the way you described. You could get them dry or juicy which meant more grease to run down your arms. They had delicious malts (not shakes) but made with malt powder. AND it was the ORIGINAL and was opened in the 1930s.

I have made this recipe many times on stove top and slow cooker. It tastes real close to the MAID RITE that I was raised on

Maid Rite was started in Iowa in the 1920's, they are not sweet, and never have ketchup on them.

Scott Northup is right. My dad grew up in Muscatine, Iowa where they were first invented (made rite). I was there in 1959. Grand Dad retired from Ralston Purina in Muscatine.

Years ago I worked at maid-rite, the seasoning came in a jug from the company.

Really would like to know which of these recipes is the original. Sounds like Maid-Rite restaurant's in different parts of the country may have had their own special recipe instead of all of them making the meat the same way. In fact, 4 or 5 different recipes have been mentioned here in these comments. So, for those of you who use Coca-Cola or Root Beer, I've heard that Pepsi is used. Anyway, I really would like to know the recipe that the Canton, Illinois Maid-Rite used. The last Maid-Rite sandwich I tried in Peoria, Illinois, didn't seem to taste the way I remember them.

Lloyd, Canton IL is where I had my Maid Rite, when we would go visit my grandmother. Had to have a Maid Rite. I'm going to try one that has bouillon, onion, soy sauce and steak sauce. I'll let you know if it tastes like the real thing.

Did you ever find a Made Rite recipe like you could get in Canton? I grew up outside Canton and we were always getting sandwiches there. I've been looking for the recipe for years, too. Thanks!

I remember eating Maid Rites in Albert Lea, MN, Lake Mills, IA, Mason City, IA, seems most towns around had a Maid Rite. It was a very common place to eat in almost every town. I remember no matter where you ate, they all tasted the same. According to a past owner of a Maid rite, she said the there was just one recipe and it was to be kept secret. I also remember 4 for a dollar Maid Rites and 4 for a dollar fries. Now the nearest thing to a Maid Rite is a crumble burger place in Austin, MN, it is close but not the same. All the Maid Rites are now gone, replaced by restaurants that no one will remember when they are gone. If there is a head office for the Maid Rite chain, please bring them back!

There is still a Maid Rite restaurant in Marshalltown. A few years back someone franchised several in the Des Moines area. The only one I know is still open is inside the Merle Hay Mall (as of 2021).

There's also a small Maid-Rite (am sure it's the original Maid-Rite sign), just off Main Street in Cedar Falls, IA.

Not ALL the Maid-Rite Sandwich shops are gone... Springfield Illinois still going --- 2024 it marks 100 years there and most if not all of those 100 years was in the caboose. That's my hometown and with all the crooks being grown in Illinois I am glad this little mom/pop shop still exists!! I took my grandson there, making 5 generations going there for the same sandwich, homemade fries, and homemade root beer in frosted mugs. I am planning on taking my great-grandchildren soon, making it 6 generations! Go to Springfield Illinois - for that only LOL

The Maid Rite in Lake Mills, Ia was the best! I also remember the 4 for a dollar specials!!! Also a quarter chicken special with fries for 1.25. Back in the day it was a special treat for the weekend! Loved the Maid Rites kept in the big rectangular steamer in the middle of the serving area, your choice of toppings. It was a local mainstay for the whole town. Had many friends who worked there after school and on weekends. They also had a great steak sandwich! Spent many hours of my youth hanging out there!

From a gal that worked in the Maid Rite in the late 50's. In the Maid-Rite there was only the hamburger, water to steam it with and salt, if I remember correctly. Why do you ask? There is a gal here in Grinnell that adds just a little bit of flour to thicken it a little and a few seasonings, but that's all I remember we did to it when I worked there.

My grandparents started the Maid-Rite in Grinnell, Iowa and my parents eventually took it over. I have asked my mother what makes a maid-rite and Garry is correct. She said buying a high quality of ground beef was the most important part. Onion, salt and steamed is all you need! It's always a real treat to go back to Grinnell although I am disappointed they dropped the franchise name.