Quite honestly, there are very, very few places that serve a good roast beef sandwich in the North Star State. Granted, I grew up elsewhere, so my tastes were forged differently than most Minnesotans, but I have persisted on my quest for great RARE and thinly sliced roast beef for the last 40 plus years. In my opinion, only two places qualify as great: Wally's Roast Beef in Bloomington and Maverick's Real Roast Beef in Roseville. Morts in Golden Valley used to be good, but then it went downhill and closed in 2023. Wally's is a funny, little place. First of all, it's located inside the Southtown Office Park Building. Go to the back (south) side of the building, go inside the door and it's immediately on the right. It's only open for lunch and it's closed on Saturdays. You will find it off of 494 on Penn Avenue. Wally's does that 1950's vibe and they specialize not only in Roast Beef, but also ham, turkey and a variety of soups. They also have daily specials as well as Blue plate, Red plate, and Green plate specials. One is meat loaf, one is roast beef, and one is turkey. They explain which is which on their website, but not on their restaurant board, which is insane, but is one of their quirks. Most importantly, the food tastes home-made, is excellent in terms of quality and taste and the prices are reasonable. C'mon, what more do you want? They have good milkshakes and tasty fries too. I think this place is a gem and I highly recommend it. read more

Stopped in for lunch. My husband got a blue plate special(full order) and I got the French dip with au jus and onion rings. The onion rings were crispy and so good. The French dip was good too, especially with that horseradish sauce- that will clear your sinuses up! Not the weak stuff. Ambiance was charming as always (like going back in time) and the guy behind the counter was great- responsive, fast, charismatic, and gave special attention to my mother in law which made it even better. read more

Great deli with 50's vibe. Good roast beef sandwiches, HOT (fresh) horseradish and a good value for a quick bite. Memorabilia from the shuttered Bloomington Lincoln High School creates a hometown feel. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Bloomington Lincoln High School memorabilia. Shuttered in 1982. - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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Any business that has been around for so long deserves a try in my book. I ordered the blue plate special half order and beef barley soup. The soup was great, but the open faced roast beef sandwich was only lukewarm.l and bland. Maybe it's a local thing as there were plenty of regulars coming thru. The limited menu would stop me from returning unless I craved a burger. Never say never. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Blue plate special and soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

I've been meaning to try this family owned restaurant for years and I finally did today. I was excited to try them because I love onion rings with the beer batter type breading versus the breadcrumb kind. The line was fairly long but the staff were fast, friendly and efficient. The onion rings were fresh and pipping hot. The sandwich was good but I do wish there was more meat. The horseradish sauce had quite a kick which I loved. It's in an office building but there is dedicated parking out front for customers. I'd definitely go back because the prices were very reasonable. read more

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I always like to try unique and local foodie spots. I read about this place on TripAdvisor and Yelp and decided to give it a try. It didn't live up the hype for me. The meat was dry and flavorless. The gravy was particularly bland packet gravy. And the food was not served particularly hot either. I had much higher expectations for a place famous since 1969. I wouldn't eat it again or reccomend it, unfortunately. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Glad beef and beef sandwich with au jus - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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Stopped by for lunch the other day. The restaurant is in an office building. has a casual, diner vibe. The staff was very helpful for ordering a lunch plate. I ordered the blue plate special that came with a roast beef sandwich, corn, and mashed potatoes all slathered in gravy. It was a full plate, and for $10 and some change, a good value for money. Unfortunately the food was aplenty but not seasoned enough. There was salt and pepper shakers on the tables and that helped. The roast beef was cooked well and was tender but the flavor wasn't there. I was a little disappointed considering all the positive reviews of the place. Maybe I just happened to be there on a bad day. I might give them another try but probably not anytime soon. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Blue plate special - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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Cold Roast Beef and rude employees after 52 years of going their they have run it into the ground Many better places to spend money

Decent food, great prices and great service. I enjoyed my lunch overall. Roast beef was delicious and my pork tenderloin sandwich was good (but seemed to be pork loin, not tenderloin). The pork needed something beyond the meat and bun though and neither the BBQ or horseradish sauce offered did the trick for me. I also wasn't a huge fan of the buns used, a bit gummy. With that said, the prices are so affordable, I will likely be back. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Roast beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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I'm glad I went local rather than to the myriad of chain places. But the food was rather bleh! The onion rings were good but needed salting. The roast beef was bleh even after salt, horseradish and bbq sauce were added My daughter said her cheeseburger was the same...just nothing to write home about. Nothing was terrible but nothing was good either. read more

My wife and I have been wanting to go here for years, because we have heard that it is great. It is right near Southtown in Bloomington in an office building. It has plenty of seating and there were about 8 people in there for lunch at 11:15 on a Saturday, but about 6 guys behind the counter and in the kitchen, so it must get busy later on in the day and it looked like they had a big take out/delivery audience. On Saturday, you can get 2 roast beef sandwiches for $7 and I added an order of au jus for $0.60. You have to get the au jus!. I actually sipped up the last of it after I was done and it adds a perfectly rich and salty flavor to the sandwich. We ordered 2 $1 Diet Cokes to wash down to tasty meals. It only took a few minutes for the friendly staff to bring out our order, and I tried one bite without jazzing anything up. Pretty good. THEN,,,,I added the horseradish sauce. The tender and pink roast beef blended perfectly with the spiciness of the horseradish sauce. Then, I added some pickles and onions and lettuce to it and dipped it in the au jus. Fantastic! Everything melded together like butter on a hot biscuit. The perfectly toasted bun was a nice touch, I could have easily seen some places put it on a non-toasted bun. 1 sandwich was just fine, but I had both and I was stuffed still 2 1/2 hours later. There are a ton of other places in the Twin Cities we want to try, but for a quick, casual, great lunch. This is worth a 20 minute stop. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - 2 roast beef sandwiches with au jus - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

This place is in an office building that looks like it was built in the late 60's/early 70's. I have never heard about it before, even though I once lived near it. However, I am glad that I finally got to experience the great food that this place has to offer. The ambiance is a combination of the 1950's-early 90's, frozen in time. It's a bit odd, but it creates a charm that works for them. There's a juke box that works. You order at a counter, and they bring the food to you. The prices are very reasonably. I am a grilled cheese fanatic, and I'll say that this one is top notch. It had just the right texture, crispiness, and saltiness that I'm looking for. The roast beef is great as well, and was definitely the popular item based on the name of the restaurant and the many surrounding tables of customers that had ordered it. The line was long, for good reason, but went FAST. The staff communicate well, and are friendly with customers. This is a hidden gem for sure! Their hours are quite specific, probably because they mostly cater to the people who work in the building, but it's worth a special trip if you don't! read more

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Not the same place. Over priced. The cheese sauce was like beer cheese soup. Must've switched owners a couple times since last time I was here. Went out of my way to come here only to be disappointed in the end. Used to be on 90th & Penn with way better quality-prices in the 1990s. You could get a full roast beef & cheddar on a Hawaiian bun for $2.99. Times and things change, people move and people change. The multi million dollar building-store is immaculate clean though. Only in heaven will this place be good again like it once was. read more

I'd heard so much hype for this place, but hadn't gotten around to trying it until recently. I would always drive past and not really know where it fully was I guess. It's in an unassuming location, at the bottom floor of an office park building. The dining area is nice, but I can't for the life of me, get what all the fuss was about. I got the blue plate special, roast beef on white bread smothered in gravy with a side of mashed potatoes and corn. The mashed potatoes were good. Everything was decent but nothing to rave about. Not sure I'll be back. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Blue plate special - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Roast Beef sandwich was just ok-!expected more. Beef was quite chewy & had to spit out hard pieces. Au jus was hot but not very favorable. Service was great very pleasant lunchroom & very nice servers. read more

I was always so curious about Wally's because I LOVE roast beef, and there isn't a ton of places like this around! I was a little let down though. The sandwich was pretty small, and didn't have much roast beef on it. Didn't taste super fresh either. I added some pickles and lettuce since they had some out. Honestly, I saw the potato cakes and I was more impressed with those! I thought the sandwich would have had a good cheese sauce on it, but it was just a slice of cheddar, nothing too fancy. I wish I would have gotten a shake because they only offered cans of pop. My husband ordered the blue plate special, and he thought it was decent. The prices were fair, and this place stays pretty busy for lunch. Not sure if I would go back here again or not. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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Easily my best sammich experience in a long time. Try the roast beef (philly cheese steak style). The bread is so soft, warm and doughy. Love it. It also comes with a lot of au jus for sammich dipping. They give you a nice stack of roast beef slabs and don't short change a hungry stomach like mine. Was heading 265 miles south to Des Moines and this was all the fuel I needed. Atmosphere inside is bright and clean but sociable. Really enjoyed this place and would come here again. Almost forgot, the creamy horse radish is perfectly spicy. Loved it. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - This Roast Beef Sandwich disappeared into the heart of my belly 2 minutes after this photo was taken. My god did that taste good! - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Classic! Easily the best roast beef around. It's located on ground floor of an office building, but don't let that stop you - Wally's serves up hot roast beef sammies. My husband loves the au jus dip and I love the horseradish. Must try! read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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The food and service were great. The fries were fresh and hot! I got the roast beef sandwich and was impressed with how flavorful it was.

a great mom and pop shop For good food and real mashed potatoes and gravy a good old fashion tables and chairs read more

A hidden gem. I'd never stop at an office building restaurant if it wasn't for this app. Real roast beef, delicious, and not that grounds up stuff, with no gristle. The horseradish and BBQ sauce made it even better along with flavorful au jus and complimentary onions. read more

So the place was kind of hard to find. It is located inside of an office complex, and while there was a sign with the name of the restaurant on the main sign by the street, once you get into the office complex, it is a little less clear, where exactly the restaurant is. There is no outside facing signage that you can see from the parking lot. I was excited to check this place out because I do love a good roast beef sandwich. On top of that I am always a fan of local, independently owned restaurants. I like to fast the local flavor. Understand the perspective of the chef or restauranteur. And this is where I was a little disappointed. Was the food bad? No, not at all. Was the service bad? Heck no. In fact the team was awesome, super welcoming and kind. It was just.... Just... just. The food lacked that something something that made you want to take the next bite. If I had been around longer, I would have tried more of the menu, as I really, really want to like this place. I need to give it another shot. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Roast beef with cheddar, au jus and fries. - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Penn Lake Roast Beef down the street is a better sandwich. Kevan the owner used to be a cook at the original Wallys on Penn and 90th.

First time for me at the new location. Wally's is every bit as good as I remember. They even managed to create some of the old time restaurant feel in the first floor of this large suburban office building. It's easy to get to, just off Penn Ave and just south of about 3 dozen un memorable suburban restaurants at Penn and I-494. Get here and you won't be disappointed. Lots of free parking. This is THE PLACE in the southern twin cities to eat roast beef. Try Mavericks in Roseville if you are on the north side or closer to either downtown. Wally's and Mavericks. There is no other place for roast beef. I'm a fan of the standard roast beef sandwich with a side of potato cakes. Superb. Great horseradish puts a kick in your sandwich! It staff is fast, friendly, and look like they've worked here since the place opened back in 1969. That's a good thing in case you are wondering. Wally's is a gem, a real treat, very original and well worth your time. read more

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I absolutely love Wally's and I'm so glad I listened to Yelp and gave it a try. It's located inside an office building, but they had a sign posted at the entryway so I knew I was in the right place. Once inside your transported back to a 60s diner, complete with fries and shakes. I tried a RB sandwich with cheddar and Fries. Do NOT skip the fries. They were soooo freakin delicious. The sandwich was also great, meat was flavorful, and the soft egg bun was a perfect match. Next time I'm skipping the cheese and going with Aus Ju, but that's my personal preference. The cheese seemed really artificial and not much flavor. For sauces they have BBQ, horseradish, and ketchup. Wooo that horseradish is strooooooong. It actually gave me a headache and cleared everything from my sinuses In one bite. The BBQ is a bit more on the sweeter side, but paired nicely with the spicy horseradish. Portions are small and I recommend getting two sandwiches or a couple of side. Prices are really cheap though so two sandwiches won't put you over $10. I will go here again and again and again, and it may be one of my favorite fast food places now. Definitely worth a try if your a fan of Arby's or just that classic RB sandwich. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

I really really liked the roast beef itself. So good. Wished the cheese wasn't just a slice of cheese. Bun and fries were nothing special but still decent. Would return again if in the area. read more

Had the Blue Plate. It was delicious. The roast beef was soft and flavorful. Mashed potato and bread was ok. It was smothered with lots of gravy, which I love. read more

This is a perfect example of a business clearly keeping it real simple, not trying to be something they're not and succeeding for a long time as a result. Prompt service, fair prices on a relatively limited menu with consistent daily specials. No surprises...you know what you're going to get. Why don't others get it? My first visit with a buddy was just fine. While I had the Wednesday special (bbq sandwich) I'll stick with the "standard " version next time...the sauce added nothing to the visit. Sandwiches are "lunch" sized so plan on buying a couple if you missed breakfast. Chips are standard but you can get onion rings or a couple of potato cakes for an upcharge. Plan ahead: The restaurant is on the main floor of an off the beaten path office building. Check out the limited operating hours and consider ordering takeout ahead of your arrival if you're on a time crunch. read more

Reasonable prices for very good food. Employees are helpful, gracious, and "business" friendly. Portion sizes are adequate unless you are a "hearty" eater. Meals we tried were the roast beef sandwich au jus, grilled cheese sandwich, and their cheese burger. All were delicious. I would recommend to others. Oh, and I saw one reviewer's remark about difficulty finding restaurant in business complex. The restaurant is easily found if one is willing to enter the door to the complex...I mean, it's right in front of you. read more

Quick and easy lunch. I had the roast beef with cheddar. It was pretty tasty, but I think I would add the au jus to my order next time. Sandwiches are on the smaller side, but I found it to be priced accordingly and an acceptable size for a lighter lunch. Fries were good and crispy. Try adding their horseradish sauce, in a pump thing near the ketchup and toppings. It'll clear your head out with a swiftness. Service was friendly and very quick. The line was nearly out the door, but I don't think I was waiting more than 2 minutes before ordering. Restaurant is very casual and located inside of an office building. Easy to get to if you park on the south side of the building (82nd St). Visible from the large parking lot. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - Roast beef with cheddar - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Really enjoyed this fast food joint with my kid. Note: it's inside the large commercial building. Right in the main hallway in the front entrance. This was what Arby's wishes they were. Evrything was fresh and high quality. Even though in a business setting, the restaurant itself is not at all. It's a nice throwback style diner. Very quick and kind service. I'll be back when in the area. read more

September 2021 The manger was very rude after selling me a blue plate dinner the meat had dead flies in the dried up beef n gravy was nasty. He says don't need ya business. Accusing trying get free food wtf Will report to the health department.shocking we bought sandwiches for the seniors for years at the old location was much better service but recently this is the treatment we got Will not recommend to any of my friends coworkers. read more

Absolutely love this place. Anytime I'm over on that side of town I'm for sure stopping. I've been going there for about 13yrs. Never a bad experience. read more

Quick, wholesome, lots of parking. A real value for less than $5.00 The roast beef is done to perfection. They also have lots of other sandwiches (like Ruben's / meatloaf / etc), and sides. However it's only open from 11:00 - 3:00, and closed on Sundays. read more

Overrated. The sandwiches are both barely room temperature. My French dip is $6.50 made of plain bread and beef (no cheese, onions, nothing) and my son's roast beef with cheese sandwich is $4.50.... huge price difference for extra bread. Even the Au jus is cold. I won't be back. read more

Wally's Roast Beef - French dip and roast beef. - Sandwiches Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

On my way to work today I heard a segment about hidden gems in the Bloomington area and Wallys was one of them. I pass by them daily and never noticed they were there. Today I decided to give it a try for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised. First off, it is inside of an office building and not very noticeable. When you walk in there are a large menu board with lots to pick from. I had the roast beef sandwich, fries, and Beef Barley soup. For my entire meal with a drink it was under $12 bucks and more than enough food for one person. I would go there again for lunch since they are only open 11-3 everyday except Sunday which they are closed. read more

I don't know how this doesn't have 5 stars. This place is great. The workers are friendly and fast. The food is very good, the specials are great and the price of food compared to what you get is an excellent value. I've been here a few times and it's always packed. Meatloaf- Good Cheeseburger- Good read more

Ok, I'm gonna premise this review with a little disclaimer. Thin sliced room temp rare as a motherF*cker roast beef is a big thing in Boston (and around new england in general, I think). Now, I'm not gonna swing this to say that NE is better than the Midwest cause we all have our preferences for what we grew up with. The trend may have its roots elsewhere, so I don't wanna be called out as a wench (even though I am) for this little ditty. Anyway. Wally's is pretty good for what they deliver. I haven't eaten at an Arby's and I never intend to do so, cause it looks hella lame and nasty. However, I will say that I've eaten my weight in crazy amounts of thinly sliced room temp roast beef at various locations back east. The roast beef at this establishment was pretty much what I was looking for, but I was underwhelmed with the amount that I received. I personally think that if you're going to run a restaurant with the title to include "roast beef" that you should sell the living F out of your product. What I received was kind of snack size. While I may be 5'10" and 170, it still probably wouldn't fill my pint sized friends either. So, Wally's gets a solid 4-stars from big old unimportant me..and I'd probably go back in the future....but it is highly likely that I'll need 3 sandwiches in order to feel like I've eaten an actual meal. The fries left a little to be desired, but I think that is a personal preference for crispy rather than noodly pieces of potato. Try the place, you might like it....I just am not sure I wanna drive all the way from St Paul....although my only alternative is Revere Mass, so I might be back in short time. Also, the almighty wikipedia states that chicago may be the origin of this sandwich. I would research further, but I just ate a black sheep pizza on the solo...so I lack energy for further review. That is all. read more

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Man, it is such a struggle when i go there to eat. Do i get a roast beef or meatloaf sandwich? I usually suck it up and buy one of each to avoid any buyers remorse. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Anyway, you can not go wrong with pretty much anything on the menu. read more

Took the toddler peoples here today. We got a BBQ beef special for 2.99, a regular roast beef, 3.49, a grilled cheese, 1.99 and cheese fries 1.89. The BBQ beef was overflowing. It was good with slices of roast beef, and pulled bits on a white sesame seed bun. BBQ flavor wasn't substantial, just roast beef in what seemed to be a commercial sauce. Good for the value. Not Wowzers. The regular beef was nice. Med rare, in nice slices and the horseradish sauce they offer at their condiment stand added a nice kick. Nicely seasoned. I should have got the au jus. (extra charge of 49 cents). Cheese fries were hand cut with a generous portion of liquid cheese. Great value, but he fries were lightly seasoned and the cheese sauce lacked flavor. Grilled cheese. This is the downfall. Mel oil to toast overwhelmed the taste of the toasted sandwich. It stuck with me for an hour after. Butter is much better. Staff were great. Lots of smiles and very attentive. The owner was wiping down tables as they were close to closing but assured us we were able to stay as long as we desired. Very clean, polished. It has a diner feel within a business building just south of 494. A bit hard to find, but plenty of parking and a really nice vibe to the place. All in all, I was impressed for a little place. read more

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