There are at least two in Peoria, Metro Center has a 50's style maid rite, and out Rt. 150 in the Sam's Club strip mall, another one. There is a little one called Bob's Dairy Dipper in Astoria, IL, and at least one in Springfield, IL. Illinois still has several! The maid rite is actually a franchise. If you have a similar "loose meat" sandwich, you have to call it something else. Our little drugstore had "huffyburgers", another version. I, too, had a White Castle during college days in Chicago. They were great in the middle of the night to soak up the suds! ha ha ha!!! Maid rites are great anytime!

Oh my gosh.
My dad's family is from the Greenville area. Although I never had my first Maid rite until my dad had passed, and his youger brother took me there. We discussed that it was probably because it is advertised as a bar and grill, and my mother was rabid about her children going to a bar. The last time I was in Greenville was last summer for a 90th birthday celebration for a relative, and we went to Maid Rite. We have a couple in Colorado now, but I have not been there yet. And, yes, the gum has to be power washed off the building in Greenville about once a year according to my Uncle.

I had never heard of Maid Rites until we visited friends in Iowa and they took us to a county fair. There was a food booth selling, as they called them "loose meat sandwiches". I thought it was supposed to be a sloppy joe but they forgot to put on the barbeque sauce! The other food offered was flat egg noodles in milk gravy poured over mashed potatoes. I was told that was a very popular dish at church suppers. I thought on that they forgot to add any meat. To me the name should be "starch mixed with starch poured over starch"! I experienced White Castle sandwiches in St. Louis and understand why they are called "sliders"! :) Each area of the world has their own types of foods.

And in central Illinois they have a sandwich called a "Shoe" and a smaller version called "Pony Shoe" ....slop!!! Disgusting pile of greasy food topped with cheese fries.

Sandy

My husband is from Muscatine Iowa and that was his going out food too! I actually went back there and got to try it also. Good food.

Solsitce3 It's a small world I remember moving to Greenville w/ my 2 children in the 70's & seeing all the gum on the wall of the drivethru. Have been looking for the Maid-rites or a recipe ever since we moved back to Wisconsin!

There is a Maid rite down the street from me !! now everyone talking about it makes me want one with a rootbeer !! i think i will have that for lunch and ask the owner how he makes them while i am there

I've never heard of Maid Rite (all the variations sound so good!) but I've enjoyed reading all the comments and the many memories the sandwich brings to those of you lucky enough to have enjoyed one.

Sandy, I've never heard of those sandwiches and since reading your post called an old friend who lives just outside Springfield. He has lived there for over 30 years and his wife is a native of Springfield. Neither has heard of those named sandwiches. Could you give more info. as to what else is included and in what types of restaurants they are served please?

We just returned from our fifth trip to Hawaii and there I enjoy eating malasads, long rice, locomoco and of course the ubiquitous Spam!

I live in Ohio and we have a Maid Rite restaurant in Greenville, Oh and they claim to be the original. Don't know how true it is but they've been there "since bully was a calf".