Lion's Choice - St. Louis' Roast Beef Chain

Let me say it upfront: It's not Buffalo's Beef on Weck. It's not Baltimore's Pit Beef. It's not LA's French Dip. It's not Philly's Cheese Steak. And it certainly is not Chicago Italian Beef. But Lion's Choice is St. Louis' roast beef sandwich. It's not a bad one, at that.


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According to the company website, Lion's Choice began as "Brittany Beef" in Ballwin, MO, in 1967. They are a chain with franchise opportunities in Missouri and Oklahoma. They tinkered with the name a bit, eventually coming up with "Lion's Choice," but the basic recipe has remained the same. Lion's choice roasts top round (medium-rare to medium, well-done upon request) and slices it paper-thin, just as the sandwiches are assembled. Let's take a closer look:


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The beef itself reminded me of my first Arby's sandwich, back in 1971. At that time, Arby' s used intact beef, rather than industrial deli meatpaste. I remember it as good and cheap enough for a big group of high school kids. What reminded me of that Arby's sandwhich was that Lion's Choice beef is sliced very thin, such that it comes apart. The beefy taste was there, but I missed the heft of a beef on weck or a pit beef. Lion's Choice beef has a slight crust of seasoned salt at the edges, and their typical way of serving the sandwich is with a shake of this spiced salt and without condiments. The buttered and toasted bun they promise had no indication of either buttering or toasting. The bun was the sandwich's weakest aspect. Hot "au jus" comes from a dispenser and tastes like beef bouillon. A sauce bar offers hot horseradish sauce (mayo-based), chipotle ranch dressing (just plain wrong on two counts), barbeque sauces ("sweet and smoky" and "tangy") and ketchup. There are also pickles and onions available. I got swiss cheese on my 41/2-ounce sandwich, which was the large size. Iced tea and sweet tea are available in addition to the standard fountain drinks.


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The exteriors of the restaurants scream "cafeteria" to me, and the signage on the Lion's Choice near me omits mention of roast beef. I was surprised to learn that this is a fast-food place. It's a decent one. They offer hot ham and turkey (not tried) as well as a full menu of concretes (St. Louis' version of the milkshake.) The inclusion of baked potatoes and bagged celery and carrot sticks on the menu are nice touches. I didn't try the fries, but the chili was standard-issue Hormel. I'd eat here again, and I'd recommend Lion's Choice as an alternative to other fast food spots on a highway-ride through Missouri or Oklahoma.

Hi,

I think the beef is roasted at an extremely low temp and held in an "Alto Shaam". There is no caramelization of the beef, that means less flavor.

Tim

There used to be a Lion's Choice by Lifetime Fitness (across from the movie theatres) at Cantera Business Park in Warrenville. I really liked it, but it just didn't do much business. Ironically, Arby's moved into the space after they closed. I believe that the Arby's is now closed as well.

I was a big fan of Lion's Choice in Warrenville. I would drive 30 minutes each way just for lunch from my old office. I always was concerned that they picked a terrible, out of the way location and sure enough, one day they were closed. I even bought a couple of pounds of roast beef once for a party from them. The main thing I loved was that they had au jus available all the time (yeah it's not great au jus, but I liked it). I wrote Lion's Choice on their website a few times, but they never replied. I told them they had a great product, but they needed the right people to expand their market. They definitely could take on Arby's if they put some money behind their product. C'est la vie. I guess it'll be a nostalgia trip whenever I get to St. Louis (or Oklahoma City) again.

BTW, I have to say that Arby's new angus beef is really good. It's definitely not the usual Arby's beef. Check it out.

Ram4 wrote: I wrote Lion's Choice on their website a few times, but they never replied. I told them they had a great product, but they needed the right people to expand their market. They definitely could take on Arby's if they put some money behind their product. C'est la vie. I guess it'll be a nostalgia trip whenever I get to St. Louis (or Oklahoma City) again.

How strange that they didn't respond. (I remember that part of my job at Nestle was to respond to difficult consumer letters- they took it quite seriously there, but who knows?) I have to say that I agree with you. They could take on Arby's. However, I'm not sure how Arby's business is these days. I haven't eaten a sandwich there in years.

Ram4 wrote:BTW, I have to say that Arby's new angus beef is really good. It's definitely not the usual Arby's beef. Check it out.

I'm open to suggestion. I will check it out. Arby's might have pulled out of their nose dive. I was surprised to like the Angus burger at McDonald's, so who knows (That's an Angus burger SANS MAYO, SVP!)

I just got word from my girlfriend that a trip through St. Louis is planned for next summer, so start the Lion's Choice countdown!

I'm kind of weird - I'm indifferent about religion or politics in general. But with food I'm like an activist - they will hear from me!