Food, like fashion, sometimes comes back around, just not as often. The French Dip is one of the lucky dishes that fell out of fashion before coming back, better than ever. There are competing claims to who was the first to make a French Dip but we know it was in Los Angeles in the early 1900s. Since then the sandwich has ricocheted from old-school diners, to a stodgy standard on steakhouse lunch menus, to fine dining restaurants, only to become a must-have menu item in the last couple of years. We are in the middle of the French Dip resurgence where every hotel and restaurant is adding it to the menu, and pioneering chefs are making it their own.
The origins of the format are unknown—some say a a chef dropped a roll in broth, while others say it began to mask stale bread, or that guest with sore gums requested it—it resonates in today’s experiential dining era, where diners enjoy interacting with their food and customizing each bite. The act of simply dunking a sandwich also offers the mandatory visual appeal and action that suits itself so well to tiktoks and instagram reels.
Despite the reason, the original sandwich was simply sliced meat and a roll with the bread dipped in a well seasoned broth. It did not include cheese. There is also reason to believe that the very first French Dip might have actually been made with pork and not beef, this comes down to which restaurant was first. But needless to say, while many alterations have occurred over the years, the addition of cheese and horseradish being the most common, the sandwich has come to clearly denote a roast beef sandwich with jus on the side.
While the sandwich may have felt uninspired and tired not so long ago, today’s versions are generating excitement, drawing incredibly long lines and impossible-to-get reservations. Many of them also boast completely original takes with not-so-familiar flavors.
For your own inspiration, we’ve collected our favorites organized from the most traditional to the least.
