Sloppy Joe

The all-American sloppy joe sandwich is typically composed of ground beef that is browned with chopped onions, green pepper, and garlic; combined with tomato sauce and seasonings of choice; and served hot on a hamburger bun. Although it is not known when the sandwich was first called the “sloppy joe,” similar ground beef concoctions have been recorded in American cookbooks since the turn of the twentieth century. Some food historians believe that, with the addition of ketchup or tomato sauce, it evolved from the popular Iowa loosemeat sandwich introduced by Floyd Angell, the founder of Maid-Rite restaurants, in 1926. During the Great Depression and World War II, ground beef provided an economical way to stretch meat and ensured the popularity of the sandwich. As for the name “sloppy joe,” some say it was inspired by one of two famous bars named Sloppy Joe’s in the 1930s—one in Havana, Cuba, and the other in Key West, Florida. The name caught on throughout the United States, and based on the number of establishments that subsequently became known as “Sloppy Joe’s” by the late 1930s, it is likely that the messy-to-eat sandwich was named after restaurants that commonly served it. By 1948, the sloppy joe was firmly established in America’s sandwich culture.