Bachelor on the Cheap

By Mike Thayer

The Arby's Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich in the box....

Arby's has announced a new but limited time addition to their 'Smokehouse Meats' lineup of sandwiches, the Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich.

I'm a grill enthusiast, a BBQ lover, I've even gone to school to become a certified Competition BBQ Judge - yes, really, there is such a thing.  So when Arby's hyped up their latest 'Smokehouse Meats' sandwich, I had to try it.  I must tell you my expectations were not high going in, I recently tried their Bourbon BBQ Brisket Sandwich and it was less-than-stellar. 

Here are the base ingredients for the Beef Short Rib Sandwich:

• Crispy Onions
• Cheddar Cheese
• Smokehouse Beef Short Rib
• BBQ Sauce
• Texas Toast

So how was it?

Pretty darn tasty!  Arby's is learning as they go with these sandwiches and they've done an excellent job putting this one together, it's the best BBQ sandwich on their menu.  The flavor combinations are classic, the short rib meat was super tender and a really nice portion.  The BBQ sauce was spot on and in the perfect amount, not over or under sauced.  The cheddar cheese was a smart

A nice meat to bread ratio

choice and the crispy onions provided a nice texture and flavor compliment but what put this sandwich over the top was the choice of bread.  Texas Toast is the perfect pairing.  Lightly toasted, it just embraces everything in this sandwich, a wonderful bite after bite experience.

I paid about $10 for a large size meal of the Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich, also getting four potato cakes (I've got two cakes for breakfast tomorrow!) and a large lemonade. The price isn't exactly Bachelor on the Cheap friendly, but it was a darn good sandwich, the potato cakes were hot, made to order and it all washed down very nicely with the lemonade.  Arby's Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich gets 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  The only knock I have on it, is there weren't enough crispy onions, but the sandwich is a repeat buy.

Spend Wisely My Friends.....

Not enough crispy onions!