Unbreaded

The Slice Is Right At Ye Olde Ale House

“Pretend your grandmother is cutting this with her dentures,” owner Chris Bass tells slicers-in-training, though Chris himself frequently ties on the apron to carve sandwiches personally.  One of Lafayette Hill’s oldest and most beloved neighborhood haunts, the Ale House is one of five Ale Houses in the region started by Chris’ father-in-law.  On a busy Friday, the Ale House can serve up to five 50lb. rounds of prime roast beef to customers so regular, Chris greets them by name.  They also offer take-out and catering packages.

The legendary roast beef sandwiches consist of house cooked beef doused in generations-old secret gravy, paired with horseradish, provolone and a homemade hot pepper spread on a fresh D’Ambrosio kaiser roll.  The family recipe gravy gives the meat a rich, robust flavor and a tender, fall apart texture.  The spongey soft roll absorbs the sauce but does not get overly soggy, except when people order their sandwich “overboard,” or drenched in sauce.

A sandwich guy through-and-through, Chris Bass shared some of his personal favorites in the area: Barry’s Steaks in Roxborough; Pudge’s in Blue Bell; McMenamin’s in Mount Airy; and The Drafting Room in Spring House.

Ye Olde Ale House
405 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444 (Google Map)