The Complete Story
The Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop is housed in one of America's most unusual restaurant buildings - an 1881 railroad caboose with its wheels removed. The caboose was placed at this location in 1919, originally with a gas station in front. The restaurant opened in 1924 and was run by Clyde Holbrook for the next 20 years.
The shop's claim to fame is having one of the first drive-thru windows in the United States, a feature that predated the fast-food industry's adoption of the concept by decades. This innovation was so significant that the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 - for a sandwich shop inside a train car.
The Maid-Rite's loose meat sandwich recipe has remained unchanged since the 1920s. The name was coined by a delivery man who declared the food was 'made right.' Current owner Sam Quaisi, a former employee at the Illinois Department of Revenue building across the street, purchased the Springfield favorite in 1986 and has operated it for nearly four decades.
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know
→ The building is a repurposed 1881 railroad caboose with the wheels removed
→ Claims to have one of the first drive-thru windows in the United States
→ Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984
→ The loose meat sandwich recipe has remained unchanged since the 1920s
→ Named when a delivery man declared the food was 'made right'
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop
✓ You Can Visit Today
Address: 118 N Pasfield St, Springfield, IL 62702
What's There Now: The Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop continues to operate at the original location, still serving its signature loose meat sandwiches from the historic train caboose building. The drive-thru window remains functional.
GPS Coordinates: 39.8026877, -89.6582364
Photo Tip: Best photographed in early morning or late afternoon when the Illinois light brings out the building's character.
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