Chop Suey Sandwich Icon Salem Lowe Closes in August 2022 | Eater Boston

"From a modest takeout window in Salem Willows, I experienced a micro-regional curiosity and North Shore icon: the chop suey sandwich, a summertime staple that David Yee traces back to 1912 and that he will close for good on August 14. The sandwich is loaded with savory, saucy bean sprouts and bits of chicken in a mild, glossy sauce thickened with cornstarch, barely contained by a modest hamburger bun; at Salem Lowe it’s served for a relic-like $2.94 and is often eaten with a fork (I started off like a taco). Salem Lowe’s pepper steak sandwich—slices of beef with green bell pepper in a brown gravy—has more punch, costs $4.30, and seems slightly more at home in the bun. One bite transported me back to the Chinese American restaurants of my youth and felt genuinely nostalgic: locals like Bobbie remember getting “chop suey rolls” at the Willows in the 1940s, and visitors still come from out of town to have one last sandwich before the shop closes. Though a few other Salem spots such as Kiki’s and Mei Lee Express also serve chop suey sandwiches, Salem Lowe’s version is what people mean when they talk about this local specialty." - Luke Pyenson