Earl’s Steak Sandwiches
A fast casual eatery with a uniquely retro feel, Earl’s Steak Sandwiches (99 Oak St., Dover, 834-9659, find them on Facebook and Instagram @earlssteaksandwiches) is the latest venture of husband and wife duo Jim Donovan and Maureen “Mo” Cox, along with their son Ryan. According to Cox, the family had been operating a food truck in York, Maine, last summer when a regular customer recommended they check out a recently turned vacant restaurant space just over the state line in Dover. As its name might suggest, Earl’s has quickly gained a following for its steak sandwiches since opening in the fall, offering everything from a traditional steak and cheese to more creative takes on the comfort staple — the Murder Steak, for instance, features bacon, onion fries, pepper jack cheese and a house sauce called Murder Hornet sauce. But the menu at Earl’s isn’t just all about the sandwiches; you’ll also find several signature rice bowls with shaved steak or fried chicken, plus hearty plates, sides, and appetizers like bone-in wings with nearly a dozen sauces to choose from. The Scene recently caught up with Cox to talk about how the first few months have gone at Earl’s Steak Sandwiches and what you can expect when you visit.
How long has Earl’s Steak Sandwiches been around?
We started here at the end of September of last year. The quick-service restaurant concept had been something my husband had thought of years and years ago, really … and it speaks well now to the current climate. “Earl” is not anybody. It’s just a name my son picked for the restaurant.
What makes Earl’s Steak Sandwiches unique?
We are a scratch kitchen and we’re known for our shaved steak. We really try to closely model ours after the Philly cheesesteak style. We smoke and cure all of our meats in house and we do all of our sauces in house as well. … We share a building with Paintworks Unlimited so we wanted to have that retro car vibe. There are a lot of old fenders and car parts on the walls.
What is your personal favorite menu item?
The Italian roast pork sandwich. It has our house roasted pork, sauteed greens, provolone cheese and a little bit of pork jus on top. We modeled it after a popular sandwich shop in Philly called DiNic’s.
What is a menu item that everyone should try?
All of our steak sandwiches are amazing, but what we’ve become well known for is our Murder Hornet sauce. It’s a Sweet Asian-style sauce with honey, Sriracha and soy. It’s not a super hot sauce, and that’s probably the biggest question we get about it. It’s more of a bee sting — it burns your lips a tiny bit but it won’t ruin your day. We put it on some of our burgers, our steak sandwiches and in our bowls.
What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?
I think it’s flexibility, and just understanding what your guests are looking for and being able to deliver that. Opening a restaurant, especially during Covid, has required us to pivot at the last minute and make decisions about what we need to do to be safe.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
The community has been so supportive of us here. I don’t know if we would have been as successful in another area. Our customers and the local small businesses around here have been incredibly good to us.
— Matt Ingersoll