by Bottom Line: The Spicy Roast Beef does not push up the heat scale like their Diablo sandwiches, but it is still a nice twist on an Arby’s classic with a kick.
Not chicken! Not chicken! I’m reviewing something that is not chicken! For some reason, the restaurant industry–particularly the fast food side–seems to think that the only thing you can spice up is chicken. You’ve got spicy chicken sandwiches, spicy chicken wings, spicy chicken tenders, and more chicken, chicken, chicken! Not that there is anything wrong with spicy chicken, but it is nice to have some other options once in a while. And just recently Arby’s obliged on that by adding a spicy non-chicken item to its menu that is worth checking out.
Just a few months back they put out the Diablo Roast Beef Sandwich (you can read more about that here) and now they have a toned-down version of that with their Spicy Roast Beef. That includes their signature, thinly-sliced roast beef with lettuce, diced jalapenos, fiery seasoning, and spicy mayo sauce on a toasted sesame seed roll. Basically, it is the Diablo Roast Beef minus the Diablo sauce.
As you would expect, this sandwich is stuffed with plenty of roast beef as it is bulging out at the edges. That is the item that put Arby’s on the map, and it is always reliable for a good beefy sandwich. They add the fiery seasoning to the spicy version, and that kicks it up with a bit of a zing. The spicy mayo brings some creaminess and just a little bit of tang but not much flavor boost and they were pretty skimpy with that condiment. There is also not much taste from the diced jalapenos, but they do help with the heat. Lettuce offers a little bit of texture, but it is more of a nuisance because it keeps falling out. Still, all the ingredients work well together to deliver a good, spiced-up version of an Arby’s favorite.
Heat-wise, this does not seem too hot at first. But as you dig in and get some bites with more of the heat-inducing ingredients, it perks up to the Medium level on my scale. That is definitely below the heat of the Diablo sandwich which was approaching the Fiery level, but the Spicy version still delivers a kick. If you like Arby’s Roast Beef and you like spicy, then…well, you do the math.
Nutrition-wise, this sandwich comes in at 475 calories which is not bad for a drive thru entree. But if you add a medium order of the curly fries, that tacks on another 550 cals which sounds like a New Year’s resolution buster pretty early in the year. And while this may sound like sacrilege to some, I’m not a huge fan of Arby’s curly fries. They’re not bad, but I much prefer the potato cakes which disappeared a few years back as a COVID casualty. They were basically the same thing as hash brown patties, and who doesn’t love hash browns any time of the day? They came in a little lower on the calories as well. But I digress . . .
If you want to give the Spicy Roast Beef a try, get to your local Arby’s soon because it will head back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville before you know it. Hopefully, the Diablo sandwiches will return at some point (a Diablo fish sammy would be awesome at Lent time), but the Spicy version might tide you over until then. And maybe at some point, they will get both on the permanent menu!
Up next on the review list . . . probably chicken.
Tale of the Tape:
Calories: 475
Fat: 25g (7g Sat/1g Trans)
Protein: 23g
Carbs: 39g
Sodium: 1151mg
