An 18-Year-Old Runs This New Jersey Meat Market — And Guy Fieri Was Impressed
“I was talking to the boss,” Guy Fieri said, nodding toward the young man behind the counter. “Oh yes, he is the boss,” came the reply. And that boss? An 18-year-old high school senior named Giovan who bought out the previous owner and now runs Joe’s Meat Market in South Bound Brook, New Jersey — just 45 minutes from New York City.
This isn’t your typical family business handoff. Giovan started working at the market when he was 12, coming in every day after school to watch the cooks. “He had a meat knife in his hand when he was 12,” his parents Joe and Dolly Lort explained. The family has been running this restaurant-meets-meat-market-meets-deli for 30 years, and now their teenage son is at the helm, making everything fresh.
The Market Sloppy Joe: Three Pieces of Bread, Zero Shortcuts
When Guy asked about the Market Sloppy Joe, he got a surprise. “Isn’t a sloppy joe typically tomato sauce and sloppy?” he asked. “We do it a little different,” Giovan replied. That’s an understatement.
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This signature sandwich starts with house-brined corned beef that takes 48 days to cure. The brine includes hot water, curing salt, sugar, regular salt, pickling spice, smashed garlic, and chopped onions. After brining, the meat goes into a pan with carrots, onions, and a little water, then cooks at 500 degrees for 3 hours.
The turkey gets a dry rub of parsley, garlic, white pepper, paprika, and olive oil before roasting at 375 for 2 hours. The roast beef takes salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and minced onion, also cooking for 2 hours at 375. Even the coleslaw is made fresh — cabbage, carrots, sugar, celery seed, salt, white vinegar, and mayo.
The sandwich itself is built on three pieces of rye bread with Russian dressing, coleslaw, corned beef sliced so thin Guy joked it “only got one side,” turkey, roast beef, and Swiss cheese. The toothpicks holding it together? “That’s not toothpicks,” Guy noted. “That right there is like a saber.”
Guy’s Verdict: Quality Ingredients Done Right
After diving in, Guy broke down what makes this sandwich work: “The Russian is delicious. Slaw’s got good crunch, doesn’t overpower it. Corn beef is out to lunch. Roast beef cooked perfectly. Turkey delicious. Really good Swiss cheese, thinly sliced.”
His conclusion? “When a cold sandwich can taste that good, it’s because using quality ingredients and doing it the right way.” The sandwich is so substantial it “comes with a beach towel,” and staff joke they “help them to their car and let them sleep it off” after customers finish one.
Guy also tried the Eggplant Parm over Linguini and the Penne Vodka with Shrimp and Chicken. Customers at the counter confirmed what Guy was discovering: “They do make the very best Italian in the whole area.”
Tips From Joe’s Meat Market
Patience pays off: That 48-day brine for corned beef creates flavor you can’t rush. The curing salt gives the meat its characteristic red hue.
Slice thin: Whether it’s corned beef, turkey, or roast beef, thin slicing makes for better texture and allows the flavors to meld in a layered sandwich.
Balance your slaw: The coleslaw at Joe’s provides crunch without overpowering — the key is the celery seed and white vinegar cutting through the mayo.
For more family-run spots featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, check out where Guy and Hunter Fieri Eat Carne Adovada in New Mexico or watch Guy try Chicken Mofongo Relleno and Alcapurrias. Find Joe’s Meat Market and hundreds of other Triple D locations in our restaurant directory.