Sloppy joe

In the United States, a sloppy joe is a sandwich, typically comprised of ground beef cooked in a skillet with seasoned tomato sauce or tomato paste and spread between two sides of a bun or two slices of bread. Commercially made sauces, such as Manwich, are also available. Textured vegetable protein may be used as a vegan or vegetarian substitute for the meat.

It may also be served "open face", with the bun halves or slices of bread next to each other and the meat on top of each.

The term "sloppy" comes from the fact that eating it as if it were a normal sandwich often results in the meat and sauce spilling out. Urban legend holds that the sandwich is named for a diner owner who developed the sandwich in the 1960s.

Adam Sandler sings about sloppy joes in his song, Lunch Lady Land.

In parts of New Jersey, sloppy joe refers to a completey different type of sandwich. There are a handful of variations depending on the deli, but it will always include some sort of deli meat (turkey, ham, roast beef, or sliced cow tongue), swiss cheese, cole slaw, and russian dressing on rye bread. Legend has it, the sandwich was named after "Sloppy Joe's Bar" in Havana, Cuba. This is where Robert Sweeney, the mayor of Maplewood, first discovered a similar sandwich in 1934 and created a new version which found it's way onto the menu at the "Town Hall Deli" in South Orange.

In the UK and Australia, a sloppy joe is an article of clothing, essentially a long-sleeved T-shirt or light pullover.