Interestingly, as far as we can tell, the oldest fast-food chain in the world is A&W, a chain that was founded in 1919. But the oldest fast food restaurant in Iowa, according to MSN Travel, at least, opened its doors just a few years after that. It’s still going strong nearly a hundred years later, and you may have heard of it before: Maid-Rite.

The original Maid-Rite opened in 1926, making it the oldest fast food restaurant in Iowa. It was in Muscatine, Iowa - the brainchild of Fred Angell, inventor of the Maid-Rite signature sandwich.
Steve M / Tripadvisor
Angell was a butcher who spent his spare time experimenting to create the perfect sandwich. When he offered the final product to a delivery man for a taste testing, the man is reported to have said, "This sandwich is made right!"
Franchises quickly followed the original Muscatine store in Marshalltown and Newton in the next few years.
Taylor's Maid-Rite / Facebook
Pictured here is Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown.
All three of those first Maid-Rites are still in operation today, along with dozens of others across five states.
wamzie / Tripadvisor
Pictured here is the downtown Maid-Rite in Newton.

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Maid-Rite's success is for good reason - the sandwiches served at Maid-Rite are oh-so-good, and unlike any you'll find elsewhere.
Maid-Rite / Facebook
What makes this food so uniquely delicious? Well, the signature Maid-Rite sandwich is a seasoned, loose meat ground beef concoction, and it's made from freshly-ground beef sourced locally from right here in the midwest, at that.
Steve M / Tripadvisor
It's a great combination, as many Maid-Rite fans can attest. The orders for more and more of these sandwiches just keep coming!
Taylor's Maid-Rite / Facebook
Have you ever eaten at any of the Maid-Rite franchises scattered around the midwest? Do you have a favorite location?
Maid-Rite / Facebook

Find the location nearest you on the Maid-Rite website here so you can head over to sample the oldest fast food restaurant in Iowa soon. Interestingly, Iowa has quite a few local fast-food chains. B-Bops and Casey’s are two more examples. Food – it’s one of the many things we do well here in Iowa!

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Muscatine Maid-Rite, 3414 N Port Dr, Muscatine, IA 52761, USA