Since 2009, Sunnyvale has been home to Adamson’s, believed to be the only South Bay restaurant devoted to French dip sandwiches.

No burgers, no turkey-avocado, no salami combos.

Just tender, wood-roasted Angus beef, top sirloin or prime rib on a fresh roll, served au jus. Founder Greg Adamson developed the seasoning recipe based on his memories of a childhood favorite from the Midwest.

Now there are two locations — with the new one on South Bascom Avenue in San Jose open longer hours than the Sunnyvale original.

At both restaurants, there are slight variations on the French dip (the melt dip, the prime rib dip special, a barbecue one) and a handful of side dishes like house-made coleslaw, potato salad, beans, fries and onion rings. The must-order beverage is Adamson’s special-recipe draft root beer.

The Adamson’s French dip scored a spot on our Mercury News/East Bay Times 2023 list of “16 of the Bay Area’s best sandwiches to try right now.” Our 2026 list, headlined “12 standout sandwiches in the Bay Area, from new discoveries to the classics,” was published online this week and will run in print in the Eat Drink Play section this Sunday, April 26. Each year’s list is all new, and is followed by a list of reader favorites. (Click on the “12 standout sandwiches” link and scroll to the bottom to tell us about your current favorites.)

Although many restaurants serve a French dip as part of a larger menu, it’s rare to find a restaurant that makes only French dips. The sandwich originated in Los Angeles with two restaurants — Philippe The Original and Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet — both claiming credit for being the first. Cole’s closed its doors recently, on March 29, after 117 years in business in downtown LA. The management at Philippe’s has vowed to carry on the French dip tradition, KTLA reported.

Details: The new Adamson’s French Dip is open from 10 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, until 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays at 969 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose. The original location serves from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays at 806 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. Both are closed Sundays. adamsonsfrenchdip.com