Arby's Deer Meat Sandwich Locations: Where And When To Buy The Meal In NYC

Arby’s plans on celebrating the opening of its newest location in New York City—with some good ol' fashioned venison.

To kick off the opening of the restaurant chain’s second location in New York, it will be releasing a limited number of its infamous Venison Sandwiches Saturday, the company announced.

The “deer meat sandwiches,” which first debuted last fall in select Arby’s locations across the country, will only be available at the new Arby’s spot, opening at Madison Square, 32 East 23rd Street in Manhattan. Only 1,000 sandwiches will be sold. The cost of the sandwich itself will be $5, or customers can purchase the full meal for $7.

While some might question the taste of a sandwich made from deer meat, the Venison Sandwich sold out at some locations, following its October release, in about 15 minutes. Some customers even chose to line up as early as 9 a.m. on the day of the sandwiches’ release, according to Grub Street.

The Venison Sandwich is contained between two fluffy buns and comes with crunchy, crispy onion straws inside. The deer is actually from New Zealand, and the meat is seared and then sous-vide, which Arby’s executive chef says helps to break down the meat’s "gamey" texture, People Magazine reported.

“I started out looking out for a source [of venison] in the United States, thinking, ‘Gosh, deer are everywhere,’ but there’s no facility or farm the USDA has approved [for venison] in the United States,” Arby’s executive chef Neville Craw told People Magazine of developing the sandwich. “So in order to sell it for foodservice or retail, you really have to go outside the U.S.”

The Venison Sandwich debut follows on the heels of Arby’s new Big City Sandwiches release, a special selection of sandwiches that pay homage to famous “big city” sandwiches, like the Philadelphia cheesesteak or New York’s Reuben. The sandwich series debuted in March and include a Chicago-Style Beef Dip, a New York Double-Stack Reuben and a Fire-Roasted Philly cheesesteak.