The 15 Best Sandwiches in America, Ranked
Which one will you inhale first?
Naming America’s best sandwich is like picking the sexiest Instagram model or the hottest supercar—there are just too many deserving contenders to choose from. Thankfully, the folks at Time Out have compiled a solid list of what they believe are the 15 greatest sandwiches in the USA, along with tasty descriptions of these slammin’ sammies.
Take a look at the gut-busting contenders and see if you agree.
1. Pastrami on Rye at Katz’s Deli, NYC
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Perhaps the most classic sandwich in America, Katz’s juicy, sliced-to-order pastrami has been perfected over more than a century, since back in 1888 when the classic Lower East Side deli was founded. Slathered with mustard, perched on chewy rye and accompanied by sour pickles, this is a NYC must-eat. $19.95
2. Roast Beef 1000 at Cutty’s in Brookline, MA
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Located just outside of Boston, this beloved sandwich shop crafts drool-inducing creations such as the Spuckie (salami, capicola, mortadella and mozzarella layered on ciabatta) and a Saturday-only roast pork with broccoli rabe and provolone on a seeded roll. Our favorite is the impressively sized Roast Beef 1000, rich slices of brioche stuffed with rare-roasted beef and sharp cheddar, slicked with housemade Thousand Island dressing and sprinkled with crispy shallots. $9.95
3. Pork shoulder at The Peoples Pig, Portland OR
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This Portland BBQ joint is perennially packed with pork-lovers who seek out various preparations of expertly smoked cuts: dry-rubbed ribs, sliced shoulder and ham. Its sandwiches, served on excellent sourdough rolls, are fantastic: our favorite features those juicy slices of pork shoulder, stacked with braised greens and shot through with spicy vinegar. $10
4. Swinery Spectacular at The Swinery in Seattle, WA
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This Seattle butcher shop certainly knows its way around meat, which shows in an excellent roster of sandwiches graced with the likes of crispy pork belly, house-smoked ham and pulled pork. We’re partial to the over-the-stop Swinery Spectacular, a pork-glorifying triple dose of all those aforementioned meats, plus melty Swiss cheese, creamy Dijon aioli and briny house pickles. $13.50
5. Hot Capicola at Giordano Bros. in San Francisco, CA
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The conceit behind this Mission sandwich shop is genius: all ‘wiches are served “Pittsburgh style,” heaped with coleslaw and fries in between the bread. The Italian-American spot specializes in all manner of Old World meats but we’re partial to the spicy capicola, layered, along with provolone, between two slices of an excellent Italian load. $8.50
6. Carlito at Torta Grill in Denver, CO
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Denver is graced with no shortage of excellent Mexican food, among which Torta Grill’s overstuffed sandwiches stand out. These bad boys tend to double down on rich meats such as breaded fried steak and pork loin, but the Carlito keeps it simple: just excellent, tender carnitas (pork braised in its own fat), anointed with creamy avocado salsa. $8.33
7. Cheesesteak at Donkey’s Place in Camden, NJ
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Hang your head in shame, Philadelphia: the best cheesesteak in the country is whipped up across the Delaware in Camden, New Jersey. Served on a soft, poppy-seed-sprinkled Kaiser roll, the sandwich features tender, griddle-sizzled steak and plenty of soft caramelized onions and melty American cheese. Buyer beware: you might need to devour more than one. $8
8. Lobster roll at Bite Into Maine in Portland, ME
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This seasonal food truck parks itself in Portland’s beautiful coastal Fort Williams Park each spring and summer, serving up fresh Maine lobster that’s pristine and perfectly cooked. Three types of lobster rolls are available, and they’re all unimpeachable: Maine style, with fresh chives and just a bit of mayo; Connecticut style, with hot butter; or picnic style, with hot butter, fresh coleslaw and celery salt. $17.49
9. Fried shrimp po’boy at Parkway Bakery & Tavern in New Orleans, LA
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Though po’ boy loyalty is fierce in NOLA, many residents and tourists alike agree that one of the very best is found at Parkway, a family-run spot that’s been crafting excellent, seafood-piled po’ boys since 1911. It’s hard to decide between the fried oyster and fried shrimp iterations, but we usually go for the latter, the plump crustaceans outfitted in a crisp golden crust and piled into an airy loaf “fully dressed” with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo. $7.85
10. Roast pork at John’s Roast Pork in Philadelphia, PA
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This Philly eatery, around since 1930, does just a few things—cheesesteaks, roast beefs and roast pork sandwiches—but it does them right. Our favorite of the three is the roast pork: meltingly tender slices of meat, sharp provolone cheese and garlicky wilted spinach. Yum. $6.50
11. French dip from Phillippe’s in Los Angeles, CA
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One of Southern California’s oldest restaurants, Philippe’s opened in 1908 and, ten years later, accidentally hit upon its best-selling sandwiches—so the story goes—when Frenchman founder Philippe Mathieu inadvertently dropped a sliced French roll into a pan of hot beef gravy before layering the sandwich with sliced meat. Today, Philippe’s is still going strong and its excellent, meaty French dip is as craveable as ever. $7
12. Cubano at Versailles in Miami, FL
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Lovers of Cuban food flock to this Miami standby, serving up classics such as ropa vieja, picadillo and mashed green plantains since 1971. Its sweeping dining room hung with twinkling chandeliers is the perfect place to chow down on one of the city’s best Cubano sandwiches: sliced ham, roast pork and Swiss cheese pressed inside soft Cuban bread with mustard and tangy pickles. $6.50
13. Pop’s Beef Brisket at Bub and Pop’s in Washington, D.C.
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This D.C. standby layers up the best subs in the city. Its classic Italian hoagie is delicious, but we love the excellent beef brisket sandwich as well. Featuring juicy slices of slow-braised beef laced with an apple-horseradish cream and a lashing of veal jus, it’s crowned with five-year-aged gouda and served piping hot. $8
14. Harry’s Perfect Pastrami at Little Deli in Austin, TX
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Just call it the little deli that could: this bustling Austin spot dishes out a far-ranging menu of pizzas, salads and hot and cold sandwiches. The can’t-miss ‘wich is Harry’s Perfect Pastrami: a full half pound of sliced meat piled atop rye, heaped with coleslaw, slicked with Thousand Island dressing and griddled. $12.95
15. Grilled pork banh mi at Lu’s Sandwiches in Minneapolis, MN
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A sizeable Vietnamese population keeps the Twin Cities well fed with above-average pho and banh mi sandwiches. For the latter, we’re partial to the grilled pork specimen at Lu’s. Inside a crisp-fluffy baguette, the juicy meat is nestled against refreshing cucumbers, carrots and cilantro, along with comforting slicks of mayo and butter. $4.95
H/T New York Post
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