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  3. Best Sandwiches in the U.S.

Best Sandwiches in the U.S.

By Food & Wine
Updated September 20, 2018
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Credit: © Skandia Shafer
Americans may never get over their obsession with amazing hamburgers, but they've certainly made room for an equally delicious meal between bread: the artisanal sandwich. "When you work with burgers, the flavors are a little limiting," says Tommy Habetz of Portland, Oregon's incredible Bunk Sandwiches. "Since sandwiches exist in almost every culture, it's possible to draw inspiration from a variety of different cooking styles when making them." Here, the most exciting sandwich upgrades in the country. —Jasmin Sun
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Arlington, VA; Washington, DC: Bayou Bakery

Credit: Photo © Scott Suchman

Sandwich: Muff-a-Lotta

Chef-partner and New Orleans native David Guas’s menu spells muffaletta phonetically according to the Yat pronunciation (an English dialect unique to NOLA). His recipe also stays true to his roots with a briny garlic-and-oregano-laced olive salad, salami, mortadella, smoked ham and aged provolone in a sesame-seed-studded toasted Italian roll. bayoubakeryva.com

  • Donald Link's New Orleans Restaurant Guide

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Portland, OR: Bunk Sandwiches

Credit: Photo © David Reamer

Sandwich: Pork Belly Reuben

At Bunk, co-chefs Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood reinvent iconic American foods. That means making a classic Reuben with pork belly in addition to Russian dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. bunksandwiches.com

  • 12 Places to Eat in Portland, Oregon

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Dallas: Smoke

Credit: Photo © Jody Horton

Sandwich: Chopped Coffee-Cured Beef Brisket

Chef-owner and F&W People's Best New Chef 2012 Tim Byres slow-cooks the meat for this coffee-inflected brisket sandwich in the restaurant's backyard wood-burning smokehouse. smokerestaurant.com

  • Dallas Travel Guide

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Miami: Bin No. 18

Credit: Photo © Alfredo Patiño

Sandwich: De-Constructed Cuban

Shredded pork and gooey triple-cream cheese fill a tomato-garlic-and-olive-oil-rubbed ciabatta roll in Bin No. 18's loose interpretation of the traditional Cuban sandwich. Although it's served with a fig-and-port-wine reduction, customers usually skip the accompaniment and reach for the hot sauce Sriracha. bin18miami.com

  • Miami Travel Guide

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Oakland, CA: Bakesale Betty

Sandwich: Fried Chicken Sandwich

These delicious sandwiches, filled with crispy buttermilk-soaked, cayenne pepper-spiced fried chicken, sell out fast. Bakesale Betty is only open for three hours a day—even less if there aren't enough sweet torpedo rolls to keep making sandwiches. bakesalebetty.com

  • Fried Chicken Recipes

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New York, NY; Brooklyn, NY: Mile End

Credit: Photo © Taylor Wallick

Sandwich: Smoked Meat

To create smoked meat—NYC pastrami's fattier, spicier Canadian cousin—for the sandwiches at his Montreal-style Jewish deli in Boerum Hill, chef-owner Noah Bernamoff cures Pat LaFrieda-sourced, prime-Angus-certified beef brisket in a dry rub of salt, black pepper, spices and garlic before oak-smoking and steaming the meat for several hours. mileendbrooklyn.com

  • Smoked Foods

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Ann Arbor, MI: Zingerman's

Credit: Photo © Ryan Stiner

Sandwich: Reuben

Oprah Winfrey is a noted fan of this grocery-store-turned-Jewish-deli's famed Reuben—and with good reason. The sandwiches are made with locally sourced corned beef, Emmentaler Swiss cheese, house-made Russian dressing and house-made rye bread. Zingerman's shop also offers mail-order sandwich kits for out-of-state Reuben cravings. zingermansdeli.com

  • Best Sandwich Shops in the U.S.

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Boston: Neptune Oyster

Credit: Photo © Kimberly Lee

Sandwich: Hot Lobster Roll

This North End restaurant's famous Hot Lobster Roll features succulent pieces of lobster tail, claw and knuckle meat drizzled with clarified butter on a grilled and buttered brioche hot dog bun. A mayo-based cold roll is also available for purists. neptuneoyster.com

  • Lobster Recipes

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Philadelphia: KOJA

Credit: Photo © Nicholas Chen

Sandwich: Korean Bulgogi Cheesesteak

This food truck's sweet-spicy take on the traditional Philadelphia cheesesteak features Korean marinated barbecue beef (bulgogi) and a generous smear of gochujang (fermented spicy red soy bean paste) paired with the usual melted provolone, onions and bell peppers. @kojafoodtruck

  • Korean Recipes

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Charleston, SC : Butcher & Bee

Credit: Photo © John D Smoak III

Sandwich: Pulled Squash Sandwich

Although the menu here changes daily depending on what's growing in the restaurant's backyard, this rave-worthy riff on a pulled pork sandwich makes frequent appearances. Thin slices of perfectly cooked squash get tossed in house-made barbecue sauce and piled with hickory-smoked cabbage cole slaw onto a freshly baked hoagie roll. butcherandbee.com

  • Pulled Pork Recipes

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Austin: Franklin BBQ

Credit: Photo © Brandon W. Bollom

Sandwich: The Tipsy Texan

Dauntingly long lines form for owner-pit master Aaron Franklin's famed fatty brisket, but don't overlook his towering smoked-sausage-and-brisket sandwich. It's piled high with purple cabbage cole slaw and sliced pickles on a thick, white, made-to-absorb-barbecue-sauce bun. franklinbbq.com

  • Austin Travel Guide

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Washington, DC : Zaytinya

Credit: Photo © Darko Zagar

Sandwich: Chicken Shawarma Sandwich

At superstar chef José Andrés’s casual Mediterranean restaurant Zaytinya, ultratender garlic-marinated chicken thighs are rolled, with local lettuce and tomatoes, into thin housemade lavash bread for an upmarket shwarma served with fluffy garlic sauce. zaytinya.com

  • Chicken Sandwich Recipes

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Los Angeles: Bäco Mercat

Credit: Photo © Adam Murray

Sandwich: El Pesco Crispy Shrimp with Sriracha

At this follow-up to his acclaimed downtown restaurant Lazy Ox, chef-owner Josef Centeno serves “bäcos,” his original hybrid taco-and-pizza-inspired flatbread sandwich. This version is filled with fried shrimp and creamy chive-laced cabbage slaw, then finished with a dab of Sriracha. bacomercat.com

  • Los Angeles Travel Guide

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Seattle: Salumi

Credit: Photo © Aaron Mohrman

Sandwich: Porchetta Sandwich

Served dripping with savory juices from a filling of unctuous fennel seed, carrot and celery-seasoned slow-roasted pork, Armandino Batali's (Mario's dad) pilgrimage-worthy hot porchetta is certainly worth the extra napkins. Employees recommend getting it on crusty ciabatta with sautéed onions and green bell peppers. salumicuredmeats.com

  • Seattle Travel Guide

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Atlanta: Star Provisions

Credit: Photo © courtesy of Our Labor of Love

Sandwich: Shrimp Po’Boy

These stellar po’boys are packed with six crispy, flash-fried jumbo shrimp, topped with house-made Cajun mayonnaise and served on soft, toasted hoagie rolls instead of the usual crusty French-style bread. starprovisions.com

  • Atlanta Travel Guide

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New York: Parm

Credit: Photo © Ryan Lee

Sandwich: Chicken Parm

At Parm, chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi serve idealized renditions of classic Italian-American subs like this chicken parm. Perfectly fried and breaded with traditional Progresso crumbs, the chicken is topped with house-made mozzarella, tomato sauce and fresh basil, then tucked into a hero (or a roll) from nearby Little Italy’s Parisi Bakery. parmnyc.com

  • New York Travel Guide

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Chicago: XOCO

Credit: Photo © Jeff Maimon

Sandwich: Ahogada Torta

Silverware is required for this dine-in-only option at celebrity chef Rick Bayless' fast-casual spot. The sandwich arrives submerged in a zippy tomato broth, which is delicious with a filling of pork carnitas, black beans, pickled onions and spicy arbol chile sauce. rickbayless.com

  • Chicago Travel Guide

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Phoenix: Pane Bianco

Credit: Photo © Omer Kamran

Sandwich: Caprese

Fresh as the ingredients may be, the bright Arizona tomato, perky basil and freshly pulled mozzarella in this simple sandwich aren't as attention-getting as the bread. Legendary pizzaiolo Chris Bianco flattens doughlike crust and bakes it in a wood-fired oven until it gets crisp and dotted with char but still maintains a springy, chewy interior. pizzeriabianco.com

  • Phoenix Travel Guide

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New York: The Loyal

Credit: Courtesy of The Loyal

Sandwich: Fried Chicken Sandwich

John Fraser designed the dream fried chicken sandwich, which boasts dill-pickle mayonnaise, smashed avocado, Hellman’s mustard, and Frisbee-sized portion of crispy fried chicken.

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Los Angeles: East Borough

Credit: © Skandia Shafer

Sandwich: Pho Baguette

Pho and banh mi come together in beautiful harmony at Chloe Tran’s East Borough, where she piles braised beef brisket on fluffy French baguette to meld the two Vietnamese dishes. (In 2017, the late critic Jonathan Gold even said that the sandwich “might well be the dish of the year.”) east-borough.com

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Everything in This Slideshow

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1 of 20 Arlington, VA; Washington, DC: Bayou Bakery
2 of 20 Portland, OR: Bunk Sandwiches
3 of 20 Dallas: Smoke
4 of 20 Miami: Bin No. 18
5 of 20 Oakland, CA: Bakesale Betty
6 of 20 New York, NY; Brooklyn, NY: Mile End
7 of 20 Ann Arbor, MI: Zingerman's
8 of 20 Boston: Neptune Oyster
9 of 20 Philadelphia: KOJA
10 of 20 Charleston, SC : Butcher & Bee
11 of 20 Austin: Franklin BBQ
12 of 20 Washington, DC : Zaytinya
13 of 20 Los Angeles: Bäco Mercat
14 of 20 Seattle: Salumi
15 of 20 Atlanta: Star Provisions
16 of 20 New York: Parm
17 of 20 Chicago: XOCO
18 of 20 Phoenix: Pane Bianco
19 of 20 New York: The Loyal
20 of 20 Los Angeles: East Borough

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