The Absolute Best Sandwiches In The U.S.

There's something undeniably comforting about sandwiches. On a bad day, sometimes sinking your teeth into deliciousness nestled in between a couple of slices of good bread is all you need to lift your spirits. Wholesome, versatile, and easily customized, sandwiches are handheld bounties of nourishment that work for any meal.

It's no wonder that Americans eat more than 300 million sandwiches every single day (via History). They're tasty, easy on the wallet, and can be slapped together in a cinch. They perfectly house every major food group, they can be eaten on the go, and they're genius in their scrumptious simplicity. But with so many different sandwiches to choose from at so many different restaurants, how do you decide where to go and what to eat? Should you go for something classic or roll the dice and try something new? Luckily for you, we're sitting on a treasure trove of delectable riches. Allow us to enlighten you. Here are some of the absolute best sandwiches in the U.S.

Discreetly tucked away inside of an unassuming liquor store, Jeff's Table in LA feels like a well-kept secret behind a hidden door that changes your universe. Billing itself as a "modern micro deli," Jeff's Table was founded by a TV writer who decided to redirect talents into making some of the most flavorful sandwiches you'll encounter (via Los Angeles Magazine).

The roast beef sandwich is a classic, but the chefs at Jeff's Table decided to elevate it with a few creative, tasteful twists. Per the restaurant's menu, the New-G/OG roast beef combines housemade roast beef seasoned with miso, horseradish crème fraîche, arugula, and pickled onions on a house sandwich roll. The end result is a mouthwatering jubilee of flavor that will leave you pleasantly thunderstruck.

Between their seasonal menu and daily specials, the sandwich lineup at Jeff's Table is always evolving. Another crowd-pleaser: The hot kimcheezy, which is a griddled melt with ham, house-made kimchi, cheese, salted plum mustard, aioli, and chili oil.

Per Los Angeles Magazine, the success of the deli has also led the luminary at the helm, Jeff Strauss, to test out some other interesting projects, like a one-off pig roast with a special sandwich that featured pulled Carolina pork with cracklings, homemade Kewpie-style mayo, hoisin sauce, herb salad, pickled onions, and pork au jus for dipping.Clearly, Jeff and all of his various culinary incantations are something to keep on your radar.

With a spare name that suggests simplicity, the bold flavors and creative sandwiches at Meat Cheese Bread might catch you by surprise. A modest but mighty sandwich shop run by culinary aficionados in East Portland, you can't go wrong with anything on the inventively enticing menu at Meat Cheese Bread. While their menu features staples like a green chili breakfast burrito and a steak and egg sandwich with blue cheese aioli, their limited-time specials, like a riff on a Thanksgiving sandwich tucked between two slices of stuffing-flavored bread pudding, showcase marvelous fare that will keep you coming back for more (via Instagram).

One of the most extraordinary and brilliant sandwiches on the menu is simply called the green bean, which features fresh grilled green beans, bacon relish, a sliced soft boiled egg, grated parmesan cheese, and aioli all piled on a ciabatta roll. When these unlikely ingredients join forces, the delicious result tastes like a revelation. One of the last things you'd ever think to put on a sandwich might just blow your mind — and be the best way imaginable to get your greens in.

Burrowed in the heart of Little Havana, Sanguich de Miami is a 25-seater space with a few appetizers, a handful of sandwiches, batidos, and Cuban coffee. Guava and cream cheese milkshakes, Cuban nachos, and plantain fries with a trio of dipping sauces illuminate how Sanguich de Miami's menu is rooted in tradition but also cleverly pushing the envelope. 

Stuffed with slices of ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, croquettes, pickles, and a brush of mustard on pressed Cuban bread, the croqueta preparada sandwich is a grand slam of flavor. There's a lot to appreciate about this sandwich, but the real stroke of genius is the choice to masterfully tuck a few croquettes in between all the unctuous meat, briny pickles, and melted cheese. The outer breading of the crispy croquettes lends an extra layer of texture and crunch to the sandwich that's sure to have you begging for more with every bite.

Devil's Dill likes to party. After a few years of slinging late-night affordable gourmet sandwiches to-go, they decided to open up a dimly-lit dive bar in the space next door so that patrons could enjoy their fare with a cheap shot or a good beer (via Devil's Dill). Both of these projects complement each other and share a spirit that somehow feels both low-key and celebratory.

This same motif is reflected in their menu with sandwiches that are glorious and inspired, but also approachable and down-to-earth. Made with high-quality meats and cheeses on toasted Fleur de Lis ciabatta rolls, their sandwich lineup feels familiar yet innovative. Case in point: the meatloaf sandwich — a comfort food staple — is basted in a deliciously pungent chile-garlic BBQ sauce and slathered with chow chow, a Southern-style pickled relish (via Today).

Everything on the menu is good, but the real star is the Number 3 (which is their version of an Italian grinder) with salami, mortadella, provolone, vinegar-massaged kale, red onions, cherry pepper relish, and balsamic aioli. The kale, which is consistently tender and succulent, pairs perfectly with the cured meats — and the balsamic aioli adds a rich complexity that lusciously elevates everything into the realm of perfection.

There's a good reason that Stamey's has been around for nearly a century. Cooked Lexington-style over hardwood coals, the smoky and tender barbeque at Stamey's will melt in your mouth. It's the culmination of barbecue secrets passed down by pitmasters for generations (via Stamey's). Preferring old-school fire-tending over gas or electric cooking methods, Stamey's appreciates the power of a well-tended flame. As the meat slowly sizzles over the gentle blaze, the fat drips onto the wooden embers below, sending a mist of hickory smoke upwards into the barbeque.

That hickory smoke runs deep into the meat and it's a part of what makes their chopped pork barbecue sandwich the highlight of their menu. But it's their flawless BBQ slaw that takes this sandwich to the next level. Per Cooking Channel, the slaw is made from finely diced cabbage mixed with ketchup and spices that add the perfect amount of zing. Dunking the sandwich into a thimble of Stamey's legendary dip— a bright and zesty mix of apple cider vinegar, ketchup, sugar, and spices—will take you to paradise.

With locations in Miami and Delray Beach, Batch Gastropub offers an impressively-executed menu with locally-sourced ingredients that put a few international spins on classic American fare. The Korean BBQ brick oven pizza — with thinly sliced bulgogi beef, smoked cheddar, scallions, and gochujang bbq sauce — triumphantly fuses techniques and flavors that span the globe. The pub house tater skins with cherrywood-smoked cheddar and Mexican chorizo and the buffalo chicken nachos both prove how adept Batch is at masterfully enhancing a common dish into something new and exciting.

But it's Batch's hot pepper cheesesteak that will truly knock your socks off. Brushed with a smear of smoked paprika aioli, piled high with tender shaved ribeye that's blended with perfectly sautéed onions and pickled hot cherry peppers, and then fused together with gooey white American cheese, Batch's hot pepper cheesesteak takes the crown for not only the best sandwich on their menu, but arguably one of the best sandwiches in the country. The steak is juicy and exquisite, the bun is light, fresh, and a little crispy, and the pickled hot cherry peppers have just the right amount of heat to shine through all of the richness. Every bite feels like an eye-rolling out-of-body experience.

When you think of sliders, you may think of undersized sandwiches — but there's nothing underwhelming about the handheld meals PDX Sliders is cooking up. In just a few years, PDX Sliders has rightfully earned its spot as an icon in a city renowned for its food. Bursting with flavor at every level, each of their sliders can be upgraded into a full-sized sandwich.

Some of the all-stars on their menu include the Hawthorne burger with bacon, goat cheese, and strawberry preserves and the Broadway with braised pork, peppers, baby arugula, and spicy aioli. The undisputed champion is the Tilikum, which is a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with homemade barbeque sauce, creamy slaw, and aioli on perfectly toasted ciabatta. The fried chicken is crispy, tender, and teeming with juicy flavor. The breading is peppery and brittle with just the right amount of crunch. The addition of their homemade barbeque sauce and fresh creamy slaw pushes everything into sheer bliss.

Sometimes the simplest sandwiches are best. You don't need a lot of complicated fixings or sophisticated techniques. You just need high-quality ingredients, attention to detail, and a love of the craft. The Clam Shack in Kennebunk, Maine, which has been serving local seafood since 1968, understands this.

The Clam Shack's award-winning lobster roll comes on a buttered and toasted locally-sourced round bun with hand-picked lobster meat that's caught, cooked, and shucked every day (via The Clam Shack). The lobsters are boiled in ocean water and the meat is left in large pieces. There are no fillers and nothing is ever frozen. The end result is the freshest, sweetest, most succulent lobster meat you've ever had. The buttered and toasted buns are specially ordered and come from a family-run bakery.

The Clam Shack's menu also includes fried fresh seafood, lunch boxes that come with sides of french fries and coleslaw, chowders, and boiled lobster dinners. If you're nowhere near Maine and would like to see what all the fuss is about, you're in luck. The Clam Shack ships their fare nationwide with GoldBelly.

In a sea of exceptional delis scattered across the tropical turf of South Florida, Laspada's has managed to not only make a name for themselves but rise to the top of the field as a widely-respected champion of sandwiches. What started as a humble hoagie shop in 1972 has expanded into five locations across South Florida with a devoted following.

One of the signature items on their menu is the Monster — a sandwich stacked with thin slices of ham, turkey, and roast beef that's sure to please anyone with a big enough appetite. Nestled together on their famous Italian bread with your choice of cheese and toppings, the Monster is a delicious beast.

What makes Laspada's so magnificent? Per their website, they use freshly baked Italian bread, slice all their meats to order, source the freshest ingredients available, and then add two layers of meat: one on the bottom and the other draped over the top to tuck everything in. Another extraordinary touch: the hoagie-maker working the slicer launches the freshly-sliced meat through the air across the kitchen to another hoagie-maker waiting to catch it with an open Italian roll. The sandwich-making at Laspada's often feels more like a spirited spectacle than some perfunctory obligation. Between the amazing sandwiches and enthusiastic atmosphere, it's easy to see why Laspada's has earned such a dedicated fanbase.

The Filet-O-Fish may conjure up the culinary horrors of a certain fast-food joint hosted by a clown, but don't let that stop you from taking a chance on The Companion's highly elevated interpretation.

The Companion is a bar in Atlanta with refreshing drinks and an expansive menu that tends to fuse international trends. One of their more notable menu items is the Vietnamese wings, which are flavored with caramel and topped with toasted peanuts, fresh herbs, and jalapeños. Another is the Chinese breakfast, which is a bowl of fresh rice topped with crispy pork belly, wilted leeks, chili oil, soy sauce, and a gleaming sunny side-up egg. But The Companion's Filet-O-Fish sandwich may be the crown jewel of their menu. It features fried haddock in a light and crispy tempura batter, jalapeño slaw, sriracha tartar sauce, and a side of Old Bay-dusted fries. The subtle heat from the jalapeño slaw and the spicy tang of the sriracha tartar pair perfectly with the tempura-battered haddock, making this one of the best fish sandwiches you'll find in the country.

Orlando is often thought of as being a tourist trap, but there's so much more to O-Town than the Mouse in the Castle. According to Doorsteps, Orlando's diverse and vibrant food scene has been flourishing for years, thriving off a revolving door of international visitors and a stable base of enthusiastic locals. Neighborhoods like Ivanhoe Village, Audubon Park, and The Milk District showcase Orlando's indie scene with dynamic art and imaginative food.

One of the reigning champs in the area is Pom Pom's. An endlessly creative fusion teahouse and sandwicheria, Pom Pom's boasts an extensive and innovative menu that reflects the diversity of the international destination it calls home. One of the best offerings is the Mama Ling Ling's Thanksgiving sandwich, which comes with turkey, gouda, stuffing, ginger cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes, cream cheese, and gravy for dunking. Perhaps the most memorable sandwich is the Viet Pom, which comes with sliced turkey, daikon, carrots, cilantro, cucumber, and sriracha mayo. It is also occasionally available with smoked brisket (via Instagram). The smoked brisket version of the Viet Pom is nothing short of extraordinary. Rich and woody from the smoked brisket, fresh and crisp from the daikon and cucumber, and sweet and fiery from the sriracha mayo, the Viet Pom is a masterful embodiment of balanced flavor.

Güero serves booze and tortas out of a beautiful little space in Portland (via Portland Monthly). For those who aren't aware: tortas are Mexican sandwiches served on a fluffy roll. They are typically filled with meats like carne asada, carnitas, beef barbacoa, pollo asado, and chorizo, but they can be stuffed with almost anything. Tortas can also include other fillings like fresh sliced avocados, jalapeños, cheese, refried beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and lime juice (via MasterClass).

The tortas at Güero are expertly assembled and loaded with high-quality ingredients. Some of their menu items include the ahogada, which has tender chunks of juicy pork, habanero slaw, and cilantro and the desayuno, with braised beef, a fried egg, cotija, avocado, pickled jalapeños, greens, and chicharrón de queso. The real standout is a vegetarian torta called the masa y papa. Featuring a fried pancake made out of masa and potatoes, a roasted tamarind tomato, avocado, onions, cilantro, lime, queso botanero, cabbage, pickled onion, and chile-lime mayo all piled on a toasted telera roll, the masa y papa is a vegetarian feast. The crispy potato pancake adds a layer of crunch that perfectly compliments the roasted tomato and avocado.

Cauliflower is like a blank canvas: versatile, nutritious, and enjoyed in an endless amount of ways. It can be steamed, fried, roasted, and puréed. It can be the star of the show or take the backseat. But one of its more unlikely manifestations at Brown Bag Provisions in Dallas may truly amaze you: fried and packed into bahn mi. It turns out that your favorite pale cruciferous vegetable can work wonders in a sandwich.

Brown Bag Provisions offers coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, and a grocery section. If you can't find what you're looking for and they've got it in their kitchen, they'll even sell you some of their own stash. It's the little touches on their menu that make Brown Bag Provisions special: the horseradish pickles on their pastrami sandwich, the roasted porchetta in their version of a Cuban, the onion marmalade and provolone loaded-chile relleno in the barbacoa cheesesteak. One of the most surprising saviors in the lineup is the fried cauliflower bahn mi. Crispy, savory, and herbaceous, the fried cauliflower bahn mi comes stuffed with pickled mushrooms, red onions, cilantro, basil, mint, and hoisin sauce. Vegetarian yet remarkably filling and delicious, this sandwich will have you craving cauliflower around the clock.

Pane Bianco is a project by Chris Bianco, a legend in the artisanal pizza movement (via Eater). As a James Beard Award-winner for Best Chef in 2003, Bianco is a widely-respected national treasure of culinary wisdom. It's no surprise that his passion and projects have earned accolades from some of the most well-known voices in the scene.

The house-made mozzarella sandwich at Pane Bianco has three ingredients and proves that some of the best things in life are simple. With basil, fresh mozzarella, and local tomatoes on wood-fired focaccia, this is one sandwich that's sure to convert you into a believer. Everything about the house-made mozzarella sandwich works together in such beautiful harmony. The inherent sweetness of the tomatoes complements the mozzarella while the basil and focaccia add freshness and a touch of smokiness. With other solid fare like the soppressata with sweet aged provolone and wood-roasted peppers and special daily market sandwiches, the reality is that you can't go wrong with anything on the menu at Pane Bianco.