The humble sandwich may originate in 18th-century England, but Americans have truly made the dish their own, with diners, restaurants, and old-school sandwich shops all offering something unique and delicious. From perfectly made subs and pastrami on rye to OTT takes on grilled cheese and lobster rolls, there’s so much to taste and explore in every state. Here we’ve ranked the most incredible sandwiches across the USA, counting down to the one everyone needs to try at least once.
Click or scroll through our gallery as we countdown to reveal the most delicious sandwich in the USA.
Our rankings are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
A St. Louis specialty, the Gerber is an open-faced sandwich made with Italian or French bread, topped with garlic butter, ham, and cheese, and then grilled until the cheese is molten. Using a special braising technique to make the ham extra juicy, the juices then drip into the bread as the sandwich is toasted.
Philadelphia's signature crusty roll, filled with juicy beef steak slices, fried onions, green peppers, and provolone or Cheez Whiz, is one of the most famous sandwiches in the whole country. It's said to have originated at Pat's King of Steaks in the 1930s, and the cheesesteaks at Pat's remain unbeatable, making it the perfect spot to sample this legendary sandwich.
Founded in Wilmington's Little Italy back in 1976, Capriotti's has been the go-to place for superb sandwiches for decades. Its signature, The Bobbie, is not only the best, but also the most famous sandwich in the state. Named after the founder's aunt, it's essentially Thanksgiving in a sandwich, with pulled turkey, cranberry sauce, house-made stuffing, and a smear of mayo on a freshly baked roll. The best thing? It's available year-round.
Meat-filled bread pockets known as runzas are beloved in Nebraska. Brought to the region in the 1800s by Volga German immigrants, the most common filling is ground beef with onions and cabbage, but you might also find versions with sauerkraut and shredded cheese. You'll discover the best runza at Runza Restaurants, a fast food chain named after the dish.
Madison favorite Stalzy's Deli is one for home comforts, with an emphasis on Wisconsin produce in generous proportions. Although Stalzy's roast beef sandwich served in a salty pretzel bun deserves an honorable mention, it's the Reuben that consistently wins hearts. It's a simple yet oh-so effective combination of corned beef, Swiss cheese, house-made sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, served on freshly baked rye.
Hip Atlanta joint Victory Sandwich screams industrial chic, with its hanging lights, wooden booths, and leather stool–lined bar. But it's not a case of style over substance, and customers love its innovative sandwiches. A particular favorite is the Hambo – a delicious combination of prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, apple, and reduced balsamic, all squished between two slices of toasted ciabatta bread.
For decades, hungry travelers have made a detour off the highway to eat at this family-run restaurant. It serves up turkey any which way, but the sandwiches are legendary. The open-faced turkey sandwich and the turkey club are both exceptional, while the customer favorite is the hickory-smoked turkey offering. Delicious, wafer-thin smoked turkey is piled high on a sesame seed bun, then topped with mayo and shredded lettuce.
Opened in 1914 and still operated by the same family today, Wheeling institution Coleman's Fish Market has been dishing out fish sandwiches for over a century. You won't get any fancy creations here – just two freshly fried filets of fish served between sliced white bread (upgrade to a wheat bun if you prefer), with or without tartar sauce. There's a reason why hundreds of these beauties are sold every day.
It's not unusual to see a long line at this Albuquerque joint, which focuses on gourmet sandwiches made fresh with organic produce every day. Relish's menu makes good use of hatch chiles (the green chile that New Mexico is famed for), with crowds snapping up the Albuquerque Turkey. Combining toasted sourdough with roasted turkey, Havarti cheese, chipotle mayo, and the kicking green chile, it's consistently good.
Todd, the chef-owner of TJ's Sandwich Shop, has over 30 years of cooking experience under his belt, and he's put it to good use by dreaming up a whole host of incredible bites. Customers love creations such as the Caveman Club, stuffed with ham, turkey, cheese, bacon, and honey mustard, but the favorite has to be the French dip, available exclusively on Fridays.
Meat & Co. is not your average sandwich shop. The ever-changing menu is, according to the pair of local restaurateurs who dreamed it up, 'motivated by innovation and whimsy,' and that's evident from their imaginative takes on old-timey staples. The D. Wayne Johnson, a favorite among customers, sees house-smoked turkey paired with bacon, tomato, lettuce, and salad cream.
Famous in Miami, across the state, and even throughout the country, Enriqueta's Cubanos are the best in Florida. This veteran Miami shop offers the classic Cubano – and then some. Perfect proportions of thinly sliced ham, roast pork, cheese, pickles, mustard, and mayo are toasted between two slices of panini-style bread. It's an unbeatable sandwich that both visitors and locals love.
The reputation of Ann Arbor deli Zingerman's precedes it, and its extensive sandwich menu features eight corned beef options alone. However, since it opened in 1982, it's been known for its classic Reuben – it's said that Zingerman's dishes out around 50,000 Reubens every year. Made on award-winning Jewish rye with Zingerman's corned beef, Emmental cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, it's been a bestseller for decades.
This historic Jackson diner has been around since 1939 and has been in its current spot since 1952. It serves up tamales, burgers, and hot dogs – but is best known for its legendary pig ear sandwich. You might need a little courage, but once you've tried the first bite of this exceptional creation, you won't look back. The crispy, bacon-like pig ears are served with mustard, shredded cabbage, and a house-made hot sauce.
What started as a humble pushcart owned by Chilean native Juan Hurtado is now one of Boston's busiest sandwich spots. It's especially bustling around lunchtime, when customers line up for just one thing – the Chacarero. A traditional Chilean sandwich, it features tender grilled steak or chicken (or a mix of both) in a soft round bread roll, with tomatoes, steamed green beans, and muenster cheese added. It's then topped off with mashed avocado and a spicy, peppery secret sauce.
Bringing a taste of Nashville-style hot chicken to Utah, Salt Lake City's Pretty Bird Chicken and its fried chicken sandwich occupy legendary status around here. Customers praise the juicy, flavorsome fried chicken thighs, which are paired with slaw and pickles and topped with a creamy buttermilk-based sauce in a buttered bun.
Quite possibly the most legendary sandwich on this list, Katz's pastrami on rye is an essential New York experience, made famous by the film When Harry Met Sally. Two slices of traditional rye bread hug a mountain of pastrami that's smoked to juicy perfection and carved to your liking. You can top it off with mayo, but nothing beats the rich pastrami flavor. In short, it's well worth waiting in line for.
When in Iowa, you can't pass up on the opportunity to visit the original Maid-Rite to try the famous sandwich of the same name. Also known as the loose meat sandwich or tavern sandwich, it was invented right here in Muscatine in 1926. Maid-Rite is now, of course, a well-established Midwestern chain, and the simple sandwich of ground beef topped with onions and pickles in a steamed white bun remains the must-order here.
A veteran in downtown Plymouth since 1973, Biederman's is a deli, sandwich shop, and bar rolled into one. With a sprawling menu of appetizing sandwiches, you might struggle to choose, but The Legend of Exit 25 is a long-standing favorite. Combining locally sourced pepper turkey, crispy bacon, pepper Jack cheese, tomato, and chipotle mayo on a toasted croissant, it's as good as a sandwich gets.
Whether you call it a Taylor ham sandwich or pork roll, there is no denying that this hearty breakfast treat is one of the defining foods of New Jersey. Locals will all have their favorite place to grab one, but Chatham institution Pascarella Brothers is frequently named as the top spot. Fans praise the enormous size and quality of the sandwich, which features layers of crispy fried Taylor ham, gooey egg, and melty American cheese, all stuffed inside a fresh hard roll.
The bánh mì at Vietnamese joint Lu's Sandwiches packs a flavor punch and is a firm favorite with customers, who especially love the soft yet crispy bread. The baguette is filled with your choice of meat, then topped with fresh cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, green onions, and a house-made butter and pork pâté.
Las Vegas might be teeming with fancy restaurants, but it's Reno's Full Belly Deli that serves up the best, and quite possibly the biggest, sandwiches in the state. Praised by first-time visitors and regulars alike, its Dirka Dirka sandwich is a favorite. Toasted in a Cheddar jalapeño bread, it's a mix of corned beef, pastrami, pickles, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese, and jalapeño coleslaw. Customers say it always hits the spot.
In the 1920s, The Brown Hotel was a top destination for dinner dances and, as the guests grew increasingly hungry after hours of dancing, the hotel's chef Fred Schmidt came up with a dish to satisfy the carb-craving revelers in the wee hours. He whipped up an open sandwich with turkey and bacon and covered it in mornay sauce – and so, the Hot Brown was born. It's a dish you can't miss out on in Kentucky.
Open since 1946, Atlantic City's White House Sub Shop has seen the likes of Frank Sinatra, Oprah Winfrey, and The Beatles enjoy its sandwiches. It's famous for its signature White House Special: an epic, two-foot-long sub stuffed with deli meats such as salami and capocollo, with provolone cheese, tomatoes, and onions, finished with an oil and chopped pepper dressing. If you're daunted by the size, don't worry – it's available in a half portion, too.
Although po' boys are an unmistakable New Orleans staple, it's the muffuletta that those in the know chow down on. While there's stiff competition for the best in town, Central Grocery's sandwich is the one you'll want to line up for, as it's said to have been invented here. Served warm, the sesame-topped loaf is filled with a gargantuan stack of mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone, plus an olive salad.
At Providence's Ocean State Sandwich, you can go as healthy or as indulgent as you like, choosing from a menu that makes a point of utilizing fresh, local ingredients. Its signature sandwich is the Apple Valley Turkey, featuring house-roasted turkey, bacon, sliced apple, red onion, Cheddar, and sun-dried tomatoes on toasted whole wheat. Customers love the generous amount of filling and perfectly balanced flavors.
No trip to the Windy City is complete without a visit to Al's Italian Beef – the 'home of the great Chicago sandwich' since 1938. It's thought that Al Ferrari, his sister and brother-in-law came up with the recipe for the famous Italian beef sandwich during the Great Depression. Fast-forward to now and there are multiple locations in and around Chicago, though the original spot, on West Taylor Street, is still the best place to try the state's most famous sandwich.
Bringing a taste of Philly to the Midwest, Hoagies & Hops is run by a husband-and-wife team who moved to Indianapolis from Pennsylvania in 2007 – and they're so dedicated to the authentic taste of the cheesesteak that they ship meat and pickles from Philadelphia. The meat-packed hoagies are all great here, but the cheesesteaks and chicken cheesesteaks are the definite must-haves.
The pride and joy of Binghamton, the spiedie (pronounced 'speedy') is one of America’s lesser-known regional specialties, but it’s a huge part of upstate New York’s culinary heritage. The sandwich consists of skewered cubes of meat which are marinated in a mix of olive oil, vinegar, Italian herbs, and spices, before being chargrilled and served in a hoagie. It was invented in the 1920s and Spiedie & Rib Pit is one of the few remaining restaurants specializing in the dish. Here the go-to order is the juicy and tender traditional chicken spiedie, though you can choose to mix it up with all kinds of toppings and condiments.
A pit beef sandwich is a Baltimore must-eat, and Chaps is the best place to feast on one. Gloriously messy, the round roll is crammed with tender beef slices that are cooked to order. You can then finish your beef sandwich with a selection of toppings, like lettuce and tomato or sauerkraut, and add a sauce – options include gravy, ranch dressing, and hot barbecue.
In a state dominated by lobster rolls (technically not a sandwich), it's casual Belgian-inspired restaurant Duckfat that's been bagging awards since opening in 2005. Customers return here time and again for the exceptional duck fat–fried Belgian fries and delicious paninis, including the classic Caprese with heirloom tomato, pistachio pesto mayo, and fresh mozzarella. The menu changes to reflect the seasons, but all of the sandwiches on offer are exceptional.
A Nashville staple since 2008, chef David Mitchell's Mitchell Delicatessen had people lining up out the door for its sandwiches from day one, with the smoked BBQ beef brisket offering a huge favorite. House brisket is paired with Swiss cheese, house-made barbecue sauce, smoked onion jam, cilantro, and pickle and lime mayo, and the whole lot is served on a delicious hoagie. Customers say they think about it for days after eating it.
The menu at hip Oklahoma City's spot The Mule is packed with tempting sandwich options, with some great vegetarian choices – but the Macaroni Pony is the definite star of the show. Made on jalapeño cornbread, it features American cheese, pulled pork, pickles, and a hefty helping of three cheese mac ’n’ cheese. Virtuous? No. Delicious? Definitely.
This simple yet incredibly delicious sandwich is Wyoming's best. Found in the state's most popular bakery, The Bread Basket in Cheyenne, the egg salad sandwich is a classic that's perfectly executed. Made with bread that's baked fresh every morning and generously filled, you can also get it as part of a daily lunch combo with soup or salad, plus a cookie.
Cool Austin spot Otherside Deli serves up a wide selection of hot and cold subs, plus classic deli sandwiches, including a superb take on the Reuben. It features a classic combo of pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, but customers say the meat is especially juicy – and many claim it's the best Reuben they've ever had.
The Sandwich Society's founder Mi Ho created the sandwich shop with one motto in mind – life's too short to eat boring sandwiches. As a result, the creations served here are anything but average. From classic grilled cheese sandwiches to innovative Hawaiian offerings stuffed with beef and grilled pineapple, there's plenty to choose from. The best time to stop by is before 11am, so you can try the Bubble Breakfast – a Hong Kong egg waffle wrapped around bacon, a sausage patty, and egg, finished with syrup and powdered sugar.
Magic City Hoagies is the place to go if you're hungry and craving carbs. It serves the ultimate hoagies, or subs, packed with fresh fillings and tasty meats. One of the customer favorites is the Beast, a signature hoagie filled with layers of roast beef, turkey, crispy bacon, cheese, fries, and Magic City Sauce. Customers say the sandwiches are huge, messy, and delicious.
You could argue that this is not technically a sandwich, but the Handsome Biscuit's Stevie is so good, it's worth bending the rules for. Fried chicken is topped with pickles, wholegrain mustard, and honey, then served on house-made sweet potato biscuits instead of a typical roll. You can opt for a bun instead, but why would you?
Celebrating the best traditions of Southern comfort food, Southern General's sandwiches are second to none. With a menu full of classics updated with creative twists, it's the sesame shrimp sandwich that regulars come back for. The shrimp is fried to crispy perfection in a panko coating and laid on top of sweet chili slaw, roasted tomatoes, and spicy mayo, all in a grilled local honey hoagie.
Run by the Jarrett family, Anchorage's Great Harvest Bread Co. is a one-stop shop for incredible bread, cookies, sweet pastries, and, of course, sandwiches. From a lengthy menu offering hot paninis, specialty sandwiches, and build-your-own options, it's the Harvest Veggie that customers keep coming back for. A combination of provolone and Cheddar cheeses, and various vegetables including red onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, the filling is squeezed between two slices of your choice of bread and slathered with a house-made roasted red pepper spread.
Opened by long-time friends Barry Putzke and Jordan Taylor, Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen focuses on local ingredients crafted into the most incredible sandwiches. A consistent favorite is the vegan-friendly curried cauliflower, which is paired with red lentil hummus, arugula, and cilantro, on a locally baked pita bread. Customers say it's flavorful with a slight kick.
All about regional produce and wholesome ingredients, Honolulu joint Sprout's sandwiches are piled high with leafy greens and Hawaiian vegetables like Waialua sprouts and juicy, locally grown tomatoes. Top choices include the Duke (a take on a BLT with oven-roasted turkey) and the sweet Keiki, which combines almond or peanut butter with banana and Hawaiian honey. However, the customer favorite is the Fonz – a trio of prosciutto, pastrami, and salami with olive tapenade, pickled red onions, and butter lettuce, with a mayo dressing.
A favorite with students at the nearby University of North Carolina, Merritt's Store & Grill specializes in classic sandwiches like chicken salad and club, but it's the signature BLT that keeps customers coming back for more. Made with the bread of your choice, it's packed with a generous amount of bacon, fresh crispy lettuce, and vine tomatoes. Available as a single, double, or – for the very hungry – triple size, customers frequently say it's the best BLT they've ever had.
With a selection of brilliantly innovative creations, Meltz takes grilled cheese sandwiches to the next level. Although the rotating menu often has mouth-watering specials you won't want to pass up, the Burger Bomber is a classic that regulars keep coming back for. Bursting at the seams with white and orange Cheddar, burger meat, bacon, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and shoestring fries, it's all finished off with a generous drizzle of secret recipe Bomb sauce.
Cincinnati's J & W Sandwich Shoppe whips up all the classics in its pocket-sized shop. You can't go wrong with customer favorite, the club sandwich. Piled high, there's plenty of bacon and ham, as well as a generous amount of tomato and lettuce. People say the meat is incredibly flavorful, the bread is perfectly toasted, and it's just a great value sandwich.
Located just next to the Denver Art Museum, the Leven Deli serves up sandwiches that look great and taste even better. If you're a meat eater, then the Reubens are the way to go, with The Rachel – also known as the Number Eighteen – especially popular. Swapping out pastrami for smoked turkey breast, fans say it's incredible.
Famous for its pulled pork, beef brisket, burnt ends, and ribs, Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que is one of the best places in the country to enjoy truly incredible barbecue meat. However, the sandwiches, especially the Z-Man, are as loved as the meats. Slow-smoked beef brisket is piled high on a toasted Kaiser roll, then topped with smoked provolone and two crispy onion rings – it's so good, you won't mind waiting in line.
Tagliare Delicatessen offers made-to-order creations named after famous musicians and bands (think Led Zeppelin, Kiss, and The Cure). The sandwiches are packed with fresh, quality ingredients, while the bread is sourced from a local bakery. Customers especially love the Megadeath, filled with ham, soppressata (an Italian salami), pepperoni, smoked mozzarella, and slaw.
At this sunny and welcoming sandwich shop it’s all about the torta. Güero’s take on the hearty, Mexican-style hot sandwich involves the freshest telera and bolillo rolls stuffed with everything from achiote-marinated chicken to melt-in-the-mouth braised beef and refried beans. But for those in the know, the classic order is the torta ahogada – a delightfully messy mix of tender pork, habanero slaw, and cilantro, smothered in a richly spiced tomato sauce.
Inspired by her grandmother's sandwich-making techniques, Egyptian-born Carole Meyer's sandwiches, served at Zookz, are among the most loved in all of Arizona. The round sandwiches are toasted, meaning the filling is sealed inside and surrounded by a wonderfully crispy edge. The No.33 is a breakfast sandwich filled with two poached eggs, feta cheese, Parmesan, fresh spinach, tomatoes, and fresh basil and remains a firm customer favorite. There are two Zookz locations in Phoenix.
With three locations in Seattle serving up delicious Caribbean food, Un Bien was opened by Julian and Lucas Lorenzo, whose father owned the original Paseo, another legendary Seattle sandwich shop. A firm favorite here is the Caribbean Roast – tender pork shoulder coated in a marinade and slow roasted until it falls apart, served on a toasted baguette with aioli, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, lettuce, and caramelized onions.
Barbecue lovers can’t get enough of the sensational sandwiches at Tennessee Jed's. The expert pitmasters at this homey Gatlinburg joint smoke their meats for up to 14 hours to make its signature brisket and melt-in-the-mouth pulled pork. The wonderfully tender beef brisket is used to make the shop’s most popular sandwich – a classic Reuben that regulars say is the best you’ll ever taste. Other must-try dishes include the turkey and bacon ranch sandwich and frito pie.
Specializing in everything from made-to-order roast beef po' boys to hefty muffalettas and smoked pastrami sandwiches, Blues City Deli is a St. Louis institution that always draws a crowd come lunchtime. The eclectic sammies here are totally unique and packed with flavor. A fan favorite is the New Orleans–inspired Creole Deluxe po' boy (stuffed with roast pork, slow-cooked beef, provolone, arugula, onion, and pepperoncini) but pretty much everything on the menu tastes great.
A former gas station in San Antonio isn’t where you’d expect to find one of the best Philly cheesesteaks going, but Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy has a cult following for its take on the Pennsylvania classic. Each one of these hefty sandwiches contains a quarter pound of sliced rib-eye and a melt-in-the-mouth mixture of caramelized onions, bell peppers, and smoked provolone cheese, housed in a super-fresh roll sourced from a local bakery.
Owned by the Zullo family for some 40 years, The Sandwich Shoppe is a Rutland institution serving towering creations that will satisfy even the biggest of appetites. The Skyscraper, packed with pastrami, corned beef, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, Cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and Thousand Island dressing, is a beast of a sandwich that's loved by customers. As well as the food, visitors highly rate the service and friendly atmosphere.
Named by Yelp as New York’s best sandwich shop in 2024, Tony’s Beechhurst Deli is a hidden gem tucked away in the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens. The Polito family has been running this no-frills deli since 1992, and it has a dedicated local following for its perfectly made meatball sandwiches, chicken parmigiano, and even fresh mozzarella made in-house. But reviewers say the Tony – a classic, overstuffed Italian sub filled with cured meats including soppresatta, mortadella, and pepperoni, along with provolone cheese and sweet peppers – is the star of the menu.
Named by Yelp reviewers as the best sandwich spot in South Carolina, Cold Shoulder Gourmet is run by just one man: Craig Edmunds, who slings an ever-changing menu of gourmet focaccia sandwiches each morning until they sell out. There are different specials every day, but you can’t go wrong with the sublime CSG Club, featuring wagyu roast beef, heritage turkey breast, truffle mayo, and truffled balsamic glaze. Remember there are no substitutes here, but don’t worry – every sandwich is a riot of flavor and texture.
Sandwich joints don’t get more scenic than this destination shop, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Named the eighth best restaurant in the whole of the US in Yelp’s 2024 Top 100 Places to Eat list, a visit here is certainly worth the trip. All sauces and salsas are made fresh, and fans rave about the generous portions and creative fillings. Customers particularly rate the mighty Manwich: a double decker of toasted sourdough stuffed with turkey, ham, salami, bacon, avocado, olive tapenade, and provolone.
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