Whether it's a Reuben towering with corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese, or a crispy, crowd-pleasing tuna melt, America is home to some of the greatest (and biggest) sandwiches the world has ever seen. What’s more, each individual state has its own original sammie recipe to shout about. Read on to discover the best and most legendary sandwiches invented in every US state.
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
The art of barbecue is worshipped here, so it makes sense that Alabama’s most legendary sandwich is packed full of the good stuff. This signature sammie contains a pile of deliciously smoky shredded chicken smothered in the state’s famous tangy white barbecue sauce. Unlike tomato-based versions, Alabama's is made with mayo, vinegar, horseradish, and black pepper, and was invented in 1925 by Big Bob Gibson, the pit master behind famous barbecue spot Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur. For the best chicken and white barbecue sauce sandwich around, head to local chain Jim 'N Nick's.
Alaska’s contribution to the sausage hall of fame is a gamey delight. Made with a blend of reindeer (or caribou) meat and pork or beef, the sausage has a subtle flavor (a bit like venison) and is served in hot dogs and sandwiches at restaurants, food trucks, and carts all over the state. Locals rave about the croissant sandwich with reindeer sausage at Pil's Deli, while Anchorage food truck The Hungry Deckhand makes a colossal breakfast sammie called The Rogue Wave, piled high with reindeer sausage, Cheddar, bacon, egg, and a sweet and spicy chili and garlic aioli.
Frybread is a type of light and pillowy fried flatbread linked to the Indigenous people of the Southwest. It dates back to 1864, when Native Americans living in Arizona were forced to relocate to New Mexico on the Long Walk; the dish was created out of necessity using rations given to them by the government. Today, many restaurants around Arizona use it to make tacos (also known as Navajo tacos), which are typically loaded with meat, cheese, and beans. You can try some of the state’s finest at James Beard Award–winning spot The Fry Bread House in Phoenix, which serves up sweet and savory versions.
Simple but endlessly satisfying, the fried bologna sandwich is an Arkansas lunch counter classic. The main components are sliced and fried bologna sausage (ideally from historic local butchery, Petit Jean Meats) and white bread, finished with some combination of American cheese, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lettuce, and tomato. No-frills joints like Feltner's Whatta-Burger in Russellville and Hollis Country Store in Plainview are said to make the state’s tastiest.
Invented in 1979 when vegetarian cuisine was still pretty niche, this seriously cheesy creation is something of a sandwich pioneer. Dreamt up by Little Rock restaurant owner Jimmy Weisman, the garden sandwich consists of Swiss, Cheddar, and provolone cheeses with mushrooms, sunflower seeds, and a kind of spinach pâté on pumpernickel bread. Jimmy entered the dish into the National Sandwich Contest – a competition which the Reuben won in 1956 – and it scooped the grand prize, becoming a local legend that’s still served at his restaurant, Jimmy's Serious Sandwiches, to this day.
Despite the name, the French dip was invented in LA at one of two historic spots – Phillipe's or Cole's, depending on who you ask. The dish consists of sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, and onions on a French roll, accompanied by a bowl of broth to dip it into (some joints also dip the bread and/or meat in the gravy). The story at Phillipe's dates back to 1918, when owner Philippe Mathieu unintentionally dropped a beef sandwich into a roasting pan full of juices and served it to a hungry policeman. It was a huge hit and word quickly spread. Cole's claims to have invented the sandwich by accident a decade earlier in 1908, but the details are sketchy. In any case, you can drop into either LA institution for a world-class bite.
A mainstay of diner menus, the humble patty melt combines the best bits of a burger and a grilled cheese sandwich to make a truly comforting dish. Some historians date it back as far as the 1920s, but most agree it was Californian restaurateur Tiny Naylor that popularized the sandwich when he started serving it at his chain of restaurants in the late 1940s. There are endless opportunities for variation on the recipe, but it’s almost always served in the same way: a juicy burger topped with golden fried onions and melted Swiss cheese, presented on grilled rye bread. For a taste of California’s finest, head to historic Hollywood fast food joint Cassell's.
This hearty dish consists of a Denver omelet (sweet bell peppers, onions, smoked ham, and Cheddar) between slices of bread. The invention of the sandwich is attributed to a variety of people, including Denver restaurateurs Albert A. McVittie and M. D. Looney, who separately claimed to have created it in 1907. Alternatively, some historians think it’s a modification of egg foo yong and was invented by Chinese laborers working on the transcontinental railroad. Once a diner staple, it’s not commonly found in restaurants these days, though long-standing Denver spot Sam's No. 3 does an excellent burrito version.
Legendary fast food joint Louis’ Lunch in New Haven is truly an old school affair, specializing in one dish only: the hamburger sandwich, which was invented in 1900 when a customer asked for a speedy meal to go. The tiny, family-run diner first opened in 1895, and its signature sammie recipe has barely changed in over a century. The burger patties are cooked using the original vertical gas broilers from 1898, and served to a rigid recipe: always on white toast, with a choice of onion, tomato, or cheese, but no sauce.
Lobster rolls might be a quintessential Maine delicacy, but did you know they were actually invented in Connecticut? The story goes that, around 1927, a restaurant called Perry's in Milford was the first to serve hot lobster meat drenched in butter and piled into a soft roll. Word soon spread up the coast to the rest of New England, and nowadays you’ll struggle to find a seafood restaurant in the region that doesn’t serve them. Around Connecticut, lobster lovers are spoilt for choice; the best-rated spots include small local chain Lobster Craft and Guilford Lobster Pound, which sells fresh lobster caught daily by its owner.
Is The Bobbie the best sandwich in America? Its makers, Delaware-founded sandwich chain Capriotti's, certainly tout it as such, and the impressive list of awards the dish has received back up the claim. So what’s inside? This behemoth sub is packed with all the best Thanksgiving leftovers; think slow-roasted, pulled turkey, cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing, and a smear of mayo on a freshly baked roll. Capriotti's was founded by brother and sister duo Lois and Alan Margolet in 1976, and the wildly popular sandwich is inspired by the epic Thanksgiving sandwiches made by their Aunt Bobbie.
Ubiquitous in Jacksonville, camel riders (also known as desert riders) are pita breads stuffed with a combination of deli meats, Italian dressing, and salad. The dish is a product of the Middle Eastern immigrants who first settled in the port city area in the 1890s; it grew to fame in the 1960s and 1970s, when pita bread was considered a novelty. The name itself is a bit controversial, as it was likely meant as a pejorative term initially, but has been embraced by the city’s sandwich shop owners. Today, different versions are served at restaurants and delis around Jacksonville, including The Sheik, Desert Rider Sandwich Shop and Gina’s Delicatessen.
What makes the Cubano one of the country’s most-loved sandwiches is the exact balance of ingredients: thinly sliced ham, juicy roast pork, melted Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard (plus salami if you're in Tampa), toasted between buttered slices of Cuban bread. Miami and Tampa have a friendly rivalry about which city invented the sandwich, but it's largely agreed it was first made in Tampa's Ybor City neighborhood to feed Cuban workers at local cigar factories in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Both cities have endless options, but for a taste of history try Versailles in Miami or Tampa’s Columbia Restaurant.
Chick-fil-A is unlikely to be the first restaurant to have thought of serving fried chicken in a biscuit, but the Atlanta chain undoubtedly brought it into the mainstream with its amazingly popular breakfast staple. The first Chick-fil-A opened in 1967 and only operated in shopping centers until a stand-alone spot launched in 1986. The chain soon expanded north and, after some initial skepticism, the Chicken Biscuit became a menu favorite in cities all over the US, with more than 122 million sold in 2022.
A true southern classic, pimento cheese is a deliciously spreadable combination of grated cheese, mayo, and diced red pimento peppers, seasoned with a zingy spice blend. It’s most closely connected to the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, where players traditionally enjoy a post-round pimento cheese sandwich. It was first served at the tournament sometime in the 1940s, and remains famously cheap at $1.50 per sandwich. Today, restaurants around Atlanta put their own spin on the dish; Dakota Blue serves a gourmet grilled cheese version, while Bomb Biscuit Atlanta presents sausage biscuits smothered in pimento.
Hawaii’s answer to pulled pork, juicy and smoky kālua-style pork piled into a soft roll is the signature sandwich of the Aloha State. Kālua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an imu (a kind of underground oven) to slow roast meats, particularly pork or turkey, which are at the heart of lūʻau feasts. The dish is served everywhere, from fancy restaurants to hole-in-the-wall spots, but locals rave about the fully loaded sandwiches on the menu at Kono's, especially the Triple Crown, made with 12-hour slow-roast pork, bacon, and ham, and finished with slaw and guava BBQ sauce.
Boise has a large Basque community, and the city’s historic Basque district is home to numerous authentic restaurants, as well as what has become one of its most popular sandwiches: the spicy lamb grinder, served at long-running haunt Bar Gernica. To make it, tender slices of roasted lamb leg are served on a French baguette with grilled onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese, with the cooking juices offered on the side. Named Idaho’s best sandwich by the Food Network, it has also featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and is a must-try when visiting Boise.
The city of Springfield offers up one of the Midwest’s most filling dishes: the horseshoe. This gut-busting, open-faced sandwich consists of two pieces of Texas toast topped with meat (usually ham, chicken, or hamburger), fries, and a creamy cheese sauce. It was invented in 1928 at Springfield’s Old Leland Hotel. The name ‘horseshoe’ was derived from the shape of the cut of ham used in the original recipe, while the French fries represent the nails of the shoe. Today, the dish is a staple at Irish pubs like D'arcy's Pint and Dublin Pub. Can’t handle a whole portion? A smaller version, with one slice of bread and one serving of meat, is called a pony shoe.
Chicago’s signature sandwich recently came to worldwide attention after featuring in television series The Bear, but this messy delight has been enjoyed with pride since it was invented in the 1930s by Italian immigrants working in the city's Union Stock Yards. To make it, seasoned beef is wet-roasted in broth until juicy and tender, then thinly sliced and served on a French roll with extra meat juices either spooned on top or soaked into the bread. It typically comes either ‘hot’ (topped with Chicago-style giardiniera pickles) or ‘sweet’ (finished with Italian sweet peppers). Chicagoans will argue over which beef shop sells the best sandwich, but Bob-O's Hot Dogs and Jay's Beef of Chicago are pretty hard to beat.
Indiana’s oversized sandwich certainly means business. A massive hunk of pork tenderloin is pounded, breaded, and deep-fried, then served on a hamburger or Kaiser bun with simple condiments (mustard included). You’ll find a version of this sandwich all over the Midwest, but it was actually invented in Huntington in 1904 by pushcart operator Nicholas Freinstein as a way to make the German wiener schnitzel appeal to the masses. It was an instant hit and he soon opened a restaurant, Nick’s Kitchen, which remains the top spot to try the dish.
Dry ground beef packed into a hamburger bun might sound unusual, but a trip to Iowa wouldn’t be complete without trying this iconic sandwich. Also known as a tavern sandwich or just a Maid-Rite, the dish is a bit like a sloppy joe but without the sauce, and has a huge following in the Hawkeye State. Its origins date back to the 1920s, when David Heglin of Ye Olde Tavern in Sioux City dreamed it up as an easy way to feed hungry drinkers – though this is disputed by locally founded chain Maid-Rite, which claims the dish was invented in 1926 by its founder, Fred Angell. Either way, Maid-Rite has certainly popularized the sandwich, and the restaurant now has 20 locations across the Midwest.
This legendary sandwich is a fairly recent invention, first introduced at Kansas City institution Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que in 1997, and meat lovers travel far and wide to sink their teeth into it. To make it, tender slow-smoked beef brisket is piled into a toasted Kaiser roll with provolone, two crispy onion rings, and a generous smothering of the restaurant’s homemade barbecue sauce. The name comes from local sports radio host Mike Zarrick (known as Z-man), who was a huge fan of the restaurant and asked his listeners what the sammie should be called; his nickname won out.
It doesn’t get more indulgent than Kentucky’s famous hot brown – an open sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in a cheesy Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until crisp and golden brown. It was first cooked up in the kitchens of Louisville’s historic Brown Hotel by chef Fred Schmidt in the 1920s as a late night snack to satisfy hungry revelers, and still features on the hotel’s menu today.
The first on our must-try list of Louisiana sandwiches is the muffaletta, a hearty round Sicilian loaf that’s traditionally filled with a stack of mortadella, salami, mozzarella, and provolone, plus the key ingredient: a finely chopped olive salad. Foodies generally agree that the sammie was invented in 1906 at Central Grocery Co in New Orleans by owner Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. The story goes that he noticed Italian workers buying antipasto and bread to eat for lunch, making for a tasty but messy meal. He suggested combining the ingredients inside the bread, and a legend was born. Central Grocery Co is still the most famous spot to try the muffaletta, but locals also love Cochon Butcher, where it’s served hot.
Some historians think the peacemaker – a hearty sandwich filled with fried or grilled oysters – actually pre-dates the much more famous po'boy by several decades. Details are sketchy, but local lore dates the dish back to the mid-19th century, when the sandwich was apparently given by husbands to their wives as a ‘peacemaker’ intended to cure marital strife. These days it’s basically considered a type of po’boy and features on sandwich menus all over town. The most famous is served at Mahony's Po-boys & Seafood, where it’s filled with a delicious mix of fried jumbo Gulf shrimp, oysters, Cheddar, and candied bacon.
In New Orleans you’ll see po’ boys absolutely everywhere, and they can be filled with a virtually limitless selection of ingredients – so long as they’re served on New Orleans' French bread. First called a ‘poor boy’, the historic dish dates back to the 1929 New Orleans streetcar strike, when restaurant owners (and former streetcar conductors) Benny and Clovis Martin would hand out free sandwiches to their former colleagues. Whenever a striker would walk into the restaurant, Benny would shout to Clovis: “Here comes another poor boy!” These days there are endless versions to sample all over the city, but Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar is hard to beat for its amazing surf and turf version.
Similar to the New York hero or Philly’s hoagie, Maine’s Italian sandwich is a long Italian-style roll, filled with various types of cold cuts and vegetables. Accounts generally agree that it was invented by baker Giovanni Amato, who owned a small shop on Portland’s waterfront and would sell loaves of fresh Italian bread loaded with meat, cheese, and vegetables to local dock workers around 1902. Today, Amato’s sandwich shop is one of the region’s most-loved chains, with 45 branches across the East Coast.
Connecticut may lay claim to the first hot lobster roll, but Maine’s seafood shacks made the dish their own by popularizing the more common cold version. To make a traditional Maine lobster roll, knuckle, claw, and tail meat is lightly seasoned and dressed with mayo, then piled into a split top New England–style bun and finished with finely chopped celery or scallions. Simplicity is key; the idea is to keep extras to a minimum to let the flavor and freshness of the lobster shine through. For the true rustic lobster roll experience, try no-frills coastal spots Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery and The Clam Shack in Kennebunk.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to try fresh crab cakes from Maryland's Eastern Shore, you’ll know they’re something special. Absolutely packed with jumbo lump blue crab meat, the patties contain very little filler (usually just a sprinkling of herbs, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning), making them a top-tier sandwich filler. You’ll find all kinds of joints selling crab cake sandwiches along the Chesapeake Bay, from the stunning Maryland Crab Sammy at fine dining restaurant Stars in St Michaels, to the hearty 8oz crab sandwich at Jimmy's Famous Seafood in Baltimore.
This unusual sandwich appears exactly as it sounds: a gravy-based chow mein mixture served inside a hamburger bun. The fusion dish has its roots in Fall River, and was apparently invented by Cantonese immigrant and restaurant owner, Frederick Wong, during the Great Depression; his aim was to provide diners with a filling, low-cost meal. The sandwich made its way to nearby Chinese restaurants and is still popular in spots like Mee Sum and Faneek’s, though is not well known outside of a relatively small area of New England.
The fluffernutter – marshmallow creme and peanut butter between sliced white bread – is a New England childhood staple. The sandwich has close ties to Massachusetts and particularly to Somerville, where confectioner Archibald Query invented the recipe for Marshmallow Fluff in his kitchen in 1917. Somerville even holds an annual festival called What the Fluff?, based around celebrating the spread and fluffernutter sandwiches. In recent years, restaurants have been putting a gourmet spin on the dish. One is Boston gastropub Local 149, which is famous for its deep-fried chocolate and caramel fluffernutter.
When it comes to original recipe sandwiches, few are as exacting as Boston’s iconic roast beef. The beef has to be rare and very thinly sliced, the roll squishy and lightly toasted, and there are only three acceptable toppings: Cains mayo, James River Barbecue Sauce, and American cheese or Cheddar. It’s generally agreed that local fast food chain Kelly's Roast Beef invented the delicacy in 1951 at its original Revere Beach location, which continues to be a longtime favorite – though there are great versions sold at joints all over Boston’s North Shore.
Sure, you can probably get a ham sandwich at pretty much every diner and deli on our list, but Detroit’s version is something special; think thick slabs of house-baked ham, often cut straight from the bone, piled into a soft white roll with pickles and yellow mustard. The craze began when The Honey Baked Ham Company opened in 1957 (the chain now has hundreds of shops across the US), and by the mid-1960s various ‘ham places’ popped up around the city to provide a cheap, filling dish for Detroit’s blue collar workers. Today the sandwich is a bit of an unsung hero, but one-of-a-kind joints like Mike's Famous Ham Place keep the dream alive.
Minnesota’s state fish, the walleye, is a local obsession, and it's easy to see why; this unique freshwater fish is native to the region, and fans rave about the fresh, subtly sweet taste. The most popular way to serve it is simply fried (either in batter or just with seasoning) in a soft French roll, with optional tartar sauce. Tavern on Grand, in St Paul, specializes in serving walleye in various forms, and has a following for its simple yet perfectly made sandwich. For a more indulgent version, fast food chain Culver’s offers a limited-edition, hand-battered Northwoods Walleye Sandwich every Lent.
This soul food classic was created out of necessity in the 1940s when meat was expensive, but has transformed into a niche treat that’s pure comfort. The story goes that Mexican immigrant Juan 'Big John' Mora, owner of the Big Apple Inn in Jackson, was given a batch of pigs' ears by a butcher for free. After much experimentation, he discovered they were good enough to eat after being boiled for two days and so they went on the menu, served with mustard, shredded cabbage, and a homemade hot sauce. These days, the much-loved joint cooks its pig ears for just two hours with the help of a pressure cooker, but the rest of the recipe remains more or less the same.
A cross between garlic bread and a croque monsieur, the Gerber is a delicious open-faced sandwich topped with garlic butter, ham, and provel cheese, then toasted until golden. It was first served as a special at historic St. Louis sandwich spot Ruma's Deli; the recipe was inspired by the shop’s next-store-neighbor, Dick Gerber, who was allowed to make his own sandwich in the restaurant kitchen for a small fee. Owners Dee and Tom Ruma were so impressed with what he concocted, they added his sandwich to the menu in 1973. The Gerber has been a bestseller ever since, and variants are sold at other joints all over St. Louis.
One of the earliest examples of fusion food in the US, the St. Paul consists of an egg foo young patty (made with mung bean sprouts and minced white onions) served on white bread with dill pickles, mayonnaise, and lettuce. Historians date the sandwich to the early 1940s, when Chinese-American restaurants in St. Louis were trying to find a dish to appeal to Midwestern palates. Mai Lee in Brentwood and Old St Louis Chop Suey in St. Louis are among the best places to taste the dish today.
The pork chop sandwich – breaded and fried pork tenderloin on a roll with mustard, onion, and pickle – is a cult favorite in taverns, restaurants, and hole-in-the-wall spots around Montana, but is a particular obsession in Butte. The rib-sticking dish was invented around 1924 by Swedish immigrant John Burklund, who started selling his take on a German pork schnitzel sandwich out the back of a van. It was a huge hit, and he was able to open a bricks-and-mortar location not long after. The original joint, Pork Chop John's, is still thriving today, though the sandwiches at Freeway Tavern and Montana's Rib & Chop House are also worth checking out.
Frequently voted America’s favorite sandwich, this world-class deli classic is a heady mix of flavorful corned beef, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, piled between slices of rye bread. A staple of New York’s Jewish delis, the sandwich actually has its roots in Omaha, specifically the city’s Blackstone Hotel. Local lore says the dish was invented in the hotel kitchen by chef Bernard Schimmel, who created it for card player Reuben Kulakofsky, a local grocer who requested a sandwich made of corned beef and sauerkraut at his weekly poker game. For one of Omaha’s finest, head to the Crescent Moon Ale House.
In the state that’s famous for serving a 20,000 calorie burger, it’s no surprise that diners like their sandwiches super-sized. Tuson’s Full Belly Deli serves up some of the best, and quite possibly the biggest, sandwiches in the state. There are plenty of unique creations on offer, but the shop is particularly known for its signature special, the Tri-Tip Melt, an irresistible sandwich featuring juicy sliced tri-tip of beef, caramelized onions, melty smoked Cheddar, and thousand island dressing.
Moe's Italian Sandwiches is a much-loved New England chain that started out in Portsmouth in 1959, with just a single sandwich on the menu: mild salami, provolone, olives, thinly sliced onions, peppers, and tomatoes, all dressed with a small amount of olive oil and served in a submarine roll. This simple, but utterly delicious, recipe was handed down to owner Phil ‘Moe’ Pagano, a former cheese salesman, by his mother. The original Portsmouth shop is still run by the Pagano family today, though the menu has expanded over the years to include all the classic sandwich fillings you’d expect.
The iconic combination of fried pork roll, egg, and American cheese on a hard roll or English muffin is a New Jersey breakfast staple, served at diners and no-frills joints all over the state. The most important component is the pork roll (also known as Taylor ham), a type of processed pork first developed in 1856 by John Taylor that's highly specific to the state and loved by locals. To try this sammie at its best, head to Johnny's Pork Roll in Red Bank, or Russo's Market in North Wildwood.
These huge sandwiches originated at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where they were originally served out of so-called grease trucks to provide sustenance to hungry students in the early hours. The comical name comes from the belly-busting combination of ingredients piled inside. The original – called the Fat Cat – was made up of a double cheeseburger, fries, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and ketchup, and dates back to the 1970s. Today, joints like Adrian's Jersey Pizza Co serve all kinds of creative versions, including the Fat Sinatra, which boasts a chicken cutlet and a cheesesteak among its many fillings.
This sandwich is all about the amazing bread used to make it. Pueblo is a traditional bread originating in New Mexico, where it's historically prepared by Pueblo tribes and baked in a beehive-shaped outdoor oven known as a horno. The most popular variety is probably white oven bread, which is fantastic for sandwiches thanks to its crunchy crust and fluffy middle. A great place to try the bread is the Indian Pueblo Kitchen, located at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Here the dish everyone talks about is the Pueblo Turkey Melt, which features roast turkey, pepper Jack cheese, tomato, and plenty of New Mexico’s famous green chile.
The pride of Buffalo, beef on weck consists of juicy slices of rare roast beef served on a kummelweck, a German-style roll that’s topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. The top bun is usually dipped in beef jus and spread with horseradish sauce, making for a messy but extremely tasty sandwich. No one is sure who first sold beef on weck, but it all started with German baker William Wahr, who brought the kummelweck roll with him to the States in the late 1800s. Buffalo and its suburbs are awash with fantastic beef on weck spots, including Swiston's Beef & Keg, a rustic bar that’s been making the sandwich the same way since 1953.
A staple at bodegas across Upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens, this hearty sandwich is made with ground beef, onions, seasonings, and cheese, all chopped together on a grill until golden brown and deliciously melty. The whole affair is then piled into a hero roll with lettuce, tomato, and whatever condiments you like. Local lore links the origins of the dish to Spanish Harlem bodega Hajji's Deli, where it was apparently cooked up by a member of staff in the 1990s. These days the chopped cheese has migrated beyond bodegas to fancier eateries, but no-frills spots like Hajji's (also known as Blue Sky Deli) serve the best.
The joy of the always reliable club sandwich is that it's basically the same wherever you go in the world, making it a room service essential for travelers in need of a taste of the familiar. It’s traditionally made with layers of toasted white bread, sliced roast turkey or chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, though sliced egg and cheese are frequently added. According to the most popular origin story, it was first served at the Union Club of New York City in 1889, while another account says it was invented at the Saratoga Club in Saratoga Springs, New York in 1894. Head to upscale NYC luncheonette Friedman's for a superlative rendition.
Binghamton’s signature sandwich is one of the lesser known on our list, but it’s well worth hunting down. To make this simple but very satisfying dish, skewered cubes of meat – chicken, pork, beef, or lamb – are marinated in a mix of olive oil, vinegar, Italian herbs and spices, before being chargrilled and served in a hoagie or Italian roll. The sandwich was brought to upstate New York by Italian immigrants in the early 1920s, then popularized in its classic form by Italian brothers Camillo and Augustino Iacovelli, who served it at their Endicott restaurant, Parkview, around 1938. One of the few remaining joints specializing in the dish is Spiedie & Rib Pit in Binghamton.
While North Carolina can’t lay claim to the invention of the pulled pork sandwich, the state has certainly made the dish its own, traditionally basting the whole hog with a distinctly tangy spice and vinegar marinade. Much-loved barbecue joint 12 Bones Smokehouse takes the dish to the next level with its gargantuan Hogzilla sandwich, which utilizes pork in three different forms: candied bacon, snappy pork bratwurst sausage, and smoked pulled pork butt. This is all piled into a hoagie roll with melted pepper Jack cheese for a sandwich you won’t forget in a hurry.
If you think Boston or Chicago’s roast beef sandwiches are a messy business, check out North Dakota’s version: a juicy roast beef sandwich made with wheat bread or Texas toast, generously flooded with thick brown gravy, and topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes. This warming dish is perfect fuel for the famously cold North Dakota winters, and is one of the state’s most popular meals. Legendary Minot truck stop Schatz has been dishing up hot roast beef sandwiches for more than 40 years and serves it lots of different ways, even topped with hash browns for extra indulgence; meanwhile, Charlie's Main Street Cafe (also in Minot) is known for its classic version.
Cleveland’s legendary sandwich is little known outside of the state, but this meaty mash-up of grilled or deep-fried kielbasa sausage topped with mounds of French fries, coleslaw, and a generous slathering of barbecue sauce has a dedicated following in Ohio. Locals credit sandwich pioneer Virgil Whitmore with the Polish boy’s inception; the restaurant owner is said to have invented it in the 1940s, combining the various ingredients on a whim at Whitmore's Bar-B-Q. For a taste of the best, head to Cleveland’s Banter, where the Polish boys are made with gourmet house-made kielbasa sausages.
A staple of Oklahoma barbecue, smoked bologna (also known as Oklahoma tenderloin or Oklahoma steak) first became popular because of the low price of the thrifty sausage compared to other meats. Details on its exact origins are patchy, but the method of smoking ‘chubs’ of bologna over wood is thought to have originated in barbecue restaurants in either Tulsa or Oklahoma City. The meat is almost always served sliced in a sandwich with barbecue sauce, sweet pickles, onions, and American cheese and was apparently a favorite of Elvis Presley. Jamil's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City is frequently voted the top spot to try it.
Oregon doesn’t have a historic sandwich in the way that Philly has the cheesesteak or Louisiana has the po' boy, but the Beaver State does have numerous must-taste delicacies that really celebrate local produce. Much-loved Portland chain Pine State Biscuits quickly grew from being a humble farmers’ market stand to a full-blown biscuit empire, and its towering breakfast sandwich, the Reggie Deluxe, is a local obsession. It combines juicy fried chicken, bacon, cheese, gravy, and a fried egg, all piled high on a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit.
The hoagie is basically the Pennsylvanian version of a sub, and doesn't differ greatly from New York’s hero or Maine’s Italian sandwich. There are endless theories on how the term came to be, but one of the most interesting dates back to the Depression era when jazz musician and sandwich shop owner Al De Palma apparently started calling his sandwiches 'hoggies' because you 'had to be a hog' to eat a sandwich that big. 'Hoggies' became 'hoagies,' and the rest is history. In Philly you’re never far from finding a very good one, and you’ll tuck into some of the best at Angelo's Pizzeria and PrimoHoagies.
Philly’s signature sandwich needs little introduction, and is as synonymous with the city as Rocky Balboa. A meaty feast of chopped beef steak smothered in melted cheese and stuffed in a sub roll, the cheesesteak is said to have been invented by South Philadelphia hot dog seller Pat Olivieri sometime in the 1920s. Having thrown some beef onto the grill to make a sandwich for himself, Pat was asked by a passing cab driver if he could try it too. Word spread and it proved so popular he opened Pat's King of Steaks in 1930, which is still one of the best places for a cheesesteak sandwich today.
This is Pennsylvania’s take on the Kentucky hot brown. Both dishes are a calorie-laden combination of bread, sliced roast turkey, and bacon, but the key difference is the hot brown is smothered in a Mornay sauce, whereas the turkey Devonshire is always topped with tomatoes and a tangy Cheddar sauce. It was invented in 1935 by Frank Blandi, a Sicilian American who first served them at the Pittsburgh’s Stratford Club, which was known for its English vibe. Its heyday was really the 1960s and the dish is rarely seen on menus today – bustling Pittsburgh restaurant Union Grill is one of the few spots that still serves it.
A staple at festivals, fairs and casual eateries in Woonsocket, the dynamite sandwich is basically a giant sloppy joe topped with a rich and spicy sauce made with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of bell peppers. Traditionally it's a dish you’d serve at family gatherings and community events to feed a horde; the versions on the menu at restaurants like Buttonwoods 416 in Warwick are a little more manageable in size, but no less delicious.
You wouldn't immediately associate the tuna melt with South Carolina, but it’s here that the crowd-pleasing sammie was first made by happy accident. According to the much-repeated story, a lunch counter cook at a Woolworth's in Charleston was slammed with orders when a bowl of tuna salad fell on top of a grilled cheese sandwich. Instead of throwing it away, the cook discovered the joy of this winning flavor combination – and the rest is history. You’ll find the dish at most diners and sandwich spots around the state, but Circe's Grotto in Charleston comes particularly highly recommended.
Pheasant meat is a big deal in South Dakota, so it’s no surprise that this game bird is the star of the state’s most legendary sandwich. The dish dates back to the Second World War, when canteens serving the troops ended up inundated with pheasants donated by local hunters. Back then, the sandwiches consisted of pheasant meat, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, celery, carrots, and onions, and were given away for free. Today, the best place to try the sammie is Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge in Brookings, where the meat is mixed with apple, dried cranberries, and roasted pecans, then topped with melted Swiss cheese.
Countless fast food spots around Nashville serve this tongue-tingling sandwich, but Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is home to the original. The simple but iconic mix of crunchy fried chicken doused in a spicy sauce came about in the 1930s, when Thornton Prince was caught cheating by his girlfriend. His punishment was a fiery breakfast of chicken covered in extremely hot pepper, but the plan backfired when he ended up loving the dish – and eventually launched a restaurant dedicated to it. Today Prince's remains the gold standard for Nashville-style hot chicken, though Hattie B's version is also fantastic.
One iconic dish that sets Texas barbecue apart from the rest is juicy, slightly fatty smoked brisket, chopped into chunks and tossed with a touch of barbecue sauce. You’ll see chopped brisket sandwiches at almost every barbecue joint in the Lonestar State, as well as at rodeos, fairs, and even school cafeterias, but the best are to be found at Austin’s legendary smoke spots, especially Franklin Barbecue, where long lines form early for the restaurant’s coveted brisket. It’s a little easier to get a table at Stiles Switch BBQ, where the must-order sammie is The Mailman – a feast of table-chopped brisket, smoked sausage, mustard, and an oozy, sharp Cheddar sauce.
Caputo’s Market & Deli is a local mini-chain with several locations in Salt Lake City, all of which sell a mouth-watering array of regional Italian delicacies – and yet it’s the made-to-order sandwiches that draw the crowds. The house specialty, the Caputo, is a local legend, combining perfect quantities of prosciutto, mortadella, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, olive oil, and balsamic, on the freshest Italian bread.
Vermont is renowned for its fresh farm produce, and the state’s signature sandwich was actually invented to showcase its underused, locally grown apples. It was first created in the 1990s by Jason Maroney, owner of the now closed Sweetwaters American Bistro in Burlington. The ingredients in the sandwich vary slightly depending on where you go; it usually contains some combination of turkey, ham, and Cheddar – but it’s not a Vermonter without sliced apple. Cafés and sandwich shops all over Vermont sell some version of the dish, with homely spots like Jericho Center Country Store in Jericho Center dishing up some of the best.
This nautically-inspired sammie has been a Richmond favorite since the 1940s, though it's relatively unknown outside of Virginia. The dish is a knockout combination of grilled knockwurst sausage, hot pastrami, and melted Swiss cheese, served hot on rye bread. Historic Richmond eatery The New York Deli, which was founded in 1929, claims to have invented the dish during the Second World War when it was a favorite of the Navy seamen stationed in the area.
Most of the sandwiches on our list got their iconic status from lengthy heritage or an unusual story, but Washington’s top dish is actually the state’s official sammie, chosen in 1987 when legislators and their staff sat down in the Capitol building in Olympia for a taste test. The Pacific Northwest is known for its incredible quality wild salmon, so it’s no surprise the delicacy was selected as the state’s favorite sandwich filling. For the good stuff, head to Seabolt's Smokehouse in Oak Harbor and order the restaurant’s Wild Sockeye Salmon Sandwich, smothered in a zingy chili and lime tartar sauce.
A longtime Milwaukee dish that’s traditionally enjoyed at Christmas, the slightly sinister-sounding cannibal sandwich isn’t as scary as the name suggests. Also known as ‘tiger meat’ or ‘wildcat’, it consists of slices of rye bread thickly spread with fresh raw beef, chopped onion, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The exact origins of the sandwich are unknown, but it has been a holiday treat in Wisconsin’s German communities since the 1800s. Because of the risks involved in serving raw meat, it’s understandably a dish people make at home rather than eat out, and locals say Bunzel's Meat Market is the spot to buy the best quality steak for this delicacy.
Similar to Italian stromboli, pepperoni rolls are West Virginia’s most popular snack and are sold absolutely everywhere, from gas stations to small local bakeries. To make them, spicy pepperoni sausage and cheese are baked inside a fluffy bread roll until melty and delicious. Originally created as a one-handed meal for coal miners (ideal as they don’t need to be refrigerated for storage), the rolls were first sold by Giuseppe 'Joseph' Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont in 1927, which remains a legendary spot to try them.
Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and that's certainly the case with Wyoming’s multi-award-winning sammie, the basic but perfectly executed egg salad from The Bread Basket in Cheyenne. This hugely popular bakery only has a few types of sandwiches on its menu, so you know this is something special. The lunchtime staple is made with bread baked in-house every morning and generously filled with a rich and flavor-packed egg salad. The joint also has a reputation for making the best brownies in town, for a double whammy of indulgence.
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