America has invented a smörgåsbord of incredible sandwiches, from the crowd-pleasing club to the delightfully messy Philly cheesesteak. However, dig a little deeper and there are all kinds of weird and wonderful regional sandwiches that locals can’t seem to get enough of. From New Jersey’s belly-busting ‘fat sandwich’ to Kentucky’s historic hot brown, we count down to the most obscure American sammies of all.
Plenty of world-famous dishes were invented in New York, from Buffalo wings to eggs Benedict, but few outside of the state will have heard of (let alone tasted) the city’s cult-favorite sammy. The chopped cheese is a staple at New York City bodegas across Upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, and features ground beef, onions, seasonings, and cheese, all chopped together on a grill until golden brown and deliciously melty. This meaty tangle is then piled into a hero roll with lettuce, tomato and whatever condiments you like.
Locals agree that the dish originated at Spanish Harlem bodega Hajji's Deli (also known as Blue Sky Deli), where it was apparently first cooked up by a member of staff in the 1990s. These days, the chopped cheese has migrated beyond bodegas to fancier spots, but Hajji's remains the go-to place to try a classic chopped cheese. Fans rave about every element of the sandwich, from the quality of the bread to the lip-smacking secret spice blend used to flavor the meat. Other top-rated chopped cheese spots include Smith Gourmet Deli in Brooklyn and Olympia Star Deli in Manhattan.
More of a meal than a traditional sandwich, this decadent dish is a local obsession in Louisville, Kentucky. The hot brown is an open sandwich of turkey and bacon that’s covered in a cheesy mornay sauce, then grilled until the bread is crunchy and the sauce is golden brown and bubbling. It was first created by chef Fred K. Schmidt at Louisville’s legendary Brown Hotel in 1926, as a hearty snack to satisfy hungry revellers in the early hours, and quickly became its signature dish.
The hot brown still features on the Brown Hotel’s menu today – you can grab one at its plush J. Graham’s Café (pictured), which also offers a ‘petite’ sandwich for smaller appetites. Elsewhere, popular Louisville brunch spot Wild Eggs puts a twist on the classic recipe by adding fried eggs, diced tomatoes and smoked paprika to its version, which is called Kelsey’s KY Brown. And local chain Biscuit Belly serves its popular take on the hot brown on fluffy Southern biscuits in place of bread.
A true southern classic, pimento cheese (known as the ‘caviar of the south’) is a wildly popular spread that combines grated cheese, mayo, diced red pimento peppers, and a zingy spice blend – but it’s barely known outside of the USA. Even more niche is the pimento cheese sandwich, a speciality that’s closely connected to the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where players traditionally enjoy a post-round sandwich. It was first served at the tournament in the 1940s, and remains famously cheap.
At the Masters, this affordable sandwich has become an integral part of the experience, and it's sold alongside a similarly popular egg salad version – which some fans combine to make a delicious super sandwich. Luckily you don’t need to wait for the annual golf tournament to come around in order to try one: pimento is used in creative ways in restaurants all over Georgia and beyond. Locals rave about the gourmet grilled cheese version at Dakota Blue in Atlanta, while at Red's Beer Garden (also in Atlanta) you can grab a hot dog slathered in pimento cheese and bacon jam.
This mouth-watering creation takes a classic pastrami sandwich and ramps the flavor up to eleven. The sailor sandwich is pretty unknown outside of the state of Virginia, but has a dedicated local following – particularly at Richmond’s Jewish delis. This meaty mash-up consists of hot pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, mustard and grilled knockwurst sausage served between slices of toasted rye bread. The story goes that the sandwich was developed in the 1940s to cater to sailors stationed at the nearby Naval Training Center during the Second World War.
It’s generally accepted that the sailor sandwich was invented in the kitchens of the New York Deli in Richmond, Virginia, which was founded in 1929 and is also said to be the city’s oldest restaurant. The deli certainly popularised the sandwich, and the bustling spot remains the go-to place to try it. Other Richmond restaurants renowned for their version include retro diner Dot's Back Inn, and stalwart sandwich shop Chiocca's.
Missouri’s most famous sandwich is a mouthwatering cross between garlic bread and a croque monsieur, and was invented at historic St. Louis sandwich spot Ruma's Deli in the 1970s. The decadent open-faced sammy consists of French bread or a hoagie roll, sliced lengthwise, then smothered in garlic butter. Layers of sliced ham and processed Provel cheese (another St. Louis speciality) are added along with a sprinkle of paprika, and the whole caboodle is grilled until melty and delicious.
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The story goes that the original Gerber recipe was inspired by Dick Gerber, who lived next door to Ruma's Deli. He was allowed to make his lunch in the restaurant kitchen for a small fee, and owners Dee and Tom Ruma were so impressed with what he concocted one day, 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, including Twisted Ranch, which serves its version with roasted garlic ranch instead of butter.
Dry ground beef stuffed into a hamburger bun might not sound like the most appetising sandwich, but a trip to Iowa wouldn’t be complete without trying the state’s signature sandwich. Also known as a tavern sandwich or simply a Maid-Rite, a loose meat sandwich differs from a burger in that the meat is seasoned then cooked loose rather than formed into a patty; it’s essentially a sloppy Joe, but without the sauce. The meaty sandwich is believed to have originated in the 1920s, with several claims to its creation.
One story dates the origins of the sandwich back to the 1920s, when David Heglin of Ye Olde Tavern in Sioux City dreamed it up as a quick and easy way to feed hungry drinkers. However, this is disputed by Iowa fast food chain Maid-Rite, which claims the dish was invented in 1926 by its founder, Fred Angell. Either way, there’s no doubt that Maid-Rite (which now has 20 locations across the Midwest) is responsible for popularising the dish. Here the sandwich is simply served in a sliced bun with mustard and pickles, and has become one of the state’s most iconic creations.
Originating in Springfield, Illinois, the horseshoe is a regional favorite that’s not much known outside of the state. This open-faced sandwich features two pieces of Texas toast (super-thick toasted bread) loaded with hamburger patties and/or ham, crispy French fries and a creamy cheese sauce. It was invented in the late 1920s at the Leland Hotel in Springfield by chef Joe Schweska. 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. Can’t handle a whole one? A smaller version, with one slice of bread and one serving of meat, is called a pony shoe.
To taste the best, head to Springfield, where you can grab a superlative version from diners, pubs and taverns all over the city. At much-loved Irish bar D'arcy's Pint, patrons rave about the amazing house-made cheese sauce that’s used to smother its signature sandwiches. You can even build your own horseshoe here – meaty topping options range from corned beef and pastrami to Nashville hot chicken and Italian sausage. Meanwhile at Charlie Parker's Diner, a historic spot known for its neon signs and kitsch interiors, the must-order horseshoe is the ‘breakfast shoe,’ which features thick Texas toast piled with eggs, bacon, hash browns, gravy and cheese sauce.
Louisiana's signature sammy the po' boy is famous all over the world, but did you know New Orleans also lays claim to the invention of another sandwich that fans say is even more delicious? The name refers to the type of bread used to make it – a muffaletta is a huge round Sicilian loaf that’s similar in texture to focaccia, but has a crispier crust and comes topped with sesame seeds. The sandwich is traditionally filled with layers of marinated olive salad, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, mozzarella and provolone. The olive salad (a mixture of olives, celery, cauliflower and carrots) is the defining element, providing a tangy contrast to the richness of the layers of meat and cheese.
It’s generally agreed that the muffaletta was invented in 1906 at Central Grocery and Deli in New Orleans, Louisiana by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. The shop owner was inspired to make the sandwich after noticing local Italian workers messily combining cold cuts, olive salad, cheese and bread for their lunch, making for a hard-to-eat meal. He suggested stuffing all of the various ingredients inside the bread, and the muffuletta was born. Central Grocery remains a popular destination for sandwich enthusiasts today, though you can grab a sensational version at other New Orleans favorites like Verti Marte and World Deli.
North Dakota’s hot roast beef sandwich certainly wins the top prize for America’s messiest sandwich – this one is strictly a knife and fork affair! Cities from Boston to Chicago have their own unique versions of a sandwich filled with roast beef, but North Dakota’s is probably the least known outside of the region. Perfect fodder for the region’s famously cold winters, the sandwich consists of a tender roast beef sandwich made with wheat bread or Texas toast, generously flooded with thick brown gravy and topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes.
The origins of the sandwich are vague, but Schatz Crossroads Truck Stop in Minot, North Dakota, is considered the go-to spot to try it. This legendary truck stop has been dishing up hot roast beef sandwiches for more than 40 years and serves them lots of different ways; you can swap the beef for hamburger meat or roast turkey, or have French fries and hash browns instead of mashed potatoes. Other highly recommended spots to try the local delicacy include Charlie's Main Street Cafe (also in Minot) and small North Dakota chain Kroll's Diner.
When it comes to New Jersey’s overstuffed fat sandwich, pretty much anything goes. These hefty creations originated at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where they were served out of so-called grease trucks to provide sustenance to hungry students in the early hours. The rather comical name comes from the combination of ingredients traditionally piled inside a hoagie, which run the gamut from chicken fingers and gyro meat to French fries, onion rings and jalapeño poppers. The fillings are usually smothered in sauce, usually ketchup, mayonnaise, hot sauce or ranch dressing.
The original fat sandwich – called the Fat Cat – dates back to the 1970s and was made up of a double cheeseburger, fries, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and ketchup. These days, R U Hungry? is one of few original fat sandwich spots left from the 1970s and, although it now operates from a restaurant instead of a grease truck, it remains the go-to place to try the dish in New Brunswick. Here you can feast on dishes like the Fat Freddo, which is stuffed with chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, turkey bacon, chili, cheese sauce, French fries and hot sauce. Other popular spots to grab a fat sandwich include PJ's Grill & Pizza and Adrian's Jersey Pizza, both of which serve all kinds of creative versions.
Noodles are great, sandwiches are great – but how about a dish that combines them both? To make this eccentric fusion dish, stir-fried noodles are mixed with pork, beansprouts, onions and celery, drenched in brown gravy, then stuffed between two halves of a hamburger bun. The chow mein sandwich has its roots in Fall River, Massachusetts and was 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 speciality was soon adopted by other local Chinese restaurants and is still fairly popular today, though it’s not well known outside of this relatively small area of New England.
The pork in the chow mein may be swapped out for chicken, beef or shrimp, and some spots will even add a burger patty in for good measure. And if you’re worried about the sandwich being a bit too wet, most restaurants will offer the option of having it ‘strained’ – without vegetables – or ‘unstrained,’ in its full, veg-packed, messy glory. Historic Chinese restaurant Mee Sum Restaurant in Fall River, which opened in 1950, is considered the top spot to try this satisfying fusion sandwich. Locals also recommend Faneek’s, a hot dog spot that also serves an excellent chow mein sandwich (pictured).
This soul food classic is exactly what it sounds like, but is far tastier than you might think. The pig ear sandwich was created out of necessity in 1940s Mississippi when meat was expensive, and the dish remains a niche treat that diners travel miles to try. According to local lore, 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 between thick slices of white bread.
At the Big Apple Inn, the legendary sandwich is still served the same way – with mustard, shredded cabbage and a house-made hot sauce to cut through the fatty richness. Fans say the texture of pig ear is gelatinous and slightly chewy, with a taste similar to sweet bacon. It’s admittedly an acquired taste, but it remains a bestseller at the much-loved joint, which is now run by the great-grandson of the restaurant’s original founder. These days, Big Apple Inn cooks its pig ears for just two hours with the help of a pressure cooker, but the rest of the recipe is basically the same. Alongside the unusual sandwich, the joint is also known for its smoked sausages, fried bologna sandwiches and tamales.
The ghoulish name immediately sets this Midwestern sandwich apart as one of America’s strangest sounding dishes – but it isn’t quite as bizarre as you might think. A historic speciality in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the cannibal sandwich (also known as tiger meat or wildcat) is traditionally enjoyed at Christmas and consists of super-fresh, raw ground beef, thickly spread on slices of rye bread and topped with chopped onion, salt and pepper.
No one knows for sure who invented the cannibal sandwich, but it's been a popular celebration dish in Wisconsin’s German communities since the 1800s. Some say it has origins in a similar German delicacy called mett or hackepeter, which sees raw ground pork seasoned with salt and pepper, then spread on a halved bread roll. Because of the obvious risks involved in serving raw meat, it’s something that people enjoy at home rather than in restaurants; locals say Bunzel's Meat Market and Ray’s Butcher Shoppe – both in Milwaukee – are the most trusted spots to buy meat for this unusual delicacy.
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