These Are The Greatest Sandwiches Ever Made

Anyone can put meat between two pieces of bread and call it a sandwich, but it takes some real expertise to redefine the form. These epic culinary creations will make you question everything you thought you know about sandwiches, and probably leave you in a food coma. Since 1888, the pastrami purveyors at New York City's most famous deli have been setting the standard for serious consumption of all things sandwich. There's a ton of things on the menu here, but ask most native New Yorkers and they'll tell you there's only one you need to experience before you die. Their signature is a simple affair that astounds the customer with its sheer size, a mound of fatty, salty-smoked pastrami and mustard, all between two pieces of rye, simple, straightforward, and delicious. How delicious? I'll have what she's having. There's a lot on the menu over at Melt Bar & Grilled, and a lot of it is very, very cheesy. The cheesiest of all is the simply named Melt, which features the unlikely sum of 12 different cheeses. It is served somehow on three slices of bread with a side of fries and slaw. The meal as a whole is billed as more than five pounds of food, and, of course, they've established an eating challenge to go with it. If a foolhardy soul can finish the gigantic grilled cheese without any help or heading to the bathroom, they'll get a shirt or a pint glass large enough to hold their cheesy tears of joy. Here's a sandwich shop that's been holding it down since the 1930s. A Pittsburgh staple that packs a wallop like the steel curtain, this sandwich pioneered the notion that the sandwich could be more than just meat. Starting with some soft Italian bread, the almost-famous is then constructed layer by layer with whatever meat and cheese combination you can imagine, and then topped with tomatoes, coleslaw, and french fries. For the glutton on the go, it's the clear winner, as it's the sandwich and sides all in one. But come on, really? It's just a sandwich, right? How important could it possibly be? Are you saying the whole election could have been swung by her not eating a Promani Brothers sandwich? I'm saying we should look into it. When Man vs. Food star Adam Richman spearheaded a competition to find the single best sandwich in the U.S., the contest ended with the roast pork sandwich at D'Nicks in Philadelphia standing triumphant, like Rocky Balboa had before it. What is it with Pennsylvania cities and their ability to produce big hunks of meat the nation just can't get enough of? D'Nicks' sandwich is fairly basic, but still considered one of the most delicious things in the culinary world. It's basically a traditional, hearty, family dinner on a roll, with perfectly roasted pork joined by provolone cheese, broccoli rabe, and gravy on top. Perhaps the most amazing thing about it, of course, is that in a city known for a certain other kind of sandwich, D'Nicks' roast pork still managed to emerge victorious as the best in all the land. Sorry, cheesesteak fans. Are you sure you're okay, dude? This sandwich comes from a famed barbecue joint in Syracuse, New York that was so good, it left Adam Richman with no choice but to burst out in obscenities in order to describe just how delicious it was. Of course, the thing about Dinosaur Barbecue's pork skit is that, if you're going to try to tackle it, you might want to refrain from eating anything a day or two in advance, considering just how much perfectly cooked brisket, pulled pork, and coleslaw gets piled onto the sandwich roll. A half-pound of pork, a half-pound of brisket, piles of slaw, giant gobs of melted cheddar, some of Dinosaur's signature sauce, does it get much better than that? It all comes together for what's undoubtedly one of the most delicious barbecue sandwiches you'll ever encounter. The Yardbird is a staple at Slow's Barbecue, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sort of place in the heart of Motor City. This isn't just a sandwich that's a favorite in Detroit, it's known nationwide for its simplicity done right. At its heart, the Yardbird is a chicken sandwich. But this particular chicken sandwich is smoked and pulled to perfection, served with a special mustard sauce and heaps of cheddar cheese, mushrooms, and bacon. Now that might not sound like anything special or out of the ordinary, but it was one of the contestants on Adam Richman's search for the best sandwich in America. It's wholly worth your time in tracking one down the next time you're in Detroit, or even the next time you're anywhere in Michigan.